Making a sailor a Free Mason [graphic]Roberts, Piercy, active 1791-1805, printmaker[not before January 1807]eng"Four men wearing aprons and other Masonic insignia initiate a burly pugnacious sailor who kneels on a cushion in profile to the right. Two lighted candles in tall candlesticks are on the ground behind him. On the extreme right. a man heats a poker in a brazier. On the extreme left. a Mason reads from a book: "Be it known to all men present that Benjamin Block of the Parish of St Catherines, - having a desire to become a member of the ancient Fraternity of Masons, hitherto comply'd with the usual ceremonies - Viz - having his Shirt-flaps cut and marked with divers mysteries, signs, and tangents - it now only remains - to fix on the bandage - and prepare the red hot poker, [for which purposes the proper Officers, are now attending) and the initiation is complete." An elderly man wearing a large old-fashioned wig faces the sailor, holding a cloth. The sailor's striped trousers are pulled down, his (slit) shirt is pulled over them, leaving a bare thigh. On the shirt are scrawled a sun, star, crescent, compasses, &c. On the ground are scissors and a hammer. The sailor clenches his fists and scowls up at his vis-à-vis, saying: "Harke'e Mr Wigsby - mind what I say, I have consented to have my main sheets cut and hack'd about, in a pretty stile, and Poll will swear enough about that, when she comes to over-hawl my rigging - but D------n me, if you offer to blindfold me, or to heave in sight one of your red hot pokers - may I never weigh anchor again - If I dont upset every Man-Jack of you. - " The fourth Mason, standing behind the sailor, laughs heartily."--British Museum online catalogue, description of an earlier stateTitle etched below image.Later state; date at end of Tegg's imprint has been heavily scored through and is illegible.Plate apparently reissued more than once by Tegg after originally being published by Roberts, whose imprint has been obliterated. See British Museum catalogue.Date of publication based on complete imprint on earlier state: London, Pub. by T. Tegg, 111 Cheapside, Jany. 1807. Cf. No. 10891 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 8.Plate numbered "77" in upper right corner.Plate from: Woodward, G.M. Caricature magazine, or Hudibrastic mirror. London : Thomas Tegg, [1808?], v. 2.Also issued separately.Sheet trimmed within plate mark.Temporary local subject headings: Sailors -- Free Masons -- Candlestick lighting -- Old-fashioned wigs -- Male costume, 1809.1 print : etching on wove paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 24.9 x 34.8 cm, on sheet 25.6 x 41.8 cm.Leaf 23 in volume 2.