print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.4554
- Title
- Object: The conference between the brothers how to get rich
- Description
-
Two men of identical appearance, one (left) dressed as a military officer, the other (right) as a naval officer, sit opposite each other, one on each side of a round table. Between them, behind the table, stands the devil, a hand pointing at each brother. He says "How How continue the War". He addresses Admiral Lord Howe and General Sir William Howe, who were then making a joint attack on Philadelphia. Admiral Howe (right) says, "Brother How poor we are How shall we get Rich"; the other answers, "I don't know How How we can". In the background, seen through an open door, are four ships of war at anchor; they are lying off an encampment of tents. In front of these is a plantation of cabbages, by which is a man with a cabbage cart, calling "Cabbages Ho . . . w". 10 October 1777
Etching
- Production date
- 1777
- Dimensions
-
Height: 244 millimetres
-
Width: 343 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', V, 1935)
During September and most of October 1777 no news arrived from either of the Howes. According to Walpole "the nation from impatience of news, grew much dissatisfied, and the Howes were infinitely abused and accused of thinking of nothing but their vast profits". 'Last Journals', 1910, ii. 45. The cabbages probably indicate the alleged perquisites taken by the Howes, since cabbage was the name for pilfered pieces of stuff appropriated by tailors, the verb to cabbage meaning to pilfer. 'O.E.D.', cf. BMSat 5805.
The word How in the title and on the design is larger than the rest of the script to indicate the pun on the name of the brothers. This satire combines an attack on the Howes for dishonesty and inactivity with the suggestion that advice to continue the war comes from the devil.
See also BMSat 5405, 5406, 5472.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.4554
