"Courtenay (right), as the chairman of a tavern club, sits at the head of an oblong table, in profile to the left, smoking. He says to George Hanger, who faces him at the foot of the table: "I say, Georgey how do Things look now?" The words issue from his mouth in a cloud of smoke. Hanger answers: "Ax my Grandmother's Muff, pray do!" He holds a pipe, his wine-glass is overturned. His bludgeon is thrust in his top-boot. On Hanger's right sits Fox, leaning back in his chair, registering extravagant amusement and saying "O charming! - charming!" Opposite Fox sits Sheridan, clasping a decanter of 'Brandy' in one hand, a glass in the other. He says, with a sly smile, "Excellent! - damme Georgey, Excellent." Next him, and on Courtenay's right, sits M. A. Taylor, flourishing his pipe and saying, "Bravo! the best Thing I ever heard said, damme." On the table are decanters of 'Mum' and of 'Champaig[n]'. Above Courtenay's head is a picture of a simian creature in a cap of Liberty, squatting on the ground and smoking a pipe. The frame is inscribed 'Juvenal'. The floor is carpeted, the chairs are ornate."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Feast of reason and the flow of soul and Wits of the age setting the table in a roar
Pubd. Feby 4th, 1797, by H. Humphrey, New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Hanger, George, 1751?-1824, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Taylor, Michael Angelo, 1757-1834, and Courtenay, John, 1738-1816
"Pitt and Dundas, Fox and Sheridan face each other across a long narrow table, smoking long pipes and puffing clouds of smoke in each other's faces. The gallery of the House of Commons is indicated in the background. At the head of the table (left) in a raised arm-chair (in the manner of the chairman at a tavern-club) sits a man in the hat, wig, and gown of the Speaker (Addington) [Identified by Wright and Evans as Loughborough, 'cogitating' between the parties; this is inconsistent with the House of Commons setting and with Loughborough's appointment (26 Jan. 1793) as Chancellor.] holding the mace, which has been transformed into a crutch-like stick. He puffs smoke at both Treasury and Opposition benches. Pitt, on the Speaker's right, holds a frothing tankard inscribed 'G.R' and directs a cloud of smoke at Fox, who puffs back. Before Fox is a tray of pipes and a paper of tobacco, implying that he excels in abuse. On the extreme right Dundas, a plaid across his coat, puffs at the scowling Sheridan seated close to Fox; he has a punch-bowl inscribed 'G.R' in which he dips a ladle. Small puffs of smoke issue from the pipes, great clouds from the smokers' mouths, as in BMSat 8220. The House of Commons is burlesqued as a smoking-club, a plebeian gathering in which quarrelsome members were wont to puff smoke at each other, see BMSat 8220."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from item., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Originally issued with the imprint: Pubd. Feby. 13th, 1793, by J. Aitken, Castle Street, Leicester Fields., Publication date based on publisher's street address. See British Museum catalogue., and Temporary local subject terms: Reference to the House of Commons -- Pipes -- Emblems: mace -- Tankards -- Tobacco -- Dishes: punch bowl -- Emblems: crown and initials GR on tankard and punch bowl.
Publisher:
Pubd. by H. Humphrey, St. James's St.
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, and Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844
"Pitt (left) as a bank-clerk, very thin and much caricatured, a pen thrust through his wig, stands behind an L-shaped counter offering a handful of bank-notes to John Bull. In his right hand is a scoop with which he sweeps up notes from the counter. John is the yokel of BMSat 8141, but no longer bewildered; he stands stolidly, holding out his left hand for the notes, his right hand in his coat pocket. Fox (right), who wears a high cocked hat with tricolour cockade, bag-wig, and laced suit, says to him: "Dont take his damn'd Paper, John! insist upon having Gold, to make your Peace with the French, when they come". Sheridan bends towards John, saying, "Dont take his Notes! nobody takes Notes now! - they'll not even take Mine!" John answers: "I wool take it! - a' may as well let my Measter Billy hold the Gold to keep away you Frenchmen, as save it, to gee it you, when ye come over, with your domn'd invasion." Behind (right) hands of other Foxites are raised in warning, and on the extreme right is the profile of Stanhope. Behind (left), men hasten towards Pitt with large sacks of notes on their heads. The first two, in judge's robes, are Loughborough with a sack of '20 Shilling Notes', and Kenyon with one of 'Five Pound Notes'. Behind is Grenville with a sack of '10 Shilling Notes'. Other sacks whose bearers are hidden are inscribed '5 Shilling No[tes], 2 Shillin No[tes]', and 'One Shilling'. Under Pitt's counter is a row of large sacks of gold, padlocked and inscribed '£'. On the end of the counter, facing the spectator, is posted a bill headed: 'Order of Council to the Bank of England'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image. and Temporary local subject terms: Sacks of money -- Bank notes.
