English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon I. Volume II (of 2)

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!!!’

In October 1813 came out an etching of ‘Tom Thumb and the Giant, or a forced March to Franckfort. Kings are his Centinels, vide Sheridan’s speech. A letter from Stralsund states that Buonaparte, on his journey to Paris, sent a Courier to the King of Wi – g29 with orders for him to proceed to Franckfort on the Maine, and the latter would meet him there accordingly.’ Tom Thumb, Napoleon, on horseback, prods on the King with his sword, telling him at the same time: ‘On, Sir, to Franckfort, and there await my coming.’ The poor fat King, with perspiring brows, piteously exclaims: ‘Well, I am going as fast as I can – Pretty work this for a Man of my Importance!! Was it for this you put a Crown upon my head!’

Napoleon’s power was rapidly drawing to an end, and the crushing defeat he received at Leipsic on October 16, 17, 18, 19, gave it its death-blow. The news was promulgated throughout England by a ‘London Gazette Extraordinary’ of November 3. The ‘Times’ of the same date had hinted of reverses sustained by Napoleon, and on November 4 broke into jubilation thus: ‘“Justice demands the sacrifice of the Tyrant,”30 such was the sentiment which concluded our last article, – a sentiment not dictated by any feeling of transient growth, but adopted after long and serious reflection on what is due to the moral interests, which are the best and surest interests of nations. The French people will now determine between the sacrifice of their Tyrant, and sacrifices of a very different description, sacrifices of their lives, their children, their treasure, their honour.

‘We had already communicated to our readers the private information which we had received, stating that he had sustained “dreadful reverses” in a “series of actions,” which had caused him “not only a great diminution in the numbers of his men, but also a serious loss of artillery”; and that he had himself “escaped with the utmost difficulty to a place of comparative, and but comparative, safety.” Such were the accounts which we believed “would be found to contain a very moderate statement of the Tyrant’s losses”; but we own our most sanguine hopes have been exceeded by the Official Statements received yesterday by Government, and made public; first, in a brief form, by a letter from Lord Castlereagh to the Lord Mayor, and a Bulletin from the Foreign Office; and, afterwards, in most gratifying detail, by an Extraordinary Gazette.’

The ‘Morning Post’ of the same date heads the intelligence as ‘The most Glorious and Important News ever received;’ and the Prince Regent, who opened Parliament on November 4, alluded to it in his speech in these terms: ‘The annals of Europe afford no examples of victories more splendid, and decisive, than those which have been recently achieved in Saxony.’ London was brilliantly illuminated, and joy reigned throughout the kingdom.

One of the first caricatures on the subject is the ‘Execution of two celebrated Enemies of Old England, and their Dying Speeches, 5 Nov. 1813,’ which was by Rowlandson (published November 27, 1813), and is stated to be a representation of a ‘Bonfire at Thorpe Hall near Louth, Lincolnshire, on 5 Nov. 1813, given by the Rev. W. C. to the boys belonging to the Seminary at Louth, in consequence of the arrival of news of the Decisive Defeat of Napoleon Buonaparte, by the Allies, at 11 o’clock on ye 4th, & Louth Bells ringing all night.’

Guy Faux, who is got up like one of the old watchmen, is swinging on one gallows, and Napoleon, in traditional costume, on another, with a roaring bonfire under him. Men, women, and boys are rejoicing around. ‘Guy Faux’s Dying Speech. I, Guy Faux, meditating my Country’s ruin, by the clandestine, and diabolical, means of the Gunpowder plot, was most fortunately discovered, and brought to condign punishment, by Old England, and here I bewail my fate.’ ‘Napoleon Buonaparte’s Dying Speech. I, Napoleon Buonaparte, flattered by all the French Nation that I was invincible, have most cruelly, and most childishly, attempted the subjugation of the world. I have lost my fleets, I have lost the largest, and the finest, armies ever heard of, and I am now become the indignation of the world, and the scorn, and sport, of boys. Had I not spurned the firm wisdom of the Right Hon. Wm Pitt, I might have secured an honourable Peace, I might have governed the greatest Nation; but, alas, my ambition has deceived me, and Pitt’s plans have ruined me.’

Rowlandson drew a ‘Copy of the Transparency exhibited at Ackermann’s Repository of Arts, During the Illuminations of the 5th and 6th of November 1813, in honour of the splendid victories obtained by the Allies over the Armies of France, at Leipsig and its Environs.

