"The candidates for Middlesex and their supporters race (right to left) to Brentford. The foremost rider is Wilkes on a horse wearing a royal crown (indicating George III); he holds up the cap of 'Liberty' on its staff. Half a length behind, and nearer the spectator, is Mainwaring, holding up a sword whose blade is inscribed 'Justice'. His horse's human head is blindfolded, in its mouth is a pair of scales; in one balance is 'Byng Dunston', in the other and heavier, 'Wilkes Manwaring'. The horse probably represents Justice, its rider was a well-known Middlesex Justice and chairman of the Middlesex Sessions. Behind Wilkes, his horse's head hidden, is a rider not identified, he has lost his stirrups and clutches his saddle with both hands. Behind these three and in the centre of the design is George Byng, the friend of Fox and the Prince of Wales, M.P. for Middlesex since 1780. He rides a pair of horses (representing the Coalition), standing with one foot on the saddle of each; the near horse has the head of Fox, the other that of North; the tail of the near horse is a fox's brush inscribed 'Grace'. The fore legs of the pair touch a paper inscribed 'Test'. Byng's whip is inscribed 'Coalition' and he is saying, "Spur them up behind Doctor, or I shall lose the race", addressing Hall, the Westminster apothecary, who rides like a hobby horse a pair of crutches tied with a ribbon; in place of a hat he wears a mortar inscribed 'All [sic] Blue and Buff'; he holds up his pestle as if it were a whip. Behind Byng, Jeffery Dunstan rides an ass with long ears and the head of Sam House; he looks round to address the Duchess of Devonshire who is the last of the cavalcade. The Duchess (right) rides astride, her bunched-up skirt showing spurred half-boots. Her horse has the head of the Earl of Surrey; she says, "Byng for ever - and may the Hearty Cock ever stand stout in our sarvice". Dunstan says, "Well said my Dutchess - Charly's Whipper-in for ever. Huzza". The Duchess wears a heavily trimmed hat in which is a large election favour and four fox's tails, each inscribed 'Byng'. On the extreme left is a sign-post pointing 'To Brentford'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Mounted to 27 x 36 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. as the act directs, by J. Brown, Rathbone Place
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain, Middlesex (England), and England.
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, Wilkes, John, 1725-1797, Mainwaring, William, 1735-1821, Byng, George, ca. 1735-1789, Dunstan, Jeffery, 1759?-1797, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792, Hall, Edward, active 1784-1793, House, Samuel, -1785, Cavendish, Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire, 1757-1806, Norfolk, Charles Howard, Duke of, 1746-1815, and Great Britain. Parliament
Subject (Topic):
Elections, 1784, Politics and government, Elections, Crutches, Donkeys, Hobby horses, Horse racing, Horses, Justice, Liberty cap, Pharmacists, Political elections, Scales, Symbols, and Traffic signs & signals
Title from item., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Printmaker from similar print. Cf. British Museum catalogue no. 6387., Original publication statement burnished from the plate., Not in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 6., Temporary local subject terms: Allusion to John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, 1713-1792 -- Personifications: Rumor blowing trumpet -- Brookes's Club, London -- Demon wearing tartan -- Charters -- East India Bill, 1783 -- Gambling: Dice and dice-box -- Crown -- Thistle -- Allusion to Fox-North Coalition, 1783 -- Satire on Pitt's ministry -- King's Prerogative -- Tax-receipt -- Signs: Sign-post -- 'Secret Influence'., and Watermark in center of sheet: J Whatman.
Publisher:
Pubd. 12 Apr. 1784 by H. Humphrey, No. 51 New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, Buckingham, George Nugent Temple Grenville, Marquess of, 1753-1813., Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792, Lansdowne, William Petty, Marquis of, 1737-1805, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Thurlow, Edward Thurlow, Baron, 1731-1806, Richmond and Lennox, Charles Lennox, Duke of, 1735-1806, Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811, Nugent, Robert Craggs Nugent, Earl, 1702?-1788, Alvanley, Richard Pepper Arden, Baron, 1745-1804, and Kenyon, Lloyd Kenyon, Baron, 1732-1802
Title from item., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Temporary local subject terms: Literature: Quotation from John Dryden, 1631-1700, King Arthur or the British worthy -- General elections -- Defeat of Fox -- Allusion to the defeat of the East India Bill, 1783 -- Crowns -- Devil -- Laurel wreaths -- Chains -- Pitchforks -- Angels., Partial watermark: initials L V G under shield., and Mounted to 29 x 37 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. as the act directs, by J. Brown, Rathbone Place
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, and Pitt, William, 1759-1806