The April fool, or, The follies of a night as performed at the Theatre Royal, C---n House, for the benifit [sic] of the Widow Wadman. [graphic]

"One of a set of prints on the marriage of the Prince of Wales, see BMSat 6924, &c. Mrs. Fitzherbert (left) and the Prince of Wales dance; she holds out her apron in her right hand, his left arm is raised as if dancing a Scots reel; he appears about to take her left hand. The musicians are Burke, Weltje, and Hanger: Weltje, wearing a hat, sits (left) on a low stool, beating a pistol upon a warming-pan which he holds between his knees. Burke stands behind him holding a gridiron in the manner of a violin and with a pair of tongs as bow. He says, "Oh Burn the Pan it is not Beautifull". Weltje answers, "Damme but 'tis Sublime" (one of many allusions to Burke's book). George Hanger stands (right) beating the heavy end of his bludgeon on a salt-box; he is stamping and dancing, his hat is on the ground at his feet. Through an aperture in the wall behind his head is seen an ornate bed, decorated with triple ostrich plumes; behind the pillows is a cross. Two pictures, both inscribed 'Hamlet', are on the wall: on the left the Lord Chamberlain with his wand (Lord Salisbury as Polonius) approaches George III, saying, "I will be brief your noble son is mad". On the right Laertes addresses Ophelia, saying: "He may not as inferior persons do carve for himself for on his choice depends the sanity [sic] & health of the whole state." On the floor, in the foreground, lie two books and a paper inscribed respectively, 'Bold Stroke for a Wife' [Mrs. Centlivre]; 'Clandestine Marriage' [Colman and Garrick]; and 'I'll have a Wife of my own'. Beneath the title is engraved, 'As performed at the Theatre Royal, C------n [Carlton] House for the Benifit of the Widow Wadman'. A patterned carpet completes the design."--British Museum online catalogue