"Burke (three quarter length) as a showman bends over his magic lantern in profile to the right. In the upper part of the design is a draped sheet on which are the objects thrown by the lantern. These are (left to right): [1] an oddly shaped elephant chained to a stake inscribed 'A Benares Flea'. [2] Three mountains piled one upon the other, inscribed respectively, 'Ossa', 'Pelion', 'Olympus'; the whole is 'A Begum Wart'. [3] Four large eyes dripping tears float half-submerged in the water they have produced, inscribed, 'Begums Tears'. [4] A whale spouting is 'An Ouzle'. From the right side of the magic lantern the end of a slide (or slider, cf. British Museum Satires No. 6287) emerges; on it is an oriental seated cross-legged and smoking. Next the lantern (right) are the heads and shoulders of two spectators in back view who are applauding; one says "finely imagined"; the other, "poor Ladies they have cried their Eyes out". The 'profil perdu' of Lord Derby appears on the extreme right, saying, "very like an Ouzle [weasel]. Polonius" ['Hamlet', III. ii.]."--British Museum online catalogue, description of another version of the same design
Description:
Title etched in bottom part of image., Signed with the monogram of James Sayers., and "Another (almost identical) version of the design [British Museum Satiries No. 7313], with the same signature and inscriptions except that the quotation marks in the title and enclosing 'Polonius' are omitted."--British Museum catalogue.
Publisher:
Publd. 6th May 1788 by T. Cornell, Bruton Street
Subject (Geographic):
Oudh (Princely State)
Subject (Name):
Hastings, Warren, 1732-1818, Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797, and Smith-Stanley, Edward, 1752-1834
A copy of this material is available in digital form from Manuscripts and Archives. Contact Manuscripts and Archives at beinecke.library@yale.edu to request access to the digital copy. and The reverse inscriptions “S. Allson” and “F. Allston” on the photographs indicate the buildings to which the custodians were assigned and are not the names of the men depicted.