The proposal for sending back the nobility and gentry of Ireland together with a vindication of the same, and an answer to the objections made against it in a letter to a gentleman of Ireland.

The proposal for sending back the nobility and gentry of Ireland together with a vindication of the same, and an answer to the objections made against it in a letter to a gentleman of Ireland.

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THE VINDICATION OF THE PROPOSAL For Sending Back the Nobility and Gentry OF IRELAND. In a Letter to a Gentleman of that Kingdom.

A Proposal humbly presented to His Majesty for the good of his Subjects of Ireland.

A Scheme or Method humbly laid down for the putting of the former Proposals into practice.

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THE PROPOSAL For Sending Back the NOBILITY and GENTRY OF IRELAND. Together with a VINDICATION Of the same. And an ANSWER to the Objections made against it, in a LETTER to a Gentleman of Ireland.

Published by Authority.

LONDON, Printed for Samuel Holford at the Crown in the Pall-Mall, and Sold by R. Baldwin, near the Black Bull in the Old Bayley, 1690.

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THE PROPOSAL For Sending Back the NOBILITRY and GENTRY OF IRELAND.

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THE VINDICATION OF THE PROPOSAL For Sending Back the Nobility and Gentry OF IRELAND. In a Letter to a Gentleman of that Kingdom.

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SIR,

SINCE the Clamour of some of my Countrymen is so very loud against my Proposal, that some of them, who dare not put their Honesty in the Balance with mine, have called my Integrity in question as well as my Judgment; for the Vindication therefore of both, as also of the Proposal it self (which you desired to see) I have sent you this, which contains my Arguments to prove both the Honesty and the Necessity of it, [Page] and an Answer to every Objection that I have yet heard its Adversaries make; of the strength and force of which, you and all that read them may be Judges.

And to demonstrate both, my first and chiefest Argument shall be, only to produce the Proposal it self, that every indifferent Person may take it in pieces and examine it, for it fears the Examen of none. It here follows,

A Proposal humbly presented to His Majesty for the good of his Subjects of Ireland.

After the last Rebellion in Ireland there followed a Famine, and the Carkases of those who died of Famine caused a Plague, so that many more died by Famine and Plague, than by the War.

The same thing may be feared now, there being little or no Tillage for the next year; and the Common Irish, who lived most upon their Potato-Gardens, beng now in the Army, do consume ten times more Corn than they did when they lived at home in their Cabins; by which means that great Harvest of the English which they had this year, will be eaten up before the next: So that although that Kingdom should be entirely reduced the next Summer, yet the want of Bread will make it desolate; for the late King's Brass-money having eaten up all the Silver of that Kingdom, there is no Money left to purchase Corn abroad, so that the People must unavoidably die for want of Bread.

There is now near *⁎*Note, that in October, when this Paper was first given, we had Sligo and Jamestown, and almost all Conuaught to the Walls of Galway one half of that Kingdom reduced, and yet the Protestants, even of that part, are most of them still in England; the consequence of whose stay here must be a Famine there. For the Irish are almost all of them taken up in the Service of the late King, and those who are not, will notwithstanding▪ neither plow nor sow where they know not their Landlord; so that, while the English stay here, and the Irish Farmers fly before our Army there, it must necessarily follow, that the more your Majesties Army advances, the more must [Page] that Kingdom become wast. But if the English of Ireland, who are now here, were in that part of the Kingdom which is reduced, then the Irish, who now fly before our Army, would come in and gladly settle again on their old Farms, when they have somebody to protect them.

Your Majesty has a fair opportunity to oblige the English that stay here, to return, by the Address which the House of Commons made to your Majesty in their behalf for one fourth part of a Years Allowance, which in the whole did amount to Sixty Thousand Pounds. Now if your Majesty were graciously pleased to give them here the Sum of Fifteen Thousand Pounds, being a Fourth part thereof; and to transmit into Ireland the the Sum of Forty Five Thousand Pounds more, to be there paid to such of them as will go over, with obligation on every Person who receives any of it, to Sow a certain proportion of Summer Corn (which may yet be done in March and April next) it will be the only means to prevent a Famine: it would send away a multitude of People, whose wants make them importunate here, and would in a great measure supply those wants. And moreover such Numbers returning, would be a terrour to the Irish Army, and an incouragement to the Irish Labourer and Husbandman to return, who are now fled, and who had rather be at the Plow than the Musket: Whereas now, the Irish who are fed, with Promises from the French, will believe them, and be thereby encouraged) when they see the English so fearful to return.

Such of the English as have their own Estates to go to, have no reason to expect to be under the same conditions with those whose Estates are yet under the Enemy; and that difference made between them, will be a considerable addition, the better to enable those whose Estates are yet unconquered, to settle for a present Subsistance, on such little Farms as their circumstances will allow of; whereby they may get a little stock of their own, against they remove to their own Estates: This will likewise be a great help to those of the North, who have Land to set.

As this will be a competent Provision for the Nobility and Gentry, so that which is yet remaining of the Collect-Money, may be for the Poorer sort; which being paid to them at one [Page] entire Sum, would be a help to settle them under the Gentry, to become Tenants as they were formerly: and if they Plow but little, yet their being in the Country will be an encouragement for others to go over. If your Majesty be pleased to order that this Collect-Money also may be distributed in Ireland, it will then be seen who are real objects of Charity, and the Money will be laid out to a good use. It is to be fear'd, that all will not go over, who yet complain now that they have not whereon to live.