‘The Two Kings of Terror

‘This Subject, representing the two Tyrants, viz. the Tyrant Bonaparte, and the Tyrant Death, sitting together on the Field of Battle, in a manner which promises a more perfect intimacy immediately to ensue, is very entertaining. It is also very instructing to observe, that the former is now placed in a situation, in which all Europe may see through him. The emblem, too, of the circle of light from mere vapour, which is so soon extinguished, has a good moral effect; and as the Gas represents the dying flame, so does the Drum, on which he is seated, typify the hollow, and noisy nature of the falling Usurper.

‘The above description of the subject, appeared in the Sun of Saturday, the 6th of November. These pointed comments arose from the picture being transparent, and from a circle, indicative of the strength, and brotherly union, of the Allies, which surmounted the same, composed of gas31 of brilliant brightness.’

‘Cossack Sports – or the Platoff Hunt in full cry after French Game’ (November 9, 1813), shows Leipsic in the background, and the river Elster, into which the Cossacks, plunge, in full cry, after the ‘Corsican Fox.’ The Hetman, Platoff, cries, ‘Hark forward! my boys, get along! he runs in view – Yoics, Yoics – There he goes – Tally ho!’ His daughter, about whom the story is told (see footnote p. 148), is in mid stream, lashing her horse, and calling out, ‘Hi! ho! Tally ho! For a husband!’ An army of French frogs in vain attempt to stop the Cossacks – they are routed, and fleeing.

A very cleverly drawn caricature is ‘Caterers – Boney Dished – a Bonne Bouche for Europe’ (November 10, 1813), and it gives us the sovereigns of Europe seated around a table, on which is a large dish, in the centre of which poses Napoleon, surrounded with a garnish of his marshals, seated, and with their hands tied behind them. The different sovereigns express their opinions upon the dish. Thus Russia says, ‘I think Brother of Austria, this dish will be relish’d by all Europe.’ ‘And I think Brother of Russia they will admire the garnish!’ ‘Pray let Wurtemburg join in that dish.’ ‘And Bavaria, if you please.’ Holland thinks that ‘Donder and Blikins, dat dish will please mein Vrow.’ Poland says, ‘It is rather too highly seasoned for my taste, but French.’ The Switzer opines that ‘William Tell never invented a better dish, I hope we shall have a taste of it!’ Italy swears ‘By the God of Love! that is better dish den Maccaroni.’ With tears streaming down his face, a poor monarch prays, ‘Oh dear! oh dear! I hope they won’t Dish the poor old King of Saxony.’ Prussia remarks to England, ‘We must reduce the quantity of irritating articles, before we can produce it as a finished dish – What say you Steward of the Feast?’ who replies, ‘I agree with your Highness, John Bull prefers moderation.’

On November 10, 1813, was published ‘The Daw Stript of his Borrow’d Plumes, vide Gay’s Fables of the Daw and the other Birds,’ which shows the different birds despoiling the poor Daw, Napoleon. The double-headed eagle, Russia, with one beak strips him of his Legion of Honour, the other head takes off his crown. Austria, Prussia, and Sweden are rapidly denuding him of his borrowed plumes; whilst Spain, Poland, and Bohemia are hovering around. The background is taken up with a Cossack spitting runaway Frenchmen on his lance.

Rowlandson gives us (November 25, 1813) ‘A Long pull, a Strong pull, and a pull altogether.’ Here we see the allies’ ships riding freely on the ocean, the sun of tyranny setting, and the allies giving all their strength in helping to float the Texel fleet, which the Dutch are assisting them to launch. Napoleon and his brother Joseph are in the background, the former dancing with rage, and crying out, ‘Oh Brother Joe – I’m all Fire. My Passion eats me up. Such unlooked for storms of ill fall on me. It beats down all my cunning, I cannot bear it. My ears are filled with noise, my eyes grow dim, and feeble shakings seize every Limb.’ Joseph, whose crown has dropped off, says, ‘Oh Brother Nap, brother Nap, we shan’t be left with half a crown apiece!’

‘The Corsican toad under a harrow’ (Rowlandson, November 27, 1813) also alludes to the defection of Holland, the agonised Emperor calling out, ‘Oh, this heavy Dutchman! O’ had I enough to bear before!!!’

