The humours of Belvoir Castle, or the morning after / Woodward del. ; etch'd by Cruikshank., British Cartoon Print

Print shows a number of encounters, in two panels, between men and women either off to bed or awakened to the horrors of the night before: the first, an old man on the arm of an old woman, says, "Och! Long life to Belvoir Castle ... and now heres a polite Damsel, going to shew me to bed in the morning!" to which the woman responds, "Come along sir ... bless me I would not have my Lady to see me for the World! She would never have an opinion of my virtue again." The second encounter has a rather homely man discovering by candlelight that he has slept with an African woman who tells him, "...you did, and you be very pretty man." The third encounter shows an old man exclaiming that he has often heard that his wife "wore the Breeches and now I am convinced of it" as he catches sight of her in her nightdress, one breast exposed, and a man's breeches around her shoulders, and she thinking "I shall now escape without detection" of her adulterous activities. The top panel closes with an old man sitting at a table having tea with a young couple, the young man, a rake, proposes to "...read you a passage in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night - there is something peculiarly whimsical and interesting in the Character of Malvolio" to which the young woman replies, "...for like Malvolio I perceive you are cross garter'd" and the old man exclaims, "Cross garter'd, why Tom has got on a Lady's Stocking - there must be some cursed mistake in this." The bottom panel continues in this vein with a man on one knee appealing to a plump woman, "Shew me to bed - or give me something to drink - great lump of loveliness - devine Cherry-bum, - hear me! - give me some drink, thou mighty Castle Spectre!" The next encounter has a husband and wife embracing in the dark, he thinking "...I should know her voice from a thousand" after hearing her speak, "I am glad I have found you my Dear, I persuaded my Husband to let us have separate rooms, as he complain'd of being very ill, - bless me how dark it is, why don't you speak?" Next an uncle and a nephew confronting each other in the morning, the uncle says, "Why Jack what wickedness have you been at? You have got a Woman's Cap on!" to which the nephew replies, "Have I Uncle, and if I don't mistake, this is an under petticoat about your shoulders." Lastly, a "Bond Street Sailor" is about to lead or take "in tow" a "bashful" young woman down the path to ruin with the aid of another woman who says to her, "Why are you so bashful - I was so at first, - till I found all the fine Ladies of Fashion set us so good an example." Besides containing some puns in speech, the whole print seems to be a pun on Belvoir or beautiful view.

Inscribed in ink at end of title: the Duke of Rutland came of age.

"Folio's of caracatures lent out for the evening."

Forms part of: British Cartoon Prints Collection (Library of Congress).

relations between the sexes england intoxication clothing and dress etchings hand colored puns visual works british satires visual works old england humours belvoir castle belvoir castle woodward cruikshank 1799 prints 18th century history of england cartoon prints british isaac cruikshank g m george moutard woodward ultra high resolution high resolution aristocracy etching duke library of congress

1700 - 1800

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

No known restrictions on publication.