The European state jockies running a heat for the ballance of power with various designs adapted for the year 1740 / [graphic]

"Satire on the jockeying for position of the European powers in early 1740. A race-course on the sea-shore with a variety of animals and riders representing different countries: first comes Cardinal Fleury (France) falling from his fox which has stumbled at the winning post on "[Baron] Sinclair's papers". Behind the fox stands the devil holding a sheet of paper with a picture of five ships, lettered "Baltic Sea", an allusion to the French failure to form an alliance in that region. The devil pulls down one of the scales hanging from the umpire stand; the heavier scale represents the Imperial allies with swords, coins, a picture of the Imperial eagle and a note reading "ballance of power", while the lighter one holds objects connected with France and Spain, a cardinal's hat, mask, fox, and notes of "50,000 livers" and "10,000 pistoles" as well as a paper lettered "Mediation". On the umpire stand, America is in conversation with Africa while Europe embraces Asia for the sake of "Protection [of]Trade". Further to the left stands Captain Jenkins holding out his severed ear. Behind Fleury's fox runs the Spanish wolf, its rider unseated by the British lion's lashing tail, lettered "No Search Free Trade". The Russian bear, ridden by a man with a scimitar, follows; the bear kicks its hind legs at the Turkish elephant that is draped with a cloth lettered "Belgrade" in reference to the recent ceding of that city to Turkey. The sultan stands behind the elephant, offering a bag of money to a Frenchman wearing a bag-wig; a monkey also wearing a bag-wig, representing France, crouches in front of the bear. A Dutchman, smoking a pipe, stands beside a distance post having abandoned the race; his boar is laden with trade goods. Behind, on the left, the devil and a fool lead a group of Roman Catholic bishops, roped together, towards a closed building labelled "Conclave" where they will elect a successor to Pope Clement XII. In front of them seven men representing the European powers are seated at a round table with papers lettered "Alliance" and "Sinclair"; Cardinal Fleury turns aside towards another devil asking, "Extricute me now & I'm yours for ever". Further forward, a British herald, supported by classical female soldiers, blows a trumpet; beside them Fleury raises the front of his robe attempting to catch billowing smoke, lettered "Universal Monarchy". In the foreground, Time sits on his hour-glass holding a paper with a picture of a wolf dressed as a cardinal; rats chew at the bottom of the sheet; Fortune looses her grasp of Theodore of Corsica who throws his orb after his crown as it flies off on outspread wings; a British bulldog savages a Spanish wolf while a French fox runs off behind a bush; Captain Coram shows the plan of the Foundling Hospital to a woman and child seated on the ground; a Catholic ecclesiastic wrings his hands saying, "Ye have taking away my Gods, what have I more"; a man bends down to lift a chest full of "10000 pieces of Eight"; Emperor Charles VI rides on an eagle towards the finishing post, holding a shield with the British coat of arms in front of him while a shield with the fleur-de-lis falls to the ground; he is preceded by Charles Albert of Bavaria, fully armed on horseback, and carrying a shield with the motto, "Never conquered"; in front of him, a French ambassador kneels pleading with the British lion who tramples on a shield with the fleur-de-lis and prepares to fire a cannon. At lower right, Britannia pushes aside France (a woman in classical dress with a helmet, and a cock at her side holding out a paper lettered "Mediation") and points to a map showing the island of Cuba offered by a British herald and a sailor. In the background, to left, is the bay of Cadiz in which the Spanish fleet is shut up, British ships sail freely on the sea; a nymph holding a pennant lettered, "Quatuor Maria Vindico" (I claim the four seas), rides a dolphin; beyond are the island of Cuba and distant mountains. Lettering beneath on either side of a medal of a fighting cock which is itself lettereed "Aut Mors Aut Victoria" (Death or Victory)."--British Museum online catalogue