"Two fighting-cocks, with the heads of Napoleon and Pitt, face each other across the English Channel. Napoleon (left) has a large ruff of tricolour feathers and enormously long spurs, but his wings and tail feathers are clipped. His cliff is the higher; he leans forward, saying, "Eh Master Billy, if I could but take a flight over this Brook I would soon stop your Crowing, I would Knock you off that Perch, I swear by Mahomet, the Pope and all the Idols I have ever Worshiped." Pitt stands on a large royal crown which brings his feet almost to a level with those of Bonaparte; he stands erect, thus towering above his rival; he has very short spurs but a fine tail and wings; he crows: "Tuck a roo - too that you never can do!!!" Below them lies the sea with a fleet of ships in full sail close to the English coast."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Attributed to Charles Williams in the British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Publisher's advertisement in lower right: Folios of caracatures lent out for the evening., and Mounted at the corners on a leaf: 29.5 x 42 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. March 27th, 1803, by S.W. Fores, 50 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 and Pitt, William, 1759-1806
Subject (Topic):
Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815, Proposed invasion of England, 1793-1805, Game fowl, Cockfighting, Crowns, Cliffs, Bodies of water, and Ships
"In the upper part of the design the Recording Angel (or Truth) draws or engraves on an oval shield which she rests on a pedestal. On it are depicted French soldiers bayoneting defenceless Turks (apparently adapted from BMSat 10062). In the background are the head of a Sphinx, and clouds. Against the pedestal on which Truth stands rests a picture, filling the lower part of the design. Napoleon kneels on a rock, extending imploring arms towards Nilus, a nude and muscular figure seated on rock from which water gushes. Nilus veils and averts his head. In the background are pyramids and palm-trees."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Frontispiece, Britannicus to Buonaparte : an heroic epistle
Description:
Title devised by cataloger; varying form of title from British Museum catalogue. and Frontispiece to the second edition of Britannicus to Buonaparte, an heroic epistle, with notes / by Henry Tresham.
Publisher:
Publish'd Novr. 1st, 1803, for the author by I. Hatchard, No. 199 Piccadilly, London