The Gamester Bes--t, or, a new way to win money, William Dent, 1784

An imaginary scene at brooks's. Fox stands in the centre, his waistcoat pockets hanging out empty, liquid dropping from the knees of his breeches, which a dog is licking. A man stands (left) in profile to the right, holding his nose, his left hand on fox's shoulder; he says, "charles, i'll lay 5000 l. You have beshit your breeches". Fox answers, "done, for i have not - patrick did i beshit myself?" and, in another label (right), addressing those who stand on his left, "done i take you all". He looks towards an irish chairman (left) who stands hat in hand, answering "no, your honor, you gave me 2 thirteens & 1/2 to doit for you - and a promise to keep me, if i shit your honor good luck". Lord derby (right) grinning, his right hand on fox's shoulder, says, "10,000l you have - this is a safe bett. " next (right) stands the prince of wales, laughing and saying "ha, ha, ha, cunning ro - e [rogue], ha, ah, ha, he has taken us all in - ha, ha, ha, paddy shit in his breeches, ha, ha, ha, i shall laugh till i piddle myself". He wears a hat with three ostrich feathers. The last two figures, who, like the prince, stand in profile to the left and wear ribbons, say, looking at fox, "horrid stench! 5000!" and "aye, a bonny lad he smells as sweet as a rose in june i'll lay 10000l". The former resembles north, the other is perhaps portland. In the foreground the floor is strewn with cards, dice-boxes, and dice. The background is a wall in which are three doors. Over the centre one is the head of a man or demon with horns, beneath it is inscribed 'brookes dealer in foreign spirits'. On the door is written 'e. O. & faro'. Over the right door is written 'billiards', over the left, 'chess'; over the former is a framed picture of two cocks fighting, over the latter, a picture of a horse-race is partly visible. The lower part of the wall is panelled, the upper part covered with a wall-paper, in a design of squares and circles. 13 may 1784 etching. Date: 1784. Dimensions: Height: 250 mm; Width: 347 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby. Collection: British Museum. The Gamester Bes-t, or, a new way to win money (BM 1868,0808.5302)