vantage of ready money, gets fifty per cent. at leaft for his bargain.

It is another undifputed Maxim in government, that people are the riches of a nation; which is fo univerfally granted, that it will be hardly pardonable to bring it in doubt. And I will grant it to be fo far true, even in this ifland, that, if we had the African custom or privilege, of felling our ufelefs bodies for flaves to foreigners, it would be the most useful branch of our trade, by ridding us of a moft unfupportable burthen, and bringing us money in the ftead. But, in our prefent fituation, at least five children in fix who are born lie a dead weight upon us for want of employment. And a very skillful computer affured me, that above one half of the fouls in this kingdom fupported themselves by begging and thievery, whereof two thirds would be able to get their bread in any other country upon earth. Trade is the only incitement to labour: Where that fails, the poorer native muft either beg, fteal, or ftarve, or be forced to quit his country. This hath inade me often wifh, for fome years pat, that, instead of difcouraging our people from feeking foreign foil, that

the

the public would rather pay for tranfporting all our unneceffary mortals, whether Papists or Protestants, to America, as drawbacks are fometimes allowed for exporting commodities where a nation is overstocked. I confefs myself to be touched with a very fenfible pleasure, when I hear of a mortality in any country-parish or village, where the wretches are forced to pay for a filthy cabin and two ridges of potatoes treble the worth, brought up to fteal or beg, for want of work, to whom death would be the best thing to be wished for, on account both of themselves and the public.

Among all taxes imposed by the legislature, those upon luxury are univerfally allowed to be the moft equitable and beneficial to the fubject; and the commoneft reafoner on government might fill a volume with arguments on the fubject. Yet here again, by the fingular fate of Ireland, this maxim is utterly falfe; and the puting it in practice may have fuch pernicious a confequence, as I certainly believe the thoughts of the propofers were not able to reach.

The miseries we fuffer by our absentees are of a far more extenfive nature than

feemş

feems to be commonly underflood. I must vindicate myself to the reader fo far, as to declare folemnly that what I fhall fay of thofe lords and fquires, doth not arise from the least regard I have for their understandings, their virtues, or their perfons. For, although I have not the honour of the leaft acquaintance with any one among them, (my ambition not foaring fo high) yet I am too good a witness of the fituation they have been in for thirty years paft, the veneration paid them by the people, the high efteem they are in among the prime nobility and gentry, the particular marks of favour and diftinction they re ceive from the court: The weight and confequence of their intereft, added to their great zeal and application for preventing any hardships their country might suffer from England, wifely confidering that their own fortunes and honours were embarked in the fame bottom.

SENT

SENT то

DOCTOR SWIFT,

A

BY

QUAKER,

When three hundred pounds were bid for taking up the DRAPIER.

A

I SAM. Chap. xiv. Ver. 45,

ND the people faid unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath "wrought this great falvation in Ifrael? "God forbid: As the LORD liveth, there "fhall not one hair of his head fall to the

ground; for he wrought with GoD "this day. So the people rescued Jona"than, that he died not."

A

A

LETTER from Sir JOHN BROWNE

TO

DOCTOR SWIFT.

REVEREND SIR,

B

Dawfon-Street, April 4, 1728.

Y a strange fatality, though you were the only person in the world from whom I would conceal my being an author, yet you were unaccountably the only one let into the fecret of it: The ignorant poor man, who was entrusted by me to deliver out the little books, though he from kept the secret from all others, yet the nature of the fubject, he concluded that I could have no interest in concealing it from you, who were fo univerfally known to be an indefatigable promoter of the general welfare of Ireland. But, though the accident gave me fome uneafinefs at firft; yet, when I confider your character, I cannot doubt (however flender the foundation of fuch a hope may be from any merits of my own) but your generofity will oblige you to conceal what chance has revealed to you, and incline you to judge of me, not from the report

of