- Museum number
- 1868,0808.9083
- Title
- Object: The hue and cry; or John Bull between two knaves, stool, and the heads of police called in to rescue him from pickpockets.
- Description
-
In the foreground John Bull lies prone, with little Maria da Gloria climbing on to his back, while a cloaked and conspiratorial Portuguese officer picks his pocket of papers inscribed 'Portuguese Bond'. She is a child of three or four, and holds a sceptre; she tramples on a paper inscribed 'Honesty is the best Policy'. J. B. wears the wig of a "cit" and top-boots. With an agonized expression he says: 'I always thought before that when rogues fell out honest men got their due—but Lord how the Times can change!!!' His bull-dog, with a collar inscribed 'Trusty', looks fiercely at the Portuguese officer. The "Heads of Police" are Wellington and Peel, in the new police uniform (see BM Satires No. 15768, &c.). Wellington, with 'W I' on his top-hat, takes the little Queen by the arm, and points with a watchman's rattle to a small design in the upper margin, saying, 'Come, Miss, be off home; we can't allow you to collect pickpockts [sic] about you here—look up and see what they come to'. This cautionary object is the head and hands of a much-whiskered Portuguese resting on a board, as if in a pillory, with a small cap suspended over his head. Inscription: 'Let him wear it whom the cap fits'. He appears to be looking down at the scene below, and resembles the pickpocket. Behind Wellington stands Peel, his hat inscribed 'A 2'; he holds a paper: 'Memorial of British Bond holders' and (like a Bow Street officer) cries 'Take care of your pockets'. On each side of this group, and farther from the picture-plane, is the king of a pack of cards: on the left in profile to the right is Dom Miguel as King of Hearts, placarded 'Chose by the Nations'. Close behind him, as if giving him advice, is Lord Beresford. On the right is Dom Pedro of Brazil, as the King of Diamonds (a product of Brazil), placarded 'The Nation chose by him'. He wears a feather girdle and a barbaric sword and looks to the left. Whispering into his ear is Nathan Meyer Rothschild, saying, 'If you pay them you'll want more monies—and that is not convenient just now'. Just behind Rothschild is his adviser, the Devil, saying, 'Tell him to call it Political Expediency—you know well how easily John Bull is humbug'd'. Behind them is a wavy line inscribed 'Coast of Brazil'; towards this a ship is sailing. In the foreground (right) stands a grenadier, probably Lord Aberdeen, 'P 3' on the front of his bearskin. He beats a drum inscribed 'Rogues March'.
In the upper and left and right margins of the design are inscriptions and small designs. Besides the pilloried head described above are (left) a tiny despairing figure seated in the stocks, inscribed 'Dabbling in Foreign Stocks alias Securities', and (right) a body hanging from a gallows: 'Tit for Tat; or a taste of Temporary Suspension'. Inscriptions: [1] 'Jobbing Memorandums—and a good job too!!' | 'May Ist 1828, Sold 20,000 Portuguese Bonds at 62' | 'April 2. 1829, Bot— ditto at 42—' | 'Profit 20 per Ct.' [2] A newspaper page headed 'Foreign Stock List Prices'. [3] '"His Impl M—s Minister, in order to afford a Proof of the good faith of his Government, & their religious Observance of the Convention of the 29th August, 1825, will cause the Dividends of the Loan to be paid as usual."' 'See Courier, April 30, 1828'. [4] 'Portugueze Bond. Art. 13. The engagement now enter'd into is to be declared inviolable, & not to be affected by any Political change or circumstance whatever, and lastly the present Articles are entered into upon the most implicit good faith, &c. &c. &c.' [5] '"Till thou canst take [sic] the Seal from off my Bond I stand here for the law. There is no Power in Venice can alter a decree established. 'Twill be recorded as a Precedent, & many an error by the same example will rush into the State. Shakespeare' ['Merchant of Venice', IV. i, combining Shylock and Portia]. [6] 'Convention, 29th Augt 1825.—In the Name of the most Holy Trinity. His Impl Majesty takes on the Treasury of Brazil the Loan which Portugal contracted in London, in Octr 1823. Witness Chas Stuart.' [7] 'Report of Brazil Finance Committee—. "Have the Interest & Sinking fund on the Portuguese Loan in London been paid? If they have not, where is the Money? Would to God there never had existed a London Legation! Then the Treasury of Brazil would have been more fortunate!!! See Times, Octr 23, 1829.' c. October 1829
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1829
- Dimensions
-
Height: 270 millimetres
-
Width: 415 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- In the title, 'knaves' has been scored through.
(Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', XI, 1954)
Wellington tells the little Queen to go home: she left for Brazil in August. Dom Pedro, on succeeding in Mar. 1826, was bound, owing to the recent treaty of separation, to choose between Brazil and Portugal, but instead of abdicating in favour of his brother Miguel, he conferred a charter on his Portuguese subjects and abdicated in favour of Maria, aged seven, with Miguel as regent. Miguel was the idol of the Lisbon populace, and was acclaimed as "re assoluto": he was offered the crown by the Cortes in June 1828 and accepted it. Civil war followed. Beresford was Miguelist in sympathy. Cf. No. 15795. Sir Charles (now Lord) Stuart was English plenipotentiary in Brazil. Articles on the loan in 'The Times' were on 24 and 29 Oct. 1829 (with a long authoritative letter from a Portuguese on 7 Nov.). These were contradictory as to the obligation on Brazil, but showed that there were no funds for the payment of dividends (the money having been otherwise applied) and that nothing was to be expected from either the Queen's party or Dom Miguel. For the Portuguese Loan see No. 15893. Stolen property was advertised in 'The Hue and Cry and Police Gazette', altered in Jan. 1828 to 'The Police Gazette; or Hue and Cry'.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.9083