Lork what a long tail our cat has got

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Lork what a long tail our cat has got
hand colored etching
8 1/4 x 12 3/4 inches; with border: 9 1/2 x 13 3/8 inches
Peel 2222
Provenance: 
Formerly owned by Sir Robert Peel.
Notes: 

A close copy of a print by William Heath, published by Thomas McLean, 1831 (George no. 16578.
Printed above image: Tommy Grey with the tail of his Order!!!

Summary: 

A lean grey cat (right) with the head of Grey, in profile to the right, walks along the top of a wall with a fish in its mouth inscribed 'First Lord of the Treasury 6000'. Its vast tail takes a sweeping curve round the design, and is cut off by the lower margin on the extreme right, beside the inscription: 'The end of the Tail not yet Seen'. The tail is brindled with white patches on each of which is an inscription: 'My son Howick under Secretary of State--2,000'; 'Charley Grey 60th Foot 500'; 'Fred Grey Navy 500 My Son in Law the Coal heaver [Durham] 2,193--6--2'; 'My Son, in Law Georgey Barrington Lord of the Admiralty 1,200'; 'My Son in Law E. Saurin Capt in the Navey [sic] Commissioner of Stamps 1.200'; 'My Brothe [sic] Henry General--& Col of 13 Dragoons 1,200'; 'My Brother Ned the Parson 5,000'; 'Neddy Ellice My Brother in Law, Secy to the Treasury 3,500'; 'Ld Ponsonby My Brother in Law Envoy to the Belgian Govt 6,000'; Bill [i.e. Richard] Ponsonby My brother in Law, a Bishop; 'Geo Ponsonby My brother in Law--Ld of the Treasury--1,600'; 'My Cousin Duncannon Woods & Forests 3,000'; 'My Cousin the Governor of Malta 7,000'; 'My Cousin Secy of State 6,000'; 'My Cousin Lamb a Sort of Ambassador--12,000'; 'my other Cousin Lamb--a Sort of Secy of State--2,000'. On the wall are two bills: 'Commit No Nuisance' and 'Reform in Parlament [sic]-- Meeting will be comm . . .' A caricature of Wellington (right) in profile to the left, holding up his sabre, is scrawled on the wall.

Classification: 
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