print; satirical print

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Object Type: print; satirical print
Museum number: 1868,0808.12683
Title: Object: The anti-royal menagerie | Satirist 1 December 1812
Description: Plate to the 'Satirist', xi. 463, with an explanatory description (pp. 463-71) which is a skit on that issued by Polito for his Royal Menagerie, Exeter 'Change (see No. 10077). This is allusive; not all the animals mentioned (creatures with human heads) can be traced in the plate. Some are recognizable, though poorly characterized. A vaulted menagerie is open at one end (right), admitting slanting rain and a box-like van completely covered with bills on which animals are depicted. The showman, Grey (left), in a dress roughly resembling that of a herald, has two heads and is 'Signor Double-Tête'; he blows through a trumpet: "Here's your Raree-Show!!! Tumble up Ladies and Gem'men, here we are all alive and kicking!" The other head that of Grenville, says: "Great Natural Curiosities & most wonderful wonders from all parts, just arrived - all alive alive alive O!!!" He leads (right to left) 'The Great Egyptian Camel' with the profile of Lord Hutchinson. His assistant is Ponsonby (see No. 11915) wearing top-boots and with bandy legs; he flourishes a whip and leads a dray-horse with the head of Whitbread, which is in the shafts of the van (said to be stuck in the mud). Between camel and horse is a rhinoceros, with the face of Lord Holland, and with a hen (Lady Holland) pecking its back. In front of this and between Grey and Ponsonby are four creatures: a little dancing-dog (cf. No. 10589) on its hind-legs, wearing a cocked hat, is Lord Lansdowne. Next, a large kangaroo with the spectacled head of the Marquis of Buckingham and a vast paunch, 'a sinecure stomach' (cf. No. 10721, &c.). An ape on its hind-legs and with an ape's head, is identified as Lord Lauderdale. Near him prances a little pig with the head of Lord Derby copied (in reverse) from Gillray's 'More Pigs than Teats' (No. 10540). Behind, and almost concealed by, the dray-horse, is a goat, 'a Wynny Welch Goat called the Squeaker' (i.e. Charles Wynn, he and his brother Sir William being known as Bubble and Squeak, see No. 10566). On the extreme left and next Grey is a violently kicking ass, described as a mischievous brute with a rooted antipathy to lawyers - probably J. C. Curwen, who brought in a Reform Bill in 1809 to prevent bribery at elections and the sale of seats. The profile has some resemblance to his portraits. Next the dray-horse (right) is a prancing mule 'from Folkestone', which 'feeds on strawberries', and is Lord Folkestone, see No. 11565. There are five other animals on the right. 'A singular weazel from New-port in Ireland' is a small ferret, i.e. Sir John Newport, M.P. for Waterford, known as 'the political ferret'. A jackal and badger, both oddly drawn, are 'Abercrombie' (James Abercromby, 1776-1858, M.P. for Calne, a moderate Whig), and Creevey, whose role was to badger the Ministry. Two larger animals, close together, are a hippopotamus and a sloth. The former has the head and cocked hat of Cochrane, and is described as the 'Tapir or Hippopotamus', [Cf. Goldsmith, 'Natural History', 1776, iv. 331: 'The tapir may be considered as the hippopotamus of the New Continent.' 'O.E.D.'] just arrived and 'conspicuous . . . from the extreme clumsiness of its 'motion' upon 'dry land'. The other, the 'Ursine sloth', is identified as Sir James Shaw (see vol. viii), who, however, was an independent Tory. The sides of the menagerie are formed of three tiers of cages, only three of which contain identified beasts: The 'Wonderful Bedford' [Cow], has udders inscribed 'Boroughs', and is described as harmless, but giving its milk as sustenance to other animals. (The Duke of Bedford had less electoral interest than several other peers; he had recently sold Camelford, leaving him only Tavistock and his interest in the county and town of Bedford.) The 'Golden Vulture' [? Wellesley] clutches papers and money-bags inscribed with huge sums, '50,000', '60,000', &c.; 'The Rugged Russian Bear', described as 'The Astonishing Bear, sent from literati in Iceland to Lord Darnley' (1767-1831, F.S.A., F.R.S., a Whig and a reputedly ineffective speaker on Irish affairs). In lunettes above the top row of cages are skeletons of animals. There are also five birds, flying about or on perches. The largest is a seagull flying into the menagerie, and crying, "Foul weather foul weather coming," which was 'kept for some time in the Tower'. (In 1809 Tierney called Burdett 'a political seagull, screaming and screeching and sputtering about foul weather which never arrived'. 'Parl. Deb.' xiv. 733.) 