After Johann Heinrich Ramberg. Cf. British Museum online catalog.
A satire on the opening of Parliament which took place on the 23rd of January.
Title from item.
With 12 lines of verse etched below the title in 3 columns; first lines: Such assemblies you, might swear, / Meet when butchers bait a bear ...
Evidently a later state of BM 7132, with the earlier imprint at lower left, attributed to Thomas Harmar, reading "Pub: Jany 23d 1787 at N° 164 Piccadilly", burnished away, and the Fores imprint added at lower right.
Library's copy trimmed within plate mark, with some cropping of image and imprint.
In the background, followed by a crowd, is the state coach; George III is seen through the window. In the foreground Pitt (left), riding a donkey, advances to meet Fox and his supporters, Fox and North being seated astride a cannon from whose mouth issues a blast inscribed 'Voice of the People'. Pitt holds out a paper inscribed 'Treaty of Commerce'. On the back of his ass is a sack inscribed 'Budget', a saddle-bag is the 'Shop Tax', the hoofs on the animal's fore-legs are inscribed 'Glove Tax', the head-band is 'Hat Duty'; a blast from the animal's hind-quarters is inscribed 'Tax on Perfumes'. The bag of Pitt's wig is ornamented with a fleur-de-lis, indicating the French Treaty. Pitt's followers walk behind him; the most prominent is Wilkes, the bag of his wig inscribed '45' (cf. BMSat 5245, &c). Next comes a man in naval dress; from his coat-pocket protrudes a paper inscribed 'Spoils of the American War 80000'; he is evidently Lord Howe, First Lord of the Admiralty, see BMSats 5399, 7126. On the extreme left is a bishop in back view holding up his arms as if preaching rhetorically. Two other heads cannot be identified. Fox holds out a paper inscribed 'Repeal of the Shop Tax'. North sits behind him, holding to Fox as if for support. Their followers are more numerous than those of Pitt: Burke, wearing spectacles, Portland, wearing a ducal coronet, and Loughborough, on the extreme right, are conspicuous. A profile head between Portland and Loughborough may be intended for Weltje. Four other heads are indicated. With the possible exception of Wilkes, who is aged and toothless, the heads are scarcely caricatured. Cf. British Museum online catalog.