English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon I. Volume 2 (of 2)Ashton, John
History
English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon I. Volume 2 (of 2)
Ashton, John
Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Caricatures and cartoons
‘The Congress dissolved before the _Cake_ was cut’ is the title of an
etching by G. Cruikshank (dated April 6, 1815), in which the sovereigns
are seated round an enormous cake of Europe, which they were going
to cut up and divide, but are startled by the sudden apparition of
Napoleon, who, with drawn sword, strides into the room, trampling on
the _decrees of the Congress, An account of the Deliverance of Europe_,
and _a plan for the security of Europe_. The Dutchman falls off his
stool, and spills his bottle of Hollands: ‘Oh! Donder and Blizen, my
Hollands is all gone,’ is his consolatory reflection. Russia starts
up with ‘Who the Devil expected you here,--this is _mal à propos_.’
Prussia ‘Thought England had promised to guard him.’ Austria, in
terror, yells out for somebody to ‘hold him, seize him.’ The Pope
pathetically laments, ‘Oh dear, oh dear, what will become of me?’
Bernadotte shouts, ‘Seize him, Kill him’; but Poland, with folded arms,
calmly asks, ‘Who’ll begin? there’s the Rub!!!’ The only one of the
whole of them who has any presence of mind is Wellington, who jumps
alertly to his feet and draws his sword.
[Illustration: THE FLIGHT OF BONAPARTE FROM HELL-BAY.]
‘The flight of Bonaparte from Hell-Bay’ is by Rowlandson (April 7,
1815). It represents the arch-fiend, seated in his own peculiar
dominions, engaged in blowing bubbles, on one of which he has mounted
Napoleon, and sent him once more aloft, to the intense delight of
admiring devils.
Rowlandson etched ‘Hell Hounds rallying round the Idol of France’
(April 8, 1815), which certainly is not a pleasant picture. A colossal
bust of Napoleon, with a halter round his neck, is mounted on a pyramid
of human heads, and around him, to testify their delight at his return,
are dancing Savary, Fouché, Caulaincourt, Vandamme, Davoust, Ney, and
Lefèbre. Devils, who say ‘He deserves a crown of pitch,’ are bringing
one already alight. The foreground is strewn with corpses.
‘Vive le Roi! vive l’Empereur! vive le Diable! French Constancy, French
Integrity’ (date uncertain, but some time in April 1815) is credited
to Rowlandson. A French soldier, musket in one hand, snuff-box in the
other, has three different knots of ribbon in his hat--a red one, ‘Vive
le Diable!’ a white one, ‘Vive le Roi!’ and a tricoloured one, Vive
l’Empereur!’ A windmill typifies French stability, and a monkey and
cat, embracing and fondling, show ‘French union between the National
Guard and troops of the Line.’
On April 12, 1815, was published an etching, not signed, but accredited
to Rowlandson, ‘Scene in a New Pantomime to be performed at the
Theatre Royal, Paris. With entire new Music, Dances, Dresses, Scenery,
Machinery, &c. The principal Characters to be supported by most of the
great Potentates of Europe. Harlequin by M^r Napoleon. Clown by King
Wirtemberg. Pantaloon, Emperor of Austria. To conclude with a comic
song to be sung by the Pope, and a Grand Chorus by the crown’d heads.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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