In a room reminiscent of a magician's study, the King, dressed in a cloak as Friar Bacon (a necromancer of popular fable), evokes visions of the royal power while the brazen head speaks. Each vision is represented by a large medallion inscribed, "Constitution," and shows a different balance of power between the king and both houses of Parliament. On the left, Fox, Burke, and North, peek in through an open door, appearing alarmed. On the right, a number of men walk down the "back stairs." The first of them, carrying a conspirator's lantern and led by the devil, is Lord Temple
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., 1 print : etching on laid paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 24.7 x 34.8 cm, on sheet 25.2 x 35.5 cm., and Formerly mounted on leaf 47 of volume 1 of 14 volumes.
Publisher:
Pubd. March 3d, 1784, by W. Humphrey, No. 227 Strand
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797, North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792, Buckingham, George Nugent Temple Grenville, Marquess of, 1753-1813, Bacon, Roger, 1214?-1294., and Pitt, William, 1759-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Wizards, Magic, and Devil
Caption title., A spoof advertisement in the form of a playbill, a satire on the Pitt government and the war with France., and For further information, consult library staff.
"John Bull stands full-face on the pavement outside a shop window, holding on his head a red cap (i.e., bonnet rouge) trimmed with fur of quasi-military, quasi-libertarian shape. He is the yokel with wrinkled gaiters ... with a tattered great-coat held together by a military belt. In his left hand is a ragged hat. He says, with a broad grin: "Wounds, when Master Billy sees I in a Red-Cap, how he will stare! - egad; I thinks I shall cook em at last. - well if I could but once get a Cockade to my Red Cap, & a bit of a Gun - why, I thinks I should make a good stockey Soldier!" The shop is that of 'Billy-Black-Soul [Pitt], Hatter, & Sword-cutler \ Licenced to deal in Hats and Swords.' Above the door (right) are the royal arms and 'Stamp-Office' (the tax on hats being levied by a stamp). Within the window are crossed swords and military cocked hats with a number of stamps bearing the royal arms. In the foreground (left) is a pile of dead cats with a paper: 'List of Cats Killed for making skin caps 20000 Red 5000 Tabb ...'"--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
John Bull evading the hat tax
Description:
Title etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., 1 print : etching with stipple on laid paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 36.3 x 26.0 cm, on sheet 40.2 x 29.5 cm., and Mounted on leaf 25 of volume 4 of 12.
Publisher:
Pub. April 5th, 1797, by H. Humphrey, New Bond & St. James's Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and Great Britain.
Subject (Name):
Pitt, William, 1759-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Taxation, Taxation of articles of consumption, Law and legislation, John Bull (Symbolic character), Cats, Hats, Millinery, Slaughtering, Swords, Taxes, Show displays, and Window displays
