Advantages, arising from Tillage, compar'd to those by Grazing, then to
make him consider the Circumstances of the People in _Ulster_, and
those in the other Provinces. In the first, all are laborious, all are
well Cloath'd, well Fed, well Housed and Taught; in the last, all Lazy,
Naked, Starv'd, Lodg'd in dirty Hutts, and almost Illiterate. The
superior Advantages which the North so eminently enjoys, proceed not so
much from the different Genius's, of the two opposite Religions, which
prevail there, and in the South, (tho' that is something) but from
Tillage and Labour, and all the Arts 'tis employ'd in, being fixt in
_Ulster_. This shews the Care we shou'd take, to encourage Tillage in
this half starv'd Island, and the wisest Nations have ever thought they
cou'd not take too much about it. _Aulus Gellius_ tells us, that the
wise _Romans_ kept Inspectors, over the Agriculture of their People,
who took due Care, that every one manag'd their Grounds, in the most
skilful and useful Manner, and to instruct the Ignorant and punish the
Refractory. At this Day, _Pere du Halde_ assures us, that the _Chinese_
do in the most rigid Manner, oblige every one to sow their Grounds or
forfeit them; and they appoint judicious Surveyors, who every Year,
make Returns to the Magistrates, of the several Plow-Lands, and their
different Fertility. This may convince us, what these two wise Nations
thought, of the Benefit of Agriculture; and if any Thing cou'd make us
renounce our destructive Passion for Grazing, one might tell them, that
'tis recommended by him that made the Earth, in many Passages of holy
Writ; and if you remember, _Moses_ also Assigns it, as one Reason for
God's creating _Adam_, That Man was wanted to Till the Ground. When I
was talking of the _Roman_ and _Chinese_ Inspectors of their Tillage, I
shou'd have mention'd that the _Jews_ had such also; for we find the
Names of those who in _David_'s Time, were Superintendants of such
Matters, recorded in the [3]_Chronicles_. Possibly in these blessed
Times for Acting and Thinking freely, we shou'd not relish such
Dictators to the Plow, nor any penal Laws to enforce our Tillage; but
certain I am, that without some Laws that will execute themselves, (how
averse soever we may be to them) we shall still continue in the utmost
Danger of Beggary and Famine. We may very well submit, even to such
compulsatory Laws in this Kingdom, since every one may read in our
Histories, that _England_ was often oblig'd, to force her Subjects to
return to the Plow, when the lazy Method of pasturing Cattle, had
distrest that Kingdom; and 'tis chiefly to the Statutes made by the two
last _Henries_ and _Edward_ the VIth, that she owes the Blessing, of
her being now the Granary of _Europe_, and of her enjoying the
Advantages of having improv'd her Agriculture, beyond all other
Nations. It is to be hop'd, if our late Act to encrease our Tillage,
was properly amended, and form'd so as to make the Recovery of the
Penalties more easy, it wou'd have very happy Effects here; as
Agriculture is the Source of Plenty, and the nursing Mother of Arts and
Manufactures. We observ'd before, that to see Beggars in any well
regulated State, is a reproach to its Laws and Government; but to see a
Nation of Beggars, is too scandalous to have it exemplified in any
Kingdom but _Ireland_; and yet without an effectual Law for Tillage,
that must unquestionably be our Misfortune for a while, and in some
Years our Ruin. I am at a Loss how to account for this universal
Conspiracy to destroy ourselves, which is the more alarming, as our own
Plots against our own Happiness generally succeed. Have we made a Vow
of Poverty, like the Capuchin Friars, or have we entred into a
Confederacy to enrich every Country but our own? For if not, whence
comes it, that above all other Nations we have the finest Ports,
without Ships or Trade, the greatest Number of able Hands, without any
care of Employing them, and that we are blest with so many Millions, of
rich arable Acres without Plowing them, and such Numbers of Men of Rank
and Fortune, without proper Zeal or Spirit, to remedy these Evils which
we groan under? But there are two Instances of our Folly as to Tillage,
that I cannot pass by. The first is, that we chuse the North, for the
main Store-House of the Kingdom, where we have not only the barrenest
Lands, but the worst Seasons, and where the Wet and Bleakness of the
Country, produce tardy Harvests, fierce Winds and heavy Rains; and
where the Ground is not near so fit for the Production of Wheat, as the
rich Plains of our other Provinces, that lye nearer to the Sun. The
other Instance of our Folly, is our rejecting in the Year 1710, the
Bill transmitted from _England_, that allowed a large Premium for our
exported Corn, which wou'd have been the greatest Encouragement to our
Tillage, and consequently the greatest Blessing to this unfortunate
Kingdom. I will not reckon up the Millions it wou'd have sav'd us, that
have since gone out for Bread; nor those it wou'd have gain'd us, by
the encrease of our Manufactures, and the keeping busy at Home, all the
Hands we have been depriv'd of by subsequent Famines; but I will say
this, that as our Zeal for his Majesty's Succession, our dread of the
Pretender, and our Jealousy of the Duke of _Ormond_'s popular Arts,
made us then throw out that Act; so it is to be hop'd, that the King
will in the Generosity of his Soul, restore us that desireable Bill
which we lost for him.
