Irish are so subdu'd that there is no danger of their disturbing us for the time to come By such a forward reckoning as this have the English continually been deceiv'd and very fatally Impos'd on themselves ever since the first Conquest of Ireland I think it Sir not inconvenient to instance some Cases very briefly Henry the Second the First Conqueror after he came into Ireland contented himself with the Oaths and Submissions of the Irish he thought they were sufficient and did not trouble himself with Building of Garisons or Leaving an Army here those who came after him saw that they have but a very bad Interest who rely upon Irish Submissions I find in Sir George Carew's Manuscripts in the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury's Manuscript Library at Lambeth (a) Lib. M. pag. 38. that Richard the Second in the Ninth year of his Reign made Robert de Vere Duke of Ireland Lord Lieutenant here gave him 1500 men super conquestum illius terrae perdues annos they were positive then that those men wou'd serve to Conquer Ireland fully in Two years but they were out in their Reckoning for in the same Book (b) ib. pag. 39. I find which is related likewise by our Historians that King Richard the Second in the year 1394 which was but Nine years after came over himself in Person with an Army of 30000 Archers and 4000 men of Arms. This was a pretty sort of Army for a King to bring into a Country which his Lieutenant had so lately engag'd to Conquer in Two years with less than the 20th part of the men But notwithstanding this Army and the general Submissions of the Irish to him he came over again to head another Army within Five years I find by the Instructions which Queen Eliz. gave that Great and Worthy Person Sir Henry Sidney in the year 1575 when he came over Lord Deputy which are in the Manuscript Library at Lambeth (a) Lib. H. fol. 326. that he had Engag'd to Her that he wou'd defray all Her Charge here for 20000 l. Per Annum besides the Revenue of the Kingdom which was then little or nothing This was more than King Edward the Third gave Sir William Windsor who Covenanted with the King by Indenture to defray all the Charge for 11213 l. 06â— 08 d. Per Annum (b) Lib. M. fol. 44. and yet if he had liv'd till the latter end of the Queen's Reign and made his Bargain good he had sav'd Her a Considerable Treasure Four years after Anno 1579 we find among the same Manuscripts (c) Lib. L. fol. 265. that an Opinion touching the Government of Ireland proposes with 2000 Souldiers well plac'd to keep the whole Country in Subjection How these Projectors were mistaken a little time discover'd for Mr. Spencer in his Eudoxus Irenaeus Complains of the vast deal of Money which the Queen had spent in a little time and Camden (a) Camd append to Eliz. tells us that O Neal's War which the Queen ended cost England 1198717 l. Mr. Spencer who was Offended at the Oversight of others is sure he has a contrivance which will put an end to all these Troubles he 's then for having all put to their helping Hands and Hâ—arts and doing all at once If 10000 Foot and 1000 Horse be sent into Ireland he says that in a year and a half 's time they 'l do the work effectually and Settle the Perpetual Peace of the Kingdom (b) Spencer pag. 233. when the Ingenious Mr Edm. Spencer form'd this Scheme Sir William Russâ—â— who was Sworn August 11th 1594. was Lord Deputy within Four or Five years after his Writing it he saw that he mistook as well as others had done for in the Instructions Queen Elizabeth gave Robert Earl of Essâ—x which is in one of the above named Manuscripts (c) Lib. C.C. fol. 169. 170. in the year 1599. on the 25th of March when he was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland we find She allows him 16000 Foot and 1â—00 Horse to finish the War betime and Orders him to receive the Capital Trayâ—or O Neal to no Conditions but bare Submissions This Army by the Rule of proportion ought to have done hat in somewhat more than a year which Mr. Spencer's was to do in a year and half and yet we find in another Book among Sir George Carew's Manuscripts in Lambeth Library that above Three years afterwards in April 1602 the List of the Army was 1350 Horse and 16000 Foot and in September following the List was 1425 Horse and â—6250 Foot (a) Manucripts in Pag. 14. Any man will at first sight perceive why I am thus particular in mentioning these things 't is to shew how the English have been mistaken in their Reckoning that this may make them cautious at the present The Troubles which follow'd afterwards are a plainer Demonstration of their Errour Notwithstanding the Subjection which the Army of Queen Elizabeth brought the Irish to and the trouble which King James Her Successor had and the Care he took by making New Plantations and Raising strong Fortresses to secure the Peace of this Kingdom yet in 1641 a Rebellion began with a most Bloody Massacre and a War ensued which put England to much more Charge than they were at since the Conquest After this War the English reckoned themselves in Possession of a Peace which cou'd never again be Disturbed And in the year 1672 we find that one of the greatest Heads in Europe (a) Sir William Petty Polit. Anatom of Ireland positively Asserted that it could not be in the power of the Irish to disturb the British of this Kingdom again Had he Printed his Book at that time I should almost have suspected that he wrote it to please the Government that Protestants here might Entertain no Suspicion of the great Favour which by Proclamation was shewn the Irish Papists the Year following 'T is plain from what follow'd afterwards that he was mistaken as others were before him We to our Sorrow are Witnesses that they grew to that head as to put England to the Charge of sending over such an Army as never was seen in this Island before and did themselves the Honour of looking the Most Warlike Prince and after him the greatest General in Europe in the Face I know people will say that this happen'd by the King's Indulgence to them and that 't was impossible they should give England that trouble if the Sword had not been put into their Hands I think 't was possible that they might have had a better opportunity than that For suppose that before King James came to the Crown a Civil War had broken out in England which had employ'd the whole Strength of the Kingdom if the French King in such a Case had Landed a considerable Army in Ireland and the Irish had Universally joyn'd with him would not they have put the English harder to it This might have been for we