Publisher:
Pub. March 1st, 1797, by H. Humphrey, New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Stanhope, Charles Stanhope, Earl, 1753-1816, Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville, Baron, 1759-1834, Rosslyn, Alexander Wedderburn, Earl of, 1733-1805, and Kenyon, Lloyd Kenyon, Baron, 1732-1802
"French men-of-war are tossed helplessly by huge waves, which are lashed to fury by blasts from the mouths of (left to right) Pitt, Dundas, Grenville, and Windham, whose heads emerge from clouds. Fox is the (realistic) figure-head of 'Le Révolutionaire' (right) which, with broken masts, is about to founder. He receives the full strength of the blasts from Pitt and Dundas, and looks up despairingly, his head against the tricolour stripes which encircle the mast. Playing-cards float in the water by the ship. On the left 'L'Egalité' is wrecked by a blast from Grenville, which shatters a flag-staff, with a flag inscribed 'Vive . . Egalité'. Behind, a vessel disappears in a whirlpool. In the foreground (left) 'The Revolutionary Jolly Boat' is being swamped under the influence of a blast from Windham; the occupants throw up their hands despairingly: Sheridan, standing in the stern, is still unsubmerged; the others (left to right) are Hall the Foxite apothecary, [So Wright and Evans. He has perhaps more resemblance to Dr. Towers.] Erskine, in wig and gown, M. A. Taylor, and Thelwall, washed overboard, with a paper: 'Thelwall's lectures' (see BMSat 8685). [Wright and Evans put Dr. Lawrence's name between that of Sheridan and Erskine; he is not depicted.]."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Destruction of the French Armada
Description:
Title etched below image., Another signature etched in bottom right portion of image: Js. Gy. des. et f., Another publication line etched in lower left but mostly obscured within margin of image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Temporary local subject terms: Fleets: French fleet -- Storms: gale.
Publisher:
Pubd. Jany 20th, 1797, by H. Humphrey, New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811, Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville, Baron, 1759-1834, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Windham, William, 1750-1810, Taylor, Michael Angelo, 1757-1834, Thelwall, John, 1764-1834, and Erskine, Thomas Erskine, Baron, 1750-1823
"Captain Morris (left) sits in profile to the right, singing from a broadside which he holds out in his left hand: 'A new Song to the Tune of the Plenipoy'. In his right hand is a full glass. He wears a round hat and fashionable half-boots; his coat, breeches, and stockings are tattered. From his pocket projects a pamphlet: 'Captain Morris's Songs by Subscription' (cf. BMSat 9240). Fox and Sheridan sit on opposite sides of a small round table, on which is a decanter of 'Brandy'. Sheridan, left, with Bardolph's fiery face, cf. BMSat 7528, &c, holds his glass and looks delightedly at Morris, as does Fox (as Falstaff), who says: "Come sing me a Boosey-Song, [A misquotation from 'I Henry IV', III. iii, where Falstaff says, "Come, sing me a bawdy song; make me merry."] to make me merry". Part of the face of a fourth man appears on the right."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Temporary local subject terms: Furniture: chairs -- Wine bottle and glasses -- Spirits: brandy -- Literature: Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I -- Allusion to the secession of the Opposition.
