the ministry their working majority, while one of the city members, Calvert, the great brewer of the day, lost both his popularity and his place in parliament. This measure had been passed by the Pelhams in the last session, and, until its repeal, Sampson Gideon looked forward to a seat as a representative of the City of London. On the eve of the dissolution the ministers had repealed their unpopular Bill, and this concession to public opinion was regarded as an electioneering stratagem on their part. At the other end of the London group is Sir Crisp Gascoyne, who gave up his candidature for the city, and put up for Southwark, where he was rejected. At this time Sir Crisp was labouring under undeserved disfavour owing to his exertions to procure the conviction of Elizabeth Canning, the perjuress, for a false accusation against the gipsy, Mary Squires, who was, through Canning’s devices, condemned to death, but was subsequently pardoned, after Gascoyne’s investigation had established her innocence, and the true facts were made public. The case in question, which was not cleared up at the time of the elections, was the cause of that unpopularity which cost Sir Crisp his seat; in the engraving, he is made to exclaim, “Why, where are you, Mother Squires, with your infernal troop?”--Squires was alleged to be a witch! A friend riding beside him is pointing upwards, “Infernal! Sir Crisp? why, they are up in the air yonder!”--indicating a witch and three weird sisters riding on broomsticks over the heads of the parliamentary cavalcade. The leader, intended for the gipsy, is exclaiming, “I am afraid we are too late, sisters.” The spectators are standing aside to let the procession pass; one is shouting bravely for the “tried members, Barnard and England for ever, huzza!” and two others are abusing Gideon’s friends, who have hindered Calvert’s election. “Damn the Jews! they are always in the way,” “Turn ’em out of the Road.” A copy of verses further elucidates the subject:-- [Illustration: ALL THE WORLD IN A HURRY; OR, THE ROAD FROM LONDON TO OXFORD. 1754. [_Page 134._] “LONDON. “‘O! what! without a spur, Sir John, And yet your steed is getting on?’ ‘The steed is a good one I’m upon.’ “Says Madame Squires, in the air, ‘Our friend Sir Crisp need never fear-- Tho’ we are late, we will be there.’ “Sir William is not first, ’tis true, Nor Barnard second, tho’ True Blue, Glyn will be third--Jack! what say you? “If there is an honest man in the nation ’Tis Bethel, I’ll say it without hesitation, Nor leave it even to his own arbitration.” The half of the engraving of “All the World in a Hurry,” having reference to the Oxfordshire elections, may be taken as an introduction to Hogarth’s famous series of “The Election;” the actual candidates, besides the contest, being set forth in this earlier version.