"A strapping young courtesan holds against her neck a ladder up which an elderly naval officer, less than half her height, begins to climb, looking up avidly. He holds a telescope, and wears a ribbon inscribed 'Death or Victory'. From her feathered hat streams a ribbon inscribed 'England expects every Man To do his Duty.' She wears a belt inscribed 'Belly Rough One' [Bellerophon] above the figure '74'. The scene is the quay-side between large cannon. A ship's boat rows out to a man-of-war at anchor."--British Museum online catalogue, description of an earlier state.
Alternative Title:
Accommodation ladder
Description:
"Price one shilling cold.", Also issued separately., Cf. Grego, J. Rowlandson the caricaturist, v. 2, page 210., Plate from: Woodward, G.M. Caricature magazine, or Hudibrastic mirror. London : Thomas Tegg, [1808?], v. 2., Plate numbered "85" in upper right corner., Publication information inferred from earlier state with the imprint "Pubd. Septr. 1st, 1811, by Thos. Tegg, No. 111 Cheapside." Cf. No. 11809 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 9., Reissue; imprint has been completely burnished from plate., Temporary local subject terms: Bellerophon., and Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Johnstone, Henry Arthur--Ownership., and Tegg, Thomas, 1776-1845, publisher.
"Pitt stands, in profile to the right, on a fortified tower, or platform, in the crenellations of which are cannon; he looks through a spy-glass, his knees bending with fear, and clutches by the arm a stout John Bull (left), a yokel (as in BMSat 7889), who stands full face, almost equally terrified. He is watching a flight of geese advancing from the right, and says, "There, John! - there! there they are! - I see them - get your Arms ready, John! - they're Rising & coming upon us from all parts; - there! - theres Ten Thousand sans-Culottes now on their passage! - & there! look on the other side, the Scotch have caught the Itch too; and the Wild-Irish have begun to pull off their Breeches! - what will become of us John? - & see, there's Five Hundred Disputing-Clubs, with bloody Mouths; - & Twenty Thousand Bill-stickers with Ca ira pasted on the front of their Red-Caps ! - where's the Lord Mayor John ? - are the Lions safe ? - down with the Book-stalls! - blow up the Gin-shops! - cut off the Printers Ears! - O Lord John! - O Lord! - we're all ruined! - they'l Murder us, and make us into Aristocrat Pyes!" John Bull answers: "Aristocrat Pyes ? - Lord defend us! - Wounds, Measter, you frighten a poor honest simple Fellow out of his wits! - Gin-Shops & Printers-Ears! - & Bloody-Clubs & Lord Mayors! - and Wild-Irishmen without Breeches, & Sans-Culottes! Lord have mercy upon our Wives & Daughters! - And yet, I'll be shot, if I can see any thing myself, but a few Geese, gabbling together - But Lord help my silly head, how should, such a Clod-pole as I, be able to see any thing Right ? - I dont know what occasion for I to see at all, for that matter; - why Measter does all that for I, - my business is only to Fire when & where Measter orders, & to pay for the Gunpowder; - but Measter o' mine, (if I may speak a word,) where's the use of Firing now? - what can us two do against all them Hundreds of Thousands of Millions of Monsters ? - Lord, Measter, had not we better try if they won't shake hands with us, & be Friends ? - for if we should go to fighting with them, & They should Lather Us, what will become of you & I, then, Measter!!!" John Bull, frightened and bemused, holds a musket with a broken bayonet, his left hand is in his coat-pocket, and he wears very wrinkled gaiters. In his hat are two favours, one 'Vive la Liberte', the other 'God save the King'. A pamphlet projects from each waistcoat-pocket: one, Paine's 'Rights of Man' (see BMSat 7867, &c), the other 'Pennyworth of Truth'. This is the pamphlet 'One Pennyworth of Truth, from Thomas Bull to his Brother John' denounced by Grey (17 Dec.) as a libel. 'Parl. Hist.' xxx. 138 ff. It attacked Price and Priestley and was by the Rev. William Jones. 'Hist. MSS. Comm., Kenyon MSS.', p. 536. Pitt's hair rises on his head, and his face is blotched with drink."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Geese alarming the Capitol and John Bull bothered
Description:
In upper right corner of plate: Price 3 shills., the engraving not having been paid for by the Associations for vending two-penny scurrilities., Title etched below image., and Two lines of text following title: Thus on the rock, heroic Manlius stood, spy'd out the geese, & prov'd Rome's guardian god.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., and Pitt, William,--1759-1806--Caricatures and cartoons.
Subject (Topic):
Cannons., Fortifications., and John Bull (Symbolic character)
"Two sailors inside the Victory, discussing the fate of Nelson's body; one stands at left, weeping, his hat in his hand, saying, 'Do you know Jack they say as how they mean to put his Honors remains into another ship--- Now I think it d-d hard that as he kept us while he was alive - that we should not be allow'd to keep him now he is dead'. The other sailor sits at right with his arm on Nelson's coffin, which is on a bier under a window, a sailor's hat with a ribbon lettered 'Victory' on top of it; the sitting sailor holds up a cutlass and replies, 'Make yourself easy about that Ben--- here am I watch over the coffin, and depend upon it he never stirs from the Victory, till he arrives in his native country, where there will be plenty to revere, and guard his precious memory, for his monument will be erected in the heart of every Briton.' A cannon behind at left."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Not in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires. and Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Ackermann, Rudolph, 1764-1834, publisher., Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Nelson, Horatio Nelson,--Viscount,--1758-1805--Death and burial., and Rowlandson, Thomas, 1756-1827, artist.
Subject (Topic):
Cannons., Coffins., Sailors--British., and Trafalgar, Battle of, 1805.
