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| Archive Reference / Library Class No. | D5459/1/93/11 |
| Former Reference | D5459/1/159 |
| Title | The Dismissal : or a scene altered from Shakespeare |
| Date | [1807] |
| Description | On the left George III points to the 'Catholic Bill' in Grenville's hand and says:
"Read that, and then to breakfast with what appetite you may". Grenville replies:
"Farewell, a long farewell to all my greatness".
Sheridan, on the right, adds:
"This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth his tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms - the third day comes a frost, a killing frost." Available on CD 158. |
| Level | Item |
| Repository | Derbyshire Record Office |
| Artist | Woodward, George Murgatroyd (?1765-1809) |
| Archive Creator | George Murgatroyd Woodward (1765-1809), artist and writer |
| Further Information | The lines taken from Henry VIII, Act III, Scene II
The drawing may possibly refer to Petition of Catholic emancipation of 1805, introduced in the Lords by William Wyndham Grenville (1759-1834), but was defeated in both Houses.
It is more probably the Army bill of 1807, which intended to grant commissions to Catholics, as already happened in Ireland. The King rejected it and asked Grenville for written pledge that no more concessions would be demanded. It led to dissolution of parliament and of the end of the 'Ministry of All Talents'. |
| Physical Description | Pencil drawing with text in ink. Size 337 x 266 mm. |
| Copies | A digital copy can also be viewed on the public computers at the record office. |
| Related Material | For depictions of Sheridan see D5459/1/48 etc. For more on Grenville see D5459/1/93/10. For more on Ireland see D5459/1/62 etc. |
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