The monstrous assassin or the coward turn'd bill sticker, Isaac Cruikshank, 1790

A street scene: a stout man (right) affixes to a wall a large bill inscribed 'monster detected', resting one foot on a closed pair of stocks. A signature to the bill has been erased, the traces left suggest 'captain. D bill sticker'. He is elderly and plainly dressed, with spectacles attached to his coat and a horn (? ear-trumpet) slung to his coat. He looks over his right shoulder towards a bill-sticker who stands behind him, holding up a lighted torch and saying, "take care your feet don't get into them their holes captain". He is a grotesque, ragged figure with a wooden leg, holding a roll of bills under his right arm, a tin receptacle for paste is strapped to his waist; in his right hand is a long stick. On the ground at his feet is a paper: 'a [word undecipherable] song he that fights & run away may live and fight. But he that fight will never ris. '. On the wall are other bills: [1] 'monster argenstien. '. [2] 'escaped from a privat mad house an old lunatick. '. [3] a print of a sheep with a bell round its neck: 'the surprising bell wethe to be seen near the king bar pimlico'. Behind the bill-sticker is a coachman seated on his box, looking over his shoulder at the two other men. His two horses are stationary; the front of the coach is visible. Beneath the design is etched: 'sr s. Meadows [no sir s. Meadows or medows can be traced among baronets or in shaw's 'book of knights'] & the public are requested to take notice, this is not the captain straitshanks who was broke for cowardice, & who afterwards offered to enter into the french service not to fight against his native country, & who has kept his wife and two children upon 13 pounds a year in wales till the youngest child is 44 years of age, & who with one leg in the grave is endeavouring to do all the mischief he can with the other - this is not that their captain straitshanks. ' july 1790 [so dated by miss banks] etching. Date: 1790. Dimensions: Height: 355 mm; Width: 247 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: John Julius Angerstein. Collection: British Museum. The monstrous assassin or the coward turn'd bill sticker (BM 1868,0808.5811)