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
1814. _Portsmouth Point._ Published by T. Tegg (255).--The varied
humours of Portsmouth are displayed with the caricaturist's native
vigour. Nothing could be more animated than the picture, which has an
air of truth, nor could the scene be represented with fuller character,
all its grotesque features being brought forward with ready fun. The
landing-place is bustling with business; small craft of all sorts are
pulling off to the ships; luggage, spirit-casks, and packages are
being wheeled or shouldered off for debarkation. A couple of sailors,
with hands across to form a sedan, are carrying a stout lady of fashion
down to a lighter. Jack on shore and Jack taking his chest seawards are
elbowing busy stevadores. A commander, his lady, and a porter bearing
his sea-trunk, are in the centre of the crowd; a wooden-legged fiddler
is tipping a stave for 'Poll and her partner Joe,' and a frolicsome
tar is giving a parting salute with more ardour than propriety. On one
side is the respectable element--the admirals, captains, and other
naval officers, and their families, who are parting from wife and
children with a tender embrace at the door of the Ship Tavern; and
many a gallant naval hero is draining his last bowl of punch on shore.
On the opposite side such rougher contrasts are exhibited as common
sailors, lodging houses, outfitting emporiums, cast clothes marts,
and ship-store shops, _Moses Levy--Money Lent_, and similar tempting
emporiums, where customers are inspecting second-hand apparel. Such a
spectacle would not be complete, according to the taste of the times or
the actualities of the case, without some sort of uproariousness, and
so we are treated to the sight of a young lady carted off helplessly
inebriated, a friendly companion supporting her shoulders, and an
honest blue-jacket bearing her legs unceremoniously slung over his
back. Another bacchanalian incident is rendered on the left, where a
grinning sailor, half-seas over, who is at least better-tempered in
his cups than George Cruikshank would have condescended to draw him
in his teetotal days, is sprawling on the road by his broken pipe and
overbalancing a florid and equally tipsy Venus, his lady-love, who is
in some degree the reason of the Jack Tar's degradation.
_September 15, 1814._ _The Three Principal Requisites to form a Man of
Fashion: Dress like a coachman; study boxing and bull-baiting; speak
the slang language fluently._
_September 15, 1814._ _The Four Seasons of Love._ Rowlandson del.
Published by T. Tegg.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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