Attack upon Ireland as a step to the Universal Monâ—chy and since that Ambition together with the Balance of Power have â—len to France that King has cast a greedy Eye upon this Island Thereâ—e it must be the great concern of England to Secure it Sir Humphrey â—lbert in the year 1572 in a Discource concerning â—â—land to be found in one of the Manuscripts at Lamâ—h (a) Lib. L. fol. 239 240. said 't was the Interest of England to take more â—â—re then they did of the Settlement of the English here and â—ir being put in a thriveing way and made able to defend themselves for that to â—gland it must be either a necessary Friend or hurtful Enemy That if it shou'd â—ne into the hands of the Spaniards or French England wou'd be surrounded â—â—th dangerous Enemies The Danger england has been in and the Money they have Expended on is Island in this last age should methinks without runing up into the story of more Ancient Times convince them of the Reason they have to â—â—ke care of the Settlement of this Kingdom The War that began with the â—assacre in 1641 besides all the Bloud that was spilt cost England more â—an double the Money that all Ireland is worth if you 'l allow the Comâ—tation of some men That the late Troubles of this Kingdom and the Powâ—he Irish grew to considering the State of Affairs abroad brought England into some danger all thinking men I believe will allow This they must own that if the Treasure which was spent in Ireland and the Armies which were employ'd here had been sent into Flanders France had been humbled long ago and we had been in possession of an Honourable Peace When this is consider'd it must be allow'd me that if in former times Methods cou'd have been contriv'd to secure Ireland from these Troubles tho' it were by suffering it to grow Rich it had been the undoubted Interest of England to do it From hence I wou'd infer that 't is the Interest of England at this present time to do all that lies in its Power to prevent such Chargeable Bloudy and Dangerous Rebellions for the time to come There is no way of doing it effectually but by Incourageing people to come and Plant here People who will help to bring the Natives into Order and keep them in Subjection Thomas Howard Earl of Surry Eldest Son of Thomas Duke of Norfolk who was made Lord Leivtenant of Ireland in the year 1520 in a Letter to Henry the Eighth to be seen in one of the Manuscripts at Lambeth (a) Lib. H. fol. 339 340. tells him that unless his Grace send Inhabitants of his own natural Subjects to Inhabit such Countries as should be won all his charges wou'd be but wastfully spent for if the Irishrie says he Inhabit they will undoubtedly return to their old ill rooted Customes when they have opportunity as they have ever yet done This Noble Lord in this Letter shews the King the absolute necessity there was for his sending over Inhabitants of his own Subjects to Plant in this Country On which Saying we may make two Remarks which I think will be very useful First we see what a mighty Advantage it is to England that People come fairly in their way of whom by giving them some Incouragement they may as well serve themselves here and keep their own people at home It was then propos'd that the King wou'd Encourage Spaniards Flemings Almains and others to come over but from this the Earl disswaded the King left they should happen to fall into the Obedience of the Prince of their Native Country This was a just caution at that time when the Power of Spain was so great and all were of one Religion it do's not hold in the case of the French who are of the same Religion with us and differ from the Religion of their King and Country Secondly we see what the Great and Wise men reckoned the Interest of England that 't was to subdue Ireland throughly and put it into such a condition that it shou'd not give any Disturbance to England or the English Colony here They were not afraid of Depopulating England or of wanting men to send to raise Smoak in America No Ireland was their great concern They willingly sent their People hither and were very careful to make Ordinances and Laws to keep them here Hence it was that as we find in a Manuscript at Lambeth (a) Lib. G. fol. 13. in the 49th year of Edward the Third there was a Decree of Council that those who had Lands given them in Ireland shou'd abide there in Auxilium Salvationis terrae nostrae Hiberniae to help to preserve our Land of Ireland And in the Reign of Richard the Second his Successor as we find by another of those Manuscripts (a) Lib. M. fol. 35. ano Ric. 2d Rol par Jur. Lond. a Statute was made against Absentces commanding all such as had Lands in Ireland to reside there upon pain of forfeiting two third parts of the profits thereof And in the Reign of Henry the Eighth this Law was made fuller and extended to all their Lands By this Act the Earl of Shrewsbury the Duke of Norfolk the Lord Berkley and others forfeited their Estates here and the former the Ancestor