- Museum number
- 1865,1111.983-990
- Description
-
Satirical pamphlet of 26 pages on Caroline of Brunswick and her supporters, entitled:
‘The white cat with the Earl of Grosvenor’s Ass.’
1. The vignette illustration beneath the title page, BM Satires 14136, represents a cat (black) with the profile of Queen Caroline, standing on its hind legs to put its paws into a cage containing a large crown. Justice advances from the right, blindfolded and holding evenly balanced scales, to place her sword vertically between cat and cage.
Lettered beneath the image: “The Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth!!”
“Adorned with Seven Plates by Cruikshank. London: Printed for W.Wright,46, Fleet-Street, 1821. Price One Shilling.”
The verse satire parodies William Hone's famous pamphlet 'House that Jack built', BM Satires No. 13292, &c.; 1865,1111.388-400. cf. BM Satires No. 13555. It also uses the story of Dick Whittington to mock Sir Matthew Wood, a prominent supporter of Caroline.
Pages 24-26 contain ‘Earl Grosvenor’s Ass,’ a verse satire on aristocratic supporters of Queen Caroline This section of the pamphlet is not illustrated.
At the end of the text: ‘London: Shackell and Arrowsmith, Johnson’s Court.”
2.BM Satires 14137. ‘This is the house where the cat lives.’
A view of Brandenburgh House from the river. See BM Satires No. 13852.
3.BM Satires 14138. ‘These are the arguments the rebels wish to use’
A guillotine with ladder, decollated head, shackles, basket, a block and axe, a coffin containing a body, spade, pickaxe, bones, pike and cap of Liberty, rope, gallows on a scaffold. 'Such is the wealth that lays In the House . . .'.
4.BM Satires 14139. ‘ These are the vile rebels, ...’
Queen Caroline stands in a ring of men who dance round her, holding up a pole topped by her feathered hat and a pair of stays. The dancers are (in front of the pole) Cobbett, Hobhouse, wearing a bonnet-rouge and dagger, Denman, and Brougham, both in wig and gown. Behind the pole: Waithman (?), Wood, Hunt (?), and an unidentified man wearing a bonnet-rouge.
5.BM Satires 14140. This is the white cat, whom all of us know, The text continues: 'Is not quite so white, As "unsunned snow".' See No. 13975, &c.
6.BM Satires 14141. ‘This is the courier, neither shaven nor shorn,’
Bergami, dressed as a hussar-courier, stands holding out a bugle and letters.
BM Satires 14142. ‘These are the bold knights, (of that Order so bright, ...’
Lieutenants Hownam and Flinn stand facing each other, one saying, "We'll swear any thing for money." Both tried to defend the Queen, see No. 14122. For the Order of St. Caroline see No. 13810, &c.
7.BM Satires 14143. ‘This is Great Whittington, whom some style the brave.’ Alderman Wood, in his gown but foppish, marches to the left carrying across his shoulder a huge rolled document: 'A Wooden Address'. He has no back to his head. He is Whittington in Hook's 'Tentamen', cf. No. 14131.
c. March 1821
Wood-engraving, vignette on titlepage to a letterpress pamphlet
- Production date
- 1821
- Dimensions
-
Height: 219 millimetres (approx. page size)
-
Width: 130 millimetres (approx. page size)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', X, 1952)
Bound as part of "Political Tracts Volume 6”. Number 6 of 10 volumes of "Political Tracts" Published circa 1819-1822. The pro-government and anti-"radical" tone of this volume’s content contrasts with the pamphlets in the earlier volumes which often satirise George IV, his court and his ministers. This pamphlet's unsympathetic representation of Caroline of Brunswick is in constrast to pamphlets in earlier volumes of "Political Tracts" the majority of which support her cause. See Volumes 1-3.
(Supplementary information)
G. Cruikshank has initialled BM Satires No. 14138 only, and pencilled No. 14139 'D° & I R C'.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated names
-
Associated with: Caroline of Brunswick
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Associated with: Henry Peter, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
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Associated with: William Cobbett
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Associated with: Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman
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Associated with: John Cam Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton
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Associated with: Henry "Orator" Hunt
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Associated with: Robert Waithman
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Associated with: Sir Matthew Wood, 1st Baronet
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Associated with: Bartolommeo Bergami
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Associated with: Lieutenant Flinn
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Associated with: Lieutenant Hownam
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Associated with: Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster (Subject of 'Earl Grosvenor's ass.')
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Associated with: Thomas Philip de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey and 5th Baron Lucas (3rd Baron Grantham, a Tory but voted with the Whigs over the Queen Caroline affair in 1820 subject of 'Earl Grosvenor's Ass')
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Associated with: John Willoughby Cole, 2nd Earl of Enniskillen (See verse 3 'Earl Grosvenor's ass')
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Associated with: Henry Lascelles, 2nd Earl of Harewood (See verse 4 'Earl Grosvenor's ass')
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Associated with: John Parker, 1st Earl of Morley (See verse 5 'Earl Grosvenor's ass.')
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Associated with: Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine (See verse 6 'Earl Grosvenor's ass')
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Associated with: George Kenyon, 2nd Baron Kenyon (Subject of verse 7 'Earl Grosvenor's ass.' (?))
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Associated with: Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton (Subject of verse 8 'Earl Grosvenor's ass' (?))
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Associated with: Augustus Frederick Fitzgerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster (Subject of verse 8 'Earl Grosvenor's ass' (?))
- Associated titles
-
Associated Title: The white cat, with the Earl of Grosvenor's ass.
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Associated Title: 'The political House that Jack built.' (Uses the form of Hone's famous pamphlet, see BM Satires 13292, 1865,1111.388-400.)
- Acquisition date
- 1865
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1865,1111.983-990
