WE live in an age where scribling is the Lan­guage of one man to another, and too of­ten used on a Subject, to which they are as much strangers, as to each other's Person. This seems our case, we come abroad with the crow'd to please our selves, tho we disturb others; but that which brings me in Print is, because I think Men of better Understanding will not trou­ble [Page 4]themselves to Answer your un­polish'd Libel on the Government and our Bretheren in Ireland; and by that means your Invectives might have the success you wisht for, viz. a belief amongst the Industrious part of the Nation; which, were they true, the first work of England should be to remove our Friends, destroy the Natives, and send over a Hundred Thousand Souldiers to keep the Island from them; that know how to make a good use of it, if we do'nt: But the best way of confuting your Maxims in Trade and Government, is to repeat them, and then a very few words will An­swer them.

I begin with your assertion, That it cannot but be the trouble of all think­ing Men, to see a Kingd and People once so famous for Trade and Naviga­tion, to Fight themselves out of both [Page 5]To this it's answer'd, I meet with few of you ropinion but such as think the Nation did ill to fight at all.

Obedience to the late K. tho in Wooden Shooes, and Faggots on our backs, to Smithfield was our du­ty, your Holy Church tels us; but that which makes few believe it, is, that Doctrine was always preach't by Men of debauch'd Lives, and Prostitutes for preserment. But, Sir, I must tell you what Men that think as much as your's, say; and that is, They believe that by the War which is ended with so much honor and advantage to the Nation, we have secured our Trade and Navigation, with somthing more that perhaps you are no friend unto, our Laws and Religion; but as to Trade and Navigation, pray how should we have preserved them if the French had been Masters of the Ʋnited Pro­vinces. [Page 6]For seeing we and the Dutch were fully imploy'd both together, to deal with the French alone, which way could we have blown the French and Dutch Fleets out of the Sea in case they had been united. Those that find fault with our War, would be pleased with our Captivity; soft words are called for by such as are wounded with Truths, therefore I shall not speak my Thoughts of your Principels. You tell us of 700 years Harvest, and 50 Millions spent in this War; if it were more, Englishmen think we have the worth of it; but I hope you do not believe the whole 50 Millions are carryed out of the King­dom, it is demonstrable, that the greatest part is still amongst us, tho I confess it may be in worse hands than before the War. I must own myself no Friend to that Practise which inriches the Servant and beg­gers [Page 7]the Master: It should be the abhorrence of all good Men, to see people in Civil Imployments ready to burst with unrighteous Gain; and the industrious Merchant languish­ing by the Oppression of their Ser­vants; but this we hope will be in­quired into.

Your next Paragraph begins thus, Among the many rivals of our Trade and Navigation, I have often thought Ireland to be the most Dangerous, and that which led me into this Opinion, was the practise of the two last Reigns, incouraging the Irish more than their English Subjects in Trade and Navi­gation, thereby to make Ireland a Nursery for Arbitrary Government, to which the English were abettors.

There needs no other Answer to your Thoughts ‘That Ireland is most dangerous to the Trade of England,’ but that all the yearly Exports of [Page 8] Ireland amount not to the Value of one East-India Ships Cargoe, as will appear by what follows.

That you say of the design of the two last Reigns to introduce Arbi­trary Government is not doubted, but that the English in Ireland were Abettors to it, is most manifestly False; there were no Men in the Three Kingdoms that ventured their Lives more bravely against it then they did; and to them I think in a great measure we owe our Quiet and o [...] Trade, on the late happy Revo [...]ion of this Kingdom, which I fa [...] is the reason you are so an­gry with them; perhaps you cannot forgive the stand they of Innes killing and London derry made to the late Kings Army, when they designed for Scotland if they could have re­duced those Men in their way: They would then have been trou­blesom [Page 9]to us nearer home, where you and your Friends were ready to receive them.

