"Fox stands on a dais at the head of a rough table, the seat from which he has risen is magnificent, above it is the inscription 'Vive la Libertè' surmounted by a bonnet-rouge. He is held up (left) by Combe, the Lord Mayor, a pompous figure in gown and chain, and (right) by Erskine. The former holds a 'Petition to ye Throne; - or a new way to Combe the Ministers Wig'; the latter grasps a bottle of 'Brand[y]'. Fox is melancholy, and his swollen legs cannot support unaided his vast bulk. Before him is a frothing pot of 'Whitbread's Entire' (cf. BMSat 8638). Only the guests on Fox's right and left are visible; they are Grey (or perhaps Byng), [Incorrectly identified in Wright and Evans as Sir J. Sinclair. Identifications of Grey by Lord Holland appear conclusive, but he is identified in 'London und Paris' as Byng, M.P. for Middlesex, and he resembles the Byng of BMSat 8782.] turning to watch his chief, and Tierney, looking gloomily before him. Behind Tierney are the heads of a butcher, with marrow-bone and cleaver, and a chimney-sweep with brush and shovel. All listen intently to Fox, who says: "Gentlemen, you see I'm grown quite an Old Man in your Service! Twenty Years I've served you, & always upon the same Principles; - I rejoic'd at the Success of our Enemies in the American War! - & the War against the Virtuous French Republic has always met with my most determined opposition! - but the Infamous Ministry will not make Peace with our Enemies, & are determin'd to keep Me out of their Councils & out of Place! - therefore Gentlemen! as their Principles are quite different from mine, & as I am now too Old to form myself according to their Systems, my attendance in Parliament is useless: - & to say the truth, I feel that my season of action is past, & I must leave to younger Men to Act, for alas! my failings & weaknesses will not let me now recognise what is for the best!""--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Last dying speech of the Westminster representative ...
Description:
Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Byng, George,--1764-1847--Caricatures and cartoons., Erskine, Thomas Erskine,--Baron,--1750-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Grey, Charles Grey,--Earl,--1764-1845--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., and Tierney, George,--1761-1830--Caricatures and cartoons.
"Pitt stands in the House of Commons, facing the Opposition benches; he causes a tremendous explosion by uncorking a bottle containing the bloated and scowling face of Sheridan, whose hair swirls up into the neck of the bottle. He stands like a waiter with a napkin, marked with a crown and 'GR', under his left. arm; the bottle is between his bent knees, and in his right. hand is a corkscrew, held directly over the bottle. Similar bottles, corked and labelled, stand on the Opposition benches. In the foreground, facing Pitt, are bottles containing the heads of (l. to r.) Tierney, labelled 'a Glass of All-Sorts', Fox, labelled 'True French Wine' [see BMSat 9735, &c], Windham, labelled 'Brandy and Water', and in profile to the left., Grey, labelled 'Goosberry Wine'. All look up at Pitt with anxious melancholy. Rows of bottles recede in perspective on the back benches; only three contain heads: a melancholy profile (see BMSat 10372) of Burdett, labelled 'Brentford Ale' [the polling place for Middlesex], Erskine, labelled 'Spruce Beer' [frothy explosive stuff], and behind these two a partly concealed profile labelled 'Elder Wine'. Next Burdett is a bottle of 'Whitbreads Small-Beer'. Another bottle is labelled 'Mum'. On the ground behind Pitt lies an open bottle of 'Medicinal Wine' spilling its contents, and containing the head of Sidmouth (Addington, see BMSat 9849), with closed eyes suggesting death rather than sleep. Behind, on the extreme left., is part of the Speaker's chair, only a portion of wig being visible. The violent explosion spreads across the upper part of the design; it contains the words 'Bouncings', 'Growlings', 'Fibs! Fibs! Fibs', 'Abuse', 'Abuse', 'Damn'd Fibs', 'Invectives', 'Old Puns', 'Groans of Disappointment', 'Stolen Jests', 'Invectives', 'lame Puns', 'Invectives', 'Loyal Boastings', 'Dramatic Ravings', 'Low Scurrilities', 'Stale Jokes', 'Fibs, Fibs, Fibs! Egotism'. [Commas have been added.] Below the design: " - the honble Gentm tho' he does not very often address the House, yet when he does, he always thinks proper to pay off all arrears, & like \ "a Bottle just uncork'd bursts all at once, into an explosion of Froth & Air; - then, whatever might for a length of time lie \ "lurking & corked up in his mind, whatever he thinks of himself or hears in conversation, - whatever he takes many \ "days or weeks to sleep upon, the whole common-place book of the interval is sure to burst out at once, stored with \ "Studied-Jokes, Sarcasms, arguments, invectives, & every thing else, which his mind or memory are capable of embracing \ "whether they have any relation or not to the Subject under discussion - See Mr P-tts speech on ye Genl Defence Bill."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Title etched in bottom part of image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Burdett, Francis,--1770-1844--Caricatures and cartoons., Erskine, Thomas Erskine,--Baron,--1750-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Grey, Charles Grey,--Earl,--1764-1845--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Pitt, William,--1759-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley,--1751-1816--Caricatures and cartoons., Sidmouth, Henry Addington,--Viscount,--1757-1844--Caricatures and cartoons., Tierney, George,--1761-1830--Caricatures and cartoons., and Windham, William,--1750-1810--Caricatures and cartoons.
