- Museum number
- 1868,0612.1273
- Title
- Object: The cradle hymn. New version. Eight edition.
- Description
-
Heading to a broadside printed in two columns. The King, a bloated and whiskered infant, sleeps in a cradle, rocked by Sidmouth (right), a lean old woman wearing a cap and bag-wig, who sits in a rocking-chair, his clyster-pipe (cf. No. 9849) on the ground. The cradle is surmounted by a pagoda with bells, and ornamented by two large crocodiles, representing the Chinese dragons of the Pavilion, cf. No. 12749. On it are also a sun, with a fool's cap in its disk, between crescent moons. Round the cradle lie toys: soldiers, mounted lancers, &c., on wheels, a cannon, a sceptre, a crown with a toy windmill stuck in it. With these are papers: 'Divorce'; 'Protocal' [sic]; 'Send her to Hell'. The infant holds a coral and bells and a corkscrew. Castlereagh sits over the fire warming a napkin. Canning (see No. 13737) walks off to the left, disgustedly carrying the pan of a commode decorated with a crown and 'G.R.' On the chimneypiece are pap-boat, bottle of 'Dolby's Carminative, &c'. (Dolby was a radical bookseller, 'Dalby's carminative' a well-known remedy for infants). A large 'Green Bag' hangs on the wall. In a doorway behind Sidmouth, inscribed 'French Dolls', stand two young women, in evening dress, stiff and impassive. The verses, supposed to be spoken by Sidmouth:
Hush! GREAT BABE! lie still and slumber,
Troops of Lancers guard thy bed,
Chinese gimcracks, without number,
Nicely dangle o'er thy head.
The Q—n's return's a trifling matter,
Let her face us if she dare;
We will shake our Green Bag at her,
She will ne'er be crown'd, I swear.
You shan't fail—for want of backing,
What are 'Notes' and 'Protocols'?
We shall send the jade a'packing,
You shall have some Paris Dolls.
Should the Green Bag project fail us,
Call in holy Wilb—f— ce;
Cant and blarney may avail us,
To accomplish the Divorce.
Start not at the rabble's shouting,
Trust to me and Castle—gh,
Never mind old Eld—n's doubting,
Send the saucy jade away.
Never heed Burdett or Hobhouse,
Lambton, Bennett, Wood, or Coke;
I will flam the dirty-job-house,
Canning please it with a joke.
Pamper all your Royal fancies
Order mantles, stays and wigs;
Van will manage the finances,
Hume may run his idle rigs.
Whether view'd in robes of state, or
Glitt'ring in a fancy dress,
Wisdom cannot make you greater,
Folly cannot make you less.
Paris Dolls will much amuse you
When fatigued with forms of state, Should the living fair refuse you,
They might yield no common treat.
Troops of soldiers shall attend you
Muff'd and lac'd and gilt so fine, They shall valiantly defend you,
From the two-legged rabble swine.
Hold the Press in close submission
Keep the Radicals in awe; Call Reform the worst Sedition,
Yet, observe the FORMS of Law!
Thus you'll pass your time securely,
And your baubles all retain ; I shall aspirate demurely
'Heavens!' what a GLORIOUS 'Reign!'
July 1820
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1820
- Dimensions
-
Height: 366 millimetres
-
Width: 226 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', X, 1952)
A running commentary on the Queen's affair up to the beginning of July. For the Green Bag see No. 13735. 'Notes and Protocols' are documents arising out of the conference between Wellington and Castlereagh for the King, Brougham and Denman for the Queen, in an attempt at compromise. They were laid before Parliament on 19 June, 'Ann. Reg.', 1820, pp. 155 ff.; 'Parl. Deb.', N.s. i. 1147 ff. Wilberforce made a less formal attempt at compromise, see No. 13741, &c. Hume first raised in Parliament the question of the Queen and the Liturgy, cf. No. 13661, and 'Letters of George IV', ii. 311. Burdett made an important speech on 22 June in support of the Queen; Hobhouse spoke for her on 26 June. Bennet (3 July) protested against a coronation while the proceedings were pending. Alderman Wood was the Queen's chief champion, see (e.g) No. 13730. For the Press see No. 13963, &c., not in submission, despite the Press Acts, see No. 13515, &c. 'The Great Babe' was a popular theme in 1820, cf. two penny broadsides published by Catnach, 'A Great Babe Taken Ill', and 'A Nurse wanted for the Great Babe'. B.M.L. 1852. b. 9, ff. 46, 47. It was anticipated in Nos. 11888 (1812), 12066 (1813) by G. Cruikshank. See also Nos. 13694, 13765, 13843 (a sequel), 13853, 13867, 14027, 14117, and vol. xi.
(Supplementary information)
Below the verses: "The Devils Ball; or, There never were such Times', apparently the beginning of an advertisement which has been cropped.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated names
-
Associated with: Thomas William Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham
-
Associated with: Caroline of Brunswick
-
Associated with: Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet
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Associated with: Hon Henry Grey Bennet
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Associated with: George Canning
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Associated with: Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh and 2nd Marquess of Londonderry
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Associated with: Thomas Dolby
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Associated with: John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon
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Associated with: George IV, King of the United Kingdom
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Associated with: John Cam Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton
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Associated with: Joseph Hume
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Associated with: John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham
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Associated with: Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth
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Associated with: Nicholas Vansittart, 1st Baron Bexley
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Associated with: William Wilberforce
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Associated with: Sir Matthew Wood, 1st Baronet
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0612.1273
