CHARLES concluding a Treaty of Marriage, with the Daughter of the Nobleman.

The seventh in a series of twelve prints representing the "Contrast between Virtue and Vice exhibited in the Characters of Two Brothers." This print is a continuation of the moral narrative that chronicles the fates of two brothers named Charles and Frederick, who travel down different paths after receiving their inheritance. What follows is a cautionary tale about virtue and vice, a popular topic of prints like William Hogarth's "Modern Moral Conversations" or those depicting the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Charles and his future father-in-law negotiate the terms of a marriage agreement. The scene is set in an office. Charles, and an advisor negotiate with the nobleman, while a lawyer draws up the contract.They are gathered around a table with several documents laid out, a snuff box, inkwell, wallet, and some coins. The room is furnished with a large secretary desk, a hanging bookcase, and a map on rollers (Bowles' England) hanging on the wall. Several large books are stacked on the floor behind the gentleman drawing up the papers. Other books can be seen in the top of the desk and in the bookcase.
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