[3] _1 Chronicles, 27. ch. v. 25 and 26._
PRIOR. I heartily wish it, Mr. _Dean_, and tho' we had then a Lord
Lieutenant highly regarded by the Ministry, favour'd by the Queen, and
greatly belov'd in _Ireland_, yet it is as true, that we have one at
present, who is not inferior to him in those Advantages, and vastly
superior to him in others; and who certainly has as sincere a desire to
serve us, as ever possest a _Boulter_, a _Berkeley_ or a _Swift_, for I
will not presume to join my Name with such Patriots. I hope we shall
find it so by Experience, but whenever he does procure us that
Blessing, if he wou'd complete our Obligations to him, and endear
himself for ever to _Ireland_, he must add to it, the establishing
Granaries in _Dublin_, _Cork_, and such Parts of the Kingdom, where
they will be the most useful to those great Ends, the keeping Bread at
a fix'd Price, as well as our Manufactures, and the Wages of those who
Work them, whose Labour must ever depend on their Food. Without these,
we must live dependent on Accidents, Winds and Seasons, and the Mercy
of Corn-Factors; and as both the old _Jews_ and the old _Romans_, had
such Store-Houses, and the wisest Governments in _Europe_, made use of
them with the exactest Providence, and to the greatest Advantage under
proper Regulations; surely we shall not be depriv'd of such Blessings
long. They are the great security to the Welder, that his Grain shall
bear a fair encouraging Price, and at the same Time a Restraint on the
rapacious Avarice of the Farmer, and the Corn-Chandler abroad and at
Home; and as by being furnish'd in cheap Years, and all Exportations
stopt till they're fill'd, they wou'd keep a fair Balance on the Price
of Bread, he who desires to be bless'd by the Poor and the Industrious
here, will not fail to add this Favour to all that we hope to receive
from him.
SWIFT. I don't like praying to Saints that must pray to others. Our
best Way is to address his Majesty for whatever we stand in need of;
tho' after all, what can we hope _England_ will do for us, who sees our
Wants, knows what has occasioned them, and what would relieve them, and
yet takes not the least Step to serve us. This single Circumstance
looks with an ill-omen'd Aspect on the Affairs of _Ireland_, and is
another main Reason, which I must offer to you, why I think our Days of
Prosperity are as far off as the great _Platonick_ Year.
PRIOR. I have often thought, Mr. _Dean_, our Clamours against _England_
very ill grounded, tho' many, who know they are false or foolish, are
apt, for no good Ends, to encourage them. 'Tis to _England_ that we owe
that we are yet a Nation, that we are Freemen and Protestants, and
enjoy our civil and religious Rights, by the same Zeal and Efforts
which secured their own. They have left large Branches of Trade and
Manufactures open to us; and even our Linen and our Fisheries, our
Tillage and our Collieries, our Salt-works, and our Mines, (not to
mention many others) would employ most of the idle Hands in the
Kingdom, if we would once set vigorously about them. Can we be so
unreasonable as to expect she will distress her own Natives, to
encourage those in _Ireland_, as if they had not Sense to consider,
that their Charity, as well as ours, should ever begin at home? It can
never be denied, that they have done largely for us, if we would do
something to help ourselves, with proper Industry, and an eager Zeal to
serve our Country. They do not hinder us to save 300000 _l._ _per
Annum_, by using our own Woollen and Silken Manufactures, our own Salt,
our own Sugar, our own Grain, Hops and Coals, Ale, Cyder, Bark and
Cheese, our own Iron and Iron-ware, Paper and Glass; and if we will not
work them up, nor use them when wrought, are they to be blamed, or we?
Would you have them make a Law to prohibit the Importation of such
Things to _Ireland_, and force us to use our Hands for our own Wants,
whether we will or no?
