The Indignant Tar, 1804

Today's print is a caricature of a sailor standing before a judge, with his pride working against him. The judge says to our sailor, "Now in order to convict these Notorious Offenders, You must Swear that they put you in bodily Fear", to which Ben Block, with typical bravado, replies, "Then d-n my Eyes if I convict them, had there been Three Dozen instead of them Three lubberly Rascals, Ben Block was not the Man to be Frighten'd if they had not popt out of a Creek, and taken me by Surprize, I warrant I'd soon a' made a clear Deck."


"The Indignant Tar"
Giles Grinagain, London, England, 1804
The Lewis Walpole Library.

Our jack stands with his back to us wearing buckled shoes with white metal square buckles, striped trousers that end at the ankle, a hip-length red jacket with sleeve cuffs worn with the two buttons on each cuff unbuttoned, a black handkerchief with the ends thrown over his back, and short, curly brown hair. In his left hand he holds a black low-crowned round hat, the inside of which is visible and shows a white lining.