The Brentford Race for the Middlesex Septennial Plate, William Dent, 1784

The candidates for middlesex and their supporters race (right to left) to brentford. The foremost rider is wilkes on a horse wearing a royal crown (indicating george iii, cf. Bmsat 6568); he holds up the cap of 'liberty' on its staff. Half a length behind, and nearer the spectator, is mainwaring, holding up a sword whose blade is inscribed 'justice'. His horse's human head is blindfolded, in its mouth is a pair of scales; in one balance is 'byng dunston', in the other and heavier, 'wilkes manwaring'. The horse probably represents justice, its rider was a well-known middlesex justice and chairman of the middlesex sessions. Behind wilkes, his horse's head hidden, is a rider not identified, he has lost his stirrups and clutches his saddle with both hands. Behind these three and in the centre of the design is george byng, the friend of fox and the prince of wales, m. P. For middlesex since 1780 (see bmsat 6078). He rides a pair of horses (representing the coalition), standing with one foot on the saddle of each; the near horse has the head of fox, the other that of north; the tail of the near horse is a fox's brush inscribed 'grace'. The fore legs of the pair touch a paper inscribed 'test'. Byng's whip is inscribed 'coalition' and he is saying, "spur them up behind doctor, or i shall lose the race", addressing hall, the westminster apothecary, who rides like a hobby horse a pair of crutches tied with a ribbon; in place of a hat he wears a mortar inscribed 'all [sic] blue and buff'; he holds up his pestle as if it were a whip. Behind byng, jeffery dunstan rides an ass with long ears and the head of sam house; he looks round to address the duchess of devonshire who is the last of the cavalcade. The duchess (right) rides astride, her bunched-up skirt showing spurred half-boots. Her horse has the head of the earl of surrey; she says, "byng for ever - and may the hearty cock ever stand stout in our sarvice". Dunstan says, "well said my dutchess - charly's whipper-in for ever. Huzza". The duchess wears a heavily trimmed hat in which is a large election favour and four fox's tails, each inscribed 'byng'. On the extreme left is a sign-post pointing 'to brentford'. 22 april 1784 etching. Date: 1784. Dimensions: Height: 251 mm; Width: 348 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: George Byng. Collection: British Museum. The Brentford Race for the Middlesex Septennial Plate (BM 1868,0808.5261)