SWIFT. I wish they would; it would be of infinite Service to this poor
Country, which they impoverish by the wasteful Consumption of _English_
Goods, that devour our Money, and deaden our Industry. That we owe many
Blessings to _England_, I never doubted, even when I was alive, and as
far as was in her Power, disgraced and maltreated by her, and much less
shall I dispute it now. However, I can reckon up a large Catalogue of
Complaints and Distresses, which _Ireland_ can very justly charge her
with.
PRIOR. Allowing all this to be true, as, to my Sorrow, I see you have
some Grounds for your Assertion; are they to be reviled or envy'd for
sending us their Goods, if we are so mad as to call for them? Would you
have them hinder your buying their Commodities? Or, to go a little
further, would we be hinder'd if they did? If we cut our own Throats,
in our own wise Judgments, would you have them make a Law to gibbet us
for it after we are dead? I allow you many of our Murmurings are just;
but for the Love of Truth and Goodness, let us lament our Case with
some Sense, and begin at the right End with railing at ourselves. I do
not deny, that we are much impoverish'd by their Importations, nay,
that by them we are in some Sense of the Word, Beggars; But, dear
_Dean_, who ever hated Beggars more than you did, that had Health and
Hands, and could work and help themselves, and would not. If our People
will neither set up Manufactures, nor encourage them when set up, if
they will not promote Agriculture by large Premiums through the
Kingdom, but had rather beg Bread from their industrious Neighbours; if
they will neither build Granaries, or set up Fisheries or Collieries:
If Gentlemen will neither live at home, nor build and improve their
Estates, to tempt their Sons to live there; if they see Societies set
up for the Service of _Ireland_, and won't spare Shillings a-piece from
their Diversions, to increase their Force and Power to help us, are the
_English_ to be blamed, or ourselves, if they leave it to our Choice
either to mend our Follies, or to suffer by them.
SWIFT. The Truth is (though I am loth to confess it) I fear we are too
lazy, because we are not extraordinarily encouraged, either here or by
_England_; and probably they want to see us more alert, before they
help us further; and in the mean time, between our Gentlemen who go
abroad for Pleasure, and our Poor for Bread, we are like a Ship that is
run a-ground, and the Hands which should have saved her gone off.
People that are unfortunate love to have some one to lay the Blame on;
and so we rail at _England_, as I remember Mrs. _Halley_ (the Wife of
the famous Astronomer) did at the Stars, who used to wring her Hands,
and bawl out, My Curse, and God's Curse upon them for Stars, for they
have ruined me and my Family; whereas, like _Job_'s Wife, she ought to
have cursed her Husband for his star-gazing Folly. At the same Time I
never did, nor ever will forgive _England_ for not helping us more than
she does: We are a Mint in her Hands, but through her Negligence or
Diffidence it is an unwrought one, though the Ore is vastly rich and
promising.
PRIOR. I must agree with you there, and yet I am convinced, that the
Fear of making their own People jealous, the Weight of their Debts,
their violent Parties, and their decayed Trade, prevent their doing all
they would for us or themselves; the Charity, the unbounded Charity,
_England_ extended to us at the Revolution, her Encouragement to our
Linens, our Woollen Yarn, and our Cambricks, and to name no more, her
Benefactions to our Charter-Schools, are Evidences of her Love to us
which can never be forgotten. But beside all this, if _England_ has a
Zeal for her own Welfare, she must have a good Will for ours; for she
knows and feels every Improvement made in _Ireland_, that does not
directly clash with her Interest, is pouring Treasure into her own Lap,
as regularly as what the River gets is returned to the Ocean. 'Tis
evident, if we are better cloath'd, peopled, fed, and housed here; if
our Wealth be encreased, or our Inhabitants or Country improved, we
shall of Course take off more of her Goods, and spend more of our Money
in _London_, which is to all Intents and Purposes, as much our
Metropolis as _England_'s. We already, by the mending of our
Circumstances in some Respects, and the raising our Rents, do actually
spend thrice as much there as our Grandfathers did; and it is as plain
a Truth, that our Grandchildren will hereafter redouble what we carry
there now. Can there be a Doubt then, that _England_ must consult our
Welfare, as long as she attends to her own? Though we live in different
Islands, we are in effect but one People, and generally Children of the
same Family; all we want to make us happy together is, that the elder
Brother should carry to us with Affection and Regard and we to him with
Respect and Deference, without Jealousies or Quarrels for Trifles or
Things that cannot be helped, we never interfering with them, nor they
oppressing or cramping us.
