print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.5627
- Title
- Object: The Report
- Description
-
The Duke of Richmond (left) and Lord Lansdowne (right) fire at each other; the former uses a cannon inscribed 'Retort personal', the latter a pop-gun of similar size, inscribed 'Personal Pop-gun'. Richmond is in armour, which is decorated at waist and knees and on his helmet with fortifications which are emitting blasts of smoke. The balls from Lansdowne's weapon, inscribed 'Electricity', have knocked off the crest (a rocking-horse) on Richmond's helmet. Lansdowne wears his ribbon and star; he closes his eyes to fire. From Richmond's gun issue three papers inscribed 'To', 'Duplicity', and 'Correspondence'. Beneath the design is etched: 'See the Account of the Altercation, in the House, between a noble D-----, and a certain M------, on the subject of Fortifications, and the subsequent Report of a Duel, in the Morning Papers of this Week.' 8 March 1787
Etching
- Production date
- 1787
- Dimensions
-
Height: 162 millimetres
-
Width: 210 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938)
A passionate altercation between Richmond and Lansdowne in the Lords arose in the debate of 5 March on the Treaty of Commerce with France (see BMSat 6995, &c.) in connexion with the recent fortifications of Cherbourg. Lansdowne spoke with contempt of Richmond's scheme for fortifying Portsmouth and Plymouth, see BMSat 6921, &c.; Richmond retorted that he had approved the scheme when premier, accused him of duplicity, and attacked the Preliminaries of Peace of 1783 (see BMSat 6184, &c). Lansdowne then accused Richmond of insincerity in his attitude to the Peace. 'Parl. Hist.' xxvi. 572-84. On 7 March there was a (false) report that a duel had been fought. Sir G. Elliot writes: 'The general wish I think was that one should be shot and the other hanged for it.' Life and Letters, i. 135. See BMSats 7155, 7163.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.5627
