This caricature entitled 'The Litany' shows a man in black with a black gown and black top hat and metal framed glasses facing left. He has green gloves, the right hand glove he holds in his left gloved hand while he points with his right hand.

Richard Dighton (1795/6-1865) was the son of Robert Dighton (1751-1814), a singer and draughtsman whose father had been a printseller. Robert Dighton began producing caricatures in 1781 and continued until his death when Richard continued his work in much the same style. The Dighton's subjects ranged from Royal and parlimentary figures to people from the city and the stage. Those that the Herschels collected have quite a clear biographical relationship with John FW Herschel.

'The Litany' produced in 1816 depicts the profession John was at this time nominally working towards. He was at least enrolled at Lincoln's Inn to train for the Bar though in reality rarely attended, preferring instead to go to scientific lectures at the Royal Society. He had chosen law as a profession in favour of his father's preferred choice of the Church.