It is of as great consequence speedily to Plant that Kingdom, as to reduce it; and perhaps Sixty Thousand Pounds may do that Now, which cannot be done the next Year, with Ten times that Sum; and while the English of Ireland stay here, it cannot be supposed that Strangers will go thither to Plant.

If this Money be sent into Ireland, to be there given to such as will go for it, then those who will not go over, will be left without excuse.

But if this Money be not now sent over, and the English sent away to Sow Corn there, a greater Sum than now pays the Army, will not be sufficient the next Year to keep the English and Irish in that Kingdom with Bread. And the Prospect is yet more terrible, if we consider that when ever Corn was dear in England and Ireland, we always fetch'd it from France; but now we must go seek other Markets, which cannot now be done without vast Expence, since this general War throughout Europe, will take up so much Corn for all the Fleets and Armies.

A Scheme or Method humbly laid down for the putting of the former Proposals into practice.

First, It is humbly Proposed, that the King would cause it to be made known to be his pleasure, that all the Nobility, Gentry and Commonalty of Ireland, who now are in England, and whose usual abode has been in Ireland, do forthwith return to that part of that Kingdom which is under his Majesties Authority, except such whom his Majesty shall particularly [Page] order to stay here for his Service; and that for their encouragement so to do, it is humbly Propos'd,

2dly. That his Majesty would be graciously pleas'd to give to all his English Subjects of Ireland, whose Estates have been returned into the House of Commons, and by them have been rated, the Sum of Fifteen Thousand Pounds. And that he would be graciously pleased to send into Ireland the Sum of Forty Five Thousand Pounds, to be there distributed to such of them as will go over to that part of the Kingdom which is already conquered, and there Sew Summer Corn: And that the said Forty Five Thousand Pounds be put into the hands of two Substantial Wealthy Gentlemen of that Kingdom, Men of clear Estates, without any Incumbrance or Settlements; of known Integrity, and that are not dealers in Money, who may be Treasurers of the same; they giving sufficient and undoubted security for the payment of the said Forty Five Thousand Pounds in Ireland, in such manner as is hereafter laid down, and that without any Fees or other Charges to be paid by the Persons who are to receive it: And that every Person whose share of the said Forty Five Thousand Pounds shall amount to Twenty Pounds or upwards, shall give Bond to the said Treasurers in the King's name, to the value of what he receives, that for every Ten Pounds that he shall receive, he will Sew, if he be upon his own Estate, Four Acres of Oats, Barley or Pease; upon his giving of which Bonds, he shall receive his share of Money from the Treasurers.

3dly. For the encouragement of all such to go over, whose Estates are yet unconquered; it is proposed that they shall be obliged to Sew but Two Acres of Corn for every Ten Pounds that they shall receive, because of the necessity that they will lye under of being at some Expence upon land which is not their own, and of paying some small Rent.

4thly. That the said Treasurers or one of them, shall take care that every Person do Sew as much Corn as by Bond he was obliged to do, and that the same be not negligently thrown upon the Ground only to escape the Penalty [Page] of the Bond. And therefore, that at Harvest-time, the said Treasurers or one of them, shall ride about to see the same before it be Reap'd; and that the Bonds shall be in force against all those who have not their share of Corn to Reap, (that is, if the same have happened through any neglect▪ of theirs,) although they did before answer the obligation of their Bond by Sewing. By this means his Majesties Fatherly care of his People will most evidently appear, in contriving that his Subjects there shall have at least Ten Thousand Acres of Corn the next Year; whereas without this, possibly there will not be a handful in the whole Kingdom, and Thousands must dye for want of Bread.

5thly. That every Person who will go for Ireland on these Conditions, shall out of his first share of Money, buy for himself and every Relation and Servant that he carries with him (who are able to bear Arms,) a good Musket, or Case of Pistols for the defence of his Family; without the producing of which Arms in Ireland, and the making Oath that he himself bought the same in England, he shall have no Right to receive any of the said Forty Five Thousand Pounds in Ireland.

Lastly, That the Collect-Money may be divided, that one third part of it may be kept here for the Relief of Widows and Orphans only, and the other Two Thirds sent for Ireland, for the encouragement of Tenants and Labourers to go over to Plow and Sew for the Nobility and Gentry, or themselves. And that these also, when they have entred their Names to the Bishops and other Commissioners of the Collect-Money, that they will go, they shall receive if they go from London Twenty Shillings apiece; or if from the Sea-side, or near it, Ten Shillings apiece to bear their Charges, and a good Musket or Case of Pistols at Chester and Bristol, which the Commissioners shall provide and pay for out of their Stock, and the rest of the Money they shall have divided among them at their arrival in Ireland; and that all such of them as will not go over, shall find no relief here.

[Page]We already know by Computation, that there are about Ten Thousand Persons that will go over; and by this means his Majesty will as it were send a Recruit to the Army, (though it is not at all hereby intended that they shall be put into it,) which will be as so many fresh Inniskilling Men, inspir'd with Rage for their Losses: Men, who when they get into their Country, will not be driven out again. So that our Army need not be weakned by putting Garrisons into any Towns, but may march on entire, and these will keep the Towns and Country behind them.

