London's Sinful Secret by Dan Cruickshank

Author:Dan Cruickshank
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2009-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

Colonel Charteris in the dock during his 1730 trial for rape.

This popular confusion of morality and traditional male usage and privilege is perfectly represented by a mezzotint that appeared immediately after the trial. It shows Charteris standing at the bar of the Old Bailey with his thumbs tied. Below the image is an inscription that is, presumably, ironic in its initial and violent support of the rights of men such as Charteris for it concludes with condemnation of his actions. But in its strident and sardonic couplets the inscription raises images that must reflect the firmly held opinions of those the print sought to satirise – probably the majority of London men. I wonder how many male readers failed to perceive the irony in this inscription?

It has an ambiguous start:

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