A snorting bull (john bull) lies down, overburdened by a vast load of taxes which are represented by a high mound of large rolled documents on his back. Pitt, dundas, and arden, in shirts and breeches, tug hard at a long chain of alternate loaves and fishes which issues from the bull's posteriors. Pitt leans back, his right foot on the animal's rump, singing:
"pull, pull away, pull the fishes,
with them we will fill our dishes;
pull, pull the loaves, pull a good crop,
for we have many mouths to stop. "
the other two tug at the chain behind him, their mouths open as if singing a chanty. Arden's wig is falling off. Loaves and fishes lie in a pile at their feet inscribed, 'pensions, annuities, gratuities, &c. &c. '
the taxes reading downwards and left to right, are: 'land tax bill', 'an act to impose a tax on shops (large)', 'an act to impose a tax on houses', 'an act to impose a tax on horses', 'an act to tax hats', 'an act to impose a tax on windows', 'an act to impose a tax on insurance', 'tea tax (very small)', 'tax on spirits', 'tax on cyder', 'tax on bricks & tiles', 'tax on auctions', 'an act to impose a tax on perfumery', 'an act to tax men & maid servants (large)', 'tax on births deaths &c. &c', 'tax on gloves', 'tax on receipts', 'salt', 'tax on sugar', 'tax on malt', 'tax on coals', 'tax on wine', 'tax on candles', 'tax on beer', 'tax on glass', 'tax on soap', 'tax on cloth', 'tax on tobacco', 'stamp duties', 'tax on hides', 'tax on paper', 'tax on medicines', 'tax on wool', 'tax on carriages', 'tax on pepper', '&c. &c. &c &c. ' other rolls which are placed vertically along the edges of the pile are 'deals & battens', 'coffee and chocolate', 'commutation'. 28 june 1786
etching with hand-colouring. Date: 1786. Dimensions: Height: 245 mm; Width: 327 mm (trimmed). Medium: paper. Depicted People: Richard Pepper Arden, 1st Baron of Alvanley. Collection: British Museum. The End of Parliament (BM 1868,0808.5546)
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