“Townsend, the Bow Street Officer, holding up his constable’s staff, chases a man away from a country house, a corner of which appears on the right. A third man, Wellesley-Pole, shelters behind the constable, stretching out his arms towards his fleeing rival; he turns his head to listen to a pretty young woman who stands on a small iron balcony immediately behind him, with an open sash-window behind her. She says: “Risk not thy Precious life my Love in bold encounter with that dareing Scott.” He answers: “no no my dear I’ll shelter me behind the arm of Justice, & hunt him from his Scent by one of the most famous Bull Dogs in the Kingdom, & teach him never never to Dare to woo the [sic] from my Longing Arms Oh thou Golden Angel.” A paper inscribed ‘Scot’ projects from the fugitive’s pocket. Townsend says: “I’ll teach you worsted working rascall to dare to set up in opposition to the Irish Secretary D-n your Impudence.” A signpost points (left) to ‘Norwhich’ and (right) ‘To Chippenham’.”–British Museum online catalogue.
- Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
- Title: Townsend the umpire of love, or, The Poled Scott hunted off after a long struggle [graphic].
- Publication: [London] : Pub. Jan. 7, 1812, by S.W. Fores, 50 Picadilli [sic], [7 January 1812]
812.01.07.01
Acquired February 2022
A man stands facing the viewer, a pipe in his left hand and a paper labelled “London Gazette” sticking out of the pocket of his coat. He gleefully points with his left hand to two bottles set on a drop-leaf table beside him. The room is decorated with a marble pilaster with Ionic capital.
A gentleman is shown half-length in profile to the right, pressing a walking stick to his chin and holding his hat under his arm; he stands in a disconsolate manner at table on the right on which are set tankard lettered “small beer” and paper “W. Davison druggist Alnwick sells”.
An old man, wearing a robe from which hangs a crucifix, walks with a staff towards a city in the distance. A long beard grows from his chin and long hair hangs from the back of his head; the top of his head is completely bald.
A theatre scene; a man on stage holding a long cane leans towards the box stage left saying: ‘Bucks of the Boxes, sneer and talk aloud! I don’t mean you.’ The rotund young man at the front of the box says ‘Boo Boo’; he holds an unfurled sheet of paper headed ‘Fair Penitent. Lothario, by the amateur who murdered Romeo …’