"An allegorical design. Britannia, holding her shield and a cap of Liberty on a staff, rushes (right to left) with a calm expression to the edge of a cliff, urged on by Wellington and five other Ministers (scarcely characterized). On her right a man snatches the drapery from a small cloud-borne figure of Fortune with her wheel, who is directed towards an oval portrait of Queen Caroline supported by an angel. Fame holds a laurel wreath above the portrait. Below the cliff or rock from which Britannia steps so heedlessly is a patch of ground surrounded by sea. On this stands Burdett, holding out a scroll inscribed 'Magna Char[ta] Liberty of Napoleon' and holding out his left arm to prevent Britannia from falling. Justice stands behind him, holding evenly balanced scales. Four other men stand close behind him, one holding out a scroll inscribed 'Reform', and supporting the arm which holds the scales. A man in shirt-sleeves kneels at Burdett's feet, making a gesture of urgent entreaty. On a rock (right), symbolizing St. Helena but merging with Britannia's cliff, sits a spotted, sub-human Caliban-like creature, who holds a small image of Napoleon, which he is about to cover with an extinguisher. At the base of the rock, but in the background, are two tiny officers in military uniform, seated together at the edge of the sea, directed to the right. In the foreground (left) sits a woman (? France) in classical draperies, holding a sceptre, with a (? Bourbon) crown falling from her head, and with a second (? imperial) crown in her lap. She gazes towards St. Helena. Inset in the title and enclosed within a border inscribed 'Honi soit qui mal y pense': 'Wilson sçut délivrer une Noble victime Burdett, Hobhouse, Holland, sauvez Napoléon, Arrachez-le aux tourmens de l'exécrable Hudson, Vengez l'honneur Anglais flétri par un grand Crime Et sauvez Albion sur le Bord de l'Abême [sic]!!!'."--British Museum online catalogue, description of a later state
Alternative Title:
Nation and her m-n-t-r's and Nation and her ministers
Description:
Title etched below image., Early state, before border and imprint statement added. For a later state with border present and the imprint "Pubd. by Milleville, Hampstead" etched in lower left, see no. 14050 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum, v. 10., Mounted to 58 x 39 cm., Mounted (with one other print) on leaf 90 in volume 2 of the W.E. Gladstone collection of caricatures and broadsides surrounding the "Queen Caroline Affair.", and Typed extract of twenty-nine lines from the British Museum catalogue description is pasted opposite (on verso of preceding leaf).
Publisher:
John Milleville?
Subject (Geographic):
Saint Helena,
Subject (Name):
Caroline, Queen, consort of George IV, King of Great Britain, 1768-1821., Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769-1852, Burdett, Francis, 1770-1844, Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821., Broughton, John Cam Hobhouse, Baron, 1786-1869., Wilson, Robert, Sir, 1777-1849., Holland, Henry Richard Vassall, Baron, 1773-1840., Lowe, Hudson, Sir, 1769-1844., and La Valette, Antoine-Marie Chamans, comte de, 1769-1830.
Subject (Topic):
Britannia (Symbolic character), Cliffs, Shields, Liberty cap, Angels, Justice, Scales, Military officers, and Crowns
"Satire on differences among parliamentary constituencies instructing their members variously to insist on an investigation into the conduct of Robert Walpole's administration, or to desist and to support new government measures. In a large compartment at the top, a balance hangs from the ceiling in which a glove representing the challenge from the City of London to allow the investigation outweighs two men representing Bristol and Nottingham who oppose it. The City challenge is supported by members for Stafford, Dorset, Edinburgh, York and Westminster, standing to left, while behind them the old Tory Opposition now supporting City interests; in the centre, City tradesmen wave their hats and cheer. On the right, a servant pulls down on the scale containing Bristol and Nottingham, turning back to answer a group of unhappy government double-faced supporters. In the centre foreground, a large dog urinates on two small dogs; on the wall behind, a picture of Liberty or Britannia on the left, is juxtaposed with one, on the right, showing a man chained by the foot to a block. In the compartment at lower left, "A M[inisteria]l Forge", a blacksmith stands at an anvil hammering out the "Lie of the day". Ready-forged lies hang on the wall, "Hanov[er] Spurs", "Party Scissars", "Debt Bridles", "Tax Skrens" (a mistake for screws), "State Forks", "Law Pincers", "Eccles[iastical] Hooks", "Parl[iamentary] Bars" and "Session Fetters". On the right, an assistant hands two journalists, "Representat[ion]" and Art[icle] ag[ains]t West[minste]r" saying "to be every day in the Gazetteer", to which the journalists reply, "I want a Hook for Bristol" and "this is fit for Nottingham". On the left, a man pumps the bellows at the forge; a monkey on the beam, cries, "my Guts are coming out" as it defecates papers labelled, "Repres[entation]", "Gazetteer", "False Return", "Indict[ment]" and "Season Export". A man sits on a latrine labelled, "T[reasur]y Bog house/Repres[entations] Bristol/Repres[entations] Notting[ha]m", saying "I'll do thir Business for them" and writing on a paper headed "West[minste]r". In the compartment at lower right, "The Worcester Magician", a large fool stands in the centre, saying "Alls done in my Name, ha! ha! Am n't I a clever fellow", another fool standing at a table to left weighs "Instructions" and "Cringes", the latter brought in a basket by a servant; to right, an official holds out a purse and with his staff splits, "in the name of Corruption", a double-headed figure representing Samuel Sandys and Thomas Winnington, the two members of parliament for Worcester, one holding out "Cringes" and saying "I obey your Wand", the other, holding "Instructions" and exclaiming, "Delicate Guardians!"."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Bristol & Nottingham weighed in the balance & found light and Bristol and Nottingham weighed in the balance and found light
Description:
Title etched above large compartment at top., Compartment in lower left captioned "A M-l Forge" below; compartment in lower right captioned "The Worcester Magician" below., Date of publication from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Armorial watermark.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain.
Subject (Name):
Walpole, Robert, Earl of Orford, 1676-1745. and Ombersley, Samuel Sandys, Baron of, 1695-1770