Here the Answerers of this Proposal will immediately cry out, that this is not the same with that which lay before them; I own it differs in some amendments, many of which are more of Phrase than of Matter. But this might have lain before them, (and sav'd them a great deal of needless trouble in exercising their Rhetorick upon things which I grant them, and which are not in this present Proposal;) but they positively refus'd it, by which you may plainly see, that their business was not by strength of Argument, to run down the Proposition of Our going to Ireland to Sew Corn: But to cavil at that poor Paper that lay before them, whose Doom some of them have declared to be to light a Pipe of Tobacco, though others of them have condemned it to a worse fate, that must be nameless; thereby shewing their Loyalty and Respect to his Majesty, who after his Perusal of it Ten Days, gave it to the Lords of his Privy Council to consider of, before whom it lay near Three Weeks, and who were pleased two several times to Interrogate me, and make their Objections thereon; and they afterwards thought it not unworthy the consideration of another Assembly, whose quick-sightedness did, upon the very first hearing of it read, doom it as I have before told you. But they hope that this Behaviour of theirs to his Majesty will be forgotten, when Judges, Attorney and Sollicitor Generals Places come to be disposed of in Ireland; or that they have now shew'd their Desert for such Places, in so vigorously hindring those that would go over and do the King such signal Service.

[Page]My Second Argument shall be the Approbation of a great many of the Gentry of our own Country, viz. Those of them who live at present at Leverpool in Lancashire, where their number is great, and who were not prejudiced by mis-representations of it from London, (as the Gentlemen of Chester were;) their sense of it you shall see by the Copy of the Letter sent me from thence, which here follows.

Sir,

YOur Proposals have been communicated to our Country-men here, who receive them with all imaginable respect, and can very readily Subscribe to any such advantagious Methods for the prevention of that dismal Calamity of Famine that seems to threaten our desolate Country, unless prevented by some such timely foresight as this of yours; and therefore will be willing at all times to joyn with you, or any such worthy Patriots of their Country, to prevent, and if possible, dissipate those threatning Calamities.

Your most Humble Servant, R. T.

Leverpool. Dec. 3. 89.

But you will say, here are Gentlemen of good Quality in London that are not for it; nay the sense of the Gentry at their Meeting ran generally against it. To this I say therefore in the Third place, that some of those who were there, (who were not Fifty in their whole Assembly,) did then misunderstand it, as is most evident from the Paper, which some of themselves have since that time drawn up and subscribed; wherein they do declare their sense of the said Proposal, and their readiness to submit to his Majesties Pleasure in Relation to it, which Subscription I have. As for that which they call their Committee, chosen shall I say, or named Three of a Province to answer it; they named themselves, or which is much to the same purpose, some great Persons named them all. I saw at their Table some Gentlemen of Munster, whose Estates singly, are by all their Neighbours own'd to be more than the Estates in Ireland, of the Three [Page] Persons who now stand for that Province in their Committee. And since I have said in Ireland, I must now say, that of these Twelve Persons, Seven or Eight are in such good circumstances here, that I question whether they would return if the whole Kingdom were Reduc'd; some of them I am morally sure would not, having before this Calamity sold most part of their Estates there, and even their Stock and Houshold Goods, and are setled in this Kingdom; however they pretend to share with us in the Benevolence of the Parliament. Others of these Twelve, though they sold not their Estates, yet have they fetch'd over Thousands in Cash: Some of them have declared, that they will not receive their shares of the Fifteen Thousand Pounds. Others of them are called to the Bar, and in practice here; let the World Judge then, whether these few Men, whose interest it is, not to go, ought to answer for so many Hundreds, I might say Thousands of us who desire to go. For whatever these Gentlemen who are here, and full of Money may think, I do know some Gentlemen who had good Estates, and great Stock before this Calamity, whose excessive wants have even made them Distracted; when they have sought in vain to put their Daughters, Young Gentlewomen well Educated, to Services almost of the meanest degree, not having Bread to give them at home. What Barbarous Cruelty is it then (to use their own words,) to hinder Men from getting Relief, (how dear soever they pay for it) who otherwise may be forced to starve, or perhaps to put an end to their miserable days with their own hands.

Well, but as these men will not go themselves, so it is possible their Reasons may be such as will demonstrate it impracticable for others to go; therefore

In the Fourth place, I will impartially lay down all the Objections I have yet heard them make, and answer them as I am able; but by these Objections, I understand only such as will lye against this my present Proposal; I shall not hold my self oblig'd to answer any other.