As to the English's being for Ar­bitrary Government; you are as much out, as in the numbers of the Irish Seamen; and least you should think I speak at randome, as you do, know I was born in a City that hath a great share in the Trade of Ireland, have been thrice in that Kingdom, and made all the Obser­vation I could of the Nature, Trade, and Constitution of that Country; amongst other Things, I found they had very little Navigation; Dublin their Capital had not one Ship be­longing to if, Carickfargus, or Bel­fast, and Cork, had a few small Craft, but not a Ship of Force or Burthen in the Kingdom. I en­quired particularly the Number of their Irish Seamen; and by all I [Page 10]asked, was answered, they never saw one that could Top & Yard a Phrase they have among Sea­men.

Your next Paragraph tells us, How dangerous it is to England to leave Ireland to their own conduct in Trade and Government.

Surely you are a stranger to the Laws of both Kingdoms, or else you would have known that they can Pass no Act of Parliament in Ireland but what comes first from the King & Councel here; and can­not alter one Word in it, but must take the Act just as it comes from England.

Your following Observations of the Scituation, Nature, Product, &c. are true; for that Reason I think we should keep it in English Hands, and not follow your Proposals to drive them out: But of that when [Page 11]I come to your Expedients.

Now as to your Five particulars wherein you say Ireland Interferes with the Trade of England, First, in that of their Fishing, wherein no doubt they have Advantage above us, but they never had yet Men, Mo­ney, or Craft to make use of it; the more's the pity, it being a loss to us, and I think a Fault that we do not help them.

Your second Assertion is true in part, Their Provisious are Cheaper; but then let me tell you, they are not so good as ours, and their But­ter & Cheese is near as dear.

Your third and fourth Observa­tions, are so aparently False that one Word will Answer them both; you say, You have been twice in Ire­land; [Page 12]but besides your self, I may venture to say, there was never any man in it but can tell you, there is not Timber to supply the tenth part of the Use of the Kingdom; I have seen a Survey of all the Woods in that Island, and except Shellela, there is not so much va­luable Timber in the whole, as one Gentleman hath in England. Surely then we are in no danger of their Building Ships, or Tanning Leather.

Your Fifth Observation is of their Wool, in which you are right; but as for the multitude of Irish Spin­ners, you are in an Error; they are so far from being our Rivals in the Woollen Manufactury, that this last year they could not get so much in all the Country as to cloah their small Army.

But however I think we have reason to look carefully into that Manufactury, which is the Soul of all we have left of Trade, and yet I see Advocates for the East-India Trade, to the destruction of our own Manufactury at home.

In this methinks we act like ill Husbands, that being Abused abroad Revenge themselves at home on their Wives & Children. We are wheedl'd out of our Manufactu­ries by Designing Men amongst our selves, kick'd out of our Fish­ing abroad, and then, like Sampson, we pull down the House upon our selves, to be reveng'd for our two Eyes. So I take our Woollen Ma­nufactury, and Fishing to be. But let us destroy Ireland, heat our Wives & Children, and we shall Recover all.

You end your Fifth Paragraph with that which you think the most unaccountable of all, The suf­fering them to hold Parliaments.

Now Sir, if you never read Hi­story, and so are ignorant how the Crown of England came first to be intituled to Ireland, then it is great Assurance in you to talk of the Consti­tution of a Kingdom, you know noth­ing of; if you have Read, you must know there was a Compact that they should hold Parliaments, with the same Privileges as England: and altho they have by their own Parliaments abridged themselves by Poynings Law in some things, yet have they still an Act of Parlia­ment for Annual Parliaments, and another Act, that all Laws made in England before the Tenth of Henry VII. should be in force in [Page 15] Ireland. I believe you will own we had Parliaments in England before Henry VII. they have then the same Right to hold Parliaments, that we have, but they are a poor People, and must submit. Have a care of that French Maxim (we know not whose turn it may be next) I remember in the Reign of Charles II. discoursing with the Duke of Ormond (who I think, take him every way, was one of the great­est Men of that time) upon the Tryal of the Earl of Shaftsbury, his Grace said, My Lord Shaftsbury was never my Friend, yet were I a Commoner and one of his Jury, I would starve before I would find him Guilty by straining the Law: We must have a care of Constitutions and Laws, they are of better use to pre­serve our selves, than to take off our Enemies. If you were of this opi­nion, [Page 16]you would not be against Ireland's holding Parliaments: have a care, Sir, of breaking into Con­stitutions, we know not who may come next, we are sure His pre­sent Majesty will preserve our Constitution, and it is our happi­ness, He is more tender of them then many of our selves; but if we will destroy them in a good Reign, there may come a time when our own Presidents may be brought against us.