Publisher:
Pubd. June 16th, 1797, by H. Humphrey, St. James's Street
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, and Morris, Charles, 1745-1838
"Fox (right), a hairy French ruffian, lunges fiercely forward, to aim a pistol inscribed 'La Mort' point-blank at a target symbolizing the British constitution (see BMSat 8287, &c). In his left hand he holds behind him a dagger, its blade inscribed 'Fraternite'. He is coatless and wears a French cocked hat inscribed 'Liberte', with a tricolour cockade. A miniature bonnet-rouge inscribed 'Egalite' hangs from the lapel of his waistcoat. From one pocket hangs a paper: '2 7bre Certificat de Civisme'; from another: 'Delenda . . . Carth[ago]'. His shirt-sleeves are rolled, the right sleeve in tatters, his breeches torn and unbuttoned at the knee, his stockings hang in festoons round his ankles. The target hangs by a ribbon from the gnarled branch of an old oak (left), the bull's-eye is the crown, the inner ring is inscribed 'Lords', the outer 'Commons'. There is a landscape background."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., One line of text following title: This print, copied from the French original, is dedicated to the London Corresponding Society., Sheet trimmed to plate mark., and Temporary local subject terms: Jacobins -- Constitutions: British Constitution -- French liberty -- Societies: London Corresponding Society -- Bonet rouge -- Shooting targets.
Publisher:
Pubd. Novr. 24th, 1797, by H. Humphrey, 27 St. James's Street, London
"Pitt, a colossal figure (cf. BMSat 8980), bestrides the Rotunda of the 'Bank of England'. His arms and legs are very thin, but his body is formed of a (transparent) sack distended with gold coins and inscribed '£'. His elbows are akimbo, his hands grasp the sides of the sack; from the little finger of his left hand hangs a key, 'Key of Public Property'. Round the mouth of the sack is a heavy chain clasped by a padlock inscribed 'Power of securing Public Credit'. From the sack emerges the pipe-like neck down which coins are passing. Pitt looks arrogantly to the right, a blast issues from his closed lips of many paper notes inscribed 'one'. Near his mouth are a few gold coins which he is presumably inhaling. He wears a crown formed of 'one' pound notes; through it project his ass's ears. The near side of the Rotunda is removed, showing a descending shower of paper and an ascending cluster of coins which are being drawn upwards to join those in the sack. Little figures in and around the rotunda, under Pitt's legs, hold up their hands in dismay at the shower of £1 notes. Among them is a John Bull wearing a smock. Two men hold papers inscribed 'Dividend'; a Jew walks off (left) with 'Scrip'. On the left, behind Pitt's right foot, is the sea-shore; large reeds at its edge blow towards him; among these are five heads wearing bonnets-rouges, each with a label issuing from his mouth: 'Midas has Ears'. They are Fox, Sheridan, Erskine, M. A. Taylor, and (?) Grey. They diminish in size from Fox to Taylor. Across the sea is 'Brest', from which a fleet is setting out. Behind it are black clouds, and an explosion rises from them in which are swarms of tiny figures holding daggers and wearing bonnets-rouges. This spreads behind Pitt's head who appears unconscious of it. He looks down towards three almost naked winged figures: Grenville (left) and Dundas (right) hold up between them a scroll: 'Prosperous state of British Finances. & the new Plan for diminishing the National Debt - with Hints on the increase of Commerce'. Between and above them is Windham, Secretary-at-War, a pen behind his ear. He waves his cocked hat, Grenville his coronet, and Dundas his Scots cap. Beneath the title: 'History of Midas, - The great Midas having dedicated himself to Bacchus [cf. BMSat 8651], obtained from that Deity, the Power of changing all he Touched - Apollo fixed Asses-Ears upon his head, for his Ignorance - & although he tried to hide his disgrace with a Regal Cap, yet the very Sedges which grew from the Mud of the Pactolus, whisper'd out his Infamy, whenever they were agitated by the Wind from the opposite Shore - Vide Ovid's Metamorposes.'"--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Midas transmuting all into paper
Description:
Title etched below image. 'Gold' in title scored through., Three lines of text below title: History of Midas -- The great Midas having dedicated himself to Bacchus ..., Temporary local subject terms: Money: coins -- Bank notes -- Cupids -- Brest -- French fleet., and Mounted to 46 x 33 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. March 9th, 1797, by H. Humphrey, New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811, Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville, Baron, 1759-1834, Windham, William, 1750-1810, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Erskine, Thomas Erskine, Baron, 1750-1823, Taylor, Michael Angelo, 1757-1834, Grey, Charles Grey, Earl, 1764-1845, and Bank of England.
