Fox, directed to the left, stands eating a long scroll which he holds in both hands; it rests on the ground and its lower end is cut off by the left margin. It is inscribed: 'the influence of the crown has increased, is increasing and ought to be diminished - [dunning's famous resolution, cf. Bmsat 5659] the rights of the people - omni[po]tence'. Fox has an enormous brush, which curls above his shoulder, inscribed: 'the power of the people has increased, is increasing and ought to be diminished - the rights of the crown hered[itary]'. He tramples under his right foot a paper inscribed 'rights of parliament'; under the left are the cap and staff of liberty and the sword of justice lying on the 'bill of rights' and 'magna charta'. Beneath the title is etched:
'who wonderfully outdoes all the wonderous fire eaters, stone eaters, toad eaters, &c &c that ever exhibited, engaging to crack, scronch, swallow and digest as many of the largest and hardest words in the english language as will reach round westminster, with as much facility as demosthenes swallo'd pebbles. This most extraordinary character is now eagerly eating, in st. Stephen's chapel, for the amusement of some of the royal family, several of the nobility & gentry, a great quantity of popular words he fabricated a few years ago, & making others which he may be expected to devour in a short time. ' 29 december 1788
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1788. Dimensions: Height: 250 mm; Width: 141 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Charles James Fox. Collection: British Museum. The Wonderful Word Eater lately arrived from abroad (BM J,4.15)
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