Lord North and Charles Fox stand bound together by a ribbon signed "Tie of interest" looped around their necks. North holds in his left hand a sheet of paper with the popular ballad, "Vicar of Bray," while Fox points to the list of his own "Debts of honour" (gambling debts). Playing cards and dice spread on the table are partially covered by the "Plan for disarming the I__h V____rs" (Irish Volunteers). A large sack inscribed "Budget" lies on the floor. Behind North hangs an oval bust portrait of him dressed as a cleric and inscribed "Vicar of Bray." Behind Fox is a similar portrait of him with a rope on his neck inscribed "Sergius Cataline." Above are three paintings showing, from left to right, two men hanging from a gibbet with the executioner's cart pulling away, the "State Vessel" blown down the "Stream of Corruption" by "Boreas" [North], and a fox running away with a goose in his mouth
Description:
Title from item., Date of publication from British Museum catalogue., and Two columns each with six lines of verse below the image.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Geographic):
England and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792. and Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806.
On the right, William Petty, Lord Shelburne, attacks Britannia pulling on her hair and petticoat while pushing her to the ground. She leans on her shield; her broken spear lies next to it. William Pitt, who stands behind her with his arms folded on his chest, looks down at her indifferently. On the left, Charles Fox, taking Lord North's hand in his, points to the distressed Britannia with an entreaty to join their forces in her defense and "Fox and North stand together in consultation (left). Fox, holding the right hand of North who stands on his right, points with his left hand towards Britannia (right), who has been thrown to the ground, and is being maltreated by Shelburne. Her shield and broken spear lie beside her. Shelburne has seized her by the hair and is tearing off her upper garments; he smiles saying, "I smile at the feeble efforts of them single". Britannia looking towards Fox and North cries, "Help! tis only your united strength can save me". Pitt, young and slim, stands beside Britannia, his arms folded, looking down at her and saying "I see her danger, yet, better she should perish than I join the Man I hate". Fox is saying to North, "Forgetting our former disputes Quick! let us join to save her". In the foreground lies a large scroll, inscribed, "BRITANIA rescue'd from the wicked designs of an artfull------", the last word hidden by a curl of the scroll."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Men of abilities call'd for and Men of abilities called for
Description:
Title from item. and Mounted to 29 x 37 cm.
Publisher:
Publish'd May 20th, 1783, by I. Freeman, Strand
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and England
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, and Lansdowne, William Petty, Marquis of, 1737-1805
Subject (Topic):
Britannia (Symbolic character), Politics and government, and Clothing & dress