North, fox, and burke, holding hands, dance round a terminal surmounted by a bust whose face is covered by a closed book, the 'whole duty of man'. An owl perches on the head of the bust; round the terminal is a scroll inscribed "k. Wisdom 3d", to show that the bust is that of george iii. Seated at the foot of the terminal on a stone is a demon, grinning diabolically and playing a fiddle. Fox capers behind the demon, his right hand holding north's left, his left hand takes that of burke, who is dressed as a jesuit as in bmsat 6026, but wearing a high biretta below which his wig and queue hang down. A cross and rosary are in his belt and he wears sandals over bare feet. His head is turned in profile to the left, wearing spectacles; in his right hand is an open book, 'little red riding hood'. Fox and north gaze sentimentally at each other, cf. Bmsat 6193, &c. The background is a mountainous landscape with clouds. Beneath the design is engraved:
"let us dance & sing,------god bless the king,------for he has made us
merry men all. " 5 april 1783
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1783. Dimensions: Height: 248 mm; Width: 350 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Edmund Burke. Collection: British Museum. Coalition dance. (BM 1851,0901.132)
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