Three busts on pedestals under two pictures: fox, very lifelike, without inscription, between 'demosthenes against æschines' (left) and 'cicero against cataline' (right), both of whom look straight before them, frowning severely, as if outraged at their new companion. Above demosthenes is 'justice': a picture of catherine ii, raising a dagger to stab to the heart the sultan, who lies on his back, his sabre and a bag of '16000000 roubles' beside him. On the right is 'moderation': the empress in back view stands facing a wall-map of 'moldavia bessarabia wallachia' over which she stretches her stout arms with widespread greedy fingers. Between the pictures and above fox is a circle surmounted by an imperial crown and inscribed 'conjugal love a cure for the haemerroidical cholic'. It encloses a noose of rope, and another rightope is looped round the exterior of the circle, indicating catherine's complicity in the murder of her husband peter iii (cf. Bmsat 8124). Beneath the design is etched in four columns:
"the grecian orator of old,
"with scorn rejected philip's laws,
"indignant spurn'd at foreign gold,
"and triumph'd in his country's cause
a foe to every wild extreme,
'mid civil storms, the roman sage
repress'd ambition's lawless scheme
and check'd the madd'ning people's rage, -
domestic peace, external fame,
with patriot zeal their patrons sought
and rome's or athen's sacred name,
inspird & govern'd every thought,
who then, in this presumptuous hour,
aspires to share th' athenian's praise?
the tool confess'd of foreign pow'r,
the æschines of modern days,
what chosen name to tully's joind
is now announced to distant climes ?
behold to lasting shame consign'd
the cataline of later times. ' 17 march 1792
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1792. Dimensions: Height: 296 mm; Width: 325 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Abd al-Hamid I. Collection: British Museum. Design for the new gallery of busts and pictures. (BM 1851,0901.585)
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