"George IV, dressed as Henry VIII and with cavalry boots decorated with rosettes, sits on the throne (right), shrinking angrily from oxen wearing civic gowns who bow, presenting petitions. All the horns of the oxen are tipped with tiny caps resembling caps of Liberty; a slightly larger pair protects the prongs of a fork held up on the extreme left above the massed heads of the beasts. On this a placard is speared: 'Petitions from every Part of the World--(Hole's and Corner's excepted) to Dismiss the Ministers-- signed by upwards of 999,999--Millions of the Brute Creation.' The petitions of the four beasts in the front row are headed: 'Petition of Lord Mayor & Citizens of London to Dismiss Ministers'; 'Petitions from every part of England & Wales to Dismiss Ministers &c &c &c'; '. . . ions from every Part of Scotland to Dismiss Ministers &c &c &c'; 'Petitions from every part of Ireland . . . [ut supra]'. Hooves rise from cattle behind holding more petitions: 'from Europe'; 'From Asia'; 'from Africa'; 'from America'; 'from every Honest Man'. The canopied throne is raised on a dais of three steps, the footstool is a cushion supported on a (carved) elephant; but the King's feet are drawn back. His right hand is on his hip; he holds an oddly shaped sceptre in the left hand. The back of the throne is framed by carved mannikins with shackled hands and feet; a large crown rests on the heads of the two uppermost. The back of the canopy has a pattern of writhing serpents. Ministers, much caricatured, stand on the right and left of the dais. In the foreground (right) and on the King's left, Wellington, with the apron and steel of a butcher (as in British Museum Satires No. 13288), with gauntlet gloves and with a star on his tunic, holds a blood-stained battle-axe. Sidmouth, as Court-fool, sits in profile to the left on an apothecary's mortar, wearing a double-peaked fool's cap and a star, and holding a bladder which is his clyster-pipe. Behind is Eldon, scowling savagely and holding the mace and the Purse of the Great Seal. A bishop holding a crosier stands on either side of the throne, behind the Ministers. A staff supports an emblematical cask which a naked Bacchus bestrides. On the King's right is Liverpool, holding a tall staff to which a green bag is tied (see British Museum Satires No. 13735). Next him is Castlereagh, blandly sinister, holding a scourge, and with a bunch of keys hanging from his belt; he stares at the petitioners. A tiny Vansittart is beside him, in his Chancellor of the Exchequer's gown, with an 'X' on his breast above a chequered pattern, hung diamond-wise. Immensely fat and absurd beefeaters stand along the back of the room under quasi-Gothic windows of stained glass. All hold tridents and turn their eyes towards the petitioners, grinning grotesquely. Each window is centred by an escutcheon on which a decanter is the chief object. The upper part of each is filled by a design of three large peacock's feathers (see British Museum Satires No. 13299). The Gothic roof, caricaturing that at Carlton House (cf. British Museum Satires No. 11727), is filled with tracery in the form of antlers."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched above image., Text below image: Historical fact, King Henry VIII, being petitioned to dismiss his ministers & council, by the citizens of London & many boroughs, to releive [sic] his oppressed subjects, made the citizens this sagacious reply: "We, with all our cabinet, think it strange that ye, who be but brutes, & inexpert folk, shd. tell us who be & who be not fit for our council." Vide La Belle Assemblée for October 1820, p. 151., and Mounted on page 33 of: George Humphrey shop album.
Publisher:
Pubd. by G. Humphrey, Feby. 14, 1821, 27 St. James's Street
Subject (Geographic):
England.
