Retrenchment, or, John Bull routing his rapacious servants [graphic].

"John Bull, a 'cit' wearing (unfastened) shirt and breeches, stands in a bare room near a miserable truckle bed, furiously waving wig and a night-cap inscribed 'Patent', towards objects representing malt, tea, tobacco, and coffee. He has flung at them his hat, coat, waistcoat, and shoes, and they totter backwards under the impact (right). All are demanding "More Wages," except malt, which asks for "More Profit." John shouts: "More Wages, you Scoundrels! will you never be satisfied! have'nt I given you House and increased your wages at different Tunes for Years past, and now you want more! But I'll dispense with ye all, so out of my House, ye pampered Knaves! you have pretty near stript me, theres my wig among ye! I'll put on this patent Narcotic Night cap and sleep till you have come to your senses again, so take yourself off to your advisers! Off with you! off!!!" The objects are constructed of utensils, &c., as in British Museum Satires No. 11822, &c.; they are closely grouped and delicately poised; they totter towards the open door (right). Tea is built up on sugar-tongs for legs, supporting two cups and saucers on which is a tea-caddy; on this rests a large kettle, spouting steam, and itself supporting a pile of sugar-bowl, tea-pot (from which spouts liquid inscribed 'More Wages'), cream-jug, and spoons. A solid cask of 'Home Brewed' is supported on long-stemmed glasses for legs; on it is a tankard of 'No Mans Entire' from which issues froth inscribed 'More Profit'. This is flanked by two bunches of barley. Two long tobacco-pipes, one broken, are legs supporting a canister of 'Best Virginia'; on this is a triangular spittoon, supporting a guttering candle-end in a flat candle-stick; the smoke from this is inscribed 'More Wages'. Nearest the door (right) two spoons support two coffee-cups and saucers on which is a coffee-mill, supporting a milk-jug from which a coffee-pot is falling, spouting 'More Wages'. On the bare floor (left) near a pitcher of 'Water' is an open book, 'The Life of Comoro', with a portrait head."--British Museum online catalogue