But before I take these Objections in hand, I must give you a very short History of the occasion of them. After that his Majesty and his Privy Council had fully considered, [Page] and were well satisfied of the great necessity and benefit of the Proposal, they were pleased in order, (as is most reasonably to be suppos'd) to be more fully inform'd of any thing that might yet more facilitate the putting it in practice, to give it into the hands of some Persons of our Country, with Directions that they, with Five or Six such Persons as they should think the most able, should go together and consider of it, that so what defects the single thoughts of the Proposer might have over look'd, might be supplied by [...]m; intending, without all doubt, to put the same in practice when it should have had what they could have added to it, but not at all to have these Gentlemens approbation of it; for surely that Honourable Board were as capable to judge of what was necessary or practicable, as these can pretend to be. Which mighty condescension these Gentlemen were so far from making a right use of, and by thankfully accepting one favour, to qualify themselves for obtaining another, that presently a general Summons is sent abroad for all the Irish Gentry to meet; from which Title no Irish man being willing to except himself, there came along with the Gentlemen of Estates and Quality, a parcel of Rabble, Men who had no concern in that Paper, but in that part which related to the Brief; such as Sollicitors, Attorneys Clerks, &c. who being set on by some designing Men, did rail and roar at that Paper and the Proposer, in such an undecent manner, not to say worse, that had he been a Criminal, the usage of that Assembly could not be much inferior to his Punishment, besides the continual calumnies and threats both of them and others ever since, to do him some mischief: All this while never considering, that it is not to me, but to his Majesty to whom they offered this high affront, (from whom whatsover Paper does come, ought to be receiv'd with the highest Respect and Veneration) who, by giving that Paper into the hands I before mention'd, did never intend to give me up to be torn in pieces by the Rabble, even though the Proposal had been impracticable. Here then was the aforesaid Committee nam'd; Two of whom, as I am inform'd, Penn'd their Answer, which was so scurrilous and abusive, that assoon as I enter'd the Room where they were Reading of it to all their Assembly, [Page] the Reader was struck silent; but after several Whisperings round the Table, at length he began again to Read, where I heard so much Scurrility and Reflections, that themselves were at last asham'd to read any more till I was gone; and the Author, of himself, began to extenuate the sense of his words, and to beg my pardon for some Names and other Reflecting words in it. But after they had read this Scandalous Answer, to animate and inrage the Multitude against me, they thought fit to prepare a more Civil one for the Privy Council, but they made a Second, a Third and a Fourth before they could agree, the Contents of which I am a Stranger to; but that Honourable Board was not so, to the usage that the Paper receiv'd which was sent from them; and therefore at the delivery of their Answer, these Gentlemen, as I have heard, receiv'd the just reward of their temerity, a severe Reproof to themselves. And I fear, that that poor Paper of theirs, notwithstanding all the Florid Satyr it contains, will hardly be able to save itself from the fate to which they had doom'd mine. And it is now generally said, that some of them who have refus'd to go with Money, will now be ordered to go without Money; viz. the Northern Gentry. And indeed their staying here is unaccountable, for I have heard it among themselves, that some Gentlemen of that Country, of the best Quality, have not lost out of their Houses to the value of a Silver Spoon. I envy not their good fortune, though their staying here, notwithstanding we suffer for it, seems to argue that they pity not our misfortune.

But since those Objections made at their first Meeting, and those contained in their first Answer, may prevail upon some of those Persons who heard them, or to whom they have been communicated, it will therefore behove me to remove them, in order to the undeceiving of those who may be ignorant of some matters of Fact.

1. Obj. First, they do blacken this Proposal with the Character of Cruel and Barbarous, to send People over into a ruined Country, in the depth of Winter, to be starved both with Cold and Hunger. To this I answer, first, supposing all this were true, (which it is not) yet still it were better, [Page] that some should go over and wrestle with some hardships, in order to the future preserving of themselves and those that will stay here, than that all should stay here, and so inevitably perish together for Company. It is just as if, when there is a small leak in Ship, every one should refuse going to labour at the Pump, and so sit still at their ease till the Ship fill with water, and they be all swallowed up in an instant.

But secondly, I say that this is not true; the Country is not so ruined but that, by the help of Money, they may be well furnished both with Food and Firing. By the prizes which the Duke of Schomberg has set on all Victuals (as on Beef a penny a Pound, &c.) it is evident that there is no want of Food in that Country; besides the many private Letters, which do abundantly confirm the same, and that the Irish themselves do now come in both with Horses and Cattle, for we give them money for them, whereas the late King's Army either takes them away or buys them with Brass. But supposing that we should go there, and that it should so happen, that when we are there, we should be distressed for Provisions; in such Case I say, when we are in a Body, and do represent, that in Obedience to His Majesties Commands we went over, and exposed our selves to such hardships, there is not the least room for doubt but that we should be taken care of; whereas we may now stay here perishing in every Corner of the Streets undistinguished and unrelieved. Instances of this are evident; you see the Vaudois are no sooner returned to their Country, but even so far from them as in London, we are raising money for their relief, yet we scarce thought on them, while they remained in Suisserland, though their misery and wants were much greater: And when within these twenty years last past there was great want of Food in New-England, even we in Ireland sent them store; the City of Dublin alone, sent them a Ship of three hundred Tuns, loaden only with Wheat and other Victuals, and, as I have heard, we payed for the very fraight of it also.

There is nothing, necessary for life, in this City, excepting the Air and the River-water, that a poor Irish man can receive within his lips without cost; one might therefore justly [Page] wonder that those who have lived all their life upon Dapes Inempta, have lived happily with little or no occasion or use of Money, should be so difficultly persuaded to return to the same sort of life again: to have their Bread and Beer-Corn in their Hagard, their Hens and their Geese giving them Eggs (which here are pence a piece, and there were twenty, nay, forty for a penny:) their Cows and their Hogs and every thing else necessary for a comfortable living.

