A plumper for Paul!, or, The little taylor done over! [graphic]

"A scene in the House of Commons. In the foreground is the space outside the bar, filled with burlesqued supporters of Paull's petition against Sheridan's return for Westminster (see BMSat 10619, &c). These are struck by darts of fire, lightning, and smoke from the Speaker (Abbot), a diminutive figure, almost entirely composed of a huge wig. There are two main blasts, the larger (l.) directed against Paull, the other (r.) against Bosville, Horne Tooke, and Cobbett. In the former is the fiery face of Sheridan, glaring at his enemy, with flames from mouth and nostril. Paull has been thrown violently on to his back, having slipped from the back of a goose with the head of Burdett, on which he has ridden into the House. The goose waddles off to the right., with outstretched neck, following Tooke, the toe of one of Paull's boots still in a stirrup. From Burdett's profile projects the beak of a goose; his long neck is labelled 'Green-Goose from Brentford'. Burdett and his friends seem anxious to slink off without association with the calamity that has befallen Paull. The latter has dropped a long document, which is blazing; this is headed: 'Petition - Humble Petition against Rd Brin[sley] Sheridan for Bribery Corruption . . .' Other papers on which he has fallen are headed 'Scr[utiny]' and 'Impeachment Marquiss Wellesley' [see BMSat 10561, &c.]. A bonnet rouge falls from his head; he has dropped his yard-stick, shears, a cabbage, cucumbers (cf. BMSat 10608, &c). Behind him (l.) is his Counsel, Henry Clifford, in wig and gown, with a drink-blotched face, dropping a sheaf of papers: 'Brief - Paul versus Sheridan.' He heads a crowd of disreputable witnesses, characteristic of Gillray's denizens of the underworld (cf. BMSat 9202); some wear favours in their hats inscribed 'Paul'. All fall backwards under the impact of the Speaker's blast. One man, the palm of his hand branded 'R T' (signifying that he has returned from transportation), grasps a paper inscribed 'Perjury'; a noseless old woman holds a 'Forged Letter of Richd Br Sherridan.' One man holds up a marrow-bone, another a cleaver inscribed 'No Bastille, to show that they belonged to Burdett's election mob, see BMSat 9878, &c. (though he dropped that cry in 1804). Other papers on the ground are: 'Bribery'; 'List of False Votes - J. Powell'; 'Witnesses - Conkey Bean, Bill Soanes, Drake, Hart ye Informer - .' ..."--British Museum online catalogue