Rowlandson gives us (November 29, 1813) ‘Dutch Nightmare, or the Fraternal Hug, returned with a Dutch Squeeze,’ which represents Napoleon lying on a state bed, suffering the tortures of nightmare, his incubus being a very heavy Dutchman, who sits upon his breast calling out, ‘Orange Boven,’ and puffing his smoke right into the face of his victim.

Mr. Grego credits Rowlandson with the ‘Head Runner of Runners from Leipsic Fair’ (March 2, 1814), but both the design and drawing manifestly show that it is not by him. On the contrary, its internal evidence clearly shows it to be a German engraving, and much earlier in date, the town in the background being labelled Maynz. Napoleon is here represented as a running courier, and the speed at which he is going is shown by his being able to keep pace with a hare. The top of his staff is Charlemagne – or, as in the etching, Carolus Magnus. In his rapid flight he is losing from his wallet all the things entrusted to him – Italy, Holland, Switzerland, the Rheinbund, &c.

His flight from Leipsic was well caricatured, and one episode, the premature blowing up of the bridge over the Elster, came in for severe comment. Colonel Montfort had orders to blow up the bridge, which was mined, as soon as the last of the troops had passed over. He, however, entrusted this duty to a corporal and four miners. The corporal, hearing shouting and cannonading, thought the allies were in possession of the city and pursuing the French forces. He therefore fired the bridge, which blew up, cutting off the retreat of four corps d’armée, and more than 200 cannon. Of course, the men so circumstanced had no option but to yield themselves as prisoners, after many had been driven into the river and drowned.

At Dresden still our hero staid,Because to budge he was afraid,And when he did, it was to meetAt Leipsic, a severe defeat:The bridge here, as the story goes,Nap wished to blow up with his foes;This to a col’nel he imparted,Who was, perhaps, too tender hearted.For to a captain, (so we’ve heard)The Colonel the task transferred,And he a corporal employ’d,By whom the bridge should be destroy’d;But scarce had Nap the bridge passed thro’,When, helter skelter, up it flew!It seems the truth cannot be traced;Either the corp’ral was in haste,Or by some means, ’tis suspected,’Twas just as Boney had directed;For the Explosion soon confoundedHis waggon loads of sick and wounded:And by these means, as oft he did,He got of them immediate rid.

‘Bonaparte’s Bridge, to the Tune of This is the House that Jack built’ (December 1, 1813), supposed to be drawn by la Nourrice du Roi de Rome, is in eight compartments, which are thus described: —

This is the bridge that was blown into air.These are the Miners who had the careOf mining the Bridge that was blown into air.This is the Corporal stout and strong,Who fired the Mine with his match so long,Which was made by the Miners, &c.This is the Colonel of Infantry,Who ordered the Corporal stout and strongTo fire the Mine, &c.This is the Marshall of high degreeWho whispered the Colonel of InfantryTo order the Corporal, &c.This is the Emperor who scampered away,And left the Marshall of high degreeTo whisper the Colonel, &c.These be the thousands who cursed the day,Which made him an Emperor, who scampered away, &c.These are the Monarchs so gen’rous and brave,Who conquer’d the Tyrant, and Liberty gave,To thousands & thousands who cursed the day, &c.

CHAPTER LII

NAPOLEON’S RETURN TO PARIS – HIS RECEPTION

‘Grasp all Lose all —Atlas enraged – or the punishment of unqualified ambition’ is the title of a picture (December 1, 1813) which represents Atlas, who is kneeling down, preparing to drop the whole world on Napoleon. The latter, who has been touching those parts of the earth which are in his possession, and boasting, ‘France be mine! Holland be mine! Italy be mine! Spain and Poland be mine! Russ, Prussia, Turky, de whole world vil be mine!!!!’ staggers back, exclaiming, ‘Mons. Atlas, hold up, dont let it fall on me.’ Atlas, whose look is fearful, says, ‘When the Friends of Freedom, and Peace, have stopped your shaking it on my shoulders, and got their own again, I’ll bear it. Till then you may carry it yourself, Master Boney.’ Russia and Prussia are rushing away in fright. Says one, ‘By Gar ’tis true, ’tis fall on you Head! votre Serviteur! we no stop to be crush vid you.’

