Iohnny MacCree at confession.
Williams, Charles,active 1797-1830.
[London] : Pub'd March 29th 1805 by S W Fores 50 Picadilly,
[1805]
Hand-coloured etching by Charles Williams, printed one side as issued.
A satire on William Pitt's defence of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. The MP and satirist, playwright, and poet Richard Brinsley Sheridan had criticised the appointment of Melville as First Lord of the Admiralty on the grounds of his lack of ability when serving as War Secretary, comparing him to "honest Johnny MacCree", someone who had written a comedy having been told he had no talent for tragedy. Dundas had been examined by the naval commissioners of inquiry about misuse of public funds while he was treasurer of the navy, their critical report had been released at the beginning of March, 1805, and despite Pitt's efforts to defend Dundas, he would be impeached in the House of Commons the following year.  Dundas is depicted as MacCree in several satires of this time, in this satire, Melville, dressed in Scottish tartan, is shown kneeling before Pitt, dressed as a monk, and begging him for advice.
Dundas, Henry, 1742-1811
Pitt, William, 1759-1806
England London.