The political banditti assailing the saviour of India

Hastings, in oriental dress, rides (right to left) a camel. He and the camel look down with dignified contempt at Burke (left), who fires a blunderbuss point-blank at the 'Shield of Honour' on Hastings's left arm. On the shield is a crown. Behind Hastings are Fox and North (right): Fox raises a dagger with burlesqued gestures and an expression of frenzied rage; North, very short and fat, clutches one of the bags behind Hastings inscribed 'Lacks Rupees added to the Revenue'; this is tied to another inscribed 'Rupees Do'. The three assailants are much caricatured and all wear armour; Burke, grotesquely thin and like some malignant insect, wears a Jesuit's biretta (cf. BMSat 6026). He somewhat resembles the Don Quixote of BMSat 7678, &c, cf. also BMSat 7158; a wallet of 'Charges' is slung across his shoulder, bare feet project from the greaves which cover his legs. North wears his Garter ribbon over his armour, with a feathered helmet and top-boots. The point of a large sabre with a damaged blade projects through the tattered scabbard which is inscribed 'American Subjugation'. Fox wears the cloak of a conspirator over his armour (cf. BMSat 6389, &c). Hastings (not caricatured) wears a jewelled turban, floating draperies, trousers, and slippers; his camel is heavily draped. On its back are bags, inscribed 'Saved to the Company' and 'Eastern Gems for the British Crown', with a rolled map, 'Territories acquired by W. Hastings'. Cf. British Museum online catalog.