This very clever caricature portrait of Napoleon was published by Ackermann, 101 Strand, on December 1, 1813. It is in the form of a broadside, and contains the following letterpress: —

NAPOLEON the First and Last, by the wrath of Heaven Emperor of the Jacobins, Protector of the Confederation of Rogues, Mediator of the Hellish League, Grand Cross of the Legion of Horror, Commander in Chief of the Legions of Skeletons left at Moscow, Smolensk, Leipzig, &c. Head Runner of Runaways, Mock High-Priest of the Sanhedrim, Mock Prophet of Mussulmen, Mock Pillar of the Christian Faith, Inventor of the Syrian Method of disposing of his own sick by sleeping Draughts, or of captured enemies by the Bayonet; First Grave Digger for burying alive; Chief Gaoler of the Holy Father and of the King of Spain, Destroyer of Crowns, and Manufacturer of Counts, Dukes, Princes, and Kings; Chief Douanier of the Continental System, Head Butcher of the Parisian, and Toulouese, Massacres, Murderer of Hofer, Palm, Wright, nay of his own Prince, the noble and virtuous Duke of Enghien, and of a thousand others; Kidnapper of Ambassadors, High Admiral of the Invasion Praams, Cup Bearer of the Jaffa Poison, Arch Chancellor of Waste paper Treaties, Arch Treasurer of the Plunder of the World, the sanguinary Coxcomb, Assassin, and Incendiary … to MAKE PEACE WITH!!!

This Hieroglyphic Portrait of the Destroyer is faithfully copied from a German Print, with the Parody of his assumed Titles. The Hat of the Destroyer represents a discomfited French Eagle, maimed and crouching, after his Conflict with the Eagles of the North. His visage is composed of the Carcases of the Victims of his Folly and Ambition, who perished on the plains of Russia and Saxony. His throat is encircled with the Red Sea, in allusion to his Drowned Hosts. His Epaulette is a Hand, leading the Rhenish Confederation, under the flimsy Symbol of a Cobweb. The Spider is an Emblem of the Vigilance of the Allies, who have inflicted on that Hand a deadly Sting!

‘The Corsican Munchausen humming32 the Lads of Paris’ (Rowlandson, December 4, 1813) shews Napoleon and his son on a stage, upon which is a throne, tottering, and an overthrown globe. The King of Rome is dressed in counterpart of his father, with long trailing sword, and using a stick as a cockhorse. Napoleon is vapouring to the assembled audience: ‘Did I not swear I would destroy Austria? Did I not swear I would destroy Prussia? Did I not leave the Russians 1200 pieces of cannon to build a monument of the victory of Moscow? Did I not lead 498,000 men to gather fresh laurels in Russia. Did I not burn Moscow and leave 400,000 brave soldiers to perish in the snow for the good of the French Nation? Did I not swear I would destroy Sweden? Did I not swear I would have Colonies and Commerce? Did I not build more ships than you could find sailors for? Did I not burn all the British Produce bought, and paid for, by my faithful merchants, before their faces, for the good of them, and my good people of Paris? Have I not called my troops from Holland, that they might not winter in that foggy Climate? Have I not called my troops from Spain, and Portugal, to the ruin of the English? Did I not change my religion, and turn Turk, for the good of the French Nation? Have I not blown up the Corporal for blowing up the Bridge? Have I not robbed the Churches of twenty flags to send to my Empress, for the loss of my own flags and Eagles? And now, for the good of my Empire, Behold! O ye Lads of Paris! I have put the King of Rome in breeches.’

Rowlandson gives us ‘Funcking33 the Corsican’ (December 6, 1813). A representation of all the crowned heads of Europe, each of whom is smoking a pipe very vigorously, uniting in tormenting Bonaparte with their tobacco smoke. The little Corsican, who is on the top of a cask of ‘Real Hollands Geneva,’ is dancing with rage, and yells out: ‘Oh you base Traitors and Deserters, Eleven Hundred Thousand Lads of Paris shall roast every one of you as soon as they can catch you!’ In his excitement he has split the head of the cask, and there seems every probability of his disappearing. ‘The fly that sips, is lost in the sweet.’

‘The Mock Phœnix!!! or a vain attempt to rise again’ is by Rowlandson (December 10, 1813). Napoleon is in a furnace, which is being diligently stoked and blown by Russia and Holland. Serpents come from the mouth of the furnace, and the soots, the products of combustion, take the form of fiends – Napoleon is partially consumed, and his crown is in a blaze.

‘Friends or Foes – Up he goes – Sending the Corsican Munchausen to St. Clouds’ is by Rowlandson (December 12, 1813), and shows the whole of the sovereigns of Europe combining to toss Napoleon in a blanket.