You end your Paragraph with an Invective faying, You hope the House will make them Remember they were Conquered. I remember to have seen a Book in this Reign, by Or­der of Parliament, Burnt by the Common-Hangman, for Asserting that conquering Doctrine. It is by our Laws that all the Monarchs [Page 17]of England, and amongst the rest his present Majesty is declared to be King of Ireland, de Jure, when King of England de Facto. Now if you please to rememeer, the Brittish of Ireland, who are Pro­prietors of most of that Kingdom, were as one man in the Interest of England; fought (as is said be­fore) for & with the King, that came to deliver them from the Ʋsurpation and Tyrany of the late King James; for so it was, He having lost his Title by Abdication, be­fore he came to Ireland; And [...]ing William came there to rescue his Protestant Subjects in Ireland, from the Ravage and Murders of the Re­bellious Irish Subjects. This I hope you will not make a Conquest, if it be, we have had two or three of them in this Reign, by the Ex­ecution of Traytors at Tyburs.

You now come to your Expe­dients, which are like that of an English Sea Captain, that being in danger of two Dunkirk Men if War, a French Officer on Board him, Asked the Captain what he should doe, for he dreaded being carryed into France; Never fear, said the Cap­tain, I wont be taken: How can you be sure of that, said the French­man? I will first blow up my ship, reply'd the Captain; at which Mon­sieur shrugg'd his shoulders and said, Par ma foy un tres bon expedient An­glois. So are your Expedients; as will appear presnntly. I will re­peat them in order, and then one Answer will serve them all.

• 1. That they should not Build or keep at Sea, one ship.
• [Page 19]2. Taht they be Bounded and Pre­scribed in all their Trade by Act of Parliament here; not only to the Place they shall goe, but also to the Qualities and Natures of the Commodities they Export, and to the Time when they shall Ex­port, that we may have the first market.
• 3. That they should not Fish but with Men and Boats of Eng­land.
• 4. That their Money be brought to the Standard of England.
• 5. That they hold no Parliament, but be Governed by the Parlia­ment of England.
• [Page 20]6. That they be not permitted to make any Manufacturies but Lin­nen.

I told you before, one Anser should serve for them all, and that shall be with a Question, such as a Porter made a Lord Mayor of London, in the Usurpers time, (for Regulating the Price of Beer, was Proclaiming) That none should be sold for more then a Penny a Quart: A Porter standing by my Lord Mayors Horse, call'd out, that there was the most material thing left out, which was, appointing who should drink that small Beer, for he swore he'd drink none? So, Sir, you should have appointed in your Expedients, who should live in Ireland; for no Englishman will; And surely our [Page 21]Nation will not think it safe in any others Hands.

Methinks you make a bold stroke to propose Ireland should be Go­verned by the Parliament of Eng­land; that, in English, is Loping off one of the Three Kingdoms from the Crown. Your Scheme of Go­vernment exceeds all I ever read of; you would make Ireland to be a Commonwealth, but none of the Country to be in the Government; sure sombody need Govern you tho it were in Bedlam.

You and your Letter with re­ferring to Mr. Cary of Bristols Book; I know the Gentleman, and have discoursed on his Book, which tho it comes not to your Notions, yet he abated much of it in Expla­nation. And now, Sir, with your [Page 22]leave, I shall make some General Remarks on your whole Letter: What you say of the extraordinary Advantages Ireland hath above us in Trade and Navigation, is true, and it is as true, that they never had opportunity to make use of them.

