THE TORY EDITOR and his APES Giveing their pitiful advice to the AMERICAN SAILORS
Dateca. 1810
Designed and engraved by
William Charles
(1776-1820)
MediumEtched, stipple and aquatint engraving.
DimensionsOverall: 12 1/2 × 11 1/4in. (31.8 × 28.6cm)
Other: 13 1/2 × 9 1/2in. (34.3 × 24.1cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. Dunscombe H. Colt, Jr.
Object number1964-24
DescriptionLower right corner reads: "Charles del et sculp."Title reads: "THE TORY EDITOR and his APES Giveing their pitiful Advice to the AMERICAN SAILORS." The text reads: Oh!-poor Sailors!-poor blue Jackets!-/don't go to war with the mother country!/don't go to war with good old England!/You will get hard knocks on the pate!/You will spend your years in English/prisons and prison ships!-don't submit/to the WAR!-You will beg in the/streets or rot in the alms house!/Ah! poor sailors! Oh! poor/blue Jackets!/" They each reply to him as follows (reading from left to right down the table): Here's a flock of mother/Cary's chickens-/ What think you my hearties/to all this Scud?//" "Why tis all in my eye Jack, Shiver/my limbs but this fellow is an/English dishclout-so let's have/no more of you blarney.-/An American tar knows his duty-and if he gets into prison d'ye see he'll get out/ ag'n: And as for a hard knock,/let'em try an' they will/whose head'shardest." // "That's right my honest soul!-Well stick/to our quarters, boys, like true hearted/sailors, and my the lubber be slush'd/home to the gizzard, and scrap'd with/a sharks tooth, who would mutiny gainst/commander and desert ship cause a/hard gale and a tough passage brings/him to short allowance-/So three cheers boys-Huzza!-!-!/ for Yankey doodle."//
Label TextFirst published as "The Cat Let Out of the Bag", this plate was then reworked and republished under the present title. It shows a small ragged man coming from "The Tory Cave" accompanied by apes, all with newspapers, towards a table at which three American sailors are seated.
1800-1820
1780-1830
ca. 1740
August 11, 1755
1780-1830
1730-1770