"Betsinda and Her Bed-warming Pan, in Chapter IX" —Richard Doyle's fourth illustration for W. M. Thackeray's "The Rose and The Ring" (1898)

Betsinda and Her Bed-warming Pan

Richard Doyle

1898

Wood-engraving

9.9 cm high x 5.7 cm wide (3 ¾ by 2 ⅛ inches), vignetted

Fourth illustration for W. M. Thackeray's The Rose and The Ring (first published 1855): Chapter IX: "How Betsinda Got the Warming-pan," p. 266. Descriptive headline: "Poor Betsinda! Much I Fear, / Grief's in Store for You, My Dear!" (pp. 266-267).

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Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.

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Passage Illustrated: Betsinda Wields the Bed-warmning Pan

There, tuck me up quite comfortable; and now, as it’s a very cold night (the snow was beating in at the window), you may go and warm dear Prince Giglio’s bed, like a good girl, and then you may unrip my green silk, and then you can just do me up a little cap for the morning, and then you can mend that hole in my silk stocking, and then you can go to bed, Betsinda. Mind I shall want my cup of tea at five o’clock in the morning.’

‘I suppose I had best warm both the young gentlemen’s beds, Ma’am,’ says Betsinda.

Gruffanuff, for reply, said, ‘Hau-au-ho!—Grauhawhoo!—Hong-hrho!’ In fact, she was snoring sound asleep.

Her room, you know, is next to the King and Queen, and the Princess is next to them. So pretty Betsinda went away for the coals to the kitchen, and filled the royal warming-pan. [Chapter IX, "How Betsinda Got the Warming-pan," 267]

Related Illustration by W. M. Thackeray (1855)

Above: W. M.Thackeray's less realistic interpretation of the chambermaid, H. R. H. Prince Bulbo and the Chambermaid (1855).

Bibliography

Furniss, Harry. The Rose and The Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and the Prince Bulbo. William Makepeace Thackeray's Christmas Books. With illustrations by the author and Harry Furniss. The Harry Furniss Centenary Edition. London: Macmillan and Co., 1911. Pp. 287-428.

Thackeray, W. M. The Christmas Books of M. A. Titmarsh. With illustrations by Richard Doyle and Thackeray. London: Smith. Elder, 1898.

Titmarsh, M. A. [W. M. Thackeray]. The Rose and The Ring London: Smith, Elder, 1855.

Created 8 August 2022