English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon I. John Ashton
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was abroad, patriotism was rampant, and everybody was very brave—on paper. This was the sort of stuff the people were fed on, of which I will give but two or three verses out of the eight.38
While deeds of Hell deface the World,
And Gallia’s throne in ruin lies,
While round the Earth revolt is hurl’d,
And Discord’s baneful Banner flies—
Loud shall the loyal Briton sing
To arms! to arms! your bucklers bring,
To shield our Country, guard our King,
And George and England save.
Ne’er shall the desolating Woe
That shades with horror Europe o’er,
To us her hideous image shew,
Or steep in blood this happy shore;
Firm as our rock-bound Isle we’ll stand,
With watchful eye and iron hand,
To wield the might of Britain’s land,
And George and England save.
Oh, happy Isle! wise order’d State!
Well temper’d work of Freedom’s hand!
No Shock of Realms can touch thy fate,
If Union bind thy sea-girt Land!
Vainly the storms shall round thee ring,
While Britain’s sons in concord sing,
We’ll shield our Country, guard our King
And George and England save.
To give some idea of the commotion caused by the threat of invasion, and yet not to be wearisome on the subject, I will only give the warlike items in the number of the True Briton, from which the above verses are taken, and which may be accepted as a fair sample. ‘We understand that the Duke of Bedford has received an answer from his Royal Highness the Commander in Chief to his offer of service, that it would be highly acceptable to the Government if he would exert his influence in Devonshire for the defence of the Coast.’ ‘His Grace the Duke of Grafton has not only offered to furnish his waggons and horses to Government, in case of emergency, but has also expressed his desire to encourage all his neighbours and tenants to assist with their persons and teams as far as may be in their power.’ ‘Last week there was a respectable Meeting of the Inhabitants of Stowmarket, at which it was unanimously agreed to form a Volunteer Corps of Infantry for the defence of that Town and Hundred.’ ‘In the county of Bedford, Lord Ongley, Mr. Trevor, and Mr. Whitbread, raise, each of them, a troop of Yeomanry. The town of Bedford raises a troop of Volunteer Cavalry.’ ‘A Meeting was held at Newmarket on Sunday last, after Divine Service, for aiding Government in case of Invasion, pursuant to the Regulations of Mr. Dundas’s Defence Bill; when the Inhabitants all came forward in a very laudable manner for that purpose, and most of the labourers offered their services as pioneers, or in any other capacity that may be deemed necessary.’ ‘The farmers of the Parish of Tarvin, in Cheshire, have set a noble example to their brethren throughout the Kingdom, in having entered into an agreement that they will, at a moment’s notice, in case of actual invasion, or imminent danger thereof, furnish their respective teams, with able horses and drivers, for the service of Government, free from any payment or gratuity whatever; and the number of each which they bind themselves to furnish, are 39 waggons, 68 carts, 347 horses, and an adequate number of drivers.’
This is the voluntary, patriotic side of the question; take next day’s paper, and we see, ‘There was a sharp press from the ships in Yarmouth Roads on Tuesday evening, by which means some good Seamen were procured.’
There is a vast amount of humour in ‘Anticipation, Ways and Means, or Buonaparte really taken’ (I. Cruikshank, August 13, 1798). This represents a booth at a country fair, where a Pierrot in tricolour costume (Fox), is showing to a lot of yokels a highly imaginative show canvas of Napoleon, with huge mouth and teeth, goggle eyes, two daggers, and immense boots and spurs. ‘To be seen here alive, the noted Bony Parte, from Egypt. ☞ An undoubted likeness.’ With tears streaming down his cheeks, he assures his audience that ‘he is certainly taken. I never was so pleased at any event in the whole course of my life.’
Pitt, who, suffering from gout, sits down and acts as trumpeter to the show, addresses the people thus: ‘Believe me, I do not mean to deceive you this time: he is really taken, and in this Booth at this present moment. Out with your pence good people—don’t be so shy—Tumble up Mr. Bull—the only booth in the fair! don’t be alarm’d—he is perfectly tame I assure you.’
The expedition to Egypt may be said to be the starting-point from which came the numerous caricatures of Napoleon. Before this, he had been known only by his victorious career in Italy, and had never come into active hostility with England; but now that we were to measure our strength with the Chief of the ‘Army of England,’ he became an important person, and, consequently, the caricaturists, ever feeling the public pulse, took him up, and found it to their benefit.
The occupation of Egypt by the French, if successful, would have led to their attacking our empire in India, and this was Napoleon’s design. Why the flotilla was ever allowed to go on its way unmolested, is hard to conceive; but it was so, and on May, 19, 1798, sailed out of Toulon 13 sail of the line, 7 frigates, 62 gunboats, and 400 transport vessels, having 20,000 troops and large quantities of military stores on board. There were also 121 men learned in different branches of science, who accompanied the expedition, and the whole was under the supreme command of Napoleon.
On June 11 they reached Malta, which surrendered without resistance, and then went on their way. Nelson followed them, and got to Malta, where he arrived on the 22nd, only to find that the French had left some days before, on which he sailed for Alexandria, getting there on June 28, but found no news of the French fleet; so, instead of waiting for them, he steered northward for Caramania, and then went to Sicily; whence, after refitting, he sailed again for Alexandria.
In the meantime the French, of course, took advantage of his (to them) lucky absence; and, on July 2, they disembarked the army, and took possession of Alexandria, but not without some loss on the side of the French; and the bodies of the soldiers thus slain were by Napoleon’s orders buried at the foot of Pompey’s Pillar, and their names were to be engraved on the Column.
And now, as it will be a frequent article of impeachment against Napoleon in this book, let us examine into the truth of his turning Mahometan, and see, first, what foundation it had in fact from the mouths of his own countrymen. De Bourrienne gives a proclamation made by Napoleon to his soldiers before their arrival in Egypt, from which I extract only those sentences bearing on this subject:—
Head Quarters, on board the ‘Orient.’
The 4th Messidor, Year VI. (June 22, 1798.)
Soldiers—The people amongst whom you are going to live, are Mahometans. The first article of their faith is this: ‘There is no God but God, and Mahomet is his Prophet.’ Do not contradict this. Behave to them as you have behaved to the Jews—to the Italians. Pay respect to their muftis, and their imams, as you did to the rabbis and the bishops. Extend to the ceremonies prescribed by the Alcoran, and to the Mosques, the same toleration which you showed to the synagogues, to the religion of Moses, and of Jesus Christ. The Roman legions protected all religions.
And again, the same author says: ‘On arriving at Alexandria, the General in Chief issued a proclamation to the people of Egypt, which, besides adverting to the insults and extortions experienced by French merchants from the Beys, contained the following passages:—
‘ “People of Egypt—You will be told that I am come to destroy your religion—do not believe it. Be assured that I come to restore your rights, to punish the usurpers, and that I respect more than the Mamelukes, God, his prophet, and the Alcoran. Tell them that all men are equal in the eye of God; wisdom, talents, and virtue make the only difference.
‘ “Cadis, Sheiks, Imans, Scorbajis, tell the people that we are the friends of the true Mussulmans.