Dr. Priestley and paine sit at a rectangular table facing each other in profile. Priestley (left) sits in a chair holding a dark lantern which he directs at paine, and a tray of phospherous; beside him is a blunderbuss inscribed 'royal electric fluid'. Paine (right), seated on a barrel of gun powder, holds a dagger in each hand. The table is covered with pistols, daggers, swords, and a musket. On it, behind a pile of pistols, squats a grinning devil with folded arms and webbed wings which reach from priestley to paine. Behind priestley, and on the extreme left, is a pyramid of large volumes, inscribed respectively: 'fire and murder defended', 'deep designs', 'assassination', 'brutus', 'cataline', 'electrical batteries so contrivd to distroy any assembly or member at pleasure', 'select meetings', 'massacres', 'counter revolutions', 'revolutions', 'plots', 'treasons', 'conspiracys'. Under his feet and the table are objects inscribed 'brimstone' and 'g. Powdr', and papers inscribed 'treason', 'murders', 'fires'. Behind paine are more barrels of 'gun powder'; on these are piled papers or pamphlets inscribed: 'villany triumphant', 'rebellion', 'downfall of royalty', 'american revolution', 'massacre & plunder', 'the rights of man', 'common sense'. On the floor at his feet are packets of 'gun powder', bundles of matches, a blunderbuss, a pair of shackles, swords, &c. In the centre foreground are a headsman's axe, a pickaxe, a pike, &c. On the wall which forms a background are five pictures with figures on a tiny scale (left to right): [1] 'a la lantern'; a man is being hung from a lamppost, one of the crowd holds up a head on a pike. [2] 'shooting the king of sweeden'; ankerstrom shoots the king in the back while he is talking to a lady, see bmsat 8080. [3] 'charles the first', a small figure with an axe appears behind the head of the devil which hides the rest of the picture. [4] 'watt tyler', who is struck down by walworth. [5] 'guillotin', a victim kneels under the blade of the guillotine; soldiers surround the scaffold. 15 november 1792. Etching. Date: 1792. Dimensions: Height: 254 mm; Width: 350 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Jacob Johan Anckarström. Collection: British Museum. The Friends of the People (BM 1868,0808.6237)
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