“For the sake of illustrating principles”: Wordsworth, the Convention of Cintra, and Satirical Prints

Abstract

Wordsworth's pamphlet Concerning the Relations of Great Britain, Spain, and Portugal to each other, and to the common enemy; at this crisis, and specifically as affected by the Convention of Cintra (1809) is, arguably, one of Romanticism's most nuanced examples of political prose. Written to capture the political excitement occasioned by a contentious armistice and the complex ideological issues raised by Britain's military involvement in the Iberian Peninsula, it was composed over seven long, exhausting months. During this time, Wordsworth worked assiduously to keep abreast of the latest developments both at home and abroad. But while his pamphlet's poetic and philosophical inflections have received excellent treatment, its more journalistic qualities have tended to be overlooked. This article argues that satirical print culture – at once popular, topical and ideologically nuanced – can significantly supplement our understanding of the newsworthiness associated with some of Cintra's most salient themes. Satirical prints – hitherto an untapped resource for Cintra scholars – constituted important vehicles for political debate during the Peninsular War: they are here adduced in order to open up a new interpretative framework for Wordsworth's pamphlet and its involved publication history.