REMARKS ON THE Affairs and Trade O F Citgl&itta and 3'relanb* Wherein is fet down : 1. The Antient Charge of Ireland, and all the Forces fent thither from 1170 until the Compleat Conqueft thereof in 1602, with the Returns of Forces and Treafure which have been made thence to England^ towards the Conquefts of France, Scotland and Wales. 2. The peculiar Advantages which accrue to England by Ireland : As alfo thofe made in the Courfe of Trade. 3. The State of the Trade, Revenue, Rents, Manufaftures, &c. of Ireland, with the Caufes of its Poverty. — And the State of the Trade, and Rents of Lands in England from the Reign of Ed. III. unto this time, with the Caufes of their increafe and Abatement. 4. The only fure Expedients for their Advancement, with the Ne- ceflity and Utility of the Repeal ( as well as Sufpenfion ) of the Laws againft Dilfenters; and the Teft. y. How the Redu&ionand Settlement of Ireland may be improved to the Advantage of England^ and Increafe of their Majefiies Revenue^ 1500000/. may be raifed by Ireland, to the eafe of England, ex¬ pediting of their Majefties Affairs— And how Ireland maybe ren- ared Ufeful towards the retrenching the Power of France. By a hearty Well-wijher to the Protefiant Religion, and the Profperity of thefe Kingdoms. Mitl; allowance* LONDON, Printed for Tho- Parkhurfi at the Bible and Three Crowns in cheapfide near Adercers Chapel, i6pi. * ' .... SJL 1 - » ' ■ - Ju X >i a :• f • § "» „y;: n'l T ' -• L . ■ ' ' T V- ■ * A v . r • ; . ; i! Ji 4* ■ • .. • ..' ^ Sn vn l > . :h . \.r& • :: i i. . . • ' " - : - ~ : . • * , : " , -• cJ : • . ■ : >r.... D;rj ■ * & Ik \ • ) ' ' i: y''/ : •. . o: . ;:.fi > : :! ! •: r-::/ MyL - ' IT A O ' :. A o r to' rtt, y kkr N To His Grace James Duke of Ormonde The Right Honourable, Richard Earl of Burlington and Lord High Treafurer of Ireland, William. Earl of Portland, Lords of Their Sir John Lowther Baronet, Vice-" Chamberlain to Hes Majefty, Sir Stephen Fox Knight, j Ur^' Thomas Pelham Efquire, j Sir Henry Ajhurfi Baronet, And Sir Thomas Clergis Knight. My Lords, and Honoured Gentlemen, Hip Hefe Papers which were writ with a more private defign, yet chiefly iu~ tended for the Service of Their Majefties and the Publique^ are now JL addrejfed to your Lordjhips to render them the more ufeful to thofe Ends j the fever al Eminent Stations in which all of yon are, gives yon the opportunity of improving whatever is herein propofed to that pnrpofe, 1 he unhappy management of the Affairs of Ireland on every Rebellion, hath made the Charge of their Re dn ft ion to England ten times more than needed. Camb- den obferved that by long ufage it was grown a mifchievous Cuftotn in Ireland, that Rebels might with part of the Plunder they took from the Englifh procure A 2 Pardon: The Epiftle Dedicatory. Pardon .'Whereby, and the Lenity of England, Rebellions were nourijhed there. This is moft certain that the Papift shave always had fuch Influence on the Councils of England, as on the conclnfion of every Rebellion, they have been left in a condition to renew them at pleafure 3 to the great Charge of England, and Ruin of the Englifh Planters in Ireland, and of their Improvements, And now, they, the. French K. and the late K. J. have their Inftrumentsat Work^ tothat end. But five Rebellions having been raifed there betwixt 1567, and j 642. and now a Sixth, ( of which two formidable and chargeable ones hav¬ ing happened within the memory cf many yet living) will, if we be not doomed 10 Infatuation, wftrutt us in the neceffity of breaking their power, and utterly difabling them for future Rebellions. There are a Party of Men who while the late K.]. was in Ireland mag¬ nified both it, and the Force of the Iriftl, but upon the Tydings of the happy progrefs of His Maje flies Arms, ( to detratt from the Glory of His Acqui- fit ions ) they reprefent that Kingdom as chargeable and ufelefs, nay as dif- advantagious to England. It hath however to their Mortification already yielded Laurels to incircle His Royal Brows, and will do Treafure to His Coffers, with a rich Return to this Ki4i£dom of the Charge laid out for its Reduttion 3 if the Settlement thereof be duly attended. It is enough for His Maje fly to Conquer, it ought to be the Care of His Minifters to fettle and fecure. There is indeed a great meafure of Wifdom required to improve Viclories, as well as Courage and Condutt to Atchieve them. It hath been obferved to be the Fate of the Englifh t&lofe that by Treaty, which they gain by Conqueft 3 Five Hundred Fears Experience hath verified it (in great meafure ) as to Ireland. The Affairs and Trade of thAt Kingdom, its Utility and Importance to England; and the Influence it hath on the Trade and Rents thereof, feems to have efcaped the obfervation of mofi of our State/men and Merchants ; I have in thefe Papers attempted to refcue them from that obfeurity, and to lay them before Four Honours. Now that the Affairs of that Kingdom are before Fon in Parliament, Councils and Committees : For which prefumption nothing can Apologize, but the Zeal for the Publick,, with which they were written. I am in all humility, My Lords and Gentlemen, Your moft Humble Servant, W. H. s / a, (i; SIR The Subftance of the Firft of the In¬ quiries you Propofe, concerns Ire¬ land ; which I take to be this i Sll Firft, Whether England hath been Lofer, or Gainer> by the Conquefi of Ireland, the Charge confidered that hath been Expended thereon ? YO U are pleafed to require my Anfwer to this and the other Queries which you propofe, prefuming that my Acquaintance with that Kingdom, doth Capacitate me to fatisfie you therein. I confefs I have made Obfervations that would at leafl: have Contributed thereunto : But my Abfence from Pa¬ pers that would have inabled a more diftinft and fatisfaftory Account of thofe matters, might have excufed my Difobedience, at leaft for the pre- fent: But being you admit not thereof, but ufe the Power you have over me in commanding afpeedy Compliance s I will in Obedience briefly fet down what occurs to me on that Subjedt; tho' my Sentiments in this matter being different from many others, I forefee the hardinefs of undertaking to contradidl Common-Fame, or to reftifie a vulgar Error. I have heard feveral, and among them fome of the Famed States-Men of the Age, wi(h there were no fuch place as Ireland, and fault its nearnefs to England as detrimental or unprofitable. As if had they been confulted, they could'have rectified the Creation, by leaving, it out, or placing it better elfewhere. The Error lies in not apprehend¬ ing its ufefulnefis to England. Others gravely tell us (both in Difcourfe and Print,) that the gaining and keeping Ireland hath coft England more than the purchafe of all that Kingdom is worth. But thefe are like him who pay'd Ten Shillings for an Ewe, kept her Five Years, pay'd Twelve B Pence- if ( 2 ) Pence per Annum for her keeping, tho' he Yearly received her Lambs and Fleece, yet bejieved he was Fifteen Shillings the worfe by having her- I confefs I was once half of the mind, that the Expence of Eng~ land in Biocd and Treafure about that Kingdom had been vaii: My Curiofity led me to examine whether it were fo or no; and I will here faithfully impart what I have met with on that Subjedt, which will at leaIt lead towards an Anfwer, if not fatisfie your firft Inquiry. Know then, that the English footing in Ireland did not Commence up¬ on a publick, but private undertaking. For Mac- Vurogh King of Leinfier, having been driven from his King¬ dom, gave his only Daughter in Marriage to Richard Strongbow Earl of Chepfiow and Pembroke, and with her his Kingdom after his Death, on condition he fhould affift and reftore him- The Earl purfuant thereun¬ to, incouraged his Relations Fitz-Stephens and Fitz,Gerald to joyn in that undertaking, who with near 400 brave Men, put off from Milford, and Landed near Wexford in Ireland in May Mm. 1170. They were foon followed by Legrofs with 130 more; and in Augufi following by Strongbow himfelf with 1200. Many of thefe Parties were Perfons of good Quality, great Valour and attended with wonderful fuccefs: For notwithftanding the fmart oppofition made by the Natives, Strongbow in a fhort timerefiored Mac-Murogh, and inlarged his Dominions tofuch a Degree, as rendred him fufpedted by HenryW. who by Prohibiting all Commerce with Ireland, &c. conftrained the Earl to yield him all his Acquisitions in that Kingdom. The King granted back to Strongbow the Principality of Leinfier, referring all the Port-Towns, and certain Tra&s of Land about them to the Crown. King //^.himfelf,feme write with 45 co,others that were amongft em fay but with 500 Knights, Landed in October 1172 near Water ford$ his Prefenceand Fame, with the Terror and Succeis of Strongbow3^ Arms, fo intimidated the Natives in Leinfier, Munjler, and Conaught, that Five of their Kings on Notice of his Arrival did him Homage ; and became his Tributaries. The greateft part of his Charge was fpent in Royal Entertainments; and his time ( for the five Months he flayed there,) in endeavours fo to fettle matters, as wholly in future to cut Of from France the ufual affi¬ ance afforded by the Iriill when Attacqued by the Arms of England. He had experimented the benefit the Crown received without Charge by Strongbow s private undertaking ; Therefore he wifely refolved by like Methods to make that part he had gained, bear the charge of Conquer¬ ing the whole. To that end he diftributed large Scopes of Land to the great Men that attended him. As to Hugh Lacy, the Kingdom of JfqatL finding ioo Knights for his Seryice for ever, &c. About four rears after the (3 J the Irifh yielded him} ( crthe King impofed) a Tax of Twelve Pence on every Houfe, or Toak^ of Oxen there, which amounted to no fmall Summ in thofe days. After the Death of Strongboxp, the King at Oxford made his Son John King of Ireland> and as our own Writers tell us, he divided the Lands of that Kingdom to his Subje&s, as well of England as Ireland, to be held of him and his Son John $ he gave Miles Cogan and Robert Fit ^Ste¬ phens the Kingdom of Cork. to whofe Relief foon after Arrived there, Richard Cogan with a Troop of Horfe and a Company of Foot. Anno. 1184. Philip de Breos as fore-runner of the young King, went into Ireland with a fmall Party of Horfe and Foot 5 the next Year the young King followed with no Army, yet Honourably attended, and with fome Treafure. This young Counceller (like Rehoboams,) hand¬ led the Iri(h Princes that Congratulated his Arrival, fo roughly , that they were provoked to Rebel: Whereupon Eight Months after his Ar¬ rival he left that Kingdom in a much worfe condition than he found it. King Henrys Wars in France, the unnatural Rebellion of his Sons, and his other troubles permitted him not to relieve it; yet to purfue his former Method, he committed the Government of that Kingdom to the Renowned John de Courty, and gave him a Grant of the whole Pro¬ vince of Vlfier, then unfubdued 5 the Irifh Princes thereof, having not hitherto owned any fubjeciion to England. The Valiant Courcywith 3 or 400 of his friends and followers with the Forces then in Ireland, noc only reduced the Rebels in the other three Provinces to their former fubje&ion; but alfo brought Vlfier un¬ der the EngUJh Yoak. Richard L was fo taken up with his expedition to the Holy Land, the perfidy of the French King, and his unhappy detention by the Emperor $ That he concerned not himfelf with the Affairs of Ireland, that I find ; further then that he Married Ifabel, the Sole Heirefs oiStrongbow to William Maxfield Earl-Marfhal of England; who was alfo (in right of his Wife) made Earl of Pembroke and P. of Leinfier. This Earl left IfTue of that Marriage five Sons, (who fucceeded each other to their Fathers Honours and Eftace, yet Died Iflfuelefs) and five Daughters, whofe Fortunes in Ireland and Wales recommended them to the greateft Pears of England. As Joyce the Eldeft to Earl Warren, who had with her the County of Wexford, of whom came the Earls 0/March, &c. Matilda theficond, had the County of Catherlow, and Married Hugh Blgod, Earl of Norfolk 5 Ifabel, the third Daughter, had the County of Kilkenny, and Married the Earl of Glouceffer and Hereford ; Sybilla, the fourth had the County of Ki!dare,W Married William