"The head and shoulders of Fox (like Christian in 'The Pilgrim's Progress') emerge from a pool of liquid mire; he looks despairingly up and to the right, his (half-submerged) hands raised in supplication. On his back is a bundle inscribed 'Contents French Gold, French Loyalty, French Daggers [cf. BMSat 8285, &c.], And Crimes, more num'rous than the sands, upon the Ocean's shore.' His hat has fallen off, the tricolour cockade and motto 'Ca ira' are half submerged. His large club rises from the slough: 'Patriots Staff - i.e. Whig Club' [cf. BMSat 8987, &c.]. Before him floats an open book: 'Gospel of Liberty by the four Evangelists St Paine St Price St Priestly St Petion [see BMSat 8122] \ Fly to the Wrath to come." Fox says: "Help! Help! - will no kind Power lend a hand to deliver me ? - Oh! what will become of me ? - all my former Friends have forsaken me! - if I try to go on, I sink deeper in the Filth; & my feet are stuck so fast in the Mire, that I can not get back, 'tho I try; - Ah me! - this Burden upon my Back overwhelm's me, & presses me down! - I shall Rise no more! - I am lost for ever, & shall never see the Promis'd Land!!" From the slough a hill ascends up which a straight path leads to a fortified gateway in a castellated wall inscribed: 'Knock, & it shall be opened. The Straight Gate: or the way to the Patriots Paradise.' From it flies a flag of 'Libertas', surmounted with the cap of Liberty. Within the wall is a ladder slanting towards a waning moon. ..."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Three lines of text from Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress quoted to the right of title: "This miry slough is such a place as can not be mended ...", and Sheet partially trimmed within plate mark.
Publisher:
Pubd. Jany. 2d, 1793, by H. Humphrey, N. 18 Old Bond Street
Subject (Geographic):
France
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Paine, Thomas, 1737-1809., Priestley, Joseph, 1733-1804., Pétion, J. 1756-1794. (Jérôme),, and Price, RIchard, 1723-1791.
A thin, ragged group of sansculottes sit on corpses around a table and feast on a decapitated head; behind them and above them are piles of body parts. An old woman squats before a fire basting the body of child that has been lashed to a spit. Three small children sit on the floor before a tub filled with entrails. On the wall above the fireplace is a stick figure labelled 'Petion' ; he holds an axe in one hand and a decapitated head in the other. To the sideis another drawing of a headless man labelled "Lewis le Grand."
Alternative Title:
Family of sans-culottes refreshing after the fatigues of the day and Family of sansculottes refreshing after the fatigues of the day
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., An epigram in three columns etched on a separate plate, printed below title: Epigram extempore on seeing the above print. "Here as you see, and as 'tis known ..., and Sheet trimmed within plate mark on two edges of upper plate and bottom edge of lower plate.
Publisher:
Pubd. Sepr. 20th, 1792, by H. Humphrey, N. 18 Old Bond Street
Subject (Geographic):
France
Subject (Name):
Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793 and Pétion, J. 1756-1794 (Jérôme),
