- Museum number
- 1862,1217.296
- Title
- Object: John Bull brought up for his discharge but remanded on account of extravagance & false schedule-
- Description
-
A printed broadside entitled 'John Bull's Examination' is pasted to the lower margin of the print. The Regent, a dejected elderly roué, with a large paunch and gouty leg, stands on a low platform (right) holding his hat and cane behind him, listening to the clamours of his creditors who are behind a low barrier on the left. Between them is the table in front of the judge's chair, which is surmounted by a crown and the evenly balanced scales of Justice. Counsel for the bankrupt stand between him and the judge who looks to the right with a stern expression. Castlereagh, holding a brief-bag, is speaking; he bends forward in profile to the left, handsome and insinuating. Beside him stands Canning, also in wig and gown. Behind Castlereagh is the bewigged head of Eldon. A fourth is Ellenborough; three others are uncharacterized. A large document hangs from the table in the centre of the design:
'Amount of Income 24,000,000
Expenditure 80,000,000
Dr Nick Frog 10,000,000
Paul Bruin 1,000,000
Frank Force Child 8,000,000
Will Eagle Eye . 6,000,000
Ferdd Faithless . 30,000,000'
Except Brougham, in wig and gown, who sits grimly in the front row, the creditors, men and women, are poor and ragged; two hold out papers of their claims, two clasp infants. Their words are above their heads in four labels: 'Oh you extravagant Rascal, I told you long ago what it wod come to'; 'This comes of your foreign partnerships, you old fool in teaching them yr business & now they have set up against you'; 'Curse your propensity in teaching & showing them all yr Manufactorys Haven't we sent you a Thousand Letters praying of you not to go on so'; 'You Villin after engageing us for life to turn us off without work & without money'. The usher of the Court, with a skull for head, and wearing the uniform of a military officer (emblem of militarism, cf. No. 12756), stands threateningly over the speakers, holding out a mace inscribed 'Habeas Corpus' and saying "Silence in Court." The barrier enclosing the seats is fringed with. bayonets pointing inwards so that they seem to be, not creditors, but prisoners. The Regent (John Bull) listens impassively, he is meanly insensitive.
29 March 1817.
Hand-coloured etching and letterpress
- Production date
- 1817
- Dimensions
-
Height: 248 millimetres (image)
-
Height: 485 millimetres (sheet)
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Width: 380 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', IX, 1949)
A satire on distress and discontent, see No. 12779, &c. which attacks the whole policy of war with France as well as subsidies to allies. The printed text is an imitation of Arbuthnot's 'History of John Bull', cf. No. 5541, the war being 'a very expensive lawsuit for upwards of twenty-five years' against Mr. Frog (Napoleon) for keeping a disorderly house. His counsel are Counsellors Blarney (Castlereagh) and Cunning. He, Mr. Bull, had got a decree in his favour 'before Lord Chancellor Wellington, and for the costs, but not a farthing had been paid nor was it likely to be; on the contrary Mr. Frog had surrendered himself and gone to prison, where he now was living ... at his (Mr. Bull's) expense' (see No. 12786, &c.). Other allusions are to the Regent's personal extravagance (see No. 12747, &c.) and to the suspension of cash payments (see No. 8990, &c.) by 'Mr. Pitt his father's late head clerk'. The items of expense in the print are expenses of the war and subsidies. The other debtors are Paul of Russia (see vols. vii, viii) (oddly substituted for Alexander), Francis I, Frederick William III, and Ferdinand VII (who is made responsible for the expenses of the Peninsular War). An indemnity of 700,000,000 fr. was imposed on France in 1815, of this 200,000,000, including the whole of the British share, was allotted to the erection of border fortresses. For the measures of repression, indicated by the fringe of bayonets, see No. 12871, &c.
Reid, No. 666. Cohn, No. 1260.
(Supplementary information)
The Douglas impression was autographed 'By my brother I. R. Cruikshank, assisted by me, G.Ck'. Cohn, p. 291.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated names
-
Associated with: Henry Peter, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
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Associated with: George Canning
-
Associated with: Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh and 2nd Marquess of Londonderry
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Associated with: John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon
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Associated with: Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough
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Associated with: Ferdinand VII, King of Spain
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Associated with: Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor and Francis I, Emperor of Austria
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Associated with: Frederick William III, King of Prussia
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Associated with: George IV, King of the United Kingdom
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Associated with: Napoléon I, Emperor of the French (Napoleon)
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Associated with: Paul I, Emperor of Russia
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Associated with: William Pitt the Younger
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Associated with: Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
- Acquisition date
- 1862
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1862,1217.296