Britannia (left), a beggar wearing only a ragged shift, supports herself on her broken spear outside the door of the treasury; her broken shield lies beside her. She says, "alas! why give to the rich and neglect the poor - is this oeconomy". In the doorway a dog, his collar inscribed 'pit', excretes on a paper inscribed 'oeconomy'. Behind his head is a placard inscribed: 'resolved. That no additional income be allowed to young george. W. P. ' above the door is an implement resembling a gridiron, then called a saveall, cf. Bmsats 7322, 7329; the queen uses it in bmsat 7922. In the centre carleton in back view, his ribbon of the bath inscribed 'quebec bill', walks off with a sack over his shoulder inscribed, '1000l. Per annum'; he says: "sure there never was so able and honest a commissary as brook watson - i'll swear that'. On the right watson walks off to the right holding a torn paper: 'to the livery of london i pledge myself not [torn] to accept of place or pension'. He has a wooden leg, wears his sheriff's chain, and holds a document inscribed 'annuity'. His coat-pocket bulges with guineas. He says, "sure there never was so brave & frugal a general as sir guy - i'll swear that". A signpost between the two men points (left) 'to the city of quebec', (right) 'to the city of london'. Beneath the title is etched:
'unlike to paltry beggars who in moorfields stand,
and meanly ask for daily bread with hat in hand;
or brave tars who by war, not shark, have lost a leg,
to gain the priviledge in street to starve or beg. The parliament july 1786 granted a pension of 1000l per annum to sir guy carleton, knt. Of the bath, govenor of canada, commissioner of accounts &ca, and for the natural lives of his lady and two sons, also an annuity of 500l to brook watson esqr representative, alderman & sheriff of the city of london. Nb sir guy was commander in chief at the same
time mr w-----was commissary general to the army, in america, during the late war &c. ' 13 july 1786
etching with hand-colouring. Date: 1786. Dimensions: Height: 225 mm; Width: 316 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Sir Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester. Collection: British Museum. The Gentlemen Pensioners (BM 1868,0808.5549)
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