Guy-Vaux discovered in his attempt to destroy the King & the House of Lords [graphic] : his companions attempting to escape.

Published/Created:

[London]
Pubd. May 14th, 1791, by H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond Street
[14 May 1791]

Copyright Date:

[14 May 1791]

Physical Description:

1 print : etching on wove paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 35.4 x 50.2 cm, on sheet 35.8 x 50.8 cm

Related Links:

Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 6, no. 7862
Wright, T. Works of James Gillray, the caricaturist with the history of his life and times, p. 127
Wright, T. Historical and descriptive acc

Notes:

Title from text in lower right corner of image.
Printmaker from British Museum catalogue.
Text below title: NB his associates were all taken afterwards & executed.
Sheet trimmed leaving thread margins.
Temporary local subject terms: Charles Fox as Guy Vaux -- Allusion to George II, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820 -- Plot against House of Lords -- Gunpowder Plot, 1604 -- Dark lantern -- Watchman's rattle -- Burke as watchman -- Watchman's staff -- Denounced coalition -- Quarrel: Fox and Burke, 1791 -- Puns: 'Vaux' for Fox -- Burke's spectacles.
Old Print Shop; March 1961; Acquisitions no.: 961-3-1-231.
Watermark: Turkey Mills J. Whatman.

Abstract:

"Fox as Guy Vaux kneels on one knee beside a pile of three barrels which he is about to fire with a lighted paper inscribed 'Rights of Man', holding up a dark lantern in his left hand. Burke, dressed as a watchman, rushes towards him and seizes Fox's left wrist, turning the rays of the lantern on his face, while he springs the rattle in his outstretched right hand. His long staff rests on his shoulder and he wears a long coat with a triple collar, badged on the left sleeve with a crown. He says, ""Hold Miscreant - I arrest thee in the name of the British Constitution, which thou art undermining - I arrest thee in the name of human nature, which thou hast most cruelly outraged; - I arrest thee in the name of that Monarch whom thou dost wish to deprive of dignity, & of that people whom thou hast most basely deluded! - Nay, no fawning: - thy Tears & thy hypocrisy make no impression on the mind of truth & Loyalty: - therefore, Enemy of all good! yeild to that punishmt which has long waited those "crimes which are left as yet unwhipt of Justice"". Fox, who wears a slouch hat and a long cloak buttoned over his mouth, says, "O Lord! O Lord! that ever my aim should be discover'd when I had taken such pains to disguise myself - for Heavens sake, Watchman, what have I done that I should be apprehended? - what have I done only answer me that! - dare you accuse me only for what you think I intended to do ? - have I ever assassinated the King, or blown up the Lords ? - as to this Gunpowder here, I only intended to set fire to it merely to clear the Nation of Buggs: - for goodness sake do let me go: - or if I must suffer do let it be without holding up my own dark Lanthorn in my Face, for my Eyes are so weak with crying to think I should be charged with such Villainy, that I cannot bear the Light." Large tears fall from his eyes. The barrels are inscribed 'Gunpowder', one 'for the King', another 'for the House of Lords'. Behind, Sheridan escapes up a flight of steps, he follows another conspirator whose leg is visible on the extreme right. He says, I must be off while I can; as to my Friend there, why, if he does go to pot there's the more room for me! - I wish I could squeeze out a Tear or two as well as he, it might impose on the Mob, if they should stop me: - but I've come that humbug so often before, that my Eyes - Da-n my Eyes! there's not one drop left in them." ..."--British Museum online catalogue.

Associated Names:

Gillray, James, 1756-1815 [Printmaker]
Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817 [Publisher]

Topics:

Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley
Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806
Harvey, Francis
Kirgate, Thomas, 1734-1810
Riviere & Son
Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816
Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797

Language:

English

Genre:

Annotations (Provenance) -- 18th century
Etchings -- England -- London -- 1791
Satires (Visual works) -- England -- 1791
Watermarks (Paper)

Format:

Image

Content Type:

Prints & Photographs

Rights:

These images are provided for study purposes only. For publication or other use of images from the Library's collection, please contact the Lewis Walpole Library at walpole@yale.edu. Further details on the Library's photoduplication policy are available at http://www.library.yale.edu/walpole/html/research/rights_reproductions.html

Call Number:

791.05.14.01++ Impression 1

Orbis Record:

9745423

Yale Collection:

Lewis Walpole Library

Digital Collection:

Lewis Walpole Library

Local Record Number:

lwlpr07162

Volume/Enumeration:

Digital version

OID:

10732583

PID:

digcoll:553691