Members of the opposition, arranged in two horizontal rows, receive the news of aboukir. [1] in the upper left corner burdett sits, directed to the right, intently reading the 'extraordinary gazette' on 'nelson's victory'; his shock of hair covers his eyes, and he says, left hand raised in alarm: "sure i cannot see clear?" on the wall (left) is a print, a profile head of 'buonaparte'. [2] jekyll stands beside lansdowne, who reclines in an arm-chair in dressing-gown and bonnet-rouge, a gouty leg resting on a cushion. He holds out a paper headed 'captured ix french ships of war'; under his arm is a paper: '2 burnt'; he holds up two fingers. Lansdowne puts his hands over his ears, saying, "i can't hear! i can't hear. " (for jekyll and lansdowne cf. Bmsat 9179, &c. ) [3] bedford, sitting on a large treasure-chest, sourly tears in half a paper: 'complete destruction of buonaparte's fleet - ', saying, "it's all a damn'd lye". Behind his chest are padlocked sacks inscribed '£', indicating his wealth; on the wall hang jockey-cap, boots, and riding-whip. [4] erskine lies back in his chair holding a smelling-bottle to his nose, from his dangling right hand have dropped papers: 'capture of buonaparte's dispatches'. He says "i shall faint, i. I. I. " he sits by a table on which are writing-materials and 'republican briefs'. (for erskine's fainting in court, and egotism, see bmsats 7956, 9246, &c. ) [5] norfolk sits in an arm-chair beside a table on which are signs of a debauch: overturned decanters and a candle guttering in its socket. Wine pours from his mouth and from a glass in his right hand. At his feet is a broken tobacco-pipe, in his left hand a paper: 'nelson & the british fleet'. He says "what a sickening toast!" (cf. Bmsat 9168, &c). [6 and 7] tierney and sheridan sit looking at each other across a table, tierney (left) clutching his knee, on which lies a paper: 'end of the french navy - britannia rules the waves'. From his pocket issues a paper: 'end of the irish rebellion'. He says: "ah! our hopes are all lost". Sheridan, elbows on the table, his chin in his hands, says "i must lock up my jaw!" before him are papers: 'list of the republican ships taken and destroy[ed]'. [8] fox, in the lower right corner, hangs by a noose, having just kicked a stool from under his feet; his crisped fingers have dropped a paper: 'farewell to the whig club'. He says: "and i, - end with éclat!" he wears a bonnet-rouge. 3 october 1798
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1798. Dimensions: Height: 261 mm; Width: 365 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford. Collection: British Museum. Nelson's Victory;-or-Good-news operating upon Loyal Feelings. (BM 1868,0808.6771)
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