- Museum number
- 1868,0808.6195
- Title
- Object: Wonderful News from Seringapatam
- Description
-
A series of isolated figures, single or in pairs, arranged in two rows, each with an explanatory couplet relating to the news of the capture of Seringapatam, on the authority of a letter received at the India House on 15 May from Bristol dated 'Vestal, at sea'. [1] A grinning man stands full face, with raised shoulders, inscribed,
'I cannot express how delighted I am,
To hear we have taken Seringapatam'
[2] Thurlow, tall and thin, nearsightedly reads a paper with a grin:
'The Chancellor look'd like a frolicksome Ram
To hear we had taken Seringapatam.'
[3] Dundas, holding a cane, runs in profile to the right; behind him is a small table on which is a bottle, &c.:
'Dundass fled from bottle, from chicken, and ham
To Windsor to tell of Seringapatam.'
[4] Pitt stands, chapeau-bras, in profile to the left, a cake in one hand, a jam-pot in the other:
'Will Pitt eat a cake with some rasberry jam
When told we had taken Seringapatam.'
[5] A grinning man writes at a small table, a man stands beside him, as if dictating:
'The Wise India House wrote a letter to cram
The news down our throats of Seringapatam.'
[6] The Prince of Wales (left) stands beside a gigantic man in Highland dress, both smile :
'The Prince gave a nod to his Porter big Sam
You hear we have taken Seringapatam.'
(For Big Sam see BMSat 7905.)
[7] A stout man stands, hands on hips, with a gaping mouth:
'We are happy to find in this Victory sham,
Not an Englishman fall at Seringapatam.'
[8] (Second row.) A stout military officer stands in profile to the left, with an indignant expression, right hand extended:
'The Vestal it seems had arrived in the Cam,
With the news of the taking Seringapatam.'
[9] An oriental prince, wearing a jewelled turban, staggers backwards, dropping his sabre:
'The mighty Tipoo from a. battering ram
Got shot in the thigh at Seringapatam.'
[10] A grinning soldier with a large knapsack, holds a bundle under his right arm; in his right hand is a basket full of bags; he points towards a cannon which is behind him:
'Pagodas, and cannon, beef, mutton, and lamb,
Were found in the streets of Seringapatam.'
[11] An officer (left) wearing a gorget and holding a bottle, and a private with musket and knapsack drinking from a glass, face each other in profile:
'Lord Cornwallis bestozv'd on each Soldier a Dram,
For his gallant attack on Seringapatam.'
[12] George III stands in profile to the right, chapeau-bras, gaping upwards foolishly :
'Great George look'd as sapient as old Abraham
When he heard we had taken Seringapatam.'
[13] A man stands holding a newspaper, pointing to a paragraph, and looking round with an expression of horror; the queue of his hair rises:
'The Stocks were fore'd up five per cent by the flam,
Of our having taken Seringapatam.'
[14] A man without a wig stamps and clenches his fist, turning his eyes upwards:
'Now the People of England most heartily damn
The Wonderful News from Seringapatam!' 18 May 1792
Etching
- Production date
- 1792
- Dimensions
-
Height: 380 millimetres
-
Width: 539 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 letter purporting to come from a Lieutenant Abercrombie with news of the fall of Seringapatam after a decisive action by Lord Cornwallis at Mandoo, with very little loss, early in January, was accepted as authentic. India Stock rose five and Consols two per cent. Dundas announced the news to the King, but it was discredited when it was found that the 'Vestal' frigate had neither arrived nor been spoken with. 'Lond. Chron.', 17 May. The report was accepted as authentic by Grenville (15 May). Buckingham, 'Courts and Cabinets of George III', ii. 207. On 18 May an 'Extraordinary Gazette' was issued with news from Cornwallis of the reduction of hill-forts (believed to be impregnable). The siege of Seringapatam began in Feb. 1792; on 25 Feb. Tipu surrendered two of his sons as hostages, and the war was concluded by negotiation without the capture of Seringapatam, as leading to a more satisfactory settlement, half Tipu's territory being surrendered. 'Camb. Hist. of India', v. 337. See also BMSats 8093, 8094; cf. BMSat 7928, &c, and the 'false news' of BMSat 8059, &c.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1999 Jul-Oct, Edinburgh, NG Scotland, The Tiger and the Thistle
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.6195
