- Museum number
- 1935,0522.12.184
- Title
- Object: Lucifera's Procession. Fairy-Queen
- Description
-
Queen Caroline as Lucifera sits in a coach made up of objects which figured in the evidence against her. The driver is Bergami, whip in hand (thus representing Satan) on a high box seat; he turns to hand a bottle of wine to the Queen who holds a sack inscribed '50,000' [see No. 14145]. The beam or chassis is a cannon (see No. 13850), on this rests the body of the open coach, the front part being the prow of a boat (the polacca, see No. 13818), the centre part a tub, representing the bath, see No. 13819, the back part, half of the body of a travelling-coach, is surmounted by half a conical tent (see No. 13818), the whole making a canopy over the Queen. On the tub-section a coat-of-arms is represented by a diamond-shape blank (hatchment-wise) with two supporters, Bergami and the Devil. Motto: 'Ama et Aude'. The six animals harnessed single file and their riders are adapted from the 'Faerie Queene', relevant quotations being etched below, in eight compartments. The procession advances from the right, down a slope towards a slough, on the verge of which the leading animal, an ass, has fallen, throwing its rider, Alderman Wood in his livery gown, who has dropped two large stacks of papers: 'Addresses ready made' [cf. No. 14119] and 'Plate Subscription' [see No. 14196]. Below: 'Ignorance Might seem the Wain was very Evil led, When such an One had guiding of the way, That knew not whether right he went or else astray.—' [I, iv. 19.] [He replaces the 'Idlenesse' of the original.] The next four carry banners, each topped by a bonnet rouge; the leader is Dr. Parr on a large pig, as 'Gluttony the second of the crew'. He smokes his accustomed pipe, holds an open book; on his banner is 'Un-Sunned Snow' [see No. 13975]. Below: 'And next to him rode loathsome Gluttony, deformed Creature, on a filthy Swine' [ibid. 21]. Next, on a goat, is Lord Grey, holding a banner inscribed 'Purity' and a staff topped by a burning heart. He wears a garland of white roses over his shoulder. Below: '—Sir G Rat— In a Green Gown he cloathed was full fair, And in his hand a burning heart he bare' [ibid. 25]. (He is the 'lustfull Lechery' of the original.) He is followed by Brougham riding a wolf (fifth in the original), in wig and gown, holding a broom and a banner inscribed 'Innocence'. Below: 'And next to him malicious Envy rode upon a ravenous Wolf .....He doth backbite and spitefull poison spews' [ibid. 30, 32]. Next (last in the original), riding a fierce lion, is Burdett wearing makeshift and partial armour, a small red cap, and a tricolour sash; he holds up a firebrand and a red flag inscribed 'Victory or Death' [cf. Hunt's motto in 1819, see No. 13279]. Below: 'And him beside ride fierce revenging Wrath, Upon a Lion loath for to be led, And in his hand a burning brand he hath, The which he brandisheth about his head' [ibid. 33]. Last (fourth in the original) a stout man mounted on a camel holds before him a copy of 'The Times', from a stack of the papers on his knee. He wears an apron with rolled-up shirt-sleeves (like a pressman) and top-boots, and is clearly Barnes (a fair portrait). Large saddle-bags are inscribed 'Hush Money, Pub[lic] Money', and '£500 Weekly'. Below: 'And greedy Avarice next him did ride, Upon a Camel, loaded all with Gold For of his wicked Pelf his God he made, And unto Hell himself for money Sold' [ibid. 27]. The last two inscriptions (right) describe Bergami and the Queen: 'And after all upon the waggon beam Rode Satan with a smarting Whip in hand, With which he forward lashed the lazy Team, As oft as Ignorance ['Slowth' in original] in the Mire did stand [ibid. 36]. So forth She comes and to her coach does climb [ibid. 17] The which was drawn by six unequal Beasts, On which her six sage Counsellors did ride' [ibid. 18].
Queen Caroline is compared to Lucifera:
That made her selfe Queene, and crowned to be,
Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all, . . . [ibid. 12].
12 May 1821
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1821
- Dimensions
-
Height: 273 millimetres (trimmed)
-
Width: 411 millimetres (trimmed)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', X, 1952)
Wood leads as champion and factotum 'en titre'; Parr, see vols. vi-ix, was the Queen's first chaplain, and an adviser on the answers to Addresses (some allegedly paid for by the Queen, Airlie, 'Lady Palmerston and her Times', 1922, i. 70, see No. 14189). Grey's long speech on 3 Nov., see No. 14013, was an effective attack on the evidence against her; it was published and gained him much popularity. 'Parl. Deb.', N.S. iii. 1544 ff.; Trevelyan, 'Grey of the Reform Bill', 1929, pp. 191-7. Brougham is her chief legal champion. Burdett, just released from prison, was the most radical of her supporters in Parliament. 'The Times' led the defence of the Queen in the Press, see No. 13964; as a result the circulation of the paper rose from 7,000 to more than 15,000. 'Hist. of the Times', 1935. It was generally believed that circulation was the paper's first concern. The plate is depicted in No. 14206.
De Vinck, No. 10433.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1935
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1935,0522.12.184
