"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:
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue. and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
S. W. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Canning, Elizabeth,--1734-1773., Fores, S. W., publisher., Gunning, John,---1797--Caricatures and cartoons., Gunning,--Miss--(Elizabeth),--1769-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Gunning,--Mrs.--(Susannah),--1740?-1800--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Minifie, Margaret--Caricatures and cartoons., and Squires, Mary,---1762.
Subject (Topic):
Brooms & brushes., Devils., Fireplaces., and Playing cards.
"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:
New system of gunning discovered and Siege of Blenheim
Description:
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Text following title: Vide, A bold stroke for a husband., Text in lower right corner: Dedicated to the Duke of A- [Argyll]., and Title etched at bottom of image.
Publisher:
H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Bedford, Gertrude Leveson Gower,--Duchess of,--1715-1794--Caricatures and cartoons., Gunning, John,---1797--Caricatures and cartoons., Gunning, Miss (Elizabeth),--1769-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Gunning,--Mrs.--(Susannah),--1740?-1800--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., and Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher.
"Illustration to a lampoon on the Gunning scandal. A series of portraits following [1] a letter directed to 'His Grace the D. . . of' [Marlborough, see BMSat 7980], beneath which is inscribed: 'This is the Note that Nobody wrote!' [2] A groom (three-quarter length) standing with folded arms: 'This is the Groom that carried the Note that Nobody wrote.' [3] Bust portrait of a stout woman in profile to the left: 'This is Madam Gun. . .g so very cunning that betrayed the Groom that carried the note that Nobody wrote.' [4] Bust portrait of a lean and wrinkled woman in profile to the right: 'This is Madam Bo. . .n [Bowen] to whom it was owing that Madam Gun. . .g so very cunning betrayed the Groom that carried the Note that Nobody wrote.' [5] Bust portrait of a young woman, full face, holding a handkerchief to her eye: 'This is the Maiden all For Lorn, all on a sudden so tatterd and torn, because Madam Bo. . .n to whom it was owing that Madam Gun. . .g so very cunning betrayed the Groom that carried the Note that Nobody wrote.' [6] Two bust portraits of young men, full face, wearing cocked hats: 'These are the Marquises shy of the Horn blown by the Maiden all For-Lorn all on a sudden so tatterd and torn because Madam Bo. . .n to whom it was owing that Madam Gun. . .g so very cunning betrayed the Groom that carried the Note that Nobody wrote.' [7] Two bust portraits of two men, full face, wearing ribbons, who look sideways at each other: 'These are the Dukes [Marlborough and Argyll] whose bitter rebukes made the two Marquisses shy of the horn blown by the Maiden all for Lorn all on a sudden so tatterd and torn, because Madam Bo. . .n to whom it was owing, that Madam Gun. . .g so very cunning betrayed the Groom that carried the Note that Nobody wrote.' [8] Bust portrait of a military officer, full face, wearing a cocked hat and gorget: 'This is the General somewhat too bold - whose head is too hot, and whose heart is too cold - who made himself single before it was meet and turn'd Wife and Daughter into the street, to appease the two Dukes whose bitter rebukes made the two Marquisses shy of the horn blown by the Maiden all For Lorn all on a sudden so tatterd and torn because Madam Bo. . .n to whom it was owing that Madam Gun. . .g so very cunning betrayed the Groom that carried the Note that Nobody wrote.' Beneath the title is etched: 'Adorned with Pretty Pictures for the Amusement of Grown up Masters and Misses \ To the Admirers of certain Mysterious Pamphlets & Paragraphs (published some time since but which ought never to be Forgotten) \ This Bagatelle is respectfully Dedicated with an humble intention (if possible) to render the Case more difficult then before.'"--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Attributed to Cruikshank in the British Museum catalogue. and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
S. W. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
Argyll, John Campbell,--Duke of,--1680-1743--Caricatures and cartoons., Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Fores, S.W., publisher., Gunning, John,---1797--Caricatures and cartoons., Gunning, Miss (Elizabeth),--1769-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Gunning,--Mrs.--(Susannah),--1740?-1800--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., and Marlborough, George Spencer Churchill,--Duke of,--1766-1840--Caricatures and cartoons.