Ferrars Earl of Ferrars and Darby : Eva the fifth Daughter had the Mannour of Dunmas ( now called the Queens County,) and Married the Lord Bruiie of Gower; B 2 where• (4) whereby the Revenue of thofefive Counties became tranfmittable annually into England. Theft Ladies, Cambden telli tssy enriched their Husbands with Children, Honour and Poffejfions. King John having received 1000 Marks from Volois Lord Ju/lice of Ire¬ land, to difcharge him without account for the Revenue he had received of that Kingdom 5 Soon after committed the Government thereof to Walter and Hugh L acy, who abufed his Authority, not only to the Oppreifion of the frijh, but to t> e lubverlion of many of the beft En lijh Families alfo, to that degree, that ( our Writers lay ) their Exactions, Oppreflions, and Tyranny ( Murders might be added) was intolerable * yet King John inftead of eafing thole Preffures, (if we believe Grafton and Fabi¬ an) impofed Taxes on the People of Ireland towards his Wars with France, much greater than they were able to bear. So that by overftretchings he crackt the firings of the Irilh Harp, whereon for fometime after was only heard the difcordant found of Revolt, Fa pin and War in every Corner. To quell which, the ijth of May 1210. The King himfelf landed near Water- ford with an Army (their number no where given us.) The Irifh Kings, and great Lords immediately appeafed him by Submiitions, Homage and Tributes. He granted the Engltjh Subje&s in Ireland the benefit of Mag¬ na Chana^ and the Laws of England. He fetled twelve Counties, ap¬ pointed Courts, Judges, Circuits and Corporations as in England; he granted vaft Scopes of Land to his great Englilh Lords, in Knight Service for fmall Rents. For 2500 Marks, he reft or ed W alter Lacy, and for 4000 Marks, Hugh Lacy, and returned into England in Auguft the fame year. In the year 1213, being threatned with an Invafion from France, he re¬ ceived from Ireland 500 men at Arms well appointed, and a great number of other Horfe who came to his ajfiftance at Barkham Down. ^ Henry III. during his 56 years Reign, was fo fully employed by the French in the Bowels of England, the Weljh and Scotch on his Borders, and his great Lords at home, That he neither ajfifiedy nor minded Ireland, further than to draw powerful Afiifiances of men thence, which he received againFt France Anno 1230, and 1254^ and agatnft Wales in 1245, in 1256, &c. as he had done of Kittuals in the beginning of his Reign, having received thence loco Bacons, two Ships load of Corn, and one of Oats. The Clergy of Ireland granted him a Subfidyy and he received Aid thence towards paying a Debt to the Dauphin of France. He made his eldeft Son Edward Lord of Ireland. The 17th of his Reign the King of Conaught exhibited a Complaint, That although he had ever fince King John fubdued him, duly paid his annual Tribute of 5000 Marks, yet he was difturbed by John de Bur go, Edward the Firft being in War with Scotland, and the Irifh generally In Rebellion, the Scott inyaded Inland^ and committed all manner of Bar- -( 5 ) Barbarities; but were not only expelled, but followed by the Englijh of Ireland, who feverely revenged the Injury they had received, and therein did acceptable Service to the Crown of England. In Anno 1293. The King drew Succours from Ireland again ft the French, as he did again ft the Scotch, when Balliol, the Chair and Marble were ta- kpn, and the two latter brought thence. Two years after another confiderable Army from Ireland met the King near Edinburgh, and tendred him con ft- derable Service 5 as did a third Army from thence at the Battle of Falkirk. Soon after which Tho. Biflel with a party from Ireland invaded Scotland, and pofftffed himfelf of the I fie of Arrain, which the King gave to him and his Heirs as an acknowledgment of his good Service. This King received the whole Tenth of all Ecclefiaftical Revenues in Ireland for feven years, undone Fifteenth of the Temporality towards the holy War Alfo Mid towards the Marriage of his Sifter, and feveral times prejfed them for other Aids. The Scots foon after they had given Edward II that great defeat at Bonoksbome, ( encouraged by that Kings Male-adminiftration) took the opportunity to revenge the Mifchiefs they had received from Ireland in the former Reign. Edward Bruce twice invaded Ireland, and notwithftanding the oppofiti-k on he met w ith over-ran and facked a great part of it, deftroyed Men, Women and Children, Towns, Churches, and all that came in his way, and excited the irifh to almoft a general Rebellion, while the Scots King made a like havock in all the North parts of England. This Edward Bruce was Crowned King of Ireland,but,though his Rage wa> great, his Reign was ftiort, it being but one year- The Cruelties committed by the Scots were fo many, as caufed even the Irifh to abhor and abandon them, who therefore joyned with the Engltjh, who at lad defeated. Bruces s Army, cut off his Head, and as an acceptable Prefenc fent it to King Edward. In this War the Scots loft 3OOOO, and the Iiilll-Englifh 15000 fighting men, befides others. The whole Land was almoft Rafted, impoveriihed and depopulated-, yet the King was fo far from relieving or fuccouring it. That he required, and received thence the -«th Penny from all the Tempo¬ rality towards defending England againft the Scots. In his 16th year, he was attended at Curlee by the Earl of Louth with 6 COO foot and 30Q men at Arms, and IOOO Hoblers. all well appointed; and by the Earl of Ulfter with 300 men at Arms, and in the 17th year of his Reign he was fupplyed thence with JGQO Quarters of Corn fent him to Aqili- tain. I do not find that there was any (landing Army in pay in Ireland- When Edward 111. nrft afcended the Throne ( nor for feveral years af¬ ter ) the whole charge of the Civil Lift then amounted but to 308 L 5 s» ill it If 1! 1 11 I ■ • ■ I || I -H ■g ■ ■ ■> m a for a year, and it was becaufe the chief Governor was a great Favorite, that he had 500 I. per Annum for his Entertainment, out of which he was to maintain twenty or thirty Horfemen- In the 6th year of this Kings Reign, the Lord Darcy t a potent Ar¬ my from Ireland, invaded Scotland. So that (as our Writers exprefs it) what by the King on the one fide, an by the Irilli on the , Scotland was fubdued, and Baliole placed on the Throne. And two years after the fame Lord Darcy over-ran part of Scotland, and the , which he might have poiTefied had they been worth keeping. Notwithftanding which, this King, the 15th year of his Reign, recalled all the Royal Franchifes and Liberties 5 and refumed all the Lands and Signories that had been granted by him, or his Father 5 which put the born there, into almoft as bad a Condition as the Natives, and tended to unite them as fellow fufferers, and laid the Foundation of innumerable Mifchiefs. Let an Army went thence to help the King then in France, and did him good Service, and were with him at the Battle of Crefley, as did another party from Ireland go to him, to the Siege of Calais, Anno 1347. In 1353. Sir Tho. Rokyrby carried over into ten men at Arms, and tw enty Archers In 1361 the King made his third Son Lionel Duke of Clarence, Lord Lieutenant •, he married Elizabeth de Burgo, whofe For¬ tune was 30000 Marks per Annum. In her right he was Earl of , Lord of Meath and Conaught. Here I muft diffent from a truly worthy learned and fcrutinous Enquirer into the Affairs of that Kingdom 5 who will not allow her Fortune to be above the Moiety of that Summ, be¬ caufe that what thereof lyes in Lifer, being feized into this Kings hands ffom the 5thto the 8th of Iris Reign, ( by an odd account) yielded but about 0900 /. But he neither confidered the Frauds of Concealors and Collectors, nor remembred the late devaluations made by , where¬ by not only all Vlfter,but a great part of Ireland was laid wafle and un¬ peopled, and the Engli(h by Diffentions in Arms againft one another, in thofe very years; fo that the inftance affedts not the Cafe, for thofe Rents and Profits were of very great value, and might have been a thou- fand times more in fetled times, notwithftanding there was received no more in thofe three years. This Duke carried over with him 1 yoo men, chiefly to recover his Wifes Inheritance; yet he was fo far from ufing them folely to that purpofe, That he only recovered part of Meath, and of the Sea-Ports of Vlfter; for the Condition of the Kingdom requiring, he employed them (with good Succefs ) in Leinfter, and Munfter, therein, as in ma¬ ny other Refpe&s, he preferred the publick good to his particular Ad- vantage ; in acknowledging of which, and other good Services, the Clergy and Laity gave him two years fall Profits of their Tythes and Lands. William \A: ' - - m ( 7 ) William Winfor was Tent Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and with him a party of men * but their number ( being as I fuppofe but fmall ) is no where given us. He undertook for 11213 /. 6 s. 8 d. per Annum, to bear the whole Charge of that Kingdom both Civil and Military. Du¬ ring his Government he obtained 5 OCX)/, of the Parliaments of that Kingdom towards maintenance of the Kings Wars, which I prefume was thofe with France. Richard II. Anno 1384. committed the Government of Ireland to Robert Fere, Earl of Oxford, and Duke of Ireland, during his Life, with Power to receive the whole Revenue without Account, and to keep an Army of 1000 Archers, and 500 men at Arms for two years. But I do not find that either he or his men went thither, for the Kings Af¬ fections to him were fuch, that he would not bear his abfence. Yet he continued Lord Lieutenant (even or eight years, during which he con- ftituted feveral Deputies, and received moft of the Profits of that Govern¬ ment to his own life. The King being reproach'd abroad, That he could neither rule Eng¬ land, keep his part in France, nor finilb the Conqueds of Ireland, he re- folved to retrieve his Reputation in refpedt of the lad 3 To that end he took Shipping in October 1394, and landed at Waterford with an Army of 34000 Men, but to little purpofe; partly for that he fuffered himfelf to be cheated ( as were his Predeceffors ) by the feigned Submijfions of moil of the Trifil Princes, and great Lords, who on his arri val humbled themfelves Some of whom quitted all Title to their Edaces in Leinfier, and conditioned with their Swords ( under the Kings Pay ) to carve out Edates for themfelves in other parts of the Kingdom * with which the King was condrained to be fatisfied, by reafon of the Clamour and Importunity of the Clergy of England. Whofe condant hatred of Reformation, and fear that the Enormities of their Lives, and Corruption of their Do- dtrin.es Should be expofed by the WUkl fits, caufed them to fend the BP (hops of Fork and London to haden the Kings return. The truth is, they wanted the Royal Authority for persecution of the Innocent, and uip- preffion of the Truth. ^ Togratifie their Importunity the King returned at Shrovetide or Fa- fler following, having fufficient Power, but not time to do any thing confiderable. . At his departure he left Roger Mortimer,Earl 01 frL rch,his Lord Lieu¬ tenant who, (in right of his Wife) was Earl of Vliter, Lord of Cc- naught, Meath and Clare, and next Heir to the Crown. He was mur¬ dered there four years after. It was cudomary until near this time, tor the torn Chancellor to pay annually 2QOO Marks into the Exchequer, for the ufe of the great Seal\ which <9 ) bellion, and fo frugally were the Affairs of that Kingdom managed, MiijftK that this Duke was limited to keep up that Army but for three years- 1 About Lammas 1408. The Duke of Lane after went into Ireland zfe- cond time, and narrowly efcaped being killed by fome of the Rebels. At his arrival there he compelled the Earl of Kildare to pay him 300 Marks for his Male-adminiftration. He had a Tallage granted him by the imijt Parliament of Ireland, and returned into England next March after his tintend landing in Ireland, Whoever looks into the Troubles of this Kings Reign, will fee that he could fupply Ireland neither with Men nor :CroM,( Money- wfoh; Hen. V. was fo fully taken up with his Conquefls in France, that he lis Crowt minded Ireland no further than to draw Supplies thence, which he did An- letythei; no 1412. under the Earl of