Hastings, in oriental dress, rides (right to left) a camel. He and the camel look down with dignified contempt at burke (left), who fires a blunderbuss point-blank at the 'shield of honour' on hastings's left arm. On the shield is a crown. Behind hastings are fox and north (right): fox raises a dagger with burlesqued gestures and an expression of frenzied rage; north, very short and fat, clutches one of the bags behind hastings inscribed 'lacks rupees added to the revenue'; this is tied to another inscribed 'rupees do'. The three assailants are much caricatured and all wear armour; burke, grotesquely thin and like some malignant insect, wears a jesuit's biretta (cf. Bmsat 6026). He somewhat resembles the don quixote of bmsat 7678, &c, cf. Also bmsat 7158; a wallet of 'charges' is slung across his shoulder, bare feet project from the greaves which cover his legs. North wears his garter ribbon over his armour, with a feathered helmet and top-boots. The point of a large sabre with a damaged blade projects through the tattered scabbard which is inscribed 'american subjugation'. Fox wears the cloak of a conspirator over his armour (cf. Bmsat 6389, &c). Hastings (not caricatured) wears a jewelled turban, floating draperies, trousers, and slippers; his camel is heavily draped. On its back are bags, inscribed 'saved to the company' and 'eastern gems for the british crown', with a rolled map, 'territories acquired by w. Hastings'. The background is a mountainous landscape. 11 may 1786
hand-coloured etching and aquatint. Date: 1786. Dimensions: Height: 306 mm; ; Width: 420 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Edmund Burke. Collection: British Museum. The political-banditti assailing the saviour of India (BM 1851,0901.292)
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