Influenza_, published by Fores on the 8th
of March, 1816, where we see the ministers vomiting into a huge
receptacle labelled "Budget," the matter voided consisting of "Standing
armies," "Property tax," "Increase of salaries," and so on. The gouty,
self-indulgent prince hobbles up to his ministers on a pair of crutches
marked respectively, "More economy" and "Increase of income." Under his
arms he carries bundles of accounts, most of which relate to his own
private expenditure, and are labelled, "Expenses of [Brighton]
Pavilion," of "Furniture," "Drinking expenses." "Aye, this comes," he
exclaims, "of your cursed pill economy, which you forced me to take a
month back; no one knows what I have suffered from this economical
spasm. I am afraid we shall all be laid up together." On the table
behind him lie the medicines which have been prescribed for him, certain
pills labelled "Petitions against the property tax," and a huge bolus
ticketed "economy," "to be taken immediately." On the same subject a
month later on is a sketch by an amateur, etched by the artist, bearing
the title of _Economical Humbug of 1816, or Saving at the Spiggot and
Letting Out at the Bunghole_. From a series of small vats, "Assessed
taxes," "Property tax," "Customs," "Excise," and other streams of
"supply," are pouring into a huge vat labelled "The Treasury of J.
Bull's Vital Spirits." Vansittart, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is
carefully drawing off what he requires into a small bucket for the
"Public Service." "You see," he says to Mr. Bull, who looks admiringly
on, "I am not a quibbling pettifogger, I am a man of my word; for you
see I have thrown away the great _war_ spiggot, and have substituted a
small _peace_ one in its stead, which will cause an unknown saving to
you." This is all very well; but the gouty Regent has also tapped the
vat on the other side, and draws off the supplies in a copious stream
into a receptacle labelled, "Deficiencies of the Civil List." His
friends and boon companions are bringing up a fresh supply of empty
vessels to be filled in their turn; one carries a barrel marked, "For
household troops and standing army"; another is labelled, "Sinecures,
places, and pensions"; a third, "For cottages and pavilions"; and a
fourth, "L60,000 for fun." "Come, my friends," says the prince, "make
haste and fill your buckets, whilst Van is keeping noisy Johnny quiet
with fine speeches and promises of economy, which I am determined not to