SWIFT. You are a very civil Magistrate, as _St. John_ says, and have
adjusted Things very amicably; but there is another Reason for
_England_'s protecting us, which I cannot pass by, and that is because
any bold Step of the Crown in future Ages to absolute Power, will
probably begin here. 'Tis therefore to be hoped, our Brethren in
_Great-Britain_, who (whatever may become of them) are not born Slaves
like some People I won't name, will watch us like a Beacon, whenever
bad or weak Men set this poor Island on Fire, either to plunder or to
frighten it, or for any other noble political Scheme. I must own,
_Tom_, while I was playing the Fool in the World, like my Neighbours, I
used to rail at _England_ severely, and I had my Reasons for it; but
though I am altered much as to that Point, there are several Things
that I still think her blameable in, and particularly for the small
Number of _Irishmen_ that are preferred in Church and State. The Want
of all proper Encouragement here, for every Man's exerting his
Abilities as far as they can go, has terrible Effects on the very
Genius and Character of our Nation. It actually keeps our Schools
unfill'd, and thins our College to a surprising Degree; and makes our
People look on the little Virtue we have yet kept among us, as useless
and impertinent in a Country, where they are out of Fashion, and where
Alliance, and Blood, and Family-Interest, make our Constitution in
Church and State, (and especially the Church) rather hereditary than
elective. This is a great national Grievance, so as to make it a Sort
of Misfortune to be born here; nor do I see any Hopes of a Remedy,
unless we get a Bill of Naturalization past on the other Side of the
Water for all _Irishmen_, as well as for the _Jews_. At present there
is as little Encouragement for Knowledge, or the learned Arts in
_Ireland_, as in the _Isle of Man_, or rather less; for though their
Preferments and Posts are fewer, they are only bestowed on Natives. By
this Means it will come to pass in Time, that our Parts must be as
slight as our Encouragements, and poor as our Country; for here, as in
the dead Level of the Ocean, there is no Rising but by Storms and
Tempests, and the Miseries and Ruins they occasion; and therefore half
our Gentry owe their Estates to the Wars and Rebellions of Madmen and
Bigots. But as to Eminence in Learning, or distinguish'd Abilities,
they are quite overlook'd; or at least the Handful, that _Ireland_ has
seen preferred of her Natives by them, is miserably small. In other
Nations some, nay, Crowds, are advanced by their Knowledge and Talents,
but here they are discountenanced and brow-beaten; some are enriched by
Trade, but here all we have is contrived to ruin us: Some make large
Fortunes by their Skill in the Laws, but with us, where Plaintiffs or
Defendants are one or other of them Beggars, the Proverb will tell you
what is got by the Suit. I must add to all these Complaints, that even
Avarice cannot bring a Man in _Ireland_ a moderate Acquisition of
Wealth; for here all Men do so universally outlive their Circumstances,
that Saving is grown as scandalous as Thieving, and a Man is hooted out
of the World more frequently for the one, than he is hanged for the
other.
PRIOR. It is easier, Mr. _Dean_, to exclaim on this Head, than to shew
the Justice of the Complaint; for whoever will carefully look over the
Lists of those who have been preferred in Church and State for some
Years, will find there has been greater Attention than ever paid to
this Matter. But lest you should dispute this Fact, I will only hint,
that there are Grounds to say, this Complaint will not be so common a
Topick of Discourse with _Irishmen_, as we knew it in our Time; and
probably as Learning and Knowledge may therefore make greater Advances
among us than ever, we shall find _Irishmen_ hereafter as much
distinguished by their Preferments as their Merit. But however that may
be, it will be as great Madness for us to malign or revile _England_ on
such Disgusts and Slights, as for a younger Son to quarrel with his
Father, to whom he owes his being what he is, and who may in Time
vastly enlarge his Portion and his Happiness, if he behaves with Duty
and Love. This I will be bold to say, that we are possess'd of as many
civil Advantages, under our Connections with _England_, as we enjoy
from our natural ones, and our Situation in this Climate, this Sun, and
this World of Life and Matter, where we derive so many Blessings from
the Bounty of the Creator.
