print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.5525
- Title
- Object: Post Horse Duty, designed and executed, by way of specimen, after the manner of the French, by Monsieur Le Premier
- Description
-
Pitt, dressed as the Frenchman of caricature, rides (right to left) a snorting horse whose fore-legs are inscribed 'Oppres \ sion', the hind legs 'Influ \ ence'. In his right hand is a sabre inscribed 'Authority', with which he threatens Liberty and Property, a woman and man (right) who have fallen under his horse's feet. Liberty's staff is broken and the cap of 'Liberty' is about to fall. Property, a stout man, looks gloomily at his wig and hat, both inscribed 'Property', which have fallen from his head. Pitt's clothes are patterned with fleurs-de-lis, his large feathered hat has a large favour inscribed 'Farmer General', his bag-wig is inscribed 'Farming Budget'. His horse's streaming tail is inscribed 'En la Rose je fleurie', the family motto of the Duke of Richmond, cf. BMSat 7156. A cloud of dust and guineas rises from the horse's hind legs. A crowd of followers greedily collects the coins: Richmond in the forefront holds out a large hat, next him a Scot, clearly Dundas, holds out his kilt. The men behind are much caricatured and unrecognizable. In front of Pitt's horse (left) is a signpost, 'To Despotism'. Above it is a placard inscribed, 'To would be Farmers. By Auction at the Rose & Lilly Whitehall The British C------n [Constitution] in French lots. NB Purchasers must find Two staunch Tories as security for their good Behavior.
W.P.' 30 April 1787
Etching
- Production date
- 1787
- Dimensions
-
Height: 210 millimetres
-
Width: 357 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VI, 1938)
The proposal to farm the tax on post-horses was made by Pitt, 26 Apr. 1787, owing to the frauds of the inn-keepers who hired out the horses and had collected the tax. It was opposed as unconstitutional. 'Parl. Hist.' xxvi. 1032 ff. See BMSats 7160, 7625.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.5525