But though it be our happiness that all things are at present in great plenty in Ireland, yet by the Time that, by the Blessing of God, we might reasonably compute that Kingdom may be reduced, viz. about the latter end of the next Summer, when this years Corn is spent and no harvest or very little to succeed it, then will the Cry of a Famine begin to rise; so that when we should be all going to take Possession of our Estates, there will not be found a man possibly that will go over. For Plague being the constant attendant of Famine, it were as reasonable to expect that Men should go into a Pest-house, as then to go for Ireland. But if there were no apprehensions of the Plague to terrifie us from going over, yet notwithstanding, no man will then go over, but he that carries Money enough to maintain him and his Family for one year (I might say for two, for so long it will be before we shall have any Wheat in that Kingdom) and of such there will be but very few, perhaps none; for a greater Sum than the Revenue of the Crown, would not keep the Inhabitants of Ireland in necessary Food, Cloathing and Firing. I know there are some of us that will not apprehend any such danger, for they say that the Irish have sewed a great deal of Corn in the South this Winter; but these men do not think that that Country is like to be the Scene of War the next year, and to lye open to two Armies; and especially that we have a French Enemy to deal with, who, if the Country were ten times fuller of Corn, will soon (according to his usual practice) lay it all in Ashes.

It is no small satisfaction to me, in the Cause that I have undertaken, that the Government is of the same mind as to the necessity and benefit of it. And that they are so I am satisfied from this, that true Policy is the same in all wise States; [Page] and by the Letters from Rome (that School of Politicks) of the Nineteenth of November last, we are informed that the Colledge of Cardinals, (whose Authority is equivalent to that of our Parliament) upon only the Prospect of a War the next year in Italy, and a small Army of the Milanese now upon the March, have resolved and declared they will lend money to all Persons whatsoever that will come and offer themselves to sow Corn in their Dominions. And though, by the Laws of that Country, all Farmers are to bring in their Corn, assoon as it is threshed, to the publick Stores at a certain rate; yet for the further encouragement of Men to sow at this Time, the Government there have declared, that those who will now sow, shall have liberty to export a fourth part of their Corn where they please. By which you may see, how much the Wisdom of our King and Council, in graciously receiving and approving of a Proposal so agreeable to the Sentiments of that wise State, is beyond that of a Cabal of our Rabble who set up for Irish Statesmen.

2. Obj. The Answerers of the Proposal say, secondly, that there are no Towns to dwell in, and that the Army fills the Country. As for the Army, God and the King increase their Number ten-fold; and as for the Towns I say, that there are several good ones, more than we can use, that have no Army near them, and that have good Land enough about them; as Colrain, Belturbet, Eniskilling and Londonderry, which, as I have heard, has not twenty Houses uninhabitable within the Walls; it once held twenty five thousand Souls, and now there are scarce three thousand of them; I have heard lately, that six hundred are Soldiers.

3. Obj. Then they tell us that there are no Horses to plow withal, and that we must yoke our selves. To this I answer, that they who ran away in such hast at the landing of our Army, that they left their Corn ripe in the Field, when they might have reaped it (for we had no Horse then to hinder them;) it is as likely, that they have left their Plow Garrons behind them, especially considering that they could be of no manner of use to them, for the greatest part of them are never backed; (this I know of those parts of Ireland where I am concerned (the Counties of Dublin and Wicklow) [Page] which are not less civilized than the North. But, say there be not a Plow-Horse left in the North, (though in the Answer to the first Objection it does appear there are enough brought there) this Money will soon fetch them from Scotland, and from Wales.

4. Obj. But, say some of them, that cannot be; for it was a usual thing to send Horses out of Ireland into Scotland. So it was to send black Cattle out of Ireland into England; and yet we shall find black Cattle enough here to carry back again, to feed us and stock our Lands.

5. Obj. Then they say, How can we live there, without Houshold-goods, Beds, &c. To this I say, how do they live here? They are now Sojourners and Lodgers, and so they may be there in a much cheaper Country. But further, I say that within these two years past there have been many a score Ship-loads of Bedding and other Houshold-goods that have been brought into England, which are now as ready to be carried back again; He that consults Bristow, Northwales, Chester, Leverpool and Cumberland, will find this to be true.

6. Obj. Oh but, say some, this Proposal may help us to make a better, viz. that though the Country is now too desolate to inhabit, and that they that would now go must certainly perish; yet when the Country is setled, and a Civil Government established, and the Courts of Justice erected, that there may be Trials of Causes, and even Inditements for Trespasses, then if we were set aflote, with Money in our Pockets, we would venture to settle there again. But even to this some cried out, Who'le pay our Debts if we go?

To answer the first part of this, I say, that if we must not go because the Country is desolate, by the same reason, more enforced, we must not go when the whole Kingdom is reduced, for then it will be much more desolate. But further, if it were not a Contradiction to suppose the Country could be setled while all of us stay here, yet, even by delaying, we should lose the Opportunity of sewing Corn, which is the principal End of this Proposal. And that we must not go, till we have the Power to ruine one another with Inditements for Trespasses (which has beggar'd so many thousands,) this I must say has more of the Lawyer in it than [Page] the Christian; and I wish that this do not give the People of England occasion to think us litigious and an uncharitable People, and consequently render them so to us, which I pray God avert.

