The apples and the horse-turds, or, Buonaparte among the golden pippins / Js. Gillray inv. & fect.
From the library of Gordon N. Ray.
Print shows a winding river flowing towards a hill in the background surmounted by a temple of Fame. In the foreground is a 'Dunghill of Republican Horse Turds'. In the stream float turds from the dunghill, while farther up are golden apples, crowned and inscribed. The foremost is 'English-Pippin', close behind are 'Imperial-Pippin' and 'Russian-Pippin'; they are followed by a 'Turkish-Pippin' and a small 'Neapolitan' [Pippin]. From a mass of floating dung emerges the head of Bonaparte, wearing a feathered cocked hat inscribed 'First Horse Turd'. From his mouth issues a large label: 'A ha! par ma foi - how We Apples Swim!' Bonaparte swims between 'Spanish-Pippin' and 'Prussian-Pippin'. A spreading column of thick smoke arises from the dunghill, from which tiny heads emerge, the dominant one being Fox, who says: "Caira! Caira! - chacun à son tour! We shall all Swim in our turns". Tierney, the second head, says: "Yes! Yes! - none of Us was born to be Drowned". The others are Sheridan, Nicholls, Erskine, Burdett, Derby, and Taylor. Larger turds are: 'Atheism', 'Falshood', 'Regicide', 'Egalité', etc.
Ray, Gordon N. (Gordon Norton), 1915-1986, former owner.