The Political House that Jack Built
Details
This pamphlet by William Hone, after his success in securing acquittal for his parodies in 1817, targets the government and its behaviour over Peterloo, with a parody of the nursery rhyme This is the House that Jack Built.
On the front cover is a caricature of the duke of Wellington, then Home Secretary, loading the scales with a range of weapons that the government had been using against those arguing and agitating for reform - ex-officio prosecutions, bills of indemnity (protecting those who suppress popular activity) - and Wellington's own sword. Nonetheless, the scales are outweighed by a single quill pen, symbolising the freedom of the press. Press liberty was a major theme for Hone, and was seen as essential to English liberty and to political activity outside parliament. In other respects, Hone was not especially an 'organiser'; he was a printer who conceived of protest and satire as the stock in trade of the free press against the tendency of government to autocracy and despotism.
The rhyme starts with This is the House that Jack built, and then adds new lines and repeats the previous verses until the final image presides over the full litany (with a Cruikshank image for each 'This is...'):
This is THE WEALTH that lay in the House that Jack Built
These are THE VERMIN (a picture of lawyers, priests, servants and military) that plunder the Wealth, That lay in the House, That Jack built
This is THE THING (picture of Hone's printing press) that in spite of new Acts, And Attempts to restrain it, by Soldiers and Tax, Will poison the Vermin, That plunder the Wealth, That lay in the House, That Jack built
This is the PUBLIC INFORMER (the Attorney General) who Would put down the Thing, that, in spite of New Acts, And attempts to restrain it, by Soldiers and Tax, Will poison the Vermin, that plunder the Wealth, That lay in the House, that Jack built.
These are THE REASONS OF LAWLESS POWER, (police, bailiffs and military) that back the public informer, who would put down the Thing, That in spite of new acts… etc
This is THE MAN – (the Prince Regent) all shaven and shorn, All covered in Orders – and all forlorn, THE DANDY OF SIXTY, who bows with a grace, And has taste in collars, cuirasses, and lace Who to tricksters and fools, leaves the Stae, and its treasure, And when Britain’s in tears, sails about at his pleasure, Who spurned from his presence, the Friends of his youth, And now has not one, who will tell him the truth; who took to his counsels, in evil hour, The Friends to the Reasons of lawless Power, that back the Public Informer…
These are THE PEOPLE all tatter’d and torn, Who curse the day, wherein they were born, On account of Taxation too great to be borne, And pray for relief, from night to morn: Who in vain, petition in every form, Who, peaceably meeting, to ask for Reform, Were sabred by Yeomanry Cavalry, who were thanked by the Man, all shaven and shorn
This is THE DOCTOR (Sidmouth) of Circular fame, A Driv’ller, a Bigot, a Knave without shame: And that’s DERRY DOWN TRIANGLE (Castlereagh) by name, From the land of mis-rule, and half-hanging, and flame: And that is THE SPOUTER OF FROTH BY THE HOUR, (Canning) the worthless colleague of their infamous power: Who dubbed him ‘the Doctor’ whom now he calls ‘brother,’ And to get his Place, took a shot at the other, Who haunts their Bad House, a base living to earn, By playing Jack-pudding and Ruffian in turn, Who bullies, for those whom he bullied before: their Flash-man, their Bravo, a son of a ______________; The hate of the people, all tattered and torn…..
This WORD (Reform) is the Watchword – the talisman word, That the WATERLOO-MAN’s (Wellington) to crush with his sword; But if shielded by NORFOLK and BEDFORD alliance, it will set both his sword, and him at defiance; If FITZWILLIAM and GROSVENOR, and ALBEMARLE aid it, And assist its best Champions, who then dare invade it? ‘Tis the terrible WORD OF FEAR, night and morn, To the Guilty Trio, all cover’d with scorn, First to the Doctor of Circular fame, A Driv’ller, a Bigot, a Knave without shame: And that’s DERRY DOWN TRIANGLE by name, From the land of mis-rule, and half-hanging, and flame: And that is THE SPOUTER OF FROTH BY THE HOUR, the worthless colleague of their infamous power: Who dubbed him ‘the Doctor’ whom now he calls ‘brother,’ And to get his Place, took a shot at the other, Who haunts their Bad House, a base living to earn, By playing Jack-pudding and Ruffian in turn, Who bullies, for those whom he bullied before: their Flash-man, their Bravo, a son of a ______________; The hate of the people, all tattered and torn…..Who curse the day, wherein they were born, On account of Taxation too great to be borne, And pray for relief, from night to morn: Who in vain, petition in every form, Who, peaceably meeting, to ask for Reform, Were sabred by Yeomanry Cavalry, who were thanked by the Man, all shaven and shorn, All covered in Orders – and all forlorn, THE DANDY OF SIXTY, who bows with a grace, And has taste in collars, cuirasses, and lace Who to tricksters and fools, leaves the State, and its treasure, And , when Britain’s in tears, sails about at his pleasure, Who spurned from his presence, the Friends of his youth, And now has not one, who will tell him the truth; who took to his counsels, in evil hour, The Friends to THE REASONS OF LAWLESS POWER, that back the public informer, who would put down the Thing, That in spite of new Acts and attempts to restrain it, by Soldiers and Tax, Will poison the Vermin, that plunder the Wealth, That lay in the House, that Jack built. These are THE VERMIN that plunder the Wealth, That lay in the House, That Jack built!
