mer parliament, proposed a tax upon For though he opposes the stamping of notes, For Sir Cecil Wray ? two court candidates with placards of a virulent nature, and with caricatures of a humorous and of an insulting kind. In one Wray was represented as driven away by a maid-servant's broom, and a pensioner's crutch; in another, he was flying from a crowd, bearing on their banners, "No tax on maid-servants;" in a third, he was riding a race, mounted upon a slow and obstinate ass, whilst the successful candidates upon spirited horses are far in the distance. Their The other side were not idle. caricatures came forth sheet upon sheet, holding up to scorn gambling, the beset haughty bearing towards him, the young Prince became a warm partizan of Fox, and a most determined opponent of Pitt. An early caricature by Gilray, represents the heir to the throne "Returning from Brookes's," in a state of drunkenness, and supported on one side by Fox, and on the other, by "Sam House," an ardent admirer of the latter. This "Sam House," was a publican, and a character of his day. During the election, he kept open his house for Fox's supporters at his own expense, and was gratified by the company of many of the Whig aristocracy. He was remarkable for a clean, a perfectly bald head, on which he never wore hat or wig. He dressed in nankeen breeches, and brightly polished shoes and buckles. His waistcoat he wore open, displaying remarkably clean and fine linen. His legs, often bare, were, when clad, covered with the finest silk stockings. When asked who he was, at the canvassing booth, he answered, as he gave his plumper for Fox, Publican and a Re-publican." He was remarkably successful in his canvassing, and his figure is therefore a prominent one in the caricatures of the day. The exertions of the Court against ting sin of Fox. And we now first perFox seem to have been of a very extra-ceive the unhappy difference which took ordinary kind. The King received in-place between the Prince of Wales and telligence of the progress of the elec- his father. Incensed, it is said by Pitt's tion several times a day; and the royal name was used very freely to secure votes for Wray and Hood. On one occasion 280 of the household troops were sent to vote in a body, as householders, and all dependents of the Court were ordered to vote on the same side. Not satisfied with this, the ministerial party showed that they were not backward in creating a popular disturbance when such a measure could serve them. Lord Hood brought up a party of sailors, who interrupted the liberal voters and were the occasion of much disturbance. On the other hand, the partisans of Fox met them by a numerous band of chairmen, chiefly Irish. On the third day the sailors surrounded the tavern where Fox's committee had their meetings, and began shouting at, jostling, and even striking the gentlemen who were proceeding to join that body. Annoyed by this the committee sallied out and beat the sailors. Next day the chairmen also beat those aggressors, who marched off to St. James-street, with the idea of breaking up the chairs belonging to their opponents, but they were again met and defeated, and here heads, arms, and legs, were broken. The guards were at length called out and put an end to the disturbance, and the next day special constables were sworn in. These latter did more harm than good. They were so decidedly anti-Foxite, so much inclined to the Court party, that they interrupted and insulted all voters who were not on their side. Besides meeting Sir Cecil Wray and Lord Hood with armed force, the politicians on the side of Fox opposed the a As But the most successful of Fox's partizans was the very beautiful Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire. active and generous as she was handsome and accomplished, she entered with spirit into the contest, and attended by several beautiful ladies of title, went and personally solicited votes for Fox. The success she had greatly irritated the Tories, and their papers and caricatures were most insulting to the Duchess. In one, she is represented (according to a current report of the day) as bribing a butcher with a kiss. In another, she is feeing a cobler's wife with gold, whilst the husband mends her shoe. In a third, Fox is represented as the successful candidate carried triumphantly upon the back of the Duchess. The papers were even less civil. Hints and inuendos were thrown out, which are no less disgraceful to the writers than to the time in which they appeared. In fact, few can look back upon the political features of the age, the faction, hatred, bribery, and intimidation manifested at an election, without feeling thankful that we have, if not quite, yet in a great degree, escaped the contagion. Orleans, old Egalité, father of Louis Philippe. Dissuaded from this, he determined to commence a life of economy, suppressed the works at Carlton House, shut up his state apartments, and sold his race horses, hunters, and even coach horses, and, at the same time, invested £10,000 per annum, out of an income of £50,000, for the payment of his debts. This determination rendered the prince far from unpopular, and his friends trumpeted the action far and wide, but the