of that Great and Worthy Person the present Duke of Shrewsbury lost that which is now the whole Country of Longford and almost all the Lands of the Counties of Westmeath and Wexford (a) vid. Lib. G. fol. 69. in Manuscript Lambethian These Laws I 'm told are still in Force and some have thought that if they had been duly executed the Irish wou'd not have been able to grow to that Head in Ireland which they lately did Whether this Conjecture be right or no I cannot tell this I may say without offence that the great Adventurers and Estated Men's living in England was always reckoned in former times one of the great Causes why Ireland was not brought into Subjection I could wish that those who have great Estates here wou'd take this into their Consideration now I find that among the other Instructions which the Earl of Essex Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the year 1573 gave Edward Waterhouse to communicate to the Queen this which we find in one of Sir George Carew's Manuscripts (b) Lib. L L. fol. 8. was one that he shou'd inform her that one great reason of the Armies being diminish'd in the North and that the Country was in the hands of the Rebels was the Adventurers retireing themselves to England The reason why I mention these things is to shew that in former times England did not regard any Advantage of its own which might interfere with the security of this Kingdom how plain wou'd this be if I should give an account of the Ancient Immunities granted by our Kings to the Corporations here and shew on t'other side how the Trade now is Prohibited and
fetter'd by English Statutes This our Friends in England say is Policy and 't is a maxim among them that 't is their Interest to keep Ireland low If by their Interest they mean the Interest of some privat men who have Ends of their own to serve distinct from the Publick Good and if by Ireland they mean the Popish Irish Interest of Ireland then I allow that what they say may be true I think 't is the undoubted Interest of the King and Kingdom of England that those who are of the Protestant Religion and English Interest in Ireland be very numerous and that under them this Kingdom Flourish and grow Rich. The King will allow and so must every one that 't is His Interest to have His Power and Strength increas'd by the increase of Loyal Subjects and his Revenue made greater by the growth of their Wealth And when the thing is duly consider'd it must be allowed that 't is no less the Interest of the Kingdom of England then of the King What can be more convenient for England than to have a Kingdom so near it which will be able to raise and maintain a considerable Body of Protestant Souldiers whenever there is occasion In the time of Edward the First we find it recorded that three several Armies were rais'd of the Kings Subjects in Ireland and Transported one into Scotland another into Wales and the third into Gascoign Edward the Third Imploy'd an Irish Army under the Command of the Earl of Kildare and Faleo de 〈◊〉 Fâ—â—yn at the Siege of Callis And Henry the Fifth call'd over the Prior of Kilmâ—inam with 15â—0 Irish to the Seige of 〈◊〉 If it had been the good Fortune of Ireland in former times to be put unto such a Condition by Protestant Plantations that it had been able to maintain an Army this War in Handers it had thereby lessen'd the Change of English which I believe all the People of England will allow had been for their Interest But let us examine a little more nicely whether or no it be more the Interest of England to keep Iâ—eland low than to have it to grow Rich and Flourish by the increase of Protestant People and growth of Trade I do believe that every wise and and considering English man will allow me that scarce any one thing can happen without the Coasts of England that wou'd be more fatal to it than that Ireland shou'd come into the hands of the greatest Power in Europe The Inconveniences that would happen upon it I need not mention Let us see then whether of the two will be likelier to prevent this to keep things in the State they are that is to say to suffer the Iâ—ish Papists who are at least Three times as Numerous as we are and are to a man in the Interest of the French King to exceed us so much in number or to promote our growing more Considerable than we are by the Addition of Protestant People and the increase of Wealth The greater we are in Riches and People the abler we shall be not only to Defeat any Rebellions at home or Descents from abroad which may be ultimatly levell'd against England but also to lend a Considerable Assistanance to our Mother-Country in any necessary War she 's Ingag'd in I think 't is the Opinion of every English man that 't is the undoubted Interest of England to keep Possession of Ireland If so then I wou'd fain see some Reason given why 't is not the Interest of the People of England to render Ireland secure and make it Wealthy as well as England To say that Ireland is a Conquer'd Country is no Reason for wise Nations when they Conquer Countries with a Design to keep them do propose to themselves to add to the Grandeur Strength and Wealth of their own Country by it but how is this to be done but by Improveing their Conquest and by Immunities and Encouragements rendering them as like their own as they can and I think it may seem a little strange that a Nation fam'd for wisdom and Equity as the English are shou'd not after above 520 years possession in a Country so conveniently Situated so good so improveable as Ireland is order things so as that the very name of Conquer'd which has a very mischievous Idea join'd to it and all manner of Jealousies being taken away both Islands might be rendred one in all their Interests If they were made one Kingdom which I wish