"The Ministry defend 'The Citadel of Office' behind a high stone wall against different Opposition groups. The chief defence is by the tiny Perceval who fires a cannon from whose muzzle issue three heads intended for Wellesley, Ryder, and Melville. In the centre the wall is breached, and Eldon looks from the gap, weeping; behind him is the Woolsack, inscribed 'Wool'. Lord Grey, on tiptoe, reaches up to seize his gown, while he flourishes a paper: 'Report of Physicians 1804'. Erskine, quite bald and with his (former) Chancellor's gown over his arm, reaches up to tug at the Chancellor's wig. Seated on the wall at the lowest point of the breach is Yorke in back view; in his pocket is a 'List of my Friends Cambridge' [see No. 11535]. He hands down a large seal bearing an anchor to Whitbread who straddles a cask floating in water which adjoins the 'Citadel' on the right. Whitbread takes this emblem of the Admiralty, flourishing a tankard (cf. No. 10414). On the left of the breach Sir Vicary Gibbs, brandishing a rolled document inscribed 'Law of Libel', defends himself vigorously against Romilly, who drags at his gown and has a similar weapon inscribed 'New Statutes'. In Romilly's pocket is a paper: 'New Bankrupt Laws'. Farther to the left the three Grenvilles, Lord Temple, the Marquis of Buckingham, and Lord Grenville, level a battering-ram against the wall. The ram has a ram's head, as in heraldry, but with a human face, and is intended for Ponsonby, leader of the Opposition in the Commons. On one horn is spiked a paper: 'Catholic Emancipation'. Between them and Romilly, little Lord Lansdowne (Petty) sits on the ground squirting a large syringe over his shoulder at the wall. Next the ram Moira, stiff and aloof, holds up a fox with the head of Lord Holland (nephew and political heir of Fox), whose fore-paws, holding a paper of 'Resolutions', have reached the top of the wall but are caught in a trap. On the extreme left. Tierney bestrides a wooden horse whose hind-legs are broken off; it is inscribed 'Finance'. A bundle inscribed 'New Budget for 1811' is strapped to his back; he fires a pistol inscribed 'Bullion Report', but he is about to be thrown, so that the pistol points backwards over his head. Between Tierney and the wall are Burdett and Wardle. The former is flinging mud at the defenders, at Moira, and at Tierney. ..."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Which has it?
Description:
Plate from: The Scourge, or, Monthly expositor of imposture and folly. London: W. Jones, v. 1 ( March 1811), p. 175., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
M. Jones, 5 Newgate St.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Buckingham and Chandos, Richard Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos,--Duke of,--1776-1839--Caricatures and cartoons., Buckingham, George Nugent Temple Grenville,--Marquess of,--1753-1813--Caricatures and cartoons., Burdett, Francis,--1770-1844--Caricatures and cartoons., Canning, George,--1770-1827--Caricatures and cartoons., Castlereagh, Robert Stewart,--Viscount,--1769-1822--Caricatures and cartoons., Dundas, Henry,--1742-1811--Caricatures and cartoons., Eldon, John Scott,--Earl of,--1751-1838--Caricatures and cartoons., Erskine, Thomas Erskine,--Baron,--1750-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Gibbs, Vicary,--Sir,--1751-1820--Caricatures and cartoons., Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville,--Baron,--1759-1834--Caricatures and cartoons., Grey, Charles Grey,--Earl,--1764-1845--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Hastings, Francis Rawdon-Hastings,--Marquess of,--1754-1826--Caricatures and cartoons., Holland, Henry Richard Vassall,--Baron,--1773-1840--Caricatures and cartoons., Lansdowne, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice,--Marquess of,--1780-1863--Caricatures and cartoons., Perceval, Spencer,--1762-1812--Caricatures and cartoons., Ponsonby, George,--1755-1817--Caricatures and cartoons., Romilly, Samuel,--1757-1818--Caricatures and cartoons., Sheridan, Richard Brinsley,--1751-1816--Caricatures and cartoons., Sidmouth, Henry Addington,--Viscount,--1757-1844--Caricatures and cartoons., Tierney, George,--1761-1830--Caricatures and cartoons., Wardle, Gwyllym Lloyd,--1762?-1833--Caricatures and cartoons., Wellesley, Richard Wellesley,--Marquess,--1760-1842--Caricatures and cartoons., Whitbread, Samuel,--1764-1815--Caricatures and cartoons., and Yorke, Charles Philip,--1764-1834--Caricatures and cartoons.
