The Acquittal! or the Managers Poisoned with a Beer of their own Brewing., 24 June 1806
Scope and Contents
Artist: Charles Williams. Published: S. W. Fores. Melville (left) stands by a pile of bricks, each marked with a coronet (except one with a mitre), and the words 'Not Guilty'. These he is hurling with great vigour at (some of) the managers of the impeachment who flee in disorder, to the right, putting up their arms to fend off the missiles. He wears Highland dress with a magnificently feathered bonnet; his plaid swirls out. He says, the words in a large label:
'"Self-preservation's Heaven's eldest law.
"Imprest upon our Nature with our life,
"In Characters indelible, who shrinks
"From this great cause is wanting to his righteason:
"But when our Honor is traduc'd and stab'd at,
"T'is Virtue, t'is heroic Fortitude,
"Then to encounter violence with Force.'
His bricks are stacked on a fringed carpet on which is the motto 'Dieu et m[on] Droit'. Sheridan, the hindmost, protects himself with his hat, and says: "Why Charley! I am afraid we have drank too much of this cursed Entire." Just in front of him is Whitbread, an 'Essay on Brewing' projecting from his coat-pocket. Fox, next, turns to protect himself; in front Howick (Whitbread's brother-in-law) grovels on the ground, grasping the edge of a large upright cask of 'Whitbread's Entire'. Into this Lord Temple, one of the Managers of the Impeachment, is plunging head first, displaying bulky breeches inscribed 'Temple of Hymen'. Behind stands a man in gown and bands, evidently Dr. Laurence. Beside Whitbread and Howick are overturned tankards of 'Whitbreads Entire' [a few letters only of the inscription being visible], spilling their contents. In the background, against the corner of Westminster Hall, whose doorway is behind Melville, is a rectangular tank: 'Brown Stout Cooler'; in this men are frantically splashing. The sun emerges from a gap in dark clouds irradiating Melville; in its disk is the profile head of George III. After the title: '"And Haman prepared a Gallows 100 Cubits \ "high for Mordecai, but behold Haman was \ "hanged thereon himself - '.
Description from the British Museum.
Dates
- Creation: 24 June 1806
Conditions Governing Access
Available by appointment in our Reading Room
Extent
1 Item(s)
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and Archives Repository
Western Bank Library
University of Sheffield
Western Bank
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