Ormond- And in 1417 the Prior of Kil- itaJnoti mainhamtwf& 1600 in Mail, with Darts and Skeyns, all tall nimble men, ICe, or | arrived at the Camp before Rouen, and joyfully accepted the moll dangerous ortkitc ^oft, wherein they fo acquitted themfelves, that our Writers tell us no men ftfeiji mre more Pra*fed? nor did more harm to their Enemies : For by their Agility of fell® cf Body, and fwiftnefs of Foot, they did more mifchtef the Enemy, than their Pfe Warded Horfes did hurt to the nimble Irifh. And in the f even years of his Reign, the French Historians tell us, that the Irifh did over-run all the I fie 'tofefr France> did innumerable damages to the French, and daily brought [ Vittuals and Preys to the Englifh Army, which fo terrified the French • uJj about Paris, that they fled and left the Country defolate. The Parlia- V,n ' ment of Ireland granted this King 1700 Marks at feveral times towards the : y! maintenance of his Wars. jib aofl; tEnglifh in Ireland being wafled with the Supplies they had yield- 'e|' ed to England againft Scotland, Wales and France, and the frequent otktii,& Rebellions there, the Parliament there reprefented the ill Condition thereof in 1442, to Hen. VI. and that by reafon thereof, the Publkk Revenue was 14561, per Annum lefs than theneceflary Charge. , A ® Cardinal of Winchefter, the better to engrofs the King, and that aftnefirlr fa ir,jght rule at Pleafure, caufed Richard Duke of Tork^ Earl of Vlfter to be lent Lord Lieutenant thither; to induce his Acceptance, he nt) w gained the King to promife the Duke all the certain and cafual Revenue i d tk of Ireland, and 26661 13 s. 4 d. for the firft year ( to be paid out of rifM: of England,) and 20001, fterling per Annum for feven years more ; but this was ill paid. However he had feveral Succeflfes againft the Re- iant of ^ bels, gained the Hearts of the Englifh, made good Laws, and governed dinto# fo worthily, That out of Gratitude and Inclination to him, lie was affi- fted in his Pretentions to the Crown by Kildare, and feveral great Par- isfofl^ ties out of Ireland, as was the King by another Party thence under the Irtl0$ Earl of Ormond in the 34*h and 38/A? years. A great Party thence was >(1 to fe' C cut C io T— — cut off, and fell with him at the Battel of Wakefield, as many frotri Ire¬ land did on the other fide at Mortimers Crofs 5 thefe great Loffe fur- nifhed the Natives with opportunities to enlarge their Borders, and ftreighten the Englifh. f . About Anno 1474. the 14^ of Edward IV. The Parliament of Ire¬ land eredted the Fraternity of St. George, c'onfifting of Thirteen Noble¬ men, who were yearly tochufe of themfelves a Captain of the Bro¬ therhood, who for his year was to command 120 Archers on Horfe- back, 2x6 d. per diem, forty Horfemen at 5 d.per diem, forty' Pages at four Marks per annum, to be paid out of a Subfidy of 12 d. per pound, laid on all Merchandize Imported or Exported. And thefe were all the ftanding Forces in pay at this time. Six years after, Richard Duke of 2V^being Lord Lieutenant, the Earl of Kilda^e his Deputy did un¬ dertake to keep that Kingdom in peace with eighty Archers, and twenty Spear¬ men all on Horfeback for 600 I. per annum. The Infancy of EdwardV. gave his unnatural Unkle the opportunity ofMurthering him, together with his Brother in the Tower, whom he fucceeded under the Title of Richard III. Anno 1483. but a period was put to hisTyranny, Ufurpacion and Life in 1485. Henry VII. held himfelf under no obligation to do much for Ireland, becaufetwo walking Spedires thence, ( Lambert and Warbeck ) difqui- eted a great part of his Reign, yet in 1487. he fent over 500 Men un¬ der Sir Richard Edgcomb, ( fome write that he carried no Forces with him) and about fifty more Anno 1492. The next year after, the King by Act of Parliament there, refumed all the Crown Lands that had been granted away fince the firft of Henry VI. In the Ninth year of his Reign, he lent over Sir Edward Voyning his Deputy, and with him 940 Men. He (by his Policy rather than force) did more Service to his Prince, and good to the Englifh there, than any of his Predecefiors, by gaining that Parliament to Enact, That all the Publick Statutes of England, made before that time, fhould be in force in Ireland, That no Parliament be held there until the Bills be firft cer¬ tified to the King under the great Seal there 5 and thofe Bills be affirm¬ ed by the King and his Council to be expedient for the Land, and Power be given under the great Seal of England to call a Parliament 3 and many other beneficial Statutes. He gamed the King a Tax of 26 s. 8 d. out of every 120 Acres arable Land, m Lieu of Purveyance, and a Kefumptionof all Grants made fince the fir ft of Edward III. which in AnilO 1499. was followed with a Subfidy of 12 d. per pound on Imported Commodi¬ ties, and a Subfidy from the Clergy and Laity, and in Anno 15 08 he had 13 4 d. granted him out of every no Acres Arable Land. In . # \ (n ) of Horfe and Foot $ as did many others of the Irilh, rvh fnbmittedon like con- Hit ions of Compofitions, and A[ftfiance.', which not only augmented the ^ Wof| Revenue, and leflened the Charge of the Army, hut helped much to- WwetSirr wards paying for their Fetters. ThisO Donnel^u years after paid the Ife Dfuj Queen 12 CO I. for Delinquency and Arrears of his Compofttion. ^Leixe,; In 1565. The Valiant Captain Randolph Landed at Derry with a Troop of Horfe, and 700 Foot to fettle a Plantation *, he did great 1 toi kit , Service, although at laft he loft his Life in the Improvement of a me- morable Vi&ory which he obtained againft the Rebels. In ij5p. which, ij- Captain Ward with 400 Souldiers were fent into Ireland-7 he landed at [8xo/t Cork. Scotland The Queens great Study was to inlarge and firm her Conqueft in : that Kit Ireland, without Charge. In order thereunto lhe Attempted to tread ith Kiuj( [; in the fteps of Henry II. and feveral of his Succeflors, who gained moft of their Intereft in that Kingdom, at the charge of a few of their Sub- k jecis, with little charge to the Crown or Kingdom of England: In or- », and E| der thereto, the Queen in 1772. incouraged Sir Tho. Smith at his own '$ and Charge to fettle an Englifh Colony in the Ards. She granted every Footman 120 Acres, and every Horfeman 240 Acres (which then iddition to" was as much as 5 oq'" Acres in England ) paying her one penny per Acre *4 within Per *nnHm% And the year following flie Lent the Earl of Ejfex roooo /. fell" on a Mortgage, and gave him half the Clandeboys, on condition that h§ iythere c ^ou'd Plant 200 Horfe and 400 Foot; each Horfeman was to have imeslii 4°° Acres, and each Footman 200 Acres, paying 2 d. per Acre Quit- Rent. Where that Noble Lord did perform many brave Exploits, 'Cdlir anc^ done much better had he not been countermined by the en- .j^ ' mity and oppofition of feveral Great Men both here and there. J. In 1576. An Antient Tax called the Cefs (of five Marks on each mj f Plow-Land) which had been difcretionarily levyed by the Chief Go- ni^ : vernours there, from Edward Ill's, time to this, C under pretence ofPre- riy rogative ) had-by this time been Arbitrarily ftretched to eight or nine n\'i pounds a Plow-Land; being now complain'd of as a publick grievance, m*uU, was reduced within its firft Bounds. Yet notwithftanding this, and ? other Regulations, the worthy Sir Henry Sidney who governed there, rww " augmented the Queen s Revenue IIOOO /. per annum above what he found iding men-Qnf;j t|^s tjm€ (according to the beftof our Writers)England gained )l< F!m and maintained its footing in Ireland, with very inconfiderable Charge (fle.mat f. tQ t[ie publick. But henceforward the Charge became much greater, awe, tot moftly occafioned by the Queens great Pariimony, who always em- . j ployed incompetent force for fubduing the Rebellions that were raifed, mmm- whereby they were lengthened to trebble the time and charge that ( C ^ . Would elfe frave fervecL I know notwjhedigr it QUght to be reckoned as expended for th$Coftqueft of tijai; I^qgdom f tbo' tfeawas. the IfTue of it) b^caufe (he greatefipart of it was occasioned by the Kin&fHfMfc TheQueep, to difart Wa$ot?i^^BW8 -fiPqVi* employ¬ ed and fought him in the Netherlands, moftly at the coft of the Dutch, .andihe to divert her from aflifting the or Invading his Domini¬ ons, fomented Rebellions in Ireland,and affifted them with Men, and foir.e Money, yet fought her moftly at the coft of the In 1579. There , was 600 Men fent out of into !yet rheymadeiip tlje Army there in the Queens pay but nop Ho'rfe ' and Foot. But the Rebellion of Defmond and others, (and the Spani¬ ards that joined tbqpi j ^difi ^equire the augmentation of the Army. To that end three Companies were fent from Berwick.,and 1 so Horfe under Capt. Norm.And in 1580. Six Companies under Capt. 150 Horfe under C.Ruffel,which in 1582. were followed with 400 under the Earl of Ormond. Thefe with the Militia of that Countrey, killed Defmond, deftroyed his Confederates-in that Rebellion, expelled the Spaniards, and reftored fuch meafure of Peace to the Kingdom, that the publick Revenue ofitfor the year 1583. amounted to about 24000/. and thenceforward it encreafed mightily, by the firm Settlement of Eftates, and Enlargement of Trade, infomuch that in 1584. the Lord a'°j Deputy propofed to the Queen, that if the would add but 50000 /. for PV three years to the MJh Revenue, hewojuld engage with both to defray !M the whole Charge of the Kingdom, maintain 2000 Foot and 400 Horfe, Wall Seven confiderable Towns, Ered Seven great Bridges, and Build Seven ftrong Caftles : But fhe comply'd not therewith. However in 15S5. In order to put that Kingdom into a good pofture of Defence, and of little Charge to the Queen 5 the Lord Deputy ap¬ pointed a grofs Survey to be taken of the Province of and Thomond, whereby they were found to contain 8095. Plow-Lands pro¬ fitable, the Proprietors of which agreed to pay the Queen a of about 4000 /. per Annum, and to find 1254 Foot, and 264 Horfefor the Queens Service within that Province, and 347 Foot and 108 Horfe at any time for 40 days in any part of Ireland. A Militia alfo was fettled in Munfter of 4500 Bill-Men and 900 Shot. And the Queen being Intituled to near 60OCOO Acres of Land by the For¬ feitures of Defmond and his Accomplices (his particular Rents being above 7000/. per Annum) She granted thofe in Kerry, Conilagh and Limerick, together at id. per Acre. Thofe in Water-ford' and Cork at $d. per Acre per Annum Quit-Rent. Every 300 Ac res fueling a Horfeman, and every 200 Acres a Foot*Man Armed for her Sexpife. A Militia being thus fettled, the Queen in 1587. Remanded 1000 Sol- diets (DDI ow'Ii| eguftyi % ffaftfr $Brftt and 9CcS ttiiytkl :s beings: ai tim I Jei0 ■———r#3 diers out 0/Ireland, which [he Jem into Holland, and tear Kingdom' enjoy¬ ed a kind of-tranquillity for above Twelve Years. In 1597- Tyrone and others broke out into Rebellion : Whereupon General Norris with 3000 Men were fent thither. But thefuccefles of the Rebels required greater Forces, fo that 100 Horfe and 2900 Foot more, were lent thither Three Years after. 