A great man in distress or, How to grow rich & avoid becoming chargable to the Parish. A subscription experiment, William Dent, 1793

Fox, a ragged and bare-footed beggar, walks (left to right) past the door of the '[crown] & anchor' tavern holding out his hat. On his chest is a placard: 'pray pity the poor galilcan [the prefix anti has been scored through but left legible] undone by french affairs. ' in his right hand is a staff. He weeps, saying, "oh! a heart of stone would melt at the misfortunes of my life - how i was cast away aboard the portland east indiaman - how i have since been buffeted about by adverse winds in the republic - how i have been scarce able to keep head above water in brooks - how i was stranded with a french cargo - and lost most of my crew in constitution bay and now left to starve but for sweet charity. " at his feet are dice and a dice-box, with an empty cornucopia, suggesting that his profits from faro, see bmsat 5972, are ended. (cf. A scurrilous pamphlet, 'a looking-glass for a right honourable mendicant. . ', 1794, pp. 24-5. ) 11 june 1793 etching with a tonal effect. Date: 1793. Dimensions: Height: 336 mm; Width: 248 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Charles James Fox. Collection: British Museum. A great man in distress or, How to grow rich & avoid becoming chargable to the Parish. A subscription experiment (BM 1868,0808.6298)