"George III (left), seated in a chair, is being shown by the ghost of Chatham a procession of figures walking towards a pit (right) inscribed "Chaos". Chatham wears pseudo-classical draperies, a tie-wig crowned with a laurel wreath, and is surrounded by a glory of rays. He holds up a circular glass to the king, who looks through it with an expression of alarm. On the back of the king's chair is a crown surmounted by a weathercock which points to the South, probably to indicate that North's power is over, cf. BMSat 5659. Under his feet are torn county petitions, and an open book, "Lock on Government". The petitions are those of York, Westminster, Middlesex, Hampshire, Surrey. There is also the design of the façade of a building inscribed, "The Elevation of [a] Baby House". The leaders of the procession, who are on the brink of the pit, are the kings of France and Spain. A devil (right) with wings, horns, and a long barbed tail, points into the pit. Behind the two kings come North and Sandwich. North holds a rolled document inscribed "Taxes". Under his arm is a large money-bag with a gaping hole in it, by which is an open book or paper inscribed "New Way to pay old Debts, A Farce by Boreas" (Massinger's comedy had recently been revived at Drury Lane). On his right Sandwich walks with his arms folded, a paper under his arm is inscribed "Catches & Glees Mr Arne" (Arne (1710-78), the musical composer, is generally styled Dr; Sandwich was "the soul of the Catch Club", see BMSat 5342). From his pocket protrude papers, one inscribed "Greenwich Hospital", in allusion to the scandal caused by Captain Baillie's exposure of abuses there, see BMSat 5548. The other is inscribed "Love & Madness"; this is the title of a series of fictitious letters recently published purporting to be the correspondence of Hackman and Martha Ray, Sandwich's mistress, see BMSat 5540, &c, but really by Herbert Croft. See Walpole, 'Letters', xi. 139-40,13 Mar. 1780. Behind come Mansfield, in judge's wig and robes, and Bute in Highland dress, both with expressions of despair; they are being hurried along by a man with the face of a fiend who has seized Mansfield by the arm and Bute by the shoulders. Beside them walks a Dutchman, his hands in his breeches pockets, being propelled from behind by a devil, significant of the unpopularity of the Dutch Republic,"--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Peep into futurity
Description:
Title from item. and Trimmed within plate line.
Publisher:
Published as the act directs May 16, 1780, by W. Wells, No. 132 opposite Salisbury Court Fleet Street London
Subject (Geographic):
Netherlands.
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820., Pitt, William, Earl of Chatham, 1708-1778., Bute, John Stuart, Earl of, 1713-1792., Mansfield, William Murray, Earl of, 1705-1793., Sandwich, John Montagu, Earl of, 1718-1792., North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792., Charles III, King of Spain, 1716-1788., and Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793.
Manuscript, in Louis XVI's hand, of his translation of Walpole's Historic doubts into French. Walpole's work focuses on the crimes supposed to have been committed by Richard III, in particular the murders of Henry VI; Henry VI's son Edward; his brother George, duke of Clarence; Edward V and his brother Richard; his own queen, and others; and examines, and in some cases invalidates, the evidence for these accusations. Louis XVI's translation contains numerous corrections, made during the last years of his life
Alternative Title:
Historic doubts on the life and reign of King Richard the Third
Description:
In French., Title from first page., Written on flyleaf: Manuscrit. Ecrit en entier De la main De Louis XVI., Binding: paper, stitched., and For further information, consult Library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Edward V, King of England, 1470-1483., Henry VI, King of England, 1421-1471., Richard III, King of England, 1452-1485., Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797, Warbeck, Perkin, 1474-1499., and Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793.