7 In 1598. The Government of that Kingdomscommitted to bert Earl of EJfex, with Power from England to encreafe the A!rmy; there- (which were about 8000 men) unto 20000 Horfeaaat I may make it evident, that Ireland Contributes to our Strength, Security, the encreafe of our Shipping and Seamen, and that we are yearly confiderable Gainers in other refpedis alfo by that King¬ dom ; you mufi know that the People of Inland have but few Ships of their own; That at leaft two thirds of their Exportations and Im¬ portations are.'made in our Bottoms. In the Year 166S I was in that Kingdom, and did fee a Computati¬ on that was delivered in to the Council of Trade there, by one of the Members thereof, who made it Out, that tho' the Exportations of that Kingdom about that time amounted but to 450000 L per Annum that yetmoft, or all their Commodities being Grofs or Bulkey, they paid for Fraight to Ships of England for the Exportation of them, and for Importing the Proceed thereof, 130000 i per Annum, which feemed in¬ credible to the other Members of that Society. Yet being ftri&ly ex¬ amined, it was found to be near 10000 /. Ihort of what our Seamen re¬ ceived yearly thence. But this Scale of Trade between this and that Kingdom, having fuffered a confiderable alteration by our Folly in Prohibiting their Cat¬ tle, and forcing them to carry feveral of their Commodities to Forreign Markets, and thence to fupply themfelves with many things that till then they wholly derived from us, whereby they have encreafed their Forreign Trade and Shipping, ( yet fo as that there is not Ten Ships be¬ longing to Dublin their Metropolis.) I will now prefent you with a fmall Scheme of the Trade between England and Ireland as it flood about 1685. before the lefs-confidering, fcented the Game that was playing for 29 Years paft for introducing Po- pery and Arbitrary Government, and drew in their Stocks from Trade. There was about that time and before confiantiy employed to and from Ireland, and ufual y Fraighted by the Merchants of Ireland thefe Ships following, which belong to England. n 1 Ships belonging to London, Ilimouth, ApJom9 or Exceter and w*i, ana the Ports between thefe ——*-■ , —* fl5 Ships f 19; Ships belonging to BarnflabIe,Biddiford, Cbmlseffitivhedd, Bridgwater, ) Brifiol, Forrefi of Dean and the Ports between Ships belonging to Swanfey, Milford, all South and North-Wales • 20 Ships belonging to Chefter, Dawpool, Ncjfon and Mojfon —— 30 Ships belonging to Liverpool-water 150 cf which employed in the > T, Trade of Ireland tHo All the Coaft of Lancafhire and Car life - — 5: Ships belonging to White-Haven and fforkjngton — 60 510 That you may the better comprehend the benefit we Annually re¬ ceive by this Article of the Jrijh Trade, I will fet before you how thefe Ships are ufually employed in, and by theTradfcof Ireland and will fet down but one Voyage in a Year, for fuch as they fend to America, Spain and France, tho' to the two latter they frequently make two Voy¬ ages in a Year. 20 Sail employed yearly to America, one with another of 60 7 Tuns, befides the Ships Store, at 5 I per Tun, out and home > 6000L is 500 I. per Ship *—• I 20 Sail yearly to Spain of 60 Tuns, at 31 per Tun, out and home 180 per Ship. J 20 Sail yearly to France,of 60 Tuns at 21, per Tun, out and 120 I. per Ship. —• — —— — T 120001. 70 Sail of 50 Tuns each in the home Trade, out and home Paflengers, thefe make 20 s. per Tun 501, per Voyage, thefe frequently make 8 Voyages in a Year,but I reckon but 6 that is 3001, per Ship. —21000/. 180 Sail are yearly employed in the Coal-Trade between England and Ireland,and that theComputation of this Article maybe beyond contra¬ diction,! will keep to an Eltimate given in to the King and Council in June laft, by the White-Haven and Workington Men, viz.. That they have 60 Ships continually employed in the Coal-Trade to Ireland,from 70 to 150 Tuns, (but I reckon them at 80 Tuns one with another,) which for one Turn is 4800 Tuns, and for Eight Turns in a Year, is 38400 Tuns at 12 /. 6 d. per Tun is 14000 /. They Alledge that they pay Colliers, Carters, Porters, Carpenters, Rope-makers, Smiths, Seamen, &C.per Annum -7443/.-1-8. And I allow they pay otherwSjys, —— 25* 56~i8-*4, Both which is 10000 / which deduded from 24000 /.they receive 14000/. per Annum Fraight for their 60 Sail, and reckoning proportionally for D 2 120 ( 20 ) 120 Sail more, employed in the fame Trade from other parts of Eng. Und and Wales, it makes 28000 / and for the whole 41000/. Sterling paid yearly by Ireland for Fraight of the Coals. They take off, be¬ sides 30000 /. for the before mentioned particulars. Here you fee we Gain 75000/. yearly from Ireland by our Shipping} and it's evident, that whatever Trade conftantly employs them, tends to their encreafe, and the encreafe of our Seamen. II. That Trade that Annually takes off a good proportion of our natural Products, Manufactures, and of the Forreign Commodities that we Import (for which we can have no Sale, or Vend elfewhere,) is ne- cefiary for keeping up the Rents of our Lands, enriching our Husband¬ men, employing our Manufacturers at home, and our Shipping and Sea¬ men abroad. - I have in the former inftance (hewed you that Ireland takes off above io~coo Tuns of our Coals yearly: And if our Cuftom-Houfe Books be examined, it will be found, that that Kingdom hath taken off year¬ ly 240000 Buffets of our Salt 3 541 I.of our Hops, 120 Tuns of Cider, 30 Ships Loading of our Apples, 3000 Tuns of Iron-Oareand confider- able quantities of Tin, Lead, Saffron, &c. Thefe are part of thofe I call our natural Products, which are yearly fpent in Ireland, which ena¬ ble the payment and keeping up of our Rents. That Kingdom likewife takes off yearly a good proportion of our Manufactures, as Fulfians,Ticking, Haberdafhery, Sadlers ware, Pinns, Nledles, Knives, Gloves, Fanns, Cutlers ware, Belts, Laces, Stock¬ ings, Fine-Cloath, Stuffs, Iron-ware, Brafs, Pewter, Glafs, Earthen and Wooden-ware, Books, Caftors. Hereby our Manufacturers are kept in work, and our Trades-Men that fell thefe to the Merchants en¬ riched. Befidesall which, Ireland yearly takes from us conliderable quan¬ tities of the Goods which we Import from other Countries: As Oyls, Grocery, Druggiftery, Raw-Silk, Cotton-Wool and Yarn, Dying Stuffs, Paper, Whalebone, Train-Oyl, Hollands, Ozenbrigs, and Hamburg- Linnen, Callicoes, Spices. By this Trade our Ships and Seamen ( for fo much) are employed, and our Merchants enriched. In thefe refpeCts Ireland is not only ufeful,but neceffary to England,(or were there no fuch place (as fome foolilhly with) we could have no Em¬ ployment for the Ships lately ufed in that Trade. For our Merchants and Mariners being Numerous, Wealthy, Knowing and Studious of their own profit, do fupply all known Markets, with as much of our natural Products, Manufactures, and Imported Commodities, as they will take off at any reafonable profit} for we want not hands, nor flock in Trade, but Trade to apply them to with any moderate advan¬ tage, Every M ( 21 ) Every days experience, or a walk in Blackvcell-Hall, Exeter, Norwich Leeds, IV,xksfield, &c. Markets, would make it good beyond contradi¬ ction, that the hands at prefent employed in our Natural Products and Manufactures, do as Trade now (lands, more than (ufficiently fupply our home Confumpcion, and Forreign Trade; and that, if more ot thefe were raifed in quantity, it would by glutting all Markets, rather pre¬ judice than enlarge our Trades and were there no fuch place as Ireland, or were it cut eft from its dependance on England, and fupplied from elfewhere, we could no where Vend the Commodities that Kingdom yearly takes off And a little Voyage from London-Bridge to Graves-End, (even in times of open Trade' may (atisfie the doubtful, if not convince the incredulous, that we have more Ships than all our (hare of the Trade of the World doesconftantly employ, and a view of the Ships (formerly employed in the Irifh-Trade,) which now lie by the Walls at the Ports before named, fince the Trade between us and Ireland hath been (hut up, and which may be had at Fraight, at little more than half Fraight 5 do (hew, that neither our Merchants, nor Seamen, know how otherwife to em¬ ploy them. . III. That Trade that fupplies us with Materials for our Manufactures, (and thereby employment for our People) efpecially fuch as we can¬ not have, or not fo Cheap from other Parts, is neceflary to our well- being. In the former inftance I (hewed you, that Ireland takes off a good proportion of our fuperfluities: In this you'll fee that in Lieu of part of them, it fupplies us with ufeful and neceflary Materials for our Manufactures, and that Cheaper than we can have them from elfewhere. We do fome Years receive 6000 l- Weight of Linnen-Yarn for Warps for our Fuftians, to make into Cburfe Linnen, Thred-Buttons, Tapes, Inckles, &c. 137300 Cony Skins for Hatts, x 200 Dozen of Calf-Skins, 40000 Raw and Drefled Hides, 373600 Goat,Sheep and Lamb-Skins, and Pelts for Glovers,and many other ufes; Tallow, 38000/. Weight, All which.ferve for many ufes, both Domeflick and Forreign. Some Years we received from Ireland2 ioooo,fome Years 254000 great Stones of Wool, at 18 Pound to the Stone, which (as was made out to the lafl Parlia¬ ment, by a Weft Country Member of the Houfe of Commons,) employs 180000 of our Wool-Dreflers, Combers, Carders, Spinners, Weavers,. Dyers,Fullers, Dreflers, Shears-men, Tuckers, Knitters, Calenders, Prof¬ fers. And whereas it may be thought that the Wools of would yield a better Rate, were none Imported from ; 'tis certain that the Pafture Ground in England could not fupply the quantity brought, in from Ireland : And were the quantity lefs than now is, work would be wanting for the Poor; or were Wool dearer, the Price of our Ma¬ nufactures ( n ) Fir rfufa&ures would he ra5 fed, and we fliould thereby be in dangei of lofe- or for ingour Forreign Markets for them. . c . IV. That I rade that furnifties us with Commodities for Forreign Markets, which vs e cannot have elfe where, is in fame fort neceuaryfor lm us, both F r employing our Stock, our Ships and our Sea-men. The fed chief way vhereby the Dutch greatly enlarge their Traie^and augment k{ their V - hrhj is by buying up the Commodities of other Countries, and City carrying aiem in their own Ships to proper Markets. Ireland furniiheth n( us with feveral Advantages of this kind ? for our Merchants have had lufmi fhipped.oft thence for their own Aco unt in one vear^ 8oo Tuns of Sak jAld mon, 700 I uns of Pilchards, 12000 Barrels of Herrings, 1201 uns of iCk Eels, 900000 Hake-fifh, 1040000 of Barrel, Hogs-head and Hpe ftaves, foi 3600 quarters of Rape-feed, < >oooo yards of courfe narrow-bandle othe Wollen-clorh, 38000 /. weight of Butter, iooo /. weight of Cheefe, Mi 43000 raw Hides, 800 douzen of Calf-Skins, 25000 Barrels of Beef, Several 1000 Barrels of Pork, befides Leather, Caddows, Bacon, Corn, and in feveral other Commodities - few of which, if any, could be fupplyed and( them from any other part of the World,- or at leaf! not fo cheap, or fa fck conveniently as from Ireland 5 for our Ships in their way to forreign M Markets frequently touch, or call in Ireland for fome of thefe Commo- dities to compleat the Cargoes of other Goods they carry hence? which kik is of much greater advantage to our Trade than is apprehended at firft MA view. itUj V. We are gainers by Ireland, in that they take our Money and pay 11s Intereft for it; Suppofe we have but 40000/. in Money at Intel eft in Ireland, (Incereft there being 10 per Cent.) it yields us 4000 /.per Annum, continued there ten years, we have drawn thence 40000 /. for H{fCl Intereft, and at laft we receive our entire Principal alfo. But confider- |0Dt( ing that Ireland takes off more of our Commodities yearly than we do of theirs, they are obliged to fend us Money, and we having the advan¬ tage of the Exchange, we receive in Ireland 1061. or 108/. for every |jy hundred Pounds we part with in England: So that at 6 per Cent. for ex- L|^ change, we part but with 37600/. and yet receive 4000 I. per Annum L Inter eft thence. IL'< Of the fame Nature and Advantage is the Rent that our Noblemen, C Gentlemen and Merchants yearly receive for their Lands in Ireland, LI which are yearly tranfmitted thence hither. Inftances of this kind are b J too many to be enumerated. I will fee before you fome considerable »rZ Inft-ances of Profit that we receive from Ireland, and which that King- ^ dom particularly yields us in three Schedules. Firft, ( 24) The third Lift is of other Advantages that we receive by that Kingdom. per Ann% For Students that come thence to the Univerfities and Inns of y g0CQ ^ Attendants and Expedantsat Court, and Travellers hither- ^8000/ Profit made by the Chief Governours that are lent hence thi- ^ ^QQ0^ thpf oKrwr* FvnPnrP ———«- ■ ther, above their Expence We ufually have three Commiflioners of the Revenue there, ) that are fent hence at iooo /. pe Annum each, allowing^- 2000/. 1000/. for their Expence - Profit by the Poft-Office 6000I. Intereft of 40000/. that is put out by our People, in Ireland 4000/. 34000/. The Revenue there in 1686 was in the total 334575 r7 '• <5 4 Allow for Infolvencies- — 10912 /. 11 .51 3136631. 6s. 3d. Total of the Eftablifhment, viz..the Charge of that I 6s id Kingdom ) 5 ' Remains 80000/.