that this Reign and our present great Ministers of State in England may have the Glory of accomplishing I believe England wou'd then reckon it their Interest to help to make this Country as Considerable and Strong as they cou'd by promoting the increase of our Wealth and the growth of Protestant People and they wou'd no more grumble at our Prosperity than the North of England dos at the happiness of the South If such a Country as Ireland is well peopled and Wealthy were join'd to England just as Wales is I would ask whether England would not be put into a better condition than before The Hollanders who take a great deal of pains to gain ground from the Sea will allow it and he that denies it must be forc'd to own that England is not the better for the Addition of Wales and that 't would be no worse if Wales and many of its own Shires were lopp'd off from it But 't will be said that Ireland is not contiguous and joyn'd to England as I suppose Tho' it be not it may be made one Kingdom with it and then 't would be much the better for being divided from it by the Sea as it is For now the two Islands have more good Ports between them than they would have if they joyn'd together the Wealth and Naval force of England would be greater by means of the Shiping that must be employ'd between the two Countries And 't is sure that we can't easily imagin how great the Power and Wealth of England would be as the Kingdoms are now placed if they were made one Kingdom if England would take off the Shackles of Ireland make us a Free people and we gave Forreign Protestants Encouragement to live here I 'm sure if Ireland had been in such a condition long ago England would have some Millions of Money and a vast Treasure of Men which it now wants But some do imagin that Ireland cannot grow in Wealth but by Impoverishing England or hindering the growth of its Wealth They may as well say that they cannot have a considerable Addition to their Protestant people without making England weaker The Increase of Wealth in Ireland must Increase that of England for whatsoever Fountain our Wealth here springs from what ever Conduits it runs thro' it in the end empties it self in England Ireland may be render'd very Wealthy by a Trade which will not in the least interfere with that of England Ireland is by a great many reckon'd equal to
most Countries in the World for the production of Flax and Hemp the Natives of the Country seem to be naturally enclin'd to this Manufacture 'T is plain by the Act of Parliament made not long since in England to take off all Duties and Impositions on the Product of Flax and Hemp from Ireland that England is well enclined to humour the genius of Ireland When we consider what a hand Holland France and the Northern Crowns have made of this Manufacture we may well allow that Ireland which has naturally greater advantages to improve it may be greatly enrich'd by it If we did but furnish England with that Linnen which they have from our neighbouring Countries this wou'd raise us a vast Treasure but I can't see what prejudice it would do England It seems to me to be at least as much their Interest to lay out their money with us who shall employ it in their defence and are their selves as with them who will make it an Instrument of their ruin 'T is the Computation of a very great man that the people of England spend 5 l. a year in Linnen one with another this Computation I suppose is much too large if the 30th part of this were laid out in Ireland 't would be three times as much as the current cash of this Kingdom has ever yet been It cannot easily be conceiv'd how much 't is England's Interest to have this Manufacture improv'd to the heighth 'T is probable that this will be the effect of Encourageing Forreign Protestants to flock hither this may draw in not only the French but many others likewise Since 't is so much our Interest to have Forreign Protetestants settle here How Forreigners may be encourag'd it concerns us to consider how we may incourage them to come in The Parliament which was held in my Lord Rumney's Government in the year 1692 made an Act which Naturaliz'd all Forreign Protestants but that was to be in Force only for Seven years Since that Law will be out of Date within two years I think Sir 't will become the Wisdom of the Nation to make a new Act which shall be in force Twenty years after the expiration of the old one and 't will be for the Publick good I think that by this Law Forreigners be not only Naturaliz'd but made Free of our Corporations likewise This will be for the advantage of the Common-wealth and will not injure particular Trades men as men upon first sight are apt to imagin To vouchsafe Strangers the Freedom of your Country is the first Incouragement the first Act of Kindness and Hospitality that you can shew them But this in good truth is no more than to give Rich men leave to bring in their Wealth and the Poor leave to beg in your Country I cou'd wish that all whom it concerns wou'd seriously consider whether it be not worth the while to lay another bait to draw them in Whether that after you have consider'd the real value of People you will not reckon it money well laid out if you should raise a fund not exceeding to be given to poor Protestants who bring in their Families to settle here I would have this money distributed among the poor French especially because they have been great Sufferers on the account of Religion The greatest Incouragement should be for men of Callings and those shou'd have most who have Wives and most Children This cannot be call'd a Burthen to the Nation because 't will be spent in the Kingdom and will increase its Wealth for the time to come This will not draw in the poor alone but the Rich likewise for they will be