print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.4775
- Title
- Object: The state nurses
- Description
-
The British Lion in a cradle, surrounded by barking dogs; the two "State Nurses" are Mansfield and Sandwich, one on each side of the cradle. The lion is asleep, and tucked under a coverlet on which are laid a rose and a thistle, the thistle lying across the rose to indicate the supposed predominance of Scottish counsels. The head of the cradle is decorated by three crowns. Two dogs stand together (right), one inscribed Spain, the other, very lean, is France. Spain says "I'll have Gibralter Minorca and Florida"; France says,2 Barbadoes Jamaica Jersey &c. &c. for me". The two other dogs, America and Holland, stand in front of the cradle. America is befouling a paper inscribed "Tea Act" and is saying, "Independance & no Taxation". Holland says "Armed Neutrality & free Navigation". Mansfield (left) is seated on a chair by the head of the cradle, he is in judge's wig and robe which is thrown open to display knee breeches and bare legs with short tartan stockings indicating his Scottish nationality. He holds two broken poles against his shoulder, and is saying to the dogs, "Hoot await ye bougers do ye no ken the bairns asleep". One foot rests on two documents, "Habeas Corpus" and "[Magn]a Charta". Sandwich stands by the cradle on the other side, saying "Get away raw head & bloody bones here is a Child dont fear ye". From his pocket hangs a musical score and a paper inscribed "Lets drink & lets sing together", an allusion to his fondness for singing catches, see BMSat 5540, &c. For other references to the tax on tea see BMSat 5490, &c, for the Armed Neutrality BMSat 5714, &c.
In the background (left) is a rocky mound inscribed "Gibralter" round which is a semicircle of guns, lobbing cannon-balls over a line of fortifications. On the right, on rising ground, is a castle flying the Union flag inscribed "Windsor". At the base of the hill a stag-hunt is in progress, the stag, dogs, and three huntsmen being on a minute scale. The third rider, who is partly cut off by the right margin of the print, appears to wear a Garter ribbon and is evidently the king, cf. BMSat 5961. 1 October 1781
Etching
- Production date
- 1781
- Dimensions
-
Height: 199 millimetres
-
Width: 277 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', V, 1935)
In the manner of Lord Townshend.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.4775
