Fox stands, declaiming violently to his supporters, who surround him. He holds out a paper: 'ruination - new tax one tenth of income & property, to support the accursed war, of the infamous minister'. His clenched right fist is raised, and he says: "gentlemen; - we are all ruin'd we sha'n't have five guineas left to make a bett with! - one tenth dead, without a single throw of the dice! - why its worse than the french game of requisition; - for in that there would be some chance of coming in for snacks!" he is dishevelled and ragged, with a padlocked 'begging box' slung round his shoulder (see bmsat 8331, &c). Erskine stands beside him in profile to the left as in bmsat 9246, holding a brief-bag: 'republican causes'. He says: "i wish it was to come on in the kings-bench for i would take up a brief against him there, gratis; - but i dont like to say any thing to him in t'other place" [see bmsat 8502]. M. A. Taylor, like a small fat boy, wearing a tricolour suit and a bonnet-rouge in the form of a fool's cap, says, looking up at fox: "one tenth? - why he takes us for boys or chicks! [see bmsat 6777] zounds what a funk i am in. " tierney, wearing a ragged coat, stands in profile to the right, saying, "10 per cent? - why it will make bankrupts of all my friends in in [sic] the borough [see bmsat 9045]; ah the villainous cutthroat he wants to bring us to st georges's fields at last. " next tierney stands horne tooke, saying, "one tenth? - mum! - get it of me if you can tell how to get blood from a post - or from one of the gibbets at wimbleton! - why its a better subject to halloo about than the brentford election. " (he lived largely on the bounty of his friends. ) on the right, behind erskine, are the duke of bedford, dressed as a jockey (cf. Bmsat 9380), saying, "damn their 10 per cents, i'll warrant i'll jockey 'em as i did with the servants tax" [see bmsat 9167], and norfolk, a bottle of port in each waistcoat pocket, saying: "why it will ruin us all! - one whole tenth taken away from the majesty of the people? - good heavens! - i must give up my constitutional toasts, & be contented with 4 bottles a day" [see bmsat 9168, &c. ]. Derby, in hunting-dress, says: "i must sell my hounds, & hang up my hunting cap, upon my horns!" [cf. Bmsat 6668]. Nicholls peers through a glass, saying, "i see clearly he wants to keep us out of place, & fill his own pockets". On the extreme right stands burdett, saying, "dam'me! if my lady ox------d [see bmsat 9240] must not leave off wearing trousers & take care of her little 10 pr cent. "
on the left, outside the foxite circle, stand four others: sinclair, barefooted and wearing a kilt and plaid, scratches his arm (cf. Bmsat 5940), saying "de'el tak me, but it gees me the itch all o'er, to be prime minister mysell; - out o' the 10 pr cents i could mak up for ye loss of my place at the board" (see bmsat 9271). George walpole [identified by wright and evans as tarleton. ] (see bmsat 9376), very thin, and wearing his enormous cocked hat, says with clenched fists: "pistols! - i say, - pistols! for the villain! - zounds, i wish i had my long-sword here, & a few moroons, i'd teach him how to humbug us out of our property. " (he had been tierney's second, see bmsat 9218, and had taken a leading part in suppressing an insurrection of maroons in jamaica in 1795. ) moira stands stiffly erect, saying: "an upright man can see things at a distance; - yes! [see bmsat 9184. ] i can plainly perceive, he would cut us down one tenth, that he may be above us all. " pulteney, on the extreme left, peers through an eye-glass, saying, "10 per cent? mercy upon me! where am i to get 10 per cent? - ay i see i shall die a beggar at last" [see bmsat 9212]. Behind fox are two silent supporters: (left) stanhope (or perhaps grafton) saying "mum", and (right) sir george shuckburgh, full-face. 13 december 1798
hand coloured etching. Date: 1798. Dimensions: Height: 260 mm; Width: 366 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford. Collection: British Museum. Meeting of the monied interest;- (BM 1851,0901.954)
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