Une épistole hiéroglyphique du Diable à Lord N-ième

C'est presque un jeu ...Une épistole hiéroglyphique du Diable à Lord N-ième. Publiée dans Dublin, Juin 23th 1779
Elle appartient maintenant au British Muséum.

La lettre est dirigée par des gravures du diable, dont une des jambes est une fourche à trois branches, s'adressant à un portrait de buste ovale de Lord North, intitulé "Lord N .... TH". Les mots entre parenthèses sont ceux qui sont représentés par des objets.

"My D(ear) Ld
(Ewer) Pol------cal Con(duck)t h(ass) (knot) only made a (grate) Noise upon (ear)th (butt) has set (awl) Hell in an upr(oar). T(hare)s hardly a S(tête)(man) in the (plaice), and we have a good (man)y of them, but (looks) upon it (ass) uni(form). The o(pen)ing of (ewer) (last) Budget w(ass) in m(eye) o(pinion) a (masterstroke indeed (witch) (yew) may easily (mask) over with the Old Phrase Pro Bono Publico. No (body) (can) stig(mat)ize (ewer) L------d(ship) as a griping (minister) nor (can) any (1.) say (yew)ve in this Point laid a t(axe) on the Bowels of the Poor. T(hare) are sever(awl) Articles m(eye) L--d in the Way of Eating (witch) might illustrate (ewer) Good Will (toe) the public, the quant(eye)ty of Meat (witch) is Consumed by the Common (people) Is the Occasion of t(hat) scorbutic or Scurvy Di(sword)er (witch) affects the English Constitution. T(hare)(4) an Xcise laid upon flesh of (awl) sorts would (bee) the best (ant)iscorbutic in the Whole Materia Medica and (ass) (ewer) L--d(ship) is (knot) very (car)nally Inclined (Eye) (don)t doubt (butt) (yew) will shortly b(ring) such a (bill) in(toe) Parlia(men)t. (Fish) and .F(owl) (2) my L--d are of a very viscid Nat(ewer) and are apt to enrich the Blood of such (ass) ought (toe) (bee) kept low, a T(axe) on these Sorts of Food Would in (Time) p(rope)rly dilute & thin the Corpore(awl) (deuce)s [juices] and the Common (people) would (knot) t(hen) (bee) (awl) (toe) (gate) (hare) [altogether] so (saw)cy (ass) (toe) oppose the Measures of t(hare) (ministers) and per(suns) in power (awl)so a Smart dut(eye) on Bread (mill)k Sm(awl) Beer, (Water) &c. For wh(eye) should the Vulgar have any Thing (toe) Eat (butt) Grass Without paying Tri(boot).
(Ewer) Constant Friend & Ally
BELZEBUB.Pandemonim [sic] June 23th 1779." 23 June 1779