Government caricaturists published scenes of his promiscuous amours in not very decorous prints. In one, by Gilray, he and his friends are pictured as "The Jovial Crew; or, the Merry Beggars;" in another he is shown as having just arrived at Botany Bay; he is carried on The election of 1784, which made the caricaturists so busy, threw out no less than 180 of Fox's most staunch sup-shore by two convicts, and supported porters, who, on this occasion, received the burlesque title of " Fox's Martyrs." The number of members entirely new to the House gave rise to some ironical observations from Fox, and Pitt, in defending his supporters, grew angry enough. The prints of the time give us the portrait of Fox as “Catiline reprehended," sitting, with his face almost hidden by his hand and hat, listening to one of these Philippics. Pitt, of course, being the eloquent Cicero. The print is by Sayer. A companion to it shews us the philosophic Burke sending the whole house to sleep by his rather too discursive harangues. The print is a voucher for the truth of Goldsmith's assertion, that Burke Kept on refining, And thought of convincing, whilst they thought of dining. It is entitled, " lime and Beautiful.” on the Sub on either side by Fox and North. These attacks were continued from time to time, just as particulars of the licentious life of this Prince came before the public. In 1787, Gilray represents him as "The Prodigal Son," he is seated on the ground by a hog trough, and the animals are devouring the Prince's feathers. There is fine satire in the touch which shows us the Prince's garter all but devoured, of the motto only the word "honi" is visible. In another, we see him pictured as receiving money from the Duke de Chartres. With a bitter satire, the Prince is represented as fat and bloated, but the motto under the feathers is "Ich starve." In 1787, on the recommencement of the parliamentary session, Burke again brought forward his impeachment of Warren Hastings. It is not my province to enter upon that (to me) very theatrical trial. We want some new The thoughts and attention of the and uninterested historian to write an nation were now again turned on the account of an affair, which made so much thoughtless extravagance and riotous noise at the time, and was so eagerly living of the Prince of Wales. Se- seized upon by Burke and Sheridan parated from the family of the King, and for oratorical display, let it suffice for surrounded by such bon vivants as my present purpose to say that neither Captain Morris, and others of the same the pencils of Gilray or of Sayer were stamp, the Prince's natural impulses idle. One of the most celebrated prints to vice received an impetus which he of the former represents "The political had little wish or power to resist. The Banditti, assaulting the Saviour of Incaricaturists of the day let us know dia," the person designated by that something of his private life at this title being Warren Hastings. Burke period. He is frequently represented fires a blunderbuss at him in front, and with Fox, Sheridan, Burke, Lord North, Fox endeavours to stab him from beand Captain Morris. In the summer hind, while Lord North robs him of of 1786, his debts had become so great his money-bags. Hastings, however, that he was on the point of borrowing defends himself with the 66 'shield of a large sum of money from the Duke of honour." On the other side, the Go vernor-General was represented as Verres, and the eloquent Sheridan was the modern Cicero who impeaches him. The truth seems to be that both Hastings and his opponents spent money freely amongst the artists and writers of the period. Those who wish to see some proof of this, will find an interesting memorial, in the trial of "Pasquin v. Faulder," attached to Gifford's "Bæviad." To chronicle every single work of artists so notoriously fertile and industrious as those we are contemplating, forms no part of the plan of this work; I must therefore let appear a huge hiatus, not perhaps valde deflenda, and hasten to the busiest period of the life of the principal caricaturist, James Gilray. This was about the time of the terrible first French Revolution, when the minds of the English were kept at almost a fever-heat, by various appeals to their loyalty, their patriotism, or their fear. Mr. Cobden's recent pamphlet has shown very successfully, I think, that the French nation did not seek at that period to quarrel with, and revolutionise Great Britain. But there were no doubt violent propagandists who would have gone any length to have established their unripe doctrines of Republicanism over the world. The opinions of these, evidently a contemptible minority, were promulgated by the English ministry and aristocracy as those of the whole French nation. The aristocracy of England were fearful lest their fate might be that of those of France; and the wild and insane speeches of the injudicious partizans, but worst enemies of an ideal republic, were weapons in their hands which they well knew how to use. Both the ministry and the opposition seemed of one mind in regard to the new government, the Convention of France. The recent and brilliant work of Burke, "Reflections on the French Revolution," full of