Two ex-ministers see a vision of the horrors of war. Lord North (left) in profile to the right stands with his hands behind his back, saying, "Perdition seise thee! Hadst thou finished the intended Purpose, the triumphs of the junto had been complete. But now disgrace and public detestation, mark the awful resignation of our Places." Behind him, in a landscape, is the vision: Britannia (centre) sits, holding her spear and shield, saying "Oh I have drank of the deadly pois'ned cup administ'red by corruption". Between her and North stands a figure (Corruption) with the head and breast of a woman, the legs and tail of a devil, holding a cup and looking towards North. She says, "My good lord I have nearly done the business".
<p><br>On the right is a room, from which the left wall has been removed, revealing the vision to its occupant who lies back on a sofa, with hands held up in alarm. He is poorly characterized, but is evidently either Germain or Sandwich. He is looking at a Red Indian woman symbolizing America. She stands on a cloud on and under which are four naked children. They lie on a number of weapons: swords, bayonets, a pike, a scalping-knife. A sword is thrust through her breast up to the hilt, she points to it, addressing the reclining minister: "Canst thou behold this mangled breast - this dreadful carnage of my children &amp; feel no keen remorse! Oh forego this bloody warfare, else can revolted nature 'eer forget her wrongs or close in amity the dire catastrophe of recent woes." The minister says to her, "Hence bloody Phantom, Shake not thy gory locks at me. Approach thou like the rugg'd Rhinoceros, or fierce Hyrcanian beast take any shape but that, &amp; my firm nerves shall never tremble". Behind him in the background is a minister wearing a bag-wig and sword (Sandwich or Germain) looking at a map inscribed "Map of the British Empire in the Year 1775", which is hung on the back wall of the room. It covers a great part of two hemispheres, but the details are obscure. He is saying, "O'er America's lofty summits And Africa's dusky plains; From Europe to the Ganges: And wher'eer the Atlantic bathes the western shores."  20 August 1782
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<br>Etching with some engraving
1782<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1782-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
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