The Rogues March

Thomas Rowlandson

The Rogues March

London, Thomas Tegg, April 15^th. 1814

Etching

Original hand colouring

250 x 350 mm

£450

Napoleon is being drummed out of France. His right wrist is tied to the left wrist of Joseph Bonaparte; they are led forward, abjectly crouching, by Blücher, who holds the rope attached to the noose round Napoleon’s neck. Napoleon has long ass’s ears and wears a fool’s cap inscribed ‘Transported for Life’; his brother’s cocked hat is inscribed ‘Coward and Thief’. Both are assailed by serpentine monsters, barbed and scaly, which bite their legs, one inscribed ‘Execration’, the other ‘Detestation’. Both wear uniform with the coats without epaulets and cut off at the waist. Blücher carries against his shoulder a long pole on which is a placard: ‘Napolean, Late Emperor of the French, King of Italy Protecter of the Confederation of the Rhine, Grand Arbiter of the fate of Nations &c &c &c but now by the permission of the Allied Sovereigns, Exile in the Isle of Elba an Outcast from Society a fugitive a Vagabond. Yet this is the conceited Mortal who said, I have never been seduced by prosperity Adversity will not be able to overcome me—’
Behind (left) the sovereigns of Europe gleefully dance in a ring, holding hands, round two flag-staffs from which float two large flags, the Bourbon flag dotted with fleur-de-lis and inscribed ‘Rejoice O ye Kings Vive le Roi’; on the other is a flag with the double-headed eagle of Austria or Russia. The monarchs wear crowns; with them is the Pope, wearing his tiara. Next him is the corpulent Louis XVIII, one arm round the Pope’s shoulder. Of the others only William of Holland can be identified with certainty; he wears bulky Dutch breeches with an ermine cloak. There are five others, three must be the Tsar, Emperor of Austria, King of Prussia. The others are probably Ferdinand of Spain and Ferdinand of Sicily. They sing: ‘Now we are met a Jolly set in spite of Wind or Weather’. The three foreground figures are faced by a row of soldiers beating drums, with an officer raising his sword. Below the design:
‘From fickle fortune’s gamesome lap
What various titles flow
The Emperor of Conj[u]rors Nap
The King of Beggars Joe