print;
satirical print
- Museum number
- 1868,0808.6488
- Title
- Object: Talk of an ostrich! An ostrich is nothing to him; Johnny Bull will swallow any thing!!
- Description
-
John Bull, fat and grotesque, half-lies on the ground, supported on his left hand, and looking up with goggling and terrified eyes at Pitt, who rams a document inscribed 'Conven[tion]' down his throat with the butt-end of a musket. Pitt, his head in profile to the right, legs wide astride, holds his weapon in both hands, saying: "What it sticks in your Throat does it? Oh I'll ram it dozen I warrant you, and when it is once past, you'll easily digest it ? You must not be obstinate Johnny ; when Laws are made you have nothing to do but to Obey them!!!" Pitt is very thin; in spite of the vigour of his action he has an expression of alarm. 13 December 1795
Hand-coloured etching
- Production date
- 1795
- Dimensions
-
Height: 400 millimetres
-
Width: 309 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- (Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', VII, 1942)
A satire on the Seditious Meetings and Treasonable Practices Bills (popularly called Convention Bills), see BMSat 8687, &c. The words here attributed to Pitt were spoken (with some qualifications) by Horsley, Bishop of Rochester, in a debate on the latter Bill: 'In fact, he did not know what the mass of the people in any country had to do with the laws but to obey them, with the reserve of their undoubted right to petition against any particular law. . . .' For this he was attacked by Lauderdale. 'Parl. Hist.' xxxii. 258, 264; Stanhope, 'Life of Pitt', 1879, ii. 141-2. Cf. BMSats 9046, 9177.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.6488