Frontispiece to Volume I of 'An impartial collection of the great affairs of state' by John Nalson
1 portrait by Charles Mearne
© National Portrait Gallery, London
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Frontispiece to Volume I of 'An impartial collection of the great affairs of state' by John Nalson
by Robert White, published by Samuel Mearne, published by Thomas Dring Jr, published by B. Took, published by Thomas Sawbridge, published by Charles Mearne
line engraving, 1682-1683
11 3/4 in. x 6 7/8 in. (300 mm x 175 mm) paper size
Purchased with help from the Friends of the National Libraries and the Pilgrim Trust, 1966
Reference Collection
NPG D42705
Artistsback to top
- Thomas Dring Jr (active 1882-3), Publisher. Artist or producer associated with 1 portrait.
- Charles Mearne (died 1686), Publisher; son of Samuel Mearne. Artist or producer associated with 1 portrait.
- Samuel Mearne (1624-1683), Bookbinder and publisher. Artist or producer associated with 1 portrait.
- Thomas Sawbridge (active 1669-1692), Publisher. Artist or producer associated with 3 portraits.
- B. Took (active 1882-1892), Publisher. Artist or producer associated with 1 portrait.
- Robert White (1645-1703), Engraver. Artist or producer associated with 608 portraits, Sitter in 1 portrait.
Subjects & Themesback to top
Events of 1682back to top
Current affairs
Whig politician, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the case of high treason dropped against him, attempts to co-ordinate uprisings around the country over the exclusion crisis; he is ultimately forced to flee to the Netherlands.Bideford Witch Trial condemns three women to death, the last to be hanged for witchcraft in England.
Art and science
Dramatist Thomas Otway's play, Venice Preserv'd, is first staged. Dedicated to the king's influential French mistress, Louise de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth, it becomes one of the most popular Restoration plays.Naturalist, John Ray, publishes Methodus plantarum nova, expounding his classification of plant species.
International
King of France, Louis XIV's determination to seize Spanish Luxembourg, and mobilization of French troops to the area, threatens the treaty of Nijmegen and security of the Dutch. Pressured by William of Orange and George Savile, Marquess of Halifax to take military action, the king opts for informal mediation.Comments back to top
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DAWN
06 February 2018, 10:22
John Langford's history of Staffordshire and Warwickshire has something to say about this frontispiece:
'a figure of his Satanic majesty whispering in the ear of a double-faced zealot, trampling on the Bible with a cloven foot, who is thus referred to in the verse:
Now turn your eye to the busie saint behind,
That Brummigham Uniter of Mankind,
With fiery breath he doth cause promote,
But o'er the Bible stamps his cloven foot.'
The context was that Birmingham had been routed by Prince Rupert's army in the Civil War as some 15,000 swords had been supplied to Cromwell's army and then in 1657 Cromwell's youngest daughter married Lord Rich (grandson of the Earl of Warwick). According to Langford, Birmingham remained out of favour with the King.