"Fourth sketch ... a Companion to this in a few days"--flanking imprint.
Evidently inspired by the (unsuccessful) launching of a 'grand aerostatic machine' on 19 Jan. at Lyons, in which Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier and others ascended, causing great excitement.
Design in an oval. A whole length portrait of Montgolfier directed to the right, seated on and among clouds. In his right hand he holds a long clay pipe, from which soap-bubbles are ascending; he points with his left hand to the largest and highest of the bubbles. He says, the words etched across the clouds below his feet: "O by gar! dis be de grande invention - Dis will immortalize my King, my Country, and myself; We will declare de War against our ennemi; we will make des English quake, by gar: We will inspect their Camp, we will intercept their Fleet, and we will set fire to their Dock-yards: And by gar, we will take de Gibraltar in de air balloon, and when we have Conquered d'Eenglish, den we conquer d'other Countrie, and make them all colonie to de Grand Monarque."