Now came the ultimatums on both sides. The presentation of an ultimatum is hardly a personal caricature of Napoleon, but it belongs to the history of the times. One picture was published May 3, 1803, by an unknown artist, and was called ‘Waste Paper.’ A French officer holds four ultimatums in his hand, and presents John Bull with No. 1. A servant, behind, carries a huge sack of ultimatums. The Frenchman thus speaks: ‘Monsieur Jean Bull, I am come from De Grand Nation to present you vone Ultimatum. If you not like dat—I present you vone oder—I have got seventy tree Tousand Ultimatum, and you must agree to vone or de oder—or, begar, I sal kick you out of de Europe. My lacquey has got Dem in de Sac, and will leave dem for your consideration. Health and Fraternity, Citizen Bull!’ John Bull uplifts his cudgel, and his bulldog growls. Says the old man, ‘Hark ye, Mr. Frog! I was just feeling in my pocket, for a little bit of waste paper, and you have just supplied me in time: so now get you gone, or I’ll shew you the use of my Horns, by tossing you out of old England.’
But this giving of ultimatums was not all on one side. I. Cruikshank (May 14, 1803) drew ‘Ultimatum, or the Ambassador taking proper steps.’ Our ambassador[72] is just stepping into his carriage, and, whilst doing so, presents Napoleon with an ultimatum, saying, with national courtesy, ‘Be quick, or d— me I’m off.’ Napoleon is depicted as being deeply affected by this conduct. He weeps copiously, and wrings his hands, whimpering, ‘Pray stop, and I will agree to anything.’
There is a caricature by an artist unknown (May 18, 1803), called ‘The Bone of Contention,’ which is labelled Malta. Bonaparte, looking very fierce, menaces John Bull with his sword, exclaiming ‘By the Bridge of Lodi! by the plains of Marengo!! by everything that is great and terrible—I command you to surrender that bone!!!!’ John Bull, however, has set his foot upon that bone, and is prepared to defend it with his oaken cudgel. He laconically replies ‘You be d—d.’
This subject was also treated by Ansell (June 14, 1803) in ‘The Bone of Contention, or the English Bulldog and the Corsican Monkey.’ The monkey, in a fearful and wonderful cocked hat, calls out, ‘Eh! you Bull Dog, vat you carry off dat Bone for? I vas come to take dat myself. I vas good mind to lick you, but for dem Dam Tooths.’ Whilst John Bull, typified as a bulldog, has the bone, Malta, firmly between his teeth, and growls defiance.
Lord Whitworth left Paris on May 12, and arrived at Dover on the 17th,[73] where he met General Andreossi, the French minister, on the point of returning to France. On the 18th, George III. sent his Declaration of War to both Houses of Parliament, and Nelson hoisted his flag on board the Victory, at Portsmouth, the same day. Thus ended a peace which had existed only one year and sixteen days.
Of course, the caricatures were, necessarily, prepared a day or two before their publication, so the dates do not depend upon the events which took place. Such an one is ‘Armed Heroes,’ Gillray, May 18, 1803, which is amusing. It is Addington who is bestriding the Roast Beef of Old England. Lord Hawkesbury sits behind him; whilst the two other figures respectively represent Hely Addington and Bragge Bathurst, who were members of the Addington family, and had been provided with good places by their powerful relative.
Napoleon looks with hungry eyes on the beef, and exclaims:—
Ah, ha! sacrè dieu! vat do I see yonder?
Dat look so invitingly Red and de Vite?
Oh by Gar! I see ’tis de Roast Beef of Londres
Vich I vill chop up, at von letel bite!
ARMED HEROES.