—■ This overplus was tranl'mittable to England. The overplus for Anno 1683. was but 40000/. Infolvencies? jfe allowed as above in Anno 84. and 85. but 60000/. I will >40000/. ar therefore reckon it communibus Annis but \ .. ,l Brought from above 740001. If in the firft Lift the Eftate of any man be over valued, 'tis moft cer¬ tain that many of the others are under-valued; and that there are feveral Perions of lefs quality not named, whofe Eftates are in , and that fpend them in England I have not wilfully erred. I have a Lift of Particulars in my Hands drawn up by the Council of Trade in in 1672. whereby the Abfentees Eftates then living in , are va¬ lued to 1x6040 /. per Annum. Nor is this a late Advantage that reaps by Ireland, for both the Hiftories and Laws of this and that King¬ dom mips V ji5 ) domdo complain, That from the firft Conqueft they have been impo- verifhed by their Nobility, and Gentry's, fpending their Eftates in England. As to the Second Lift of Penfioiiers, I do not find that there hath lefs than 10000 /. per annum been paid for many years paft to Perfons in England. Upon the Eftabiilhment Anno \6"j6. The Pentions then payable to Perfons in England was 10500 L per annum. All the Per¬ fons mentioned in this Lift but three, were certainly in England, and I am informed the other three were refident here alfo. However the Summ payable to thofe three amounts but unto 5C0 /. in all- As to the Third Lift, it depends on Eftimates, wherein as to the two firft Articles, and the fourth* fifth and fixth, I have been careful to keep much within what they really are. As to the third Article 'tis certain that the Annual Profits our Noblemen make of that Govern¬ ment doth much exceed what I have fet down. And as to the laft which concerns the Surplufages of the Revenue, whoever confults the Eftabiilhment of that Kingdom, will find, that for many years paft there has been an Articlein it appointing a confide- rable Summ to be returned Annually into England. In 1676. it was but 2QOOO I. per amutit. In Charles II. time, there was great Summs raifedin that Kingdom, that never came into the Exchequer there; nor as I am informed is there any account how they were difpofed. Whether they were di- ftributed to Irijli Rebels as a reward for cutting Proteftants Throats in 1641, or transmitted for England, I cannot fay, but poflibly it may one day prove worth his prefent Majefties Enquiry, when once that King¬ dom tends towards a Settlement, if he thinks good, to have a retrofped: fo far. Hefe I am likewife to take notice, that when Forces have been fent from Ireland hither, or to Tangier, they have conftantly been paid thence. By the particulars of this laft inftance, it is evident, That we not only reap the common advantages ufually made in the courfe of Trade between one Kingdom and another $ but that we alfo make many otheir confiderable ones by Ireland, which that Kingdom peculiarly yields us, and is like yet to do to a greater degree, if we put it into a better con¬ dition of Trade and Improvement, which I lhall hereafter make °UThe three Lifts I have fet down before you do fhew, That we re¬ ceive 176017. L per annuity in thofe particulars, 750001, thatthey pay us annually for Fraigbt of our Ships, which makes 245017. enough of it felf for ever to Cure us of our Jealoufie, That that Kingdom will be prejudicial to us in point of Trade, for thefe very Out-lets of their E Treafure (16)' Treafure will infallibly keep them low. And the very encreafe of their Trade and Confumption will encreafe the Revenue there, and make them liable to fend fo much more as that (hall happen to be, annually to England, which helps to fupport our Charge and Enrich us- For what- foever the Revenue of Ire-and amounts to yearly above the Charge of that Kingdom, hath been, and will be tranfmitted into England, and is fo much clear profit to the King and this Kingdom, They are yearly liable to us for more than we receive in Commodity thence; and therefore much of what their Merchants fend to France, Spain, &c- on their own proper Accounts is returned by Exchange, or brought in Forreign Coyns into England, fo that they feem to fublift by Miracle. However they were in a thriving condition when King James II. Afcended the Throne. Nor is the advantage finall to England, nor to our Nobility and Gentry, that whilft the elder Brothers, Gentlemen of Eftates here, juftle and fcuffle for Offices and Preferments, and think all too little for them, That their younger Brothers have to repair unto in Shoals ( on every change of.Government there, which ufually happens every three or four years) where they meet with Offices, Employments and Preferments both of Honour and Profit, Ecclefiaftical, Civil, and Mi¬ litary ; and frequently arrive at confiderable Eftates, or a way of Live¬ lihood, whereby they live as plentifully and contentedly (though per¬ haps not fofplendtdly ) as their Elder Brothers here. Nor is this advantage limited to the Nobility and Gentry only .• For England breeds more Mechanicks, than it can maintain. The Sur¬ charge of thefe, that by their ftay here would but impoverifh the reft, find Work and Livelihood in Ireland. As do many decayed Fa¬ milies that repair thither yearly for Bread, and are received therewith great Humanity, and Kindnefs. It is Ignorance, Envy, French Gold, or Wicked and Treacherous Defigns that put Men upon Quarrelling with the Trade, Situation or Improvement of Ireland as prejudicial, or inconvenient to for the fair, fpacious, and fafe Harbours on the South, and South-Weft Coaft of Ireland, furnifh our Merchant Ships in their Voyages to Afia, Africa, and return from America, and moft part of not only with commodious (belter and refrelhments in Storms, Tempefts and other Extremities at Sea, but alfo retreat, refuge, and fecurity from Pyrates, and Enemies in times of War. And Ireland by its Situation lyes conveniently, not only for Security and Advice for our Merchant Fleets in time of War, but alfo ro t,4 cept and interrupt the Trade of our Enemies. e And * ( 27 ) And how lightly foever thefe advantages may be pad over by thofe that poflibly for French-gold, would cut, untwift, or weaken our for";j Threefold Cord, yet they are obvious enough to all confidering, un- Cla-; byafled States-men, Merchants and Navigators. For let it beconfidered, That the great currant of Trade runs be¬ tween England and France, and that were the Ports of Ireland and France in one hand, or both in War with us ; That either, much more both, would (hut up, and damage, if not ruine our Trade, in that in the lat¬ ter cafe, it might be done meerly by Privateers without the Expence of a great and chargeable Fleet, as our Merchants already find in part to their great_coft and lofs. Thus you fee that If eland is beneficial to England, by employing a- bove 300 Sail of Ships conftantly, together wick the Hands and Trades that depend on them. That it takes off confiderable quantities of our natural Products, of our Manufactures, and of our Imported Commodi¬ ties, which yields Employment to our People, contributes to keep up the Rents of our Lands, and Enrich our Merchants- That almoft all the Commodities we receive thence, are not only ufeful, but neceflary to us, to enable our Manufacturers, and employ multitudes of our People. That our Forreign Trade is encreafed by the Commodities our Mer¬ chants Ship off from Ireland which they can have no where elfe, and lyes there conveniently for our Ships to take in in their way to their proper Markets- That we receive thence yearly above 240000 befides many other advantages. . That many younger Brothers, and fupernumerary Artizans, and Fa¬ milies that fall to decay, and that cannot fubfift here, are received and entertained with kindnefs in Ireland, where they grow Rich, or at leaftSubfift. That the Situation of that.Kingdom is fo far from being prejudicial toii England,That it is commodious for the lhelter, fecurity and en¬ largement of our Trade. That were there no fuch place, we (hould want Employment for at leaft 300000 of our People, and Sale for a good part of our Products and Manufactures. . . That ihould Ireland continue in the hands of our. Enemies, many of our People would be beggared, moftofour Forreign Trade be greatly indangered and obftructed, if not ruined. So that without further confideration of this matter, 1 do conclude, That as Irelandis the antienteft, fo it is the molt noble, and profitable Acquifition that ever England made, though it is but little more than . • - E 2 twenty ( 28 ) twenty years fince the (landing Revenue of that Kingdom did confide- rably furmount the Charge of it; yet our Kings ever fince King John's time have drawn large Supplies not only of Men, but alfo of Money, from Ireland. K- James and K. Charles the Firft received feveral Summs of Money thence, which with the advantages by Trade, and mod of the fore-mentioned particulars have rendred Ireland considerable to England for near 500 years paft. You take notice that our Nobility, Clergy and Gentry have imbibed a Notion, that the abatement of the Rents of Lands in England for twenty fix years paft have been occafioned by the Improvements of Ireland in that time: And thence you raife your T Third Query, Whether the Improvement of Ireland vom not thecaufe of the Abatement of Rents of Lands in England Or whence clfe hath it come that Rents of L mds have fallen one Fifth part fince theTear 1662. O fet you right in this matter, it's expedient that I lay before you _ the true flate of that Kingdom and its Trade, whereby you will be able to fee the folly ofourfufpicions, and the difficulty, if not im- poffibility of receiving prejudice by the Improvement of Ireland, at leaft in this or the next Age, unlefs we enforce it by bearing too hard on them, as we did in the bufinefs of Gattel, and compel them to bet¬ ter Husbandry at home, and to more Forreign Trade, than they are any way difpofed to, or prepar'd for. And then I will (hew you whence it is, that our Lands have fallen fo much in their Rents. Ireland is indeed an Iftand, that for extent of Acres, richnefs of Soyl, falubrityof Air, numeroulnefs of good Rivers and Havens, variety of Fiftiings, native Products, and materials fit to be improved into Manu¬ factures, Scituation for Trade, eire.comes behind few Iflands in the World. Yet it hath hitherto advanced but very little in Trade, Riches or Improvement. Although it hath for 518 years owned Subjection to England, and been in great meafure Inhabited by to that de¬ gree, That three fourths of the prefent Papifts there, are of Extraction, who yet by the influence of that pernicious Religion, are as much difpofed to Mifchief and Barbarity, as the native Irijh -, yet I fay the Trade and Improvements thereof are inconfiderable. The Caufes whereof I apprehend to be thefe. i ia ILjiUA i. That ( 19 ) 1. That the Popifii Religion is retained by about five fixth parts of the Inhabitants; which not only enjoins about 2 Idle or Holy-days more in a year than our Church 5 by expence on which, the lofs of fo much time, and of what might be gained therein, the ill habits, and indifpofition to labour contracted by fuch Idlenefs, and the fpungings of their Clergy, by which, and the difpleafure of God on that Religion, (being that abomination that caufeth defolation) they are kept Poor. Hereby they are liableyearly to fend much Money to Romero par chafe tions, Pardons, &C- and they aSlually do fo ; And are alfo at the Charge of training up their Youth at St. Omers, Doway, Valado.lid, the fuites Colledges in France, ( which is a real drain to their Treafure ) where they are fitted for all Fillany, and mftrntled how to trouble Church and State. And by Gods juft Judgment for permitting that Religion, ( whilft with¬ out compulfion it is fo eafie to reform them 5} they are made Thorns in our fides. Thefe (I fay ) make up one caufe of the Poverty of that Kingdom, and will remain fo, as long as their Idolatry is connived at. 2. The Second Caufe of the Poverty of that Kingdom, is, tire paucity of the Inhabitants, the whole number being reckoned to be but 120000a1 Souls, whereof 300000 are Children,many by their quality exempt from Labour, and the reft are few enough for Tillage and Husbandry, there being Ten Acres, of Land EngHJh meafure profitable, and five unpro¬ fitable in that Kingdom for each Soul in it. Hence it is, that -in the Fifiling Seafon, the