fighting and fooling, it would require a volume to give a full account. In allusion to those periodical contests Voltaire remarked, that the English went mad once every seven years-and these four pictures sustain to a great extent the accuracy of the sarcasm. In other works which the Artist executed he gave us but a portion of Society, a glimpse of public or of domestic life, a satiric exposition of some particular vice or darling folly; but in these he has shown us the majesty of the people, broad and unfettered, in the full and free exercise of constitutional functions, and the enjoyment of more than royal powers." CUNNINGHAM.

CHARACTERS IN THIS SERIES.-PLATE I. "ELECTION ENTERTAINMENT."* The candidate, Thomas Potter, Esq. The divine holding his periwig in his hand, Dr. Cosserat The female playing on the violin, a woman called Fiddling Nan, well known in the neighbourhood of Oxford. The person making a representation of the face of a man round his hand, Sir John Parnell, nephew of the Poet. The Bludgeon man having gin poured on his head; supposed to be the portrait of an Oxford bruiser, Teague Car ter. The label "Kirton's best" alludes to Kirton, a to bacconist in Fleet-street, who injured his constitution and circumstances by his zeal in the Oxfordshire Election of 1754. The effigy said to be intended for the Duke of Neweastle. Pl. III. "POLLING." The man in fetters, Dr Shebbeare. The nobleman with the ribband, the Duke of Newcastle.Pl. IV. "THE CHAIRING." The member, Bubb Doddington, afterwards Lord Melcombe.

VARIATIONS.-PLATE I. ENTERTAINMENT. In describing the variations in these capital performances, I shall borrow the words of Mr. John Ireland. "First state. 'Painted and the whole engraved by Wm. Hogarth.' 'Published 24th Feb. 1755,' and ‘In

* See Hogarth's own remarks on the ment," p. 65.

"Election Entertain

:

scribed to the Right Hon. Henry Fox,' &c. Seven cut lemons on a piece of paper, close to the punch tub; four hats in the corner; and For our Country,' on the ribband in the cap of the butcher, which is striped. A salt-seller and a piece of bread near the fork upon the table. Second state. The two words the whole' in the inscription, scratched over with black lines. The drapery, stockings, &c. on the table before Richard Slim, made much darker: the hand of the fat old woman close to the Candidate, removed from under her apron, and hanging down by her side, by which the shoulder, elbow, &c. is thrown out of drawing her countenance less clear, and a single tooth, very conspicuous in the first impression, is here removed. Shadow on the top of the wainscot in the left corner effaced. Half a casement near the painting of a landscape, changed to a window-shutter: the king's head, frame, and back-ground behind it, lighter the salt-cellar and a bit of bread removed from the table: lemons taken out, and the tub, pail, and foreground below them much lighter: the boy's napkin darker. The butcher's cap, in which was 'For our Country,' has now Pro Patria,' and is not striped; the open-back chair in which he was seated, in the first state, is here filled up to a cushion back. The words 'sure votes,' and 'doubtful,' in the Attorney's book are re-engraved; both leaves are shadowed, and the centre line from top to bottom, which in the first state was with the sure votes,' is here transferred to the doubtful;' two pearly drops are trickling from the Parson's forehead. Four windows are added to a house seen out of the open casement; a pair of scissars suspended to the Methodist Taylor's apron-string; and the pen, stuck under the wig of the fellow who offers him a bribe, which in the first state was with the feather outwards, is now properly altered to the quill outwards. There are several other little variations in the shadows, which seem generally intended to bring the print into harmony; and I think have their effect, for it is more still, and in better keeping than in the first state. Third state. The cross strokes of the graver on the words 'the whole,' in the inscription, nearly burnished out. One hat added in the corner, and another placed on the bench, near the scabbard and gloves. The face, knot,

&c. of the little girl near the candidate, darkened; and the hair of the fellow smoking him, much shadowed; and rendered less woolly. Character of face of the boy pouring punch altered, and hair made much darker. Fourth state. The words 'the whole' again inserted; the W is different, and engraving not so good as in the first state; the shadow on the top of the wainscot close to the landscape, again restored. A strong shadow, on the lower part of the round table in the corner, burnished down." The hat of the Woman playing on the violin is entirely dark. "Fifth, which is the present state; the words 'the whole' again completely effaced by black lines. The masses somewhat stronger, and the shadows on the round table in the corner, especially on the edge, made darker." -PLATE II. CANVASSING FOr Votes. Second state. Some of the upper row of the lion's teeth are removed.- -PLATE III. THE POLLING. Mr. John Ireland observes, "In an etching (touched in the shadows by Hogarth) which I have of this plate, the blind voter going up the steps has not any bandage over his eyes. The cockade of the sick figure just before him is not of sufficient length for the words 'true blue,' now inserted, and probably an afterthought. The fellow before him with a pipe in his mouth, in the print is without a nose; but in the etching has a very long one; while the man to whom this old smoker is presenting tobacco, and who, in the print, has so speculative and carbuncled a proboscis, has, in the etching, scarcely any nose at all. The book in the pocket of Dr. Shebbeare is so much intersected as not to admit of the inscription, afterwards added, of (‘the 6th Letter to the '), without the strokes being burnished out. Second Impression. 'Milicia Bill,' awkardly inscribed on the maimed Voter's skirt, intended to appear as a paper hanging out of his pocket."PLATE IV. CHAIRING THE MEMBER. Second state. The word INDINTUR (indenture) on the scroll, hanging out of the Attorney's window, and a shadow on the Sun-dial, are both added. The fire from the gun is also lengthened; the rails of the Church gate are darkened and the upper sprigs of a tree, which at first were bare, are covered with leaves.

Copies of the four Plates by Riepenhausen, 11 in. by 6.

At Gulston's sale, 1786, the "Entertainment," first state, sold for £2. 3s. "The Canvassing," proof for £4. 8s. and "The Polling," a proof, for £3. 9s. At Baker's sale, 1825, the "Entertainment," before any inscription, sold for £31. 10s.; the "Canvassing for Votes," the etching, £4. 14s. 6d.; Ditto, in fine preservation, £7. 17s. 6d.; Ditto, third etching, more worked upon than the preceding, £7. 17s. 6d.; Ditto, finished proof, before the markings on the margin were cleared off, £18. 18s. A set in the finest state, at Yates's sale, 1827, for sold £7. 7s.

1756.

[B. & N.] "France and England," two Plates, " designed and etched by Wm Hogarth,"

"The two pictures called 'France and England,' are inspired by the same sort of feeling as the‘Roast Beef,' and may rank in the same class. They are intensely national, and severely ludicrous. The verses under the prints were by David Garrick." CUNNING

HAM.

VARIATIONS. First state.

Instead of France and England,

Plate I. and Plate II. are inscribed on the Plates.

Copies of the two Plates, by Riepenhausen, 11 in. by 6.

1758.

[B. & N.] 1. The Bench," design'd and engraved by W. Hogarth, and published 4th September 1758.

VARIATIONS. First state. Exhibits the inside of the Court of Common Pleas, the King's arms at top. Portraits of the four Judges are, Hon. Wm. Noel; Sir John Willes, Lord Chief Justice; Hon. Mr. Justice, afterwards Earl Bathurst; and Sir Edward Clive. Over it is written " CHARACTER;" under it, "Of the different meanings of the words Character, Caricatura, and “Outré, in Painting and Drawing." This is followed, on a separate piece of copper, by a long explanatory inscription.* Second state. The