ch, as the petitioners stated, had been "falsely
ascribed" to the queen. This address, which was conceived in the worst
possible taste, concluded with the following outrageous prayer: "We
therefore humbly pray your Majesty to dismiss from your presence and
councils for ever those ministers whose pernicious measures have so long
endangered the throne, undermined the constitution, and blighted the
prosperity of the nation." Now, only fancy any Corporation of London in
our time signalizing itself by presenting a petition to "Her Most
Gracious Majesty," complaining of the measures of Lord Beaconsfield or
Mr. Gladstone, and praying her to dismiss them from her councils! The
king returned the following answer: "It has been with the most painful
feelings that I have heard the sentiments contained in the address and
petition now presented to me by the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common
Council of the City of London. Whatever may be the motives of those by
whom it is brought forward, its evident tendency is to inflame the
passions and mislead the judgment of the unwary and less enlightened
part of my subjects, and thus to aggravate all the difficulties with
which we have to contend." This episode suggested to George one of the
most admirable of his caricatures: _A Scene in the New Farce as
performed at the Royalty Theatre_. The corpulent monarch, in the
character and costume of Henry the Eighth, is receiving a number of
deputations from all parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, bearing
petitions praying him to dismiss his ministry, the members of which
stand on each side of the throne, one of the number being habited as a
jester. This exceedingly rare plate carries on it the following
explanation: "King Henry VIII. being petitioned to dismiss his ministers
and council by the citizens of London and many boroughs, to relieve his
oppressed subjects, made the citizens this sagacious reply: 'We, with
all our cabinet, think it strange that ye who be but _brutes_ and
inexpert folk, should tell us who be and who be not fit for our
council.'"

1821.

Another of George Cruikshank's rare and valuable contributions to the
Queen Caroline series of pictorial satires is labelled _The Royal
Rushlight_, which many people (among them the Chancellor and corpulent
George) are vainly endeavouring to blow out. By way (it may be) of
contrast, this excellent satire has appended to it the following
miserable doggerel,--

"Cook, coachee, men a