fond of living among a people who make such Provision for their poor And because I have shewn that 't is the Interest of England to Incourage Forreign Protestants to settle here 't is to be hop'd that if it can be done some measures will be thought of to prevail upon the King and People of England to raise some Fund there to help poor Forreigners to come over hither When this is done I think Sir that our great Council wou'd do that which would make their Memory dear to postority if they would Address the Government and pray that they would signifie to His Majesty that 't is the request of His great Council here that for promoting the Prosperity and Secureing the Peace of this Nation for the time to come he would in the Grants he makes of Forfeited Lands take some care to have Protestants planted in them If in every Estate Granted by the King the person to whom the Grant is made were oblig'd to plant a considerable number of Protestants in proportion to the Land which is given him and if they were oblig'd to set out a good part of those Estates to Protestant Tenants in Leases for Lives at a small Rent first and to be rais'd afterwards this I think would have a very good Effect and would go a great way towards making the Country Rich and Secure There is another thing which I could wish the Wisdom of our Nation would seriously consider Whether it would not be very much for the Interest of Ireland that the King would grant at least a part of the Forfeited Lands not yet disposed of to Forreign Protestants particularly and that for very good reasons to the French I believe when they consider the thing impartially they will own it I find that in the year 1583 Queen Elizabeth in the Instructions which She gave Sir John Perrot sent Lord Deputy into Ireland when She talks of Disposing of Forfeited Lands here tells him that She 's for giving no more to one than he 's able to furnish people for (a) Manuscript Lambeth L. C. pag. 35. If the King gives Grants to English Gentlemen of England or Ireland without this care taken they must take up with the Irish Tenents that are upon the Land and things must run on in their old course If they furnish people out of England this will unpeople England and impoverish it which 't is our Interest to have full of People and Wealth that we may live the more secure under its protection The great Body of the French Protestants are at this day in a very uneasie and unsettled condition and no one knows how many of them would make this Country a place of Retreat from their severe Persecutions if they heard that the King of Great Britain had granted them Lands to settle upon And when I speak this I cannot but take notice that I think it a great happiness that the Forfeitures not yet dispos'd of are in Conaught If great numbers of the French were planted there that Country which is thinest of Protestants would be render'd as Secure as any part of the Kingdom Before the Reign of King James the first till the Escheated Counties were planted with Protestant Inhabitants and the Londoners Built Derry and Colrane the North of Ireland gave the greatest disturbance
to take a great deal of pains both in Labouring the Ground and in Handicraft Occupations to get a Livelihood The streights they were put to made them Ingenious in their Inventions and when they found they were pinch'd both in the narrowness and produce of their Earth they were forc'd to look for room and provisions in the Sea By this means they fell into Navigation and Traffick grew vastly Rich Built great Cities and became the Envy of some of their Neighbours and the Admiration of Europe These are the Natural and Necessary Effects of much people Countries must be Improv'd and Enrich'd by them and those sooner than others which have the richest Soil and are most favour'd by the Sea England is as great an instance of this as any other Country for that great Wealth which it has acquired by the Improvement of the Woollen Manufacture which is an unknown Treasure is owing to the Walloons to whom Queen Elizabeth gave the greatest Encouragement to come for shelter into England from the Fury of the Duke of Alva's Pesecution But I shall make this plainer to the People of Ireland by giving them a short view of somethings here in our own Country There is in the North of Ireland an Estate which was the Lord Conway's which the Lord Marquess of Normanby the other day enjoy'd in Right of his Lady but now belongs to Mr. Popham Seymâ—r This Estate was formerly purchased by Sir Foulk Conway Uncle to the late Lord for about Five hundred pounds The Rent-role of this Estate is now about Five thousand pound per Annum Thô there are many great and profitable Leases in it some worth about Four hundred pounds per Annum clear The Land does not lye upon the Sea the Ground but very indifferent 't was altogether a Wood as the name Kilulta the Wood of Vlster denotes and yet in the Memory of men now living has been thus improv'd by a Colony of Yorkshire people and orhers brought over and Settled here by the Lord Conway and manag'd by Sir George Rawdon The same Remarke may be made on the Neighbouring Country of Clan Hugh Boy or O Neal's Country about Belfast and Carrickfergus the former of which Towns is the third in Ireland for Number of People and Trade and yet grew up to what it is from nothing in the Memory of People who liv'd but t'other day since Sir Arthur Chichester got that Estate But why should I mention particular Improvements We know that till about the same time the profits of Ireland in General were very inconsiderable The Rent which the Landlords receiv'd was no more than what he and his Followers eat in their Coshers and the Publick Revenue was not equal to the Charge of the State till of late years All the Advances which