Rowlandson the Caricaturist; a Selection from His Works. Vol. 2Grego, Joseph
History
Rowlandson the Caricaturist; a Selection from His Works. Vol. 2
Grego, Joseph
English wit and humor, Pictorial; Rowlandson, Thomas, 1756-1827
_August 28, 1809._ _The Rising Sun, or a View of the Continent._
Published by R. Ackermann.--Buonaparte is surrounded by the Continental
Powers; his present occupation is to lull and rock to slumber, in a
cradle, the Russian Bear, muzzled with French promises, and tempted
with 'Turkey wheat.' The Corsican is figuratively and literally sitting
on thorns; the sun of Spain and Portugal is arising on the meridian
with threatening import. Sweden has taken the part of watchguard of
Freedom, and is raising the cap of liberty; a Swedish huzzar is making
a desperate sabre-cut at the too successful general, and sounding a
warning note to the betrayed Muscovite: 'Awake, thou sluggard, ere the
fatal blow is struck, and thou and thine execrable ally sunk to eternal
oblivion.' The Emperor is disturbed by the new light: 'This rising sun
has set me upon thorns.' The Dutchman, with a broken sceptre, is sunk
in a besotted sleep on a cask of 'genuine hollands,' and leaning the
weight of his fat person on his ally, who finds the weight a trifle
crushing. Poland is represented as a shadow; the Prussian eagle is
trussed; and the King, with straw in his hair, and confined in a
strait-waistcoat, is singing mad ditties. Denmark is snuffed out under
an extinguisher; but the Austrian Emperor is once more taking heart
and advancing to the attack, sabre in hand, with dangerous intentions:
'Tyrant, I defy thee and thy cursed crew!'
_September 3, 1809._ _The Pope's Excommunication of Buonaparte, or
Napoleon brought to his last stool._ Published by T. Tegg.--The Pope
and his legates have called on the Emperor, with candle and bell, to
produce an effect. The head of the Church is propped up on 'French
crutches,' and his triple crown is split asunder; he is declaring: 'He
has cracked my crown, overturned my temporal dignities; but I am so
trammelled in these crutches that I cannot follow him as I would wish;
however, my good Lord Cardinals, read him the excommunication--it will
make him tremble on his throne.' The Cardinals proceed to rehearse
the contents of the comminatory scroll; the Emperor, who is holding
an 'Essay on the Church of Rome,' amongst other waste papers, is
returning, unmoved: 'Mercy on me! I never heard anything half so
dreadful. When you have done with that paper, gentlemen, I will thank
you for it!'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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