18th Cent Satire on Diplomacy Reponse Incroyable Poster

In this wonderful satire, the French Foreign Minister asks a British diplomat how he is faring. The British Diplomat says he cannot speak for himself in that matter, in order to know how to respond he must send a dispatch to London. In the image the British emissary Lord Malmesbury (on the left) and Charles-François Delacroix, Foreign Minister under the Directorate (right) come face one another each wearing a disingenuous smile. Engraved at the bottom are their imagined words. Delacroix, standing ‘chapeau-bras’ and holding a cane, says “Bon jour Mylord! Je suis charmé de vous voir à Paris, comment vous portez-vous?” (Good Day, Mylord. Charmed to see you in Paris, how are you?) Malmesbury responds. “Je vous suis obligé de votre gracieuse demande, mais ne pouvant répondre de moi-même, je vais dépêcher un courier a Londres; et à son retour, je saurai la réponse que je dois vous faire.” (I am much obliged for your gracious enquiry, but unable to respond for myself, I must send a dispatch to London, and when it comes back, I will know what I should say to you.” In a satire of the vanity of the fashions of the day, Lord Malmesbury is dressed as an ‘Incroyable.”