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KEEP WITHIN COMPASS.

Carington BowlesNovember 9, 1784

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Williamsburg, United States

The compass is contained within a circle. A young man stands between its open points. Two sacks full of guineas are at his feet. In the background, a harvest scene, a stream with a waterwheel, and a church and windmill are seen. Around the circle is inscribed the following: "KEEP WITHIN COMPASS AND YOU SHALL BE SURE, TO AVOID MANY TROUBLES WHICH OTHERS ENDURE." Four scenes decorate the corners with examples of vices to be fallen into. In the upper left, a gambler is seated at a table with cards, dice, and an empty money-bag. Through a window behind him a doby can be seen hanging from a gibbet. The upper right shows a prostitute robbing a young man who has fallen into drunken slumber . The lower left shows a ship driven upon the rocks. The lower right shows three prisoners through a barred window.
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The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

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