The devil, as a man with horns, bat's wings, and goat's legs, stands surrounded by flames. In his right. hand he holds out a ribbon from which hangs the badge of the order of the Bath. His left hand is round the neck of a man who kneels on one knee, and stretches out his hand towards the ribbon. This man wears a star and resembles caricatures of Lord North, but the allusion to the righted ribbon suggests that he may be intended for Sir George Macartney, made K.B. on 29 May, and unpopular as a son-in-law of Bute and leader of the ministerial side in the Irish House of Commons (see BMSat 5134). Facing him on the left and seated among four money-bags is a demon. From a gallows on the left hangs a coronet. The devil says: "Do as I command thee &amp; I will heap favours &amp; Honours on thee". The kneeling man says: "I will sell my whole Country for a Ribband &amp; a Coronet". From his pocket hangs a paper, "Plan for paying off the National Debt" (an explicit allusion to Lord North, see BMSat 4961, 4969). The seated demon says: "How Happy is that Man who glories in the ruin of Millions"; he holds a paper inscribed: "Plan of the best ways &amp; means of Concilliating the Affections of the People by ruining them all". The money-bags are inscribed: "Purloined from the India Company"; "For bribing Juries"; "Pensions on Ireland"; "For Pensioning Parli---m---t". 1 August 1772
<br>Etching
1772<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1772-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
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