File:1799-Belvoir-Castle-houseparty-Isaac-Cruikshank.jpg

Description1799-Belvoir-Castle-houseparty-Isaac-Cruikshank.jpg	English: "The Humours of Belvoir Castle -- or the Morning After", a March 1st 1799 English caricature engraving showing the aftermath of a night of upper-class debauchery at a large country mansion, marking the celebration of the owner's coming of age. (One's "coming of age" was the 21st birthday for most purposes, but a will or other legal document could specify a different date on which the inheritor of a property would come into full legal control over it, which was then the "coming of age" with respect to that particular property.) This is a precursor to the infamous Edwardian country-house weekends (but in the pre-railway era of 1799, the whole occasion was likely to last longer than just a weekend). Some old handwriting on this copy of the print says that Cruikshank was parodying the celebration of the Duke of Rutland's coming of age.
Date	1 March 1799
Source	Edited from image at Library of Congress
Author	Isaac Cruikshank  (1764–1811)     Alternative names Isaac Cruickshank; Isaac Robert Cruikshank Description Scottish caricaturist, illustrator, drawer, printmaker, painter and etcher Date of birth/death 5 October 1764  between 1811 and 16 April 1811 date QS:P,+1811-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1319,+1811-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1811-04-16T00:00:00Z/11   Location of birth/death Edinburgh  London  Work location London  Authority file : Q3154738 VIAF: 107045019 ISNI: 0000000080122606 ULAN: 500005958 LCCN: n94004259 NLA: 35456592 WorldCat creator QS:P170,Q3154738
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Text in image:

• First tableau:

Inebriated Irishman

"Och! Long life to Belvoir Castle! -- by St. Patrick, I wish his honor would come of age every day in the year! -- to be sure, we did not push about the bottle at all, at all. -- and now here's a polite Damsel going to shew me to bed in the morning! -- she seems to have a nation deal of bone -- but no matter for that! -- Belvoir Castle forever, I say!"

Homely upper servant (lady's-maid?)

"Come along, Sir, I'll shew you to a chamber -- it's a pity you should sleep in the Gallery, you might take cold -- [sotto voce] bless me, I would not have my Lady to see me for the world! she would never have an opinion of my virtue again."

• Second tableau:

Surprised ugly man

"Oh Lord! Oh Lord! why, I have not slept all night with you -- you Black Devil, have I?"

Black woman servant (not slave) in a shift, holding candle

"Iss you did, and you be very pretty man."

• Third tableau:

Hastily-attired woman

"I think I shall now escape without detection!"

Caricature old man in nightshirt

"My wife! -- by everything that is hornified! they often told me she wore the Breeches, and now I am convinced of it." ["Hornified" refers to the old image that a cuckold was horned.]

• Fourth tableau:

Reading man in dressing gown

"While my Sister makes Breakfast, I will read you a passage in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night -- there is something peculiarly whimsical and interesting in the Character of Malvolio."

Woman pouring tea (noticing that her brother is wearing a woman's shoe, of the type tied to the leg by ribbons)

"I suppose you admire that character from Sympathy -- for like Malvolio, I perceive you are cross-garter'd."

Older man

"Cross-garter'd! -- why, Tom has got on a Lady's Stocking -- there must be some cursed mistake in this."

• Fifth tableau:

Dissheveled drunken man

"Shew me to bed -- or give me something to drink -- great lump of loveliness! -- devine Cherry-bum; -- hear me! -- give me some drink, thou mighty Castle Spectre!"

Heavyset lower servant woman holding candle

"Bless your honor, I am only the Cook. -- most of the regular Families are getting up, but I'll shew you to a bed if you please."

• Sixth tableau:

Woman

"I am glad I have found you, my Dear. -- I persuaded my Husband to let us have separate rooms -- as he complain'd of being very ill. -- bless me, how dark it is! -- why don't you speak?"

Man

[sotto voce] "Here's a pretty business, my own wife, by Jupiter! -- I should know her voice from a thousand."

• Seventh tableau:

Uncle

"Why, Jack, what wickedness have you been at? -- you have got a woman's cap on!"

Nephew Jack

"Have I, Uncle -- and if I don't mistake, this is an under-petticoat about your shoulders."