Subject (Topic):
Translating and interpreting, Kings and rulers, and Politics and government
Manuscript, in a single hand with numerous corrections, of a collection of 15 letters describing life in England, translated into French, possibly from German. The letters discuss English lotteries; the proliferation of newspapers; the constitution and the difficulty of reconciling ideology with practice; Parliamentary elections; literary societies; and the nobility. One letter describes and deplores the cruelty of amusements such as hunting, cock-fighting, and "combats des gladiateurs"; another letter mocks an English law against the illegal wearing of buttons. A letter dated December 14, 1790 discusses the possibility of the abolition of the slave trade; the author declares it is the most talked-of subject of conversation and expresses his astonishment that the trade still exists and The letters are followed by a lengthy essay explaining the Women's March on Versailles on October 5-6, 1789. The volume is prefaced by a note by the translator, who criticizes the motives of many travel writers; says that he was drawn to this letter-writer for his curiosity and interest in humanity; and explains that the writer published two volumes, the first of letters written in Paris and Versailles during the revolution in 1789, and the second of letters in England
Description:
In French., Binding: full calf., and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain, Great Britain., England, France, and Versailles (France)
Subject (Name):
Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, marquis de, 1757-1834., Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793., and Necker, Jacques, 1732-1804.
Subject (Topic):
Cockfighting, Elections, Hunting, Lotteries, Slave trade, Newspapers, Nobility, Travelers' writings, French, Description and travel, History, Women, Intellectual life, Politics and government, and Social life and customs
Minerva Press broadside detailing the unfortunate end of Louis XVI on the guillotine, January 21, 1793 in Paris. The broadside includes a woodcut illustration of a man lying face down waiting for the blade of the guillotine to drop; the decree of the French National Convention authorizing the execution of "Louis Capet;" descriptions of his execution and of the guillotine--"the modern beheading machine"--and a few anecdotes indicating "that for some time [the king] had been expecting his fate."
Description:
One of several variants; in this edition, the text of the second column begins with the words: "middle of the square, directly facing the gate of the garden of the Tuileries..." See also English short title catalogue, nos. T194096 and T039027., Caption title., Text printed in two columns; text and illustration within double-ruled black border., "Price three-pence.", "Where may be had an exact and authenticated copy of his will, price one-penny"--Lower margin., and For further information, consult library staff.
Publisher:
Printed at the Minerva Office, for William Lane, Leadenhall-Street, and sold wholesale at one guinea per hundred and And retail by every bookseller, stationer, &c. in England, Scotland and Ireland
Subject (Geographic):
France and France.
Subject (Name):
Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793 and Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793.
Subject (Topic):
Death and burial, Politics and government, Foreign public opinion, British, and Public opinion
"A large pot stands over a fire on the ground, a number of men stand round it, some throwing ingredients for the soup into it. A man (right) holds a torch to the bottom of the pot saying "I'll sett the whole in a blaze"; another (left) feeds the fire with folded documents inscribed ". . . esq. Bonds", saying "A new way to pay old Debts". His squint and Mephistophelian wig indicate Wilkes. Behind him an obese man looks on with his arms folded and his breeches' pockets hanging out empty; he says, "I cannot do that but I'll vote to burn the Owners". He is probably Charles Fox. A sailor wearing striped trousers hurries away from the pot, into which he is excreting, saying "Heavens a Lee Shore I'd rather face". He is evidently intended for Keppel, known as Admiral Lee Shore (see BMSat 5992, &c.) after the action off Ushant of 27 July 1778 (cf. BMSat 5626, &c), who after his court martial (see BMSat 5536) had protested against serving under Sandwich as First Lord and had been ordered to strike his flag. Next him a man holding a large basket puts a potato into the pot, saying, "G------d fire me now if I've a Potatoe left". He may be Burke (or Barré). Next sits Louis XVI facing the pot; he wears a crown and a coat covered with fleur-de-lys; with one hand he points to the sailor, with the other he holds up a frog, saying, "Dis an dat make ver good Soup". On his left stands a man with turnips (?) under his arm saying, "A very good strengthener - but will it cure. . . ". The next man holds a cow's heel over the pot saying "by Jasus nothing makes better Mutton Broth than a good Cow heel". He is perhaps Barré (or Burke). The Duke of Richmond with a ribbon and star comes up with a coal-scuttle saying "and I'll find Coals". He was the grantee of a duty on coals (granted by Charles II to his grandfather, son of the Duchess of Portsmouth). This was the notorious 'Richmond Shilling' denounced in Paine's 'Rights of Man'. A woman runs forward from the right, her sleeves turned up and wearing an apron and ragged petticoat; she says, "Stop Thief the son of a W------e has stole my Coals". On the extreme left is a grotesque monster or devil, with horns and a barbed tail, at his feet, in profile to the left kneels a bishop, his hands raised in prayer, saying, "We are gathered together in thy name". On the extreme right a spectator looks from a doorway, pointing at the scene and saying "Sing tantararara Rogues all Rogues all"."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from item. and Sheet trimmed to plate mark.