glittering phrases, written evidently ad captandum, made a great impression upon the young and generous minds of the English youth. Upwards of 30,000 copies were sold before the first demand was satisfied. The picture of Marie Antoinette, the pause, and theatrical apostrophe to that unfortunate Queen, made the swords of the young volunteers ready, indeed, to leap from their scabbards for her rescue. Those in power took care to cultivate the war-spirit thus infused, and these sentiments ripened into a deep hatred of the French and of France. In September, 1792, the French Convention elected two English members to their body. They were, Thomas Paine, and Dr. Priestley. Henceforward nothing was too bad or too abusive to be said of the English liberals. Dr. Priestley's house, in Birmingham, was attacked and burnt, and Paine fled to France. In calling this behaviour atrocious, I do not seek to defend the peculiar religious tenets of either of these men; but their political belief should have been held as sacred from mob violence, as was their religious creed. Younger and better men than they, world-famous now, drank eagerly of the same draught of liberty: Southey the deep scholar, Wordsworth the poet of nature, and Coleridge, philosopher, metaphysician, and bard; than whom possibly flourishing at one period, three greater cannot be found, had imbibed these doctrines, and were at that time ardent republicans. Yet Sayer could produce plates, representing the belief of these men as demoniacal; and Fox and North, clad in shirts and boots, but veritable sans-culottes, force obnoxious liberty down the throat of John Bull. Gilray, whose continued drunkenness had by this time produced fits of insanity, seems to have gone mad for the occasion, and his plates, wild, bloody, and fiery, exhibit some of the worst scenes which took place in the worst days in Paris. The guillotine, the pike, the bleeding and severed head, the firebrand, and the extempore gallows (la lanterne), bloom in hideous profusion all through the series. One side of the Channel presents of course a flattering contrast to this noise and turmoil; a plate by Sayer of the 10th of December, 1792, represents the soldier and sailor as the only defence of England against the horrors of Republicanism. Gilray, eccentric in every thing, appears for a moment to have had a gleam of sense, and published a deep satire on the alarmists, in opposition to one of Sayer's prints. It represents Pitt as working upon John Bull's fears, as in truth he did; he has John by the arm, and pretends to descry through a telescope the enemies of his country. A clever burlesque of Pitt's speech at the opening of parliament shows both his own alarm and that of his protegé. "There, now? John! there! I see them, get your arms Ye Britons be wise, as you're brave and humane, Then stand by the church, the king, and the laws, upon a flaunting flag, are all we have to show for what we might have done. The caricaturists began the attack by ridiculing Fox, Paine, and Priestley. The author of the " Rights of Man," who had been a stay-maker at Thetford, was by no means a pure or unassailable subject. Gilray brought out a print, on the 10th Dec. 1792, called " Tom Paine's Nightly Pest," which represents the English republican stretched upon his pallet of straw, dreaming of judges' wigs, and all sorts of horrors and punishments. On the 2nd of the following January, another print by the same hand, represents Paine fitting Britannia with a pair of French stays. The lady objects to the republican tight-lacing, and clings to the British oak for protection. Meanwhile, the object of these pictorial satires had, by advocating leniency to the unfortunate king, incurred the odium of his fellows, and was at Paris, thrown into a dungeon by Robespierre and his associates. In prison he wrote the most blasphemous of his books, the "Age of Reason." All readers know the strange accident, which looks almost like the interposition of Providence, which saved him from the guillotine; but neither prison nor the strange escape taught him humility or veneration, he went to America, and And chastise all those foes who dare call her sons there lived, publishing harmless slanslaves, Derry Down. ders against religion and his native country, till death put an end to the strange freaks of " Citizen Paine." The success of these song writers and caricaturists was complete. Britain "The Republican Soldier," "False strove to chastise France, but in the Liberty rejected, or no fraternizing with struggle suffered too. In turning over the French cut-throats," and others mark the crimsoned productions of mad old the temper of the nation at the time; Gilray, we are reminded that for some meanwhile Fox's affairs were getting time we are to undergo the saddest pro- more and more involved, and the great vince of the historian, and to contem-statesman was reduced to a condition plate, like the shipwrecked wretch of of absolute poverty. His friends held Lucretius, the mad turmoil, the blood, a meeting at the Crown and Anchor, the tears, and wounds, occasioned by and the popularity which he still enthat saddest of all infectious diseases,joyed was proved by a large subscripthe martial fever of