Six frenchmen, much caricatured, surround the coffin of 'leopold ii', which is raised on a support draped with black; enormous tears stream from their eyes, splash over the coffin, and form a pool of water which is more than ankle-deep, inscribed: 'emigrant tears, emigrant tears, tears, tears. ' the upper part of the ornate coffin is removed, showing the profile of the dead emperor, emerging from the pool caused by the tears of the french princes. The central figure is the comte d'artois, the leader of the émigrés; he says, "oh de pauvre, miserable artois, sans amis, sans argent, sans every ting". At the foot of the coffin is an emigre, stamping with rage and weeping, who says, clutching his wig, "arrah my honey you might have staid to help us to turn over the d------d national assembly, & to get our estates, & then we could have done without your assistance. " a man seated in the foreground (left), his legs crossed, weeps: "tu-hu-hu goot got almitash no friends now for me oh! got dem. " two men seated behind (right) say: "par bleu my dear friend leopold, how could you die and leave all these poor princes dukes & lord behind you", and "oh my dear leopold, thus to leave a set of pauvres jean foutres. Allez aux enfers foutre, pourquoi was you to die just now?"
written above 'an irish' which has been scored through. 15 march 1792
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1792. Dimensions: Height: 263 mm (printed image); Width: 360 mm (printed image). Medium: paper. Depicted People: Charles X, King of France and Navarre, . Collection: British Museum. A German howl or the emigrant princes bemoaning the loss of their dearest friend. (BM 1868,0808.6164)
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