Charles Williams
Boxiana- or- the fancy.
London, M. Jones October 1st .1815, The Scourge
Etching
Original hand colouring
237 x 337 mm
Traces of old folds as issued, neat marginal repair.
£450
A boxing-match between the Regent and Napoleon, both stripped to the waist. The Regent (left), immensely corpulent, stands over Napoleon, who lies on the ground, and kicks him. Two of the Prince’s feathers lie on the ground; a little chimney-sweep has picked up the third and shows it to Napoleon’s second, who is supporting the fallen man by the shoulders; the boy says: "Master I found a white feather"; the second exclaims: "Foul! Foul! by all the rules of honor! why even Blackey cries shame." Behind the second stands Tom Cribb, raising both arms in protest: he says to the Regent: "What! Ben my big hero is this thy renown? Is this the new go?—kick a man when he’s down! When the foe has knock’d under, to tread on him then— By the fist of my father, I blush for the [sic] Ben!" The other supporters of Napoleon are on the right. His black bottle-holder watches in dismay, one foot on Napoleon’s (green) coat which lies with his cocked hat. Behind, two Englishmen, much shocked, stand between two Frenchmen. One of the latter asks, with raised hands: "Ah! Je vois, you be de Jentelman! n’est pas bien Sauvage Sare!" The Englishman answers: "Bien shove-a . . e! no d—e! mounseer, I think it more like kicking, than shoving." The second Englishman holds his friend by the shoulders, saying, "vy Charley vot sort of a go d’you call this!" The other Frenchman, an officer taking snuff, says to Napoleon: "Vi you no go to de Russia you only get little squeeze." The Regent’s supporters on the extreme left are only three: his bottle-holder is Lord Yarmouth with a decanter of ‘Curacoa’; he says obsequiously: "He is only kicking to try if ther is any honor there Blackey!" McMahon holds the Regent’s stays under his arm, a purse (the Privy Purse, cf. No. 11874) hangs from his pocket. He says: "Themistocles will be well treated if we can find any honor in him!" Eldon, in wig and gown, holds a paper: "Rules of the new Fancy, Kicking allowed Scratching all . . . "; he says: "Or we may send Themistocles to acquire honor at Botany!"
