3533- THE IDOL. (No. i.)
34 Publish'd according to Act Oct 6'*. 1756 by Darly Sf Edwards at the Acorn facing Hungerford in the Strand ['756]
THIS engraving represents a chamber where Madame Mingotti, the opera singer, stands on a book, which is marked " 2000 P' AwM." The volume is placed on a table the legs of which are on three volumes of "zi.RF"(den)," SHAK"(spe&re), and "./O?W"(son). Mingotti addresses a party of English admirers, some of whom are standing, others kneeling before her; she is singing:—
" Ra Ru Ra Rot ye
My name is Al-
l/you worship me notti
You shall all go to potti."
A lady holds up a pug dog before the singer, and cries:—"'Tis only y' Pug
& you I Love "; a fat ecclesiastic, kneeling with joined hands, says:—" Unto the—
be Praise now $ for Evermore" Lord Holdernesse, see " The Patriot of
Patriots ", No. 3529, kneeling with great humility, declares :—" I wish I was an
Eunnuch if I could but Sing so." Another gentleman, likewise enraptured, pro-
poses :—" Tah eall I have O Dear bewitching Creature"; Mr. Fox, and Lord Lyt-
telton kneel behind this speaker. A gentleman who is standing near, and wears the
robes of a peer, says to his wife, who is at his side :—" We shall have but 12 songs
for all this Money ". He holds a paper marked " 2,o00 5aA."(Scription). The lady
replies from behind her fan :—" Well Sr Enough too for the paltry trifle."
Below the design these verses are engraved:—
" Behold with most Indignant Scorn the soft Enervate Tribe,
Their Country Selling for a Song How eager they Subscribe."
This engraving is No. 34 in a volume of satires, entitled " A Political and Satyrical History of the Years 1756 and 1757", &c.
In the "Explanation" prefixed to this volume is the following letterpress, referring to this design:—
" Plate XXXIV. The great Distress of our Country at the Time this Print was published, was of more Consequence than the Squalling of an Italian Singer. However she took some great People by the Ears, whose Likenesses in the Print are very obvious."
The reference here to "the Time this Print was published" seems conclusive that the satire now in question, even if it had been published before the " Explanation," did not appear with the same for the first time. An inference is that the print here in question is a copy from another, and previously issued satire; such was certainly the case with other satires of this series; on this point, see " The 2 H, H,'s", No. 3342.
Horace Walpole wrote to Mr. Bentley, Oct. 19, 1755:—"P.S.1 believe I scarce ever mentioned to you last winter the follies of the Opera: the impertinences of a great singer were too old and too common a topic. I must mention them now, when they rise to any improvement in the character of national folly. The Mingotti, a noble figure, a great mistress of music, and a most incomparable actress, surpassed anything I ever saw for the extravagance of her humours. She never sung above one night in three, from a fever upon her temper; and would never act at all when Ricciaralli, the first man, was to be in dialogue with her. Her fevers grew so high, that the audience caught them, and hissed her more than once; she herself once turned and hissed again "; " Well, among the treaties which a secretary of state has negociated this summer, he has contracted for a succedaneum to the Mingotti. In short, there is a woman hired to sing when the other shall be out of humour!"—"Letters" of II. Walpole, 1857, vol- "., PP- 476-7. The Secretary of State mentioned here was Lord Holdernesse, for whom in this Catalogue see " The Patriot of Patriots ", No. 3529. Walpole described him as " Impressario Holdernessc'", Letter to Sir II. Mann, June 18, 1751, edit. 1857, vol. ii., p. 258. He was devoted to the Opera, and, when in England, a manager of that theatre. For Miugotti, see " Byng Return'd ", No. 3367.
See " The 2 H, H,'s ", No. 3342.
4f X 2 in.
3534. THE IDOL. (No. 2.)
34 ['756]
THIS engraving is a copy, reversed, from the satire described with the same title and date, No. 3533; the figure of the singer is on our left of the composition. It was prepared to illustrate " England's Remembrancer", &c., see " The 2 H, H,'s", No. 3342 ; it is one of a series of copies from satires described in that entry in this Catalogue.
4f X 2f in. Brit. Mus. Library (Grenville), 16.370.

Description
This is a very well built hefty duty fan from the 1940s. It says Emerson Electric, St. Louis, MO on the front decal. On the back is says type 2450-G, volts 115, cyc. 60, amps 6.

This fan has a lovely patina. It has some missing paint and some rust at the base. This a hinged neck, rotating fan. There is only one setting which is high. I can not believe the amount of air that this small little fan blows! There is a simple switch to turn the fan on and off towards the base. The cord and plug are in nice condition. The base has places for screws if you wanted to mount this on a table or wall. It works smoothly and is very quiet.