On the front cover is a caricature of the duke of Wellington, then Home Secretary, loading the scales with a range of weapons that the government had been using against those arguing and agitating for reform - ex-officio prosecutions, bills of indemnity (protecting those who suppress popular activity) - and Wellington's own sword. Nonetheless, the scales are outweighed by a single quill pen, symbolising the freedom of the press. Press liberty was a major theme for Hone, and was seen as essential to English liberty and to political activity outside parliament. In other respects, Hone was not especially an 'organiser'; he was a printer who conceived of protest and satire as the stock in trade of the free press against the tendency of government to autocracy and despotism.
The rhyme starts with This is the House that Jack built, and then adds new lines and repeats the previous verses until the final image presides over the full litany (with a Cruikshank image for each 'This is...'):
This is THE WEALTH that lay in the House that Jack Built
These are THE VERMIN (a picture of lawyers, priests, servants and military) that plunder the Wealth, That lay in the House, That Jack built
This is THE THING (picture of Hone's printing press) that in spite of new Acts, And Attempts to restrain it, by Soldiers and Tax, Will poison the Vermin, That plunder the Wealth, That lay in the House, That Jack built
This is the PUBLIC INFORMER (the Attorney General) who Would put down the Thing, that, in spite of New Acts, And attempts to restrain it, by Soldiers and Tax, Will poison the Vermin, that plunder the Wealth, That lay in the House, that Jack built.
These are THE REASONS OF LAWLESS POWER, (police, bailiffs and military) that back the public informer, who would put down the Thing, That in spite of new acts… etc
This is THE MAN – (the Prince Regent) all shaven and shorn, All covered in Orders – and all forlorn, THE DANDY OF SIXTY, who bows with a grace, And has taste in collars, cuirasses, and lace Who to tricksters and fools, leaves the Stae, and its treasure, And when Britain’s in tears, sails about at his pleasure, Who spurned from his presence, the Friends of his youth, And now has not one, who will tell him the truth; who took to his counsels, in evil hour, The Friends to the Reasons of lawless Power, that back the Public Informer…
These are THE PEOPLE all tatter’d and torn, Who curse the day, wherein they were born, On account of Taxation too great to be borne, And pray for relief, from night to morn: Who in vain, petition in every form, Who, peaceably meeting, to ask for Reform, Were sabred by Yeomanry Cavalry, who were thanked by the Man, all shaven and shorn
This is THE DOCTOR (Sidmouth) of Circular fame, A Driv’ller, a Bigot, a Knave without shame: And that’s DERRY DOWN TRIANGLE (Castlereagh) by name, From the land of mis-rule, and half-hanging, and flame: And that is THE SPOUTER OF FROTH BY THE HOUR, (Canning) the worthless colleague of their infamous power: Who dubbed him ‘the Doctor’ whom now he calls ‘brother,’ And to get his Place, took a shot at the other, Who haunts their Bad House, a base living to earn, By playing Jack-pudding and Ruffian in turn, Who bullies, for those whom he bullied before: their Flash-man, their Bravo, a son of a ______________; The hate of the people, all tattered and torn…..
This WORD (Reform) is the Watchword – the talisman word, That the WATERLOO-MAN’s (Wellington) to crush with his sword; But if shielded by NORFOLK and BEDFORD alliance, it will set both his sword, and him at defiance; If FITZWILLIAM and GROSVENOR, and ALBEMARLE aid it, And assist its best Champions, who then dare invade it? ‘Tis the terrible WORD OF FEAR, night and morn, To the Guilty Trio, all cover’d with scorn, First to the Doctor of Circular fame, A Driv’ller, a Bigot, a Knave without shame: And that’s DERRY DOWN TRIANGLE by name, From the land of mis-rule, and half-hanging, and flame: And that is THE SPOUTER OF FROTH BY THE HOUR, the worthless colleague of their infamous power: Who dubbed him ‘the Doctor’ whom now he calls ‘brother,’ And to get his Place, took a shot at the other, Who haunts their Bad House, a base living to earn, By playing Jack-pudding and Ruffian in turn, Who bullies, for those whom he bullied before: their Flash-man, their Bravo, a son of a ______________; The hate of the people, all tattered and torn…..Who curse the day, wherein they were born, On account of Taxation too great to be borne, And pray for relief, from night to morn: Who in vain, petition in every form, Who, peaceably meeting, to ask for Reform, Were sabred by Yeomanry Cavalry, who were thanked by the Man, all shaven and shorn, All covered in Orders – and all forlorn, THE DANDY OF SIXTY, who bows with a grace, And has taste in collars, cuirasses, and lace Who to tricksters and fools, leaves the State, and its treasure, And , when Britain’s in tears, sails about at his pleasure, Who spurned from his presence, the Friends of his youth, And now has not one, who will tell him the truth; who took to his counsels, in evil hour, The Friends to THE REASONS OF LAWLESS POWER, that back the public informer, who would put down the Thing, That in spite of new Acts and attempts to restrain it, by Soldiers and Tax, Will poison the Vermin, that plunder the Wealth, That lay in the House, that Jack built. These are THE VERMIN that plunder the Wealth, That lay in the House, That Jack built!