Lettered with title, text within image and artist's name "G Cruikshank fect."
Plate to the 'Meteor', page 235.
Library's copy trimmed within plate mark.
A burlesque on the christening of the Duke of Rutland's heir. The figures have large heads, like Woodward's 'Lilliputian' designs. A grotesque archbishop, wearing a mitre poised on a bushy wig, stands beside a giant punch-bowl, clasping his hands and shouting at a drunken parson who stands on a ladder leaning against the bowl, into which he has dropped a miniature Punch, with the long beak-nose which Cruikshank gives to the King of Rome. The child falls in head first, waving a ladle; lemons float on the agitated surface of the punch. The parson says: "I Baptize thee--hic Bless his little heart he's tumbled in the Bowl!!! / -- or care remain / we'll drown him in the Bowl the Bowl hic!--" A lady with feathers in her hair leans across the bowl trying to reach the child and screaming: "Oh! Save the Marquis--little Punch is in the Bowl." The Archbishop shouts: "You Drunken Wretch what the Devil are you about?!! if you are going to drown the Child I could have done that my self & be D--d to you." Beside the parson's ladder stands his clerk, with his back to the bowl, pouring punch into his mouth with a ladle; he says: "D--d good." In his left hand is an open book inscribed 'Amen'. The Duke of York in uniform and spurred jack-boots stands near (left); he holds a brimming glass, and scowls sideways at the clerk, saying, "D--n that Clarke how he is pilfering the Punch to be sure!!!--I hate a Clarke as I hate the Devil." On a round table on the extreme left stands an elderly Punch, his vast nose much drink-blotched. He capers delightedly, holding up a glass, and says: "Punch cures the Gout ye Colic & ye Phthisic--Come Drink away my Friends for this is Punch's Holiday therefore we will be merry--here's to you Mr Higgins here's to you Mr Wiggins so we'll push the Punch about." Bottles and lemons are on the floor by his table. On the right the Regent, glass in hand, is a prominent figure; he dances opposite a lady (? the Duchess of Rutland), who leers at him, hands on hips; she holds a punch-ladle, and wears a small steeple-crowned hat poised sideways, and a large spiky ruff; she says: "Drink drink & Kiss the Lasses that's your play Kiss away." The Regent, ogling her, sings: "Round about the Punch Bowl how we Trot!" On the extreme right, and in shadow, Sheridan dressed as Harlequin slinks off, quoting Wolsey: "If I had serv'd my God with half the Zeal I serv'd my Prince, He would not have deserted me in my Nakedness." In the background are other figures in outline: two elderly ladies in conversation (left), and two heads gaping in dismay over the edge of the bowl. The punch-bowl is decorated with figures in relief, a Bacchanal with vine-leaf border; the Regent, naked, with a girdle of vine leaves lies on his back; one naked child seated across him, holding up bottle and glass, a second empties a bowl into his mouth through a large funnel, a third brings in a bowl.