3. The March to Finchley,[1] dedicated to the King of Prussia[2][as "an Encourager of the Arts,">[ "in resentment for the late king's sending for the picture to St. James's, and returning it without any other notice." This print is engraved by Luke Sullivan but afterwards, as we learn from a note at the bottom of it, was "Retouched and improved by Wm. Hogarth, and republished June 12, 1761." The improvements in it, however, remain to be discovered by better eyes than mine.
I am authorized to add, that soon after the lottery described in a note at the beginning of this article, our artist waited on the treasurer to the Foundling Hospital, acquainting him that the trustees were at liberty to dispose of the picture by auction. Scarce, however, was the message delivered, before he changed his mind, and never afterwards would consent to the measure he had originally proposed. The late Duke of Ancaster offered the hospital 300 l. for it. The following complete explanation of it is in The Student, vol. II. p. 16. It is supposed to have been written by the ingenious Mr. Bonnel Thornton.
"The scene of this representation is laid at Tottenham Court Turnpike; the King's-Head, Adam and Eve, and the Turnpike-house, in full view; beyond which are discovered parties of the guards, baggage, &c. marching towards Highgate, and a beautiful distant prospect of the country; the sky finely painted. The picture, considered together, affords a view of a military march, and the humours and disorders consequent thereupon.
"Near the center of the picture, the painter has exhibited his principal figure, which is a handsome young grenadier, in whose face is strongly depicted repentance mixed with pity and concern; the occasion of which is disclosed by two females putting in their claim for his person, one of whom has hold of his right arm, and the other has seized his left. The figure upon his right hand, and perhaps placed there by the painter by way of preference (as the object of love is more desirable than that of duty), is a fine young girl in her person, debauched, with child, and reduced to the miserable employ of selling ballads, and who, with a look full of love, tenderness, and distress, casts up her eyes upon her undoer, and with tears descending down her cheeks, seems to say——sure you cannot——will not leave me! The person and deportment of this figure well justifies the painter's turning the body of the youth towards her. The woman upon the left is a strong contrast to this girl; for rage and jealousy have thrown the human countenance into no amiable or desirable form. This is the wife of the youth, who, finding him engaged with such an ugly slut, assaults him with a violence natural to a woman whose person and beauty is neglected. To the fury of her countenance, and the dreadful weapon her tongue, another terror appears in her hand, equally formidable, which is a roll of papers, whereon is wrote, The Remembrancer; a word of dire and triple import; for while it shews the occupation the amiable bearer is engaged in, it reminds the youth of an unfortunate circumstance he would gladly forget: and the same word is also a cant expression, to signify the blow she is meditating. And here, I value myself upon hitting the true meaning, and entering into the spirit of the great author of that celebrated Journal called The Remembrancer, or, A weekly slap on the face for the Ministry.
"It is easily discernible that the two females are of different parties. The ballad of God save our noble King, and a print of the Duke of Cumberland, in the basket of the girl, and the cross upon the back of the wife, with the implements of her occupation, sufficiently denote the painter's intention: and, what is truly beautiful, these incidents are applicable to the march.
"The hard-favoured serjeant directly behind, who enjoys the foregoing scene, is not only a good contrast to the youth, but also, with other helps, throws forward the principal figure.
"Upon the right of the grenadier is a drummer, who also has his two Remembrancers, a woman and a boy, the produce of their kinder hours; and who have laid their claim by a violent seizure upon his person. The figure of the woman is that of a complainant, who reminds him of her great applications, as well in sending him clean to guard, as other kind offices done, and his promises to make her an honest woman, which he, base and ungrateful, has forgot, and pays her affection with neglect. The craning of her neck shews her remonstrances to be of the shrill kind, in which she is aided by the howling of her boy. The drummer, who has a mixture of fun and wickedness in his face, having heard as many reproaches as suit his present inclinations, with a bite of his lip, and a leering eye, applies to the instrument of noise in his profession, and endeavours to drown the united clamour; in which he is luckily aided by the ear-piercing fife near him.
"Between the figures before described, but more back in the picture, appears the important but meagre phiz of a Frenchman, in close whisper with an Independent. The first I suppose a spy upon the motion of the army, the other probably drawn into the croud, in order to give intelligence to his brethren, at their next meeting, to commemorate their noble struggle in support of Independency. The Frenchman exhibits a letter, which he assures him contains positive intelligence, that 10000 of his countrymen are landed in England, in support of liberty and independency. The joy with which his friend receives these glorious tidings, causes him to forget the wounds upon his head, which he has unluckily received by a too free and premature declaration of his principles.
"There is a fine contrast in the smile of innocency in the child at the woman's back, compared with the grim joy of a gentleman by it; while the hard countenance of its mother gives a delicacy to the grenadier's girl.