b [Piggot's Political Dictionary]

Excerpts from a book by Charles Piggot, dated 1795 and written from within his prison cell.

The Letter B from Piggot's Political Dictionary (1795)

Balance of Power, ― A catch-word that incites nations to war; the politician's dream; a word now falling into disuse, its fallacy being detected.

Bankruptcy, ― a proof of national prosperity; the advantages resulting from our war with France. Vide Dunca's speeches, Parliamentary Register.

Bargain, ― ministerial loans, Brook Watson's contract, 200,000l. a year subsidized to the King of Sardinia, to enable him to defend his own dominions; subsidies to the Elector of Hanover, and the Landgrave of Hesse Cassel; a pension of 1500l. per annum to the Jesuit of St. Omer's; the pecuniary douceur granted to Sir Gilbert Elliot, for his services at Toulon, &c. &aml;c.

Baronet, ― Sir Francis Molyneux

Barrister, ― loquacity, impudence, presumption, vanity, consequence, sophistry, inconstancy, and self-interest. Erskine Garrow.

Bastille, ― Newgate; New Prison, Cold-bathfields, finished under the SPECIAL DIRECTION of Mr. Pitt.

Beggars, ― national prosperity, (Spital-fields) (ruined manufactures)

Bishop, ― a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Blindness, ― the English nation; none are so blind as those who won't see.

Bombast, ― Lord Grenville, and Pitt's speeches. Vide Parliamentary Register.

Boxing, ― a fashionable amusement, lately in great vogue, and chiefly patronised by the Princes of the blood and nobles of the realm.

Braggadocio, ― Colnel Tarlton, Sir Watkin Lewes, Sir Roger Curtis, Sir Sidney Smythe.

Brass, ― Dundas.

Bravery, ― the Royal Dunkirk Hero, Lord Mulgrave, Earl Howe.

Briton (True), ― a ministerial newspaper, synonymous for true informer, despotism, lies, self-interrest, and corruption.

Brunswick (Duke of), ― the victorious hero who threatened to exterminate twenty-five millions of people, if they did not submit to his arbitrary conditions; and who, in less than a fortnight afterwards, was completely routed and put to flight, by a few volunteers of the above people.

Brutality, ― thief-takers; the keepers and turn-keys of gaols. A judge passing sentence of death against a youthful convict, not fourteen years old, for stealing five shillings. The late Earl of Lincoln, now Duke of Newcastle, prosecuting a countryman for killing a hare on his estate, and afterwards declaring, on being told the magistrates had only condemned the man to six months imprisonment in the couhty gaol, that had he known the sentence would be so mild, he would have prosecuted him in the Exchequer, when he might have been able to transport the culprit to Botany-bay. The Lord Advocate of Scotland's speech in the English House of Commons, on the case of Muir and Palmer. The amusements of Princes and nobles; boxing, cockfighting, hunting down hares, shooting partridges, woodcocks, &c.&c. Draymen abusing their draft horses, and the Earl of Darlington, a young nobleman, possessing 50,000l. a year, riding one generous animal sixty miles in five hours, and thereby causing the horse's death! Quere, Which be the greater brute, his lordship or the horse?