"The new Ministers (identified by inscriptions below the design) don the clothes of their predecessors. These are (left to right) the Chancellor (Eldon) on the Woolsack, in back view, wearing the wig, enormously elongated so that it trails on the floor, characteristic of Loughborough (cf. BMSat o. 6796): 'Lord L------gh------h's large Wig'. He says: "O such a Day as This, so renown'd so victorious, \ "Such a Day as This, was never seen!" His feet are pressed against the front bench. The principal figure is that of Addington standing in profile to the right on the 'Treasury Bench', inside an enormous jack-boot, reaching to his neck: over this hangs Pitt's far too large coat (the Windsor uniform, blue with red facings). His forehead disappears in a vast cocked hat, and his wig-bag is enormous. He is 'Mr Pitt's Jack-Boot'. He says: "Well! to be sure these here Cloaths do fit me to a inch! - & now that I've got upon this Bench, I think I may pass muster for a fine tall Fellow, & do as well for a Corporal, as my old Master, Billy, himself!!! - ". In front stands Hawkesbury, youthful, nervous, and almost tearful; he stands within the bulky breeches of his predecessor as 'Ld G - n - le's Breeches'; he says: "Mercy upon me! - what a Deficiency is here!!! ah poor Hawkee! - what will be the consequence, if these d------d Breeches should fall off in thy ''March to Paris", & thou should be found out a Sans-Culotte?" Lord Hobart, a very broad figure, 'Mr D-d-s's Broad Sword', stands full face, a curious divided petticoat (made out of Dundas's kilt) is buttoned under his arms, over a military coat. His head is overweighted by Dundas's large Scots cap; he stands defiantly, left hand on hip, in his right he holds erect a broad-sword dripping blood. He says: "Ay! Ay! leave Us to settle them all! here's my little Andrew Ferrara!!! - was it not Us that tip'd em the broadside in the Baltic? - was it not Us that gave ye Crocodiles a breakfast in Egypt? - I'm a Rogue if it is not Us that is to save little England from being swallow'd up in the Red Sea!!!" In the foreground (right) the fat, elderly, but comely Lord Glenbervie (who succeeded Canning as Paymaster General) sits on the floor in shirt and waistcoat, trying to pull on the pointed slippers which are far too long and too narrow for his gouty feet. He is 'Mr C-n-g's Old Slippers'. He says: "ah, Dam'n his narrow Pumps! I shall never be able to bear them long on my Corns! - zounds! are these Shoes fit for a Man, in present-pay Free Quarters". Behind him stand together the two new Treasury secretaries (John Hiley Addington, brother of the Minister, wearing spectacles, and Nicholas Vansittart). They wear the coats of their predecessors, which trail on the ground, and hold, like muskets at attention, two enormous pens. On the head of each is a vast round ink-pot: 'G. Rose's old Stand' and 'C. Long's old Stand'. They are 'Treasury Ink Stands'. Behind (left), partly hidden by Eldon and Addington, are two unidentified figures: a man wearing a large naval cocked hat, and a lawyer in back view. The former must be St. Vincent who succeeded Spencer at the Admiralty. The latter may be Law who became Attorney General. Between and behind Addington and Hawkesbury is a sulky-looking man in a military coat and an enormous busby in which is a huge pen: 'Wyndham's Cap & Feather'. He is Charles Yorke who succeeded Windham as Secretary of War."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Lilliputian substitutes equipping for public service
Description:
Title etched in top part of image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Eldon, John Scott,--Earl of,--1751-1838--Caricatures and cartoons., Glenbervie, Sylvester Douglas,--Baron,--1743-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Hobart, Robert,--Earl of Buckinghamshire,--1760-1816--Caricatures and cartoons., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Liverpool, Robert Banks Jenkinson,--Earl of,--1770-1828--Caricatures and cartoons., Sidmouth, Henry Addington,--Viscount,--1757-1844--Caricatures and cartoons., St. Vincent, John Jervis,--Viscount,--1735-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Vansittart, Nicholas,--1766-1851--Caricatures and cartoons., and Yorke, Charles Philip,--1764-1834--Caricatures and cartoons.
