“French troops march with fixed bayonets up St. James’s Street, the houses receding in perspective to the gate of the Palace, which is blazing. In the foreground on the left and right are ‘White’s’ and ‘Brookes’s’. The former is being raided by French troops; the Opposition is in triumphant possession of the latter. “–British Museum online catalogue
- Printmaker: Gillray, James, 1756-1815, printmaker.
- Title: Promis’d horrors of the French invasion, or, Forcible reasons for negociating a regicide peace [graphic] : vide, the authority of Edmund Burke / Js. Gy. d. & fect.
- Publication: [London] : Pubd. Octr. 20th, 1796, by H. Humphrey, New Bond Street, [20 October 1796]
796.10.20.01++ Impression 2
Acquired November 2019
A print with 16 numbered oval images, four rows of four images, showing women hairstyles and hairpieces decorated with ribbons and lace.
“Mrs. Clarke (right) sits triumphantly astride the upper end of a see-saw which is supported on an upholstered stool. The Duke of York (left), dropping his sword, falls headlong from the other end which rests on the ground. She waves her arms, pointing a derisive finger at the Duke, and sings: “Here I go up up up and there you go Down Down Downy, The game it is pretty well up, and so you must fall to the Grouny!” The Duke sings: “What a way for to serve your own Sweety, how could you vex your own Deary, If you had not thrown me quite down, you’d have had your 4 hundred a Yeary.” On the ground are the Duke’s cocked hat (left) and (right) a mitre, with a book, ‘Ovid art of Love’, and crosier (see British Museum satires no. 11227), with writing materials and papers: a bundle of ‘Love Letters’ (see British Museum satires no. 11228, &c.) tied like legal documents, against which is a door-plate inscribed ‘for further particulars inquire within’, a bundle docketed ‘Account of Debts Gloucester’ [Place, see British Museum satires no. 11222, &c], a paper headed ‘To Col Wardle’. There is a landscape background irradiated by a setting sun.”–British Museum online catalogue.
“Two elderly men, in old-fashioned dress, play chess, seated at a small table, lit by two guttering candles. One moves, the other watches with intense concern. Each has a deeply interested spectator leaning on the back of his chair. All four are caricatured. A small dog lies on the ground. A large fire burns in the grate (right). Over the chimney-piece is the lower part of a whole length portrait. On the wall behind the players are three pictures: one of a man playing ninepins outside a rustic inn, with a donkey looking over a paling, is flanked by a picture of a horse and by a landscape.”–British Museum online catalogue.
“Six French émigrés are grouped at the roadside beside a signpost (right) pointing (left) to ‘London’ and (right) to ‘Dover’. A lean and elderly woman holding a clipped poodle stands with her left hand in the arm of a man wearing a cocked hat with a tricolour cockade, and a long coat reaching almost to his ankles; he holds a tasselled cane. Next him is a stout man wearing a long cloak, and a boy or dwarfish man. On the right are two women holding large muffs. A second clipped poodle runs beside them. In the background a coach (right) inscribed ‘London Dover Canterbury’ is driving towards London with outside passengers; one, a sailor, waves his hat. The gable end of a cottage (left) and trees complete the background.”–British Museum online catalogue.
A view of the interior of a riding-school: A number of men riding round in a circle; those in the foreground ride from right to left, those in the background from left to right. The riding-master stands in the centre, pointing with hand and cane, and grinning at a short fat man in a clerical wig who is running across the room, alarmed at the horses. A short obese man in back-view on the extreme right, who is about to mount his horse has been identified as Captain Grose. Next him is a man with a grotesque impression of alarm riding a plunging horse. Among the riders are two with clerical wigs. One horse is galloping, out of control, the others are quietly ambling round. Two sides of a high rectangular room or hall are visible; in each wall are two high arch-topped windows.