7. Obj. Then they say, it is impossible to find Persons that will be Treasurers under these Conditions. I say, that is but their Opinion, and the contrary is mine; neither can they prove it to be more than Opinion, till they have consulted their Countrymen at all the great Towns in the West and North of England, where they now are in great Numbers. But if, after all, none should be found that would do it, yet I am not to be blamed, who, out of Good-will to my Countrymen, would have them put to the least Charge imaginable. The good Design ought not to be thrown aside for this; rather let there be a penny or two-pence an Acre allowed for his riding about, and then we shall have Competitors enough for it. But still I say and do insist upon it, that I would have that penny an Acre to be saved; for I cannot think but that, among our whole Nation, there will be found at least two publick spirited Men, and duly qualified, who would undertake this labour for the publick good.

8. Obj. As to their Objection, that they must be bound that their Corn must grow, it being more a Cavil than an Objection, deserves not an Answer.

9. Obj. Then they say, I send the Nobles of our Land to plow. I bear as great a respect to our Nobles as the Answerers; but I say that, even in England, many of the Nobility who live in the Country keep a Plow a going, though they hold it not themselves; and I would not presume to desire any more of our Nobility. But I suppose that few of them are among the Number of those who will have need to go over; and indeed the only reason that they are mentioned in this Proposal is, that their going may give a good Example to the rest.

10. Obj. Then they say, that such a Proclamation is without Precedent. To that I say, That in it self is no Argument; there are new Precedents made in Westminster-Hall every Term.

But further, it is not without Precedent for a State or [Page] Kingdom to set forth an Edict, for such or such sort of Persons to depart their Cities or Dominions, when the good of that State, or even of those Persons, does require it; I could give several, both Ancient and Modern. But it is much more without a Precedent, that a Nation being fled or driven out of their Country, should, when the Door is open, stand looking at their Country, without returning, even when at the same time they are near perishing with want. Let but the poor French Refugees have the same Bait, and see how few of them will stay behind. And I think the Goodness of our King is without Precedent, in troubling himself to conquer a Country for a People, who will not return and plant in it when it is conquered. They are not acquainted how near Enemies live to one another abroad, that scruple to go live at Londonderry or Eniskilling, because the Irish are at Sligo. The Country of the Vaudois is within fifteen Miles of Turin, the Duke of Savoys Court, which yet is a very flourishing place and a splendid Court. And the mighty and impregnable Fort of Hunningen, which the French have been so many years a building, is within Cannon-shot of the City of Basil, the most renouned of all Suisserland. But to return to our Objectors,

11. Obj. They say I have left my self a hole to creep out at, in excepting those whom His Majesty shall particularly order to stay here for his service, and that I am underhand getting such an order. But they are mistaken, for I want not that hole, I can go out at the Gate, in being excepted among those, whose usual abode has not been in Ireland; for I was setled here with my Family before the Earl of Tyrconnel went to that Government. But I will do neither, but if His Majesty shall think fit to send over money for us to subsist withal there, I purpose God willing to be among the first that shall go over to sow Corn, in doing of which, I presume to say, I shall do His Majesty more service than I can pretend to do by staying here.

12. Obj. But say some of them, if an Angel from Heaven had given a Proposal without consulting us first, we would not receive it. This deserves not much Answer, however I shall say this, supposing, after all, that the King and the [Page] Council or the House of Commons should think this a very useful Proposal; judge you then, by all the rest of the Arguments that they have raised against it, what had become of this useful Proposal, if it had been first presented to them. But besides, who are these mighty People to be consulted withall? Forty or Fifty at most, who get together upon every occasion, and who are in this very action justly incurring the same censure, in pretending to answer for a whole Nation, without consulting any one of them at Bristol, Chester or Leverpool, where their Numbers exceed ours here Forty to one, and who do not think their Business in England is to stay for imployments, or to be made Privy-Counsellors; but are panting after their own Country; and many of them have long since declared, that they would return, if they had but their shares of the 15000 l. nay many of them would go, if but their Fraight were paid for; when Men are ill, they think change of place gives ease of Pain. And besides, even here in London, there are Persons of the best Quality of that Kingdom, without consulting of whom, this small handful of Men think fit to act as the Representatives of the Nation.

But moreover, others of them have given in Proposals to the King, without consulting the rest of us, and I think my Pretensions are as good as any mans of them all, perhaps better. I had the Honour to be known to our present King in Holland, to attend on him in his Expedition for England, in which there were not Two Persons more of Ireland that I know of, (except what were in the Kings Pay,) and I have the honour to have access to him here; which singular Favour I have made use of, (God is my Witness, though I could appeal to others) more for the good of our poor Country, than to my own private advantage. This I have inserted only for the information of some few of our Country-Gentlemen, who know few of their own Countrymen more than what they meet at an Assizes, and who have been pleased to say, that I made these Proposals only to make my self known.

13. Obj. As for what is objected touching the Brief-Mony, we will give them leave to wipe out that whole Clause, for [Page] that Money as I am inform'd, is very near to its end; I wish it have been laid out to better purpose, and have done as much good as it would have done thus employed.

