The cauldron, or, Shakespeare travestie 1820. [graphic]

"The three witches of Macbeth, hooded and cloaked, each holding a broom, are Liverpool (left), Sidmouth and Castlereagh (right). They surround a huge cauldron inscribed 'Cast--gh & C° Brass Manufacturers Fecit.', each adding something to the flames which tower up from it, surrounded by heavy smoke. A winged Devil at the apex of the design empties into the cauldron the contents of an 'Infernal Green Bag'; from it fall a dagger, a leech, tiny figures, manacles, a razor, an antlered animal's head, many legal papers docketed 'Lies'. Others are contributed by the witches; papers inscribed: 'Divorce', 'Reports', 'Leach', and 'Cooke'. There are also flames under the pot, which, are tended by two naked demons, one with the head of Canning who uses bellows inscribed 'Mother Hunn' [see British Museum Satires No. 13617]; the other with the head of Wellington, who uses a red-hot 'Waterloo Poker'. The Canning-demon sits on the back of a naked female demon (? his mother) who is blowing the flames. On the extreme left and right, each attended by a 'Blue Devil' (cf. British Museum Satires No. 14598), stand George IV and the Duke of York. The King, his arms raised, exclaims: "Tell me ye d--n'd infernal Hags of Night, shall Fr--k reign?" [i.e. shall he get a divorce, remarry, and block his brother's succession, see No. 13789]. He stretches across the crown and sceptre which are on the ground. His Blue Devil, touching the George which is suspended from his neck, and his gartered leg ('Honi So[it]'), says: "All hail Macbeth! thou'rt now the cause of Laughter." The Duke of York, in uniform and holding a naked sword inscribed 'the Army', says: "I'll do!--I'll do!--I'll do!--" His attendant Blue Devil: "All hail Macduff!! that shall be K--g hereafter--." The witches chant their parodies. Liverpool: "In the Cauldron first we'll mingle, What shall make great Macbeth single; Oath of an Italian Slave-- Earth of Snuffy [Queen Charlotte] from the grave-- Blood of Radicals--and last In let the Divorce be cast, Hubble, bubble,Toil and trouble, Fire blase and Cauldron bubble!!--" Castlereagh: "Put in C--ke of Lincolns Inn, All that's evil, all that's sin, L--ch's honor--and Britain's shame, Put them in, and fan the flame, Now the broth is good and strong, Macbeth shall again be young." Sidmouth: "Cats, that draw the Soldiers blood, Chains, that bind the brave and good, Tongue of slander, Eye of hate, Mix--and now our charm's complete." He holds a scourge, the attribute of Castlereagh, cf. British Museum Satires No. 14135."--British Museum online catalogue