The royal hunt, or, A prospect of the year 1782 [graphic]

In the foreground (left) a party of ministers is carousing. Members of the Opposition watch them with indignation. In the distance (left) behind them mounted men with hounds chase a stag. On the right the Temple of Fame is being demolished by the enemies of Britain. Many of the figures have numbers referring to notes engraved beneath the design. The central figure in the ministerial group is (4) Sandwich ("S--h") seated on the ground playing a violin, between two courtesans, each of whom holds a goblet of wine. He turns to one of them, saying, "D--mn the Navy, Give me t'ther Glee"; she holds a torn paper inscribed "How merrily we live". An open book, "Catchs Glees", in front of him, is supported by a wine-bottle. In the left corner of the print is (5) North (“N--h”) seated on a small sack inscribed “Budg[et]”, he is yawning, his arms stretched above his head. Three men stand behind him: a man in Elizabethan dress wearing a tall hat and ruff who is (9) “R--by [Rigby] in the Character of Bobadil”. He says (apparently of Sandwich) “I would he were in the Bottomless Pit.” ... For the time-serving Rigby's attack on Germain and Sandwich, and flattery of Pitt (14 Dec. 1781) see Walpole, 'Last Journals', 1910, ii. 390, and 'Parliamentary Hist.' xxii. 847. Behind him and whispering into his ear, stands 8, Lord Amherst (“A--rst”), very thin, saying, “Dick Rugby [sic] Stand Close”. Behind Amherst stands 7, Lord George Germain (“G--mn”) saying “Jeffry Barebones [i.e. Amherst], this is worse than Minden.” Next on the right stands the group of patriots: (6) Pitt (“W--P--t”) looking towards North, says “Shake off this Indolence”. (3), Fox (“F--x”), pointing towards the Temple of Fame (right) and frowning, says, “Wheres your Navy, wheres your Islands”. (2), Burke (“B--k”) is saying “Wont even Destruction move ye”. (1), The Duke of Richmond (“R--d”) says “Curs'd be those men who owe their Greatness to their Countrys Ruin”. In the foreground (right) Britannia, seated on the ground on her shield, weeps, a handkerchief held to her eyes. Behind her is (10) “The Temple of Fame, formerly the Wonder of the World, but now in Ruins”, a building with a fluted dome on which the winged figure of Fame without her trumpet is poised on one foot, the other leg being broken off. ... See British Museum online catalogue