An e. O. Table lies in the street, outside a house, its legs already broken, its central mechanism damaged. It is being further attacked with mallets and a poker by justices and constables of westminster. The two bow street justices, addington and wright, and their clerk, bond, have asses' heads. Justice addington (left), his head bleeding, is being chased from the open door of the house by a maidservant of meretricious appearance who holds a broom above her head as if to strike; she says, "come out here! i'll just-ass addlehead you! what you'll open my lock too, without a key will you?" addington holds his hands over his head saying, "help! murder! - help - fire! thieves: popery! help!" justice wright, wearing a bag-wig, stands over the table, his mallet raised above his head about to strike the table. A constable attempts to stop him, holding up both hands, saying, "o lord, mr just-ass you'r not wright! [the w. Has been scored through] they'll dite you on magna-charta for breaking open their houses! & have you before the judges". Wright answers, "the judges? damn t!le judges! & magna-charta too! ! our warrants above both - " this constable wears a wig, a hat in whose upturned brim is a tobacco-pipe, a belted coat, a constable's staff terminating in a crown thrust through the belt. On the right of the table stand two other constables of disreputable appearance, one wields a poker, the other a large hammer; only the latter has a constable's staff protruding from his waistcoat pocket; his breeches are undone at the knee, his stockings ungartered. On the extreme left bond, the clerk at bow street, stands on an upturned tub, his hands on his hips, saying, "slap away boys, slap away: i am bond for all the mischief you do - i hope soon to be a just-ass myself, for my ears are now grown almost as long as just-ass addleheads - "
the background is the lower part of the house from which the e. O. Table has been taken, showing the door, part of two sash-windows. Plaster has fallen off in patches showing bricks. Below the title is engraved "n. B. The jack-asses are to be indemnified for all the mischief they do, by the bulls & bears of the city. " 26 august 1782
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1782. Dimensions: Height: 250 mm (cropped); Width: 350 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Sir William Addington. Collection: British Museum. The w-st-r just-asses a braying-or-the downfall of the E. O. table. (BM J,4.69)
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