I will not pretend to Guess, but why they in the Days of our Ancestors,
shou'd Vote such Funds to our Civil and Military Establishments, and
such Pittances, such Nothings, to the Ease, the Well-being, the
Happiness and Honour of the Nation, is hard to say, and parhaps, _Tom_,
if we were living in those Days not very safe. It is a Comfort our
People are in no such Danger now, under such a Senate and such a
Governor, nor shall we be any more in danger of Jobbing away our
Country for private Views, or sacrificing the general Welfare of a
whole People to the Pride or the Power, the Gain, Avarice or Ambition,
of half a Dozen over-grown Men. But there is one Thing, _Tom_, I must
mention, as almost as usefull to the Happiness of _Ireland_, as the
Parliament's Assistance, and that is that in every County, great City,
and large manufacturing Towns, Societies shou'd be form'd with
Subscriptions from all who compose them, for setting up Premiums for
such Improvements, in all the manual Arts, as they find they want most
to set forward. But as I think you mention'd this already, and seem as
zealous to see it promoted as I am, I shall not enlarge on it as fully
as it deserves. All I shall hint at is, that 50 _l._ or 60 _l._ or at
most 100 _l._ a Year thus applied, wou'd have amazing Effects thro' the
Nation, as it wou'd remove all those Wants, and set up those Arts,
which wou'd most affect their particular Circumstances, and which the
_Dublin_ Society, cou'd not so immediately attend to, in its general
View of assisting all. As soon as the most necessary Things were fully
provided for, such Societies wou'd go on to others, and thus in Time,
wou'd find their own Estates and Neighbourhoods, largely repaying by
their Improvements, the Care and the Expence of the Subscribers. The
maritime Counties, wou'd soon among other Things set up Fisheries, and
the Inland Counties, wou'd promote either Tillage or Mines, or usefull
Manufactures; and by this means, all the great Drains of our Health and
our Wealth, our Blood and our Spirits, wou'd be cut off, and our
natural Strength wou'd encrease with our Labour. Thus in Process of
Time, this Kingdom wou'd be the Happiest, instead of being the most
Distrest of all Lands, and wou'd be as Rich as she wants to be,
provided always, dear _Tom_, that like some good-natur'd thriving
Merchants I have known, we do not resolve to be bound for our elder
Brother's Debts.
PRIOR. I think such Societies in every County, or every considerable
County, wou'd be a nobel Addition to our Parliamentary Bounties; and I
trust in the Providence of him who governs the World, and the Goodness
of those whom he has appointed as his Substitutes over these Nations,
we shall not want these Blessings long. But we will if you please, Mr.
_Dean_, drop this Subject at the present; and now we have talk'd over
so many of these Particulars relating to the Welfare of _Ireland_, I
wou'd fain speak on other interesting Topicks, which also occasion'd my
paying this Visit to you. The first is to canvass over calmly and
candidly all the Arguments for or against a Union of this Kingdom, with
_Great Britain_. I am assured by all the Ghosts I have met with of
late, that this is a Design, which in due Time is surely to be brought
about one way or other. The second is the violent and ill-judg'd
Brigues and Feuds, between some of our most considerable People; who
tear our Country in Pieces, like _Caesar_ and _Pompey_, because one
cannot bear an Equal, nor the other a Superior, in the Government. In
the 3d Place, I want to settle clearly, whether any of the Money that
was charged to the Account of our Barracks, was carried out of the
Kingdom by some strange Accident or other. When we have fully discussed
this, I wou'd in the last place talk to you, in as free a Manner, as
two such Friends to _Ireland_ shou'd do; how well our Senate has
formerly maintained, and is likely now to maintain its undoubted Right
of disposing of the Redundancies of the Treasury, and taking Care that
the People's Money, be laid out for the Service of themselves and the
Nation.
SWIFT. I am quite pleased with your Proposal; but stay, I see they are
lighting up Candles for Morning Service. Ah, _Tom_, if the Prayers of
the Living were as Sincere and as Ardent as those of the Dead, what an
altered World wou'd this be? Here is the Curate and three old Women
coming to Church; what think you if for fear of frighting Fools, we
laid by these winding Sheets in my Tomb, and walk'd in _Fresco_, in the
Deanery-Garden, and enjoy'd this bright Morn.
PRIOR. With all my Heart. I have a Budget of Anecdotes, and a deal of
Law and Politicks, to entertain you with. Oh this poor Kingdom! this
unthinking People grieve my Soul!
SWIFT. Dear _Tom_, most Men scarce begin to Think, till they're
summoned to die, and that I fear must be the Case of _Ireland_, unless
the Parliament helps us. _Allons!_ to my old dear Garden----lead the
Way! without _sans_ Ceremony, as _Jodolet_ says in the play.
_EXEUNT._