The first exploit of the modern Quixote

description below

“Burdett in armour stands with legs astride, sword raised, left fist clenched, making an onslaught on a book which is on the ground, its pages slashed and tattered. On these are fragments of inscriptions: ‘Red Book for the . . .’; ‘Treasury’; ‘Pensions’ [twice]; ‘Pensions 4000, 3000, 2.400’; ‘Teller o the Ex[chequer] . . . 6000 4.000’; ‘Sinecu[res]’. He declaims: “I will not stop, – till I have cut out the accursed leaves of the Red Book!!!” His sword-blade is ‘Took’s Improved Steel’. On the right Tooke peers at him, holding aside a curtain; he says: “Come Come my pupil goes on better than I expected – very indeed for a beginning yes – yes – he’ll do after a little practice” [see British Museum Satires No. 10731, &c.]. He holds a book: ‘Diversions of Purley’ [see (e.g.) British Museum Satires No. 9020]. On the left John Bull, dressed as Sancho Panza with a short tunic and ruff, gapes at his master, his hands on his knees. He says: “What the deuce is he at now! he will certainly get himself into some scrape or other.” Mambrino’s helmet (the barber’s basin) lies at Burdett’s feet; it has a tricolour cockade and three feathers.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Williams, Charles, active 1797-1830, printmaker.
  • Title: The first exploit of the modern Quixote, or, John Bull turned Sancho Panza [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : Pubd. June 1807 by Walker, No. 7 Cornhill, [June 1807]

Catalog Record

807.06.00.05+

Acquired February 2024

Lady P aragraph championizing

description below

“Lady Perceval sits at an ornate writing-table, pen in hand. A serpent issues from her breast, coils round her arm, and darts its fang at the tip of her pen. She frowns meditatively, saying, “Now then for something strong but not libellous, I hate half measures we must rush upon the enemy–suprise [sic], astound him–and unhorse him by Terror–John Bull have at you! I’ll open your eyes–.” The table is littered with papers and books; some are docketed: ‘For the Star’, ‘To the Editor of the Star’, ‘For the News’, ‘Extracts from the Book’, one is ‘Copy’, a book is ‘Politicks’, and a large paper is displayed: ‘Select Scraps from Shakespeare–with my own comments “Some achieve greatness “some have greatness thrust upon them …. Querie was this not the case with Nunky [Spencer Perceval], why not happen …. Son–.’ Other papers and books lie on the floor: newspapers are ‘The News’ and ‘The Star’, a paper is headed ‘Memorandums Billy Austin [see British Museum Satires No. 12027]–the Will–‘ Books are ‘Life of Lord Nelson’, ‘A very Woman by Massinger’, ‘Machiavael’, ‘Johnson’, ‘Indiscretion a Novel’, ‘Don Quixote’. On the left John Mitford, identified by a letter in his coat-pocket ‘To John Mit–‘, stands facing the wall, and hanging one picture over another: he places a view of a country inn, ‘The Tigers Head’ above one of ‘[War]burton’s Mad House’, saying, “Come this is a prettier picture than the other [left] shall catch some fish in this neighbourhood.” He is fashionably dressed, wearing Hessian boots. This picture is on the left of a row: a large picture of ‘Alecto’ (cf. British Museum Satires No. 7721), naked, wreathed in serpents, and brandishing scourge and fire-brand, with a background of flames hangs between three-quarter length portraits of ‘Lady Douglas’ and ‘Lady A Hamilton’. The former covers her face with a tragic gesture; a dagger lies on a table beside her, she seems to contemplate suicide. The latter clasps her hands. Over the chimneypiece (right) is a three-quarter length portrait of ‘Lord P . . . . val’ concealing his face with his hat; below, and partly hiding the frame, is a statuette of a knight killing a dragon. On the chimney-piece there is also a bottle labelled ‘Cephalic’ (for diseases of the head). Papers are burning in the grate, one inscribed ‘To[o] Libellous’.”–British Museum online catalogue.

