Provenance
Sold by London's Dulau and Company to the New York City bookseller Ernest R. Gee in 1928. Earlier ownership by W.E. Gladstone is suggested by a manuscript note from Dulau formerly laid into the front the first volume (now in the object file), which states that "These came from the Gladstone Library at Court Hey, Broad Green. The manuscript notes written below the caricatures are in the handwriting of W.E. Gladstone."
Summary
"A leech with the head and barrister's wig of Leach is coiled round an upright cylindrical document to which is tied with red tape a second bill; these are respectively 'Bill of Pains . . .' [see British Museum Satires No. 13825] and 'Divorce'. Propped against the former are two green bags (see British Museum Satires No. 13735), both closed with a large red seal on which is a 'G.R.' monogram. These are inscribed 'Fill'd with Filth and Lies!!!' and 'Lies . . . [L]ies'. With them are other large documents: 'List of Witness[es] against Q . . . N'; 'Expen[ces] & Bribes at Milan'; 'Protoc[ol]' (cf. British Museum Satires No. 13764). The small shambling Wilberforce is being pushed towards the leech by Castlereagh (left), who is a pendant to the more stalwart and bulky Duke of York (right). The Duke wears uniform, holds his unsheathed sword, and has a pyramid of cannon-balls crooked in his left arm. A paper, 'Bp Osnabu[rgh]', is thrust through his sash. He says fiercely: "Rascals! Villains!! Traitors!!! I have set the Claret running in One Place, and if any of you attempt, to deprive me of My succession, I will make your Bodies, a thoroughfare for York dumplings!! alias Artillery Bolouses." Castlereagh, with a scourge hanging from his pocket, says to Wilberforce: "O dear! O dear! That Bishop quite alarms me, now my dear Christian Friend, pray do persuade that great Horse Leech to muster up all his Italian Witnesses [see British Museum Satires No. 13762, &c.] immediately or that Military Bishop [cf. British Museum Satires No. 11227] will send us to Kingdom come along with out Master." Wilberforce holds a book: 'New Litany &c'; a Pet[ition] To Q--N' is under his arm; a paper, 'Slave Tra[de]' (cf. British Museum Satires No. 8793) hangs from his pocket. He says: "Pray Sr--Horse Leech, endeavour to stop the Q--'s mouth by bringing the whole host of Witnesses, before the L--ds, so as to Crush Her at once, otherwise that Terrable Bishop, will send us into Abrahams bosom, sooner, than We wish.""--British Museum online catalogue.