"Dissenters are engaged in burning churches and attacking the clergy. In the foreground a stout bishop on his knees is being kicked and assailed by men with bludgeons; beside him is a book: 'Refutation of Dr Price'. He exclaims, raising his hands, "Murder, fire, thieves". One of his assailants says, "Make room for the Apostle of Liberty"; the other, "God assisting us nothing is to be feared". Under this group is inscribed: 'And when they had smote the Shepherd, the Sheep were scattered'. Behind (right) a Gothic building, from which extends a sign of the Mitre and Crown, is being demolished. Price sits astride on the beam supporting the sign; in one hand is an open book, 'Love of our Country', in the other is a firebrand inscribed 'The Flame of Liberty'. Beneath, two men in steeple-crowned hats are feeding a fire with faggots, whose flame and smoke, inscribed '39 Articles', ascends in a thick cloud. Next the burning building, and on the extreme right, is a porch (over a doorway) in which stands Fox, blowing a horn and pointing down to a placard over the doorway: 'Places under Government to be disposed of. NB, Several Faro and E.O. Tables in good Condition'. An adjacent placard is: 'day next charity sermon by Revd chas Fox'. A group of eager fanatics with lank hair rushes towards the doorway, holding up to Fox money-bags inscribed '30.000', '10.000' and '20.000.' In the foreground (right) are two fanatics struggling for the bag of the Great Seal; one raises a mace inscribed 'Brotherly Love' to strike his opponent; under his foot is a paper: 'Repeal of the Test Act'. In the background (left) is a group of figures engaged in demolishing a church with pickaxes; a rope pulls over the cross on the steeple. Two of this group look towards Price: a parson inscribed 'P------ly' (Priestley) waves his hat, saying, "Make haste to pull down that old Whore and we'll build a new one in its place"; a lean man, fashionably dressed (evidently Stanhope), extends his arms, saying, "Address to Assemblee national"."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Titled etched below image., Attributed to Rowlandson by British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Publisher's advertisement above design: In Fores's Caricature Museum is the compleatest collection in the kingdom. Also the head and hand of Count Struenzee. Admittance 1s., and Mounted to 31 x 43 cm.
Publisher:
Pub. Feb. 20, 1790, by S.W. Fores, N. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and Great Britain.
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Price, Richard, 1723-1791, Priestley, Joseph, 1733-1804, Stanhope, Charles Stanhope, Earl, 1753-1816, and England and Wales.
Subject (Topic):
Dissenters, Religious, Limitation of actions, Axes, Bishops, Churches, and Musical instruments