14. Obj. But the most Popular Objection is still behind, founded upon a Proposal given in by Sir St. J. Br—ck, to raise a Regiment of Munster Men to Land in the South; and he has only chosen the Forfeited Lands of the Three best Counties in Ireland for their pay. And the reasonableness and usefulness of my Proposal being so likely to overthrow his, has made him to mis-represent mine to every body, and to defame it with the Epithet of Dishonest and Knavish; wherefore I must desire your Patience, since my Reputation is at stake, (though I thank God it never was before this time, and I think I shall easily clear it now) to set forth the Knavery and Insolence as well as the Folly and Impracticableness of this latter Proposal. 1st. For the Knavery, this Colonel that would be, has kept Lusty Young Men, that might, and probably would have gone over with our Army, these Five Months in pay upon the Brief-Money, which was design'd for the Relief of the Distressed, (this can be prov'd from their own Confessions,) so that the Poor Widows and Children are cheated of this Charity which Lusty Young Men receive. 2dly. These Young Men are cheated too, for as themsolves say, he has promis'd to carry over an Hundred of them as Cadets, in double pay, and that they shall be preferr'd to all the first vacancies of Commands in the Army: so that here he sets up for their General too. But 3dly, most of all will the King be deceived▪ and that first, in Relying on him to raise a Regiment of Irish Refugees: I am sure it is the opinion of most of the considering Men of that Country, that it is impossible to raise 300 Men of Ireland, who would carry a Musket on their Shoulder; upon inquiry, it will be found, that there did not go a Thousand of them over, under all the Irish Officers that went into the Army, and I believe those few that remain, are not now so fond of going in the same capacity; and the reason hereof has been plainly shewn by the great Author of a late excellent Treatise, call'd the Characters of the Protestants of Ireland. But if this Gentleman may be permitted to make up his Regiment [Page] with English Men, then there are others here of Ireland, who have a better pretence to it that he; for the Second disappointment that the King will meet with, if he have a Regiment, will be, that too probably he will do him no service with it. I will not say that he will carry in his Regiment to his old Master; but this I will say, that when his Majesty came up from the West to London, in our March I found this Gentleman at Windsor then a Justice of the Peace (and I have heard several say, he was a Deputy Lieutenant) under the late King, at the time when few honest Men in the Kingdom would accept of it. And if what he told the Committee of the House of Commons be true, that he had but fourscore Pounds a year in England, it is then the more likely that he was put in for a Tool, to serve some Turn in those Times. But however the Gentry of Ireland do think that I have accidentally hindred their getting the 15000l. this Gentleman did designedly endeavour it, for he proposed it in the Committee, that this fifteen thousand Pounds might not be given to us, but applyed to a better use, viz. to the raising of his Regiment and mounting them.

As for his Insolence it appears, in tacitly providing himself of Soldiers before the Kings Pleasure be known. 2dly. In making such Demands to have the best forfeited Lands in the Kingdom, before they shew whether they shall deserve the Pay of other Men. But above all, it appears in getting the Certificate of his Soldiers (that are to be,) that he is a very fit Person to be their Colonel, which Certificate has been on foot these Five Months; and which is an insolence to his Majesty beyond all imagination, to set the Feet above the Head, that the Common Soldiers and other his Titular Officers, should make their Colonel, nay their General, as was before shewn: As to its being impracticable, I have shewn that before under another head.

And now I will put my self in the Balance with him; you must forgive me this little concern that I have shewn, for I cannot pass by without resentment, the Man that calls me a Knave. My Reputation is the only thing left me in this Calamity, and that no Man shall take from me; especially I will vindicate it from the abuses of a man so scurrilous, that [Page] he provokes even Clergy-men to beat him. But set us by one another a little; my Proposal is not to make me any thing, much less a Collonel; neither, if the Treasurers place in it, were worth asking for, (since that is the only Office that my Proposal makes, neither is that yet made, till a man can be found that will accept of it;) yet by my own Proposal, as I am unable to execute it, so I am unqualified for it; for my Estate is setled, and has been so these Four Generations past. I got none of it by perjuring my self or other Men, nor by any other indirect course, I thank God; but it has been in my Family so long, as that by honest Industry and good Husbandry we have increas'd it, in value, not in quantity, from nine Pence an Acre, to Five and Twenty Shillings an Acre. And that makes my Calamity now the greater; he had no Plantations there to loose, whatever he may pretend, whereas I have lost what no Money, nothing but time can repair. I have never seen nor heard of in Ireland or England, Plantations equal to what I have there lost, both in Woods of (Grafts, and young Timber Trees; of this, your self and many of my Countrey-men can be my Vouchers: For out of my great zeal to fill the Country with Orchards, I gave Fruit Trees to all that ask'd, which made me encrease my Nurserys so extravagantly.

But to return, notwithstanding that my Proposal carries men over as Planters, not as Soldiers; yet if any man of us have a mind to go into the Army, my Proposal will set him out very well. After the charge of Sowing his Corn is paid, he will have perhaps some scores of Pounds in his Purse to equip himself withall: And every man whose share is under Twenty Pounds, and who consequently is not obliged to Sow any Corn, has no more to do, but to receive his Money, with which, if he pleases, he may immediately mount himself for the Army. And I am sure those who cannot Fight through Age or Infirmity, or that have numerous Families, would have reason to approve of my Proposal, which would give them a maintenance without Fighting, and by it the most infirm or aged Person that is concern'd in the House of Commons List, (who would be otherwise useless,) is made as useful to the Publick as the best.

