“THE PARLIAMENTARY RACE; OR, THE CITY JOCKIES.
“O! Shade of D’Urfey, grant me Vit-a
To sing those Jockies of the city,
Who want in Parliament to get-a
Doodle, Doodle, Do.
“First comes Sir John, who wins the day;
His horse is ready to run away,
Nor will at all for ‘Loose Legs’ stay.
“But who is he on that scrambling Brute?
What, don’t you know, Sir, ’tis past dispute?
O! that is Alderman Orator Mute.
“Who flogs so hard, the third to be in?
O, that is a Knight, Sir Richard Glyn,
And ‘Little Driver,’ too, will win.
“O! see how he spins there, ‘Will of the Wisp’-a,
He’ll distance ‘Miss Canning,’ and Sir Crisp-a,
And all the Broomstaffs of the Gipsy.
“‘O! Damn the Jew,’ Sir William cries,
As o’er his horse he headlong flies.
Ay, that damn’d Jew threw dust in his Eyes.
“Sir Robert upon his ‘Trimming Nag’
Has too much spirit too long to lag,
He soon will pass the distance-flag.
“O! where’s ‘Miss Canning’? Out of sight,
Ay, her best strokes are in the night,
Now bring her up—or never, Knight.”
The summary of both the London and the Oxfordshire contests, which were regarded by ministers as of the utmost consequence, are given pictorially in a carefully engraved print, entitled “All the World in a Hurry; or, the Road from London to Oxford,” April, 1754. At the extremities of the plate are views of the respective cities; to these the candidates and their supporters are proceeding on horse and foot, by two opposite lines of road. To the right, where the London cavalcade may be taken to commence, the largest mounted figure, and that nearest the spectator, is intended for Sir John Barnard, the head of the poll, who is trotting along at a steady pace, contented with his progress: “My steed is slow, but sure, Sir Robert.” Sir Robert Ladbrooke, who is urging on his own career, replies, “What! without a spur, Sir John?”—Barnard having resorted to no election manœuvres, and not even canvassed the voters. Alderman Slingsby Bethel, jogging along comfortably in his gig, is observing; “I’ll leave my Election to the Arbitration of the Livery.” Sir Richard Glyn’s pace, in a post-chaise and pair, is checked by a group of pedestrians in the pathway; “What the Devil can’t you get before the Jews, Tom?” he is inquiring of his postillion, who replies, “They are in possession of the Road, Sir Richard:” Glyn, although for some time third in the voting, finally failed in his election. Also behind the group of foot-passengers are two prosperous-looking personages on horseback, Sir William Calvert and William Beckford, both late members for the city; the former is bantering his companion, “You won’t be first at Guildhall, Brother Beckford;” the famous patriot was returned third on the poll at the election of 1754: his rival retorts, alluding to Calvert’s position at the previous contest, “Nor you second, Sir William;” the support Calvert had lent the Jews’ Naturalization Bill was the cause of his being rejected in 1754. In the centre of the group of Hebrew obstructives is a stout man, mopping his forehead and complaining, as he drags along wearily, “Verily, England is too hot at this time of the year!”—this figure represents Sir Sampson Gideon, the loan contractor, who is surrounded by his co-religionists. One long-bearded Israelite is crying that “Sampson refuses to sweat a little for our friend Sir William!” (Calvert); another Jew declares, “Sir William has been sweated often on our account;” and a third is saying, “We must give him a little Grease for once” (i.e. spend money to further his election),—this refers to the encouragement the Jews offered Sir William Calvert, support rendered in return for his assistance in passing the Jews’ Naturalization Bill, which nearly cost the ministry their working majority, while one of the city members, Calvert, the great brewer of the day, lost both his popularity and his place in parliament. This measure had been passed by the Pelhams in the last session, and, until its repeal, Sampson Gideon looked forward to a seat as a representative of the City of London. On the eve of the dissolution the ministers had repealed their unpopular Bill, and this concession to public opinion was regarded as an electioneering stratagem on their part. At the other end of the London group is Sir Crisp Gascoyne, who gave up his candidature for the city, and put up for Southwark, where he was rejected. At this time Sir Crisp was labouring under undeserved disfavour owing to his exertions to procure the conviction of Elizabeth Canning, the perjuress, for a false accusation against the gipsy, Mary Squires, who was, through Canning’s devices, condemned to death, but was subsequently pardoned, after Gascoyne’s investigation had established her innocence, and the true facts were made public. The case in question, which was not cleared up at the time of the elections, was the cause of that unpopularity which cost Sir Crisp his seat; in the engraving, he is made to exclaim, “Why, where are you, Mother Squires, with your infernal troop?”—Squires was alleged to be a witch! A friend riding beside him is pointing upwards, “Infernal! Sir Crisp? why, they are up in the air yonder!”—indicating a witch and three weird sisters riding on broomsticks over the heads of the parliamentary cavalcade. The leader, intended for the gipsy, is exclaiming, “I am afraid we are too late, sisters.” The spectators are standing aside to let the procession pass; one is shouting bravely for the “tried members, Barnard and England for ever, huzza!” and two others are abusing Gideon’s friends, who have hindered Calvert’s election. “Damn the Jews! they are always in the way,” “Turn ’em out of the Road.” A copy of verses further elucidates the subject:—
ALL THE WORLD IN A HURRY; OR, THE ROAD FROM LONDON TO OXFORD. 1754.
[Page 134.