A reception at the Mansion House; a clock on the wall shows that it is twelve, the guests are hurrying away because the servants are extinguishing the candles. In the foreground (l.) two elderly bedizened women and two men are playing cards; they are unconscious that a stout man with a chain round his neck, apparently the Mayor himself, is directing a footman to blow out the candles on the table with a pair of bellows. The bellows are marked "P.", probably indicating Samuel Plumbe. Two other footmen are extinguishing candles, one with a pair of bellows, another with an extinguisher on a long rod. A group of three departing guests (r.), look over their shoulders in annoyance. Through a wide doorway is seen an inner room in which there is a procession of departing guests, led by the musicians carrying their instruments. From a gallery at the back of this room two other footmen are putting out candles. The large wall clock is over this gallery. On the wall behind the card-players are two half length portraits, one of "Sr Richard Whittington" wearing an eighteenth-century wig, and resting his hand on a cat which stands on a table; the other of a lady wearing a ruff, probably intended for Dame Whittington. Beneath verses are engraved, beginning,
<p><br><br>"A frugal Lord Mayor siez'd with Kindness one Day,
<br>Gave a Rout to the Town in a general way,"
<br><br>and ending,
<br><br>"All Joy now extinguish'd they betook to their Coaches,
<br>Each loading his Lordship with bitter Reproaches,
<br>If ye knew his kind meaning ye Maidens &amp; Wives,
<br>His Friendship you'd pray for, the rest of your Lives,
<br>He consider'd Late Hours destructive of Health,
<br>A blessing to Mortals superior to Wealth,
<br>As this was his Motive, Pray Railers be Dumb
<br>For this Generous Good Soul is at least worth a Plumb."  c.1779
</p>
<br>Etching
1779<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1779-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_J-7-5_1">https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_J-7-5_1</a>