Officers and men of the British army are waist-deep in water. The central figure is the Duke of York astride a gun whose carriage is half immersed. He holds up a punch-bowl, singing and looking down at a party, half submerged, of officers (right). The black cymbal-player (see BMSat 8327) stands beside the gun (left) shouting with upraised cymbal. An officer in back view holds out a glass. Another seated on (?) a gun-carriage holds a British flag. An officer (right) sleeps with folded arms. A man whose head only emerges plays a triangle. Muskets and a drum hang from the branches of a tree (right). On the left a Highlander, astride a submerged tent, dips his hat into the water, singing:
<p><br><br>"And while we can get brandy boys we'll scorn to fly!"
<br><br>In the distance (left) a soldier perched on a high sign-post inscribed 'Best Road to Dunkirk' wields a fishing-rod, the line in the mouth of a soldier whose head and shoulders emerge from the water. Other small figures and half-submerged tents (left) complete the design.   Beneath the title: 'A new Song'. The words beneath the design are: 
<br><br>'Why Soldiers Why 
<br>Should we be Melancholy, boy; 
<br>Why, Soldiers, why? 
<br>Whose business 'tis to die 
<br>What sighing fie!
<br>Damn fear, drink on, be jolly, boys! 
<br>'Tis he, you or I - 
<br>cold hot wet &amp; dry;
<br>We're allways bound to follow, boys, annd scorn to fly!'  7 December 1793.
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<br>Hand-coloured etching
<div class="fn value">
<p>Print made by: Isaac Cruikshank
</p>
<dl><dd>Published by: S W Fores</dd></dl></div>
1793<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1793-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
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