A harnessed lion on the left struggles to pull away from "The Pit of ruin" into which he is being pulled backwards by four other animals whose harnesses are attached to a large hook at the end of his. They represent Spain (spaniel), France (cockerel), United States (rattle snake) and Holland (pug). The lion is hindered by four disoriented donkeys representing the new ministry who yank back on his rope bridle. A two-headed eagle (possibly Russia) hovers above the pit protesting its neutrality
Alternative Title:
Ass-headed and cow-hearted ministry making the British Lion
Description:
Title from caption etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., A rebus with the words in the title -- ass, cow, and lion -- represented by images., and Mounted to 26 x 43 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. by J. Barrow, May 8, 1783 White Lion Bull Stairs Surry Side Block Friars Bridge
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and England
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Foreign relations, Harnesses, Donkeys, Dogs, Roosters, Snakes, Lions, Eagles, Cows, and Clothing & dress
A bewildered group of French people watches in amazement the rising air balloon shown as a perfect globe attached to the handle of a basket in which travel a sheep, a cock, and a goose. The observers include members of all social classes, from the local landlord to a peasant woman with a child. An ape, accompanied by an owl and a scholar, watches the balloon through a telescope from a nearby tower
Description:
Title from item. and From the European magazine, October 1783, p. 272.
Publisher:
Published Novr. 1st, 1783, by I. Fielding, Pater Noster Row
Subject (Geographic):
France
Subject (Topic):
Balloons (Aircraft), Spectators, Animals, Telescopes, and Clothing & dress
George III, surrounded by members of the present and former governments, stands on the British shore of the Atlantic Ocean. He holds out his arms in a gesture of uncertainty asking, "My Lords and Gentlemen, what should I do." Each of the statesmen gives his advice. In the background, "England's sun" is "setting" behind the hills at the foot of which sailors, soldiers and civilians are shown fighting, perhaps in allusion to the mutiny of sailors in Portsmouth in March 1783. Between both groups, on the extreme right, a smaller group of men with peg legs or on crutches, apparently veterans of the American war, is addressed by Lord Amherst who says, "Gentlemen we have no further occasion for you." On the extreme left, on the American shore of the Atlantic, a young girl in Indian dress sits between the kings of France and Spain, who each hold her hand. Benjamin Franklin places a wreath on top of her head-dress. Above in the sky, a witch flies away on a broomstick with a banner reading, "Peace -- Peace -- P-e-a-c" issuing from under her skirts
Description:
BEIN BrSides 2019 472: On sheet 29.5 x 36.8 cm. Forms part of the Benjamin Franklin Collection., BEIN BrSides 2019 498: On sheet 38.7 x 43.8 cm. Forms part of the Benjamin Franklin Collection., Title from caption below image., Attributed by George to Viscount Townshend., Sheet trimmed to plate mark., and On sheet 29 x 34 cm, mounted to 33 x 39 cm.
Publisher:
Publish'd according to Act of Parliament, by M. Smith in Fleet Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820., Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793., Charles III, King of Spain, 1716-1788., Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790., Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806., Richmond and Lennox, Charles Lennox, Duke of, 1735-1806., Lansdowne, William Petty, Marquis of, 1737-1805., Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797., Thurlow, Edward Thurlow, Baron, 1731-1806., Mansfield, David Murray, Earl of, 1727-1796., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816., North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792., Pitt, William, 1759-1806., Nugent, Robert Craggs Nugent, Earl, 1702?-1788., Keppel, Augustus Keppel, Viscount, 1725-1786., Dunning, John, Baron Ashburton, 1731-1783., and Amherst, Jeffery Amherst, Baron, 1717-1797.
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Foreign relations, Fighting, Disabled veterans, Witches, Thistles, and Clothing & dress
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.
In the tradition of May Day celebrations, Lord North and Charles Fox, in sooty clothes, holding brushes and dust pans, dance around the "Ways & Means" pyramid made of fishes and loaves and decorated with the royal crown on top
Alternative Title:
State sweeps
Description:
Title from item., Sheet trimmed to plate mark., and Mounted to 29 x 38 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. June 3d. 1783 by W. Dent, No. 116 Strand
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and England
Subject (Name):
North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792. and Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Chimney sweeps, Dance, and Clothing & dress
Charles Fox, with a fox's head and tail and an expression of delight, holds open the top of a large sack almost completely filled with coins. Opposite him, Lord North, standing on a substantially diminished pile of coins, carefully adds another shovelful to the sack. The sack is signed, "For private use." Behind them on the wall, under the ribbon signed, "For the use of the publick," several smaller empty sacks hang on a rope stretched between large pegs. Under the title is a verse, "Two virtuous Elves, / Taking care of themselves."
Alternative Title:
Coal-heavers
Description:
Title from item., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark on lower edge., and Mounted to 28 x 39 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. April 16th, 1783, by W. Humphrey, No. 227 Strand
Subject (Geographic):
England
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806 and North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792
Subject (Topic):
Corruption, Coins, Obesity, Bags, and Clothing & dress
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
Volume 2, page 16. Etchings by Henry William Bunbury, Esq. and after his designs.
Image Count:
1
Resource Type:
still image
Abstract:
"The roofed gateway of a great man's house. In front of an archway (left) through which appears a staircase, an obese porter stands in profile to the right, lifting up both hands to show the impossibility of access to his master. He is addressing a would-be visitor, middle-aged and stout, who faces him with an insinuating smile, hat in hat, pointing with his right hand towards his companion, a slim young man (right), who stands full-face, his right hand in his breeches pocket. The young man is dressed like, and resembles, the 'Modern Fine Gentleman' in British Museum Satires No. 6342, a companion print. His right hand is in his breeches pocket, his left, holding his hat, rests on the head of his tall cane."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Companion print to: Front, side view, and back front, of a modern fine gentleman., Mounted on page 16 in volume 2 of: Etchings by Henry William Bunbury, Esq. and after his designs., 1 print : etching and crayon manner on laid paper ; sheet 24.1 x 26.2 cm., and Sheet trimmed to plate mark.
Publisher:
Publish'd Marh. 24th, 1783, by J.R. Smith, N. 83 opposite [the] Pantheon, Oxford Street
Volume 2, page 16. Etchings by Henry William Bunbury, Esq. and after his designs.
Image Count:
1
Resource Type:
still image
Abstract:
"The roofed gateway of a great man's house. In front of an archway (left) through which appears a staircase, an obese porter stands in profile to the right, lifting up both hands to show the impossibility of access to his master. He is addressing a would-be visitor, middle-aged and stout, who faces him with an insinuating smile, hat in hat, pointing with his right hand towards his companion, a slim young man (right), who stands full-face, his right hand in his breeches pocket. The young man is dressed like, and resembles, the 'Modern Fine Gentleman' in British Museum Satires No. 6342, a companion print. His right hand is in his breeches pocket, his left, holding his hat, rests on the head of his tall cane."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image. and Companion print to: Front, side view, and back front, of a modern fine gentleman.
Publisher:
Publish'd Marh. 24th, 1783, by J.R. Smith, N. 83 opposite [the] Pantheon, Oxford Street
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.