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011 – The carnival-stall, of the stock-runners, gives joy and sorrow, under its cover

Image by blacque_jacques
DE KERMIS-KRAAM, VAN DE ACTIE-KNAAPEN, SCHAFT VREUGDE, EN DROEFHEID, ONDER ‘T KAAPEN.
[The Shop of the Stock Boys, gives Pleasure and Sorrow in Stealing.] [1720]

A large tumultuous crowd of persons of all ages, conditions and sexes, frantically chasing and dancing about a chariot of triumph driven by Deceit (a lady) and Bombario (Humbug). Atop the chariot John Law vomits stock shares for the eager crowd, while the Devil inflates him in the obvious orifice. In the distance is “Quincampoix”; the Paris street that was the equivalent of Wall Street or the Square Mile and the chariot’s presumed origin. The chariot is headed for the arch bearing the arms of Amsterdam, Haarlem and Leiden, cities that still banned stock speculation.

Details and verses in Dutch are below.

A triumphal chariot, drawn by two monstrous toads, is about to pass from the courtyard of a large mansion (which, while an auction of shares is going on within, is thronged with persons to the second floor; crowds rush out with shares in their hands), and under an arch inscribed,

"Sic Itur ad ASTRA";

a soldier armed with a wand, and having on the front of his cap three crosses saltire, the arms of Amsterdam, keeps the way clear of passengers. From the dormer in the roof of the house a flag staff projects, with a flag representing the Devil sowing tares among wheat, with the inscription,

"Quincampoix. In de onkruid Zaayer"
(Quinquempoix, the Sower of Weeds.)

This is the sign of the house, the banner of Quinquempoix, or John Law, and refers to his scheme and the schemes of others who followed him. The chariot is driven by Deceit, a woman in a garment embroidered with darts or fish-hooks; by her side is a triple-headed sphinx; she holds, instead of a whip, a crooked sword. In front of the chariot sits "Bombario" (Bombast, or Humbug), the Chief Quack, a hump-backed, harlequin-like figure, holding a flag on which is displayed an open mousetrap, and the inscription

"Bombario, Ziet toe" (Bombast, pay attention)

he grasps a bag of money in his right hand, slung before him is a box inscribed,

"Rykdom by de last" (Wealth in great measure)

and holding papers marked "2000", "3000", and "4000". In the middle of the chariot the Devil stands upright and vociferating to the crowd, while, by means of a bellows, he energetically inflates posteriorly the zany of the quack. The zany vomits share-papers, on which are inscriptions,

"Harlinge[n],” "Zwol[le],” “Gouda," "Campen[Kampen]," "Edam" "Wesep[Weesp]," "Schiedam,", "Enkhuisen[Enkhuizen]," "Munnikendam[Monnickendam]," "Naarden," "Alkmaar," "Delft," "Rotterdam," "Mui[d]en", and "Medenblik[Memdemblik],". (1)

(1)These are cities conspicuous for share-dealing.

The zany also vomits other papers, the inscriptions on which refer to the greater schemes which obtained favour at this period, "De Zuid" (The South Sea Company), "De West" (The West Indies Company), "Missisippi" (The Mississippi Company.) Another paper is marked "Commerci" (Commerce.) Many persons in the crowd about the chariot struggle passionately for these papers.

In the foreground a man is pursued by a woman with a stick in her hand; he holds a paper inscribed "100000 al quit" (100,000 all gone.) A woman who is nearly naked buys a halter of a man who has brought in a wheelbarrow to the assembly a large stock of these instruments for suicide. A man, whose wig falls of in the scuffle, is assailed by one who looks like a Dutch sailor; the former holds a paper with "Het is verkogt" (It has been sold) engraved on it, being his answer to the demands of the other.

