A satire on the opening of parliament which took place on 23 jan. In the background, followed by a crowd, is the state coach; george iii is seen through the window. In the foreground pitt (left), riding a donkey, advances to meet fox and his supporters, fox and north being seated astride a cannon from whose mouth issues a blast inscribed 'voice of the people'. Pitt holds out a paper inscribed 'treaty of commerce'. On the back of his ass is a sack inscribed 'budget', a saddle-bag is the 'shop tax', the hoofs on the animal's fore-legs are inscribed 'glove tax', the head-band is 'hat duty'; a blast from the animal's hind-quarters is inscribed 'tax on perfumes'. The bag of pitt's wig is ornamented with a fleur-de-lis, indicating the french treaty. Pitt's followers walk behind him; the most prominent is wilkes, the bag of his wig inscribed '45' (cf. Bmsat 5245, &c). Next comes a man in naval dress; from his coat-pocket protrudes a paper inscribed 'spoils of the american war 80000'; he is evidently lord howe, first lord of the admiralty, see bmsats 5399, 7126. On the extreme left is a bishop in back view holding up his arms as if preaching rhetorically. Two other heads cannot be identified. Fox holds out a paper inscribed 'repeal of the shop tax'. North sits behind him, holding to fox as if for support. Their followers are more numerous than those of pitt: burke, wearing spectacles, portland, wearing a ducal coronet, and loughborough, on the extreme right, are conspicuous. A profile head between portland and loughborough may be intended for weltje. Four other heads are indicated. With the possible exception of wilkes, who is aged and toothless, the heads are scarcely caricatured. Behind pitt is a large and dignified house, either detached or at a corner. Other buildings are freely suggested in the background. Beneath the title is engraved in three columns:
'such assemblies you, might swear,
meet when butchers bait a bear;
such a noise, and such haranguing,
when a brother thief is hanging:
such a rout and such a rabble
run to hear jack-pudden gabble:
such a crowd their ordure throws
on a far less villains nose. ------
let them with their gosling's quills,
scribble senseless heads of bills,
we may while they strain their throats,
wipe our a------s with their votes. ------' 23 january 1787
hand-coloured etching and engraving. Date: 1787. Dimensions: Height: 293 mm; Width: 425 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Edmund Burke. Collection: British Museum. The meeting of the legion club. (BM 1868,0808.5611)
Loading...
