A travesty of a half length portrait of S. Ireland: ('Hamilton pinxt S = Ireland fect.'). In both Ireland wears the dress of a Rubens picture, cf. BMSat 7020, and looks over his right shoulder, holding up folds of drapery which hang from the left shoulder. The original is young and handsome, with well-dressed hair, tied and falling on his shoulder. [The B.M. impression is dated in a contemporary hand 'Octr 1785'. Listed in Bromley's 'Catalogue', p. 390.]  Gillray follows closely the pose and dress of the original, but the head is that of an older man, with a sly smile; his short curling hair recedes from his forehead.   In his hand is a book, 'Ireland Shakspe . . .'  Beneath the title: 'Mr Bromley in his Catalogue &amp;c. p. 390. has erroneously put this Portrait into his Seventh Class. - It ought to have appeared in the Tenth. See the Contents of it. p. 449. 
<p><br>"Such cursed assurance," 
<br>"Is past all Endurance."       Maid of the Mill.' 
<br><br>Beneath the vignetted design: 'Inscription under a Picture of the Editor of Shakespeare's Manuscripts, 1796. \ by the Revd William Mason, Author of Elfrida &amp; Caractacus [actually by George Steevens, [Sidney Lee in 'D.N.B.', s.v. Steevens (confirmed by the libel proceedings); in his 'D.N.B.' article on Ireland he attributed the lines to Mason.] parodying Dryden's lines on Milton].
<br>"Four Forgers, born in one prolific age, 
<br>"Much critical acumen did engage. 
<br>"The First, was soon by doughty Douglas scar'd 
<br>" Tho' Johnson would have screen'd him, had he dared;* 
<br>"The Next had all the cunning of a Scot;†
<br>"The Third, invention, genius,- nay what not?‡
<br>"Fraud, now exhausted, only could dispense 
<br>"To her Fourth Son, their three-fold impudence. 
<br>* Lauder         † Macpherson           ‡ Chatterton'  1 December 1797
</p>
<br>Hand-coloured etching
<div class="fn value">
<p>Print made by: James Gillray
</p>
<dl><dd>Published by: Hannah Humphrey</dd></dl></div>
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