Besides the woman, Bombario, the Devil, and the zany, five other persons occupy the chariot; they sit on its floor with their heads appearing above the sides; one shakes an empty purse above the crowd, the others point to labels apparently intended to convey speeches of their own, and which hang against the sides of the vehicle; one of these labels bears " Wy doen me" (We join also), another has "De Comp is vol (The Company is full) ; a third shows "
Luylekkerla:"(Luilekkerland – Cloudcuckooland or The Lazy Man’s Land); a fourth, belonging to one who is a priest, has "Sant kruyers" (Land casters, that is, those who throw dust in men’s eyes.) Two rows of shields, bearing the arms of many Dutch towns, appear on the side of the chariot; these are (2)

1, an ox passant regardant, with three mullets of six points in chief, for Edam;
2, for Purmerend, three crampons (?);
3, a horn, for Hoorn;
4, three crowned fishes, naiant, with three mullets, for Enkhuizen; 5, for Utrecht, per bend, argent and gules;
6, for Monnickendam, a man walking with a staff, proper;
7, a shield, the bearings on which cannot be sufficiently seen for description;
8, for Weesp, azure, a pale, argent;
9, or, a two-headed eagle displayed, sable, for Naarden;
10, sable, a fess argent, for Muiden;
11, sable, a pale, or, for Medemblick.

(2) The heraldry above quoted is not accurate, but the description of the shields to the towns in question is probably correct, notwithstanding that the tinctures in the shield of Utrecht are not argent and gules, as above represented, but azure and argent; the escutcheon of Enkhuizen bears two, and not three mullets; and the
pale of Medenblick is argent, not or.

A seller of quack medicines walks near the front of this design and before the chariot; he holds up a bottle of his nostrum, and recommends it to the crowd; on the box which hangs from his neck is written,

"Voor siek heid" (For sickness), and
"Voor Dolheid" (For madness.)

Near this person is a sedan-chair, the door of which appears to be strongly barred; the occupant thrusts his head through an opening in the front of the vehicle, and bids the bearers take him "Na ‘t Lazarus huis" To the Lazar [Leper] house.) At the side of the gate stands a drummer with a scroll, shouting and waving his hat in honour of the riders in the chariot; on a paper in his hand is,

"Hoort, mynHeere, hoort, die ryk wil worden van Luisen, kooptActies"
(Hear, gentlemen, hear, whoever would become rich in vermin, let him buy shares.)

Over the pediment of the gate are two recumbent statues, those of Justice and Plenty; below the pediment hang three shields, bearing,

1, Four mullets, with a dagger, palewise, surmounted by a cross (for Haarlem);
2, 0n a pale sable, three crosses saltire, as on the cap of the soldier mentioned above (Amsterdam);
3, Keys in saltire (Leiden).

Over the low wall which encloses the courtyard a view is given of the open country, which shows a river with ships, a country-house and a festival going on, people dancing; also windmills and a road, on which several carriages are being driven at the top of the horses’ speed: in the middle distance stands a booth for the sale of shares; over it is

"Acties te Koop"
(Shares for sale)
a crowd of persons who are armed with long sticks assail this place; the people on the stage are being pelted with stones. In the air are Jupiter and Mercury, likewise Phaeton falling.

The Dutch verses engraved below the design are to the following effect: Explanation of the print by Philadelphus :

"Deceit, disguised in a lovely costume, was grown in the mud of French pools, and comes to excite the Londoners as well as the Dutch, and to set the country on fire. She flies through North and South Holland, and rages in Zealand as well. But heavenly justice shall soon punish these foolish persons who follow her. On the stock’s chariot sits first, Hero, Vice with his banner, whilst Law vomits new stocks, and receives new Wind from behind.

The foolish people seize and snatch the stocks. Further off is the Exchange of Quincampoix. Wealth, treasure, and gain soon fly away in smoke and vapour, and truth shows to the mob that everything will be soon finished. The Stocks shop is destroyed by the rioting people; Mercury goes up to Jupiter and complains of the abuse of trade, and Jupiter, at his request, banishes the stockbrokers to eternal night. Phaeton falls."