nations. The thou-tion, by which an annuity was pursand gentle charities broken off, the chased. This Gilray ridiculed as "Blue sweet intercourse interrupted, the flowers of peace uprooted, the industry of the merchant thwarted, his ruined family and bankrupt state, the scholar unheard amongst this din of war, and more than all these the sharp calls of the weakest and poorest of mankind for justice, reform and progress neglected and passed by, start up and haunt these plates like ghosts. Some millions slain, and a few names broidered in glistering tinsel and Buff Charity," in a print wherein Fox is receiving aid from Priestley, Horne Tooke, Michael Angelo Taylor, Earl Stanhope, and Mr. Hall, the sonin-law of that eccentric nobleman. Mr. Hall had been an apothecary in Long Acre, and is represented as ragged and poor, with a phial in his hand. Stanhope had sincerely embraced republican principles, and had married his daughter to a plebeian to prove his sincerity. Rank, character, distinction, fame, Hear Stanhope, modest Earl, proclaim Of pomp and splendid circumstance And spurns, like citizen of France, But this caterpillar has another phase of existence as a chrysalis in Holland, and at last bursts into existence as a glorious butterfly in republican France. This hint is significant enough; but the people, pressed for bread and irritated with loss of work through the stoppage These ideas of freedom were enough of factories, were at last tired of war, in the then state of opinion to render did not care for glory, and little thought him obnoxious to the mob. In June of patriotism. When George the third 1794, his house was attacked and fired in went to open parliament on the 29th several places by bands of ruffians, and of October 1795, his carriage was sura gentleman or nobleman was seen to rounded by an infuriate mob, who cried, distribute money to them from his car- "Down with George, no peace, no king, riage windows; if the people could be down with him;" thewindow was smashworked up to such outrages, what won-ed, and the panel perforated by a bullet, der if they could be persuaded reform it is presumed, from an air gun, the was odious, and that economy and liberty, populace all the while crying, "Bread, were but so many synomyms for rob- bread! Peace, peace!" The arrival of bery, spoliation, and murder? The the guards rescued the King, and on the English were hurried into a war, the 1st of November, Gilray gave a burDuke of York was dispatched to Flan-lesque version of this attack, wherein ders, to co-operate with our German the ministry are attacked by Fox, Stanallies, but for a time did nothing but hope, and other Whig leaders. commit a series of mistakes. Gilray În December, 1796, ISAAC CRUIKhimself went over there on a sketching SHANK,the father of the present caricatour, and has given us a plate of "The turist, came before the world with a plate Fatigues of the Campaign in Flanders," bordering upon servility to the triumwhich is a picture of drunken revelry and licentiousness. Whilst the duke was commanding in his gallant way, his mistress, the celebrated Mary Anne Clarke, was selling commissions in the army at a very reduced rate, and diverting the money of the nation to her own pocket; for this the lady was brought to the bar of the House of Commons, a trial which Gilray has perpetuated. These incidents made the "swinish multitude," as Burke politely termed the lower orders of our countrymen, little satisfied with the war. New taxes made the householders equally against it, and the caricaturists, who turned their satires to profit, took advantage of what they themselves had contributed to occasion, and pictured John Bull as reduced to a state of beggary. The King was represented as the Horse of Hanover riding over the swinish multitude, in the shape of a drove of pigs, in one print; and in another as a "state caterpillar," the ring of the body composed of state offices, pensions and other sources of extravagant expenditure. * Some idea of which may be formed from the few figures subjoined Clarke. Government. 700 phant minister. Pitt is represented as the royal extinguisher, putting out the flame of sedition. Bitter prints on the other side represent that minister as feeding (in consequence of the scarcity of bread) on gold; and others represent him as indulging in his favourite vice of the bottle. Gilray represents him as Bacchus, and his friend Dundas as Silenus. To carry on the war new taxes were necessary, and an additional land tax was imposed. The people, smarting under their old burdens, resented this by naming Pitt Midas,' and saying, by their newspapers and caricatures, that he wished to turn everything he touched into gold; this idea is probably re-echoed by Cowper : Ten thousand casks. Touched by the Midas finger of the state, We must pass over some years now; new taxes, new complaints, riots in the manufacturing districts, and the death of Burke, marked the passing years, and gave rise to caricatures more or less powerful. The Irish rebellion, and a perpetual and carefully stimulated fear of invasion occupied the English nation, which grew at last quiet under the continued war, and now and then hilarious at the naval victories of Nelson, |