Merchants of that Kingdom pay 20000 to Scorc/;Fifiier-men,that go from Scot la to take the Herrings and other Fifh, tliat prefent themfelves to their Nerts in the Harbours. To which may be added,the poor and mean way wherein above three fourths of them live,their Food, ttho' they live the midft of plenty) being moftly Milk and Potatoes; their Cloathing, Courfe Bandle Cloath and Linnen, both of their own making. A Pot, a Griddle whereon to Bake their Bread, a little Snuff, Salt, and Iron for their Plows, being-almoft all, that they trouble the Merchant or Shop-keeper for. A little Hut, or Cabbin to Lodge in, is all that the generality of them feek, or have Ambition for. 3. A third Caufe of their Poverty ( which is alfd an evidence of it,) is, the Raw and Unmanufactured condition of the Commodities they Export. The Bulk of their Exportation befides Fifii •, is Wool, Raw- Hides, Flax, Linnen-Yarn, Cony-Skins, Sheep'Skins, Pelts, Hogs¬ heads and Barrel Staves, &c. Add hereunto the few Markets that they have for thefe. They are Prohibited, carrying their Wool and Yarn to any Market but England. The Carribbe Ifiands were their beft Mar¬ ket for Beef, Pork, ana Provifions, which tho' we have left them Free¬ dom to carry thither, together with Servants and Horfes, yet'tis under fuch (30; fuch hard conditions, that they are in a manner wholly cut off from that Trade. Thefe being fo Bulkey, and of fo little Value, that it requires two or three Cargoes of them to Lade one Ship back with Plantation Commodities. And we have Prohibited them to carry any of their Manufactures f which would have help'd in this Cafe) thither, except they enter, and pay the Duty for them in England, which on fome Goods is twice, on others the whole value of the firft coft- 4. The ftnall quantity of Coin that is in that Kingdom* and the great difproportion between that and the Payments of the Kingdom. To clear this, I will give you a rough, yet near and probable computation, what the Rents, publick Payments and Trade there doth require, or of what Money is neceflary to put that Kingdom barely into a thriving condition. 1. There ought to be in it as much Money, as one Years Rent of near Eight Millions of Acres profitable Land which are in that King¬ dom, and the Houfes doth amount unto, which fuppofe to be 11 coooo/. This is the Land-Lord and Tennants (hare of the Ca(h of the King¬ dom. 2. It is neceflary there be alfo fo much Coin as one Years value of the Natural Products of the Kingdom does amount unto, at Jeaft as the Commodities Exported in that time do come to. This is the Merchants and Trades mens (hare of the Money, and in Ireland fhould be about 5 90,000 I 3. So much Money as one Years Revenue and Taxes does amount Wo i which in Ireland is about 3000001 or at lead fo much as is the Charge of the Kingdom, which including Penfions was 243663 /. 4. So much Ca(h as the Tythes and Church Livings amount unto, which for 27 Bifhopricks, Deanries, &c. and about 2200 Parilhes; ril reckon 200000 /.per Annum. 5. It's needful that there be Manufactures in a Kingdom to employ the Indigent, and keep them from Rapin and Violence 5 and if fo, it's ne¬ ceflary there (hould be fo much Mony for that ufe as one Years Manu¬ facture doth amount unto 5 for which (becaufe they are fo few in kind, and little in quantity) well reckon but4oooo/. Thefe five make up a neceflary Capital of two Millions and 83^3/. Now did the Ca(h of the Kingdom equal thefe requirements, Rents, Taxes and Tythes might be well and duely paid, the Scale of Trade move nimbly, and feme Manufactures be carried on. But where the Ca(h of a Kingdom doth not exceed the firft, third, fourth foremensioned ufes, fuch Kingdom is incapacitated to advance de, Shipping, Manufactures or Improvements. Such T3o [ftoB| Such Deficiences of Calk, (accordingto the Degree of it) occafiom .itttcj cheapnefs of the Natural product of fuch Kingdoms, ill payment of lPlanut R-ents> anc^ Debts, and necefiarily impofe a low value upon Lands both ni of| in purchafe, and Rent. thayejq 'fhe Paftant Cafh of that Kingdom in its mold flourilhing condition, CffitCj was never eftimated to be 400000 /. but grant it be fo much, yet that is lefs than one Fifth of what is necefifary to enable the payment ndthej, of Rents, Taxes, and Tythes, and to carry on the fmall Trade of that lgdoit: Kingdom. - m Here you may fee the Fundamental Caufe of the ill payments, Cheap- >?z:t. nefs of Lands, fmallnefs of Trade, and Poverty of that Kingdom, tho' a not the only one. The want of Stock in Trade, is the reafon why the moft of the pro¬ mts [jj duds of that Kingdom are Exported by our Merchants, and not by the j 1,1 Merchants of that Kingdom, whereby the profit made on them in For- iJj,,,.: .reign Market accrues to England. g(t|." 5. Another Caufe of the Poverty of Inland, is, the high intereft ■ that Money is at there, being by Law 10 per cent, befides Procuration, . and Continuation Money, &c. which the needy pay alfo This is a con- I fequent and proof of the former, and that which cuts the Nerves, and 1 Jf Hamftrings of Induftfy. For as Scarcity of Coin, keeps the Natural I mme procjU(^s 0f a Country at a low rate; fo high Intereft both hinders ® their being Manufactured, and advances the price of them when Manu¬ factured, that they cannot be afforded fo Cheap at Forreign Markets, as does * £iie ]ike Manufactures raifed where intereft of Mony is low. uch as isg \]66] !■ jf iqere ;£ f,e objected, that the Cheapnefs of Wool (as to the Wool- HOtjDtl ]en Manufacture ) will countervail the difadvantage of high intereft : a .law jt's anfwered, that it will not, for 12 Pound of Wool which! cofts but two Shillings dearer in England than there, will make a piece of Serge )»pp tiiat may ftand fome in 3 l. fome in 41, or two pieces of Stuff that may 10)its* together ftand in as much i the price of the Wool being fo fmall a part featsMt of the Disburfe, will not countervail the high intereft on the reft. But e fo M befides this, there being but little Manufacture there, and not full work for Tuckers, Dyers, Drafters, Calenders, Hot-Prefters, &c. there, and Mi as there is here, the rate of thefe there, is double to what it is here 5 :nts, 8® and fo is their Oyl, Dying Stuffs and Forreign Materials, moft of which e oflE they carry from England, for which at a high value they pay 10 per cent. for Cuftoms and Excife on their Importation- Sri, W It is the leaft skilful of our Workmen that go thither, and even the toadr# skilful there meet with a great inaptitude in the People to Manufacture, tho' they ought to be content with them for their own ufe, yet they Sd cannot (35 ) " fame according to the Book of Rates, and every Stranger double, It is to be noted, That moft Commodities but what Ireland conftantly if bit derives, or are fupplyed with from England, are valued in the book bus5, of Rates, at a higher value than the fame Commodities are valued nfotli in the book of Rates in England. So that according to the intrinftcl value of the Commodities, all Forreign Goods pay almofi io per Cent. Cujlom ted, anil on Importation into Ireland, except what they have from England. There¬ fore, fay they, he that reads the A6ts for Cuftoms and Excife in Ire- andtkt land, will imagine that the Parliament of Ireland was in the Confpiracy to ruin the Trade of that Kingdom. For though it is known, that thefe Depent and other fevere Ciaufes in thofe Ads were added in England when the i to hi Bills were fent into England for Approbation 5 yet they were allowed CommoJi and paffed into Ads by the Parliament of Ireland, So that upon the whole, Um they conceive it clear as the light at Noon-day, That England can fur nip) the illiblji Plantations, and all the World, with Afian, African, and European Com¬ modities, 6 if not 8 per Cent, cheaper than ctis pojfible for the Merchants of i<| arc ji Ireland to do it 5 which is a full fecurity of that Trade to England. Plant® As to the third End of thofe Acts in England, that barr their Trade to the Plantations, which is, That England maybe a Staple to all the istiitk World for the Plantation Commodities. wiidic® The Merchants of Ireland fay, this alfo is infallibly allured to Englandy 0I]tp[ though Liberty fhould be allowed them to trade to the Plantations. As vidian t0 ^ World, Ireland only excepted •, Not only for fome of the rea- tjO0j' fons given under the former head, which take Place likewife here 5 jy but alfo becaufe, although Plantation Commodities (fince the additional jg Up Duties were added ) pay a higher duty on Importation into Englandy u ' than ttyey pay on Importation into Ireland. Yet op Exportation out of I ; Ireland, they leave much more of the Duty behind, than they do on Exportation from England. To inftance only in two of them. Ginger p yi on Importation into Ireland pays 12 d. per hundred weight Cuftom, and * on Exportation draws back no part of that duty. Ginger exported out ;< of England leaves behind. m ft, Tobacco ( which is the moft considerable of all the Plantation Com- C^«J; modifies\ Imported into Ireland, and-again exported thence, leaves in 1 any m t|ie j£jngS hanjs 0ne penny per pound behind ? but exported out of Eng- f% T andy it leaves but a half penny behind, which is the eighth or tenth part maim- value of that Commodity. So that England will certainly remain i chit ml a Staple for thefe Commmodities to all the World, except Ireland, not wit h- i ponding full - titer ty of Trade to the Plantations fjould he allowed the Merchants )Enm 0jp lrelan^ por thac the Englijh Merchants can fell Tobacco 10 or iz per ?ftitsorf Qenu at"ieafjj ancj Ginger ~ per Cent, cheaper than the Merchants of [forwf Ireland, and fo likewife all other Plantation Commodities, lyablefor/ • • ' F 2 The / 37 ) That as to tht Virginia Trade, which brings greateft Advantage to his Majefiy, the Merchants or Ireland are in a manner wholly cut off from thar Trade, except they will drive it to the utter Ruin of the Kingdom (which they refolve not to do ) For neither Provifion, rior Horfes will go oft at Virginia]nor are Servants to be had to fucli numbers as to en¬ able that Trade; And the Export of their Manufacture is prohibited. So that if they will drive that Trade, they muft do it with Caili, and turn all the little Money they have into Smoak, or be at the exceftive charge, double hazard and expence of time, to come unto, and return through England with that ( as all other Plantation Commodities) which, hath occahoned frequent lofs of Seafons, and of Ships and Car¬ go's to the lofs of the Duty to his Majefty, and Ruin of many Merchants, as they made appear in very many 'deplorable Inftances, too long to be here inferted. They fay, That whereas by an Act of the 25. Car. 2. For better fe- curing the Plantation Trade, It is Enacted, That if any Ship or Veftel, which by Law may Trade in any of the Plantations, lhall come to take on board any Plantation Commodities, and that Bond fliall not be firft given, with fufticient Surety to bring them to England, , or wick, That there lhall be paid there on white Sugars 5 s. per Cent, on Mujcovados8 d. per Cent.on Tobacco i d, per Pound, &c. which afford¬ ed fome eafe tojthe diftreffed Merchants of Ireland in returning, with¬ out being neceilitated to come to England to enter. Tet that door hath been (hut again si Ireland by the Artifice of the Arbitrary of the Cufioms in England. For contrary to the plain Import of that Larv, There was a Ship of England which paid that Duty in the Plantations, feiz.ed and condemned, under pretence that that Was only intended for the 1 between Plantation and Plantation, althtug is- nothing in the API that ■ gives Countenance to that ConftruPtion. That tho' the Manufactures of Ireland are few, and that the nioft con- fiderable of them is Lumen, which interferes not with the Manufacture of England,and that the quantity exported in timesof Free Trade to the Plantations was but fmall, yet the Suftenance of a good number of the moft neceflitous of their People depended wholly on that little, and that they cannot fubfift barely by Air, more than the People of Eng¬ land. That by reafon of the eafinefs to fubfift in Ireland, the Reftraints on Trade, the difficulty, if not impoffvbility ( now) to grow rich by Trade, and the che^poefs of Land; Merchants are