"An exciseman stands in profile to the left, his lower lip protruding grotesquely; his chest is much thrown out, right hand thrust under his coat, left arm behind his back. From his pocket protrudes an 'Excise Book'. His ink-bottle is attached to his coat; in it is a pen; another pen projects from his cocked hat. A dog (right) befouls his leg."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Temporary local subject terms: Excisemen -- Excise books -- Ink bottles., Leaf 59 in an album with the spine title: Characatures by Dighton., 1 print : etching on laid paper, hand-colored ; plate mark 19.8 x 14.9 cm, on sheet 31.1 x 25.5 cm., and Watermark, trimmed: [Ed]meads 1808.
A man in ragged clothes stands facing right, hunched forward under the weight of a basket of 'Rents' and 'Taxes' strapped to his back. His legs are shackled, his mouth is closed by a padlock, and his hands are tied behind him. Image enclosed within a circle
Alternative Title:
Freeborn Englishman
Description:
Title etched above image., Printmaker is likely the publisher Thomas Spence's son William, who was born in the early 1780s and died in 1797. See Oxford Dictionary of national biography, entry for Thomas Spence., Probably a copy, with alterations, of a print published circa 1795 entitled "A freeborn Englishman, the admiration of the world, the envy of surrounding nations, &c. &c." See description for No. 8710 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum, v. 7., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Thomas Spence seems to have also issued copper tokens in 1796 with depictions of a similar shackled figure on one side. See for example British Museum online catalogue, registration no.: T.6498., and Not in Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum.
Publisher:
Publishd. by T. Spence, Turn Stile, Holborn
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain. and Great Britain
Subject (Topic):
Taxation, Poverty, Poor persons, Locks (Hardware), Shackles, and Taxes
"John Bull sits in a double pair of stocks, his ankles heavily shackled. His wrists are linked by a huge padlock inscribed Million £800 000 000 [National Debt]. He sits on bales of Taxes; to his back is tied a huge bundle of Last Wars Taxes. His clothes are tattered; three pockets hang inside out, inscribed To Let. At his side (left), and in profile to the right, kneels a noble Spaniard, in very theatrical dress, with trunk hose, cloak, and ruff. He has a spear from which hangs a pennant inscribed Libertas. He puts his hands together in a gesture of prayer: I come once again, and on my kneens [sic] to implore your Aid, we are indeed grateful for former Services, and beleive that you fought purely for Spain and not for yourselves--Save us from our pretended Friends they are worse then Enemies--Save us, and the World, from the destruction of Liberty--. John bites his thumbs despairingly; he answers: I pity you, but I can only give you advice, when you came to me before, I was a Strong Man, and free, but I am now exhausted in saving you, and destroying your great Enemy--See how I am fetter'd--! My Creditors enchain me--! look at my Debt and pity me!-- At his feet a heavy pair of leg-irons lies across many papers inscribed Debt and Taxes. He sits under an oak-tree; from a partly-withered bough hang his cartouche-box and bayonet-belt. In the middle distance (right) Louis XVIII sits astride a cannon (cf. British Museum Satires No. 12797), on a gun-carriage drawn rapidly up a slope by the Tsar and the Emperor of Austria. Both wear uniform and crowns, that of the latter topped by a fool's cap. Both cry: War! War!! War! and blood!! Alexander holds a sword in one hand, a bayoneted musket in the other; Francis holds a sword and a pistol, against his shoulder is the shaft of a flag inscribed Holy Alliance. Louis XVIII leans back, flannelled legs extended, two pistols in his belt, a sword in one hand, a musket in the other. Before him on the cannon is a bowl of soup, &c. The Pope walks at his right, holding a string attached to his nose. The King: By the Powers I shall fall, and lose my Balance Stop!! Stop! I say don't pull so hard you'll rupture [your scored through] Eu rope, this is not suited to my Taste [scored through] Gout I am already crippled and cannot bear it Stop!!!-- The Pope, who wears his tiara and holds his crosier against his shoulder, answers: Fear not, I'll let you into Heaven, through the back door my dear Son. Keys hang from his neck. Behind the cannon runs the Devil pushing at the King's posterior with a trident; he says: They cannot go on without me so I bring up the rear!! Beside the cannon run tiny frogs in uniform with muskets, &c. A slightly bigger one holding a sword may represent Angoulême. Cannon fire at them from a fort on a hill."--British Museum online catalogue, description of an earlier state
Alternative Title:
John Bull flourishing in a dignified attitude of strict neutrality
Description:
Title etched below image., Later state, with initials "A.J." added in lower right and the words "with Spain" added to speech bubble immediately to the right of the stocks in center of image. For an earlier state lacking these additions, see no. 14520 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum, v. 10., and Sheet trimmed within plate mark.
