File:Chatham's ghost, or a peep into futurity. Che sara, sara. (BM 1906,0823.3).jpg

English: George III (left), seated in a chair, is being shown by the ghost of Chatham a procession of figures walking towards a pit (right) inscribed "Chaos". Chatham wears pseudo-classical draperies, a tie-wig crowned with a laurel wreath, and is surrounded by a glory of rays. He holds up a circular glass to the king, who looks through it with an expression of alarm. On the back of the king's chair is a crown surmounted by a weathercock which points to the South, probably to indicate that North's power is over, cf. BMSat 5659. Under his feet are torn county petitions, and an open book, "Lock on Government". The petitions are those of York, Westminster, Middlesex, Hampshire, Surrey. There is also the design of the façade of a building inscribed, "The Elevation of [a] Baby House". The leaders of the procession, who are on the brink of the pit, are the kings of France and Spain. A devil (right) with wings, horns, and a long barbed tail, points into the pit. Behind the two kings come North and Sandwich. North holds a rolled document inscribed "Taxes". Under his arm is a large money-bag with a gaping hole in it, by which is an open book or paper inscribed "New Way to pay old Debts, A Farce by Boreas" (Massinger's comedy had recently been revived at Drury Lane). On his right Sandwich walks with his arms folded, a paper under his arm is inscribed "Catches & Glees Mr Arne" (Arne (1710-78), the musical composer, is generally styled Dr; Sandwich was "the soul of the Catch Club", see BMSat 5342). From his pocket protrude papers, one inscribed "Greenwich Hospital", in allusion to the scandal caused by Captain Baillie's exposure of abuses there, see BMSat 5548. The other is inscribed "Love & Madness"; this is the title of a series of fictitious letters recently published purporting to be the correspondence of Hackman and Martha Ray, Sandwich's mistress, see BMSat 5540, &c, but really by Herbert Croft. See Walpole, 'Letters', xi. 139-40,13 Mar. 1780. Behind come Mansfield, in judge's wig and robes, and Bute in Highland dress, both with expressions of despair; they are being hurried along by a man with the face of a fiend who has seized Mansfield by the arm and Bute by the shoulders. Beside them walks a Dutchman, his hands in his breeches pockets, being propelled from behind by a devil, significant of the unpopularity of the Dutch Republic, see BMSat 5557, &c. For the Association Movement see BMSat

5638, 5665, &c. 16 May 1780

Etching