George iii dressed as a farmer, and pitt as a drover, drive a herd of pigs towards a building inscribed 'licence office' and 'pigs meat sold here'. The king, on the extreme left, pushes forward a boar which snarls angrily; he wears a short smock with top-boots. The queen, a skinny and ugly farmer's wife, stands facing him on the extreme right, taking snuff. Pitt, in violent action, brandishing a club, wears a badge on his arm numbered '45', he strides in profile to the right, saying to the queen: "why don't you drive them in? you stand there taking your snuff & mind nothing else. " she answers: "don't you hurry any man's cattle but your own: aye poor things, indeed i do not like to drive any poor woman's pigs so. I have had fourteen of my own & certainly must know the value of pigs. " the king says: "don't be rash, consider the rugged road they have traveled so long: i am astonished we have got them so far!!! i think they rather seem to grunt a little - if they once turn the devil can't stop them. " one pig has the head of a woman with a feather in her coiffure. Another, with an expression of surly resignation, wears a rectangular yoke inscribed 'no grumbling' (see bmsat 8646, &c). 27 july 1795
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1795. Dimensions: Height: 247 mm (cropped); Width: 348 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Charlotte, Queen of George III. Collection: British Museum. Favorite guinea pigs going to market. (BM 1868,0808.6458)
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