[Joseph Ritson] [graphic]Sayers, James, 1748-1823, printmaker22d March 1803.eng"Ritson stands at a desk in profile to the Ieft, writing in a large book, both pages headed 'Common Place'. His finger- and toe-nails are talons; he dips his pen in an ink-stand inscribed 'Gall', and has written: 'Moses an Impostor the prophets old Cloaths Men of Judæa Warburton a fool Dr Percy a Liar Warton an infamous Liar a pipeer [Ritson adopted a system of spelling chiefly characterized by a duplication of the letter e. 'D.N.B.'] better than a parson'. He wears a tightly buttoned overcoat and a top-hat; his toes project through broken shoes. From his pocket projects a pamphlet: 'The Atheist's pocket Companion.' He stands on a slab of (damaged) papers headed 'Dr Percy's Antient Balla[ds]'. his feet is a large open book; on one page is a half length portrait of Thomas Warton stabbed through with a knife and fork; on the other, 'History of English Poetry'. The room is filled with heavy folio volumes and vegetable products; there is a small window with cracked panes. A cow (head only visible) munches at a basket of large leaves beside a paper: 'Bill of Fare \ Nettle Soup \ Sour Crout \ Horse Beans \ Onions Leeks'. On a top shelf an emaciated cat, heavily chained, strains in vain towards two rats who nibble a bunch of candles; beside it is an open book: 'Abstinence from animal Food a moral duty'. Below, 'The Bible' slants across a gap in the book-shelf labelled 'Old Romances'. On Ritson's desk (left) is a pile of books on which squats a frog; on it vegetables are heaped."--British Museum online catalogueTitle from British Museum catalogue.Signed with the initials of James Sayers.One line of Latin verse below image: Impiger iracundus, inexorabilis acer [Horace, Ars Poetica].One line of Greek text below Latin verse.Four lines of English text above imprint: Fierce meagre pale no commentator's friend. Purs. Lit. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the Earth ...Temporary local subject terms: Ink well -- 'Common Place' -- Iron gall ink.