The Brittish in general speaking acquiring their Fortunes there by Arms, not with Arts or Trade; those few that come there with either of the two last, are usually such as have miscarryed in their own Country; so for want of stock do rarely more thau earn their Bread in that plentiful Country. Frequent Rebellions lessens the In­habitants but adds Acres to the Brittish; which they are more fond of, then Navigation & Commerce: And so far you are in the right, [Page 23] that they are most taken up in Coun­try Imployments, but you are much in the wrong in saying, the Irish are most in the Trade and Navigation; they seldom sayl further then to a Potatoe Garden, and Trade only in Cowes. I have been in several Parts of the World, and according to my Observation, the Irish are as ignorant of Trade & Navigation as the Indians in America. Now that you should fear their numbers at Sea, that have not Five Seamen of their Nation, gives ground to believe, you writ with Jesuitical Maxims; Throw Dirt — however falst, some may stick. Put into the Heads of the multitude, frightful stories of the danger we are in of being over run by the Irish both at Land & Sea; and that you may have two strings to your bow, you bring in Foreigners Running [Page 24]away with what the Irish do not of the Trade of Ireland. To show your integrity in this, I will give undeniable Authority out of the Custom-house Books of Ireland a­gainst you.

I have now by me an exact Account of all the Exports and Im­ports of Ireland, for six Years of the greatest time of Irelands pro­sperity, and by this Account their Exports in the Year 1682, amoun­ted but to Five Hundred Forty One Thousand Four Hundred and Ninteen Pounds Sterling, of which Four Hundred and two I housand Pounds was for Accompt of Mer­chants in England; and Exported in their Ships, One Hundred Thou­sand Pounds Sterling, for Accompt of the English in Ireland, and about Forty Thousand for Accompt of [Page 25]Foreigners. And that you may not think this computation was made at random, I will tell you how it was done.

The whole Account was drawn out of the Custom-house Books by a Clerk under the Examiner of their Accounts, with every Mer­chants Name that entered them, and to what Place the Ship be­longed, in which the Goods were Exported: this was after all brought into Form by a Man of the great­est Practise and Experience that perchance was ever a Trader in that Kingdom, who knew for whom the most considerable Factors dealt: (For by the way, mostof the Trade of that Kingdom is managed by Factors.) This Gentleman did as­sure me with demonstrations more then can be comprehended in the compass of this Discourse, that [Page 26]there was very little Exceptions to be made to this Account, which he spent some years in perfecting, for he writ Observations on every Commodity Exported and Impor­ted. What is here brought against your matter of Fact, as you call it, is I think undeniable.

And that your ignorance in Com­merce may appear, I will shew that what you say of Foreigners running away with the Trade of Ireland, is im­possible; and that for these Rea­sons.

• 1. First, because the greatest part of their Product is by their own Laws prohibited to all parts of the World but Eng­land as their Wool, Sheep-skins, Woolen Tarn, Linnen-Tarn: Green & Tand Hides pay [Page 27]double Duty upon their Export to any part but Ehgland; all which Commodit es are more then half their Export.
• 2. The Act of Navigation is in Force by Law in Ireland. Now Sir, if you know not my meaning by mentioning that Act, it is, That by that Statute no Foreign Ship can carry any Goods from Ire­land to England.
• 3. The greatest part of the Pro­visions of Ireland, are Expor­ted by ships of England to our Foreign Plantations, for little Beeff, or Porke, whatever we think, goes to Foreign Mar­kets, now the Act of Naviga­tion before mentioned, Pro­hibts all Foreign Ships from [Page 28]Trading to our Plantations.
• 4. By Law they are Prohibited the Importation of any, tho Com­modities of our Foreign Plan­tations but from England, not so much as a Pound of To­bacco or Sugar is admitted into Ireland, but what comes from England; I may add, that they Forfeit Ship and Goods, if they carry out of Ireland any thing but Provi­sions, Servants and Horses. I knew a Ship seiz'd in Virginia for bringing but a Dozen of Woollen Stockens from Ireland. After all this, pray what is there left for Foreigners to drive that mighty Trade you speak of in Ireland.

I think it proper to inquire now where the Million is, you tell us Ireland runs away with of the Trade of England; it is proved, that their whole Annual Exports amounts to little more then one half of your Million, and of that Four Hundred Thousand goes for England, and English Merchants Accounts; you have then but Forty Thousand Pounds to raise your Million out of.

