A design in two compartments. On the left is the interior of a church, the pulpit in the foreground (left) with the head of the clerk below. In the background are the pews in the body of the church and a gallery with a congregation (freely sketched). A good-looking young parson stands in the pulpit, his eyes raised sanctimoniously. Beneath the design: 'good precepts \ do as i say'. On the right the parson, very drunk and dishevelled, is leaving a brothel, his arm round the waist of a prostitute with whom he has exchanged hats. He flourishes a cane; his pockets hang out empty; from them fall playing-cards and a 'book of common prayer'. The girl has picked his pocket and holds out his watch and seals to a woman in the open doorway (right) behind her. Over the door: 'dealer in spiritual liquor', and beside it: 'lodging for gentlemen'. In the background under an arcade which indicates the piazza, covent garden, a watchman walks with a lantern. Beneath the design: 'but bad examples \ - not as i do - '. Bmsat 9647 has the same title. 20 january 1794. Etching. Date: 1794. Dimensions: Height: 248 mm; Width: 377 mm. Medium: paper. Collection: British Museum. Parsonic piety (BM 1868,0808.6333)
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