"A satire on Thomas Herring, Archbishop of York, and the enthusiastic part he played in raising volunteer troops to resist the Jacobite rising. He is shown dressed partly as a bishop and partly as a military officer his episcopal gown tucked up over a lace-edged military coat and waistcoat beneath, he has lawn sleeves but wears gaiters and a gorget, on his back is a knapsack with his mitre on top. He shoulders a gun from the trigger of which is a ribbon lettered O Lord open thou my Lips & my Mouth shall show forth thy Praise. He says 'My [mitre] My Lands My Gold, Church'. A fish is shown above his lace cocked hat in allusion to his name. Behind him are a group of less keen volunteers, on the left lay men march with armed clergy, one saying 'May [he] Starve with us' another carries a standard (large flag?) a cleric says 'I'm a Canon', another claims 'I’ll be Vicar of Bray still', two clerical soldiers on the right complain one saying 'I've 12 Children but no Lands' the other 'Fight I have but 20£ a Year'."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Church militant
Description:
Title from text below image., Publication date from British Museum catalogue., The following words within title are represented by a rebus: 'mitred' by a bishop's mitre, 'church' by an image of a church building., Temporary local subject terms: Clergymen -- Emblems: crowned herring for Bishop Herring -- Literature: reference to the song The Vicar of Bray -- Knapsacks -- Church buildings -- Portrayal of a church militant., and Watermark: countermark IV.