Subject (Name):
George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Eldon, John Scott, Earl of, 1751-1838, Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769-1852, Liverpool, Robert Banks Jenkinson, Earl of, 1770-1828, Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844, Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822, Vansittart, Nicholas, 1766-1851, Henry VIII, King of England, 1491-1547., and Dionysus (Greek deity)
Subject (Topic):
Politicians, Boots, Thrones, Oxen, Bowing, Petitions, Liberty cap, Pitchforks, Podiums, Crowns, Scepters, Butchers, Fools & jesters, Mortars & pestles, Medical equipment & supplies, Ceremonial maces, Bishops, Bags, Whips, Honor guards, and Windows
"George IV (three-quarter length), surrounded by admiring Ministers, holds up a big extinguisher made of paper and inscribed 'Speech from the Throne', which he is about to place over a crowd of tiny Jacobins who surround the Queen and Alderman Wood. All these 'Lilliputians' are on a round table, whose top forms the base of the design except on the right. The terrified Jacobins fall on to papers inscribed 'Libels', 'Address' [twice], 'Sedition'. Alderman Wood steps on the back of one in a frantic effort to escape with the Queen whom he holds in his arms. She is a fat virago, holding up a fire-brand (cf. British Museum Satires No. 13895) inscribed 'Sedition', whose smoke rises into the extinguisher, and a large money-bag, '50 000 per Ann', labelled 'Crumbs of Consolation'. Other Jacobins flee to left and right, escaping the extinguisher, but either falling calamitously from the table, or about to be grasped by the hand of Eldon who sits at the table (left). They have banners and caps of Liberty on poles (or pikes). Among the fugitives is a Don Quixote (left) in armour, wearing Mambrino's helmet, galloping off on horseback, holding a banner. A terrified Jacobin (right) drops a 'Tailors Adress'. Ministers watch the approaching extinction with pleasure: Eldon has a grim smile, Sidmouth and Castlereagh behind him register, one eager delight, the other bland satisfaction. Wellington (right), close behind the King, smiles triumphantly, Liverpool beside him, is in profile, surprised, pleased, and imbecile. The King, three-quarter length, is a cynical Adonis, in military uniform. Behind his head is a framed picture: an irradiated sun containing features dispels dark clouds, putting bats, serpent, owl, &c., to flight; beside it is a dark disk containing the features of the Queen, in eclipse (reversing the situation in British Museum Satires No. 14012)."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
King of Brobdingnag & the Lilliputians and King of Brobdingnag and the Lilliputians
Description:
Title etched below image., Two lines of quoted text below title: "Confound their politick's, frustrate their knavish tricks." "God save the king"!, Text above image: Ah! ha! Madam Q-!, Monsr. W! Messrs. Radicals, Addressers, & Co.!! Where are you now?!!! Ah ha! ha! ha! ha!, Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Mounted on page 33 of: George Humphrey shop album.
Publisher:
Pubd. April 7th, 1821, by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James's Street, London
Subject (Geographic):
England.
Subject (Name):
George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Caroline, Queen, consort of George IV, King of Great Britain, 1768-1821, Wood, Matthew, Sir, 1768-1843, Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844, Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822, Eldon, John Scott, Earl of, 1751-1838, Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769-1852, Liverpool, Robert Banks Jenkinson, Earl of, 1770-1828, and Quixote, Don (Fictitious character)
Subject (Topic):
Politicians, Fire extinguishers, Tables, Crowds, Documents, Torches, Money, Banners, Liberty cap, and Military uniforms
"The King and Ministers, as domestic servants in déshabille, surround a rush-light, trying, with fierce intentness, to blow it out. The flame of the light encloses the head of Queen Caroline wearing her feathered hat; the rush is supported on a saveall formed of the head of Wood [Brougham, according to Reid, who is incorrect in some of the other identifications], and placed in a kitchen candlestick standing on a rectangular table. The centre figure is Eldon, his Chancellor's wig formed of a pair of breeches. He leans sideways and the King, wearing a night-cap, looks over his shoulder, blowing downwards. Next them is Wellington, whose blast is better directed than that of the others, but all miss the flame by blowing too low. On the left are two old women, Sidmouth, using his (green) clyster-pipe as a squirt, and Liverpool, whose night-cap is a green bag (see British Museum Satires No. 13735). Facing these are the Duke of York, next Eldon, and the Duke of Clarence on the extreme left, as a hideous black man, whose strong but ill-directed blast is inscribed 'Slander' [see British Museum Satires No. 14031, &c.]. Three other heads are in shadow, like the King; they watch with anxiety, but are not blowing; they are Castlereagh (left) and two women (right). Below the design: "Cook, Coachee, men & maids, very near all in buff, Came & swore in their lives they never met with such a light; And each of the family by turns had a puff, At the little farthing rush light, The curst farthing rush light, But none of the family Could blow out the rush light.!""--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched above image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Mounted on page 32 of: George Humphrey shop album.
Publisher:
Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James's St., London
Subject (Geographic):
England.
Subject (Name):
Caroline, Queen, consort of George IV, King of Great Britain, 1768-1821, George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Eldon, John Scott, Earl of, 1751-1838, Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769-1852, Liverpool, Robert Banks Jenkinson, Earl of, 1770-1828, Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844, Wood, Matthew, Sir, 1768-1843, Frederick Augustus, Prince, Duke of York and Albany, 1763-1827, William IV, King of Great Britain, 1765-1837, and Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822
Subject (Topic):
Politicians, Servants, Candles, Bags, and Medical equipment & supplies