The generae of patriotism,-or-the Bloomsbury farmer, planting Bedfordshire wheat., James Gillray, 1796

The duke of bedford, a stalwart, handsome and smiling farmer, strides (left to right) across a newly ploughed field, scattering guineas from a pouch slung to his shoulder; on his back is a large sack inscribed '£'. As he sows the tips of bonnets-rouges and daggers sprout up; behind him (left) they progressively emerge more completely, and appear as little jacobins, a raised dagger in each hand, crowding in close ranks towards the horizon, where they hail (or are smitten by) thunderbolts which dart from clouds in the upper left corner of the design and explode on reaching the ground. The soil is prepared by fox, sheridan, and lauderdale: fox's smiling face is the centre of a sun which issues from clouds and shines on bedford. A bull (john bull) is harnessed to a plough which is guided by sheridan wearing a bonnet-rouge. Lauderdale (bare-headed) raises a whip to flog the weary bull. 3 february 1796 hand-coloured etching and aquatint. Date: 1796. Dimensions: Height: 249 mm; Width: 351 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford. Collection: British Museum. The generae of patriotism,-or-the Bloomsbury farmer, planting Bedfordshire wheat. (BM 1851,0901.775 2)