Firing the great gun, or, The green bag open'd [graphic]

Description

Alternative Title

Green bag open'd
Green bag opened

Contributor

Williams, Charles, active 1797-1830.
Heath, William, 1795-1840, attributed name.
Fores, R. A., active 1820-1822, publisher.

Published / Created

[10 July 1820]

Publication Place

London and England London

Publisher

Publd. July 10th, 1820, by Richd. Fores, 71 Leadenhall Street, Aldgate

Abstract

"A large quasi-cylindrical Green Bag, see British Museum Satires No. 13735, stands at an angle with the ground like a mortar (and suggesting the Regent's Bomb, see British Museum Satires No. 12799), aimed at the Queen (left), who stands with right arm raised, left hand on breast, demonstrating innocence. Castlereagh touches it with a firebrand inscribed Lies, as if putting a match to a touch-hole; flames and papers shoot from the bag, but strike against the large shield, inscribed "Truth" and "Inocence," held by a woman in classical draperies, who is air-borne above the Queen, and raises the flaming sword Justice. She says fiercely: "Back to your Native Hell." She and the Queen are irradiated by a sun in the upper left corner. The flames are inscribed "Adultry" and "Charges"; the papers are "Evidence of the Baron Ompteda Lies &c" [see British Museum Satires No. 13745]; "Adultry with a servant" [Bergami]; "Charges." The blasts of flame strike on the shield and ricochet back against Castlereagh and his supporters, and downwards upon writhing serpents and a skull which have come out of the bag. These boomerang-flames are "Charges Repeld" and "Charges"; they terminate in great clouds of "Smoke." Behind Castlereagh (the only one who stands his ground, though alarmed) are Sidmouth holding his nose, (?) Sir John Leach (see British Museum Satires No. 13740), and two others, poorly characterized; these four are escaping to the right."--British Museum catalogue

A satire on Viscount Castlereagh as a leader in the prosecution of Queen Caroline

Description

Title etched below image.
"Argus" was formerly a pseudonym of Charles Williams, but in this case an attribution to William Heath is instead suggested; see page 799 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum, v. 10.
Watermark: J. Whatman 1819.
Mounted to 58 x 39 cm.
Mounted (with one other print) on leaf 43 in volume 1 of the W.E. Gladstone collection of caricatures and broadsides surrounding the "Queen Caroline Affair."
The figures of "Caroline" and "Londondery [sic]" are identified in black ink in lower margin; date "10 July 1820" written in lower right corner. Typed extract of twelve lines from the British Museum catalogue description is pasted opposite (on verso of preceding leaf).

Provenance

Sold by London's Dulau and Company to the New York City bookseller Ernest R. Gee in 1928. Earlier ownership by W.E. Gladstone is suggested by a manuscript note from Dulau formerly laid into the front the first volume (now in the object file), which states that "These came from the Gladstone Library at Court Hey, Broad Green. The manuscript notes written below the caricatures are in the handwriting of W.E. Gladstone." William Reese Company; February 2024.

Extent