I have nearly come to the end of reading (again) the quite brilliant ‘Making of the English Working Class’ by EP Thompson. And on page 800 found this reference:

“But this time it was Hetherington, a printing worker, who led the frontal attack (on the demands for freedom of the press). His ‘Poor Man’s Guardian‘ carried the emblem of a hand-press, the motto Knowledge is Power, and the heading ‘Published contrary to “Law” to try the power of “‘Might” against “Right”.

And as an example of the seditious power of satire, a power the ‘might’ of the government, the industrialists and landowners tried to crush, here’s a sample of some of the work of William Hone:

“Our Lord, who art in the Treasury, whatsoever be thy name, thy power be prolonged, thy will be done throughout the empire, as it is in each session. Give us our usual slops, and forgive us our occassional absences on divisions; as we promise not to forgive those that divide against thee. Turn us not out of our places; but keep us in the House of Commons, the land of Pensions and Plenty; and deliver us from the People. Amen.

New Labour spin doctors; eat your hearts out.