"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
"John Bull, a plebeian, stout and dishevelled, lies on his back on a tangle of large roses with vicious thorns. These are on a heap of stones and under the stump of a decayed oak tree (left). He exclaims: "Oh Lord! Oh Lord! if this be the Bed of Roses they make such a noise about I'd sooner lye with the Old Sow and her Farrow in the Dog Days! - My Dame will roar woundidly when she comes to bed! Ecod it's as bad as lying on a Harrow upside down." The stones (left to right) are 'Expedition to Holland' [1799, see British Museum Satires No. 9412, &c], 'Expedition to Ferrol', 'Jobs and Contracts', 'Pension List', 'Indemnity for the past & Security for the Future', 'No Peace possible with the child and Champion of Jacobinism', 'Places', 'Subsidies'. The roses are: 'Candle Tax', 'Hair Powder Tax', 'Hat Tax', 'Paper Tax', 'Snuff Tax', 'Game Tax', 'Wine Tax', 'Property Tax', 'Salt Tax', 'Land Tax', 'Stamp Tax', 'Assessed Taxes', 'Income Tax', 'Table Beer Tax', 'House Tax', 'Window Tax', 'Excise Duty', 'Horse Tax', 'Tobacco Tax', 'Soap Tax', 'Servant Tax', 'Malt Tax', 'Hop Tax', 'Sugar Tax', 'Legacy Tax', 'Tea Tax', 'Cyder Tax'. On the two extremities of the 'bed' are clusters of thorny buds; these are inscribed '1807', '1808', and [once] '1809', those on the left being labelled 'National Debt'. In the distance St. Paul's is indicated. Bushes on the right are wind-swept."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
John Bull on a bed of roses
Description:
Title etched below image., Attributed to Charles Williams in the British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed to plate mark leaving thread margins., and Watermark: 181[0?].
Publisher:
Pubd. July 1806 by Wm. Holland, Cockspur Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Topic):
Taxation, John Bull (Symbolic character), Roses, Thorns, 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
