"Ministers recline on a large low platform, representing a magnificent state bed, which is completely covered with roses. It recedes in perspective from left to right. On the left is Fox, looking sourly over his left shoulder at his neighbour, Sheridan, to say: "This is the most uncomfortable bed I was ever on in my Life and not the least like a bed of Roses - Zound!! what a thorn is running into me - Oh that Bramble - Sherry my Dear how do you find it - ". Sheridan answers: "My dear Charley, I have not had a wink since I have been on it, - curse that Castle man what did he mean by his bed of roses - I am as sore from the tip of my Nose, to the tip of my Toe - as if I had been roling on a quick set-hedge - or stung to death by a swarm of bees at a Hampshire Farmers [an allusion to Cobbett's pen]". Behind Fox, and in profile to the left, Moira, in uniform, with cocked hat and jack-boots, sits up, very erect; he says: "What are Cannons or Bombs or clashing of swords, compared to the pain I endure." Windham, next Sheridan, registering melancholy, says: "I feel more uneasy than if the whole Volunteer force was upon me." Ellenborough, behind Sheridan and Windham, ill-temperedly puts his hand to his wig. Erskine, also in wig and gown, reclines as if exhausted, his eyes closed, his attitude characteristic of his notorious fainting in court (see British Museum Satires No. 7956). He and Grey (Lord Howick from 11 Apr.), who sits behind him, are in profile to the right; the latter says: "It is just such a bed, as I expected the late bungling bed makers would leave us." On the extreme right little Lord Henry Petty (wearing his Chancellor of the Exchequer's gown) sits up, angrily holding above his head two handfuls of thorn-branches. He says: "I shall never have done clearing the brambles and Nettles from this Bed, my Budget would not hold one half of them." The low frame of the bed is carved and has a valance of fringed and festooned draperies. At the head are the Royal Arms; looped curtains are suspended above it."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Attributed to Charles Williams in the British Museum catalogue., and Mounted on linen and formerly sewn in an album with only the holes remaining on left edge.
Publisher:
Pubd. April 1806 by Walker, 7 Cornhill
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Hastings, Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Marquess of, 1754-1826, Erskine, Thomas Erskine, Baron, 1750-1823, Grey, Charles Grey, Earl, 1764-1845, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Ellenborough, Edward Law, Baron, 1750-1818, Windham, William, 1750-1810, Lansdowne, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marquess of, 1780-1863, Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822., and Cobbett, William, 1763-1835.
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Beds, Roses, and Draperies
Cartoon shows ministers, among them Vansittart and Castlereagh, vomiting taxes into a large bag labeled "budget." The Prince Regent stands nearby, supported on crutches labeled "more money" and "increase in income", holding rolled documents under his arms labeled with descriptions of some of his extravagant expenses and "On the right is a group of Ministers vomiting taxes. On the left the Regent stands directed to the right, supported on crutches, one inscribed 'More Money', the other 'Increase of Income'. The swathing of his gouty leg is tied above the knee by his 'Garter, inscribed 'Honi . . . Pense'. Under each arm are large rolled documents inscribed 'Expences of Pavillion', 'd° of Thatch'd Cottage', 'D° of Furniture', 'D° of Pall Mall', 'Pulling down Rebuilding &c Pulling down again for New Street!', 'Drinking Expence'. Beside him and on the extreme left is the end of a cloth-covered table on which are balls; one larger than the others is 'Economy', and is labelled: 'This bolus to be taken immediately'. Beside it are four others, all inscribed 'Petition against Property Tax'. The Regent, ill and melancholy, says: "Aye, this comes of your cursed Pill economy which you forced me to take a Month back, no one knows what I have suffered from this Econmical [sic] Spasm; I am afraid we shall all be laid up togather." Six Ministers stand over a low, wide-mouthed sack inscribed 'Budget', the edge of which is held by Vansittart (right), wearing his Chancellor of the Exchequer's gown and a large wig. Facing him, and with his back to the Regent is Castlereagh, his hands on his stomach. These and two others vomit streams inscribed 'Property Tax', 'Economy', 'Standing Armies', 'increase of Salaries', 'Cock Bugs provi[sion]'. The contents of the full sack are similarly inscribed. Another Minister (? Liverpool) stands behind Vansittart, with open mouth and distressed expression."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Sick of the property tax, or, Ministerial influenza, Ministerial influnza, and Ministerial influenza
Description:
Title etched below image. and Temporary local Medical Library subject terms: Politics, British.
