The Wimbledon hoax!, or, Waterloo review!!!!!! June 18th, 1816 / [graphic]

"Holiday-making 'cits' drive, ride, and walk (right to left) on a dusty road, in the direction of a sign-post (right) pointing 'To Wimbledon' (left); the opposite arm points (right) to: 'a near Cut to Batter sea'. [An allusion to the retort to a simpleton: 'You must go to Battersea to get your simples cut.' E. C. Brewer, 'Dict, of Phrase and Fable'. Cf. No. 12831.] On the extreme left is the back of a coach, with outside passengers, one with a huge frothing tankard. A fat man trudges between two women, followed by a bloated dog. A 'cit' on a bucking horse follows. Next is a family party: a fat woman carrying an infant, her lean husband holding a bag and a telescope, and dragging a go-cart in which sit four young children, while a chimney-sweep stands on the back of the cart, followed by another hanging to his coat; a child angrily threatens them with a coral and bells. Two meretricious-looking women walk arm-in-arm, closely followed and ogled by two absurd men in extravagant dandy costume, also arm-in-arm. These have enormous bell-trousers as in No. 12840. Driving beside these two groups is John Bull with his wife and four children in a two-wheeled cart drawn by a lean horse, flogged into a gallop. The cart is inscribed 'J.B Tax Cart N° 1816'. Behind him a would-be dandy drives a lady in a gig. In the background is the front of the procession which has turned to the right on to open common, where are tents, a swing, with a large bonfire to which men are dragging a whole tree, just cut down."--British Museum online catalogue