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| Archive Reference / Library Class No. | D5459/4/13 |
| Former Reference | D5459/3/66 |
| Title | The Modern Hercules, Cleansing the Augean Stable |
| Date | 23 Apr 1805 |
| Description | In the foreground Samuel Whitbread, the brewer and Whig reformer, is Hercules, cleaning out the Parliamentary stables, occupied by horses with politicians' heads. He is throwing a barrel of Whitbread's Intire at a horse on the right. The horse, who has the head and wig of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, complains:
"What the deel is the mon a boot".
Under the horse's legs is a broom inscribed 'Will Force's (ie Wilberforce) BROOM FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF VICE'. Behind Melville are the legs and head of Trotter who says:
"Attack the Gallopers, I am only a poor Trotter."
Behind him is Pitt, who says:
"I am afraid we shall all get drenched in turn."
There are a number of ministers behind them, including possibly Castlereagh and Canning. They protest:
"Who could have expected this."
Above the horses' heads are the 'Treasury Stall', 'Army Stall', and 'Navy Stall' all filled with money bags. Next to Melville is a 'PRIVATE CHEST for Stray Provender', referring to the private account in which naval funds had been deposited.
The statue of the mitred 'Abbot of St Stephen' on the left represents the speaker of the House of Commons.
Available on CD 166. |
| Level | Item |
| Repository | Derbyshire Record Office |
| Artist | Rowlandson, Thomas (1756-1827) |
| Archive Creator | George Murgatroyd Woodward (1765-1809), artist and writer |
| Further Information | Pubd April 23 1805 by T Rowlandson Adelphi
Text reads:
'Augeas a King of Elis, had a stable, which was not cleansed for thirty years yet Hercules cleaned it in one day vid Heathen Mythology'
The scene refers to the Naval Enquiry of 1805 and Whibread's attempts to impeach Melville and bring about the fall of Pitt.
Wilberforce, the campaigner against slavery, had founded the Proclamation Society in 1792, and he and his 'Saints' were involved in the attack on Melville, and on corruption in general. |
| Physical Description | Hand-coloured print. Size 380 x 272 mm. |
| Copies | A digital copy can also be viewed on the public computers at the record office. |
| Related Material | See D5459/1/93/4 etc for more on the Naval Enquiry of 1805.
For more depictions of William Pitt see D5459/1/61 etc.
See D5458/1/93/1etc for more depictions of Dundas.
See D5459/1/93/13 etc for more on Castlereagh. |
| Publication Note | BM Sat 10390 |
| Image | 
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