File:The Precipice 1766 (BM 1868,0808.4387).jpg

English: Satire on the precarious position of William Pitt's new administration in August 1766. Pitt is shown balanced on the jagged points of a rock; above his head the words "I have 'em both" appears to refer to the administration and his earldom. Sources of his income are listed on his coat, "Pension 3000l. per an. / P[riv]y S[ea]l 3000l. / addition 1000l". He holds out in his left hand a candle snuffer with a coronet (suggesting that his popularity has been extinguished by his acceptance of a peerage) and in his right hand he holds his seal of office from which strings extend to the noses of members of his administration: the Marquis of Granby; Lord Shelburne, saying "They will call me the Irish Camelion"; Henry Seymour Conway in military dress; Lord Camden at whose feet is a list of his income from various sources; Lord Northington at whose feet is a similar list, including "Revers[io]n of Hanaper for 2 lives 3000l pr. an."; the Duke of Grafton his wrists and ankles tied, who is saying, "I am in Chains tho' nominally first M[iniste]r, but I'll not bear it long". Papers fall from his right hand indicating payments he has arranged: "To Mr Stuart M[acken]zie p[riv]y s[ea]l of Scotland for life 3000 pr. an.", "Pension to Col. Lig[onie]r 1500 pr. an." and "To Mr [Hans] St[an]ly 10,000l." A piece of "Portland Stone" is becoming detached from the rock (the Duke of Portland was to resign as Lord Chamberlain in November 1766). Britannia lies weeping at the foot of the rock, lettering "The Blind Boy", suggesting that she represents the king. Lord Bute stands over her, one foot stamping on her thigh, the other on her shield; he holds a pick-axe with which he is breaking from the rock fragments labelled with the names of ministers disaffected with Pitt's government: Lord Egmont who resigned as First Lord of the Admiralty in August 1766; William Dowdeswell who had been dismissed as Chancellor of the Exchequer in July; Lord Dartmouth who had resigned as President of the Board of Trade in August. A fragment labelled "Townshend" that has not been dislodged must refer to Charles Townshend who remained Chancellor to the Exchequer from July 1766 until his death in 1767. Bute addresses the Princess of Wales, "Hoot Lassie I'll soon have him doune". She points at the falling rock fragments saying, "My dear Lord those are not like your Stones"; she hold a string labelled, "The Blind's Guide, that leads off to the right where presumably the young king is standing; beneath her feet are the words, "The Road to Q[Kew]". In the background three ghosts of Pitt's patrons rise from their graves: the Duchess of Marlborough who had left him £10,000; Sir William Pynsent who had left him £40,000 and now objects to his acceptance of the peerage; Ralph Allen of Prior Park who had formerly supported Pitt's election as MP for Bath. 1766
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