inclined to purchafe rather than Trade. That from henc^i and the mean way of living of the Natives, paucity of Inhabitants, little demand of the Native G'onr- modities in Forreign Markets, the want of any- peculiar Commodity, as (■ land, the moft confiderable being that Claufe in the Act of Cuftoms, which impofeth one third more Subfidy on all Commodities Imported into Ireland, except thofe Imported from England or the Plantations. This they fay was added to the Bill in England. However it was palled by their dwn Parliament, and is in effect, or was intended by thofe which added it, as a Prohibition of their Trade with any part of the World, but England. Another difcouragement which they alledge, is the exorbitant Fines in the Act for Excife in Ireland, as lofs ofFranchifes, Imprifonment, and the Barbarous Corporal Funifhments to be inflicted thereby, which are fuch, That Merchant and Slave in Ireland are convertible terms; and had indeed been fitter to have been impofed on Slaves at than on Free-born Englifi Men. If the view I have given you of the Trade and Condition of Ireland hath not fatisfied you, that it is not the Improvement of that Kingdom that hath iellened the Rents of Lands in England, I prefume the aclwer to the fecond part of the Inquiry w e are upon will fully do it. The fecond part of the Query, is, What have been the that have occajioned the Rents of Lands to have abated or fallen one fifth part, or confiderably fince the year 1662 ? This Query fuppofeth, That Lands generally throughout England did in 1662. or thereabout, yield confiderably more Rent than now they do. I was defircus to inform my felf as to the certainty of it, left this unhappinefs fhould have been only particular to your felf, and fome few about ycu, I had the curiofity to inquire in Surrey ( fifteen Miles from London) whether like Abatements had hapned there as in your parts oftheCountrey ; and I had many Inftances given me where feve- tata m Tfc iktei 'ili( it Ike Mttit liie&f Mat ail Dr. ral parcels of Land which in 1662. and 1663. yielded 30 I.per annum, are now fet ( upon the Rack-rent) at 22 /. per annum, and fo proportiona- bly for greater and lefs quantities of Land: So that being confirmed in the Truth of the matter of Fact, I have therefore the more fludioufiy enquired into the caufes thereof. To refolve this Query to fatisfactlort, it is necelfary that we retro- fpect the Conditionof England unto the tirne when Lands were at a ve¬ ry low and mean value as to the Rents of them 5 and if we can find w hat it was that railed them to tnole high Rents they yielded about i(562. it is probable that that will direct or help us to find the true caufes of their Abatement. To go no further back than the Reign of Edward III. we fhall find, That England had no Manufactures, few Ships, little or no Exportati¬ on but a little Leather, befides Wool, and Wool-fells, of which feme- times 30000, at other times 10000 Sacks was Annually Exported ( for Cuftom hwrin ma f, n witk ® til i M p, iu in m ip flWr, PtheKi \ c 42; Exhortations. I. s. -189909. —. 006073. 1. -81624. I. 14 Laft, 17 Dicker and 5 Hides of Leather at 6 l.per Laft — 89. 5. whereof the Cuftom amounts to— 17. 31651 Sacks and ahalf of Wool at 6 /. per Sack — 3036 Hundred 65 Fells at 2 /. ^Hundred of 120 Cuftom of both amounts to d. i 1. 4774 Clothes and a half at 40 /. Cloth ; 0095 4p. —. —. 8061 Pieces and a half of Worfteds at 16 8 d. per Piece 006717. 18 4. TheCuflom of both amounts to — 215. 13. 7. The Summ of the out-carried Commodities in value ,0. Trr „ and Cuftom amounteth to — S 2. The Importations into England 2 Ed. 3' 1832 Clothes at 6 l.per.Cloth whereof the Cuftom amounts to — 397 Quintals 4 of Wax at 40 s. per Quin. whereof the Cuftom amounts to — 1829 Tun f of Wine at 40/. per Tun— whereof Cuftom s. 12. — I. •10992 91. —795- io- — 19- 17. 5 -3<5S9- —• — —-182.19. — Linnen-Cloth, Mercery, and Grocery wares, and all") other Merchandize- >"943- 6- 10. whereof the Cuftom — 285. 18. 3. gin » > ■ mmrnmrnmrnmmmm Summ of the in-brought Commodities in Value and Cuftom—38970.3.6. Summ of the in-plufage of the out-carried above the \ o in-brought Commodities amounteth to— 255-14. 13. o. The bringing in of thefe few Manufacturers inftantly put the King¬ dom into a thriving condition ; for although it added but 16266 I- 18 s. 4 d. to the Exportations of this year, yet it fo far decreafed the Importations, as that there was 2.55214/. 13 s. 8 d. added to the Stock of the Kingdom. Thus was the Foundation firft laid of the Succeeding Trade, Wealth and Opulence of England. Henceforward this Kingdom encreafed in Trade, Shipping and Wealth; Lands yielded better Rents, and the pro- ( 43 ) products of it a better price, for in 1510. the beginning of Henry VIII's- Reign, a fat Oxe in London was commonly fold for 26 s. a fat Wether 3 s. 4 d. which allowing for the different value of the Coin is twice as much in the firft, and above three times as much in the laft. For Silver and Coin was 20 d. per Ounce in Edward Ill's, time, and was advanced to 40 per Ounce and no more in 1520. The fecond ftep was the diffolving of Abbeys and Monafteries. By this, and the carting off the Popes Supremacy, the power of the Clergy, and their concern in Civil Affairs abated, to the great benefit of the King¬ dom. ^ Until this was done, the Drones fuckc mortof the Honey, and ftarv'd the induftrious Bees. But when thofe Livings came into Lay- hands, the Rents and Money which before was hoarded up in Coffers came into the Publick Stock of the Kingdom, and circulated. I am a- gainfi ftripping the truly worthy reverend painful Clergy, I thinks they deferve good pay and double honour. I would not have the labouring Oxen muz.z,ledy nor the Labourers hire leffened •, Let them preach the Gofpel, profper and live honourably by it. Yet I am of Opinion they do always beft and are moft happy where they keep within their own Province. There is more re¬ quired to accompliih a States man than School and Book learning; the retired Education of the generality of the Clergy-men begets a temper unfit for CivilGovernment.Chrift was fo far from committing that to hisDifciplesjhat he cautioned or prohibited their intermedling in it. Not only the Subjects, but even the greateft Princes in the Land have been (hocked and made un¬ happy by the Pride and Ambition of Popirti Prelates, (Becket and b- thers.) But now that Yoke, and the Popes were in a great meafure cart off to the unfpeakable advantage of Prince and people. In moft places wrhere Clergy-men lhare in the Government the peo¬ ple are unhappy, as in Italy and other Kingdoms, but where ever they govern Solely, the people are miferable, as in the Popes Dominions If the pregnant Inftances hereof given by Mr- Bethel (in his prefent Inte- reft of England ftated) do not convince all Mankind of this Truth, furely the late Improvement of thofe Inftances by Dr. Burnet in his five Letters will do it. The third happy ftep towards the enriching of this Kingdom, was the Reformation of Religion, for this contributes to the enriching a People, not only by the Blefling of God, which hath always attended the National receiving and confcientious practice of the true Religion, but alfo in that the nature of it is to civilize and moralize Men ; to make them fo- ber and diligent, and fo tends to enrich them. The Proteftant Religion as it makes men more diligent, fober and induftrious in their Callings than the Popifh Religion, fo it tends more to the enriching of them, in that it enjoins (as hath been obferved ) G 2 fewer if ••If 1 l'H: I k up i et ■■ m ill M i f ;|r m 1 '1 •:;r '•HI !« T <•$; 1 t'S) m ( 44 ) fewer Idle days, which expofe men to expence, breeds and begets ill habits, and an inaptitude to buftnefs and labour, &c. which are the Companions of Superrtition and Idolatry. Suppofe the working people of England to be but four Millions , and that the Labou of each Perfon be valued but 6 d. per day, their worl^for one day a* mounts to one hundred thoufand pounds which for twenty four days that they j^ep—> in a year more than the twenty nine days obferved by the Church of England, amounts to Two Millions and four hundred thoufand pounds Ster- ling per Annum, which of it felf is fufficient on the one hand to impo- verifli. and on the other to enrich a Kingdom. Another advantage we received by entertaining the Chriftian Reli¬ gion, and carting oft'of Popery, was, That the greateft part of that Money which went yearly to Rome for Pardons ana Indulgences was faved to the Kingdom; which was no final!Summ. The fourth rtep towards the enriching of the Kingdom accompanied or immediately followed our breaking off from (that Mother of Abo¬ minations) the Church of Pome, and was fent us as a Blefling from Heaven for that Separation, was the Serge, Say, and Stuff Trade, with nil our new Draperies, which have vaftly contributed to the Wealth of the Kingdom, and railing the Rents of our Lands. Antwerp had for a longtime been, and now was the greateft Seat of Trade in the whole World, and the Netherlands of Manufa&ure Thence we were Supplied with all forts of new Draperies, and Fabrick of Silks, &c. Although Trade be the beft humoured Lady in the World, yet flie is fo great a lover of quiet and repofe, and fo fenfible that flie carries her welcome with her where-ever flie goes, that flie expe&s to be Courted-and Accommodated with Peace, Liberty and Security; where either of the two latter are denied, or taken from her, flie frequently removes, and carries Plenty, Wealth and Honour along with her. Ignorance is the proftffed Mother of the Devotion of the Church of Rome, Slavery and Poverty her two Daughters: Covetoufnefs, Cruelty and Ambition infep arable from that Hierarchy. . The Lords Inquifitors, and Bifkops of Spain, obferved that Merchants and AlanufaUurers were not only a Richer,but alfo a more fober3 thinking, knowing fort of people than others, more curious about what they entertain in matters of Religion, than the Debauched pin of the Gentry, and common people•, nor p much Prieffridden, nor fo eafily cheated out of their Souls and Money. They longed to be fingering their Wealth; But the dift.ance of the Netherlands from Spain did not permit them fingly to ft rip this fort of People- Therefore theft Hamans refolve the Deftruttion of all that diffentedfrom their Ceremo¬ nies. and Canons in thofe Provinces -7 And rather than fail of their extirpa¬ tiony tion, the moderate men, though ( 45 ) of their oven perfwafion, ntufl- go to Pot. Having gained the Sole Direction of Philip the Second of Spain, they had as it were both Swords put into their Hands; and the World hath feen how the$ ufed them. They put thofe Provinces into fuch Convulftons as enfeebled the Monarchy of Spain, which from that time may date its Dec lenfion. Thefe Right Reverend Fathers appointed Duke N Alva Governour General of the Netherlands, a Man of a fierce, cruel, bloody inflexible Tem¬ per, (afir Servant for fuch Matters .) yet they thought ic too great an Honour for him being a Lay-man, folely to engrofs fo great a Stock of Merit as was to be acquired by the Ruin and Murder of f uch Multitudes, as were then to be Sacrificed to the Roman Cruelty, To Sanctifie the Villany, the Clergy mutt (bare in it. " They therefore appointed fif- ificsi " teen new Bifhops tobektuyin the Netherlands, who fhould be free "from all Secular Power and Jurifdiction, even in cafe of Trea¬ ty*; «fon. " That all Commerce, Negotiations, Liberties and Priviledges fhould " be overthrown. That all ( in the Netherlands) fhould be reduced " to extream Poverty, that thereby that Countrey fliould be affured "to them, and to Spain. " That no Man of all thofe Countreys ("except of their Faction) fliould "beheldworthy to live: And finally all to be rooted out, and all " Poffeflions, Arts and Trades, and all Orders to be taken away, until " there fhould be a new Realm and Nation. " That none Sufpected be Employed ( tho' of the Blood-Royal) but " to be removed and difpatched. " That no Contracts, Rights, Promifes, Oaths, Priviledges and fo- " lemn Grants made to the Netherlands, lhall be of any Force for the " Inhabitants as being guilty of High Treafon. " Thefe things will caufe the Subjects to Revolt and move Sedi- " Thieves and Spoilers of Churches