Household Troops, or a Sketch of a Few, of the Principal Trustworthy and Confidential Domestics of Worthy and Confiding Families
This satire presents four servants in a wealthy household whose characters are clarified by their dress and speech bubbles.
At left stands a "Vigilant Housekeeper" wearing an apron and bunch of keys, holding bills and a notebook, and saying, "Every one must acknowledge the Value of a good Hosekeeper & I flatter myself I am that personage. I never allow a Butcher, Baker, Grocer, Tea-Man, &c to over charge my worthy Master & Mistress or put down in ye Bill more than they served, nor I never speaks ill of my Lord if he happens by chance to look into my concerns, because I knows he is sure to be satisfied with them, as I can make him believe any thing, he is so Easy, I never does willify any Tradesmans articles because he don't think me worthy of a Consideration—no I knows better how to keep up my own Dignity."
Next in line is an "Amiable Lady's Maid," young and fashionably dressed, who says, "I am my Lady's own pure unspotted Maid & never think of dressing myself in her Clothes when she is absent; or of persuading her does [sic] not look well in an Article I may have taken a fancy to, or of pressing her Tradesmen to give me large poundage upon pain of losing my Lady s favour, no—not I am too independent to go behind the Bush with counter-jumpers, my place is uppermost & uppermost I'll be."
Third comes a dandyish "Faithful Butler," who wears knee-breeches and seals on his fob, and says, "Egad I am one of the best gentlemans Gentlemen in Europe. I does my duty to my Master in style not a Himposition does I allow my Trades men to practise on him for a petty fee, nor do I put Aquafortis on the seams of the Tailors work or Bootmakers articles, &c if they don't do the thing handsome—no. I alway acts right and does a friendly turn for those who be friends to me."
Finally there is an "Honest Coachman" dressed in a wig and livery who holds a whip and says, "Aye, my masters, I always does the fair thing with em, Coachmaker, Farrier, Corndealer, and a host on em, I never scratches the Varnish, burns the leather, drives a nail in the Horses foot, or spoil the Corn, because I don't get a good feeling out of it. Acts honest to my Master, and never forgets the Tradesmen who remembers Jarvey. Yea—a—ap!! Thats the way we come to it my tiny ones."
At left stands a "Vigilant Housekeeper" wearing an apron and bunch of keys, holding bills and a notebook, and saying, "Every one must acknowledge the Value of a good Hosekeeper & I flatter myself I am that personage. I never allow a Butcher, Baker, Grocer, Tea-Man, &c to over charge my worthy Master & Mistress or put down in ye Bill more than they served, nor I never speaks ill of my Lord if he happens by chance to look into my concerns, because I knows he is sure to be satisfied with them, as I can make him believe any thing, he is so Easy, I never does willify any Tradesmans articles because he don't think me worthy of a Consideration—no I knows better how to keep up my own Dignity."
Next in line is an "Amiable Lady's Maid," young and fashionably dressed, who says, "I am my Lady's own pure unspotted Maid & never think of dressing myself in her Clothes when she is absent; or of persuading her does [sic] not look well in an Article I may have taken a fancy to, or of pressing her Tradesmen to give me large poundage upon pain of losing my Lady s favour, no—not I am too independent to go behind the Bush with counter-jumpers, my place is uppermost & uppermost I'll be."
Third comes a dandyish "Faithful Butler," who wears knee-breeches and seals on his fob, and says, "Egad I am one of the best gentlemans Gentlemen in Europe. I does my duty to my Master in style not a Himposition does I allow my Trades men to practise on him for a petty fee, nor do I put Aquafortis on the seams of the Tailors work or Bootmakers articles, &c if they don't do the thing handsome—no. I alway acts right and does a friendly turn for those who be friends to me."
Finally there is an "Honest Coachman" dressed in a wig and livery who holds a whip and says, "Aye, my masters, I always does the fair thing with em, Coachmaker, Farrier, Corndealer, and a host on em, I never scratches the Varnish, burns the leather, drives a nail in the Horses foot, or spoil the Corn, because I don't get a good feeling out of it. Acts honest to my Master, and never forgets the Tradesmen who remembers Jarvey. Yea—a—ap!! Thats the way we come to it my tiny ones."
Artwork Details
- Title: Household Troops, or a Sketch of a Few, of the Principal Trustworthy and Confidential Domestics of Worthy and Confiding Families
- Artist: Isaac Robert Cruikshank (British, London 1789–1856 London)
- Publisher: Thomas McLean (British, 1788–1875)
- Date: December 1827
- Medium: Etching
- Dimensions: Sheet: 11 9/16 × 16 1/16 in. (29.4 × 40.8 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
- Object Number: 17.3.888-100
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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