The Tailpiece: The King Flat as a Pancake, uncaptioned illustration by M. A. Titmarsh [W. M. Thackeray], 1855. Wood-engraving, probably by William Linton. 2.4 cm high by 7.4 cm wide (1 by 2 ⅞ inches), vignetted, twenty-eighth illustration for The Rose and The Ring, p. 347. Descriptive headlines: "Even Though You Wear a Crown, Burnimng Love will Knock You down" (pp. 346-347). [Click on the image to enlarge it; mouse over links.]
Passage Illustrated: More Slapstick with the Warming Pan
When Giglio heard these atrocious sentiments, he forgot the respect usually paid to Royalty, lifted up the warming-pan, and knocked down the King as flat as a pancake; after which, Master Giglio took to his heels and ran away, and Betsinda went off screaming, and the Queen, Gruffanuff, and the Princess, all came out of their rooms. Fancy their feelings on beholding their husband, father, sovereign, in this posture! [Chapter IX, "How Betsinda Got the Warming Pan," pp. 345-346]
Image scan and text by Philip V. Allingham. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
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.
Titmarsh, M. A. [W. M. Thackeray]. The Rose and The Ring London: Smith, Elder, 1855.
Created 29 July 2022