"The letter is headed by etchings of Lord North and the Devil as in BMSat 5542, to which this is the answer, but reversed. The Devil holds a letter. "(Grate), Po(tent) and Respec(table) (Monarch), (Ewer) H(eye)nesis's [sic] E(pistol) came Safe (toe) (hand), (eye) Have S(hew)n it (toe) (awl) wz(eye) Friends on (ear)th, ro(hoe) (R) glad (toe) (hare) t(hat) T(hare) Is so good an Under(stand)ing (bee)tween us, & t(hat) (eye) am (lick)ely (toe) (bee) (ass) (grate) a (favour)ite (bee)low (ass) (eye) am (hare), you (C), (grate) Mon(ark), (Eye) am so (well) v(ears)d [versed] in the (R)ts of In(C)n(yew)a(tie)on [insinuation] and (diss?)im(yew)la(tie)on. t(hat) (eye) (can) De(sieve) any (man), (eye) (hope) (eye) may (bee) a(bell) (toe) p(rock)(ewer) [procure] (posts) and (plaices) in (ewer) (inn)fern(awl) (cow)rt for my faithfull F(rein)ds w(hoe) have So (M)(eye)nently Distinquish t(hare)selves b(eye) t(hare) attach(men)t (toe) t(hare) (King), witness My d(eye)abo(lick)(awl) F(rein)d, Sr H(yew) [Palliser], w(hoe) has act(yew) (awl)ly (sole)(lick)cited [solicited] me (awl) Ready for t(hat) purpose, and (eye) (can) (ass)(ewer) [assure] (yew) t(hat) he h(ass) (talons) [talents] (toe) XEQte any Of (ewer) H(eye)ness Most Hellish (Comma)nds, He h(ass) guild the Malcon(tents) by a pre(ten)ded Try(awl), (Eye) am proud (yew) aprove of my T(axe)s, (Witch) (eye) (hope) will shortly re(deuce) the (people) in 2 (toe)t(awl) [total] Subjec(tie)on, & we Sh(awl) (C) the Day w(hen) the Freeborn Englishmen) sh(awl) (knot) dare (toe) rep(eye)ne, butt Groan in Secret (bee)neath the G(awl)ing halter (Eye) have the Honour (toe) (bee), (ewer) most Devoted Serv(ant) London July 9 1779.""--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Hieroglyphic epistle from Lord North
Description:
Title from item., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., A letter in the form of rebus., and The following words within title are represented by a rebus: Lord North by his portrait, Beelzebub by an image of a devil.
"The letter is headed by etchings of the devil (l.), one of whose legs is a three-pronged fork, addressing an oval bust portrait of Lord North, headed "Lord N.... TH". The words enclosed in brackets are those which are represented by objects. "My D(ear) Ld (Ewer) Pol------cal Con(duck)t h(ass) (knot) only made a (grate) Noise upon (ear)th (butt) has set (awl) Hell in an upr(oar). T(hare)s hardly a S(tête)(man) in the (plaice), and we have a good (man)y of them, but (looks) upon it (ass) uni(form). The o(pen)ing of (ewer) (last) Budget w(ass) in m(eye) o(pinion) a (masterstroke indeed (witch) (yew) may easily (mask) over with the Old Phrase Pro Bono Publico. No (body) (can) stig(mat)ize (ewer) L------d(ship) as a griping (minister) nor (can) any (1.) say (yew)ve in this Point laid a t(axe) on the Bowels of the Poor. T(hare) are sever(awl) Articles m(eye) L--d in the Way of Eating (witch) might illustrate (ewer) Good Will (toe) the public, the quant(eye)ty of Meat (witch) is Consumed by the Common (people) Is the Occasion of t(hat) scorbutic or Scurvy Di(sword)er (witch) affects the English Constitution. T(hare)(4) an Xcise laid upon flesh of (awl) sorts would (bee) the best (ant)iscorbutic in the Whole Materia Medica and (ass) (ewer) L--d(ship) is (knot) very (car)nally Inclined (Eye) (don)t doubt (butt) (yew) will shortly b(ring) such a (bill) in(toe) Parlia(men)t. (Fish) and .F(owl) (2) my L--d are of a very viscid Nat(ewer) and are apt to enrich the Blood of such (ass) ought (toe) (bee) kept low, a T(axe) on these Sorts of Food Would in (Time) p(rope)rly dilute & thin the Corpore(awl) (deuce)s [juices] and the Common (people) would (knot) t(hen) (bee) (awl) (toe) (gate) (hare) [altogether] so (saw)cy (ass) (toe) oppose the Measures of t(hare) (ministers) and per(suns) in power (awl)so a Smart dut(eye) on Bread (mill)k Sm(awl) Beer, (Water) &c. For wh(eye) should the Vulgar have any Thing (toe) Eat (butt) Grass Without paying Tri(boot). (Ewer) Constant Friend & Ally BELZEBUB. Pandemonim [sic] June 23th 1779.""--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Hieroglyphic epistle from Beelzebub to Lord North
Description:
Title from item., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., An engraved letter in form of rebus., and The word Beelzebub within title is represented by an image of a devil. Lord North's name is supplied in a caption above his portrait at the end of title.
