"Fox flees in terror through the doorway of the House of Commons, taking an enormous stride. Beside him runs a thin demoniac greyhound, Grey, wearing a collar: 'Opposition Grey-Hound'. A small animal runs behind with the head of M. A. Taylor. Through the doorway are seen half the Speaker's chair and the Opposition benches, while the hands of Pitt, who is speaking, project from the left, holding two scrolls: 'O'Conner's list of Secret Traitors' and 'Destruction of Buonaparte - Capture of the French Navy - End of the Irish Rebellion - Voluntary Associations - Europe Arming - Britannia Ruling the Waves'. His words float towards the dismayed Opposition: 'Read o'er This! - And after this! - And then to Breakfast, with what appetite you may!!!' The Opposition are furtively eating papers: Sheridan eats 'Loyalty of the Irish Nation'; Tierney, 'Homage to the French Con[? stitution]'. Between them is squeezed the hat of C. Fox, indicating that between them they have left little room for their leader. Erskine, the egotist [see BMSat 9246, &c], eats 'my own Loyalty'; Shuckburgh, 'French lib[erty]'; Nicholls, 'a Letter to W Pitt'; Burdett, 'Egalité'; an unidentified member eats 'Peace or Ruin'. All wear hats except Burdett and Erskine. The House is lit by candles burnt to the socket, suggesting an all-night sitting. ..."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Prudent secesion and Prudent secession
Description:
Title etched below image. and Two lines of text following title: N.B. The background contains a corner of the House next session, with the reasons for secession; also, a democratic déjeuné, (i.e., Opposition eating up their words).
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Burdett, Francis,--1770-1844--Caricatures and cartoons., Erskine, Thomas Erskine,--Baron,--1750-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Fox, Charles James,--1749-1806--Caricatures and cartoons., Grey, Charles Grey,--Earl,--1764-1845--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley,--1751-1816--Caricatures and cartoons., Shuckburgh-Evelyn, George Augustus William,--Sir,--1751-1804--Caricatures and cartoons., Taylor, Michael Angelo,--1757-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., and Tierney, George,--1761-1830--Caricatures and cartoons.
"Napoleon presides at a feast with Josephine seated on his left. A sumptuous dessert is on the table, with dishes moulded to represent English buildings, &c. Napoleon has begun to devour 'St James's', but has dropped his fork, and looks round in horror at the words 'Mene Mene, Tekel, Upharsin' (l.) at which the arm of Jehovah points. This emerges from clouds, the other arm holds over the head of Napoleon a pair of scales; one, inscribed 'Vive le Roi', contains a crown and outweighs the other, 'Despotism', which flies in the air, spilling the contents, shackles and a bonnet rouge. The room is lined with grenadiers at attention, with drawn sabres and pistols in their belts; they are partly obscured by clouds, but their eyes are turned to the writing on the wall. This is also seen by three grenadiers who stand rigidly behind Napoleon's chair, their sabres dripping blood, their eyes turned to the left. Of those at the feast only Napoleon has seen the message, but the general on his right. looks with alarm at his master who has overturned three bottles of wine. The others are absorbed in food or women. Josephine, grossly fat, drinks avidly, spilling her wine. Behind her chair stand three slim and meretricious young women, looking down at her: they are scantily clad, with hair arranged in the French manner in snaky ringlets. They are Napoleon's three sisters, Elisa, Pauline, and Caroline. The upper end of the table stretches across the foreground. On the extreme left. Arthur O'Connor, the only civilian, ogles a lady, holding her chin and offering her a dish of 'Pommes d'Am[our]', while she holds up a tumbler of wine. In front of him is a decanter labelled 'Maidstone'. Between this lady and the general on Napoleon's r. is a grotesque officer greedily devouring a large fragment of the 'Tower de Londres'. An officer (r.) ogles a woman with whom he drinks wine. All the women have the patched faces that in these prints indicate dissoluteness. Two of the officers have the plucked scalp of the Frenchman in BMSat 9960. Before Napoleon is a dish containing the 'Bank of England', flying a tricolour flag. The back of his chair is decorated with a carved eagle or vulture whose eyes are turned to the fatal message. Before Josephine is a dish inscribed 'Prune Monsieur' containing two plums; beside it are two bottles of 'Maraschino', one overturned. The decollated head of a bishop fills a dish inscribed 'Oh de Roast Beef of Old England'. Wine, fruit, and jelly-glasses fill the spaces on the table."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Handwriting upon the wall
Description:
Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Bonaparte, Paolina,--1780-1825--Caricatures and cartoons., Caroline Bonaparte,--consort of Joachim Murat, King of Naples,--1782-1839--Caricatures and cartoons., Gillray, James, 1756-1815, publisher., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Josephine,--Empress, consort of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French,--1763-1814--Caricatures and cartoons., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., O'Connor, Arthur,--1763-1852--Caricatures and cartoons., and Piombino, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi,--principessa di,--1777-1820--Caricatures and cartoons.
