print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.7767
- Title
- Object: Bloody news, bloody news. Or the conspirators detected!!!
- Description
-
The Duke of York, in regimentals, and Mrs. Clarke sit side by side on a settee (right) drawn close to the end of an oblong table. She leans towards him saying, That will be a profitable job you know; he answers Yes my Darling, he had better use you well. Three other meretricious-looking women sit at the table, with glasses of wine. One (left) says: Only mind the Countess; she holds a letter: [No]lekens Fleet Prison. Another (? Miss Taylor, see No. 11229) answers: Aye Aye, the Baroness has allways a good thing at hand; she holds a paper, List of Prom[otions] . . . Major Shaw. A grotesque footman (Carter, see No. 11223), wearing officer's uniform with gorget, is so entranced by his reflection in a pier-glass that glasses fall from the salver he holds. Decorations on the pier-glass: comic lion and unicorn with the Royal Arms and Mrs. Clarke and Co. driving lions tandem (cf. No. 11264), suggest the hand of G. Cruikshank. In front of the Duke and Mrs. Clarke are papers: General; Sam Carter; Clavering [see No. 11247]; O'Mera [see No. 11258]; Dowler [see No. 11253]; Frenches Levy [see No. 11526]. No one sees Whitbread who enters (right), directing a broad beam of light from a dark lantern on the Duke and Mrs. Clarke. He says: When men do deal in Deeds of darkness—t'is Woman are their Counsel.
18 March 1809
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1809
- Dimensions
-
Height: 258 millimetres
-
Width: 375 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 No. 11216. On 9 Mar. Whitbread spoke at length on the charges against the Duke, disputing the arguments against Mrs. Clarke's veracity, &c. Parl. Debates, xiii. 159-240. He said 'the infamous Levy of Col. French bears the strongest marks of corruption from beginning to end, and of the connivance of the Commander-in-Chief in that corruption'. According to Miss Taylor's evidence (quoted by him) the Duke spoke of the levy to Mrs. Clarke, and said 'How does he behave to you Darling? . . . the Duke said Master French must mind what he is about or I shall cut up him and his levy too.' Ibid., xii. 477. See No. 11289. Major Shaw had applied to Mrs. Clarke, and had obtained the office of Deputy Barrack Master at the Cape, with promotion to Lt.-Col. But he was also strongly recommended by Sir Harry Burrard. Ibid., xii. 595 f., 614 ff. On 15 Feb. letters to Mrs. Clarke from Baroness Nollekens signed M. Noleken were produced, imploring her to use her influence to get a pension for her husband. Ibid., xii. 671-5. The title echoes the newsboys' wartime cry, cf. Nos. 8981, 9703.
Reid, No. 70.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.7767
