A middle-aged man (right) leads by strings attached to their coats, seven elderly men, the antiquities of malmesbury. He says, "i'll wait on you gentlemen i knows what it is to sarve". The first two have each a shrunken leg, lengthened by a block under the shoe; one says to the other, grinning, "for here i go up up up & there you go down down downe". His companion, a fat parson, answers, "aye aye moses, you and i have seen many tips & downs in this world, never mind we will have a pitcher of strong beer & a sheeps fry for supper. " (they appear to be the vicar and his clerk, moses, cf. Bmsat 6130. ) the others wear civic gowns and hold horn-books, inscribed with the alphabet, as then used by children learning to read; the first hobbles on a crutch. One says, "i wish any of us could reaa or write", another says, "if i could i might now get in for the borough". In the background (right) are the ruins of a gothic abbey or church. 14 february 1792. Hand-coloured etching. Date: 1792. Dimensions: Height: 245 mm; Width: 330 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Dr Wilkins. Collection: British Museum. The antiquities of Malmsbury (BM 1868,0808.6158 1)
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