The three candidates stand under the portico of st. Paul's, covent garden. Immediately below them is a long table behind which the poll-clerks are sitting with their books; in front is the mob. The clock in the pediment shows that it is 2. 30. Fox stands in the centre holding out an open book inscribed "magna charta". Britannia sits beside him, holding a fox on her knee, while with her left hand she holds up a paper inscribed, "let britania's friends be britons choice". On the left stands neptune with his trident and admiral rodney, a sword in one hand, in the other a scroll inscribed: "5298 the spanish fleet totally defeated off gibraltar jany 16 1780". On the right stands lord lincoln (son of the duke of newcastle), a sword in his right. Hand, in his left a scroll inscribed, "4257 votes purchas'd. I brought the news from america of the taking of charles town". (lincoln, a. D. C. To sir henry clinton, arrived in london 15 june 1780 with a dispatch on the capture of charlestown. 'extraordinary gazette', 15 june 1780. ) over lincoln's head flies the devil inscribed "a", referring to a note below the title: "a devil looking over lin------n". A voter stands by the polling table, taking the oath against bribery, his hand on a book which one of the clerks holds out to him. Another clerk holds up a paper, "we must guard against bribary". In the foreground is a band of fox's supporters, among whom are butchers in their aprons playing on marrow-bones and cleavers, a man with a fiddle, another with a horn. They wear fox's tails in their hats and carry papers on one of which is inscribed "200 plumpers. Liberty & freedom". The hat of the man who carries it is decorated with a fox's head and a large brush and a notice, "volunteers fox". On the left is a man with a placard: "the honble mr f's friends presents comps to lord l------& his modest abettors and desires to know why justice h------should interfere" (probably justice hyde, reputed a trading-justice). A man holds up a long pole on which is a stuffed fox placarded, "4878 reynard for ever". Beside it on the right is a barrel, a kneeling man drinks from a spigot, a small boy catches beer in his hat, others stand round with pots. A man stands on the top of a barrel singing a song; he holds the ballad: "ye free born electors of westminster city derry down. . " on the right a woman is selling fox's tails; a purchaser fixes one in his hat. On the left are two men with "lincoln" on their hats; baskets of apples are being overturned, a woman lies on the ground. A dead dog or cat flies through the air. A jew is conspicuous; a man stands on a box beating a gong. Behind the foreground figures is a dense crowd; hats are being waved in the air, a man on horseback (right) and a coach (left) try to make their way through the mob. On each side of the church is a large house at the windows of which are spectators. One doorway (left) is inscribed "procter", probably an allusion to the middlesex election of dec. 1768 when bludgeon men were said to have been hired by sir william beauchamp proctor, the court candidate and opponent of wilkes, see bmsat 4223, 4224. 25 september 1780
etching. Date: 1780. Dimensions: Height: 298 mm; Width: 437 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Charles James Fox. Collection: British Museum. Westminster election, 1780 (BM 1868,0612.1207)
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