A Political Battle Royal Design'd for Broughton's New Amphitheater (BM 1868,0808.3740)

Satire on the rivalry of politicians contending for power after the fall.of Robert Walpole, presented as taking sides with regard to the duel between Horatio Walpole and William Richard Chetwynd, here shown as taking place at the amphitheatre of John Broughton, the prize-fighter. From left to right: Lord Chesterfield determines to fight John Carteret who had been appointed secretary of state for the north; William Pulteney notes that he gave Robert Walpole an "Easy Fall"; Carteret rejoices that he now "at ye Top of ye Tree"; the Duke of Argyll stands in the background complaining of subsidies, "a share in ye Box" (i.e., Treasury funds) to foreign forces in the war of Austrian succession; Sir Watkin Williams Wynne, holding a hat with a leek, demands money for Wales; John Perceval, Viscount Egmont, claims his independence and considers whether to vote for or against the Old Pretender; a country member wonders whether the "Chevalier" might be made elector of Hanover; Horatio Walpole, his wig fallen to reveal a head shaved like that of a pugilist, remarks that he has "touch'd ye Cole" (i.e., the money) and does not need the support of seconds; Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the House of Commons (or possibly Philip York, Lord Hardwicke, Lord Chancellor) stands betwen the duellists pointing towards the "Box"; Chetwynd, drawing his sword, repeats the claim that he had made in the House of Commons that the Walpole brothers "deserv'd Hanging"; the diminutive figure of William Pitt claims that he is ready to fight anyone; George Lyttelton complains to Pitt that they are not able to offer effective support; Sir John Hynde Cotton damns both sides and determines to gain a place for himself; Cotton reaches his hand behind his back towards the "T[reasur]y" box which is held by Samuel Sandys saying that like Paul Whitehead (an opposition journalist and boxing enthusiast) he will "hold ye Box as long as I can". 1743
Etching and engraving