Publisher:
Pubd. March 16th. 1780 by T. Cornell Printsellers, Bruton Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Wilkes, John, 1725-1797, Keppel, Augustus Keppel, Viscount, 1725-1786., Richmond, Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of, 1735-1806., and Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793.
George III, surrounded by members of the present and former governments, stands on the British shore of the Atlantic Ocean. He holds out his arms in a gesture of uncertainty asking, "My Lords and Gentlemen, what should I do." Each of the statesmen gives his advice. In the background, "England's sun" is "setting" behind the hills at the foot of which sailors, soldiers and civilians are shown fighting, perhaps in allusion to the mutiny of sailors in Portsmouth in March 1783. Between both groups, on the extreme right, a smaller group of men with peg legs or on crutches, apparently veterans of the American war, is addressed by Lord Amherst who says, "Gentlemen we have no further occasion for you." On the extreme left, on the American shore of the Atlantic, a young girl in Indian dress sits between the kings of France and Spain, who each hold her hand. Benjamin Franklin places a wreath on top of her head-dress. Above in the sky, a witch flies away on a broomstick with a banner reading, "Peace -- Peace -- P-e-a-c" issuing from under her skirts
Description:
BEIN BrSides 2019 472: On sheet 29.5 x 36.8 cm. Forms part of the Benjamin Franklin Collection., BEIN BrSides 2019 498: On sheet 38.7 x 43.8 cm. Forms part of the Benjamin Franklin Collection., Title from caption below image., Attributed by George to Viscount Townshend., Sheet trimmed to plate mark., and On sheet 29 x 34 cm, mounted to 33 x 39 cm.
Publisher:
Publish'd according to Act of Parliament, by M. Smith in Fleet Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820., Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793., Charles III, King of Spain, 1716-1788., Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790., Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806., Richmond and Lennox, Charles Lennox, Duke of, 1735-1806., Lansdowne, William Petty, Marquis of, 1737-1805., Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797., Thurlow, Edward Thurlow, Baron, 1731-1806., Mansfield, David Murray, Earl of, 1727-1796., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816., North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792., Pitt, William, 1759-1806., Nugent, Robert Craggs Nugent, Earl, 1702?-1788., Keppel, Augustus Keppel, Viscount, 1725-1786., Dunning, John, Baron Ashburton, 1731-1783., and Amherst, Jeffery Amherst, Baron, 1717-1797.
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Foreign relations, Fighting, Disabled veterans, Witches, Thistles, and Clothing & dress
"Orléans (Égalité), looking to the right, stands on the scaffold dressed as a grenadier of the National Guard. He holds out by the hair the decollated head of Louis XVI, while he waves his cap in his right hand. Behind (left) is the guillotine, with the King's body; streams of blood pour from head and trunk. Below the scaffold (right) are heads and bayonets of the National Guard, and, behind, two large buildings, the windows and roofs filled with spectators; those on the roof wave their hats."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image. and Text below title: Behold the progress of our system.
Publisher:
Pub. Feb. 12, 1793, by S.W. Fores, N. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Geographic):
France and France.
Subject (Name):
Orléans, Louis Philippe Joseph, duc d', 1747-1793, Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793, Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793., and Orléans, Louis Philippe Joseph, duc d', 1747-1793.
Subject (Topic):
History, Guillotines (Punishment), and Decapitations
Bound autograph manuscript marriage contract in an unidentified hand accompanied by a blank wedding invitation form. The contract, which contains fourteen articles, is signed by Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and other members of the royal family who were w
Description:
In French.
Subject (Name):
Brisse Danilly, Hyacinthe Charlotte Julie Marie Jeanne de la, fl. 1785., Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793., Marie Antoinette, Queen, consort of Louis XVI, King of France, 1755-1793., and Merinville, Francois Louis Augustin, Marquis Desmoutiers de, fl. 1785
Subject (Topic):
Marriages of royalty and nobility --France --Versailles
