1807. At the foot is written 'we three, fools be.' The character on the left seems to have a jester's hat on.
On May 13th, 1807, William Wilberforce, Lord Milton, the Hon. Henry Lascelles (afterwards Earl of Harewood), and Mr. Walter Fawkes were nominated as parliamentary candidates in the Castle-Yard at York. This was the first contested election in the seat for 66 years. The struggle was also memorable on account of the vast expense that Lascelles incurred.
William Wilberforce, whose party almost entirely lacked organization, was head of the poll. There were concerns that Wilberforce allied himself with a candidate whose wealth was based on the slave trade, and he was forced to write to the electors to explain himself. Perhaps it is Lascelles and Wilberforce who are mocked as the electors here.
The caricature has been drawn onto the reverse of a scarce caricature engraving, of "Mr Riley in Solomon". This is most probably Samuel William Ryley (1759-1837), actor, and author of The Itinerant, or Memoirs of an Actor, 1808. 208mm x 248mm. Wilberforce, William (1759–1833), politician, philanthropist, and slavery abolitionist. Following the abolition of the slave trade, the Tories called an election. for the first and only time in his career he faced a poll for Yorkshire. Confronting as he did the great wealth and influence of both the Fitzwilliam and the Harewood interests, it was a testimony to the personal esteem in which he was held, and to his effectiveness in representing the county over the previous quarter-century, that he was returned at the head of the poll. It was alleged, however, that Wilberforce had compromised his independence by a coalition with Henry Lascelles, the Tory candidate. Wilberforce denied the charge and defended himself in a published letter to the electors.
He acknowledged that some of his supporters had indeed also solicited votes for Lascelles, but this was without his sanction, and it would have been improper for him to constrain their actions.
Lascelles, Henry, second earl of Harewood (1767–1841), Politician. His family wealth came from the slave trade in Barbados. After being elected twice as MP for Yorkshire, he stood again in 1807 - Lascelles, who was opposed by clothiers threatened by the removal of protection for their trade, and subjected to polemic about his family's slavery interests, was beaten by Lord Milton.
Ryley [formerly Romney], Samuel William (1759–1837), Actor and author.
Educated in Kensington & Fulham, although apprenticed to the woollen trade in Yorkshire, he eloped with his master's daughter and the married at Gretna Green. He was a jobbing actor, who later won a little more fame with his autobiography. "Ryley's life exhibits, with painful clarity, the precarious existence of the supporting actor of his day—snatching, at one moment, at dreams of fame and, at the next, facing the reality of poor shelter and meagre rations" (ODNB). This caricature seems true to life, as he was described as being very thin.

Leiden & Rotterdam: Hakkens, 1669. Contemporary vellum with handwritten title to spine. Engraved title page. Owner's name to the front end paper. A much enlarged edition of a famous argument for commercial and industrial freedom originally published in 1662 (and reissued several times after) as a small volume with the title 'Interest van Holland'. "The only Dutch best selling economics book" if such a thing is possible! "The True interest and political maxims of the Republick of Holland" (the title of the English edition) expresses much of the ideological background of the Dutch Republic in the seventeenth century. Wildenberg 1111. Knuttel, Verboden boeken' 4. Carpenter, The economic bestsellers before 1850' 6. Goldsmiths'-Kress 01895.1 Vellum boards are in good, clean condition. slight cracking to binding at the title page, but not significant. Quite a few lines have been underlined at some point (not contemporary but not recently). [XLIV], 523, [1 errata] pp. 210 by 160mm (8¼ by 6¼ inches).

Boston: Russell & Cutler, 1808. Pamphlet, disbound. Title with printer's vignette, "vote of the town", text. Orations were given annually in Boston, often called "municipal Orations"; typically two or more addresses were given. The impetus for the tradition of municipal orations in Boston stemmed from an act passed at a town meeting in March 1783, when it was decided that the annual celebration of commemorating the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770, be replaced with a yearly Independence Day celebration. The local newspaper reported following this oration:

"The Repertory tells us that Mr. Ritchie delivered an excellent Oration. So much the better for Mr. Ritchie! The Oration was doubtless federal, else it could not have been excellent, and it must have abused the President, else it could not have been federal, and it was delivered on the anniversary of independence, a fit federal occasion for abusing the government of our choice! " (American Mercury, 11 August 1808, 2) 19, [i] pp.

