In an outdoor setting, Charles Fox, with a fox's head, and Lord North, both kneeling, supplicate Edmund Burke for absolution, in Fox's words, of the "sins not yett committed." Lord North, having confessed that his "sins are manifold and grievious," promises to submit to Burke's "holy injuctions & drink small beer all my life time." Burke, dressed in a monastic garb and biretta, his right hand raised in the act of benediction, points with his left one to the steep hill in front of him, on top of which stands gallows with a body hanging from it, and directs Fox and North to "go & sin no more ..." Behind Burke is another steep hill with a cross on top and a kneeling figure next to it.
Alternative Title:
Holy benediction
Description:
Title from item. and Sheet trimmed to plate mark.
Publisher:
Pub. by T. Colley
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and England
Subject (Name):
Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797., Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806., and North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792.
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Priests, Confessions, and Clothing & dress
In the aftermath of the crisis of early 1783, the past and future ministers are depicted at a table competing for their share in the government. Foremost among them are Fox and North, seated at the top of the table to the left of the King who offers them a loaf signed "Secretary of State." They both hold on to the loaf signed "Treasury," while Lord Shelburne, seated to the King's right, is now empty-handed. In the lower right corner of the image, two dogs identified as "Pay Office Clerks," attempt to sneak away with bags of money, an allusion to Burke's reinstatement of two clerks accused of malversation before his return to the office of paymaster-general and "George III presides at a rectangular table at which sit past and prospective ministers, grasping at the loaves and fishes which lie on the table. On the left side of the table and on the king's right sit Shelburne and his supporters, on the opposite side sit those who have ousted them. The king sits in an ornate chair; on his right sits Shelburne putting his arm on the shoulder of Dunning, who sits on his other side. Shelburne says "I must submit! - may it prove Poison to them say I". Dunning answers "Never mind my Lord - give them rope enough, and they will hang themselves". The king turns to Fox and North, who sit on his left hand, and says, pointing to the table, "pray help your selves Gentlemen". Fox, who has a fox's head, has seized a loaf in each hand, saying "An't please your Maj------ty I'll have these for me & my friends". The loaf under his left hand is inscribed "Treasury"; North, who sits on Fox's left, says, "hold Charley, that's more then comes to your Share". The other two on the right side of the table are Keppel and Burke. Keppel, who is next North, puts his right hand on a loaf; in his left he holds a fish from whose mouth go lines attached to two other fish and another loaf; he is saying "I'm fond of Sea fish". A naval officer opposite him hugs a loaf and grasps the tail of one of the fish on Keppel's line. He is identified in a contemporary hand as Palliser, but is more probably Lord Howe, who was First Lord of the Admiralty from 29 Jan. 1782 (after Keppel's resignation) till 8 April, when he was replaced by Keppel. He is in "profil perdu" but his figure and a black eyebrow suggest Howe. On Keppel's left, and at the right corner of the table, sits Burke grasping a loaf in his right hand, a fish in his left. He is saying "Rhetorick is of no use here! tis catch that catch can". In the foreground (right), at Burke's side, two dogs laden with money-bags are running off to the right. Over them is inscribe "Pay Office Clerks" and (smaller) "Fulham". On the money-bag of one is "£200.000", on that of the other "£100.000". Burke became paymaster-general under Rockingham, resigned office with Fox on Shelburne's appointment, and was again (on 7 April) to become paymaster. On returning to office he reinstated two clerks, Powell and Bembridge, who had recently been dismissed by Barré for malversation, for which he was attacked in parliament on 24 April and 19 May 1783. 'Parl. Hist', xxiii, pp. 900 ff; Wraxall, 'Memoirs', 1884, iii. 77-86. [Possibly the dogs were added in a later issue of the print, as they seem to refer to the scandal over Powell and Bembridge. Powell committed suicide, Bembridge was tried and sentenced.] Opposite Burke, at the near left corner of the table, sits Conway, the Commander-in-Chief, in general's uniform, grasping a fish in one hand, a lobster in the other. He is saying, "I fear they'll not leave me one poor lobster". He had disappointed Fox by not resigning on Shelburne's appointment, he did not however lose office till after the dissolution of Parliament in 1784, when he resigned. In the centre of the table are three unclaimed loaves, the one nearest the king is inscribed "Secretary of State".--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from item., Possiblly by Topham., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Reissue of no. 6195 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, with a verse from Shakespeare's "Othello" added under the title.
Publisher:
Pub by E. Achery March 24, 1783, St James Street
Subject (Geographic):
England
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820., Lansdowne, William Petty, Marquis of, 1737-1805., Dunning, John, Baron Ashburton, 1731-1783., Howe, Richard Howe, Earl, 1726-1799., Conway, Henry Seymour, 1721-1795., Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806., North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792., Keppel, Augustus Keppel, Viscount, 1725-1786., and Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797.
"Fox, wearing a military cocked hat, with civilian dress, threatens Prussia (or Frederick William III) with his sabre, while he puts a foot on the sword that Prussia has dropped. The latter, a grotesque figure with a long pigtail and moustaches, kneels terrified at his feet, clasping his hands in supplication. His Death's Head Hussar cap falls from his thrown-back head; he wears a fur-trimmed cloak and tunic, with a badge of the Prussian Eagle on his sleeve, with half-boots and extravagant spurs. Fox says, with an expression of sour and calculating contempt, " - O you Prussian Marauder, you! - what I've caught you at last? - what, You took me for a double-faced-Talleyrand! did you? - did you think I was like yourself, to Look One way & Row another? - what you thought because I make Loyal Speeches now, that I must be a Turncoat? - O you Frenchified Villain! - I'll teach you to humbug & insult my poor, dear, dear Master? - & to join with such Rascals as Boney, & O'Conner!" Prussia exclaims, terrified, "indeed! indeed! indeed! I could not help it. - " Meanwhile, Napoleon, holding his sabre, and wearing feathered bicorne, with spurred jack-boots, furtively hastens up to Fox from behind, to read the open book which the latter displays to him behind his back: 'State of the Nation'.
