A Treatise, proving beyond all contradictionthe dangerous tendency of a late poem, intitled, The Rape of the Lock, to government and religion. S Written in the Year 1714. INCE this unhappy divifion of our nation into tifices have been made ufe of by writers to obfcure the truth, and cover defigns which may be detrimental to the public. In particular, it has been their custom of late to vent their political fpleen in allegory and fable. If an honeft believing nation is to be made a jeft of, we have a story of John Bull and his wife; if a treasurer is to be glanced at, an ant with a white fraw is introdu ced; if a treaty of commerce is to be ridiculed, it is im mediately metamorphofed into a tale of count Tariff. But if any of thefe malevolents have a small talent in rhime, they principally delight to convey their malice in that pleafing way; as it were, gilding the pill, and concealing the poifon under the fweetness of numbers, It is the duty of every well defigning fubject to prevent, as far as he can, the ill coulequences of fuch pernicious treatifes; and I hold it mine to warn the public of a late poem, intitled, the RAPE of the LOCK; which I thall demonftrate to be of this nature. It is a common and juft obfervation, that, when the meaning of any thing is dubious, one can no way better judge of the true intent of it, than by confidering who is the author, what is his character in general, and his dilpofition in particular, Now, Now, that the author of this poem is a reputed papift, is well-known; and that a genius fo capable of doing fervice to that caufe may have been corrupted in the courfe of his education by jeluits or others, is juftly very much to be fufpected; notwithstanding that feeming coolnessTM and moderation, which he had been (perhaps artfully) reproached with by thofe of his own perfuafion. They are fenfible, that this nation is fecured by good and wholefome laws, to prevent all evil practices of the church of Rome; particularly the publication of books, that may in any fort propagate that doctrine: their authors are therefore obliged to couch their defigns the deeper; and though I cannot aver the intention of this gentleman was directly to spread popish doctrines, yet it comes to the fame point if he touch the government for the court of Rome knows very well, that the church at this time is fo firmly founded on the ftate, that the only way to fhake the one is by attacking the other. What confirms me in this opinion, is an accidental difcovery I made of a very artful piece of management among his popifh friends and abettors, to hide his whole defign upon the government, by taking all the characters upon themfelves. Upon the day that this poem was published, it was my fortune to ftep into the Cocoa-tree, where a certain gentleman was railing very liberally at the author with a paffion extremely well counterfeited, for having, as he faid, reflected upon him in the character of Sir Plume. Upon his going out, I enquired who he was, and they told me he was a Roman catholic Knight. I was the fame evening at Will's, and faw a circle round another gentleman, who was railing in like manner, and fhewing his fnuff box and cane to prove he was fatirized in the fame character. I afked this gentleman's name, aud was told he was a Roman catholic Lord. A day or two after I happened to be in company with the young Lady, to whom the poem is dedicated She allo took up the character of Belinda with much franknels and good humour, though the author has given us a hint in his dedication †, that he meant fomething further. This + "The character of Belinda (as it is here managed) re This Lady is alfo a Roman catholic. At the fame time others of the characters were claimed by fome perfons in the room; and all of them Roman catholics. But to proceed to the work itself: In all things which are intricate, as allegories in their own nature are, and efpecially those that are industrioufly made fo, it is not to be expected we should find the clue at first fight: but when once we have laid hold on that, we shall trace this our author through all the labyrinths, doublings, and turnings of this intricate compofi tion. First then, let it be observed, that in the most demonftrative fciences fome poftulata are to be granted, upon which the rest is naturally founded. The only poftulatum or conceffion which I defire to be made me, is, that by the Lock is meant The BARRIER TREATY.* 1. Firft then, I hill difcover, that Belinda represents Great Britain, or, which is the fame thing, her late Majelly. This is plainly feen in his defcription of her: On her white breaft a sparkling cross she bore : alluding to the antient name of Albion, from her white cliffs, and to the cross which is the enfign of England. II The baron, who cuts off the Lock, or barrier-treaty, is the E of Oxford. III. Clariffa, who lent the fciffars, my Lady Maham. IV. Thaleftis, who provokes Belinda to refent the lofs of the Lock, or Treaty, the Ducliefs of Marlborough. V. Sir Plume, who is moved by Thaleftris to redemand it of Great Britain, Prince Eugene, who came hither for that purpose. There are fome other inferior characters, which we fembles you in nothing but beauty." Dedication to the Rape of the Lock. * For a full account of the political transactions relating to this treaty, fee The Condu&t of the Allies; and, Remarks on the Barrier-Treaty, vol. ii. fhall fhall obferve upon afterwards; but I fhall first explain the foregoing. The first part of the Baron's character is his being adventurous, or enterprizing, which is the common epithet given to the Earl of Oxford by his enemies. The prize he afpires to is the treafury, in order to which he offers afacr.fice: an altar built Of twelve vaft French romances neatly gilt. Our author here takes occafion maliciously to infinuate this hatefinan's love to France; reprefenting the books he' chiefly ftudies to be vaft French romances: these are the vaft profpects from the friendship and alliance of France; which he fatirically calls romances; hinting thereby, that thefe promiles and proteftations were no more to be reli ed on than those idle legends. Of thefe he is faid to build an altar; to intimate that the foundation of his schemes and honours was fixed upon the French'r romances above mentioned. ♬ fan, a garter, half a pair of gloves. One of the things he facrifices is a fan, which, both for its gaudy show and perpetual fluttering, has been held the emblem of woman: this points at the change of the ladies of the bed-chamber. The garter alludes to the honours he conferred on fome of ois friends; and we may without straining the fen'e, call the half pair of gloves a gauntlet, the token of thofe military employments, which he is faid to have facrificed to his defigns. The prize, as I laid before, means the treafury, which he makes his prayer foon to obtain, and long to poffefs. The pow'rs gave ear, and granted half his pray'r,- In the first of these lines he gives him the treasury, and in the laft fuggefts, that he should not long poffels that bonour. That Thaleftris is the Duchefs of Marlborough, ap2 pears both by her nearness to Belinda, and by this au thor's malevolent fuggeftion that she is a lover of war. M-3 To To arms, to arms, the bold Thelafiris cries: But more particularly by feveral paffages in her fpeech to Belinda upon the cutting off the lock, or treaty. Among other things fhe fays, Was it for this you bound your locks in paper durance? Was it for this fo much paper has been spent to fecure the barrier-treaty ? Methinks, already I your tears furvey; This defcribes the afperfions under wbich that good Princefs fuffered, and the repentance which muft have followed the diffolution of that treaty; and particularly levels at the refufal fome people made to drink her Majefty's health. Sir Plume ( proper name for a foldier) has all the cir cumftances that agree with Prince Eugene. Sir Plame, of amber fnuff-box justly vain, It is remarkable, this general is a great taker of knuff, as well as towns ; his conduct of the clouded cane gives him the honour which is fo juftly bis due, of an exact conduct in battle, which is figured by his cane or trunche on, the enfign of a general. His earnest eye, or the vivacity of his look, is to particularly remarkable in him, that this character could be mistaken for no other, had not the author purpoftly obfcured it by the fictitious circumftances of a round unthinking face. Having now explained the chief characters of his bu man perfons (for there are fome others that will hereaf ter fall in by the bye, in the fequel of this difcourfe), I fhall next take in pieces his machinery,, wherein the fatire ́is wholly confined to minifters of state. The Sylphs and Gnomes at firft fight appeared to me to fignify the two contending parties of this nation; fər thefe being placed in the air, and thofe on the earth, I thought agreed very well with the common denomination, |