English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon I. Volume 2 (of 2) — Context and Discussion

HAPTER XXXVIII. PAGE INVASION SQUIBS--CADOUDAL’S CONSPIRACY--EXECUTION OF THE DUC D’ENGHIEN--CAPTAIN WRIGHT 1

NAPOLEON PROCLAIMED EMPEROR--THE FLOTILLA--INVASION SQUIBS 12

NAPOLEON’S CORONATION 23

NAPOLEON’S LETTER TO GEORGE THE THIRD--NAVAL VICTORIES--CROWNED KING OF ITALY--ALLIANCE OF EUROPE--WITHDRAWAL OF THE ‘ARMY OF ENGLAND’ 35

SURRENDER OF ULM--BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR--PROPOSALS FOR PEACE-- DANIEL LAMBERT 45

NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE--DEATH OF FOX--NAPOLEON’S VICTORIOUS CAREER--HIS PROCLAMATION OF A BLOCKADE OF ENGLAND 57

NAPOLEON’S POLISH CAMPAIGN--BATTLE OF EYLAU--MEETING OF THE EMPERORS AT TILSIT--CAPTURE OF THE DANISH FLEET 65

FRENCH ENTRY INTO PORTUGAL--BLOCKADE OF ENGLAND--FLIGHT OF THE PORTUGUESE ROYAL FAMILY--THE PENINSULAR WAR--FLIGHT OF KING JOSEPH 75

PENINSULAR WAR, _continued_--MEETING AT ERFURT 87

RETREAT TO CORUNNA--THE BROKEN BRIDGE OVER THE DANUBE--WAGRAM-- JOSEPHINE’S DIVORCE 96

FAILURE OF EXPEDITIONS TO SPAIN, PORTUGAL, AND HOLLAND--NAPOLEON’S WOOING OF, AND MARRIAGE WITH, MARIA LOUISA--BIRTH OF THE KING OF ROME--NAPOLEON IN THE NURSERY 110

A NAVAL ENGAGEMENT--NAPOLEON’S TOUR IN GERMANY--DECLARATION OF WAR WITH RUSSIA--ENTRY INTO WILNA--SMOLENSKO--BORODINO--ENTRY INTO MOSCOW--BURNING OF THE CITY--NAPOLEON’S RETREAT 123

REJOICINGS IN ENGLAND OVER THE RESULT OF NAPOLEON’S RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN--THE EMPEROR’S RETURN TO FRANCE 138

THE ARMISTICE--BATTLE OF VITTORIA--DEFEAT AT LEIPSIC--THE BRIDGE BLOWN UP 150

NAPOLEON’S RETURN TO PARIS--HIS RECEPTION 164

L’HOMME ROUGE--NAPOLEON’S SUPERSTITION 172

NAPOLEON AGAIN TAKES THE FIELD--HIS DEFEATS--THE ALLIES AT PARIS--NAPOLEON ABDICATES--HIS ATTEMPT TO POISON HIMSELF 181

NAPOLEON LEAVES FOR ELBA--HIS RECEPTION THERE 194

NAPOLEON AT ELBA--HIS OCCUPATIONS WHILST THERE--FAITH BROKEN WITH HIM--THE VIOLET--GENERAL REJOICINGS AT HIS EXILE 203

NAPOLEON’S ESCAPE FROM ELBA--UNIVERSAL CONSTERNATION--FLIGHT OF THE BRITISH FROM FRANCE--CARICATURES ON HIS RETURN 214

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR--THE SHORT CAMPAIGN--WATERLOO--NAPOLEON’S ABDICATION 225

NAPOLEON A PRISONER--SENT TO THE ISLE OF AIX--NEGOTIATIONS FOR SURRENDER--GOES ON BOARD THE ‘BELLEROPHON’ 233

NAPOLEON ON BOARD THE ‘BELLEROPHON’--ARRIVAL AT TORBAY--CURIOSITY OF THE PEOPLE--THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT DETERMINE TO SEND HIM TO ST. HELENA 239

NAPOLEON IS SENT ON BOARD THE ‘NORTHUMBERLAND’--HE PROTESTS AGAINST HIS EXILE--PUBLIC OPINION AS TO HIS TREATMENT 250

VOYAGE TO ST. HELENA--CESSATION OF CARICATURES 259

ENGLISH CARICATURE AND SATIRE

INVASION SQUIBS--CADOUDAL’S CONSPIRACY--EXECUTION OF THE DUC D’ENGHIEN--CAPTAIN WRIGHT.

The Volunteer movement was well shown in a print by A. M., November 1803: ‘Boney attacking the English Hives, or the Corsican caught at last in the Island.’ There are many hives, the chief of which has a royal crown on its top, and is labelled ‘Royal London Hive. Threadneedle Street Honey’--which Napoleon is attacking, sword in hand. George the Third, as Bee Master, stands behind the hives, and says, ‘What! what! you plundering little Corsican Villain, have you come to rob my industrious Bees of their Honey? I won’t trust to your oath. Sting, Sting the Viper to the heart my good Bees, let Buz, Buz be the Word in the Island.’ The bees duly obey their master’s request, and come in clouds over Napoleon, who has to succumb, and pray, kneeling, ‘Curse those Bees they sting like Scorpions. I did not think this Nation of Shopkeepers could sting so sharp. Pray good Master of the Bees, do call them off, and I will swear by all the three creeds which I profess, Mahometan, Infidel, and Christian, that I will never disturb your Bees again.’

‘Selling the Skin before the Bear is caught, or cutting up the Bull before he is killed,’ is by I. Cruikshank (December 21, 1803), and represents a Bull reposing calmly on the English shore, whilst on the opposite or French coast is Bonaparte, Talleyrand, and several Generals. Bonaparte, pointing to the Bull, says: ‘I shall take the Middle part, because it contains the Heart and Vitals--Talley, you may take the head, because you have been accustomed to take the Bull by the horns.’ Britannia stands, fully armed, behind the Bull, by an ‘alarm post,’ on which hangs a bell, ‘British Valor,’ which she is preparing to ring: ‘When these Mounseers have settled their plan, I will just rouse the Bull, and then see who will be cut up first.’

‘New Bellman’s Verses for Christmas 1803!’ is an extremely inartistic work of an unknown man (December 1803); the only thing worth quoting about it are these verses:--

This little Boney says he’ll come At Merry Christmas time, But that I say is all a hum, Or I no more will rhyme.

Some say in wooden house he’ll glide, Some say in air Balloon, E’en those who airy schemes deride, Agree his coming soon.

Now honest people list to me, Though Income is but small, I’ll bet my Wig to one Pen--ney, He does not come at all.