 

  • Printmaker: Williams, Charles, active 1797-1830, printmaker.
  • Title: Lady P aragraph championizing [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : Pubd. March 4th, 1814, by S.W. Fores, No. 50 Piccadilly, [4 March 1814]

Catalog Record

814.03.04.02

Acquired November 2022

High life at five in the morning

description below

Print shows an interior view of a room; a duke has arrived home drunk at 5 a.m. (as shown on the longcase clock beside the door) accompanied by two attendants and watchman only to find his bedchamber occupied by another man. Through the open curtains around the bed can be seen a bare-breasted duchess. On the floor near the bed is an open book, “Memoirs of a woman of pleasure” (a reference to John Cleland’s Fanny Hill …) beside the chamber pot. As the duke with sword drawn, staggers forward, his rival climbs through a window in the background, leaving his clothes behind on a chair. A monkey dashes onto the table near the window on the heels of the husband’s rival but pulls down the tablecloth causing the items on the table to be strewn across the floor in the foreground; a book opened to pages “Chastity in the nobility a farce. Dedicated to their Graces the Duke & Dutchess xxx”, breaking a broken mirror, and sending the bottles and jars onto the floor. The bottles have labels “Viper drops” and “Surfeit water” and the jar is labeled “Lip salve”.

  • Title: High life at five in the morning [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : [publisher not identified], publish’d according to act of Parliament, May 1st, 1769.

Catalog Record

769.05.01.01+

Acquired February 2022

The Westminster ceceder

description below

“Fox stoops to support on his back Horne Tooke, who is about to climb into the window of ‘St Stephe[n’s] Chap[el]’, the name on a slab over the door, partly cut off by the right margin. The door is being closed by Lord Temple, who says: “He shall not pollute this holy Temple”. Tooke rests his right foot on Fox’s back, his hands grasping the sill; his left toe is in a cranny in the wall above a placard headed: ‘Old Sarum Dilly takes only one at the Brazenface’. He looks down at Fox, saying, “don’t give way I am not quite in Yet”. Fox, his head towards the door, one foot supported on a book: ‘Powerfull Reasons for Non attendance’, says: “Come on with you!! and mind and button your great Coat to hide the Old Cassock.” Tooke’s greatcoat hangs open, showing his coat, and the skirt of a short cassock over knee-breeches. On the wall beside him is a torn placard: ‘A New Edition The Diversions of Purley by the Rev John H…’ The keystone of the arch over the door, on the extreme right, is a satyr’s head, leering at Tooke with protruding tongue.”–British Museum online catalogue.

 

  • Printmaker: Williams, Charles, active 1797-1830, printmaker.
  • Title: The Westminster ceceder [sic] on fresh duty [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : Pub’d. March 14, 1801 by S.W. Fores, 50 Piccadilly, [14 March 1801]

Catalog Record

801.03.14.02+

Acquired November 2020

The library

description belowA scene in a fashionable library with ladies and gentlemen conversing with attendants at the counters on either side. On the left a woman looks in a book while her male companion converses with a clergyman, as the woman behind the counter consults a book. On the right, a man sits in a chair as a lady discusses her choices with the man behind the counter who reaches for a book below a sign ‘Stamp’. Behind him is another sign “Just published […]” An older woman with a walking stick approaches the counter on the right, followed by a Black servant and a dog. The windows are filled with books and prints. Through the open door a woman with an umbrella is silhouetted; to the left another sign “History Westminster and its monuments.”

 

  • Printmaker: Rowlandson, Thomas, 1756-1827, printmaker.
  • Title: The library [graphic] / J. Green delt.
  • Publication: [London] : [R. Ackermann], [1813]

Catalog Record

813.00.00.24

Acquired November 2020

“Tent-ation”

Caroline lies on a sofa within a tent

Caroline lies on a sofa within a tent, dressed in her nightclothes and wearing a miniature of Bergami around her neck; her feathered hat rests on the ground, and on the small table beside her sit bottles of “Brandy” and “Essense of Bergamo” and a container of “Rouge”. She smiles and looks over at Bergami, who sits beside her, his slippers and hat discarded on the floor below. Above, a man reaches into the tent to take a lit candle in the candlestick from Bergami, who hands it off with a pleased expression on his face. Beside him on the sofa is a book entitled “The Pilgrim’s Guide”.

  • Printmaker: Lane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • Title: “Tent-ation” [graphic].
  • Publication: London : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., June 25, 1821.

Catalog Record 

821.06.25.01

Acquired March 2019