"Fox reclines in an armchair of Gothic shape, his vast swathed legs resting on a cushion, his head against a pillow. He wears a dressing-gown and night-cap. His friends and colleagues stand round him. On his right. is Mrs. Fitzherbert, a meretricious 'Abbess' (cf. BMSat 5181, &c), holding a rosary and placing her hand under his chin; her face and breasts are covered by a large veil of transparent black. On his left. stands a bishop in lawn sleeves and mitre, a rosary hanging from his waist; he puts one hand on Fox's arm, and raises the other in admonition, saying, "O Tempora, O Mores! - Charley! dear Charley! - remember your poor Soul! - & if you're spared this time give us Emancipation - or!!!" His head is concealed, but he is identified by Lord Holland as O'Beirne, Bishop of Meath, educated as a Catholic, and a Whig pamphleteer. Mrs. Fitzherbert says: "Do confess your Sins Charley! do take Advice from an Old Abbess [cf. BMSat 10404] & receive Absolution! - here is Bishop O'Bother, 'twill be quite snug among Friends you know!" Fox says: "I abhor all Communion which debars us the comfort of the Cup! - will no one give me a Cordial?" Facing Fox, and in back view, stands the Prince, holding a handkerchief to his face; he says: "Alas! poor Charley! - do give him a Brimmer of Sack, 'twill do him more good Abbess, than all the Bishop's nostrums!" In his left hand he holds his cocked hat; in a coat-tail pocket is a pamphlet: 'Letter from N. Jeffreys'. Sheridan on the extreme right., furtive and bloated, puts his hand on the bishop's shoulder, saying, "Emancipation! - fudge! - why Dr OBother I thought you knew better!" In his pocket is a paper: 'Scheme for a new Administra[tion]'. Behind him stands Howick, in the extremity of grief, throwing back his head, and holding his handkerchief to his face. Three men stand, on the Prince's l., looking towards Fox, all weeping with raised handkerchiefs. Their heads rise one above and behind the other from the short Petty who wears a laced coat and bag-wig and has a large roll under his arm: 'New Taxes for 1806'. He says "Ah poor me! - If my Dancing-Days are over!" Windham says: "O Lord! what side can I tack round to Now!" The tall Moira says: "I must get back to Ballynahinch! Och! Och." [The allusion is to Moira's Irish estate and to Canning's verses, 'Ballynahinch' in the 'Anti-Jacobin', 9 July 1798, cf. BMSat 9235.] The three '(Ministerial) Grenvilles stand in the doorway (l.) apart from the mourners. Lord Grenville turns to Sidmouth, who is just within the room, putting a hand on his arm, and saying, "Well Doctor, have you done his business? - shall we have the Coast clear, soon?" Sidmouth answers, with sly satisfaction, "We'll see!" He holds a bottle labelled 'Composing Draft' [cf. BMSat 9849]. The spectacled Marquis of Buckingham looks round to say "O! Such a Day as This! so renown'd so Victorious"; his son, Lord Temple, continues: "such a day as This! was never seen!" In the foreground (l.) the fat Mrs. Fox faints in a small ornate chair; under her chair is a square spirits-bottle of 'True Maidstone', with a broken glass beside it. Lord Derby, wearing top-boots, bends over her, holding a bottle to her nose. He says: "My dear old Flame Bet, dont despair! - if Charley is pop'd off - a'nt I left to Comfort you - ?" On a stool at Fox's r. hand is a urinal decorated with Britannia, standing on a scroll: 'Negotiations for Peace between Great Britain & France'. On the ground beside him are a broken dice-box and dice. Behind the back of Fox's chair heavy fringed curtains are festooned, giving an impression of ducal magnificence, the scene being the Duke of Bedford's house in Arlington Street (or Stable Yard, St. James's)."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Temporary local subject terms: Catholics -- Furniture: Gothic armchair -- Rosaries., Temporary local Medical Library subject terms: British politics., and Mounted to 29 x 41 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. July 28th, 1806, by H. Humphrey, 27 St. James's Street
Subject (Name):
O'Beirne, Thomas Lewis 1748?-1823, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Fitzherbert, Maria Anne, 1756-1837, George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Grey, Charles Grey, Earl, 1764-1845, Hastings, Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Marquess of, 1754-1826, Windham, William, 1750-1810, Lansdowne, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marquess of, 1780-1863, Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville, Baron, 1759-1834, Buckingham and Chandos, Richard Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos, Duke of, 1776-1839, Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844, Buckingham, George Nugent Temple Grenville, Marquess of, 1753-1813, Fox, Elizabeth, 1750-1842, and Smith-Stanley, Edward, 1752-1834
"A satire on the peace negotiations and on Windham's Training Act. The scene is outside the 'Treasury', the lower part of its façade forming the background. Ministers and their supporters as 'Corporal and Conscripts' obey the orders of their 'Drill-Serjeant' Napoleon, who stands on the extreme left., his jack-boots firmly planted on cannon-balls him height. He extends his sword with an arrogant gesture, and fiercely orders: "Ground - Arms!" Next him, and in back view, but looking up at him, is Fox seated in an invalid's wheeled chair on the back of which are the coronet and feathers of the Prince of Wales. He is 'Grand Double Drums' and is vigorously beating a pair of kettle-drums, one inscribed 'GR' and crown, the other 'N' and crown. He wears a dressing-gown and bonnet rouge, and his enormously distended legs are straddled outside his drums. On Fox's r. is the 'Flugel Man', Grenville, going through the movement as a pattern to the other privates. He kneels on the left knee and grounds his musket, putting up his hand to shield his eyes; his bayonet is broken, as is its sheath. The 'Corporal & Conscripts' drawn up (r.) facing Napoleon attempt the movement with extreme awkwardness and obsequious haste, not excepting Windham the corporal, the end man (r.) of the front rank. Next him is Lord Holland, on both knees, with an amiable smile. Then Sheridan, very bulky and awkward, but unlike the others directing his musket towards Napoleon. Petty, on both knees, flings down his musket with an obsequious gesture. Next him Lord Temple grovels displaying spherical posteriors. Next, at the end of the line, and close to the gate of the Treasury, kneels Erskine, in wig and gown, raising his hat. In the second rank, behind Windham, is Howick, First Lord, deferentially raising a naval cocked hat; Sidmouth staggers back, throwing up his arms and dropping his musket which lands on his face. Next are Spencer, clumsily lifting his musket, and Ellenborough in wig and gown, with a blunderbuss which he seems about to dash violently on the ground. Behind him is Moira, stiff and tall, in uniform with cocked hat, holding up a musket exploding at lock and barrel. Behind and in shadow are (l. to r.) St. Vincent, Hanger, and the Duke of Clarence, all holding up the muskets which the next rank prevents them from grounding. Most of the 'conscripts' wear civilian dress with crossed bandoleers, and are in most unsoldierly confusion. By the Treasury gate and facing Erskine stands the 'Constable of the Corps', Talleyrand, holding a long constable's staff, crowned, his left. arm extended in a gesture of command; one twisted leg is supported by a stilt under the shoe. As ex-Bishop of Autun (see BMSat 8088) he wears a hat whose crown is a mitre, a long gown and bands over his coat, and a rosary. In his mouth is a pen. Above his head a bird with webbed wings and the head of Lauderdale flies towards Fox, clutching a paper: 'Terms of Peace'. In his mouth is a completely are olive branch. He wears a bonnet rouge, and his body is covered with tartan."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched at top of image., Series of mocking military are etched below image and correspond with figures in the design: Drill-Serjeant [Napolean], Constable of the Corps [Talleyrand-Périgord], Grand Double-Drums [Fox], Flugel Man [Grenville], Corporal & Conscripts [remaining figures]., Figures identified by ms. annotations in modern hand throughout outer margin of print., and Mounted to 35 x 46 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. Septr. 1st, 1806, by H. Humphrey, 27 St. Jamess [sic] Street
Subject (Name):
Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville, Baron, 1759-1834, Windham, William, 1750-1810, Holland, Henry Richard Vassall, Baron, 1773-1840, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Lansdowne, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marquess of, 1780-1863, Buckingham and Chandos, Richard Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos, Duke of, 1776-1839, Erskine, Thomas Erskine, Baron, 1750-1823, Grey, Charles Grey, Earl, 1764-1845, Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844, Spencer, George John Spencer, Earl, 1758-1834, Ellenborough, Edward Law, Baron, 1750-1818, Hastings, Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Marquess of, 1754-1826, St. Vincent, John Jervis, Viscount, 1735-1823, Hanger, George, 1751?-1824, William IV, King of Great Britain, 1765-1837, Talleyrand-Périgord, Charles Maurice de, prince de Bénévent, 1754-1838, and Lauderdale, James Maitland, Earl of, 1759-1839
