More Pigs than Teats -or- the New Litter of hungry Grunters Sucking John Bulls old-Sow to Death, 5 March 1806
Scope and Contents
Artist: James Gillray. Published: Hannah Humphrey. An old sow lies exhausted on a pile of straw outside a sty roofed with dilapidated thatch. She is beset by thirty-two voracious piglets with human heads. [The identifications are those of Miss Banks, confirmed by Lord Holland. The identifications of Wright and Evans are incomplete; Ellenborough is called the Speaker.] John Bull, a clumsy yokel in a smock, holding a pitchfork, looks over the low stone wall surrounding the sty. He exclaims: "O Lord - O Lord! - well! - I never had such a Litter of hungry Pigs in all my life before! - why, they's beyond all count! - where the devil do they think I shall find Wash & Grains for all their Guts? - zookers, why they a drain the poor old Sow to an Otomy! - 'e'cod She'll make but bad Bacon for Boney, when they's all done sucking o' her - !!!' In the centre of the struggling mass of pigs is Fox with Grenville on his left. and Grey on his right. He bestrides the Duke of Clarence, whose hind-quarters only (clad in blue and buff) are visible, and supports his right. hind-leg on the back of the Prince of Wales, who is in back view but wearing a ribbon and unmistakable. Grey also clambers over the Prince. On Grenville's left is his fat nephew, Lord Temple. The head next Grenville is that of Sidmouth, across whose back Lord Henry Petty scrambles open-mouthed. Above Petty, Sheridan scrambles avidly over the sow; Erskine, in his Chancellor's wig scampers over the sow's hind leg. Lauderdale, whose body is chequered to indicate tartan, is behind Grenville, next him (left) is Vansittart; on the left of the latter is a group of three plump pigs one with the head concealed, the others smiling with complacent anticipation; they are Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn and his two brothers. Behind them (left) three pigs scamper towards the sow (left to right): Tierney, the Duke of Bedford, and Lord Derby. Behind again, and on the extreme left are five rather smaller animals: George Walpole, Adair (half cut off by the margin), Burdett, Horne Tooke wearing clerical bands, and Lord Carlisle. On the right of Grey and the Prince are Lord St. Vincent, with a foreleg on the Prince, Courteney, a foreleg on Grey, Lord Spencer who has secured a teat, and Windham who clambers downwards from the sow's shoulder. Between Courteney and Spencer is a pig whose head is concealed, 'not meant for any body'. Climbing up the farther side of the sow and on the right are Lord Ellenborough in his wig, Lord Fitzwilliam, and Moira who scampers on the creature's back. Description from the British Museum.
Dates
- Creation: 5 March 1806
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
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