EXPLANATION OF THE PRINTS OF HOGARTH, CALLED THE ELECTION. PLATE I.-AN ELECTION ENTERTAINMENT. the barrister, flourishing a bumper of wine over the fair one's head, emphatically roars out a silly toast. At table, an orthodox divine sits stowing his remnant of the haunch; stripped of his canonical periwig, and wiping the perspiration from his forehead; a Scotch bag-piper behind him THERE is, perhaps, no series of composition by this inimitable artist, which excels in variety of humourous character, and justness of satire, than that which he has devoted to express the humours of elections.-This subject has at once a British origin, and a British interest, which, whilst the days of our popular free-accompanies his harsh music with a hearty dom shall continue, will never be lost upon an English heart. Popular elections are almost unknown to any country but our own. The comedy commences with a sumptuous entertainment, at an inn, in a country town. The inscription on the banner, "Give us our eleven days," alludes to the alteration of the style in 1752. All the party except the mayor and the divine, have ended their repast. The accomplished gentleman, who aspires to the honour of a seat in the British Senate, is politely lending an attentive ear to a disgusting old beldam, who, produces a letter to Sir Commodity Tarem. The highly polished knight, stretches his long arm round her ample waist, shews her every polite attention. scratching; a female player on the violin, and a pompous performer on the bass-viol, bears a part in the melodious concert. A fourth musician, with his instrument under his arm, drinks with a gentleman, who seems to be diverted with his own resemblance to the fiddler, in an enormous length of chin. Two country fellows enjoy the fun of seeing the representatation of a face in a napkin, &c. and hearing the song "An old Woman clothed in grey." A fellow behind is emptying a vessel through the window upon a crowd of the opposite party, who return the compliment by a shower of stones.. We also behold the worshipful mayor, who has crammed himself with oysters till he can no longer breathe; but true to his cause even in death, he grasps a This handsome candidate is pronounced fork, on which he has impaled an oyster. to be the late Thomas Potter, Esq.-A|| Behind him, an agent attempts to corrupt little girl, dazzled with the splendour of a puritanical tailor with a bribe, who rehis brilliant ring, attempts to make it ajects the glittering bait, though threatenprize, while a fellow, standing upon a chaired with the displeasure of his terrific wife. behind him, strikes the baronet's head against that of the old woman, with all that ease and freedom which election humour authorizes. Another stroke of election wit is exhibited in the adjoining group, consisting of cobbler, barber, and a squeamish gentleman. The cobbler grasps the hand of the gentleman with a zeal that almost cracks the bones; and the barber gives him a friendly pinch, and merrily blows the hot fumes from the short tobacco pipe into his eyes. The group behind consists of an officer, a drunken counsellor, and a pretty woman; A man of the law in in the act of examining the votes, having received a blow, falls prostrate on the floor: a bludgeonman has met a similar accident; and a patriotic butcher acts the part of a surgeon, by pouring gin into the wound. In the front a boy is filling a mashing-tub with punch; Abel Squat, a dealer in ribbands, gloves, and stockings, has received a promissory note of fifty pounds, payable in six months, with which he seems much dissatisfied. Entering at the door, we see a large band of assailants from the opposite party armed with cudgels, &c. and one of the heroes brandishing a sword-The horns at the door may, perhaps, allude to the puritanic tailor.-A party, called Jacobites, have mangled the portrait of King William.—The escutcheon, with the elector's arms, "A cherron sable, between three guineas or," with a crest of a gaping mouth, and the motto," Speak and have," is pertinent and appropriate. On a flag the words "Liberty and Loyalty," are inscribed; in the tobacco tray, we perceive a paper of " Kirton's best," and a slip of paper torn from an act against bribery and corruption.-We also descry a lobster creeping towards a mutton chop, which lies unheeded in a corner.—The effigy, even through the window, with the words "No Jews," about its neck, is said to be meant for the Duke of Newcastle, his Grace having exerted all his influence in support of the naturalization bill. Kirton's name is very significantly inserted on the tobacco-paper; he was a to bacconist in Fleet street, and ruined his health, constitution, and circumstances, by being busy in the Oxford election, of 1754. PLATE II-CANVASSING FOR VOTES. THIS is the second plate in the series of the Election, and has an equal justness and poignancy of satire, with the one preceding. The principal group here represented is that of a sly country farmer, a freeholder, between two innkeepers, agents for their respective parties, and, as his countenance expresses, he will no doubt be influenced by him who pays the most. On the balcony are seen two ladies occupied in their attentions to the candidate (who has but lately left them, by his hat being observed near their elbow) while pucrhasing of a Jew-(This character is most admirably depicted; he is in the act of praising his goods) the glittering bauble, to win their interest. A porter kneeling delivers a letter having this inscripsion, "To Timothy Party Tool, Esquire," which determines at once the obvious character of the candi date. A load of printed bills, billet-deux,|| &c. &c. intimate the future business of the porter. Within the bar of the Royal Oak are two voters gormandizing; meantime the fair hostess at the door is busily employed in counting over the gains which a contested election pours into the lap of a publican, whilst a leering amorous grenadier in the entry, seems to say— "When we're alone, "Some part of that will be my own!" The stern of a ship, representing the British Lion swallowing the Flower-de | luce, is an emblem of the animosity of the two nations. The barber and cobbler disputing upon politics are most inimitable characters: the earnest and vociferous countenance of the barber, while displaying the tobacco pipes, to din his account of a battle into the self-sufficient, half-intoxicated pericranium of the cobbler, is truly comic. The sign of the Porte-bello over their heads has, from the great humour and satire of Hogarth, a double intentFirst, it tells us instantly that the brave Admiral Vernon is the hero of the political dispute; and secondly, seeing only part of the sign to bello, we can affirm that the barber is not relating the action in a whisper. An excellent emblem is displayed by a fellow lying on the sign-post of the Crown, desperately engaged in cutting it down, not considering when the Crown falls, what will be his situation. The lawless rabble beneath, with bludgeons, &c. &c. shews the probable consequence if he succeeds. The puppet-shew cloth is in irony of the Treasury and Horse-guards.-From the Treasury is a stream of gold, flowing into a bag, to answer ministerial purposes in a general election.-The squat solidity of the Horse-guards, with the arch so low as not to admit the state-coachman through with his head on, is a severe satire on Ware, the architect, who felt much hurt from it. |