The British Lion, 22 June 1797
Scope and Contents
An ass, heavily overladen, falls forward on its knees, in extremis, its eye closed. Pitt kneels on one knee in profile to the right, offering the ass £1 notes. These are inscribed '[Prom]ise to pay Mr Ab. Newland or Bank the Sum of One Pound. . . Bank of England', or some part of this inscription. The ass's burden consists of bundles piled up to a towering height, the upper part of which is cut off by the margin of the design, but the mass bends forward and is about to collapse with the ass. They are (reading upwards): 'Windows', 'Deaths', 'Foreign Spirits', 'Postage', '2d 10 pr Cent', 'Wills', 'Marriages', 'Iris . . .', 'Births', 'Commutation Tax', 'Wine Duty', 'Br[ic]ks', 'Horses', 'Soap', 'Hats', 'Ist 10 pr Cent', 'Home Spirits', 'Hair Powder' , 'Slates', 'Wine encreased Taxes', 'Silver Plate', 'Perfumery', 'Increased Stamp Duty, Stamp Duty', 'Stage Coaches', 'Stamps', 'Parcels', 'Advertisements', 'Hawkers and Pedlars', 'Malt Duty', 'Transfer Property', 'Stamp', 'Glass', 'Gloves', 'Bills of Exchange', 'Licences', 'Game Act', 'Coffee', 'Cocoa', 'Tea', 'Insurance', 'Probate of Wills', 'Leather', 'Tallow Candles', 'Coals', 'Farm Tax' , 'Tea Adi . . . Receipts', 'Paper Add', 'Newspapers Additional', 'Attorneys', 'Dogs', 'Hops' [?], '450,000,000', 'Turnpikes', 'Tobacco', 'Stamp', 'Muslins', 'Cottons', 'Servants', 'Copies of Deeds', 'Canal Navign', 'Hemp', 'Carts'. The inscriptions become confused near the summit, the words 'New' and 'Add . . .' recurring. Description from the British Museum.
Dates
- Creation: 22 June 1797
Conditions Governing Access
Available by appointment in our Reading Room
Extent
1 Item(s)
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and Archives Repository
Western Bank Library
University of Sheffield
Western Bank
Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN United Kingdom
+44 (0) 114 222 7299
lib-special@sheffield.ac.uk