The Coalition ministers are gathered around the table placed in the mouth of a cave. On the left sits Lord North wearing armor under his cloak, a goblet in his left hand. Opposite him on the right is Charles Fox, dressed as a centurion and sitting on a fox. He leans on the table keeping his right hand on three dice signed, "Madras," "Bombay," and "Bengal," and clutching a dice box in his left. Behind him Admiral Keppel, the date of the battle of Ushant (1778) on his helmet, raises his goblet in a toast. Behind him Sheridan, with ass's ears and "School for Scandal" written across his head cover, watches the Duke of Portland count out money to Lord Carlisle. On Portland's shoulder leans Lord Cavendish in a centurion's armor under his cloak. Between him and North sits Burke in a Jesuit's outfit reading his own "Plan of oeconomy [sic]." Under the table lie the corpses of Lords Shelburne and Ashburton, ousted by the Coalition
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Early state, with title etched below image instead of within image. See British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark with probable loss of imprint statement. Publication information from British Museum catalogue., and Mounted on leaf 69 of volume 1 of 12.
Publisher:
E. Hedges?
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and England
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Keppel, Augustus Keppel, Viscount, 1725-1786, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Carlisle, Frederick Howard, Earl of, 1748-1825, Portland, William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, Duke of, 1738-1809, Cavendish, John, Lord, 1732-1796, Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797, and North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Costumes, Drinking vessels, Gambling, and Clothing & dress
Sir Thomas Rumbold is depicted vomiting his ill-gotten wealth into a chamber pot decorated with a thistle. Kneeling beside it and embracing the chamber pot is Henry Dundas, Lord Advocate of Scotland who oversaw the prosecution of Rumbold in 1782-3. Rumbold's ankles are chained to two weights signed "Sureties," a reference to restriction on his leaving the country before the case was dropped in 1783. He is supported by his son, Captain Rumbold of 1st Life Guards, dressed in his regimentals and wearing a gorget. Behind them, an Englishman gallops on an elephant saddled with an enormous bag signed "Roupees." An Indian sitting behind him is holding a tall parasol above his head
Alternative Title:
Lord Advocates amusement
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Text above upper left border: Political characters & caracatures of 1782. No. 1., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., 1 print : etching on wove paper ; plate mark 18.8 x 21.5 cm, on sheet 21.3 x 24.4 cm., Text above upper left border has the date "1782" changed to "1783" in manuscript., and Mounted on leaf 50 of volume 1 of 12.
Publisher:
Pubd. Jan. 21, 1783, by E. D'Archery, St. James's Street
Subject (Geographic):
England, Great Britain, and India.
Subject (Name):
Rumbold, Thomas, Sir, 1736-1791, Rumbold, Richard William, Captain, 1760-1786, and Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811
Subject (Topic):
Gorgets (Military insignia), Coins, Elephants, Vomiting, Chamber pots, Military uniforms, British, Clothing & dress, and Colonies