it is in this
sense that Mr. Wright makes use of it in his "Caricature History of the
Georges," and it is in this sense that we shall use it for the purposes
of this present book.

[Illustration:
ROWLANDSON.

THE TRUMPET AND THE BASSOON.]

[Illustration:
ROWLANDSON. _January 1st, 1796._

"ANYTHING WILL DO FOR AN OFFICER."

"What shall we do with him?"

"Do with him? Why, make an officer of him!"

_Face p. 2._]

CHANGE IN THE SPIRIT OF ENGLISH CARICATURE.

Since the commencement of the present century, and more especially
during the last fifty years, a change has come over the spirit of
English caricature. The fact is due to a variety of causes, amongst
which must be reckoned the revolution in dress and manners; the
extinction of the three-bottle men and topers; the change of thought,
manners, and habits consequent on the introduction of steam, railways,
and the electric telegraph. The casual observer meeting, as he sometimes
will, with a portfolio of etchings representing the men with red and
bloated features, elephantine limbs, and huge paunches, who figure in
the caricatures of the last and the early part of the present century,
may well be excused if he doubt whether such figures of fun ever had an
actual existence. Our answer is that they not only existed, but were
very far from uncommon. Our great-grandfathers of 1800 were jolly good
fellows; washing down their beef-steaks with copious draughts of "York
or Burton ale," or the porter for which Trenton, of Whitechapel, appears
to have been famed,[1] fortifying themselves afterwards with deeper
draughts of generous wines--rich port, Madeira, claret, dashed with
hermitage--they set up before they were old men paunches and
diseases which rendered them a sight for gods and men. Reader, be
assured that the fat men who figure in the graphic satires of the early
part of the century were certainly _not_ caricatured.

[Illustration:
T. ROWLANDSON. _April 13th, 1807._

"ALL THE TALENTS."

The "Broad-Bottom Administration," known as "All the Talents," showing
the several qualifications of the Ministry.

_Face p. 3._]

THE THREE GREAT CARICATURISTS OF THE LAST CENTURY.

In connection with the subject of graphic satire, the names of the three
great caricaturists of the last century--Gillray, Rowlandson, and
Bunbury--are indispensable. The last, a gentleman of family, fortune,
and position, and equerry to the Duke of York, wa