'A swallow larger than an owl' is identified as Lord Grosvenor, who 'builds extensive nests' (he rebuilt Eaton Hall). A crossbill on a perch is identified as Lord Donough more. A 'Yorkshire Macaw' and 'a curious mockbird' on the same perch are identified as Lord Milton (M.P. for Yorkshire, see No. 11241), and as a bird brought from Portugal by Lord G. Grenville (i.e. Lord George Grenville (Lord Nugent), who in 1812 published a poem called 'Portugal'). A 'pelican of the wilderness' (Byron) is described (but not depicted) as 'bought by Childe Harold, having a low melancholy note, and, though in some respects disagreeable, is yet a "rata avis" . . .'. Other animals are depicted on the bills of varying size which cover the van. The largest is a hyena with the face of Brougham, described as 'from America [sic] landed at "Liverpool", perfectly tame and fed upon "broom"'. (Cf. No. 11910.) Others are 'a blue fox' (Tierney), 'A wolf "Hunted" at Bristol (Hunt, see No. 11907). 'A Mad-Dog, cured of the Hydrophobia in "Bark-shire"' (Hallett, see No. 11863, &c.). 'A "green goose", some time shown in Southwark, but last in Surrey' must be Sir Thomas Turton. A 'wood'-pecker and Tumbling 'Magpie' are Wood and Waithman. 'A "Viper" caught at Okehampton' has the head of Wardle, see No. 11219, &c. A porcupine has the head of Cobbett (see No. 11049). There are also (not described) a baboon and a mouse. 1 December 1812 Hand-coloured etching
Producer name
School/style
Production date: 1812
Materials
Technique: etching; hand-coloured
Dimensions: Height: 193 millimetres; Width: 363 millimetres
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments: (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', IX, 1949) An attack on the Opposition with especial reference to their failure to form a Ministry, see No. 11888, &c. Grey and Ponsonby regret (p. 464) that despite all their exertions they have been unable to ensnare and exhibit a Royal Lion. 'They have a young cub however in Sussex, and another in Gloucester ...' (an allusion to the Whiggish sympathies of the Dukes of Sussex and Gloucester). Byron made his two speeches in the Lords in Feb. and Apr. 1812. The menagerie theme, cf. No. 11549, was used in a Whig satire (1815) advertising the menagerie of Nicholas Vansittart Pidcock, reprinted 'New Tory Guide', 1819, pp. 14-21.
Bibliographic references
Location: Not on display
Subjects
Associated names: Associated with: James Abercromby, 1st Baron Dunfermline; Associated with: Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex; Associated with: John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford; Associated with: Henry Peter, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux; Associated with: George Nugent Temple Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham; Associated with: Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet; Associated with: Lord Byron (George Gordon Noel Byron, 6th Baron Byron); Associated with: William Cobbett; Associated with: Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald (known as Lord Cochrane); Associated with: Thomas Creevey; Associated with: John Christian Curwen; Associated with: John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley; Associated with: Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby; Associated with: Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 1st Earl of Donoughmore; Associated with: William Pleydell-Bouverie, 3rd Earl of Radnor; Associated with: Prince William Frederick, 2nd Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh; Associated with: George Nugent Grenville, 2nd Baron Nugent; Associated with: William Wyndham Grenville, Baron Grenville; Associated with: Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey; Associated with: Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster; Associated with: Henry Richard Fox Vassall, 3rd Baron Holland; Associated with: Elizabeth Vassall, Baroness Holland; Associated with: Henry "Orator" Hunt; Associated with: John Hely Hutchinson, 2nd Earl of Donoughmore; Associated with: Henry Petty Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne; Associated with: James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale; Associated with: Charles William Wentworth Fitzwilliam, 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam; Associated with: Sir John Newport; Associated with: George Ponsonby; Associated with: Sir James Shaw; Associated with: Thomas Tegg; Associated with: George Tierney; Associated with: Sir Thomas Turton; Associated with: Robert Waithman; Associated with: Col Gwyllym Lloyd Wardle; Associated with: Richard Colley Wellesley, Marquess Wellesley; Associated with: Samuel Whitbread II; Associated with: Right Hon Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn; Associated with: Sir Matthew Wood, 1st Baronet
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1868
Department: Prints and Drawings
Registration number: 1868,0808.12683

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