"Satire on Robert Walpole, showing the grounds for the Motion to remove him from office. In the foreground an extravagantly dressed young woman, representing bribery and corruption, distributes lucrative offices to the clergy, judges, army officers and members of parliament all of whom wear yokes about their necks and profess their loyalty to her and to Walpole's policies including, in the case of the politicians, a general Excise. At her feet is a pile of money bags, coronets, orb and sceptre, bank bills and pensions. In the background Walpole rides on a wagon in the form of a large money chest labelled "for the word "king" has been added here in a later hand] /For Secret Services /For [th]e Projector / for Friends and Assistants"; its wheels are labelled "Expence of Law &c./Penal Laws/G[i]n A[c]t/Debts/Civel List/Taxes" crush men representing "Manufactures/Trade/Honesty/Liberty"; penants attached to the waggon name taxes levied under Walpole's ministry, "Malt Ale/Tobacco Wine/Leather/Gin/Stamp/Land Tax/Candles/Soap/Salt/Coals". Walpole himself, lettered, "Volpone the Projector", stands on top of the waggon saying "Whoever flinches I'll discard"; he slices open an infant ("Sinking Fund") with a sword so that coins from its belly fall into the money chest, at the same time he blows French and Spanish ships out of Brest and Ferol into the Atlantic to frustrate Admiral Vernon's efforts in the Caribbean, while breaking wind that holds British ships in Torbay; a devil flying above, observes, "this wind is strong agt. them). The waggon is driven by "Volpone Junior" (Robert, Baron Walpole) and drawn by six yoked placemen, while the "Balance Master" (Horatio Walpole) sits on the back exclaiming, "Lawful plunder". Bishop Herring (labelled "Salty") follows the waggon acting as a recruiting officer holding a spear and encouraging, "All B[isho]ps, P[ee]rs, C[ommon]ers or others, willing to List in Projectrs Service. repair thither & meet with suitable Encouragemt."; a pamphlet of 1740, "Letter to a Member [of Parliament concerning the present state of affairs at home and abroad]" protrudes from his pocket; he is accompanied by two journalists, "Freeman" (Raphael Courteville) playing the drum and "Sidney" blowing the horn each has a copy of the "Gazeteer" in his pocket
Description:
Title etched above image., Description based on imperfect impression; sheet trimmed to plate mark resulting in loss of imprint and verse in letterpress below the plate., Publication date from variant state described in the British Museum Catalogue., Variant state of no. 2484, with additional words added to the back left wheel of the wagon. Cf. Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 3., Truman's notes about the print are shelved as: LWL Mss Group 1 File 3., and Watermark: Pro Patria.
Publisher:
publisher not identified
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain.
Subject (Name):
Walpole, Robert, Earl of Orford, 1676-1745, Herring, Thomas, 1693-1757, and Courteville, Raphael, -1772
Subject (Topic):
Taxation, Misconduct in office, Great Britain, Politics and government, Clergy, Corruption, Lawyers, and Politcians
