A bull tied down by Scottish politicians and burdened with taxation is baited by a Spaniard and a Frenchman and treated with contempt by a Dutchman; representing Great Britain in 1779. Engraving, 1779.

The bull seems to be a form of John Bull, representing England. The "last stake" seems to be the last opportunity to bet on whether Lord North can stay on the bull's back (remain as Prime Minister), as it is harried by domestic and foreign politicians. On the left the Spanish don baits the bull with a spear, the Frenchman with a sword: France and Spain were allied against Britain under the Treaty of Aranjuez (1779). From behind, the bull is abused by a man beating it with a club (Marquess of Rockingham?) and another man using a cattle-prod. A river marked "Rubicon Flu" (i.e. Rubicon Flumen, river Rubicon) presumably represents the North Sea, where the American naval commander John Paul Jones was attacking English ships and harbours before taking refuge in Holland: British attempts to dissuade the Dutch from sheltering him were dismissed, hence the Dutchman urinating on the "British memorial" on the right of this print

The "British memorial" is a memorial in the sense "In diplomatic use: any of various informal state papers giving an account of a matter under discussion, esp. one presented by an ambassador to the state to which he or she is accredited, or by a government to one of its agents abroad" (OED). The British minister in the Hague, Sir Joseph Yorke, was presenting such memorials to the Dutch States-General in protest against their giving refuge to John Paul Jones

London (in Piccadilly) : Publish'd according to act ... for J. Almon, Dec.r 6. 1779.

1 print : engraving, with watercolour ; platemark 25.9 x 33.5 cm

The last stake. Design'd by Stuart. Murray delin.t Junto fec.t

"Design'd by Stuart. Murray delin.t Junto fec.t": fictitious authorship. Stuart is John Stuart, Lord Bute; Murray is William Murray, Lord Mansfield; and the Junto is the government of which Lord North, Bute and Murray were members, advising King George III

British Museum, Catalogue of political and personal satires, no. 5571

Wellcome Collection 2921460i