The Great Stalking Horse, (a Modern Antique)
£85.00
(JohnDoyle) pseud HB The Great Stalking Horse, (a Modern Antique) ‘Wooden’ has been scored through and replaced with Stalking. London, T McLean May 10th. 1832 Lithograph Original hand colouring Trimmed to border with loss of lower part of title.
Grey and his assistants drag the Wooden Horse of Reform (inscribed on its headband), which is on a low wheelded platform, forward from the breach in the walls of Troy, while Wellington as Laocoon, stands about to hurl his spear into its flank. Behind him and on the extreme left stands a Trojan elder, Lord Eldon, who utters the words of Panthus : “—-Fruit Wiliem (the W crossed out), et ingens Gloria Teucrorum” Wellington says
“—–O Miseri, quae tanta insania, cives?
Creditis avectos hostis? Aut ulla putatis
Dona careredolis Danaum?”
( Oh wretched citizens what wild frenzy is this? Do you believe the foe has sailed away? Or think ye any gifts of the Greeks are free from treachery.)
Behind the horse are the Trojans (Tories), cheering wildly. Tugging in a row of four are the Greeks : Grey, Durham, Lord J Russell, and Lord Holland ; facing these and also straining at the ropes, but walking backward, is Brougham (the egotist). On the broken wall of the city Ruinae Republicae.
The Reform Bill is fatal to the State and to the monarchy (by the transformation of ‘Ilium’ into ‘Wilium’.
BM 17028
