- Museum number
- 1868,0808.6967
- Title
- Object: Preliminaries of peace, or politicians puzzled.
- Description
-
Members of the Opposition in a row, talk in couples, except for the arch-egotist Erskine (see BMSat 9246) on the extreme left, who exclaims: "Peace - and I not consulted 'tis very strange, by Gad". Sheridan (left), seated in profile to the right, reads the 'Gazzette Extraordina[ry] Peace! Peace!' with an expression of dismay. He says: "It is here, sure enough, I can scarcely believe my eyes, then all my fine speeches respecting the continuance of the War is dish'd, its no farce." Burdett stands with legs astride looking down at him; he says: "O it can't be true depend upon it." The centre pair, Fox and Bedford, face each other in profile. Fox says: "This is a curious kind of business. I heard of it at the Crown and Anchor." Bedford, in top-boots, and a riding whip under his arm, answers: "I heard of it in Bedfordshire." On the right little Lord Derby turns to Tierney, asking, "Pray who is this Peace Maker - this Mr A- Ad, Ad, what's his name, I never can think of it dam my Wig" [he is almost bald, with a tiny pigtail]. Tierney, looking down morosely, his arms folded, answers: "I really cannot immediately recollect, but I know he is not one of us - however we can find it in the Red Book." c. October 1801
Etching
- Production date
- 1801
- Dimensions
-
Height: 270 millimetres
-
Width: 346 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VIII, 1947)
See BMSat 9726, &c. The secession of Fox and Bedford, see BMSat 9018, &c, is satirized, the Crown and Anchor tavern being the meeting-place of the Whig Club, see (e.g.) BMSat 9177. The position of Tierney, an outsider as regards foxite politics and Whig connexions, is also stressed. The Whig secession, which he did not join, brought him into prominence, and into disfavour in Foxite circles. See Olphin, 'George Tierney', 1934, pp. 41-8.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.6967