Publisher:
Pubd. by S.W. Fores, March 8, 1816, at No. 50 Piccadilly, London
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822, Vansittart, Nicholas, 1766-1851, Liverpool, Robert Banks Jenkinson, Earl of, 1770-1828, Léopold I, King of the Belgians, 1790-1865., Cockburn, George, Sir, 1772-1853., Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822., George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830., and Vansittart, Nicholas, 1766-1851.
Subject (Topic):
Gout, Crutches, Government officials, Vomiting, Taxes, and Economic policy
Vansittart and Castlereagh, as surgeons, bleeding coins from the arms of John Bull. The coins are collected by Prince Leopold, Princess Charlotte, a tiny McMahon, a Chinese mandarin, and the gouty Regent. Brougham, stands on the left, pointing finger at John Bull, saying, "Retrench! Johnny, Retrench! practise [sic] a little more Economy." and "John Bull sits foursquare in an arm-chair, between two surgeons, his arms extended horizontally and supported by the vertical poles which he clutches; these are spirally striped, like the barber's pole, and are such as were used by practisers of phlebotomy. The one in his right hand is inscribed 'Additional Military Staff to support the Peace'; the other: 'Wellington's Staff'. The surgeon on the left is Vansittart, in his Chancellor of the Exchequer's gown, triumphantly holding up his lancet as guineas spout from the incision in John's right arm. The coin is collected by Prince Leopold in a warming-pan inscribed '60,000 per Ann'. [see British Museum Satires No. 12754] and by Princess Charlotte, who holds out a large receptacle inscribed 'For Wedding Garm[ents] Diamond Trinkets & Baubles'. She looks sideways at the warming-pan; her very décolletée dress has a train, and she wears a small crown or coronet. His military tunic is covered with stars, and he stares intently at the golden shower. Castlereagh, with a cynical smile, operates on the left arm. A tiny McMahon swarms up the pole and holds out his 'Privy Purse', see British Museum Satires No. 11874, to catch a trickle from the wound. The main shower of guineas falls into the enormous jaws of a squatting and grotesque Chinese mandarin (see British Museum Satires No. 12749) whose obese body, in the form of a large bag, is inscribed 'To pay off Arrears of the Civil List'. Over this bag, the biggest of the receptacles depicted, the gouty Regent stoops forward, supported on crutches, his head turned to the left, staring with apprehensive malevolence at Brougham who stands on the extreme left, not caricatured. John Bull, a stout 'cit', wears patched and ragged waistcoat and breeches. His empty pockets are inside out. He registers alarm, and exclaims: "Pray good folks have a little mercy & spare the Vital stream which sustains me!-- Consider what Oceans I have spilt in the late Wars!--I am too much exhausted to Bleed as freely as formerly--You have Open'd so many veins & drain'd me so incessantly that I fear my Constitution is impair'd for ever! My Friends, say that I am Declining fast & will certainly Die of a Galloping Consumption!!!" Two hussars with drawn sabres stand on guard behind his chair, watching the operation with pleased surprise. Behind them, the middle distance and background are filled with soldiers standing at attention with drawn sabres or fixed bayonets, wearing braided tunics and high hussar caps. They have British flags, faintly indicated, one being a Union flag, another the Royal Standard, and a fringed banner inscribed 'Standing Army For the Peace Establishment'. On the right, behind the Regent, the Tsar walks off to the right, looking over his shoulder with a pleased smile; he carries a sack across his shoulder inscribed 'Subsidies Russia'. With him, but less conspicuous, are Francis I and Frederick William; each carries a basket on his head heaped with coins, one 'Subsidies For Austria', the other 'Subsidies for Prussia'. All three wear uniform. Brougham, who wears a long loose coat, with trousers, and holds a top-hat, stands in profile to the right, his right arm extended with admonitory finger pointing at John Bull. He says: "Retrench! Johnny, Retrench!--practise a little more Economy in your present Wretched State, or you'll never Recover!--you have too many Physicians & their constant Employment is very Expensive they will not leave you till they have the last Shilling!