I am working on some very smart things to say here. Really. Meanwhile, there's 
I've been reading a bit of european history (because science is too exciting and I needed a history break) and waded into the time of french revolution (1789) and what the british were upto at that time. In the last decades of eighteenth century, continental europe was pre-occupied with social revolution. But, the nearby islanders wouldn't have any of it. Instead, they had their industrial revolution going strong (fabulously supported by capital plundered from India, see).
Image from here (Image 23)
By semi-random googling, I found a historically interesting caricature (above) by James Gillray published in 1792 called British Slavery - French Liberty. The emaciated french dude is eating fodder and extolling the virtues of liberty. Look closer and you'll find a bowl of snails under the window! Meanwhile, the well-fed british bloke is gorging on meat and is complaining of slavery. The old question that pits the virtuous but materially poor against the mediocre but rich.
Gillray, apparently was an unrelenting chap who didn't withhold any bile against either the French Revolution (which was quite violent - people were guillotined like there was no tomorrow) or the British who were rather too tame compared to the revolutionaries on the continent.
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Fyi, the Fitzwilliam museum has a small section devoted to cartoons (including this one, me thinks) from this era, comparing the French views of the Brits and vice versa. Made interesting viewing.
Posted by: yhac | August 21, 2007 8:28 AM