Death and Taxes

This is the dark day on which, in 1798, William Pitt the Younger, heroic drinker and youthful Prime Minister, introduced the first Income Tax to afflict the nation. It was a modest affair and, of course, presented as a one-off, never-again measure etc. Back then, Tax Freedom Day - the day when we can start working for ourselves - was probably about January 3rd; now it's moved into June. Such is the modern state - and under Brown it will only get worse...
Pitt's dying words were, of course, 'I think I could eat one of Bellamy's veal pies' (or 'My country! O my country!' according to choice). He didn't die on this day, but Bert Lahr, Benjamin Britten and Frank Zappa all did. And thus I have made this post match its title.