the Country made towards a better Fortune were in proportion to the number of People who came over into this Island In Queen Elizabeth's time after the Rebellions of Munster were quell'd some English came over anâ— Settled in the Plantations there And after that towards the latter enâ— of Her Reign that Province was render'd more Secure by the Defeat oâ— the Spanish Forces others came over in King James his Reign These by the Management of the Government and the Care of the Presidents oâ— Munster put the Country into a little better Condition than 't was in before The same Effect about the same time had the Plantations in the County of Wicklow and part of Wâ—xford where the English had a very ancient Settlement after that the Tools Birn's and Cavenash's had been rooted out And in the King 's and Queen's County after the quieting of the Insurrections of the O Connor's and the O More 's Vlster which before could only afford ordinary Food to the Kerns of the Country and some Military men from the latter end of Queen Elizabeth and the Reign of King James the First began to thrive and alter it's Condition for the better This was occasion'd by the Care which was then taken in Planting the Escheated Countres with new Protestant Inhabitants the Londoners Building Derry and Colrane and sending people to Inhabit them English Colonies Improving the Lands of Chichester and Conway and the Neighbouring places and the concourse of the Scotch out of Scotland These were only the first dawnings of Happiness After the War which began with the Rebellioâ— in Forty One was ended and the Kingdom was settled in Peace it began to Flourish indeed and Improv'd every day Then Houses were Built Manufactures set up Lands Improv'd and as they now yielded a considerable Rent to the Landlord so were they reckon'd able to pay a Quit Rent to the King This was the Condition of Ireland in the Reign of King Charles the Second it grew every day in Prosperity And the cause of this is very Obvious the number of the British here was grown greater then ever before The Army with which Cromwel Subdued the Irish was considerable after the War was over these continued in the Land the Souldiers most of them set down upon their Debentures a great many Adventurers came over brought English with them and Planted the Estates which were given them for the Money they laid out to carry on the War These were men of another Spirit generally and more opposit to the Irish and their Barbarous Customs then the English who came over before which must be imputed to the great aversion and prejudice which the Bloody Massacre in Forty One had Created in them This new Colony put the English who came over before who according to the old Custom were Degenerating and growing Irish in mind of their Origin and help'd to keep them tite to the English Interest and Protestant Religion By their means Trade Manufactures and the Rents of Lands Increased dayly and the State of the Kingdom was so Improv'd that in the latter end of King Charles the Second's Reign Ireland which before us'd to put England to a considerable charge raised a Revenue of about 330000 l. per Annum Since the late Troubles the condition of the Country is much worse and 't will be in a worse condition than 't is now many fair Houses and some Towns were Buâ—â—ed and great Numbers of the People Destroyed so that of course Manâ—â—actures must be Impâ—ired and Lands Untenanted But people would soon recover it and mâ—ke it's condition better than ever it was all Forreigners are valuable but some more than others The Duâ—ch are worth the Bâ—â—bing it they could be drawn in that way When we consider how little Land is to be Purchased in Holland what horrible Devastations have been in the 〈◊〉 and the continual danger of the Protestants upon the Rhinâ— and elsewere we may reckon that abundance of those people would willingly upon any Encouragement flock hither But the French Protestants are the people that we have the greatest expectation from at present and to me they seem to be such as this Country should desire
see what Inconveniencies will follow from Waterford's being clogg'd with too many Men of the Haters Trade as some phrase it in such a Case either some of those superfluous Trades-men will enquire what other places of the Kingdâ—m want men of their Calling and they will go and live there which is a great Advantage to that place or if they continue in Waterford they will send their Ware to other Markets of the Kingdom as the Northern people do their Linnen Cloth to Dublin and other Places the Shoemakes of Bandon do their Shoes to Coâ—k and those of Athlone do their Hats to Dublin This way of Trading must be Advantagious to Waterford for either they must bring home Money for their Hats or some other Goods which that City stands in need of And if by the casual falling in of Trades-men or other Accidents or Conveniencies it shou'd happen that many Towns of the Kingdom shou'd run into one sort of Trade as Rippon into the Trade of Spurrs Bermingham and Sheffield of Iron Ware This wou'd be a mighty Advantage to the Kingdom and the men of that Craft in those places for by this means our Country wou'd almost every where be Improv'd our Roads frequented and rendr'd secure from Robberies and there wou'd be a vast Commerce in the Kingdom I wou'd ask those people who are against the comming in of Forreign Trades-men one Question whether it be not better that Forreign Trades-men shou'd be Encourag'd to live among us than that we shou'd be at the Charge of bringing their Goods out of France this was our Case before the War and will be again when we have a free Trade thither Our people shou'd consider that our Trades are not in the highest perfection in Ireland but that people furnish