Justice

Justice. Detailed description below

“Justice stands on a small rocky plateau surrounded by waves. She holds up a pair of scales; on one scale (left) stands the Queen, noble and dignified, in royal robes, the crown at her feet. She far outweighs the other scale, on which is a huge green bag: ‘Ev[ide]nce a[gainst] [t]he [Que]en’; Castlereagh, Sidmouth, and Canning stand round it, with a serpent as pendant to the crown. The Queen holds out a scroll headed ‘Righ .. of .. Queen’ and an open book: ‘Liturgy’. Castlereagh holds out to her a scroll headed ‘50,000 pr An’; he says: “Another Bag (now almost ready) Will make the Balance firm & steady, And certain other pond’rous stuff Will make the Lady light enough.” Sidmouth flourishes a clyster-pipe (cf. British Museum Satires No. 9849). Canning stands behind the Bag on the extreme right; he says: “I wish to God that I was out Of this infernal mounting Scale, For plainly I percieve a rout, And that the Lady must prevail.” The Queen: “Vipers Go! I can’t endure you, You wrong me I assure you, Yet still I spurn the wrong, and view, With calmness all your Bag can do.” Below the title : ‘”Do thou inspire the stroke “With prevalence divine – as thine the wrong, “Vengeance and punishment to thee belong; “The injur’d state of Innocece [sic] restore, “Crush the bold insults of aspiring pow’r, “Shine like thy radiant source, and mak the world adore.'”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Williams, Charles, active 1797-1830, printmaker.
  • Title: Justice [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : [publisher not identified], [1 August 1820]

Catalog Record 

820.08.01.01

Acquired May 2019

The green bag, it’s contents & all it’s appendages

The green bag. Detailed description below.

“A hand, ‘Manus Populi’, extends into the design from the upper margin, holding a chain from which hangs a pair of scales. On one (right), close to the ground, sits the Queen, hands crossed on her breast, saying: “My innocence will support me & my Country will protect me– 10 Great Men against one unprotected Woman are fearful odds.” The other scale, high in the air, is completely filled by a green bag, see British Museum Satires No. 13735, from the mouth of which emerges the head of George IV, crowned. Attached to the beam, by a rope round his neck, hangs a military officer, holding a huge key; as a makeweight he dangles vainly against the left side of the King’s bag. Three men standing below pull at the scale, trying to drag it down: they are Sidmouth (left), a judge in back view (? Leach), and Castlereagh (right), who says: “We cannot do it, and I told you so at first, & if she opens her bagwe shall be stifled all of us.” The King looks down at them with a distressed expression, saying: “Pull you lubbers.””–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heeston, active 1820, printmaker.
  • Title: The green bag, it’s contents & all it’s appendages are insufficient to turn the scale of public opinion [graphic] / Heeston fect.
  • Publication: London : Pubd. by S.W. Fores, 41 Piccadilly, July 11, 1820.

Catalog Record 

820.07.11.01+

Acquired April 2019