Shelb-n badgered and foxed, James Gillray, 1783

A sequel to bmsat 5964. Lord shelburne, seated on a chair in a landscape, holding up a document inscribed "preliminaries. . ", is being violently attacked by a fox (left) and a badger (right). The fox and the badger resemble those in bmsat 5964. The fox (fox) is tearing at shelburne's leg with his paws, and at the "preliminaries" [of peace] with his teeth, while is excreting and urinating against shelburne with great violence. Shelburne looks over his left shoulder at the badger (north), who is rushing at him from the right and has seized his coat in his teeth. In the background (left) is a little circular temple, its domed roof supported on two columns. On a pedestal in its centre stands a minute figure of shelburne, three peers wearing coronets kneel at his feet, he holds out to them two documents, one inscribed "preliminaries". The temple is inscribed "corruption"; on the apex of the roof is a coronet, above it is engraved the "idol of the lords"; it resembles the temple in bmsat 5606, &c. On the horizon (right) is a gallows by which stands a minute figure of britannia, her head irradiated; she points to the gallows, saying, "impeach". Beneath the title is engraved, "to the virtuous majority of the commons who voted for the amendment to the address on the memorable 18th of feby 1783. " 28 february 1783 etching. Date: 1783. Dimensions: Height: 246 mm; Width: 351 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne and 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, . Collection: British Museum. Shelb-n badgered and foxed (BM 1873,0712.837)