Caricature magazine, or, Hudibrastic mirror by Thomas Rowlandson, Esqr. Vol. II. [graphic]

"Title-page; the title is engraved across the centre of the page. Above are two festoons of ribbon centred by a bow from which is suspended in a round frame a half length figure of a jester in a fool's cap, and inscribed 'Comic Mirror'. Below it is a loop of ribbon inscribed 'To hold as t'were the Mirror up to Nature. Shakespeare.' One festoon (left), inscribed 'Country Observations on the Caricature Magazine', supports half length figures inspecting bound numbers (or volumes) of the Magazine. A comely woman says: "Come John let me look don't Keep it all to yourself." Two oafish men hold an open book, saying, "Dont be in a hurry well these things be the drollest things ever sent into our Country," and "There be one exactly like our Exciseman." A third man inspects a volume, saying, "I wonder how they think of all these things." The other festoon, 'Town Observations on the Caricature Magazine', supports two men and two women (three-quarter length), ugly but quasi-fashionable, eagerly inspecting the (bound) prints. They say: "It is certainly very amuseing"; "Pray Sir have they commenced the second Volume"; "Just got the first number Ma'am from Mr Teggs." The lower part and sides of the design are flanked by two processions. On the left are 'Whimsical Characters ascending to the Temple of Fame'. Men and women in back view ascend, receding in perspective to a round temple on which Fame blows his trumpet. Those in the foreground are a fat parson, a foppish military officer wearing a huge crescent-shaped cocked hat, a fat 'cit' arm-in-arm with a thin lady. A Highlander walks in front of them. On the left is 'A Grotesque Deputation from the Temple of Momus - returnig [sic] thanks for past favors and soliciting future patronage.' These are Lilliputian figures (cf. British Museum Satire No. 9635, &c.) with large grotesque heads of men and women, all grinning, who descend from a temple on which straddles Momus. Between the two processions and forming a tail-piece is 'The Genius of Caricature opening the Second Volume.' A man with a large grinning face, faun's ears, and butterfly wings, wearing a Harlequin suit, and perhaps a fantastic representation of Tegg, see British Museum Satire No. 11133, sprawls on the ground holding an open volume: 'Caricature Magazine Vol 2d.' His elbow rests on 'Caricature Magazine, Vol. 1.' Beside him are (left) papers inscribed 'Bulls', 'Anecdotes', 'Jests', 'Puns', 'Bon Mot[s]', and (right) separate prints."--British Museum online catalogue