‘The Congress dissolved before the Cake was cut’ is the title of an etching by G. Cruikshank (dated April 6, 1815), in which the sovereigns are seated round an enormous cake of Europe, which they were going to cut up and divide, but are startled by the sudden apparition of Napoleon, who, with drawn sword, strides into the room, trampling on the decrees of the Congress, An account of the Deliverance of Europe, and a plan for the security of Europe. The Dutchman falls off his stool, and spills his bottle of Hollands: ‘Oh! Donder and Blizen, my Hollands is all gone,’ is his consolatory reflection. Russia starts up with ‘Who the Devil expected you here,—this is mal à propos.’ Prussia ‘Thought England had promised to guard him.’ Austria, in terror, yells out for somebody to ‘hold him, seize him.’ The Pope pathetically laments, ‘Oh dear, oh dear, what will become of me?’ Bernadotte shouts, ‘Seize him, Kill him’; but Poland, with folded arms, calmly asks, ‘Who’ll begin? there’s the Rub!!!’ The only one of the whole of them who has any presence of mind is Wellington, who jumps alertly to his feet and draws his sword.
THE FLIGHT OF BONAPARTE FROM HELL-BAY.
‘The flight of Bonaparte from Hell-Bay’ is by Rowlandson (April 7, 1815). It represents the arch-fiend, seated in his own peculiar dominions, engaged in blowing bubbles, on one of which he has mounted Napoleon, and sent him once more aloft, to the intense delight of admiring devils.
Rowlandson etched ‘Hell Hounds rallying round the Idol of France’ (April 8, 1815), which certainly is not a pleasant picture. A colossal bust of Napoleon, with a halter round his neck, is mounted on a pyramid of human heads, and around him, to testify their delight at his return, are dancing Savary, Fouché, Caulaincourt, Vandamme, Davoust, Ney, and Lefèbre. Devils, who say ‘He deserves a crown of pitch,’ are bringing one already alight. The foreground is strewn with corpses.
‘Vive le Roi! vive l’Empereur! vive le Diable! French Constancy, French Integrity’ (date uncertain, but some time in April 1815) is credited to Rowlandson. A French soldier, musket in one hand, snuff-box in the other, has three different knots of ribbon in his hat—a red one, ‘Vive le Diable!’ a white one, ‘Vive le Roi!’ and a tricoloured one, Vive l’Empereur!’ A windmill typifies French stability, and a monkey and cat, embracing and fondling, show ‘French union between the National Guard and troops of the Line.’
On April 12, 1815, was published an etching, not signed, but accredited to Rowlandson, ‘Scene in a New Pantomime to be performed at the Theatre Royal, Paris. With entire new Music, Dances, Dresses, Scenery, Machinery, &c. The principal Characters to be supported by most of the great Potentates of Europe. Harlequin by Mr Napoleon. Clown by King Wirtemberg. Pantaloon, Emperor of Austria. To conclude with a comic song to be sung by the Pope, and a Grand Chorus by the crown’d heads.’
In this caricature we see Napoleon, habited as harlequin, a dagger in each hand, leaping into the unknown, through a ‘practicable’ portrait of ‘Louis le bien aimé.’ He is pursued by all the European Powers. Clown fires two pistols at him, but overthrows Spain, who has just drawn his sword. Russia pricks him in the rear with a lance. Holland and Prussia are firing at him; whilst some one is taking down from the wall the portrait of the Empress as Columbine.
In horrible taste is Rowlandson’s picture of ‘The Corsican and his Bloodhounds at the Window of the Thuilleries, looking over Paris’ (April 16, 1815). The scene is a balcony, in which are Napoleon and some of his marshals. The balcony is inscribed ‘More horrors, Death and Destruction.’ The Devil is hugging Ney and Napoleon, and Death is pointing to the streets of Paris, where is a surging mob, with heads on pikes, &c.
