Exeter Election, 1868, "Shakespeare illustrated." No. 8, The Rivals

Exeter Election, 1868, "Shakespeare illustrated." No. 8, The Rivals

A black and white lithograph illustration depicting five middle-aged white men in dialogue dressed in roman togas stood by a river with choppy waves. A garden scene with a statue serves as the background. Text above the illustration reads ‘EXETER ELECTION, 1868. “SHAKSPERE [sic] ILLUSTRATED.”- NO. 8. “THE WEAKEST GOES TO THE WALL.”-Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scene I.’ Text below the illustration reads ‘THE RIVALS, OR, A “TIP” TO BOTH.’ To the left and right of this is smaller text reading ‘DRAWN AND PRINTED FOR THE PUBLISHER, BY THE DEVON AND SOMERSET STEAM PRINTING COMPANY (LIMITED), 3, WATERBEER ST., EXETER.’ Further text reads, ‘JULIUS CAESAR,- ACT I, SCENE II. DRAMATIS PERSONAE. CAESAR.-An Ambitious Senator. BRUTUS.-An Honourable Man, the Father of Cassius. CASCA, the Envious-A Bilious Old Party. ANTONIUS.-A Meandering Rum-un. CASSIUS (otherwise Cash-us.-A Discontented Pensioner, “The Son of his Father.”’ Followed by the following scene of text: 

‘CASSIUS TO BRUTUS: - 

“I was born as free as Caesar: so were you:
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter’s cold, as well as he-
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tyber (Isca) chafing with her shores,
Caesar said to me, ‘Dar’st thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood
And swim to yonder point?’ Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in
And bade him follow; so, indeed, he did.
The Torrent roared; and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
But, ere we could arrive the point propos’d
Caesar cried, ‘Help me, Cassius, or I sink.’
I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy, upon his shoulder,
The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of Tyber (Isca)
Did I the tired Caesar; and this man
Is now become a god! and Cassius is
A wretched creature, and must bend his body
If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.”

BRUTUS TO CASSIUS:-

“Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are much condemn’d to have an itching palm
To sell and mart your offices for gold.”

CASSIUS TO BRUTUS:-

“I, an itching palm?
You know that you are Brutus that speaks thus,
Or by the gods-(aside) Father, we know each other,
I am thy Son!-(they embrace).

CAESAR TO ANTONIUS:-

“Let me have men about me that are fat,-
Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o’nights.
Yon’d Cassius has a lean and hungry look-
He works too much; such men are dangerous.”

ANTONIUS:-

“Fear him not, Caesar, he’s not dangerous.”

CAESAR:-

“I would he were fatter, but I fear him not;
Yet, if my name were liable to fear,
I do not know the man I should avoid
So soon as that spare Cassius;
Seldom he smiles; and smiles in such a sort
As if he mock’d himself, and scorn’d his spirits
That could be moved to smile at anything.
However, I must tolerate him.”

Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene II.’

This satirical piece shows Liberal candidate Edgar Bowring on the far right, presumably as Cassius (“The Son of His Father”, referencing another poster under this title published as part of the ‘Shakespeare illustrated’ series: https://collectionsexplorer.devonandexeterinstitution.org/online-collection/political-posters/1573362-exeter-election-1868-shakespeare-illustrated-the-son-of-his-father?q=shakespeare ) speaking to his father, John Bowring, as Brutus. Between them stands Thomas Latimer, perhaps as Casca, another individual referenced in other posters of the series, who was the editor of the Liberal leaning Western Times. John Coleridge, the other Liberal candidate stands to the left as Caesar, with another male behind him on the left as Antonius – this is perhaps William Wreford, editor of the Devon Evening Express (also called the Devon Weekly News), who appeared in Shakespeare illustrated No. 7. with the aforementioned Latimer. (https://collectionsexplorer.devonandexeterinstitution.org/online-collection/political-posters/1573370-exeter-election-1868-shakespeare-illustrated-no-7-the-wail-of-the-times?q=shakespeare)

Though the scene and accompanying text refers to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the headline ‘The Rivals’ references Richard Sheridan’s 1775 play of the same name. This cements the continued propagandic theme put forward by the Tories, in which the two Liberal candidates were pitted against one another, creating confusion and a lack of cohesion within the Liberal party (see also Shakespeare illustrated No.5, Which is the working man’s candidate? Exeter Election, 1868, "Shakespeare illustrated." No. 5, Which is the working man's candidate? - Devon and Exeter Institution

The illustration also includes the statue of John Dinham in Northernhay Garderns, Exeter, created by renowned Royal Academy trained and Exeter-born sculptor Edward Bowring (sometimes attributed as Bailey) Stephens, unveiled on 26th March 1866. There is likely a familial tie between Edward and Sir John Bowring (depicted in this poster) whose bust, also sculpted by Edward, can be found at the Devon and Exeter Institution.

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