Thurlow, fox, and sheridan as 'caliban', 'trinculo', and stephano in their stolen finery are driven off by ministerial hounds set on by 'ariel' (pitt) and 'prospero' (george iii). Thurlow (left) in chancellor's wig and gown, holding up the mace, the purse of the great seal under his arm, runs first, saying, "there is no peace to the wicked by g---d" [cf. Bmsat 7320]. He is worried by a dog, wearing legal wig and bands, who is loughborough (his successor). Fox follows, wearing royal robes and holding the orb and sceptre, he looks over his left shoulder to say: "every man shift for all the rest, & let no man take care for himself: for all is but fortune: - coragio, bully monster, coragio!" behind him, with a terrified expression, runs sheridan wearing a long gown. Though not named, he is stephano, the drunken butler. They are followed by three hounds with the heads of mansfield, windham, and portland. [mansfield is identified by e. Hawkins as grenville, portland as dundas. The heads suggest the identifications in the text, which are consistent with an apparent intention to make the hounds converts from the opposition. ] pitt and the king stand outside the door of the 'treasury', an archway in a stone building. The king (right) as prospero has a beard and belted robe with a hunting-cap; he holds a wand and says: "go. Go. Go. Charge my goblins that they grind their joints with dry convultions: shorten up their sinews with aged cramps; & more pinch-spotted make them than pard. Or cat o mountain, cat o mountain. " ariel (pitt) hovers on the king's right, a lean naked figure with small wings and a wisp of drapery. He cries: "hey, mountain. Hey! silver! there it goes silver! fury, fury! there tyrant, there! hark, hark!" 19 february 1795. Hand-coloured etching. Date: 1795. Dimensions: Height: 278 mm; Width: 439 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Charles James Fox. Collection: British Museum. Shakespeare's prophecy, or the last act but one in the Tempest, or the jack daws in borrowed feathers. (BM 1851,0901.722)
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