The political champion turned resurrection man! [graphic]

"Cobbett, astride the neck of a diabolical monster, and followed by demons, is about to land on the English coast, where a crowd hails his return. Below is the sea, and on the right the American shore. Cobbett (a good portrait) holds out a pen in his right hand; the left hand grasps vertebrae supporting a skull and projecting from a box which rests on the monster's back and is inscribed: 'Cobbett's long hidden Treasures or the Relicts of Paine'. The skull wears a bonnet rouge, Cobbett a top-hat with tricolour cockade; he says: "How to delude the Populace.--An advantageous distribution of the Words Liberty, Tyranny, Slavery &c does wonders with the populace Cobb Vol 2. p. 114--I now say Water Water-Water!!!" The monster breathes fiery smoke, and grips Cobbett's gaitered legs with its talons; it has webbed and barbed wings and a long scaly barbed tail. The two demons immediately behind Cobbett carry large papers inscribed respectively: 'Paines [Age of] Reason' [see British Museum Satires No. 13274] and 'Cobbetts Pol. Reg'. The third carries a sheaf of spears and excretes fire inscribed 'Revolution', and smoke inscribed 'Corruption'. The last, a bird-like creature, has a body inscribed 'Plague'; other monsters are advancing from a distance. The ragged and disreputable crowd wave bonnets rouges to the approaching Champion, shouting "Welcome Welcome." They have banners, each topped by a cap of Liberty: a large red flag inscribed 'Hunt and Cobbett' is held by a knock-kneed fellow. A butcher holds on his shoulders a little black boy representing Wooler (see No. 12928, &c.) who holds up a board inscribed 'Black Dwarfe'. He shouts: "Welcome, Welcome, Brother Scribe all our differrences are ended." On another flag, in large letters, 'Riot Deb . . .', another is inscribed '[Liber]ty'. Behind are pikes. On the opposite (American) shore three quakers and a quakeress dance in a ring round a stars and stripes flag. One chants: "Yea, Verily, Friends we rejoice, that the Evil spirit hath departed from us!--" The others answer: "Yea Yea Yea." On the shore dismantled cannon lie pointing seawards; there are also pyramids of cannon-balls. On the horizon, midway between the two countries, Napoleon stands with folded arms on the rocky mountains of St. Helena, watching the scene in England; he says: "Ah! Ça ira." British ships surround the island."--British Museum online catalogue