"A satire on the peace negotiations and on Windham's Training Act. The scene is outside the 'Treasury', the lower part of its façade forming the background. Ministers and their supporters as 'Corporal and Conscripts' obey the orders of their 'Drill-Serjeant' Napoleon, who stands on the extreme left., his jack-boots firmly planted on cannon-balls him height. He extends his sword with an arrogant gesture, and fiercely orders: "Ground - Arms!" Next him, and in back view, but looking up at him, is Fox seated in an invalid's wheeled chair on the back of which are the coronet and feathers of the Prince of Wales. He is 'Grand Double Drums' and is vigorously beating a pair of kettle-drums, one inscribed 'GR' and crown, the other 'N' and crown. He wears a dressing-gown and bonnet rouge, and his enormously distended legs are straddled outside his drums. On Fox's r. is the 'Flugel Man', Grenville, going through the movement as a pattern to the other privates. He kneels on the left knee and grounds his musket, putting up his hand to shield his eyes; his bayonet is broken, as is its sheath. The 'Corporal & Conscripts' drawn up (r.) facing Napoleon attempt the movement with extreme awkwardness and obsequious haste, not excepting Windham the corporal, the end man (r.) of the front rank. Next him is Lord Holland, on both knees, with an amiable smile. Then Sheridan, very bulky and awkward, but unlike the others directing his musket towards Napoleon. Petty, on both knees, flings down his musket with an obsequious gesture. Next him Lord Temple grovels displaying spherical posteriors. Next, at the end of the line, and close to the gate of the Treasury, kneels Erskine, in wig and gown, raising his hat. In the second rank, behind Windham, is Howick, First Lord, deferentially raising a naval cocked hat; Sidmouth staggers back, throwing up his arms and dropping his musket which lands on his face. Next are Spencer, clumsily lifting his musket, and Ellenborough in wig and gown, with a blunderbuss which he seems about to dash violently on the ground. Behind him is Moira, stiff and tall, in uniform with cocked hat, holding up a musket exploding at lock and barrel. Behind and in shadow are (l. to r.) St. Vincent, Hanger, and the Duke of Clarence, all holding up the muskets which the next rank prevents them from grounding. Most of the 'conscripts' wear civilian dress with crossed bandoleers, and are in most unsoldierly confusion. By the Treasury gate and facing Erskine stands the 'Constable of the Corps', Talleyrand, holding a long constable's staff, crowned, his left. arm extended in a gesture of command; one twisted leg is supported by a stilt under the shoe. As ex-Bishop of Autun (see BMSat 8088) he wears a hat whose crown is a mitre, a long gown and bands over his coat, and a rosary. In his mouth is a pen. Above his head a bird with webbed wings and the head of Lauderdale flies towards Fox, clutching a paper: 'Terms of Peace'. In his mouth is a completely are olive branch. He wears a bonnet rouge, and his body is covered with tartan."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Series of mocking military are etched below image and correspond with figures in the design: Drill-Serjeant [Napolean], Constable of the Corps [Talleyrand-Périgord], Grand Double-Drums [Fox], Flugel Man [Grenville], Corporal & Conscripts [remaining figures]. and Title etched at top of image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Buckingham and Chandos, Richard Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos,--Duke of,--1776-1839--Caricatures and cartoons., Ellenborough, Edward Law,--Baron,--1750-1818--Caricatures and cartoons., Erskine, Thomas Erskine,--Baron,--1750-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville,--Baron,--1759-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., Grey, Charles Grey,--Earl,--1764-1845--Caricatures and cartoons., Hanger, George,--1751?-1824--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Hastings, Francis Rawdon-Hastings,--Marquess of,--1754-1826--Caricatures and cartoons., Holland, Henry Richard Vassall,--Baron,--1773-1840--Caricatures and cartoons., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Lansdowne, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice,--Marquess of,--1780-1863--Caricatures and cartoons., Lauderdale, James Maitland,--Earl of,--1759-1839--Caricatures and cartoons., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley,--1751-1816--Caricatures and cartoons., Sidmouth, Henry Addington,--Viscount,--1757-1844--Caricatures and cartoons., Spencer, George John Spencer,--Earl,--1758-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., St. Vincent, John Jervis,--Viscount,--1735-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Talleyrand-Périgord, Charles Maurice de,--prince de Bénévent,--1754-1838--Caricatures and cartoons., William--IV,--King of Great Britain,--1765-1837--Caricatures and cartoons., and Windham, William,--1750-1810--Caricatures and cartoons.