"Pitt as Death on the pale Horse rides naked on the White Horse of Hanover, galloping over the prostrate bodies of pigs; other pigs, a multitude extending to the horizon, flee before him. On the horse's fringed saddle-cloth is a crown. Pitt is very emaciated, his flaming hair streams behind him encircled by a fillet inscribed 'Destruction'. In his right hand is a large flaming sword; in his left he holds the thread-like body of a scaly monster with gaping jaws, webbed wings, and serpent's tail. Behind him on the horse's hind quarters sits a naked imp wearing the feathered coronet of the Prince of Wales, with the motto 'Ich di[en]'. He grasps Pitt, and kisses his posterior; in his left hand he holds out a paper: 'Provision for the Millenium £125,000 pr An'. The horse's tail streams out, expanding into clouds, and merging with the flames of Hell which rise from the extreme right. In the tail and flames imps are flying, headed by Dundas holding a pitchfork; he wears a wig and plaid with horns and webbed wings. Behind are three imps: Loughborough, indicated as usual by an elongated judge's wig in back view (cf. BMSat 6796); Burke with webbed wings and serpent's tail; Pepper Arden [Identified by Wright and Evans as Lord Kenyon. The identification in the text is confirmed by Lord Holland.] wearing a large wig. In the foreground (right) Pitt's opponents are being kicked towards Hell by the horse's hind legs. Fox has just been violently struck in the face, and staggers backwards, clutching a paper inscribed 'Peace'. Sheridan lies prone, face downwards, hands raised, as if for mercy. Wilberforce sits on the ground clasping his 'Motion for a Peace' (see BMSat 8637). Behind Fox Lansdowne looks up from the ground, clenching his fists. On the extreme right the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Stanhope, and the Duke of Grafton are about to plunge into the flames: Fox in falling is pushing them over. ..."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Two lines of text below title: And e'er the last days began, I looked, & behold, a white horse, & his name who sat upon it was Death ..., 1 print : etching & aquatint on wove paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 32.5 x 37.5 cm, on sheet 36.7 x 42.8 cm., and Mounted on leaf 56 of volume 3 of 12.
Publisher:
Pubd. June 4th, 1795, by H. Humphrey, N. 37 New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Wilberforce, William, 1759-1833, Grafton, Augustus Henry Fitzroy, Duke of, 1735-1811, Norfolk, Charles Howard, Duke of, 1746-1815, Stanhope, Charles Stanhope, Earl, 1753-1816, Lansdowne, William Petty, Marquis of, 1737-1805, Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811, Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797, Rosslyn, Alexander Wedderburn, Earl of, 1733-1805, Brothers, Richard, 1757-1824, and Halhed, Nathaniel Brassey, 1751-1830.
"Pitt as Death on the pale Horse rides naked on the White Horse of Hanover, galloping over the prostrate bodies of pigs; other pigs, a multitude extending to the horizon, flee before him. On the horse's fringed saddle-cloth is a crown. Pitt is very emaciated, his flaming hair streams behind him encircled by a fillet inscribed 'Destruction'. In his right hand is a large flaming sword; in his left he holds the thread-like body of a scaly monster with gaping jaws, webbed wings, and serpent's tail. Behind him on the horse's hind quarters sits a naked imp wearing the feathered coronet of the Prince of Wales, with the motto 'Ich di[en]'. He grasps Pitt, and kisses his posterior; in his left hand he holds out a paper: 'Provision for the Millenium £125,000 pr An'. The horse's tail streams out, expanding into clouds, and merging with the flames of Hell which rise from the extreme right. In the tail and flames imps are flying, headed by Dundas holding a pitchfork; he wears a wig and plaid with horns and webbed wings. Behind are three imps: Loughborough, indicated as usual by an elongated judge's wig in back view (cf. BMSat 6796); Burke with webbed wings and serpent's tail; Pepper Arden [Identified by Wright and Evans as Lord Kenyon. The identification in the text is confirmed by Lord Holland.] wearing a large wig. In the foreground (right) Pitt's opponents are being kicked towards Hell by the horse's hind legs. Fox has just been violently struck in the face, and staggers backwards, clutching a paper inscribed 'Peace'. Sheridan lies prone, face downwards, hands raised, as if for mercy. Wilberforce sits on the ground clasping his 'Motion for a Peace' (see BMSat 8637). Behind Fox Lansdowne looks up from the ground, clenching his fists. On the extreme right the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Stanhope, and the Duke of Grafton are about to plunge into the flames: Fox in falling is pushing them over. ..."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Two lines of text below title: And e'er the last days began, I looked, & behold, a white horse, & his name who sat upon it was Death ..., and Mounted to 36 x 42 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. June 4th, 1795, by H. Humphrey, N. 37 New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, Pitt, William, 1759-1806, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Wilberforce, William, 1759-1833, Grafton, Augustus Henry Fitzroy, Duke of, 1735-1811, Norfolk, Charles Howard, Duke of, 1746-1815, Stanhope, Charles Stanhope, Earl, 1753-1816, Lansdowne, William Petty, Marquis of, 1737-1805, Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811, Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797, Rosslyn, Alexander Wedderburn, Earl of, 1733-1805, Brothers, Richard, 1757-1824, and Halhed, Nathaniel Brassey, 1751-1830.
"An imitation of Patriotick Meteors, British Museum Satires No. 4887 (1771). Three heads, with rays or fire streaming from them, dart downwards and to the right into the gaping jaws of a monster from which issue the flames of Hell (cf., e.g., British Museum Satires No. 10011), inscribed Gulf of Oblivion. Alderman Wood is foremost, from his neck hangs a rolled document: Queen's Will. His trail of fire expands behind him from the end of his tiny pigtail, and is inscribed Wisdom [see British Museum Satires No. 13899, &c.]. Next is the profile head of Sheriff Waithman; the fiery trail expands from the end of his black bag, and is inscribed Inquest. Last is the head of a horse, with a black bag and tail like that of Waithman, inscribed Queen's Mayor [Thorpe]. Double civic chains hang from the necks of the last two."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Exitus acta probat
Description:
Title etched below image., Mounted to 58 x 39 cm., Mounted (with one other print) on leaf 105 in volume 2 of the W.E. Gladstone collection of caricatures and broadsides surrounding the "Queen Caroline Affair.", and Figures of "Waithman" and "Wood" identified in ink below image; date "14 Sept. 1821" written in lower right corner. Typed extract of sixteen lines from the British Museum catalogue description is pasted opposite (on verso of preceding leaf).
Publisher:
Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James's St.
Subject (Geographic):
England and London.
Subject (Name):
Wood, Matthew, Sir, 1768-1843, Waithman, Robert, 1764-1833, Thorp, John Thomas., and Caroline, Queen, consort of George IV, King of Great Britain, 1768-1821
Subject (Topic):
Death and burial, Meteors, Monsters, Wills, Sheriffs, Municipal officials, and Horses
