- Museum number
- 1868,0808.7360
- Title
- Object: The finishing kick- out- of the P-y- Council.
- Description
-
George III, at the door of his closet, kicks aiid pushes away Lord Melville. He wears military uniform, and looks through his spy-glass, saying, "What, What, What, not like to go out? - shall go!! shall go!! been here long enough, heard a report, decietfull servant, go! go! go!" Melville, in Highland dress, prances away, yelling; he holds his feathered cap, and looks round at the King to say: "Ah geude your M------ ha mercy do-na kick so hard. - I'll ge bock the siller an you'll tak me in again." Pitt, much caricatured, stands (l.) clasping his hands and shedding large tears; he says with upturned eyes: "I confess, and I am asham'd to confess it, that I did advise this step of kicking out my Honest worthy old friend Harry, but not without a bitter pang, which has given me the gripes of compassion and the belly ach of pity - no more shall we Pyllades and Orestes like set side by side - no more shall vie the Port and Sherry Swig [see BMSat 8651, &c] - my hope is gone, my joys are fled. - Harry farewell, now Billy is Wretch indeed." Through the doorway (l.) is seen a small water-closet with the Royal Arms (cf. BMSat 10393). 6 May 1805
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1805
- Dimensions
-
Height: 351 millimetres
-
Width: 246 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 10377, &c. Pitt was urged to remove Melville from the Privy Council before the House of Commons voted on the question, but refused till requested to do so by Melville. On 6 May, when the question came up, he said that he had advised the King to erase the name from the list of Privy Councillors. He concluded: 'I am not ashamed to confess - that whatever may be my deference to the House of Commons, and however anxious I may be to accede to their wishes, I certainly feel a deep and bitter pang in being compelled to be the instrument of rendering still more severe the punishment of the Noble Lord.' 'Parl. Debates', iv. 605; Lovat-Fraser, 'Dundas', 1916, p. 92 f. For the King's approval of the prudence of this measure, though hurt at the virulence against Melville, see BMSat 10410.
Reproduced, C. Matheson, 'Life of Henry Dundas', 1933, p. 357.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.7360