A prayer that Heaven will give back ample trade and profit to the Batavians concludes the satirical verses.

This engraving is a Dutch satire on the share-mania which obtained during 1720 and the few previous years. It is No. 22 in vol. i. of "Het Groote Tafereel der Dwaasheid", a collection of Dutch satires to the same effect.

There is another impression of this plate, with German verses to the above effect ; this is No. 23 in the same volume.

Source: Prints and Drawings in the British Museum, Division I. Political and Personal Satires, Volume II June 1689-1733, Chiswick Press (1873). Catalog No. 1650. pp 489-491. 12-3/4 X 13-1/4 in.

Dutch verses:

Bedrog dat zich aanminnig toond
Schoon ‘s biezend Slangen nest haar kroond
Het hoofd voerd lugtigjes den toom
Zy mend vergifte paaden loon
In ’t kruipen maar ten baarstens dik
En groot geworden in het slik
Van Franche poelen, daar de dood
In moordery en hongersnood
Woed in het bitterste gevaar
Straks treft dit ook den Londenaar
Daar zaaid het paddenspog ten buit
Voor Goudinslokkers door de Zuidt
Een kanker en eer’ pest in ’t Ryk
Terwyl die lucht uit Actie Slyk
Getrokken over zee en land
Heen vliegd en Holland steekt in brand
Nu aast de Rotte eerst op die vlam
De pest ontsteekt tot Rotterdam

En vliegd door Schiedam en ter Gouw
Noord en Zuidholland heen hoe rouw
En wild ook de Actiehandel moord
By Zeeuw by Vries aan de Ysel boord
Verneemt man best hier te Amsterdam
De konstige Estnaald wyst hoe gram
Het Hemelsche Gerecht zich toond
Daar ’t kwaad altoos zyn meester loond
Op de Actiewagen zit vooraan
Held ondeugd met zyn Actie Vaan
De Steeden lachgen in er Vuist
Terwyl men Amstels geldje luist
En Heintjepik een zot die LAW
En log en loom en Actie flaauw
Veel Acties uitbraakt nieuwe Wind
Van agter inblaast ’t volk verblind
Door Goudzucht grypt en trekt en rukt
De nullebriefjes yder plukt

En haakt er nu ten roof ten prooiy
Gints Staat de Beurs van Quincampoix
In de onkruid zaayer, maar hoe stout
’t Geweld is, de Amstelsche Herout
Dryft al dat jucht ten noortwaard uit
Fluks vliegt, en Rykdom, Schat, en buit
Als Damp en ydle Rook daar heen
De Zedigheid toond aan’t gemeen
Dat alles haast zal zyn gedaan
En weer op de oude Voeten staan
Maar ’t graauw aan ’t muiten rukt de kraam
Van die Actie venter als infaam
En voor den Ambachtsmans de dood
Om van dw Waag staat stil ontbloot
Van overzeesche Koopmanschap,
Uit de Actiehandel zuigt men knap
De konst van zand tot Vlooibaar nat
Te Maalen en in Utrechts stad

De Scheepen over berg en Hei
Te voeren heen ’t geros, ’t geroy
Van ryke dieven maakte kaat
Tot dat men langs ’t bordeel onthaal
Weer opduwt naar het Aapenland
De vrucht van ’t eerst gestoolen plant
De trits van Steeden voor de Poort
Verfoied de Roof zieke Actiemoord
Em word daar door ten prys en lof
Geplaatst in ’t blinkend Starrenhof
Iupyn verhoord Mercuur zyn klagt
En buurd in den eeuwig duistre nacht
Het Actiegild, terwyl de Zon
Te klaar voor zotte Pha’eton
Den gek te stout in zyn bestaan
Ziet storten in den Eridaan
O Hemel dat ons land vooral
Bevryd zy voor een vender val
En de Eed’le Koopmanschap doch hier
Herbloeye smeekt de Batavier

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