122,3 Sean Moore 683 public finance in general as claiming that of England's taxes already had been mortgaged their faction possessed writers more capable into perpetuity to pay the interest on the debt of manufacturing a virtuous national image alone,impoverishing posterity:"the Country than those employed by the Whigs(Nicholson Gentleman is in the Condition of a young Heir, 3).Such aesthetic work was necessary because out of whose Estate a Scrivener receives half "[p]atriotism and nationalism underwrite pub- the Rents for Interest,and hath a Mortgage on lic credit(and vice-versa)but also the nation- the Whole"(Swift,Prose Works 3:5).A Mod- state's own facilitation of...the economy" est Proposal's allegory of children devoured by (Brantlinger 35).The Scriblerians knew that parental debts,accordingly,was drawn from the press was not an autonomous third estate Swift's own canon and influenced gothic ad- but an organ of government;despite Jurgen aptations in succeeding years.In 1733,Charles Habermas's claims that an independent public Forman translated the term vampire into En- sphere of"rational-critical arguments"arose glish to suggest that collectors of interest on in eighteenth-century Britain,"no theory of the national debt were the undead.Comparing liberty of the press was articulated"in this the virtues of governments,he writes,"When a period(Downie 59).Consequently,the Scrib- Dutchman is paying his Taxes...it is of some lerian mission was to prove that Tories were Satisfaction to him to know that he is not giv- better at statecraft:the production of the fic- ing from his Family what he has earned...to tions of state necessary to breed political and gratify the Rapine of a fat-gutted Vampire" financial confidence.It is likely that A Modest (38).A year later,Swift's ally Henry Boling- Proposal was another text in this series,rival- broke seized on this image of a bloodsucking ing the productions of the author's friends yet monster in an allegory describing Walpole as publicizing their style and agenda.It partook the leader of the nation's creditors(2395). of this coterie's endeavor,forging Anglo-Irish The cannibal,however,was not the only Protestant nationalism as an ideological sup- figure for finance that Swift borrowed from port for Ireland's own fiscal system. the Scriblerian lexicon;he also appropriated The text appears linked to the Scriblerian prostitute,beggar,and thief.These terms sig- themes of finance in the character of its can- nified the moneyed interest,the Whig gov- nibal,the period's conventional symbol for ernment,and its publicists under a single financiers(Flynn 150-51).At least since The pejorative zeugma.Swift,Pope,and Gay den- Merchant of Venice's scene of Shylock demand- igrated Whig publicists as inferior mercenary ing a"pound of flesh,"private loan transac- pens fighting a culture war by disseminating tions had been represented as the eating of the smutty pulp fiction,work legitimating the de- debtor's body.Francis Bacon appropriated this sires and ethics of the new credit culture(In- metonymy to shame Jacobean royal creditors, grassia 3).They revived John Dryden's Grub condemning them as man-eating "Cyclops,or Street metonymy to compare the relation of Ministers of Terror"(20).Giovanni Marana's this popular literary market to prostitution Turkish Spy later displayed the promiscuous (Swift,Journal 177-78).Accordingly,they relations between moneylenders and the de- gendered literature,elevating their work as fense industry in the same figure,saying that high art by dismissing Whig rivals as writers both were "employ'd by Jupiter in making of an emasculated literature associated with Thunderbolts"and other weapons(130).This the“feminized”world of finance(Ingrassia understanding of the consumption of a nation 41).Deploying the publishing industry's cant, by its financial obligations was encapsulated Pope's Dunciad portrayed such "dunces"as by Swift early in his career in The Examiner,a the progeny of“Dulness,”a“Mighty Mother'" Tory periodical.He described how at least half symbolizing both Edmund Curl's "chaste This content downloaded from 202.120.14.172 on Fri,10 Nov 2017 17:56:35 UTC All use subject to http://aboutjstor.org/terms12 2.3 Sean Moore 683 public finance in general as claiming that their faction possessed writers more capable of manufacturing a virtuous national image than those employed by the Whigs (Nicholson 3). Such aesthetic work was necessary because "[patriotism and nationalism underwrite pub lic credit (and vice-versa) but also the nation state's own facilitation of... the economy" (Brantlinger 35). The Scriblerians knew that the press was not an autonomous third estate but an organ of government; despite Jiirgen Habermas's claims that an independent public sphere of "rational-critical arguments" arose in eighteenth-century Britain, "no theory of liberty of the press was articulated" in this period (Downie 59). Consequently, the Scrib lerian mission was to prove that Tories were better at statecraft: the production of the fic tions of state necessary to breed political and financial confidence. It is likely that A Modest Proposal was another text in this series, rival ing the productions of the author's friends yet publicizing their style and agenda. It partook of this coterie's endeavor, forging Anglo-Irish Protestant nationalism as an ideological sup port for Ireland's own fiscal system. The text appears linked to the Scriblerian themes of finance in the character of its can nibal, the period's conventional symbol for financiers (Flynn 150-51). At least since The Merchant of Venice's scene of Shylock demand ing a "pound of flesh," private loan transac tions had been represented as the eating of the debtor's body. Francis Bacon appropriated this metonymy to shame Jacobean royal creditors, condemning them as man-eating "Cyclops, or Ministers of Terror" (20). Giovanni Marana's Turkish Spy later displayed the promiscuous relations between moneylenders and the de fense industry in the same figure, saying that both were "employ'd by Jupiter in making Thunderbolts" and other weapons (130). This understanding of the consumption of a nation by its financial obligations was encapsulated by Swift early in his career in The Examiner, a Tory periodical. He described how at least half of England's taxes already had been mortgaged into perpetuity to pay the interest on the debt alone, impoverishing posterity: "the Country Gentleman is in the Condition of a young Heir, out of whose Estate a Scrivener receives half the Rents for Interest, and hath a Mortgage on the Whole" (Swift, Prose Works 3: 5). A Mod est Proposal's allegory of children devoured by parental debts, accordingly, was drawn from Swift's own canon and influenced gothic ad aptations in succeeding years. In 1733, Charles Forman translated the term vampire into En glish to suggest that collectors of interest on the national debt were the undead. Comparing the virtues of governments, he writes, "When a Dutchman is paying his Taxes ... it is of some Satisfaction to him to know that he is not giv ing from his Family what he has earned ... to gratify the Rapine of a fat-gutted Vampire" (38). A year later, Swift's ally Henry Boling broke seized on this image of a bloodsucking monster in an allegory describing Walpole as the leader ofthe nation's creditors (2395). The cannibal, however, was not the only figure for finance that Swift borrowed from the Scriblerian lexicon; he also appropriated prostitute, beggar, and thief. These terms sig nified the moneyed interest, the Whig gov ernment, and its publicists under a single pejorative zeugma. Swift, Pope, and Gay den igrated Whig publicists as inferior mercenary pens fighting a culture war by disseminating smutty pulp fiction, work legitimating the de sires and ethics ofthe new credit culture (In grassia 3). They revived John Dryden's Grub Street metonymy to compare the relation of this popular literary market to prostitution (Swift, Journal 177-78). Accordingly, they gendered literature, elevating their work as high art by dismissing Whig rivals as writers of an emasculated literature associated with the "feminized" world of finance (Ingrassia 41). Deploying the publishing industry's cant, Pope's Dunciad portrayed such "dunces" as the progeny of "Dulness," a "Mighty Mother" symbolizing both Edmund Curl's "chaste This content downloaded from 202.120.14.172 on Fri, 10 Nov 2017 17:56:35 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms