"Ministers and others, holding hands, caper in a ring round a pole to which are symmetrically attached the decollated heads of the Cato Street conspirators executed on 1 May, see British Museum Satires No. 13707, &c. Between Sidmouth and the smiling Castlereagh is a man wearing a black mask, and with a blood-stained knife in his mouth, perhaps one of the two who turned King's evidence. On the right, taking Castlereagh's left hand, is the Attorney-General, Gifford, grinning diabolically. Holding Sidmouth's left hand is Vansittart (in his gown). Facing these two are Canning and Chief Justice Abbott in his robes. Four others are poorly characterized. They dance to a fiddle played by Edwards who sits on a grassy mound (right), with an empty gibbet behind his head. He says: "Dance away my Friends, I have been the cause of all this fun by your Help and Money. "Edwards the Instigator!!!"."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Mounted to 58 x 39 cm., Mounted (with two other prints) on leaf 9 in volume 1 of the W.E. Gladstone collection of caricatures and broadsides surrounding the "Queen Caroline Affair.", and With figures of "Sidmouth", "Londonderry", and "Gifford" identified in pencil below, the first two on mounting leaf and the last one in lower margin of print. Typed extract of twelve lines from the British Museum catalogue description is pasted opposite (on verso of preceding leaf).
Publisher:
Pubd. May 1820 by S.W. Fores, 41 Piccadilly, London
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain.
Subject (Name):
Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844, Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822, Vansittart, Nicholas, 1766-1851, Canning, George, 1770-1827, Abbott, Charles, Baron Tenterden, 1762-1832, and Edwards, George, 1788-1843
Subject (Topic):
Cato Street Conspiracy, 1820, Politicians, May poles, Dance, Decapitations, Heads (Anatomy), Criminals, Masks, Knives, and Violins
