“THE DUCHESS ACQUITTED; OR, THE TRUE CAUSE OF THE MAJORITY ON THE WESTMINSTER ELECTION.
“Some strive to wound the virtuous name
Of Devonshire’s, Duncannon’s fame,
That beauteous peerless pair;
And all the toiling earnest throng,
Let’s celebrate in tuneful song,
The brunette and the fair.
When charms conspire, and join their aid,
What mortal man is not afraid,
Who can unmov’d remain?
What heart is safe, whose vote secure,
When urg’d by the resistless pow’r
Of Venus and her train?
Let Slander, with her haggard eye,
No more blaspheme with hideous cry,
Th’ indefatigable dame.
’Twas Venus in disguise, ’tis said,
These efforts thro’ the town display’d,
And her’s alone the blame.
Than beauty’s force and mighty pow’r,
Than charms exerted ev’ry hour,
What greater cause of fear?
Firm resolution melts away,
At beauty’s so superior sway,
And Falsehood seems as fair.
The heart that still retain’d Love’s fire,
Unchill’d by age, warm with desire,
Could not resist their sway;
’Twas this rais’d Fox’s numbers higher,
This did the tardy votes inspire—
Ah! poor Sir Cecil Wray!”
The Tories in their annoyance resorted to libels of the most ungallant and ungenerous order; they accused the duchess of wholesale bribery, and reported that she had in one instance bought the vote of a butcher with a kiss, a rumour which was immediately seized by the whimsical wits for the basis of endless exaggerations. “The Devonshire, or Most Approved Method of Securing Votes” embodies the butcher episode. The practice of claiming some slight service, rewarded at election times with extravagant liberality, as a subterfuge for bribery, is shown in the duchess engaging an elector to put a stitch in her shoe, and illustrated as “The Wit’s Last Stake; or, the Cobbling Voter and Abject Canvassers.”
Besides “The Devonshire, or Most Approved Method of Securing Votes,” two caricatures appeared on the 12th of April from Rowlandson’s prolific graver: one, exhibiting the struggle between the fair canvassers arrayed in rivalry at Covent Garden hustings, under the symbol of “The Poll:” a balancing plank, whereon the beauteous Georgiana “Devon’s Queen,” is elevated high in the air, while her stouter rival, the Hon. Mrs. Hobart (Lady Buckinghamshire), is overweighing her extremely. Above the heads of the group, which includes the rival candidates, Fox, Hood, and Wray, flutters a placard, “The Rival Candidates, a Farce.” Against Wray was revived, in allusion to the Court patronage under which he was fighting, the well-worn cry of “Slavery and wooden shoes,” and much stress was laid on the extreme measure of polling the Guards as householders; in reference to the two hundred and eighty votes given by soldiers at one time in a body—an astounding manœuvre, which shocked constitutional minds—appeared the placard:—
“All Horse Guards, Grenadier Guards, Foot Guards, and Black-Guards, that have not polled for the destruction of Chelsea Hospital and the Tax on Maidservants are desired to meet at the Gutter Hole, opposite the Horse Guards, where they will have a full bumper of knock-me-down and plenty of soap-suds, before they go to the poll for Sir Cecil Wray or eat. N.B.—Those who have no shoes or stockings may come without, there being a quantity of wooden shoes provided for them.”
A further presentment of the famous canvassing duchess, whose prominence at the great Westminster election of 1784 gave her such universal and lasting celebrity, is offered by Rowlandson in a fanciful domestic interior at Devonshire House, where the favoured candidate, Fox, and his staunch and invaluable ally, “brave Sammy House,” are introduced as “Lords of the Bedchamber” (April 14, 1784). In the caricaturist’s highly imaginary version, the duchess is entertaining the pair with a cup of tea in her boudoir; above her hangs the Reynolds portrait of her liege-lord. Sam House, in his publican’s jacket, otherwise attired in that neat costume which became historical, is stirring the cup “that cheers but not inebriates” with an air of supreme contentment, while Fox is patting, in friendly familiarity, the no less remarkable completely bald head of his indefatigable supporter by way of encouragement.
Sam House. Fox. Duchess of Devonshire.
LORDS OF THE BEDCHAMBER. BY T. ROWLANDSON.
[Page 276.
Fox. Hood. Wray.
THE WESTMINSTER WATCHMAN. BY T. ROWLANDSON.
[Page 277.
The third plate, “The Westminster Watchman,” is inscribed—
“To the Independent Electors of Westminster, this Print of their staunch old watchman, the guardian of their rights and privileges, is dedicated by a grateful Elector. N.B.—Beware of Counterfeits, as the Greenwich and Chelsea Watchmen are upon the look-out!”
Fox is standing firm, with his cap of “Liberty;” and the lamp of “Truth” is shedding its light around, the Whig chief is unmoved by the storm of “ministerial thunderbolts;” a trusty dog, “Vigilance,” is by his side; the “Counterfeits” are shuffling off, Hood for Greenwich, and Wray for Chelsea.
The ballads, epigrams, and poetical jeux d’esprit to which the circumstances of this famous contest gave birth are sufficiently numerous to fill a volume. The rhymsters on both sides were evidently resolved to do their best: many of the lyrics and “squibs” are worthy of preservation; they are as a rule far above the average compositions evoked upon similar occasions. The tuneful songster, Captain Morris, wrote many of the most graceful and witty “impromptus” and verses. The bards of “Opposition” were severe upon the Court influence exerted against Fox’s cause, and justly exposed some of the manœuvres resorted to by Pitt’s adherents.
“To the will of the Court we are told to consent,
And never to do as we please, Sir;
If we vote against FOX we’re forgiven our rent,
Or else we must forfeit our lease, Sir.
Thus of freedom and rights poor electors they chouse,
Such slaves and such fools we are grown, Sir,
We must vote a Rogue into the Parliament House,
Or else be turned out of our own, Sir.”
It was the old story of intimidation, undue influence, and coercion, as practised at the Westminster elections for the best part of a century. The scene of the hustings is thus sketched:—