The interior of a room in a cottage. General gunning (left) as an old gipsy-woman, but wearing a military coat, is seated (on a drum) at a table, facing his daughter. In place of a sword he wears a broom. He seals a letter, a number of seals and a letter 'to d------ of m------' [marlborough] are on the table beside him. Miss gunning holds a pack of cards (the ace of spades uppermost) to her lips, saying, "i swear that i never wish'd or tried directly or indirectly to get a coronet; that i never saw or writ to lord b------[blandford] or lord l--------- [lorne], in all my life; - that men are my aversion; - & that i never had any thing to do with, with the groom, in all my born days; - will that do, dad?" he answers, "well done, bett! we'll get thro' the business i'll warrant you; - we can write with all sorts of hands, we've got all kinds of seals, & with the assistance of our old friend under the table, we shall be able to gu them yet daughter but i must be mum". Through a hole in the boards under the table the devil emerges, surrounded with flames, he holds up a torch exultantly, saying "swear!" gunning melts his sealing-wax in the torch, the right is an open hearth over which hangs a cauldron full of coronets. Beside it (left) sits mrs. Gunning, blowing the fire with a pair of bellows formed of a book: 'letter to the d------ of a' (see bmsat 7983). She says: "that's right, my sweet innocent angel! say grace boldly! make haste my dear little lovely lambkin! - i'll soon blow up the fire, while nauntee-peg helps to cook up the coronets; we'll get you a nice tit-bit for dinner, before we've done, my dear little deary. " opposite her and on the extreme right an old woman, dressed in rags stands over the cauldron with a spoon, saying, "puff away, sister! the soup will soon boil - law's me, how soft the green peas do grow, & how they jump about in the pot when you puff your bellows!" behind her is a placard: 'waltham abbey - by peg niffy'. (mrs. Gunning, née minifie, was said in the press to have written a novel called waltham abbey, this she denied. 'letter. . ', p. 89. ) on the wall behind miss gunning is a print of the pillory (the punishment for perjury) and a bill: 'affidavit of eliz: canning. ' behind her father are 'the life of a soldier', 'the man of honor a catch', and 'the useful groom a new song'. Through a door (left) behind gunning is seen a groom holding a horse; he says, "i'm ready to ride, or swear, or any thing". A signpost points 'to blenheim'. 25 march 1791
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1791. Dimensions: Height: 268 mm; Width: 345 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll, Susannah Gunning, Margaret Minifie, Elizabeth Gunning. Collection: British Museum. Betty Canning revived -or- a peep at the conjuration of Mary Squires, & the Gypsey family. (BM J,4.89)
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