Grand Irish Air Balloon, William Dent, 1784

A boat, in which are fox, burke, and north, is attached by cords to a round balloon. Beneath it is an apothecary's pestle and mortar, from which ascends a cloud of the 'patriotic gaz' with which the balloon has been filled; the mortar is inscribed 'blue & buff stink-pot'. A spectator stands on each side of the mortar: the devil with the face of the duke of portland (left), pointing upwards, holds a knife with which he has cut the ropes of the balloon; he says to his vis-à-vis, hall, the foxite apothecary, "there they go, doctor, a nice trim". Hall (right) looks at the balloon through a medicine-phial used as a telescope; he answers, "aye - they'll do it - if that blind jade j - t - e [justice] dont overset them". The balloon is inscribed 'oratory'; on it (or in it) are hibernia (left) and britannia (right). Hibernia, holding her shield with a crowned harp, raises her sword to strike britannia, who defends herself with her shield and spear. In the open boat slung from the balloon fox sits facing the bows (left), holding a pennant inscribed 'neck or nothing'. A cannon, inscribed 'independence', projects over the bows. In the centre sits burke dressed as a jesuit (cf. Bmsat 6026), saying, "by jasus, it will be sublime & beautiful to pop down among the congress". North sits in the stern looking through his eye-glass and holding the tiller, which is attached to a rudder consisting of a large book inscribed 'history of the american war'. The boat is inscribed 'new flying machine from portland to derry'. Beneath the title is etched: 'constructed on the same principle as the american air balloon, but containing more inflammable air than any hitherto invented, designed by monsieur le diable and executed under his direction by messrs charles and co in order to try experiments during the parliamentary recess. ' 7 october 1784 etching with hand-colouring. Date: 1784. Dimensions: Height: 337 mm; Width: 247 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Edmund Burke. Collection: British Museum. Grand Irish Air Balloon (BM 1868,0808.5377 1)