"Miss Gunning sits astride a cannon directed against the façade of 'Blenheim'. Her mother (right) fires the cannon by putting her pen to the touch-hole; from its muzzle issue flames an letters inscribed : 'forged Love letter', 'Letter from Marq: of Blan[dford] written by myself', 'Letter written by my Daddy', 'Letter forged by my Mother', 'Letter forged by myself', 'Letters in Answer to my self''. In the central window in the portico of Blenheim are the bare posteriors of a figure emitting a bias excrement which strikes Miss Gunning, knocking her backwards, reaches Mrs. Gunning. The former, terrified, says, "O Mother! Mother! my mask'd Battery is discovered, & we shall be blown up! - O Mother, Mother, we must raise the Siege immediately, & take refuge under the Duchess's cover'd way, & there act on the defensive: O Mother: Mother, its all your fault, say what you will:" Mrs. Gunning says, her left hand raised in horror, "Good Heavens! who could have thought that the Seige of a Coronet would have ended in smoke & stink! - well I'll take my affidavit that I know nothing at all about the matter". An aged crone, the Duchess of Bedford, stands on the extreme right, raising her hooped petticoat to form a shelter; she says, "Come under my Protection, deary's I'll hide you in Bedfordshire; & find one of my little Granny-boys, to play with Missy". On the extreme left General Gunning, wearing regimentals, walks off, stooping furtively; he says, "I find our Stratagem wont take effect, & therefore I'll be off; & menœvre; - any common Soldier can lead on, to an attack, but it requires the skill of a General to bring off his forces with honor after a defeat - "."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Siege of Blenheim and New system of gunning discovered
Description:
Title etched at bottom of image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Text following title: Vide, A bold stroke for a husband., Text in lower right corner: Dedicated to the Duke of A- [Argyll]., 1 print : etching on wove paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 24.8 x 35.2 cm, on sheet 28.4 x 40.7 cm., and Mounted on leaf 2 of volume 8 of 12.
Publisher:
Pubd. March 5th, 1791, by H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond St.
Subject (Geographic):
England
Subject (Name):
Bedford, Gertrude Leveson Gower, Duchess of, 1715-1794, Gunning, Miss (Elizabeth), 1769-1823, Gunning, Mrs. 1740?-1800 (Susannah),, and Gunning, John, -1797
"Miss Gunning sits astride a cannon directed against the façade of 'Blenheim'. Her mother (right) fires the cannon by putting her pen to the touch-hole; from its muzzle issue flames an letters inscribed : 'forged Love letter', 'Letter from Marq: of Blan[dford] written by myself', 'Letter written by my Daddy', 'Letter forged by my Mother', 'Letter forged by myself', 'Letters in Answer to my self''. In the central window in the portico of Blenheim are the bare posteriors of a figure emitting a bias excrement which strikes Miss Gunning, knocking her backwards, reaches Mrs. Gunning. The former, terrified, says, "O Mother! Mother! my mask'd Battery is discovered, & we shall be blown up! - O Mother, Mother, we must raise the Siege immediately, & take refuge under the Duchess's cover'd way, & there act on the defensive: O Mother: Mother, its all your fault, say what you will:" Mrs. Gunning says, her left hand raised in horror, "Good Heavens! who could have thought that the Seige of a Coronet would have ended in smoke & stink! - well I'll take my affidavit that I know nothing at all about the matter". An aged crone, the Duchess of Bedford, stands on the extreme right, raising her hooped petticoat to form a shelter; she says, "Come under my Protection, deary's I'll hide you in Bedfordshire; & find one of my little Granny-boys, to play with Missy". On the extreme left General Gunning, wearing regimentals, walks off, stooping furtively; he says, "I find our Stratagem wont take effect, & therefore I'll be off; & menœvre; - any common Soldier can lead on, to an attack, but it requires the skill of a General to bring off his forces with honor after a defeat - "."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Siege of Blenheim and New system of gunning discovered
Description:
Title etched at bottom of image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Text following title: Vide, A bold stroke for a husband., and Text in lower right corner: Dedicated to the Duke of A- [Argyll].
Publisher:
Pubd. March 5th, 1791, by H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond St.
Subject (Geographic):
England
Subject (Name):
Bedford, Gertrude Leveson Gower, Duchess of, 1715-1794, Gunning, Miss (Elizabeth), 1769-1823, Gunning, Mrs. 1740?-1800 (Susannah),, and Gunning, John, -1797
