Three noblemen dance round a thistle

What it is

This is an engraved caricature titled The Thistle Reel, dated 1 March 1775 and held by the Wellcome Collection in London. Three men in 18th-century dress dance around a tall thistle inscribed Carduus benedictus, while a horned devil plays bagpipes above. The man in the centre holds a quizzing glass and is Frederick North; the Earl of Bute is on the left, and William Murray, later 1st Earl of Mansfield, is on the right, holding a scroll labelled Quebec Bill. The thistle stands for the Scottish Order of the Thistle.

Why it matters

The print shows how critics saw the policy towards the American colonies as shaped by Scottish influence. The Quebec Bill, which became the Quebec Act in June 1774, is linked to Mansfield, so the picture ties a government measure to a group of Scottish-connected men. The Wellcome record describes it as representing Scottish influence on British policy towards American independence.

Look closer

• Why are three men shown dancing together, and what does that suggest about how they worked?
• What do the banners and the devil with the bagpipes add to the message?
• Whose view of Scottish influence does this print present, and what does it leave out?