"The Prince of Wales and his friends besiege the Treasury, whose gate is on the right: a massive door, spiked and triply padlocked, fills a stone arch inscribed 'TRE[ASURY]'. Fox, his legs encased in armour, stoops down to bite one of the huge padlocks. Behind him are Hanger, about to strike the door with his massive club (cf. BMSat 6924, &c), and a barefooted Scot in Highland dress, probably Adam, preparing to smite with a sword whose blade is inscribed 'Faction'. In the centre, but rather behind his followers, stands the Prince, ragged and dishevelled, but fashionable, firing at the gate a blunderbuss inscribed 'Itch Diadem'. On the left are Burke and North: Burke, very lean, wears armour, a Jesuit's biretta (cf. BMSat 6955) and huge spectacles. He clasps a rolled document inscribed 'Impeachment', and bends forward, his right hand on his hip. North, very short and fat, stands passively on the extreme left, holding across his shoulder an axe inscribed 'To Conquer America'. He is grotesquely dressed, wearing a feathered helmet, bag-wig, and low top-boots. Beside Burke is a barking dog standing over an open book inscribed 'Plenipotentiary'. Fox, Burke, and North are evidently copied from BMSat 6955. There are four placards on the wall (left to right): [1] 'At a Meeting of the Not Abies Resolved Nem Con that they do vigioursly [sic] attack the Treasuary with all their proper Weapons Get into Place, Humble the Pride of Master Billy, Kick out the Treaty of Commerce, Convict Hastings, Remove the Sceptre, Repeal the Shop Tax Pass Fox's India Bill Keep their Places & do many more things if they are able' [2] 'Whereas Prosecution against High------[treason] in Fitz[herbert]' (cf. BMSat 6924, &c). [3] 'Sold by Auction by Tattersall His Highness's Studd A. Filly' (cf. BMSat 6967). [4, above the Prince's head] 'Theatre Royal Benefit of Mrs F------[Fitzherbert] Seduction Principal Characters . . . R.P.' Within the Treasury gate, above the door, is a crown inscribed 'Safe'; words from some one inside the Treasury, presumably Pitt, appear above the gate: 'I have Gain'd the affections of my Sovereign, and they must cut keener than a Diamond to affect me'. (Probably an allusion to the diamond sent to the King through Hastings, see BMSat 6966, &c.)"--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Convention of the notables
Description:
Title etched below image., Attributed to Kingsbury in the British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Temporary local subject terms: Treasury building., 1 print : etching with stipple, hand-colored, on laid paper ; sheet 302 x 418 mm., and Sheet trimmed within plate mark; mounted to 32 x 44 cm.
Publisher:
Published April 28th, 1787 by S.W. Fores, No.3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Hanger, George, 1751?-1824, North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792, and Adam, William, 1751-1839