There is another remarkable In­stance you give of the danger we are in by raising their Money 20 per Cent. above its value; it would be no very mannerly question to ask you where you have been for this 12 Months, in which time the nature of Coyn hath been so fully Debated and Re­solved in Parliament, and explained to the whole Nation, that I thought [Page 30]every one in it was convinced, that by Raising Money we cheated no body but our selves; and I do not think but that the Gentlemen of Ireland understand that Truth, but necessity often prevailes over Judg­ment; we know not their Circum­stances, only may guess, that a Country who in their greatest Pro­sperity had never Four Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling, of Run­ning Cash, and Two Hundred and Forty Thousand Pounds per Annum of the Rents of that Kindom, be­longing unto and spent in this, are in hazard of having all carryed out. But let their consideration be what it will. I think we have no reason to fear, but rather pity them in this matter.

I had like to have past over your most sensible part; for it in Truth [Page 31]shews the Man and his Conversa­tion.

Your Words are these, But that which I think the most unaccountable of all is, that we suffer them to hold Parliaments, Settle Estates, Pardon their own Rebellions. &c.

It is plain what you mean, but it comes so near Arraigning the Government, that you durst not express it in plain Words; the late King JAMES with his Irish Mob, that he called, a Parliament in Dublin, did there Attaint all the Brittish Protestants by Name, that owned King William their Rightful Law­ful King; and to make sure of all the Protestants Estates in that King­dom, there pretended Act named Women and Children that never saw Irish Ground. Now this Re­bellious Edict of the Irish, the pre­sent Parliament of Ireland have de­clared [Page 32]and Enacted Illegal and Rebellious, and the pre­tended Parliament that made it, to be then in Rebellion against the Crown of Eng­land. And for this you say, the Parliaments of Ireland pardon their own Rebellions; for you do insinuate there being in Rebellion when they left the late King James: Truly Sir, by what I hear of that Parliament, they ae so far from pardoning Rebel­lions, that they expel'd one of their own Members for but a small overt Act in the time of the late King James [Page 33]being in Ireland. They are a people (I am sorry it should be so in respect of our selves, tho I commend it in them,) that are not divided, as we are, in Parties, but as one Man in His Majesties Inte­rest, except a very few that are advanced in the Kings Service, as too many have been here, by mistake of some, and design of others; however those Plants grow not in Ireland; it is observ­ed no venemous Creature brought from England, lives there; I suppose you never intend to try.

I have now done with your Letter, and shall end mine with directing what follows, to Men of better Principles then you seem to be; and such I presume will not use Ireland as the Harlot would have had the Child, her Language was like yours, divide the Child, let it be neither mine nor thine. Your Friends have neither Right nor Possession of it, and they that have you Ma­ligne; But all true English-men consider them as bone of our bone, and it is reasonable to believe the House of Com­mons [Page 35]passed that Vote for mak­ing the Trade of Ireland more Beneficial to England, with that consideration, there is no doubt, room enough to make it so.

I have often thought it would be one of the first Works the Parliament would go upon, at the conclusion of a Peace, and not to let such a Treasure as that Island might be made to England, lie waste, as it hath always been ever siuce the English have had footing in it, which is unaccountable; it would be thought so in the conduct [Page 36]of a Private Man, if he should neglect his own Inheritance and lay out his Money in Improving that of another Man's; is it not so when we imploy our Men and Money to enrich the Sub­jects of the Mogul, and neg­lect a Country of our own so near as that, if rightly managed, would strengthen and enrich our Nation more then all the Trade we have in the World besides What would France make of it if they had it? I doe not think they would cry it down, as the destruction of their King­dom: [Page 37]We have perhaps more reason to value it then is at present seen; I doubt we are in more danger of losing our Trade and Navi­gation, then ever we were in since we were a People; and it is feared, we have nothing left to help us but Ireland; but then it must not be left to former Conduct, I am loath to say what I know in this matter.

We should also consider, the Reason we have to incou­rage Brittish Planters in that Kingdom; for no other can [Page 38]secure it to England. But I have been too long for a Let­ter, tho too short for the Subject; I shall only give my humble Opinion, That it would be for the service of England in this great Concern of settling the TRADE of both Kingdoms, to hear the People of Irlenad before they conclude them, hear him, hear him, is Parliament Language, and Christian Practise, before Judg­ment. I end with the Words of Seneca in his Mo­rals:

He that lives according to Reason shall never be Poor; And he that governs his Life, by Opinion, shall never be Rich.