"The interior of a room in a cottage. General Gunning (left) as an old gipsy-woman, but wearing a military coat, is seated (on a drum) at a table, facing his daughter. In place of a sword he wears a broom. He seals a letter, a number of seals and a letter 'To D------ of M------' [Marlborough] are on the table beside him. Miss Gunning holds a pack of cards (the ace of spades uppermost) to her lips, saying, "I Swear that I never wish'd or tried directly or indirectly to get a Coronet; that I never saw or writ to Lord B------[Blandford] or Lord L--------- [Lorne], in all my Life; - that Men are my aversion; - & that I never had any thing to do with, with the Groom, in all my born days; - Will that do, Dad?" He answers, "Well done, Bett! we'll get thro' the Business I'll warrant you; - we can write with all sorts of hands, we've got all kinds of Seals, & with the assistance of our old Friend under the Table, we shall be able to gu them yet daughter but I must be Mum". Through a hole in the boards under the table the Devil emerges, surrounded with flames, he holds up a torch exultantly, saying "Swear!" Gunning melts his sealing-wax in the torch, the right is an open hearth over which hangs a cauldron full of coronets. Beside it (left) sits Mrs. Gunning, blowing the fire with a pair of bellows formed of a book: 'Letter to the D------ of A' (see BMSat 7983). She says: "That's right, my sweet innocent Angel! say Grace boldly! make haste my dear little lovely Lambkin! - I'll soon blow up the Fire, while Nauntee-Peg helps to cook up the Coronets; we'll get you a nice tit-bit for Dinner, before we've done, my dear little deary." Opposite her and on the extreme right an old woman, dressed in rags stands over the cauldron with a spoon, saying, "Puff away, Sister! the Soup will soon boil - law's me, how soft the Green Peas do grow, & how they Jump about in the Pot when you Puff your Bellows!" Behind her is a placard: 'Waltham Abbey - by Peg Niffy'. (Mrs. Gunning, née Minifie, was said in the Press to have written a novel called Waltham Abbey, this she denied. 'Letter . . .', p. 89.) On the wall behind Miss Gunning is a print of the pillory (the punishment for perjury) and a bill: 'Affidavit of Eliz: Canning.' Behind her father are 'The Life of a Soldier', 'The Man of Honor a Catch', and 'The useful Groom a new song'. Through a door (left) behind Gunning is seen a groom holding a horse; he says, "I'm ready to ride, or swear, or any thing". A signpost points 'to Blenheim'."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Peep at the conjuration of Mary Squires & the Gypsey family
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed to plate mark., Temporary local subject terms: Allusion to John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll -- Allusion to George William Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll -- Allusion to George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough -- Allusion to George Spencer, 5th Duke of Marlborough -- Literature: allusion to Susannah Gunning's Waltham Abbey -- Interiors: cottage -- Pictures amplifying subject: title page of Waltham Abbey -- Pictures amplifying subject: pillory -- Furniture: tables -- Military drums -- Coronets -- Utensils: ladles -- Inkpots -- Seals -- Sealing-wax -- Minifie, Margaret "Auntee Peg"., and Watermark: armorial shield with fleur-de-lis on top and initials G R below.
Publisher:
Pubd. March 25th, 1791, by J.M. Fobes [sic], N. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
Canning, Elizabeth, 1734-1773., Squires, Mary, -1762., Gunning, Mrs. 1740?-1800 (Susannah),, Gunning, Miss 1769-1823 (Elizabeth),, Gunning, John, -1797, and Minifie, Margaret
Subject (Topic):
Bellows, Brooms & brushes, Card games, Cauldrons, Devil, Drums (Musical instruments), Fireplaces, Grooms (Weddings), Playing cards, and Torches
"General Gunning stands in profile to the right before the door of his house, a bludgeon in his hand, driving before him his wife and daughter both scantily clad, but the latter with feathers in her hair. On the left is a military officer (Bowen) sheathing a sword in a broken sheath; Mrs. Bowen stands behind him. From General Gunning's pocket protrude papers: 'aff. by Mr B' and 'Am by Mr B.' He says "Now I shall save a 1000 a year in Housekeeping & keep as many - [whores] as I like." Miss Gunning says "Oh thus to be persecuted & rob'd of - all for Lorn." Mrs. Gunning says "Oh! my Darling my Angel fear not the machinations of these Combind plotters while you have a Mothers arms to support you". She points towards a woman's face at a window (? or in a picture) over which is etched: 'Here my Inosent shall you find a parants Care to soothe your troubles & every honest means pursued to discover those base dark assas[sins]'. Bowen says "Oh how they did run we have done the Business". His wife says "Aye Aye Clear off did not I do my part well.""--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Specimen of martial prowess
Description:
Title from item., Printmaker from British Museum online catalogue., Publisher's annoucement following imprint: ... whare [sic] may be seen the compleatist [sic] collection of caricature prints & drawings in the Kingdom. Admite. 1 s & &., Temporary local subject terms: General's uniform -- Captain's uniform -- Bludgeons -- Weapons -- Expulsion -- Allusion to the Gunning scandal -- Capt. Bowen -- Mrs. Bowen., and Watermark: J Whatman.
Publisher:
Pub. March 27, 1791, by S.W. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly ...
Subject (Name):
Gunning, John, -1797, Gunning, Miss 1769-1823 (Elizabeth),, and Gunning, Mrs. 1740?-1800 (Susannah),
"Miss Gunning sits astride a cannon directed against the façade of 'Blenheim'. Her mother (right) fires the cannon by putting her pen to the touch-hole; from its muzzle issue flames an letters inscribed : 'forged Love letter', 'Letter from Marq: of Blan[dford] written by myself', 'Letter written by my Daddy', 'Letter forged by my Mother', 'Letter forged by myself', 'Letters in Answer to my self''. In the central window in the portico of Blenheim are the bare posteriors of a figure emitting a bias excrement which strikes Miss Gunning, knocking her backwards, reaches Mrs. Gunning. The former, terrified, says, "O Mother! Mother! my mask'd Battery is discovered, & we shall be blown up! - O Mother, Mother, we must raise the Siege immediately, & take refuge under the Duchess's cover'd way, & there act on the defensive: O Mother: Mother, its all your fault, say what you will:" Mrs. Gunning says, her left hand raised in horror, "Good Heavens! who could have thought that the Seige of a Coronet would have ended in smoke & stink! - well I'll take my affidavit that I know nothing at all about the matter". An aged crone, the Duchess of Bedford, stands on the extreme right, raising her hooped petticoat to form a shelter; she says, "Come under my Protection, deary's I'll hide you in Bedfordshire; & find one of my little Granny-boys, to play with Missy". On the extreme left General Gunning, wearing regimentals, walks off, stooping furtively; he says, "I find our Stratagem wont take effect, & therefore I'll be off; & menœvre; - any common Soldier can lead on, to an attack, but it requires the skill of a General to bring off his forces with honor after a defeat - "."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Siege of Blenheim and New system of gunning discovered
Description:
Title etched at bottom of image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Text following title: Vide, A bold stroke for a husband., and Text in lower right corner: Dedicated to the Duke of A- [Argyll].
Publisher:
Pubd. March 5th, 1791, by H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond St.
Subject (Geographic):
England
Subject (Name):
Bedford, Gertrude Leveson Gower, Duchess of, 1715-1794, Gunning, Miss (Elizabeth), 1769-1823, Gunning, Mrs. 1740?-1800 (Susannah),, and Gunning, John, -1797
