- Museum number
- 1868,0808.4717
- Title
- Object: The whore of Babylon's caravan, with a cargo of Popish blessings
- Description
-
Two monks, tandem, drag (right to left) a small wooden cart, driven by a woman, who sits on a cask inscribed "Holy Water", her legs hanging down in front of the cart. She holds reins in one hand, whip in the other, and wears on her high-dressed hair a conical triple head-dress, surmounted by a cross, representing the triple crown of the Papacy. Her dress is cut low. She says "I will make the Hereticks repent calling me Whore of Babylon". The monks say, "I perceive our Holy Flame break out Already", and, "Brother, we seem to Move pretty Fast." On the side of the cart are crossed keys inscribed "St Peter's Keys". Inside it are a gibbet, a wheel (for purposes of torture), a barrel of "Combustibles", a chest of "Indulgences", a cask of "Holy Water", an axe, and birch rods. Chains hang from the back of the cart.
On the left is a group of three: a bishop, a soldier holding a bayoneted musket (his uniform resembles that of the Irish Volunteers), and a citizen holding a tasselled cane. The bishop says, "The Purity of the Protestant Religion, will Confound the Arts and Errors, of the Church of Rome". The soldier says, "We must upon them, with Spirit". The citizen says, "They have got too much Footing Already". In the foreground (left) is the British lion, asleep. Beneath the design is engraved:
"With a load of Destruction, here Babylon's Queen,
Triumphant, a driving to England, is Seen.
Chains, Combustibles, Rods, with Gibbets & Racks.
Declare her Religion, besides Whips, & Axe.
Yet I hope, tho' the Lion appears fast Asleep,
An Eye o'er our Church some good People will keep
That the Bald pated, Bare footed Bigots may see,
Our Worship is pure, & our Country is Free." 17 October 1780
Etching
- Production date
- 1780
- Dimensions
-
Height: 182 millimetres
-
Width: 282 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', V, 1935)
Perhaps an attempt to throw the responsibility for the Gordon Riots on "emissaries of the Papists", see BMSat 5841. For 'the Whore' see BMSat 5534.
The cart of the 'Whore' is copied, in reverse, from BMSat 5712, the fleur-de-lys being replaced by crossed keys, or, possibly, this print was the earlier design. A similar cargo is drawn in a sledge (as in BMSat 5713) in Hogarth s 'The Invasion, Plate I', see BMSat 3446.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.4717