print; satirical print

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Object Type: print; satirical print
Museum number: 1868,0808.5907
Title: Object: The National Assembly or Meeting of the Three Estates
Description: A confused and crowded design representing the three estates (incorrectly) as King, Lords, and Commons in Parliament, the title evidently suggested by the meeting of the States-General in France. The members are travestied as animals, the principal ones having human heads and numbers which refer to notes beneath the design. A low barrier (left) divides the Commons from the Lords; on the extreme right is the throne, on which, curled up and asleep, is a lion with the head of George III, he is '1. The King of the Beasts'. The throne has a high canopy with long side curtains; it is decorated with loaves and crossed fishes (cf. BMSat 6915 &c), and also with a rose and thistle. The seat (a cushion) is on the uppermost of three platforms forming steps, each supported at the corners by loaves at which rats are nibbling. Behind the curtain on the extreme right is a dark figure with horns and hooves and apparently wearing Highland dress. He is '2. The Secret Beast' (a reversion to the long-lived belief in the influence of Bute, cf. BMSat 6005). On the steps of the throne is '3. A Jackall called Lupus Aureus, or the Golden-Wolf, said to be the Lion's provider - L - Jenkey' [Jenkinson, Baron Hawkesbury]. A prancing horse beside the throne with a star and ribbon inscribed 'P W' (Prince of Wales) is '4. The Principal of the Fox kind'. Next is a lobster standing erect wearing a ribbon inscribed 'D. Y.' He is '5. A Lobster - the flogging D------ [of York]'. With his back to the throne, as if on the Woolsack, sits Thurlow as a bear, holding a paper: 'Speech', and a number of threads attached to the noses of a dense group of bears on their hind-legs who stand on his right. He is '6. A Bear, leading his accompanying Cubs by the Nose - Hurlo Thrumbo'. Beside him at the table is a small ugly bear wearing a judge's wig writing 'Beauties of Natural History'. Two judges are represented by spectacled birds wearing large wigs. Three small rats in the lower right corner, nibbling at loaves, are '7. Regency Rats'; one has a star and a ribbon inscribed 'L.M.' (the Marquis of Lothian, K.T., not Lord Moira), another a star and a ribbon inscribed 'D of Q' (Duke of Queensberry), see BMSats 7515, 7526. '9' is a ferret with a star and a ribbon inscribed 'D. of R.' (Richmond) crawling towards the throne. He is 'Ordinance Ferret.' Beside him is a cat, his tail inscribed 'L. C------m' (Chatham); he is '10. Jesuitical Tabby'. Flying between the Prince of Wales and the throne is a bird with the head of Lansdowne, and wearing a ribbon inscribed 'M.L'. He is '11. Bird of Peace - Maligrida' (an allusion to the peace of 1783, cf. BMSat 7150). The other peers are: '15. A Turkey - Viscount Gobble'; a stag with the head of Lord Derby is '16. A Stag', his antlers inscribed 'Maid of the Oaks', cf. BMSat 6668; a boar with a star and a ribbon inscribed 'Storm Mount' is '17. A Boar or Bore' (Lord Stormont, cf. BMSat 6796). '18' is a camel with the head of Portland, and a ribbon inscribed 'D------ of P------: 18. A Camel -of undoubted weight in Portland'. Next is a dromedary with the head of Norfolk: '19. A Dromedary - The Norfolk Farmer'. A peacock with a ribbon and star is '20. A Peacock from Carlisle' (Lord Carlisle). A crocodile seated at the table in back view, with the elongated judge's wig which indicated Loughborough (Wedderburn), is '21. A Crocodile. Lord Weatherturn.' On the farther side of the table is a phalanx of wolves with twisted tails like ram's horns who are '28. W-----ves in Sheep's Cloathing.' Above their heads is suspended a double mitre inscribed 'Pluralities' to show that they are the bishops. The Commons are closely crowded together in a smaller space. Fox, with a fox's body, stands leaning on the barrier holding strings attached to the beaks of a number of geese. He is '23. Charley Boy leading his Sagacious Admirers'. Next Fox, and perched on the barrier, is a bird wearing the Speaker's wig, he is '12. The Sp------r' (Addington). Next, and with his forefeet on the barrier, is a zebra with the profile of Pitt; he is '29. The Q------s Ass [cf. BMSat 7488, &c] or Master Billy leading his T-----y [Treasury] Toadeaters.' There are six asses with human heads having strings held by Pitt attached to their noses. On their ears minute letters are etched: 'M------ G------' (Marquis of Graham), 'L. M-----n' (Lord Mornington), 'L. A' (Lord Apsley), 'L. B------m' (Lord Bayham). These are evidently intended to be Lords of the Treasury, but Graham was succeeded by Apsley in Aug. 1789. The fourth Lord was E. J. Eliot, M.P. for Liskeard. Behind them come 'Mr Roe' and 'Mr S' (Rose and Steele the Treasury Secretaries). Next these is an elephant with a magpie perched on his back. They are '13. An Elephant - Sawney Controul' (Dundas, cf. BMSat 7152) and '14. & Magpie. The little Major' (Scott, the agent of Hastings). Next is 'L. M--g--e' (Lord Mulgrave), a jovial-looking animal of uncertain species. In front of him is '30. A Puppy of curious breed - Stuttering Billy' [Grenville]; he wears spectacles. Perched on the farther end of the barrier is Wilkes as a monkey holding the staff and cap of Liberty reversed; he is '31. A Monkey tearing the Cap of Liberty - Squinting J------k' (cf. BMSats 5245, 6568, &c). In the foreground behind Fox's geese is a bellows inscribed 'wit' whose nozzle supports the profile head of Courtenay; it has a large bushy tail inscribed 'Satire' (cf. BMSat 7052); he is '24. An Animal Dissected - found to consist of Lungs and Tail or Tale'. Behind it is a clumsy dog inscribed 'Sir J------ J------n' (Sir James Johnstone, cf. BMSat 7317). A group of three sheep (cf. BMSat 6243) are '8. Country Gentlemen'; the most prominent is 'Mr P------(Powys)'; the others are 'Mr M------n' (?) (PMarsham, M.P. for Kent) and 'Mr R' (? Rolle, M.P. for Devon). Behind