176 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



It was the day of the Macaronis, 1 who amused the town 

 for a long season with published pictures of dandies and 

 other eccentricities. Banks and Solander were, of course, 

 lawful prey : with their renown in hitherto undiscovered 

 trifles. The illustration opposite this page is a faithful 

 reproduction of the honours paid to them on this occa- 

 sion. 



The Fly-Catching Macaroni is an etching, coloured by 

 hand, representing Sir Joseph Banks " standing with one 

 foot on each of two globes. The spheres are reversed to 

 each other. The Antartick Circle of one, and the Artick 

 Circle of the other, being uppermost. With a bat-shaped 

 fly-catcher in each hand, Sir Joseph is endeavouring to 

 catch a splendidly-coloured Butterfly. He has the ears 

 of an ass, an ostrich plume is in his hat ; to his head is 

 attached the Macaroni club of hair. Below the design 

 these lines are engraved : 



" I rove from pole to pole. You ask me why. 

 ' I tell you Truth, and catch a Fly." 



The Simpling Macaroni is an etched whole-length por- 

 trait of " Dr. Solander, F.R.S., standing in profile to our 

 right, holding in one hand a large flowering plant, and 

 in the other a naturalist's knife, on the blade of which 

 is written the maker's name, ' Savigny.' He appears to 

 be speaking. Below the design are engraved these 



lines : 



" Like Soland Goose from frozen zone I wander, 

 On Shallow Banks grow fat, Sol * * * *." 



After the publication of Cook's First Voyage, the world 



1 The term signifies " a compound dish made of vermicelli and other 

 pastes, universally used in Italy. It came into England at the beginning 

 of the last Peace " (Macaroni and Theatrical Magazine, October, 1772). 

 The word was introduced at Almack's, and the subscribers came to be 

 described as Macaronis. Originally aimed at luxury and extravagance, 

 it eventually came to mean any person who exceeded the ordinary 

 bounds of fashion and fell into absurdity in consequence. For more 

 upon the Macaronis see Annals of a Yorkshire House (London, 1911). 