"Through the folding doors of the House of Commons rats are seen fleeing from the Opposition benches and leaping from the gallery above. In the foreground, scampering down steps leading to the lobby, are rats with human faces: Fox and 'Grey' (collar so inscribed) are first, followed by Sheridan and Erskine and little M. A. Taylor. The Speaker and the two Clerks look astounded. Pitt is speaking; he holds a paper: 'Rights of Parliamt'. Next him on the front bench sits the bulky Dundas in Highland dress, and next Dundas the tiny Wilberforce. These three, though on a small scale, are fully characterized. Behind them are the serried ranks of the Government, holding up their hands in astonishment, as do others in the gallery. A few members of the Opposition, not transformed into rats, stand behind the Speaker's chair (right). The wall of the House is damaged by rats, some of whom are escaping through holes they have made. On the wall beside the door (left) are bills: 'Virtue Triumphant or the Expulsion of Vice and Opposition Silenced.'"--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Opposition-rats leaving the House they have undermined
Description:
Title etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Temporary local subject terms: House of Commons -- Opposition: members of the Opposition as rats -- Parliamentary reforms: reference to Grey's motion for reform -- Parliamentary secessions.
Publisher:
Pubd. May 28th, 1797, by H. Humphrey, 27 St. James's Street
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Grey, Charles Grey, Earl, 1764-1845, Erskine, Thomas Erskine, Baron, 1750-1823, Taylor, Michael Angelo, 1757-1834, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811, and Wilberforce, William, 1759-1833
"Fox (right), a news-boy (as in BMSat 8458), ragged and unshaven, stands in profile to the left, his right hand on the knocker of the gate of the 'Treasury'. He wears a bonnet-rouge on the front of which is a tricolour placard: 'Daily Advertiser' (like those worn by news-boys); his horn is thrust through his belt. He shouts: "Bloody-News! - Bloody-News! - Bloody-News!! - glorious-bloody News for old-England! - Bloody News! - Traitrous- Taxes! - Swindling-Loans! - Murd'ring-Militia's.' - Ministerail-Invasions! - Ruin to all Europe! - alarming - bloody - News! - Bloody-News!!!" The knocker is a ring in the mouth of a Medusa head with the face of Pitt. From above the spiked bars of the closed gate issues a label: 'Lord! Fellow! - pray don't keep such a knocking & Bawling there; - we never take in any Jacobin papers here! - & never open the doors for any, but such as can be trusted: True-Briton's & such!' Under Fox's left arm is a roll of 'Paris-Papers'; in his left hand a large sheet of the 'Daily Advertiser' with three columns of advertisements, headed, 'Places Wanted, Wants Places', and 'Wanted: Wanted, - a Place in the Treasury. Wanted, an Appointment in the Exchequer. Wanted, a Situation at St James's. Wants a Place a thorough-bred Secretary. Wants a Place. A Man of all Work. Wants Employt a true Greek-Patriarch. Wanted, a Place in the Pension-List. Wanted, a comfortable Annuity for Life. Wanted, a snug Sinecure for Life. N.B: The above Mouth-stoppers will be purchas'd upon any Terms; - !!! For particulars apply to the Fox & Grapes in Starvation Lane - or, at the Box & Dice in Knave's Accre'. On the wall behind his head (right) is posted a bill: 'Just Publish'd a new Edition The Cries of the Opposition, or, the Tears of the Famish'd Patriots, dedicated to the consideration of the Ministry.' ..."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched at bottom of image., Two lines of text below title: "--for a dozen years past, he has follow'd the business of a Daily-advertiser ...", Sheet partially trimmed within plate mark., and Temporary local subject terms: Treasury -- Allusion to French newspapers-- Speeches: Dundas's speech in the House of Commons, 30 Dec., 1796 -- Bonnet rouge -- Door knockers.
Publisher:
Pubd. Jany. 23d, 1797, by H. Humphrey, New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806 and Pitt, William, 1759-1806