[Page]There are some other little Objections which scarce deserve to be repeated, such as the carrying over of Arms, which are design'd but for their own defence, and which if it had not been mention'd, they would then have cry'd out, How can we, an unarm'd People, go over and plant in an Enemies Country? But there are some Men among us, that have fill'd their Brains with a Notion that the Parliament will maintain them here till they can send them home, and that they shall have this 60000 l. of course, without going over, and will not be perswaded to the contrary, and consequently will not hear of stirring; the miserable consequences of which Opinion, makes my heart ake to think upon.

If there are any more Objections, they are not answered, only because I know them not, for they would not give me admittance among them, when they were drawing their Answer, which is another Mark of their fair dealing; though possibly this was done with design, that they might Reply to me with more advantage. For some of us do make that use of the leisure we have by our Exile, to answer every new Pamphlet that does not suit with our own Notion: but if any of them do design to treat this so, they shall keep the Field undisturb'd for me. This Vindication was a debt to my Reputation, but I shall never think, for my part, that so much is due to an Opinion.

But after all, I am perswaded that the greatest part of these Gentlemen are deluded by a few of their Leaders, Money'd Men, and who are in a way of Living here, who have told them that my Proposal sends all away, and that unless they go, they shall have no share in the Fifteen Thousand Pounds; that when they come there, they shall have but Ten Pounds a Man: and that for that Ten Pounds, they must Sow Two Acres of Oats, and build a House, and that on another Mans Land. Whereas this is all false, and on the contrary, every man, whose share of the 45000 l. is under Twenty Pounds, is not obliged so much as to Sow Corn or any thing else, only to carry over Arms for his own defence. So that I hope their hard thoughts of this Proposal will vanish, and of me for making it; especially if they consider, First, That it would be far from being a Profit to me, [Page] or a satisfaction to any thing that carrys the Nature of Man, to see a People, my own Nation, Ruin'd and Destroy'd, (as some to my Knowledge put it into their Heads, that that is my Design, who are as much Strangers to my past Actions as to my present Inclinations,) on the contrary it is most manifest, that the Good of the People in general must redound to my particular advantage. But to satisfie them further, they may see before, that I have declared my purpose of going along, and to undergo to the utmost of my Ability, whatever hardships we shall meet with. I would desire them to consider secondly, that if either the King or the Council had thought this Proposal so ridiculous and foolish (as these men have told them it is,) surely they would never have given themselves the trouble of twice reading it; whereas we see on the contrary they thought it worthy their serious Consideration. Thirdly, That this Proposal is a force upon no man, nor does any man any wrong that stays here; and therefore that it is too like the Dog in the Manger, to hinder other mens going because we cannot or will not go our selves. Fourthly, That the price of Corn is already risen from two Shillings fix-pence to four Shillings a Bushel, and no Armies yet upon the March nor Fleet fitted out. I wish that before the time that our Northern Corn could have grown, the People of England do not think too much of all the Corn we have here eaten (though for our Money) when they shall want it themselves.

It is not long since Ireland has in one Year, (but in 84,) exported of Victuals alone (as I have seen in the account thereof) to the value of Two Hundred Eighty Three Thousand Pounds Sterling, of which, not above Twenty Thousand Pounds was in Fish, the rest was in Butter and Cheese, Beef, Mutton, Pork and Bacon; (I speak not here of Tallow, Hides, Wool, &c.) What an astonishment is it then to think, that in so few Years it should be brought to that desolate condition, as not to be able to Feed the few Inhabitants it carries? The consideration of this, does demonstrate to me the Service of Forty Five Thousand Pounds thus laid out, to be so great, that one can hardly doubt, after having had so great proofs of the charitable Disposition of the Citizens of London, but that among them, there may [Page] be some found, who will advance and lend the Treasury Money upon this Occasion, if it be demanded: The gift of which would indeed have been a great Favour to us at First, if we had obtain'd it upon this Proposal without any words; but to have it offered now, will shew a true Paternal Affection, in giving us what is good for us, against our wills; and though we have justly forfeited all hopes, yet if those here and at Chester, will upon better thoughts confess their fault, and fairly lay the Saddle on the right Horse, and justly expose those Men that have drawn them into this; who as some of them were a burden to us in our best times, so now have they in our greatest distress, made us forfeit the favour of his Majesty by their Practises; and with the worthy Irish Gentry of Leverpool (who are no small number) joyn in an humble Supplication to his Majesty, that he would notwithstanding their Folly, even yet dispose of them according to the said Proposal, or in any other way that to his Wisdom shall seem fit, there is yet room to hope that his Majesty will be graciously inclin'd to let them be partakers of his Favours.

I am, Sir,

Your most Humble Servant, R. B.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

The proposal for sending back the nobility and gentry of Ireland together with a vindication of the same, and an answer to the objections made against it in a letter to a gentleman of Ireland.

Buckley, Richard, Sir.

Edition statement

1690

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A30010

ID [STC]

Wing B5354

ID [STC]

ESTC R3335

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

13672743

ID [OCLC]

ocm 13672743

ID [VID]

101184

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Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A30010)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 101184)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 838:15)

Source

— The proposal for sending back the nobility and gentry of Ireland together with a vindication of the same, and an answer to the objections made against it in a letter to a gentleman of Ireland., Buckley, Richard, Sir..

Extent

[4], 24 p.

Printed for Samuel Holford ... and sold by R. Baldwin ...,. London :: 1690.. (Signed: R.B.) (Written by Richard Buckley. Cf. BM.) ("Published by authority.") (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.)

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