Fox presides at a dinner of ragamuffins. He stands at the head of the table which recedes towards him in perspective, dominating the seated and standing audience. He says: "my dear friends & constituents, had i not possessed principles suited to all occasions i never could have sat so long in the house as i have done: of my abilities in this respect, it is scarce necessary to repeat to you the coalition with that upright man lord north, whose detestation of the american war is well known to you all. - of my assertion of the unquallified right of the prince to the regency without your consent [see bmsat 7381, &c. ]; & also the exalted character i gave our beloved friend o connor at maidstone [see bmsat 9245, &c], now is it any wonder gentlemen that i should leave off speechifying in the house, when i had the mortification to hear every one hint, that is an old story, - give us something new - now gentlemen this is the place to be heard!! here i am sure of attention (why dont you shout,) here i am sure of a majority this is the place to expatiate on the affairs of the nation to abuse the ministers! to dispute the acts of the senate & to spew out sedition in defiance of all law huzza, huzza huzza!!!" before him on the table is a paper headed 'resolution'. There are also pipes, papers of tobacco, measures of gin, tankards of ale, and one guttering candle. The title continues: '"i am ever ready to exert my abilities for my constituents; but i am the best judge where!!!' the guests are ruffianly vagabonds. A chimneysweep waves his brush and shove, shouting: "huzza, to the bank to morrow my lads iheres plenty of corn there. " a man with a bludgeon says "aye, aye, made a good thing of it in the borough. " another man says "d------n the law i say. " a ragged butcher with a mastiff (left) represents the band of butchers who supported fox at elections. A bearded jew is on the extreme left (indicating his (former) indebtedness to jews, see bmsat 6617). A (?) sewer-man, with an axe and a candle-end alight on the peak of his cap, says: "bad luck to pitt. " a ragged man (right) fills the pot of a ruffian with a bandaged eye from a tankard inscribed 'the kings head c. I. F. ' (cf. Bmsat 7892); the latter says: "yes, lost a daylight in bishopsgate street. " 14 october 1800
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1800. Dimensions: Height: 241 mm; Width: 395 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Charles James Fox. Collection: British Museum. The common garden orator-or aut cæsar aut nullis. (BM 1868,0808.6908)
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