A most amusing caricature by Rowlandson (December 14, 1813) is ‘Political Chemists and German Retorts, or dissolving the Rhenish confederacy.’ John Bull naturally finds coal for a ‘German Stove,’ the fire in which a Dutchman blows with a pair of bellows. All the sovereigns of Europe stand round, enjoying Boney’s discomfiture. The Emperor, who is vainly appealing to them, ‘Oh spare me till the King of Rome is ripe for mischief yet to come,’ is being put into a glass receiver, and is about to be covered up. Bernadotte is pouring in a bottle of sulphate of Swedish iron, and the Pope is hurrying forward with two bottles, one of fulminating powder, the other a vial of wrath. The products being distilled from him are Intrigue and Villainy, Ambition and Folly, Gasconade and Lies, Fire and Sword, Arrogance and Atrocity, Murder and Plunder. A Spaniard is pounding at a mortar inscribed ‘Saragossa.’

In ‘Town Talk’ (December 1, 1813) is published ‘Gasconading – alias the Runaway Emperor Humbugging the Senate.

Some are Short and some are Tall,But it’s very well known that he hums them all,And then sings fal de ral tit.’

Napoleon crowned, and en grande tenue, stands before the throne, pointing to some trophies borne by soldiers, and thus addresses the Senate: ‘Senators! the glorious success of our Arms has forced me to give way to the impulse of quitting the field of honour, that I might have the satisfaction of presenting to my faithful Senate the glorious trophies of our Victories. Senators! your restless, envious enemies shall be humbled to the dust; your Emperor wills it so; this Arrogant Confederacy shall be punished for their temerity, and our brave Soldiers shall repose in peace. Senators! for this purpose I shall require the small sum of 250,000,000, a sum the flourishing state of our finance will easily produce, and, to replace the vacancy made in my Army, 500,000 (men) from the conscription of 4 years to come will be all that I demand. Frenchmen, the Will of your Emperor, and the glory of the great Nation, requires it.’ The Devil, peeping round from behind the throne, applauds: ‘That’s right my Boy. Humbug them out of another conscription to send me, before you come yourself.’

One Senator, as spokesman, thus addresses Napoleon: ‘Great Emperor of the Great Nation, the Senate devotes the lives and property of the People to your service.’ But this does not appear to be the universal consensus of opinion; for one grumbles, ‘C’est dire un peu trop, cela!’ Another asks: ‘What has he done with the last Grand Army, that he wants so many again?’ and one replies: ‘They are gone to see how their friends in Russia do.’ Another doubts the authenticity of the trophies: ‘Why! these trophies belong to our Allies, c’est drôle cela!’

On December 12, 1813, George Cruikshank published ‘Bleeding and Warm Water! or the Allied Doctors bringing Boney to his Senses.’ Here poor Boney is in very evil case. With shaven head, and in an ‘Allied strait waistcoat’ (one sleeve of which is held by Russia, the other by Poland), he is seated on the stool of Repentance in a tub of hot water, consisting of a ‘sea of troubles,’ which is warmed by the flames of Moscow. He is surrounded by all the European sovereigns as doctors, each of whom prescribes his own remedy. Russia gives, as his opinion: ‘I have found a constant application of this Russian Knout to work wonders!!’ John Bull is giving him a fearful bolus, ‘Invasion of France,’ saying at the same time, ‘Work away my Masters, I’ll pay you your fees. Ay, ay, rave and rant, Master Boney, but the Devil will Bone you at last.’ Holland is trying ‘what Dutch drops will do,’ by emptying out of a huge cannon a legion of armed Dutchmen on his shaven head. Poland bleeds him by stabbing his arm with a lance, and Prussia catches the blood in a ‘Crown bowl,’ congratulating himself, ‘I think my Crown Razors have shaved his Crown pretty close.’ Spain is applying a plaster to his back: ‘Here is a Plaster of Spanish flies for him.’ Poor Boney, one of whose legs is in the hot water, resists this treatment as far as possible, and yells out, ‘Hence with your Medicines – they but drive me Mad. Curse on your Dutch Drops, your Leipsig Blister, and your Spanish flies; they have fretted me to what I am. D – n your Cossack Lancets, they have drained my veins, and rendered me poor and vulnerable indeed – Oh! how I am fallen – But I will still struggle – I will still be great – Myriads of Frenchmen still shall uphold the glory of my name, the grandeur of my Throne, and write my disgrace in the hearts of ye – ye wretched creatures of English gold.’