"The Pope (left), on a small ass decked with trappings, faces John Bull, who stands as toll-keeper before a closed five-barred gate. From the other side of the gate a path leads to a country church on a hill, irradiated, and framed by the semicircular inscription: 'King - Church and Constitution'. The Pope, except that he wears a Papal crown instead of a mitre, resembles St. Patrick in caricature (where he often rides an ass). He is aquiline and bearded, holds a crosier, and wears a cope. His ass has blinkers, on which a satyr's mask is freely drawn. He leans towards John, saying, "Mr Bull, I have been to Paris - and seen all the fine sights there - I now want to have a peep at that little Church on the Hill - therefore let me pass the turnpike." John (right), a fat yokel, looks up at the Pope with a suspicious scowl, pointing over his shoulder at a large open book, 'Test Oath', which is on a book-rest attached to the gate-post. He says: "If you want to go through - pay the Toll, what the devil do you think I keep a turnpike gate for?" Behind the Pope stand four dissenting ministers anxiously watching the interview. Three say sanctimoniously : "Though I boast not gaudy trappings, - nor am I mounted on Ass back, - yet if he goeth through verily I should like to go through also!"; "Verily so should I."; "We should all like to go through".."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Attributed to Rowlandson by Grego. and Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., George--III,--King of Great Britain,--1738-1820., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., and Pius--VII,--Pope,--1742-1823--Caricatures and cartoons.
Subject (Topic):
Dissenters., Donkeys., John Bull (Symbolic character)--Caricatures and cartoons., Quakers., Toll roads., and Tolls.
"A handsome young military officer, seated in an armchair, drinks wine with two Jewish money-lenders, who sit facing him across a round table. He listens with a reckless smile to one of the Jews; the other peers through spectacles at 'Title Deeds'. The Jews are old, thin, and bearded, but one wears a bag-wig. On the ground by the latter (r.) is a paper: 'Money Lent on good Securities. Annuities Jointers [sic] bought and Sold.' By the spendthrift's chair lies a greyhound. The background is a wall closely covered with pictures in ornate frames, which combine to tell the young man's story. Above his head is a 'Prodigal Son' kneeling among the swine; above this a reclining Venus is partly visible, and below, 'Diane', a horse and foal. Gamesters at a 'Hazard Table' hangs above 'Sir Matthew Mite', a miser with money-bags, weighing coin in sacks. Below this is a bust portrait of 'Sir Peter Plumb' in a tie-wig. A bust portrait of a scraggy woman wearing jewels is 'Lady Crane'. Below this is a picture of a fighting-cock, the frame decorated by a baron's coronet. On the r. are two pictures, a jockey on a race-horse, 'Sancho', with the winning-post in the background, and a large gabled country house: 'View of the Yorkshire Estate'."--British Museum online catalogue, description of a later state.
Description:
For an 1812 reissue of the plate, see no. 10486 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 8., Title etched below image., and Two lines of verse etched below title: When noblemen have lost race horse ...
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership. and Harvey, Francis--Ownership.
Subject (Topic):
Eyeglasses. , Jews,--depicted., Soldiers--British., Usury., and Wine.