SWIFT. I wish, _Tom_, you would not stir that Bone of Contention, for
there is a great deal to be said on both Sides of the Question, which,
as I love to keep in good Humour, and be as quiet in my Grave as I can,
I do not care for wrangling about. But this I must say, as to your
Hints of our being Children of the same Family, that you had better let
them alone, for it stirs my Spleen too violently. I am sure, if we are
so, we fare like the rest of the younger Children in the World, who get
but a Pittance to starve on, while the elder Brother runs away with the
Bulk of the Fortune. I will not dwell on what we lose to her by
Absentees, but I know between our Wool, our Woollen and Worsted Yarn,
our Linens and Linen Yarn, our Copper, Lead, and Iron Ore, our Hides,
Skins, Tallow, all which are the Primums and Foundations of her great
Manufactures, she makes immense Gains by her Trade with our Country,
and the Ships she employs in it. I must also add, that we take from her
the largest Supplies of her Grain and her Manufactures of any Nation
upon Earth; and besides the Crowds of _English_ Gentlemen, that are
possess'd of Employments, Commissions, Pensions, and Preferments here,
she makes near two Millions by the Trade with _Ireland_; which I know
is more than she gains from the rest of the World. I am not peevish, or
at least so peevish, as I used to be, when I had vile Flesh and Blood
about me; but these are plain confest honest Truths, and if that
generous large thoughted Nation, will consider them calmly and
candidly; possibly she will make us other Returns, than cramping our
Trade, making us poor Petitioners, for leave to live by our Linen, and
binding us by Laws (a Thing which every _Briton_ shou'd start at) to
which we never gave our Consent.
PRIOR. I cannot enter on that Subject, without irritating you, and
therefore, Mr. _Dean_, I will drop it; but this I must say, that
_England_ had probably shewn us more Affection and Indulgence, if she
had not been kept in perpetual Alarms, by our endeavouring to Rival her
in her great Staple, the Woollen Trade. I have heard of some Women, who
to regain their Husband's Affections, strove to make them Jealous; but
I fancy that is no good Artifice, to make Nations love one another, and
I hope as our Linen Manufactures, and our Tillage encrease in the
South; we shall remove all uneasiness from that Quarter. It is certain
our Interests and _England_'s are inseparably united, and he must be a
very weak, or a very malicious Man, who wou'd endeavour to divide our
Inclinations, and set up a Wall Partition between us; by keeping up
artificial Jealousy on the one Side, and unnatural Aversion on the
other. It wou'd be absurd to think that because we have a broader Arm
of the Sea, between us and _England_ than the _Isle of Wight_, or
_Anglesea_; that therefore we ought to have, different Rules and Views
of Acting; whereas we shou'd consider ourselves as one People, join'd
in one System of Government, Religion, Laws and Liberties; and he that
divides us Ruins us.
SWIFT. What dost thou talk of dividing us? I hope that Word was not
aim'd at me. I am not for Divisions (nor let me whisper you in the Ear,
_Tom_) Unions either, till I see more Cause. But in the mean Time, I
say since _England_ makes so much by _Ireland_, she ought to help us to
get something for ourselves, if it was for no other Reason but to
double her Gain by us. But it is amazing how a Nation so sensible and
enterprizing as she is generally allow'd to be, can so long over look
the vast Advantages she might draw from us, if we were cultivated and
improv'd under her Direction. Can she be Ignorant how useful, so large
and so fertile a Country may be to her, where Hands and Food are so
easily had, and may be turn'd to every Manufacture she wants, as
effectually as the Motion of an Army by a skilful General. And if she
knows it, can she neglect it? Does she want to be told, where she may
most properly and providently give all the vast Sums she pays, for
Hempen and Linen Manufactures to our Neighbours round the _Baltick_?
Does she understand what Gain she wou'd make, if the Lands here were
raised by Trade and Manufactures, to a Million more than they now set
for, and how soon this may be done? Is she yet to learn, that by
encouraging the Woollen Business here, in such Articles only, as her
Rivals undersell her in, she wou'd effectually recover them out of
their Hands, by employing the _Irish_, who by paying no Taxes on their
Milk and Potatoes, can undersell the World? Is she Ignorant what she
might make, by compleatly working our Mines, by opening our Trade to
her Plantations effectually, and to Name no more by setting up extended
Fisheries here, (the Gain from which one wou'd be tempted to think, was
hinted by _Christ_'s bidding St. _Peter_, take Money out of the Fishes
Mouth) and thereby besides the Profit of what we vend, breeding
Thousands of Mariners to man her Navy. If these are certain Facts, I
hope you will allow me without Grumbling, to assert two plain Truths;
first that there never was a Nation so Affectionate, so Loyal as
_Ireland_; and secondly, That there never was a rebellious People so
much suspected, so long neglected, and so saintly, so coldly encourag'd
to serve her.
PRIOR. Tho' I cannot agree with you, Mr. _Dean_, in some of these
Particulars, yet I will avoid Wrangling with an old Friend; but I must
say you are too ready to lay blame upon _England_; when our own People
are more to be reproach'd than our Neighbours, who have more Affairs of
their own on their Hands, than they can get well manag'd. If we fairly
weigh Things, we will find our Countrymen faulty in many Regards; and
indeed I have such a Bead-roll of Accusations against them, that I know
not where I had best begin the Attack.