We have an illustration of the homely proverb of ‘Set a beggar on horseback &c.,’ in ‘The Corsican Beggar Riding to the Devil,’ by Ansell (June 15, 1803). Here we have Hell treated in the mediæval manner, a huge, grotesque, dragon-like head, with outstretched jaws, vomiting flames. Napoleon, on a white charger, hugging himself with the idea that ‘Sure they will make me Emperor,’ is riding straight to it; whilst two devils are in a high state of jubilation.’ One opines that ‘He is sure to come; we will finish your ambition,’ the other politely calls out, ‘Shew him in.’ Ireland asks John Bull, ‘Hey Johnny, who’s that?’ and gets as a reply, ’Tis Boney going Post, brother Pat.’ The Gallic Cock, crowing on its dunghill, screams, ‘This is nothing new.’
Here is a passionate appeal, supposed to come from one of the softer sex:—
MEN OF ENGLAND.
It is said that some of you are so discontented, that you would join the Enemies against your Country—Is it possible that you are so misled as to believe that the Enemies to England would, whatever they pretend, be friends to you. Be assured, if you are so persuaded, that you are grossly imposed upon. What should make them your friends—What ties should bind them? Think a little—and a very little proper reflection will be sufficient to make you see, that the Invaders of your Country, in their hearts, hate the inhabitants of it; and will, in the end, themselves betray the Traitors to it.
The Invaders would nearly desolate your Country—and if Provisions are dear now, what would they be when numberless stacks of hay and corn were burnt—the cattle destroyed, and a horrid legion of desperate, faithless, lawless Invaders, to be maintained? who would trample upon every tie, break all promises, make tools of you first, but soon sacrifice your wives, your daughters, your families, and yourselves, when you have served their purpose. If any few among you were guilty of plunder, you would, yourselves, soon be plundered and destroyed.
It has been the necessity of defending our country against its enemies that has made provisions dear; but your wages have been increased in proportion—and though you may sometimes, in the course of events, suffer some hardships, as everybody, in their turn, must do, you may, unless it be your own faults, enjoy the greatest comforts—a peaceable home—a happy family—a quiet country, whose trade and consequence is envied by all the world—plentiful harvests—a government which respects you, and that your forefathers would have defended with the last drop of their blood—you have an excellent and lawful King, who will protect you; and above all, you may have a blessing from God, who will reward you hereafter if you do your duty here. But from an Usurper, and Invader, you can have nothing to expect, but the being slaves to his lawless schemes for power. Let who will tell you the contrary, he comes only for plunder, and revenge, upon the only nation he fears. Will you be his instruments, his tools? Can you, as Englishmen, lower yourselves in such a manner—to such a mean Usurper? Heaven, from the beginning, intended you should have Kings and superiors—Equality was never intended—it never can be, on this earth—Heaven and reason forbid it—and Bonaparte, himself, has shewn you how little he intended to establish it. Your forefathers call to you from their graves—their warning voice tells you, that you would soon find the perfidy of his heart. The wretched condition you would bring yourselves and your families into, you would repent too late—deprived of every friend, but sure of ample punishment here, and hereafter.
People of England! Sons of my beloved glorious Country! You are now called upon by the women of your Country to protect them—Can you refuse to hear us? Can you bear the thought of not only seeing us used with insult and barbarity,—of seeing your country bleed at every pore, but of being the occasion of these dreadful evils, in consequence of your mistaken opinions, and by suffering yourselves to be deceived, and cajoled, by foreign, ill designing wretches, who have only our, and your, ruin at heart.
Attend, Men of England,—you who may give conquest to your Country, safety to us, and everlasting glory to yourselves—Attend, Men of England, to the solemn truths told you by an honest
Englishwoman.
It is a weak spot in these lucubrations that very few of them are dated, so that it is impossible to arrange them, like the illustrations, in chronological sequence. But this is of little matter; the situation was the same, whatever might be the month.
J. Smith (June 25, 1803) etched King George ‘Playing at Bubbles.’ The monarch is seated before a large tub of soap-suds, amusing himself by blowing bubbles, which are Napoleon, flat-bottomed boats, invasion, and little ships—and, judging by the king’s placid countenance, caring very little for his creations.
A very excellent example of caricature is Gillray’s ‘King of Brobdingnag and Gulliver’ (June 26, 1803). The burly king has the diminutive Bonaparte in the palm of his hand and is critically examining him through his glass. Says he, ‘My little friend Grildrig you have made a most admirable panegyric upon yourself and country, but from what I can gather from your own relation, and the answers I have with much pains wring’d and extorted from you, I cannot but conclude you to be one of the most pernicious little odious reptiles that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the Earth.’
And, indeed, he well deserved this character, if he were anything like the demon the English sought to make him out. In one of the handbills, however, is a quotation from ‘Denon’s Travels in Egypt,’ which is wrested to serve its purpose in fomenting the Invasion furor.
To the infamous Wretch, if there be such an one in England, who dares to talk of, or even hopes to find Mercy in the Breast of the Corsican Bonaparte, the eternal sworn Foe of England, the Conqueror and Grand Subjugator of France.
If there be any Englishmen so base, or so foolish, as to wish to trust to the Mercy of a French Invading Army, let him read that which follows:—The accuracy and veracity of the account cannot be doubted, it being an Extract from a Book, not only written under the inspection of the French Government, but, moreover, dedicated to the Grand Consul.
I shall make no comment on this most scandalous public avowal, or rather, boast, of so inhuman and atrocious a proceeding, as the simple Fact sufficiently speaks for itself.
‘We, who boasted that we were more just than the Mamelukes, committed daily, and almost necessarily, a number of iniquities: the difficulty of distinguishing our Enemies by their Form and Colour, made us, every day, kill innocent Peasants; the Soldiers took Caravans of poor Merchants for enemies, and, before justice could be done them, (when there was time to do it) two or three of them were shot, a part of their cargo was pillaged or destroyed, and their camels exchanged for those of ours, which had been wounded. The Fate of the People, for whose happiness we no doubt came to Egypt, was no better. If, at our approach, terror made them leave their houses, they found on their return, nothing but the Mud of which the Walls were composed; utensils, ploughs, gates, roofs, everything served as fuel to boil our Soup; their pots were broken, their grain was eaten, their fowls and pigeons roasted, and nothing was left but the carcases of their dogs, when they defended the Property of their Masters. If we remained in their Villages, the wretches were summoned to return, under pain of being treated as Rebels, and, in consequence, double Taxed; and when they yielded to these Menaces, came to pay their Tax, it sometimes happened, that, from their great number, they were taken for a body of Revolters, their sticks for arms, and they received some discharges of Musketry before there was time for explaining the Mistake; the Dead were interred, and we remained friends, till a safe opportunity for revenge occurred. It is true, that when they staid at home, paid the Tax, and supplied all the Wants of the Army, they were saved the trouble of a Journey to a Residence in the Desert, saw their Provisions consumed with regularity, and were allowed a Part of them, preserved some of their gates, sold their eggs to the Soldiers, and had but few of their Wives and Daughters Violated!’
Such was the Treatment which Egypt experienced; a Country which the French were desirous to possess, and to conciliate; very Different is their Design upon Great Britain, which it is their avowed Intention to Ravage, Plunder and Destroy.