Powys stands a spotted creature with the angry profile of Burke; he is '22. The Hyena of St. Omer's' (cf. BMSat 6026). Near him is the head of North who is '25. A Badger L Boreas' (cf. BMSat 6196, &c). An armadillo-like creature with a wooden leg, standing behind Courtenay (Brook Watson), is '36. A Shark' (cf. BMSat 6965). The ox's head on the extreme left is 'Ald N------' (Newnham). Others on the left of the design are: '33. A Goat - Sir Watty' (Watkin Lewes, cf. BMSat 6509); '27. An American Sloth, Genl Saratoga' (Burgoyne); '26. A Tyger - from Bengall' (with the profile of Francis); '32. Weathercock of Eden', a weathercock wearing a baron's coronet, though Eden was not yet Lord Auckland, cf. BMSat 7183). The spaces in the closely packed throng are filled in with heads of dogs, of a porcupine, and of a rhinoceros. The lawyers are represented by birds of prey wearing legal wigs flying above the heads of the Commons. They are 'Master Dickey' (Arden, Master of the Rolls), 'Sir Archey' (Macdonald, Attorney-General), 'Scotto' (Scott, Solicitor-General). On the wall which forms a background are three pictures inscribed respectively 'Sketch \ of the \ Constitution \'. The first is of three figures in back view holding hands standing on a plank which is supported on a post: the King in crown and robes is 'Ist Estate'; in the centre is a peer in his rightobes and wearing several coronets, inscribed '2d Estate', and 'Medium between King and People'. On the right is a plainly dressed man inscribed '3d Estate'. The frame is inscribed 'As it was'. The second, 'As it is', represents the peer on the shoulders of the commoner pressing him to the ground, while the King, standing on a post inscribed 'Prerogative', presses yet more coronets (inscribed 'Peerage') on the head of the peer. The three figures are inscribed 'K-----g', 'L------ds', and 'C------ns'. A (?) piece of fallen timber, perhaps the plank in 'As it was', is inscribed 'Check'. The third picture, 'As it may be', is of Liberty holding her cap on a staff and holding out a shield on which are three fleurs-de-lis inscribed 'Example' and with the motto 'Three in One', probably an allusion to the contemporary French motto 'la Nation, la Loi, le Roi', cf. BMSats 7661, 7694. 22 January 1790 Etching
Producer name
School/style
Production date: 1790
Materials
Technique
Dimensions: Height: 253 millimetres; Width: 423 millimetres
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments: (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938) Pitt was much blamed for his lavish creation of peers (cf. BMSat 6631, &c.) which, however, did not increase the constitutional importance of the House of Lords. The momentous decision of the French States-General (27 June 1789) that the three estates should sit together instead of separately is extolled. (The three English estates are, more correctly, Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal, and Commons). For the theme of the growing power of the House of Lords cf. BMSat 6436. Similar in character to BMSat 7682.
Bibliographic references
Location: Not on display
Subjects
Associated names: Associated with: Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth; Associated with: Lord Henry Bathurst Apsley; Associated with: Richard Pepper Arden, 1st Baron of Alvanley; Associated with: John Jeffreys Pratt, 1st Marquess Camden; Associated with: John Burgoyne; Associated with: Edmund Burke; Associated with: John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute; Associated with: Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle; Associated with: Gen John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham; Associated with: John Courtenay; Associated with: Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby; Associated with: Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville; Associated with: William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland; Associated with: Charles James Fox; Associated with: Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany and Bishop of Osnabrück; Associated with: George III, King of the United Kingdom; Associated with: Sir Philip Francis; Associated with: George IV, King of the United Kingdom; Associated with: William Wyndham Grenville, Baron Grenville; Associated with: Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool; Associated with: Sir James Johnstone; Associated with: William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne and 1st Marquess of Lansdowne; Associated with: Sir Watkin Lewes; Associated with: William John Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian; Associated with: Alexander Wedderburn, Ist Earl of Rosslyn; Associated with: Right Hon Sir Archibald Macdonald; Associated with: Charles Marsham; Associated with: Richard Colley Wellesley, Marquess Wellesley; Associated with: Constantine John Phipps, 2nd Baron Mulgrave; Associated with: Nathaniel Newnham; Associated with: Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk; Associated with: Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford; Associated with: William Pitt the Younger; Associated with: William, 3rd Duke of Portland; Associated with: Thomas Powys, 1st Baron Lilford; Associated with: William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry; Associated with: Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox; Associated with: John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle; Associated with: Right Hon George Rose; Associated with: John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon; Associated with: Major John Scott-Waring; Associated with: Thomas Steele; Associated with: David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield; Associated with: Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow; Associated with: Sir Brook Watson; Associated with: John Wilkes
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1868
Department: Prints and Drawings
Registration number: 1868,0808.5907

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