Item 26: Political Cartoon by Unknown, titled “Hieroglyphics,” Published in Oxford Magazine, 1769 March
Item — Box: 6, Folder: 26
Dates
- Created: 1769 March
Creator
- Oxford Magazine (Organization)
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Political cartoon/engraving
Condition Note:
Good.
Measurements:
7 ⅝ in. x 4 ½ in.
Title:
Hieroglyphics.
Description:
This engraving depicts John Wilkes (1725-1797) being attacked by two hounds, one with the head of Fletcher Norton (1716- 1789) (left) and one with the head of Augustus Henry Fitzroy (1736- 1811) (right). As he is being attacked Wilkes is saying “You may tear me in pieces, I care not! But spare oh spare my bleeding Country.” Two proponents of Wilkes stand off To the left, John Horne Tooke (1736-1812) who is saying “They know not what they do” and John Glynn (1722- 1779) exclaiming “There is no precedent for this either in Law or Equity! I declare it to be illegal.” On the right, from right to left is stood Henry Fox (1705-177) who is shown as a literally fox , John Russell (1710-1771) who is shown with the body of a pig and is whispering “Let us kill him or he’ll blow our secrets” to William Murray (1705-1793) who is shown as a wolf saying “If they don’t do for him we’ll all have at him. This engraving details the political scene upon Wilkes’ return to Britain in 1769. The two men shown supporting Wilkes, being Tooke and Glynn, were his two chief supporters at the time. Tooke rallied support for Wilkes in the country of Middlesex and helped to found the Society of Gentlemen Supporters of the Bill of Rights to cover Wilkes’ debts. Glynn, a barrister and politician, acted as Wilkes’ lawyer during his trial and took the lead in his case. Opposing Wilkes was Fitzroy, the Prime-Minister, Norton, a speaker of the House of Commons, Russell, the 4th Duke of Bedford, and Murray, the Lord Chief Justice. Fitzroy and Norton are depicted actively attacking Wilkes due to their more proactive role in Wilkes’ prosecution, where Fitzroy was the head of the government putting him on trial and Norton opposed Wilkes’ reentry into parliament. Murray was another active participant in Wilkes’ trial. As Lord Chief Justice he was empowered to and indeed did, uphold the legality of the warrants issued for Wilkes and denied Wilkes privilege of Parliament which would have protected him from arrest. For their parts, Russell and Fox Played no active role in the Wilkes’ trial but they belonged to the aristocratic class Wilkes threatened and as such were postured as political enemies. This piece was made for publishing by the Oxford Magazine, an Oxford based newspaper and magazine print.
Transcription:
Glynn: “There is not precedence for this, either in law or equity! I declare it to be illegal.”
Horne: “They know now what they do.”
John Wilkes: “You may tear me in pieces, I care not! but spare, oh spare my bleeding Country.”
Lord Mansfield: “If they don’t do it for him, we’ll all have at him.”
Duke of Bedford: “Let us kill him, or he’ll blow our secrets.”
Hieroglyphics
- Art.
- British Politics
- Engraving.
- FitzRoy, Augustus Henry 1735–1811
- Fox, Henry, 1705-1774
- Glynn, John, 1722-1779
- Historical prints--18th century
- Murray, William 1705–1793
- Norton, Fletcher 1716–1789
- Parliament.
- Political cartoons.
- Portrait
- Print.
- Russell, John 1710–1771
- Tooke, John Horne, 1736-1812
- Wilkes, John, 1725-1797.
Creator
- Oxford Magazine (Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu