print; satirical print

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Object Type: print; satirical print
Museum number: 1868,0808.8787
Title: Object: The royal mail, without opposition.
Description: George IV drives (left to right) a mail-coach, with Ministers, &c, as outside and inside passengers, and Canning as guard. The horses are galloping, the leaders cut off by the right margin. John Bull, with his wife and little boy, stands outside his inn, indicated by a sign on a post, the Crown (depicted), J. Bull. He holds up a glass to the King, saying, I say Master! vont you take a drap of brandy? it's good for your Constitution. I hopes you'll dine with us tomorrow, we shall have a fine piece of Beef & a plumb-Pudding. His buxom wife holds a large bottle of Cogniac and a glass; she says: Here's George! God bless him! he's one of our best customers—he always makes me take a glass of something good, and he's a very devil amongst the girls in these parts. Ha! Ha! Ha! my stars! & garters!! The child holds out its hands towards the King, saying, Papa! papa! The King, who is dressed as a mail-coachman, answers, flicking his whip in a masterly manner, Can't stop, my tulips [cf. BM Satires 14320], besides we've some suspicious chaps on the road who want to get the reins out of my hands, but that won't fit, and the Mail bags must be looked after—but my Guard is up to them. I,ll tell you more about it next time I pass, good bye old leather wig!—yea up! On the roof-seat behind him sit (left to right) Anglesey in uniform with cloak and round cap, Devonshire holding a wand of office, and Clarence, in uniform (incorrectly coloured red). Slung against the coach is a tool-basket inscribed Lansdown [see BM Satires 15378]. Canning, dressed as a guard, holds a bayoneted blunderbuss, and smiles down from his dickey at Wellington and Westmorland who run after the coach. Wellington, in uniform with trousers, holds a bag inscribed Pillage; he points up, saying, Can you find a place inside for me? Canning: No, we are quite full. Westmorland (ex-Lord Privy Seal), with an umbrella tucked under his arm, says, I was Privy to it once. The shadowy figure of Peel looms through the dust behind the coach. Behind them is an opposition house to The Crown, The Fox and the Grapes Accomodation for Man & Beast—House of Call for discharged Cabinet makers; five men watch from a balcony: Liverpool, Eldon with pipe and tankard, saying I doubt [cf. BM Satires 15369], and three others whose hair stands on end in surprised alarm; these must be Bathurst, Melville, and (incorrectly) Bexley. Inside the coach are Lyndhurst holding the mace next another judge, evidently Leach. Facing them sits a bishop (probably the Archbishop of Canterbury) holding mitre and crosier. The coach is realistically drawn, with the Royal Arms, G R and Brighton and London Royal [M]AI[L]. On the roof is luggage: boxes inscribed Ordinance—G R (appropriately by Anglesey) and Treasure (before Canning). The boot at the back is inscribed State Papers. In the foreground stands Brougham, dressed as a German broom-girl as in BM Satires 14769, &c.; he holds up one of his brooms to Canning, saying Buy a Broom!! [see BM Satires 15416]. 3d June 1827 Hand-coloured etching
Producer name: Print made by: Isaac Robert Cruikshank; Published by: George Hunt
School/style: British
Production date: 1827
Production place: Published in: London (England)
Materials: paper
Technique: etching; hand-coloured
Dimensions: Height: 263 millimetres; Width: 394 millimetres
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments: (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', X, 1952) One of many satires on the change of Ministry, see No. 15371, &c. It is in violent opposition to No. 15398, also by R. C. For the coaching theme cf. Opposition—Coaches by Gillray, No. 7323; it was much used in 1829.
Bibliographic references: BM Satires / Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum (15403)
Location: Not on display
Subjects: satire
Associated names: Associated with: Sir Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey; Associated with: Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst; Associated with: Henry Peter, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux; Associated with: George Canning; Associated with: John Singleton Copley, Baron Lyndhurst; Associated with: William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire; Associated with: John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon; Associated with: George IV, King of the United Kingdom; Associated with: Henry Petty Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne; Associated with: Sir John Leach; Associated with: Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool; Associated with: Charles Manners-Sutton, Archbishop of Canterbury; Associated with: Robert Saunders Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville; Associated with: Sir Robert Peel; Associated with: Nicholas Vansittart, 1st Baron Bexley; Associated with: Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington; Associated with: John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland; Associated with: William IV, King of the United Kingdom
Acquisition name: Purchased from: Edward Hawkins (estate of)
Acquisition date: 1868
Department: Prints and Drawings
Registration number: 1868,0808.8787

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