Publisher:
Pubd. May 1823 by G. Humphrey, 24 St. James's Street & 74 New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Louis XVIII, King of France, 1755-1824, Francis I, Emperor of Austria, 1768-1835, Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, 1777-1825, and Pius VII, Pope, 1742-1823
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character), Public debt, Taxes, Trees, Rocks, Stocks (Punishment), Forts & fortifications, Cannons, Devil, and Frogs
"A stout cylindrical shaft stretches across the upper part of the design, inscribed 'Manufactures & Commerce'. To this cling by both hands four ragged and desperate artisans, wearing aprons, but it has broken in the middle so that they, and others clinging to them, are about to fall into the swirling clouds at the base of the design. Two larger and stouter men, respectably dressed employers, cling frantically to the legs or garments of the four artisans. At the base of this inverted pyramid is a stout figure, half-bishop, half-King, clinging to coat-tails and pocket of the two men above him. A bloated episcopal face is half covered by a battered crown (right), while a large mitre tilts to the left, and the figure, Church and State, is clothed half in surplice (left), half in ermine-trimmed robe, with one episcopal leg, and one leg with a garter inscribed '[Hon]i Soit' [George IV as in British Museum Satires No. 15819 by the same artist]. Above the broken shaft is a large irradiated inscription: 'Manufactures & Commerce support the Workmen | they the Merchants & Masters who are the | chief tax payers & thereby support | The great tax eater Church-and- State.'"--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Possibly by Robert Seymour; see British Museum catalogue., and Matted to: 45.6 x 31.5 cm.
Publisher:
Publishd. by Thos. McLean, 26 Haymarket
Subject (Name):
George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830.
Subject (Topic):
Artisans, Aprons, Crowns, Miters, Robes, Church & state, and Taxes
"George IV sits in a four-wheeled light cart, inscribed Goods, drawn by loyal Hanoverians; it is covered by a canopy supported on poles. He sits on a high seat with his back to the shafts, scattering gold coins, which Londonderry (Castlereagh), who faces him on a lower seat, ladles into his lap. In the cart, besides a pile of coins, are packages and a basket of bottles of Brandy. The King: We have got the Means of Replenishing behind, throw away--Hurrah my Lads, we'll make Soldiers of you & take a few thousands in to our pay. The 'means' are the heavy burdens on the back of John Bull, an emaciated bull, marked I.B, tied to the cart, and weighed down with enormous bundles of taxes inscribed: Leather Tax Soap, Salt Tax; Candles Tax Beer Malt Light; Ale &c &c &c &c &c; Taxes Taxes Taxes. The bull plods along, with broken knees, shedding tears. The cheering Hanoverians catch the golden shower in their hats; the most prominent wears smart but mended German uniform of hussar type. One says: He is indeed a Hanoverian at Heart; another answers: No, He is an Irish Man he says [cf. British Museum Satires No. 14246, &c]. A third: Why some Years ago he said he & his Brother William were the only ones in the Family who were not Germans. The King wears a coat of foreign cut, with a round (Teutonic) cap, and smokes a long German pipe with covered bowl. A little ragged boy collects coins in an apron. A peasant woman (right) with an apronful of coins, holds one up, shouting Aye this is a proof of the excessive Riches of England."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Tentative attribution to William Heath from the British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Window mounted to 21.9 x 37.9 cm, the whole then mounted to 58 x 39 cm., Mounted (with one other print) on leaf 106 in volume 2 of the W.E. Gladstone collection of caricatures and broadsides surrounding the "Queen Caroline Affair.", and Figures of "Geo. IV" and "Londondery [sic]" identified in ink below image; date "15 Nov. 1821" written in lower right corner. Typed extract of seventeen lines from the British Museum catalogue description is pasted opposite (on verso of preceding leaf).
Publisher:
Pub. Nov. 15th, 1821, by S.W. Fores, 50 Picadilly [sic]
Subject (Name):
George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount, 1769-1822, and William IV, King of Great Britain, 1765-1837.
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character), Ethnic stereotypes, Carts & wagons, Coins, Alcoholic beverages, Bulls, Taxes, Hats, Military uniforms, German, Pipes (Smoking), Crowds, and Cheering
