A parson, grotesquely fat, short, and carbuncled, stands in profile to the right. Addressing an old woman seated outside the open door of a gin-shop, smoking a pipe. She holds a small tankard and a glass. He says, with an expression of scandalized horror: "woman - are you not ashamed of yourself to be sitting smoking and drinking in service time! - do you know who i am woman? - i am the parson of the parish. " she looks over her shoulder at him, puffing a cloud of smoke contemptuously in his face and says: "more shame for you i say, to be walking about troubling your head with other peoples consarns - when you ought to be in church preaching your sarmint!!" a small dog walks by the parson. Over the door (r. ) is 'rich cordial gin' in large letters. A shallow zinc tray covers a counter just within the door. Into this runs a vertical pipe with two taps. On it stands a miniature cask bestraddled by a bacchus. Behind it is a large cask of 'old tom'. Opposite, and on the extreme left. , is the corner of a pawn-shop, with the sign of three balls. In the background are a church and houses in a street. Copied in bmsat 10916. 10 march 1807
hand-coloured etching. Date: between 1800 and 1810. Dimensions: Height: 243 mm (cropped); Width: 347 mm (cropped). Medium: paper. Collection: British Museum. Smoking a parson!! (BM 1872,1012.5081)
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