The wine duty, or, The triumph of Bacchus & Silenus with John Bulls remonstrance / [graphic]Gillray, James, 1756-1815, printmaker[20 April 1796]eng"A tun of 'Wine' lies on solid trestles inscribed 'Treasury Bench'. From its huge bung-hole emerges the naked body of Pitt, as Bacchus, crowned with vine branches. He leans back tipsily, a brimming glass in each hand. Behind him stands Dundas as Silenus, fat, and partly draped in tartan; his right hand grasps Pitt's shoulder, in his left he holds up a brimming glass. He also is crowned with vine branches. Bunches of grapes hang down from a vine above their heads and are indicated as a background to the cask whose trestles are on a dais covered with a fringed carpet. Opposite the tun stands John Bull in profile to the left, looking up at Pitt, hat in hand; in his left hand is a lank purse, under his arm three empty bottles. He is a yokel, with lank hair and hydrocephalic head, wearing a smock and wrinkled gaiters. He says: "Pray Mr Bacchus have a bit of consideration for old John; - you know as how I've emptied my Purse already for you - & its waundedly hard to raise the price of a drop of Comfort, now that one's got no Money left for to pay for it!!!" Pitt says: "Twenty Pounds a T-Tun, ad-additional Duty i-i-if you d-d-don't like it at that, why t-t-t-then Dad & I will keep it all for o-o-our own Drinking, so here g-g-goes old Bu-Bu-Bull & Mouth!!! - "."--British Museum online catalogueTitle etched below image.Temporary local subject terms: Wine duty, 1796 -- Mythology: Bacchus -- Silenus -- Containers: wine casks -- Allusion to Treasury.