Dublin: David Hay, 1772. Very scarce. First Edition. Hardback. In full brown calf with tooled gilt spine, raised bands. Two half titles, complete. Contains detailed parish records to the last 35 pages. Original brown full leather. Some chipping, particularly to the head and tail of the spine. Remnant of labels to the spines. One label is retained with clear tape. Internally in good shape, with light foxing throughout. A press cutting in Latin from 1888 is tipped into the front board of Volume I. Pagination: Volume I - xii, 516 pp. Volume II - viii, 533, [36] pp. Full title: Desiderata Curiosa Hibernica; Or, A Select Collection of State Papers; Consisting of Royal Instructions, Directions, Dispatches, and Letters; to which are Added, Some Historical Tracts; the Whole Illustrating and Opening the Political Systems of the Chief Governors and Government of Ireland, During the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth, James the First, and Charles the First. 210 x 130 mm (8¼ x 5 inches).

London: Thomas McLean. First edition lithograph, published January 16th 1832. Image is 28.5 x 39.5 cm. Laid onto brown card (35 x 50 cm). To verso is a blank mount of the same size. Clean tidy print, with slight untidiness to cut edge (outside the black ruled frame). Fractional browning to edges. Mount is clean and neat. Issued as number 174, in a series entitled: Political sketches - Issued in 5 volumes. (Daniel O'Connell; Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey) Description is: Lord Grey is endeavouring to allure Mr. O'Connell by the offer of a place. The inscription of Courier on his rod, intimates that the offer was made in a paragraph, put out by way of a feeler, in the evening newspaper bearing that title. It is well known that the fish did not bite. This from Mclean. Illustrative Key to the Political Sketches of H.B. From No.1 to No. 600. Conforms to the National Portrait Gallery copy: NPG D41109.

Bruxelles: Imprimerie de Fain. Recent brown cloth with gilt titles. IVme Volume for 1816 - 24 issues. The complete second half of the year, including the scarce Tricolour issue, which was published in blue, white and red. Binding and end papers are spotless. The newspaper is clean and tidy, with a few pages uncut. Slightly darkened and some minor edge wear, but overall an excellent example. Le Nain Jaune was a pro-Bonaparte political newspaper, openly displayed on Napoleon's return. At the second return of the Bourbons, the newspaper was suppressed. In 1816 Cauchois-Lemaire had fled to Belgium and the newspaper was published from there. In November 1816 it was merged with the Mercury Surveillant to become Le Liberal [ii]. 266 [ii] pp. 230 x 150 mm (9 x 6 inches). Toile brune récente avec titres dorés. IVme Volume pour 1816 - 24 numéros. Le second semestre complet, y compris le rare numéro tricolore, qui a été publié en bleu, blanc et rouge. La reliure et les pages de garde sont impeccables. Le journal est propre et bien rangé, avec quelques pages non coupées. Légèrement noirci et quelques usures mineures sur les bords, mais dans l'ensemble, un excellent exemple. Le Nain Jaune était un journal politique pro-Bonaparte, ouvertement affiché au retour de Napoléon. Au second retour des Bourbons, le journal fut supprimé. En 1816, Cauchois-Lemaire s'était enfui en Belgique et le journal fut publié à partir de là. En novembre 1816, il fusionne avec le Mercure Surveillant pour devenir Le Libéral [ii]. 266 [ii] p. 230 x 150 mm

London: Sherwood, Neely & Jones, 1812. Engraved title page, and illustrated with a series of 12 fine portraits, all engraved by Edward Bocquet from Original Paintings. Single volume. Original marbled boards with leather spine. gilt titles. There is some rubbing to the boards, but the spine gilt is still bright. Internally clean and tidy throughout. Attractive plates. Contemporary owner's bookplate to the inside board and slightly later signature. Overall a very nice copy. Page de titre gravée, et illustrée d'une série de 12 beaux portraits, tous gravés par Edward Bocquet d'après Peintures Originales. Un seul tome. Plats marbrés d'origine avec dos cuir. titres dorés. Quelques frottements sur les plats, mais la dorure du dos est encore brillante. Intérieurement propre et bien rangé. Assiettes attrayantes. Ex-libris du propriétaire contemporain sur le plat intérieur et signature un peu plus tardive. Dans l'ensemble un très bel exemplaire.