Alternative Title:
Magnanimous minister chastising Prussian perfidy and Magnanimous minister chastiseing Prussian perfidy
Description:
Title from caption below image., Text following title: "Vide Morning Chronicle.", and Cf. Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 8, no. 10560
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Geographic):
England
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Admirals, British, Military uniforms, and Clothing & dress
William Pitt, on the left, and Charles Fox, are shown fighting a cudgelling match in a large, empty room. Fox is using a mace, now broken by a blow from the staff held by Pitt. Fox's shield reads "Resolutions," an allusion to resolutions against Pitt's ministry moved by him. Pitt's shield is inscribed, "Addresses," referring to loyal addresses thanking the King for dismissal of Fox
Alternative Title:
Mace of the House of Commons rendered of no service
Description:
Title from item., J. Barlow identified as printmaker in British Museum catalogue., and Mounted on a smaller sheet.
Publisher:
Pubd. by H. Humphrey April 5, 1785, No. 51 New Bond Street
Subject (Geographic):
England and Westminster
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806. and Pitt, William, 1759-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Political elections, Dueling, and Clothing & dress
"Britannia and America embrace, while France and Spain try to pull America away, Holland watches their efforts, and Fox points out the struggle to Keppel." A reference to attempts by Russia and Fox to mediate the conflict in 1781-82.
Description:
Title from item., A probable earlier state of no. 5989 without the Humphrey imprint. See Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 5., Artist and date of publication from British Museum catalogue., and Mounted to 32 x 44 cm.
Publisher:
Pub. by T. Colley No. 5 Acorn Court Rolls Buildings Fetter Lane Old England
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain, United States, and America.
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Britannia (Symbolic character), Politics and government, History, Colonies, Liberty cap, and Clothing & dress
George III is shown in two images in profile: the one facing left (not a good likeness), is directed toward North and Fox, the other a portrait of the King turned towards Shelburne and another figure, possibly Pitt, Lord Gower or the Duke of Richmond
Alternative Title:
Two faces under a hood
Description:
Title from item. and Mounted to 31 x 46 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. as [the] act directs Jany 4, 1784 by E.D. Achery, St James's Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and England
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820., Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806., North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792., Lansdowne, William Petty, Marquis of, 1737-1805., and Janus (Roman deity),
William Pitt, acting as an auctioneer in the dissoluted Parliament, sells from the rostrum decorated with Royal Arms "useless valuables," such as "Magna Charta." Corwall, the Speaker sitting below the rostrum, records bids in the "Sundry acts." In front of him stands Thurlow in Chancellor's robes making dismissive comment on "nonsensical bidings of those common fellows," i.e. members of the House of Commons who leave through the door on the left. Last of them, Fox, turns back vowing to bid "with spirit" for lot 1, "rights of the people in 558 vol." held on display by Henry Dundas. A reference to the dissolution of the Parliament by the King on March 25.
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Reissue for the History of the Westminster election, 1784, p. 48. See British Museum Catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark with partial loss of imprint., and Mounted to 30 x 41 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. March 26th by W. Humphrey No. 227 Strand
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain, England, and Westminster
Subject (Name):
Pitt, William, 1759-1806., Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806., Thurlow, Edward Thurlow, Baron, 1731-1806., Cornwall, Charles Wolfran, 1735-1789., and Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811.
Subject (Topic):
Great Britain, Politics and government, Political elections, Auctions, and Clothing & dress
Charles Fox, shown in profile, with a fox's head, rides his horse towards the left holding a goose by the neck over his shoulder. Two bags stuffed with geese are suspended from his saddle. He says, "I have Burgoyn'd the geese at last by coming North about" [i.e., surrendered them to the enemy as Gen. Burgoyne did at Saratoga, by forming a coalition with Lord North].
Alternative Title:
State goose catcher and St. James's market-man
Description:
Title from item., Sheet trimmed., and Mounted to 36 x 30 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. by J. Barrow Septr. 11, 1783. White Lion, Bull Stairs, Surry Side Black Friars Bridge
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and England
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Horseback riding, Foxes, Geese, and Clothing & dress
William Pitt, in a dramatic pose, reaches up with his right hand for a sword presented to him by three cherubs encouraging him to defend King and country. With his other hand he indicates a volume inscribed, "Locke on the human understanding" on the table behind him. Above the table hangs a portrait of Lord Chatham. Members and supporters of the North-Fox coalition look on through an open window, gathered under a flag labeled "The Harmonic Society."
Description:
Title from item., Under title: "Third sketch"., and Mounted to 41 x 29 cm.
Publisher:
Published Feby. 18, 1784, as the act directs by S. Fores No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and England
Subject (Name):
Pitt, William, 1759-1806., Pitt, William, Earl of Chatham, 1708-1778., North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792., Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816., and Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797.
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Tables, Daggers & swords, and Clothing & dress