--Kick out the Doctors & a fig for the Disease!!" At his feet and in the foreground is a neat box inscribed '37 Styptics [see British Museum Satires No. 12750, &c.] for Curing John Bull's Dreadful Disorder by Brougham & C°.' Near it are the fragments of a broken tub inscribed: 'Property Tax receiver rendered useless by the "ignorant impatience" of John Bull.' In front of John are a jar of 'Leeches' and a book: 'The Red Book or or [sic] a list of Persons Holding Sinecures'. Three tubs heaped with coin stand on the right, each progressively larger in size, inscribed: [1] 'Regency Presents & Yearly Allowance to Bonaparte & the Govenors [sic] Establist at St Helena'; [2] 'To Support the Allied Army in France'; [3] 'Extra Allowance for Commissrs of Dockyards & other fresh-water Agents of the Navy who will on the Peace Establishment of 1816 greatly exceed in expence the War Estabt of 1804 when the British Navy with 140,000 seamen Covered the Ocean.'"--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Month of publication from the British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Temporary local Medical Library subject terms: Politics, British.
Publisher:
Pubd. by F. Sidebotham, 96 Strand
Subject (Geographic):
England
Subject (Name):
Vansittart, Nicholas, 1766-1851, Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822, Brougham and Vaux, Henry Brougham, Baron, 1778-1868, George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Léopold I, King of the Belgians, 1790-1865, Charlotte Augusta, Princess of Great Britain, 1796-1817, McMahon, John, approximately 1754-1817, Francis I, Emperor of Austria, 1768-1835, Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, 1777-1825, Frederick William III, King of Prussia, 1770-1840, Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769-1852., Brougham and Vaux, Henry Brougham, Baron, 1778-1868., Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822., George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830., and Vansittart, Nicholas, 1766-1851.
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character), Phlebotomy, Gout, Taxes, and Military personnel
"A kettle and a pot are side by side on the flames behind the bars of a wide grate. The former is topped by the angry and startled face of the King, framed by wig and whiskers, and more caricatured than the Queen, whose head and bare shoulders emerge from the wide mouth of the pot. Steam, covered with words, issues from the mouth of both. The King, shrinking from, and glaring at his wife: "Hiss Hiss out Hiss Hiss The Devil begone you dirty grecepot." From the spout: "Hubble Bubble Toil and Trouble." His crown flies from his head. The Queen is more composed; she wears a feathered hat, and says: "Remember when the Judgements weak the prejudice is strong." The flames under the kettle are inscribed 'Leach' [see British Museum Satires No. 13740], 'L . . . pool', 'C . . . h'; the fuel consists of bags inscribed 'Green Bag' [see British Museum Satires No. 13735]. Under the Queen is one 'Green Bag' together with several stout sticks inscribed 'Bergami Pear Tree' [cf. British Museum Satires No. 13869], 'A bit of Wood', and 'Broom Stick', the last two being her advisers, Wood, instigator-in-chief, and Brougham, cf. British Museum Satires No. 13730. See British Museum Satires No. 13760, &c."--British Museum online catalogue, description of a reversed version of the same design
Description:
Title etched below image., A reversed copy of a print by John Marshall Jr. that was published 12 August 1820. Cf. No. 13788 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 10., and Mounted on page 29 of: George Humphrey shop album.
Publisher:
Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James's St.
Subject (Name):
Caroline, Queen, consort of George IV, King of Great Britain, 1768-1821, George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Bergami, Bartolomeo Bergami, Baron., Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844., Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822., Brougham and Vaux, Henry Brougham, Baron, 1778-1868., Leach, John, 1760-1834., Wood, Matthew, Sir, 1768-1843., and Liverpool, Robert Banks Jenkinson, Earl of, 1770-1828.
Subject (Topic):
Kettles, Pots & pans, Fire, Bags, Fuelwood, and Insults
