A winding river flows (left to right) towards a hill in the background surmounted by a temple of fame. In the foreground (left) is a 'dunghill of republican horse turds'; in the stream float turds from the dunghill, while farther up are golden apples, crowned and inscribed. The foremost is 'english-pippin', close behind are 'imperial-pippin' and 'russian-pippin'; they are followed by a (turbaned) 'turkish-pippin' and a small 'neapolitan' [pippin]. From a mass of floating dung emerges the profile head of bonaparte, wearing a feathered cocked hat inscribed 'first horse turd'; this is the central and dominating object in the river; from his mouth issues a large label: 'a ha! par ma foi - how we apples swim!' lumps of dung close behind him are inscribed 'second horse turd' [cambacérès], 'third horse turd' [lebrun], and 'seyes' [sic]. They are followed by 'massena', 'jourdan', 'talleyrand'. Bonaparte swims between 'spanish-pippin' and 'prussian-pippin', both in proximity to dung. Behind him float 'papal p[ippin]', a triple crown, and 'sardinian [pippin]', both half submerged. Under water are submerged (or dead) turds: 'robespierre', 'marat', 'condorcet', 'roland'. A spreading column of thick smoke arises from the dunghill, which is composed of inscribed fragments, from which in the left foreground tiny heads emerge, the dominant one being fox, who says: "caira! caira! - chacun à son tour! we shall all swim in our turns"; next him is 'envy'. Tierney, the second head, says: "yes! yes! - none of us was born to be drowned". The others are sheridan, nicholls, erskine, and (slightly smaller) burdett, derby, taylor. Those indicated by names only are: 'voltaire', 'rosseau' [sic], 'd'alembert', 'godwin', 'price', 'priestley', 'holcroft', '(?) darwin', close to (scarcely legible) 'mo[rning] po[st]', 'morn. Chronicle', 'courier [see bmsat 9194]. Larger turds are: 'atheism', 'falshood', 'regicide', 'egalité', 'disappointment', 'beggary', 'poverty', 'plunder', 'paines rights of man' [see bmsat 7867, &c], 'republican faith', 'theophilanthropy' [see bmsat 9240], 'deceit [twice]', 'lies', 'licentiousness', 'hypocrisy'. Beneath the title: 'explanation. - some horse-turds being washed by the current from a neighbouring dunghill, espied a number of fair apples swimming up the stream, when, wishing to be thought of consequence, the horse turds would every moment be bawling out, - "lack a day, how we apples swim! - see buonaparte's letter to his majesty: and mr w--b--ds remarks upon the correspondence "between crowned heads" - viz. Kings & horse turds. ' 24 february 1800
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1800. Dimensions: Height: 260 mm; Width: 361 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Jean le Rond d'Alembert. Collection: British Museum. Tha apples and the horse-turds; -or-Buonaparte among the golden pippins (BM 1851,0901.1018)
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