Aesop, intermediality and graphic satire, c. 1740

This large satirical print (Figure 10.1), published in London on 9 April 1739, comments on the conduct of foreign policy during the late years of Sir Robert Walpole’s premiership (1721–42).¹ The consequences of the War of Polish Succession (1733–5), during which Britain had remained neutral, had been ratified by the Treaty of Vienna in January 1739. The terms had largely been beneficial to the French; they had strengthened their dynastic networks and, as a consequence, deepened their political influence in Europe. Meanwhile, France’s principal ally Spain had been advancing its commercial activities in the Caribbean, while accusing British