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Editorial
January 13, 1776
The Virginia Gazette
Richmond, Williamsburg, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
Satirical portrayal of England's ruinous condition under its monarch, depicting corruption in government, church, military defeats, economic collapse, and loss of American colonies.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
A Picture of a certain Nation.
A PRINCE with a dozen children and an empty treasury.
His Queen yearly remitting large sums to the bank of Venice, for fear of accidents.
His servants five quarters in arrears.
All his tradesmen's bills the same.
This Great Man at variance with his brothers.
His brothers, happily for him, unable to take any part against him.
His Ministers, the natural and avowed enemies of his Crown.
His Secretaries without the knowledge of naval, mercantile, or military affairs.
His Parliament venal, bribed, prostituted, and corrupted, firmly leagued against the honour of the kingdom and the colonies.
His Bishops recommenders of blood, and not of peace, charity, and good-will to men.
His lawyers, erasers of records, and prostituters of the laws.
His chief lawyer, an intimate, a confident, of that very Pope who contended for his Crown.
His army, cut off in its pride and ruined.
His navy, broken-backed, worm-eaten, and unmanned.
His artificers, oppressed and discharged, the volunteers of Spain.
His Nobles debilitated with luxury, whoredom, and gaming:
His Lady Nobles—prostitutes to play, &c. ;
His merchants, without imports or exports.
His Exchequer, empty.
His churches, cold and abandoned.
His gaols full.
The poor starving.
The rich engrossers of the corn.
The colonies of America, conquerors of those he sent to tax them, and despisers of his power and menaces.
His factories in India, in tumult and oppression.
His subjects in Guinea, over-run with French, and without trade.
His West India isles, without supplies.
His foes equipping great fleets, and raising great armies.
And in the midst of this crash of ruin, this great man can go composedly to see a puppet show; or laugh with a buffoon.
O wretched England!!!
A PRINCE with a dozen children and an empty treasury.
His Queen yearly remitting large sums to the bank of Venice, for fear of accidents.
His servants five quarters in arrears.
All his tradesmen's bills the same.
This Great Man at variance with his brothers.
His brothers, happily for him, unable to take any part against him.
His Ministers, the natural and avowed enemies of his Crown.
His Secretaries without the knowledge of naval, mercantile, or military affairs.
His Parliament venal, bribed, prostituted, and corrupted, firmly leagued against the honour of the kingdom and the colonies.
His Bishops recommenders of blood, and not of peace, charity, and good-will to men.
His lawyers, erasers of records, and prostituters of the laws.
His chief lawyer, an intimate, a confident, of that very Pope who contended for his Crown.
His army, cut off in its pride and ruined.
His navy, broken-backed, worm-eaten, and unmanned.
His artificers, oppressed and discharged, the volunteers of Spain.
His Nobles debilitated with luxury, whoredom, and gaming:
His Lady Nobles—prostitutes to play, &c. ;
His merchants, without imports or exports.
His Exchequer, empty.
His churches, cold and abandoned.
His gaols full.
The poor starving.
The rich engrossers of the corn.
The colonies of America, conquerors of those he sent to tax them, and despisers of his power and menaces.
His factories in India, in tumult and oppression.
His subjects in Guinea, over-run with French, and without trade.
His West India isles, without supplies.
His foes equipping great fleets, and raising great armies.
And in the midst of this crash of ruin, this great man can go composedly to see a puppet show; or laugh with a buffoon.
O wretched England!!!
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
Partisan Politics
Foreign Affairs
What keywords are associated?
England Decline
Royal Corruption
Parliament Bribery
American Colonies
Military Failure
Economic Collapse
Imperial Woes
What entities or persons were involved?
Prince
Queen
Parliament
Bishops
Lawyers
Army
Navy
Colonies Of America
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Satirical Critique Of England's Corruption And Decline
Stance / Tone
Strongly Critical And Mocking Of British Monarchy And Empire
Key Figures
Prince
Queen
Parliament
Bishops
Lawyers
Army
Navy
Colonies Of America
Key Arguments
Empty Treasury And Arrears In Payments
Ministers As Enemies Of The Crown
Venal And Corrupted Parliament Against Kingdom And Colonies
Bishops Promoting Blood Over Peace
Lawyers Erasing Records And Prostituting Laws
Ruined Army And Broken Navy
American Colonies Conquering Sent Forces
Economic And Social Ruin Across Empire