print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- J,1.100
- Title
- Object: Time working out the new m-y [ministry] in proper characters
- Description
-
Time (left), an old man with wings, wearing a loin-cloth, turns a handle which turns a mill, resembling a modern coffee-mill. In the cone-shaped receptacle or hopper the heads of ministers appear: Dunning, cr. Lord Ashburton 30 Mar., (left) in profile to the right says, "We came in for Solomons, but I fear we shall turn out Simpletons". The other heads (left to right) are Burke, wearing spectacles, Lord Shelburne, Keppel, and the Duke of Richmond [Miss Banks has written 'Col. Barré', but the resemblance to Richmond is unmistakeable] who is in profile to the left, facing Dunning. Facing these are two heads in back view, and a boy's head turned in profile to the left, evidently Pitt, who became Chancellor of the Exchequer on 10 July. From a spout below the cone a goose, Charles Fox (right) is emerging, its legs and tail still in the machine. It says, "I went in reputed a wise Fox, but Time now proves me a silly cackling goose." 14 August 1782
Etching
- Production date
- 1782
- Dimensions
-
Height: 198 millimetres
-
Width: 176 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', V, 1935)
Fox had lost credit, not only by his resignation, see BMSat 6010, &c, but by his unfulfilled boasts of being able to secure a separate peace with Holland, see BMSat 6014. Burke had also resigned, see BMSat 6026. Dunning was Chancellor of the Duchy, Keppel First Lord of the Admiralty, Richmond Master-General of the Ordnance in Shelburne's Ministry, whose progressive disintegration is here prophetically depicted. Keppel resigned in December, Richmond ceased to attend the Cabinet, others were restive and threatened resignation, the result being the coalition between Fox and North. See Fitzmaurice, 'Life of Shelburne', ii. 229 ff. The speedy fall of the Ministry and the coalition of Fox and North was anticipated in July by Eden and Loughborough. 'Journal and Corr. of Lord Auckland', 1861, pp. 5-7. See also BMSat 6165. BMSat. 6029, 6039, by the same artist, belong to the same series.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1818
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- J,1.100