“Lord Cornwallis holds a levee in Government House, Calcutta, in a large room divided by a panelled partition which stretches across the design from left to right and is broken by three wide doorways, showing an inner room, crowded with guests, with three large windows between which are pier-glasses in ornate frames. In the spaces between the doorways are four candle-sconces placed above four of Thomas Daniell’s ‘Views of Calcutta’, either the originals or (more probably) the aquatints. [Published by him at Calcutta 1786-8, reproduced in W. Corfield’s ‘Calcutta Faces and Places’. Cf. also ‘Memoirs of William Hickey’, iii. 327, 342.] In the nearer portion of the room the figures are dispersed; Cornwallis stands in the inner room on the right, his right hand on his breast, left in his breeches pocket. He is talking to Cudbert Thornhill, a grotesque-looking civilian who faces him in profile to the right. Behind Thornhill, waiting to approach Cornwallis, is King Collins wearing regimentals. Behind this group is a crowd of unidentified guests. The figures in the foreground (left to right) are: Lt.-Col. Alexander Ross, secretary to Cornwallis, who is talking to Colonel John Fullarton, senior officer at the Presidency (‘East India Kalendar’, 1791, p. 14). Next, a stout civilian, with legs thick to deformity, holds both hands of a very slim and foppish civilian; they are John Haldane and Claud Benizett, [Identified by Wright and Evans as John Wilton.] Sub-Treasurer. The centre figures are a very stout colonel talking to a thin and grotesque civilian holding a long cane; both wear spectacles. They are Colonel Auchmuty and William Pye, Collector of the Twenty-four Pergunnahs. A grotesquely ugly little civilian, standing alone in profile to the left, taking snuff, is W. C. Blaquiere. [Identified by Wright and Evans] On the extreme right an obese man and a cadaverously thin man, both civilians, take each other’s hands in an affected manner; they are Robert MacFarlane, Clerk of the Market, and John Miller, Deputy of Police. From MacFarlane’s pocket hangs a long paper: ‘Price Current Calcutta Market Grain Rice Bran Paddy Agent’. Behind Pye stands the Rev. Thomas Blanshard, a very stout man in profile to the left with his hands behind his back. Behind him a civilian grasps the hands of a Greek priest wearing robes and a high hat. They are Edward Tiretta of the Bazaar and Father Parthanio. …”–British Museum online catalogue.
“The bulky Lord Cholmondeley (1749-1827) stands in profile to the left. He wears a small round hat with long powdered hair tied back, and a whisker; a double-breasted coat over a double-breasted waistcoat, striped breeches, striped stockings, and wrinkled top-boots with heavy spurs. He holds a glove in his (gloved) left hand. In his right hand is a small cane. A double chin, heavy, paunchy figure, and wrinkled dress give an impression of physical slackness.”–British Museum online catalogue.
“Lady Conyngham stands directed to the left, feet apart, dressed as in British Museum satires no. 15720; she amusingly combines the ultra-feminine with masculine attributes and stance. She is immensely fat and wide with small cherubic features and curls; under her left arm is a cocked blunderbuss. She wears a wide-brimmed hat, a neckcloth fastened with a jewelled crown, a coach-guard’s greatcoat, wide open over her tight-waisted dress. A pouch hangs from her shoulder and two coach-horns from her left arm. Above her head: ‘I says to our Governor says I–keep your eye on them ere Leaders George’; i.e. on Lyndhurst and Scarlett, see British Museum satires nos. 15720, 15850. Cf. British Museum satires no. 15716.”–British Museum online catalogue.
“A number of men seated round a circular table over the wine manifesting sleepiness or exhaustion in different ways, while an officer in regimentals harangues them on some campaign. He sits over the table, in profile to the right, gesticulating with outstretched arms over a plan drawn on the table-cloth. Two overturned wine-glasses lie in front of him, two empty bottles stand on the table. On the farther side of the table a man stands up, stretching and yawning violently. His neighbour on his right also yawns; the man on his left supports his head on his hands, scowling at the speaker through half-closed eyes. Next him (right) a man in profile to the left holding a wine-glass yawns widely. Two others in profile to the right are asleep in attitudes of extreme weariness. A very fat man, sitting on the left. I turned away from the table, with outstretched legs in top-boots, yawns violently. From the right enters a servant with tousled hair, wearing a striped jersey; he is bringing in a boot-jack and pair of slippers, he too is yawning violently. In the foreground are two dogs.”–British Museum online catalogue.