Label on the wrapper of a group of three mezzotint caricatures of men as pigeons (2010,7081.1502-4). These are stitched-bound into brown paper wrappers, with some manuscript identifications in an 18thC hand in brown ink. The label/frontispiece is pasted onto the front wrapper
<p><br><br>A jester shown bust-length to left, pointing upwards; in a roundel inscribed 'Speculum Veluti'; engraved lettering to either side '[some damage] Pythagorus's doctrine // of Transmigration / clear'd to the mean // est cap [...] / by Examples of - well known [...]  formerly Men now // transmig.d into Pigeons / To be continue'd // occasionally, price 2s. [...]'; engraved lettering below the roundel with a quotation from John Gay 'Of Bodies chang'd to various Forms Ising [sic] Ovid. // [two columns] Sagacious Porta's skill cou'd trace / Some Beast or Bird in Evr'y Face, / The Head the Eye, the Noses shape, / Prov'd this a Pigeon, that an Ape, // You show the Piece, &amp; give the hint / And find each Feature in the Print, / So monstrous like the Portrai's found / All know it, &amp; the laugh goes round. / Like him I draw from Gen'ral Nature / Ist for You then fix the Satire, / Gay'
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<br>Etching and engraving with some hand-colouring
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Print made by:Anonymous</div>
1760s-1770s (circa)
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