First, and most importantly, the 1665 print is an etching and the 1790 print is a woodcut. The 1665 print has finer lines and cross-hatching. The 1790 print has wormholes that are visible in most areas that are shaded by hatching.
Second, the 1790 image is reversed. This implies to me that someone in the 18th century took the 17th century printed etching and used it as a pattern to engrave a new woodcut.
Third and consequently, the 1790 image diverges from the 1665 image in many details. Here is a list of substantial differences as I observe them from top-to-bottom, left-to-right in the 1790 edition:
| 1665 engraving | 1790 woodcut |
|---|---|
| Above the gallows, the text reads, "vp you goe, Mr Puse" | Above the gallows, three heads of cats are posted on pikes |
| Below the gallows is one cat led by a rat with an axe | Below the gallows is one cat led by one rat with a fish towards another rat with an axe |
| From the gallows, five cats' legs hang | From the gallows, six cats' legs hang |
| The fish on the banners are spotted | The fish on the banners are not spotted |
| The largest turret in the corner has straight crosses on the sides. | The largest turret in the corner has rounder crosses, like Maltese crosses, on the sides |
| The rats march beneath the turret with an unmarked pennant | The rats march beneath the turret with a striped pennant showing a rat's head above a shield with a hammer. |
| The cat who blows a trumpet out of the turret window has no sign on his shield. | The cat who blows a trumpet out of the turret window has a chevron and circle on his shield. |
| The king of the cats stands with no background. | The king of the cats sits in front of a background of floral diapered background. |
| On the turret below the minaret, one cat raises a ball to throw towards a rat on a ladder. | On the turret below the minaret, one cat raises a ball and another aims a crossbow at rats pierced with arrows, below. |
| A rat fires a rifle towards the cats' turret | A rat aims a crossbow towards the cats' turret |
| The rats' cavalry carries a banner depicting a sphere | The rats' cavalry carries a banner depicting a hammer. |
| Nigro Mussell sits under a tent with no background. | Nigro Muſell sits under a tent in front of a framed background. |
| One rat climbs the ladder nearest Nigro Mussell. | Two rats climb the ladder nearest Nigro Muſell. |
| Two cats fight three rats at the main gate. | Three cats fight four rats at the main gate. |
| One rat climbs the ladder under the minaret. | Two rats climb the ladder under the minaret. A cat spears the lower rat from a window. |
| A rat fires a gun towards the castle from the topmast of the rats' ship. | A rat aims a crossbow towards the castle from the topmast of the rats' ship. |
| A horizontal line separates the vertical juxtaposition of upper rats receiving their commission and lower rats carrying pikes. | No horizontal line separates the vertical juxtaposition. |
| Ten rats carry pikes and fire a cannon. | Twelve rats carry pikes and fire a cannon |
| Three rats in a boat carry an unmarked shield. | Three rats in a boat carry a shield marked "N" |
| The rats' ship have no sign on their banner. | The rats' ship has the sign of a hammer on their banner. |
| Jones' transcription, 1665 edition, British Library |
My transcription, 1790 edition, Bodleian Library |
|---|---|
| My command is to you all To kill the Rats both great & smal |
My Command is to you All, To kill the Rats both great and ſmall. |
| Downe with the Rouges [sic] defend me now or never If they get up we are undon for ever. |
Down with the Rogues, defend me now or never If they get up, we are undone for ever. |
| Fight ou [sic] brave Rats and kill our mortall foes We’ll fight it out nor Will we feare thair blowes |
|
|
Your Commiſſion is to take, kill, and destroy, Miſchevious Cats that do our State annoy. |
| if wee these catcs [sic] can overcom and kill of cheese and Bacon we shall have our fill. |
Fourth, the 1790 edition has been colored in tones that appear to have been red, blue, and yellow. The painting or inking seems to have been done with a very loose stroke: perhaps no more than a dab from a large brush.
| Images painted with red | Images painted with yellow | Images painted with blue |
|---|---|---|
| legs of hanged cats on gallows | ||
| cat below gallows | ||
| roof of belltower | single-fish banner | three-fish banner |
| house in right-top corner | minaret | |
| speartips in right-top corner | gate opening in right-top corner | rats' striped pennant |
| cannons and turrets below fish-flag | wagon underneath gallows | |
| banderolle, "Master Tyburt prince of Catt's" | banderolle, "Down with the Rogues, defend me now or never If they get up, we are undone for ever." |
|
| leftmost two tents above "Nigro Muſell" | largest tent behind "Nigro Muſell" | |
| cat below trumpet, pointing spear | banderolle, "My Command is to you All, To kill the Rats both great and ſmall." |
|
| cat above turret, below minaret | ||
| cannons on the right, in front of rat cavalry | ||
| rat cavalry's banner | foremost rat in rat cavalry | |
| banderolle: "Your Commiſſion is to take, kill, and deſtroy Miſchevious Cats that do our State annoy." |
Taller rat receiving commission | |
| cannon to the left of the main gate | banderolle: "Kill or be kill'd, no Quarter give, We will not have a Cat to live." |
|
| arch of the main gate | ||
| spear and sides of rat, speared off of ladder under the minaret | canon underneath right ladder | |
| cat under the main gate, stabbing a rat with a sword | rat stabbed under main gate | |
| shield of rats under the main gate | rats' banner, left, and caption, "Come on my Friends, ne'er fear the Foe, We'll make them yield before we go." |
|
| rats' ship | rats' boat | water between rats' boat and the shore |
| banderole reading, "Fight on brave Rats, and kill ur [sic] mortal Foes, We'll fight it out nor will we fear their Blows" |
rats' banner, right | rats' ship's sail |
Finally, it's interesting to note that 1665 and 1790 are both times fraught by revolution for the English dominant classes. In 1665, the Cavalier Parliament is busy at work to roll back the memory of the Republic--while also fleeing the Plague in London. The Restoration is only as deep as the grass roots, and the Fifth Monarchists fight for the end of the world. In 1790, the English dominant classes have been shaken by the vision of Revolution in France. Edmund Burke was writing a fearful reflection on those revolutions. The cats in England were besieged by rats.
The verse, by the way, reads as follows:
WHEN fam'd Æsopliv'd we're told,
That Birds and Beaſts were of another Mould,
They then could Talk, Sir, Read, and Write,
But now, alas! they're dumb, and Stoicks quite.
Yet that our Story in that Time was penn'd,
Which if your readers it diſpleaſe, they now may mend. |
A Ship of War, which many Years withſtood
The raging Waves of Neptune's wat'ry Flood:
Whoſe ancient Sides by thundering Cannon Balls,
Were bruis'd and batter'd like the broken Walls;
Near to a Caſtle on a neighbouring Hill,
Was laid quite by, of Eaſe to take her Fill. |
No longer fit for Uſe became diſdain'd,
And now a Harbour for the RATS remain'd ;
Where Swarms and Legions fill'd both Hulk and Hold,
Enough to raiſe an Army brave and bold;
After ſome time they grew ſo ſtrong and ſtout,
That in full Force they agree to ſally out |
Againſt the Caſtle that was in their View,
Inhabited by CATS, a numerous Crew,
Who, jealous of their Force, rais'd all their Power,
Theſe enterpriſing RATS for to devour.
Their fierce Attacks, their different Schemes and Ways,
This Cuts to the Eye in various Shapes diſplays.
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