themselves with the portable work of almost all Callings from other places The French are Famous for their great Skill in Manufactures England must own that they have profited mightily by them since this War began or rather I wou'd say since the Edict of Nantz was destroy'd by the Improvement of the Silk Manufacture The Linnen Manufacture is that which we may Improve in this we shall not Rival England for they give up this Improvement to us without grudging and reckon it to be the more peculiar Talent of Ireland This is a Manufacture in which the French do excel and therefore Ireland may very reasonably promise themselves great Advantages by tâ—e comming in of the French and their Improveing of it The French are Remarkable for their Skill in Gardening and managing of Trees of all sorts 't is not to be doubted then but if considerable numbers of them come into this Land they will render it both Beautiful and profitable by Improvements of that kind Ireland wants Skilful and Industrious Husband-men as much as any place In the condition 't is now you can't expect to see men Industrious The Irish are reckon'd a lazy people but this I don 't attribute to the natural temper of the Men and the abundance of Flegm in their Bodies as is generally suppos'd but rather to the want of Employment and Encouragement to work Sir William Petty computes that the work of one man in a Potato Garden will feed Forty people and the Milk of one Cow will afford Meat and Drink enough in the Summer time for three men Besides there is abundance of Food round the Sea-shores which is procur'd with little or no pains The Addition of people must Increase their Industry in Labouring the Ground The French are allow'd to understand Husbandry as well as any people next the Flemings and this enhances their value in Ireland above any thing else 'T is true indeed very many of that way of life are not yet come over Husband-men are the last that quit a Country by reason of the difficulty of disposing of their Leases and removing their Stock But there is no doubt but very many of them will dispose of their Effects in France and seek a Retreat for their Religion in Ireland when they hear that they have some Incouragement to do it and that their Brethren are Settled and well Entertain'd here But I have heard some people say that the French are very poor and what Advantage say they is it to have such come into a Land 'T is the Observation of a very Wise and Curious Observer that they who grow Richest in a Country are they who come in poor how can they arrive to this Wealth but by great Industry and Improveing the Country but those men are mistaken the French even who are in England yet unsettled and are dispos'd to come into Ireland when Encouragement is given them are not all poor they have a great deale of Money among them and will if they come over make a considerable Addition to the current Coyn of Ireland But if they had no Money they would be nevertheless People People are Wealth and they have rates set upon them The value of people in England one with another some have computed to be Seven pounds a Head In Ireland I account the value of such Protestant People as the French are for I do make a Difference to be much greater because in Ireland you are not only to value them as people who Improve the Country but as Souldiers likewise who are to secure you and your Interest You may therefore and 't will be but an ordinary Civility so to do set as great a rate on them as we usually do on Slaves and Negro's viz. 15 l. one with another Men being sold for 25 l and Children at 5 l. each the mean rate is 15 l. I should be very sorry to meet with Protestants who wou'd not allow this Computation in Ireland where the Country wants good Inhabitants to Improve it and Men to plant Civility and Religion Allowing this Computation then or allowing any thing you see that a considerable number of Forreigners if they should come bare into your Country bring considerable Wealth with them Wealth which I think can never be sufficiently Priz'd when you consider that they will not only make the Condition of this present Age better but likewise be a Defence and Security to us for the future If this be true Encourageing Forreign Protestants will secure us for the future I 'm sure it ought to be a great Motive to the people of Ireland to give their helping Hand to Contribute to it I will not except the poor Irish themselves for you do them as much kindness in putting it out of their Power to Rebel as you wou'd do Frantick people in tying their Hands when you are perswaded they 'l cut their own Throats They in their Insurrections have shed a world of English Blood and all the good they have done themselves by it is that they lost their own Blood and Estates every Rebellion making their Conditions as well as the Country worse then they were before But 't is generally thought now that the
know a very good Author who tells us that the French King had it in his Thoughts to Land an Army in Ireland And that he made the Peace of Nimiguen more readily upon that very Account What Accidents may happen after this Generaâ—ion is passed away God only knows This I know that I can think of things that may possibly happen which may give the Irish an opportunity at least with Forreign Assistance which they will always Industriously sollicit of troubling us again Wise and Good people who have a concern for their Posterity would provide against all Accidents and whatsoever their present condition be would not reckon themselves Secure when the Irish are three to one especially when they consider that as the English Power grew greater in Ireland the Efforts of the Irish in their Insurrections were always more considerable and dangerous to the English There is a good