More pigs than teats - or - the new litter of hungry grunters sucking John Bulls-old sow to death

Gillray, James, 1756-1815 · March 1806

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. John Bull, a clumsy yokel in a smock, holding a pitchfork, looks over the low stone wall surrounding the sty. 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 l. 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 (l.) 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 (l.) three pigs scamper towards the sow (l. to r.): 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 r. 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. Climbing up the farther side of the sow and on the r. are Lord Ellenborough in his wig, Lord Fitzwilliam, and Moira who scampers on the creature's back (BM). / On the numerous new mouths which, by the accession of the Whigs to power, were to be added to those which already pulled so greedily at John Bull's purse. John appears in great alarm at the eagerness of his numerous brood (Wright/Evans).