• Eighth tableau:

Lecherous upper-class man

"'Pon Honor -- you are two nice little Lincolnshire Articles -- you must know I am a Bond Street Sailor, and I insist on taking you in tow."

Experienced lower-class woman to inexperienced lower-class woman

"Why are you so bashful? -- I was so at first, -- till I found all the fine Ladies of Fashion set us so good an example."

For other Isaac Cruikshank caricatures with a similar overall structure, see Image:Ca-1795-militia-volunteers-drill-innuendo-caricature.jpg and Image:That-accounts-for-it-1799-caricature-Isaac-Cruikshank.jpg

Bibliographic information found on the LoC site:

TITLE: The humours of Belvoir Castle, or the morning after / Woodward del. ; etch'd by Cruikshank.

CALL NUMBER: PC 3 - 1799--Humours of Belvoir Castle ... (B size) [P&P]

REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-DIG-ppmsca-07198 (digital file from original print) No known restrictions on publication.

SUMMARY: Print shows a number of encounters, in two panels, between men and women either off to bed or awakened to the horrors of the night before:

• The first, an old man on the arm of an old woman, says, "Och! Long life to Belvoir Castle ... and now heres a polite Damsel, going to shew me to bed in the morning!" to which the woman responds, "Come along sir ... bless me I would not have my Lady to see me for the World! She would never have an opinion of my virtue again."
• The second encounter has a rather homely man discovering by candlelight that he has slept with an African woman who tells him, "...you did, and you be very pretty man."
• The third encounter shows an old man exclaiming that he has often heard that his wife "wore the Breeches and now I am convinced of it" as he catches sight of her in her nightdress, one breast exposed, and a man's breeches around her shoulders, and she thinking "I shall now escape without detection" of her adulterous activities.
• The top panel closes with an old man sitting at a table having tea with a young couple, the young man, a rake, proposes to "...read you a passage in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night - there is something peculiarly whimsical and interesting in the Character of Malvolio" to which the young woman replies, "...for like Malvolio I perceive you are cross garter'd" and the old man exclaims, "Cross garter'd, why Tom has got on a Lady's Stocking - there must be some cursed mistake in this."
• The bottom panel continues in this vein with a man on one knee appealing to a plump woman, "Shew me to bed - or give me something to drink - great lump of loveliness - devine Cherry-bum, - hear me! - give me some drink, thou mighty Castle Spectre!"
• The next encounter has a husband and wife embracing in the dark, he thinking "...I should know her voice from a thousand" after hearing her speak, "I am glad I have found you my Dear, I persuaded my Husband to let us have separate rooms, as he complain'd of being very ill, - bless me how dark it is, why don't you speak?"
• Next an uncle and a nephew confronting each other in the morning, the uncle says, "Why Jack what wickedness have you been at? You have got a Woman's Cap on!" to which the nephew replies, "Have I Uncle, and if I don't mistake, this is an under petticoat about your shoulders."
• Lastly, a "Bond Street Sailor" is about to lead or take "in tow" a "bashful" young woman down the path to ruin with the aid of another woman who says to her, "Why are you so bashful - I was so at first, - till I found all the fine Ladies of Fashion set us so good an example."

Besides containing some puns in speech, the whole print seems to be a pun on Belvoir or beautiful view.

MEDIUM: 1 print : etching, hand-colored.

CREATED/PUBLISHED: [London] : Pub. by S.W. Fores, No. 50 Piccadilly, corner of Sackville St., 1799 March 1st.

CREATOR: Cruikshank, Isaac, 1756?-1811?, engraver.

RELATED NAMES: Woodward, G. M. (George Moutard), ca. 1760-1809, artist.

NOTES: Title from item. Inscribed in ink at end of title: "the Duke of Rutland came of age". "Folio's of caracatures lent out for the evening." Forms part of: British Cartoon Collection (Library of Congress).

SUBJECTS:

• Relations between the sexes--England--1790-1800.
• Intoxication--1790-1800.
• Clothing & dress--England--1790-1800.

FORMAT: Puns (Visual works) British 1790-1800. Satires (Visual works) British 1790-1800. Etchings British Hand-colored 1790-1800.

PART OF: British Cartoon Collection (Library of Congress)

REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

DIGITAL ID: (digital file from original print) ppmsca 07198 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.07198

CARD #: 2004681708