An armistice was signed between the allies and Napoleon on June 4, 1813, to last till July 20: six days’ notice to be given of the recommencement of hostilities. But Wellington seems to have disregarded it; for, on June 21, he defeated the French army commanded by Joseph Bonaparte, who had Marshal Jourdan under him, at Vittoria; completely routing them, and taking 151 pieces of cannon, 415 ammunition waggons, all their baggage, besides many prisoners.
Needless to say, the caricaturist did not omit his opportunity. ‘Mad Nap breaking the Armistice’ (June 1813) is said to be taken ‘from the original Picture at Dresden.’[28] Two messengers bring him their reports. One is ‘English near Bayonne, Rising in South of France, 200,000 men joined the Bourbon Standard, Revolt at Toulon, Discontent at Paris, All Spain evacuated, and more losses.’ The other messenger tells the furious Emperor: ‘Diable! Your Grand Army in Spain is totally routed, 180 Cannon, 400 Ammunition Waggons, All the Baggage! 9000 head of Cattle, Military Chest full of money taken. Your brother, King Joey, gallop’d away on horseback, Devil knows where! M. Jourdain has lost his wig and stick! and the Enemy pursuing in all directions.’ Bonaparte is in a towering rage, brandishing a poker, and kicking the last messenger, to whom he roars out: ‘Away, base slaves. Fresh Torments! Vile Cowards! Poltroon Joe! Traitor Jourdain! Cursed Anglais! I’ll make Heaven and Earth tremble for this! but ’tis lies! base lies! Give me my horse, I’ll mount, and away to Spain! England! Wellington! and Hell! to drive Lucifer from his Infernal Throne for Treachery to Me!!’ A frightened general standing by exclaims: ‘My Poor Master! is it come to this? I must whip on this Strait Jacket, or he’ll break all our bones, as well as the Armistice.’
As a corollary to this, although it does not belong to Napoleon proper, I cannot abstain from noticing a picture published July 9, 1813, of ‘Jourdan and King Joe or Off they go—a Peep at the French Commanders at the battle of Vittoria.’ The British troops have routed the French, who fly in all directions; King Joseph and Marshal Jourdan, in the foreground, are doing the same. Says the king: ‘Parbleu Monsr Marshal, we must run! a pretty piece of business we have made of it. If my Brother Nap sends for me to the Congress, the Devil a clean shirt have they left me! Could you not try your hand at a Convention again, my dear Jourdan! as our friend Junot did in Portugal?’
But Jourdan replies: ‘Convention! No, ma foi! there is no tricking ce Lord Wellington, we have nothing to trust to but our heels, but I dont think they will save us, you need not be uneasy about a clean shirt for the Congress, Monsr Joe. Allons donc, run like de Devil! run like your Brother Nap from Russia.’
George Cruikshank drew (July 8, 1813) a very humorous picture of ‘Boney receiving an account of the Battle of Vittoria—or—the Little Emperor in a great Passion!’ A ragged postilion, mounted on the back of a kneeling soldier, holds up a long roll: ‘King Joseph has been defeated by Wellington with the loss of 151 pieces of Cannon, 415 Ammunition Waggons, Bag and Baggage, Provisions, &c., &c., &c. The French have one very fine little Howitzer left. One Quarter of the Army is killed, the other wounded, the third Quarter taken prisoners, and the English are playing the Devil with the rest.’
Napoleon, before his throne, is stamping, tearing his hair, and flourishing his sword, to the undisguised terror of his Mameluke Roustem; he roars out: ‘Oh!—!—!—!—!—!—!—! oh! Hell and the Devil! Death and D—na—on!!! that cursed fiend John Bull will drive me mad! Villains! Villains! ’tis all a lie, ’tis false as Hell, I say!! away with the —— scroll—it sears my very eyeballs!!! I’ll cut it in Ten Thousand pieces—I’ll kick ye to the Devil—away with it!!!’ Russia, Prussia, and Austria are spectators. Russia suggests: ‘Now is the time!’ In this Prussia cordially agrees, and says to Austria: ‘Now or never, will you not join us?’
Only a portion is given of G. Cruikshank’s ‘A Scene after the Battle of Vittoria, or More Trophies for Whitehall!!!’ (July 10, 1813). The Duke of Wellington, on horseback, is receiving the captured colours, &c., which his officers lay at his feet. He is evidently satisfied with the result, for he exclaims: ‘Why! here’s enough for three Nights Illumination!’ A general replies: ‘Three times three, my lord.’ One presents him with a bâton: ‘Here’s Marshal Jourdan’s Rolling pin’; and another, bringing in a captured standard, points to the group which forms our illustration, saying: ‘And here comes their last Cannon!!’
The following caricature will do for any time during the year:—‘John Bull teazed by an Earwig’ bears only the date of 1813, and is by an unknown artist. The old boy is at his frugal meal of bread, cheese, and beer, and has been reading the ‘True Briton,’ when he is interrupted by little Boney, who, perched on his shoulder, pricks his cheek with a Lilliputian sword. John Bull turns round half angrily, and says: ‘I tell you what, you Vermin! if you won’t let me eat my bread and cheese in peace, and comfort, I’ll blow you away, depend upon it.’ To which the insect replies: ‘I will have the cheese, you Brute you—I have a great mind to annihilate you, you great, over grown, Monster!!!’
A SCENE AFTER THE BATTLE OF VITTORIA, OR, MORE TROPHIES FOR WHITEHALL!!!