Social England under the Regency, Vol. 1 (of 2)Ashton, John
History
Social England under the Regency, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Ashton, John
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century; Regency -- England
George Cruikshank gives us his idea of the naval engagement in a
long etching (which I have divided into two) published in "Town
Talk," of the 1st of September, 1813. It is called "BRITISH VALOUR,
and YANKEE BOASTING, or SHANNON versus CHESAPEAKE," and is full of
bombast, both in drawing, and words. The Americans are evolved out
of his inner consciousness, but I presume it was the current type of
the time, as our delineation of a Citizen of the United States of
America, is, when pourtrayed in one of our comic papers. Evidently
they were considered as Puritans, and depicted as Maw-worms. Captain
Broke has hold of one by the hair, and is crying out, "Down with your
Stripes, you Swabs, or D----me, we'll stripe you." The sailor who
has hold of one of the dead, by his pigtail and breeches, calls out
to another, "Stand clear, Mess-mate, whilst I heave a few of these
lubberly Yankee Doodles overboard." The sailor kicking a Yankee
into the sea, says, "Go along, d----n you, don't you see they are
waiting dinner for you?" This probably refers to a dinner which was
to be given to the victors on their return. In the dinner tent one is
saying, "Friends, I think you had better come and sit down, for if we
wait till the _Chesapeake_ comes back, I am afraid the dinner will
be cold." Another replies, "Why, I don't think they will want much
dinner, for they seem to have got their Belly full."
[Illustration: Shannon _v._ Chesapeake.
(_Published September 1, 1813, for the Proprietor of "Town Talk."_)]
On the 21st of June, near the town of Vittoria, the Allied forces
under Lord Wellington, attacked the French Army under Joseph
Bonaparte, aided by Marshal Jourdain, and gained a most complete
victory; having driven them from all their positions, and taken from
them 151 pieces of cannon, 415 waggons of ammunition, all their
baggage, provisions, cattle, treasure, &c., and a large number of
prisoners. On the 5th and 6th of July there were brilliant and
general illuminations in London in celebration of this victory. Much
mischief was done by fireworks being let off in the streets, but
at Bow Street, fifty people were punished for so doing, and very
properly too, one man at least, who for the sake of throwing his
squibs with surer aim, attached to each of them a leaden weight, of
weight sufficient, it was believed, to kill a man, if it had struck
him on the head.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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