John Bull making a new Batch of Ships

A satire on British efforts to recover after major naval losses on the Great Lakes in 1813 and 1814. According to Lanmon, it is based on Thomas Rowlandson's 1798 satire "High Fun for John Bull or the Republicans Put to Their last Shift." In the center, King George III feeds a tray of small ships into a bread-oven, as two other men stand by with additional trays of ships and cannon. A Frenchman stands to the left, holding a trough of "French Dough." King George: "Ay! What . . . Brother Jonathan taken another whole fleet on the Lakes -- Must work away -- Work away & send some more or He'll have Canada next." Frenchman: "Begar Mounseer Bull. Me no like dis new Alliance -- Dere be one Yankey Man da call "Mac Do-enough" Take your Ships by de whole Fleet -- You better try get him for I never get Do-enough made at dis rate!!!" Englishman: "Here are more Guns for the Lake service. If ever they do but get there -- I hear the last you sent were waylaid by a sly Yankey "Fox" and the ship being a "Stranger," he has taken her in." Second Englishman: "I tell you what Master Bull -- You had better keep both your Ships and Guns at home --If you send all you've got to the Lakes, it will only make fun for the Yankeys to take them. Artist William Charles, 1814 (Photo by Pierce Archive LLC/Buyenlarge via Getty Images)