Reason for it such as every body has not thought of but is very material and worthy our Consideration that is this That the Irish have Increas'd in Power and Number by means of the English and will do so far the time to come When Henry the Second Invaded the Kingdom the Computation was that there were then but 300000 Souls in Ireland 'T is veâ—y probable that if they had been left to themselves and their old Custom of Cutting Throats and Muâ—thering one another their number would not have been much greater at this day All the English who came in since that time except those of latter years have been getting Children for them and Increasing their stâ—ck so great a part have they had in making them numerous as they are that it cou'd be shown that above half the Names of Ireland which are now of the Language Customs Religion and Interest of the Irish were old English who came over to subdue them Such are all the old names of the pale Such are in the County of Waterford the Powers Welches Pendergrasses Sherlocks Geraldines Nugents Condons Browns Dobbins Heys Such in the County of Cork besides some of these are the Barrys Roches Coureyes Mâ—agh Fitz-Edmonds Carons Whites Russels c. And thus I could run thro' all the other Counties in Ireland were it not tedious Many old English names there are which have been chang'd into the meer Irish Mac's and O's The Mac Quilins in the County of Autrim who in the Reign of King James the first were destroyed by the Mac Donnels were anciently Welshmen and the name was Williamâ— The O Rely's in the County of Cavan some say were Ridley's The Mac Swynes in Ulster were formerly Vero's And the Mac Mahons Fitz Uâ—sula's In Conaught Mac Morrice was formerly Pendergrass Mac Avile Stanton Mac Jordan D'Exter Mac Quistolo Nangle Mac Phadin Mac Pieke Mac Tomin all Barrets O Doud Dowdal Mac Delphin Dolphin Mac Granel Nangle Mao Thomas Joyes Mac Orish Bâ—imingham O Naughton Snow Mac Kogh Gough Mac Nemara Morâ—imer Mac William Eughter Mac Phillippine Burgh's And a vast number of other Names which I cou'd reckon There is in one of the Manuscripts at Lamâ—eâ—h (a) Lib. CC. Fol. 57 58. a Letter which Sir Henry Sidney wrote to the Lords of the Council in England the 27th of April 1576. Wherein he tells them that when he was in Conaught there came to him Mac Phaton Mac â—â—ylye Mac Jordan Mac Gostelo and Mac Maurice and brought him Matters of Record and Credit to shew that they had been not only English which every one says he Confesses but also Lords and Barons in Parliament and that they had then Lands sufficient for Barons if they might weld their own quietly That they were so Barbarous that they had not three Hacney's between them to carry them and their Train home These and some other old English Gentlemen he says came and Lamented their Devastation and with one consent cry'd for Justice and English Government in so miserable and yet magnanimous a manner as it would make any English heart to feel Compassion with them This short Account gives a good Idea of all those old English who liv'd among the Irish They did not as 't is said Messala Corvinus a Learned man did in a fit of Sickness forget their Names but they put them off together with their Language and former manner of Living So Universal was this Degeneracy that even the old English of the pale tho' by reason of the nearness of the State they retain'd more of Civility yet became Irish in their Affection and Interest And in the late War 't is certain that as they were the greatest men both in the Army and the management of the State so were they as forward and deep as any of the old Irish in the Design that was form'd to shake of the English Yoke And when I speak of the late War I cannot but observe that Sir Valentine Brown who lost his Estate for being Engag'd with the Irish in this War against the Interest of England Descended from that Sir Valentine Brown who in a Discourse about Peopleing Munster to be seen in one of the Manuscripts at Lambeth (b) Lib. L. Fol. 4â— in the year 1584. when Sir John Perrot was Lord Deputy Propos'd to Queen Elizabeth that the Geraldins and the Principals of the Free holders should be Prosecuted by War to the utter Extirpation of them and theirs We cannot so much wonder at this when we consider how many there are of the Children of Oliver's Souldiers in this Kingdom who cannot speak one word of English And which is stranger the same may be said of some of the Children of King William's Souldiers who came but t'other day into the Country This misfortune is oweing to the Marrying Irish women for want of English who came not over in so great numbers as were requisite 'T is sure that no English-man in Ireland knows what his Children may be as things are now They cannot well live in the Country without growing Irish for none take such care as Sir Jerom Alexander did who left his Estate to his Daughter provided she Married no Irish-man or any Related to that Interest Since things are thus the Irish unless a great deal of care be taken will out number us in a greater proportion than now they do They are not Imploy'd in our Wars as the British are they Marry much younger than the British do and get a great many Children before they Marry and are not as severely punished for it as they might be And besides as I said the Children of the English by Conversing in the Country with them learn their Language admire their Customs Marry with them very frequently and of course Embrace their Religion What then can better secure us and our Posterity than to Encourage great numbers of Forreign Protestants who will Contribute to Reform the Manners and Religion of the Irish and thus do God and the Country the greatest Service to come over and take up their Habitations among us I know 't will