‘‘Getting a Little “Bosky”’: Writing versus Caricaturing Foxite Drinking, 1780-1810’

When warned that alcohol would destroy the coat of his stomach, Richard Brinsley Sheridan retorted, ‘well then my stomach might just digest in its waistcoat’. Yet, whilst the likes of Sheridan were celebrated in private circles for their ability to consume upwards of six-bottles of wine at a dinner party, over their careers, and in the public spheres, alcohol became increasingly associated with the political and public decline of the Foxite Whigs. Rhynophemia, bloating, gout, and vomiting – all a result of excessive and prolonged drinking - were common features of political caricature towards the end of their careers. I am interested in how their alcohol consumption was depicted and understood, in relation to their sociability and political careers. Was it simply an accepted facet of aristocratic / political culture, or did caricature chart, emphasise or criticise the excessive consumption of these men over their careers? How did these depictions change over time, as their political careers failed, how was their health depicted in relation to this? In the interest of the theme of ‘writing alcohol’, I am also interested in how written accounts compared with visual account of Foxite drinking. In terms of written accounts, I will consider both internal Foxite accounts (dairies and correspondence), in addition to external correspondence and newspaper reports. Whereas alcohol and addiction has been explored in relation to the lower orders during this period - epitomized by Hogarth’s depictions’ - drinking, and the role of excessive consumption amongst the political orders has remined largely unexplored.