and Images fhould be hired, and " fent among them whofe Offences fhould be imputed to the Re- " bels. Thefe were part of the Inftructions given by the Holy Fathers to Duke D' iAtvaand the new Biiliops, who acted their parts to purpofe in this Tragedy, for oa & Aiva 3 return into he boafied that he having done the belt he could to root out allHerefie, iocoo perfons to be put to death in Six years by the ordinary of Jafiice, befides numbers that had been cut off by die Souidiers. It had been happy for thefe Kingdoms if thefe hiftruclions bad been confined to thofe- Provinces, andhad.net in, art been copied, and fol¬ lowed here, as well as in the f^I will not intermeddle \ ' with ( 47 Hi feveral parts of Europe, but England efpecially: The Gofpel fpread, die et®k Church flourifhed, and the Trade and Wealth of the Kingdom con¬ tinued on the Encreafe, until there fprung up a generation of Men in the Nation very zealous for the obfervance of Forms and Ceremonies, not fb much regarding the neceflary Duties of Religion, as Love and Cha* rity, who too much favoured the Spirit of Perfection. In all Ages, and amongfl all Parties, thofe men that have violently, and rigidly been for Impofing particular External Modes and Forms in Religion, have leafi ad¬ vanced the Power of it, and run moft counter to the Civil Intereft of the King* dom. In Edward the 6th time, the Worthy Pious Bifhops that firft de¬ parted from Rome, differed about the degrees of diftance they were to go off from the Mother of Abominations 5 fome of them (upon Politi¬ cal confiderations) that the change might be iefs fenfible, and in hopes of alluring the common people, were for retaining the lefs Grofs part of the Ceremonies, and the moft plaulible paflages of their Liturgy, Pf Canons, and the way of ordering Priefts and Deacons: 0 Others of the *«j, Bifhops were for cafting off Rome, and aft her Ceremonies at once, and for returning to the Primitive Simplicity of Worihip inftituted and !r 1 pradtifed by Chrift and his Apoftles, as feveral Forreign Churches had done with good fuccefs. But reafon of State (with a good meaning and honeft defignj prevailed; yet thofe that' were for retaining thofe Cere¬ monies, feemed to intend them but for a time, and only until ( as they fay in the Preface to the Commination againft Sinners, <3v.) That the Godly Difcipline ufed in the Primitive Church, could bereftored. But what thefe firft Reformers retained, or admitted meerly by way of Ex¬ pedience, (judging the things indifferent in their own nature,) their Suc- ceffors fome time after Irnpofed with more^ rigour and ftridtnefs than the obfervance and pradtice of neceffary Duties; as if they thought the Canon of the Scripture incompleat, and that Chrift and his Apoftles had not fufficienrly diredted or inftructed the Church how to worihip God, and that the Chriftian Religion was deficient without this fupplement of new Inftitutions. Arch-Bifhop Whit gift was the firft that began to Impofe thefe about 158 By doing whereof, he difgufted and difquieted the generality of the Pious Divines and Communicants of the Church of England at that time, who difrelifhed them as unwarrantable, and uncharitable, gave a check to the Trade, and a ftop to the Manufacturers who were flock¬ ing into the Kingdom from all parts. To come to the matter in hand ; thefe Impositions, and the Severities af¬ terwards ufed by A, B. Laud, put the Church into terrible Convulfions, and the State into a Bloody Civil War, expelled multitudes of our fober wealthy people. ( 4» ) people, fome to New-England, fome to Germany, fome to Holland, many chofe. rather to live in defolate howling tyildefntfjes 5 others in ftrange Lands, among people whofe Languages they underftood not, with Liberty toferve God, than to live in England their Native Country, and be expofed to hardjhips at home, and to be fleeced and flayed by a Jet of——Tormentors. Nor was this all9 but be fides, many of our fnduftrious Mahufatturers were driven into Ger¬ many, Holland, and other of the Vnited Provinces, infomuch that (as was evidenced to the Parliament in 1643.) The Clothiers, who (for Liberty of Confcience, removed hence, and) fetled in Holland, made there in one year 26000 pieces .of Broad-cloth, to the unfpeakable lofs of this Kingdom 5 for hereupon Trade greatly decayed, and the Rents of Houfes and Lands abated fenfibly. ^ ^ And that I may help you a little to eftimate the Advantage the King¬ dom reaps by thele Manufacturers, and the great Damage fuftained by their Expulfion; I will give one Inftance of the vaft numbers of people they employ, which are moftlyof the poorer (ore, and another of* what the Kingdom loft by having thofe 36000 pieces of Broad-Cloth made beyond Sea. t As to the numbers of people employed in our Manufactures 5 take the Inftance from Elizabeth's Reign, who being informed, (that in a time of Dearth and Scarcity,! feveral Clothiers in Gloucefterfhire were fallen to decay, whereby the Poor wanted Work* ilie required their condition to be reported to her; and I find part of the return to the effeCt following j viz. That in the fix Hundreds of Berkly, Cumbalafh, Thombury, Longtree, Whitftone and Biflely, there inhabited 40 Clothiers, who employed 3 38 Looms s to each of which Looms did pertain eight persons3 viz. Weavers, Winders, Dyers, Drefters, Warpers, \&c. which was. ( to the whole ) 2704, befides 4500 Spinners 5 to that by the decay of thefe 40 Clothiers, 7204 perfons in that fmMl Circuit were left without Work and Suftenance. As to the Inftance which refpeCfs our Profit, you muft know, that particularly in White Clothes, all that we make of them above the coft of the Wool! and Oyl, is railed upon the Labour of our People, and is clear Profit to the Kingdom. As fuppofe the Wool! and Oyl for one piece of Cloth coft 3/. and that*the Cloth yields 13 /. then 101, is raifed by the Labour and Workmanfhip of the Manufacturers, &c. The Wooll of fome Cloths coft much more (but then the Cloth will yield a better price, cre.) But I pitch upon that price as a mean Rate: According to which value, this Kingdom loft 36o thoufand pounds ftcrling, which it had gained if thole Cloths had been made in it, and lold hence. And about 13000 ofour People were thereby de¬ prived of the Work and Wages that the making thofe Cloths would have furnilhed them with. jn ( 4 9) In this fingle Inftance you fee the Kingdom loft 360000 /. per annum in the old Drapery, and the lofs could not be lefs than double fo much in the new Drapery, &c. and all this for thofe Trumperies; a mighty lofs indeed to the Kingdom 1 Yet, had the Church gained thereby,there had been fome pretence for retaining and impofing them; but inftead of promoting the Edification, Peace, or Unity thereof, they have fer- ved only to rend and divide it. The fifth ftep towards the advance of the Rents of Lands, was the Li- berty of Confcience granted by the Long,, or Rump Parliament, and Oliver from 1642. to 1660. or 62. during which time all Profecutions for non- obfervance of uninftituted Ceremonies, &c. were fufpended. Ipdeed, never was there a more pregnant Inftance of the Benefits which Liberty of Confcience, and Encouragements to Manufacturers brings to a Kingdom, than what that fhort [pace of time furnifhed. For notwithstanding Civil-Wars in the bowels of thefe three Kingdoms for a great part of that time, whereby multitudes of the Inhabitants were cut off; yet Trade, and the Rent of Lands encreafed, and advanced even miraculoufly. I deny not but the removal, and taking off of all Monopolies, the bringing down Intereft of Money to 6 L per Cent, and the ACi of Navigation, (which were alfo A lis of that Parliament) were concurrent caufes of the encrewfe of the Wealth of the Kingdom. The fir ft took^off thofe Reftraints that were on Trade. The fecond enabled the greater Emprovements of our Land, and making our Manufactures cheaper than before. And the laft encouraged and encrea- fed our Shipping and Sea-men, and faved great Sums of Money to the King¬ dom, which the Hollanders were accuftomed annually to carry from England for their Ships let us to freight. Tet the chief caufe hereof was the Liberty given to People to ferve God according to his own Word. For this Liberty invited multitudes to return with their Families and Stocks from New-Eng¬ land, Germany, Holland, &c. but efpecially many of our Manufacturers, (who had been driven away by Arc h-BiJhop Laud's Perfection, &C.) tho too many of them (by Purchafes and Marriages that they had made in thofe places.) were detained to the unfpeakable damage of the Kingdom. However, the return of the reft greatly encreafed the Home-conftimp- tion of Proviftons, our Manufactures and Trade, and employed our Poor, which together advanced Lands in Purchafe and Rent to that great height they were at about i66o> and 1662. ^ ^: Thus I have faithfully fet down the means and fteps by which England ar¬ rived at that high pitch of Wealth and Strength, which rendred her the Ter- rour and Envy of all Europe. And having done that, it will be eafie to anfwer the Query, to afftgn the true Caufes of its Declenfion, and the abate¬ ments of Rents, &c. fwce\662. The moft material I conceive to be thefe that follow; viz- ( J° ) The principal Caufe thereof, ivas that violent Storm of Perfection, raifed again ft the Non-compilers with Ceremonies, Liturgies,&:c: prefmg the AH of Uniformity, whereby ten thoufand perfons fwce 1662. perijhed in Gaols, and by hard and cruel ufage, and very many thou find Families, {moftly fober, ufeful, induftrims People) have been ruined and expo fed to beggary, or compelled to fccbjhat Liberty in Forreign C.ount?'ies, which was denied them in their own. How the Diifenters have been ufed, the World hath feen, but if the doubtful, curious, or inquifitive defire to be acquainted with fome of the particular methods by which fo great a number were ruined 5 they may find a Specimen of them given by a good Samaritan, in the fourth part of the Conformifts Plea for the Nonconformift, beginning at page 29. It hath been one of the great infelicities of theKingdom during the three laft Reigns, that a fort of M en (few of whom have had Title to one foot of Land of Inheritance) have a/fumed to themfelves a power to difpofe Liberty and Pro¬ perty , our Lives and Fortunes at pie a fur e. They have indeed been very libe¬ ral of them to thofe Kings, in whom they Vfted the whole, in hopes they would bountifully reward fo good Benefactors, either with high »——- Preferments, or large Portions out of that great Stock. But as ill-gotten Goods feldom continue long with the Pofleflors, neither did thefe with thofe to whom they were given 5 for as the great Lord Falkland obferved to Charles I. That never did Prince lofemore by this Pulpit-Law than he. Yet all this exorbitant Power which that fort of Men cloth Princes withal, is only that it may be employed for their ufe 3 and that they themfelves may have fuch (hares as may enable them to domineer, to fleece and flay, all that dififent from them, I have, as I prefume, clearly demonftrated, That it was our Manu¬ facturers chiefly that raifed the Kingdom to its late opulence and great- nefs, and that our Manufacturers were at firfl: attracted hither by Li¬ berties, Immunities and Priviledges. Things being beft increased, nou- rijhed, and preferved by the means by which they are gotten, obtained, or gained *, we ought to have continued all thofe unto that fort of People. But that part of the Impofing Men I have been fpeaking of, have been no lefs pernicious to the Kingdom, than to thofe Kings whom they feemed to Idolize by their flattery : For they have by falling on our Ma¬ nufacturers damnified theKingdom to a greater degree than I am capa¬ ble of eftimating- After-Ages may poilibly be better able to doit: Yet to give you a little light into this matter, confider, that one pound of V/oo/l fold for fourteen pence, end one pound of Iron Jold at fir ft hand for two pence: If they be thus Exported, the Kingdom gains little by them: But if the former be wrought up {as it may be) into thee pair offine Umens Hofe -north 18 fMings*,and the latter into fineSvjfars,Locks&c fully to preferve, incourage and augment all thefe. Thofe who get their Livelihood by Trade and are many more than thofe who live by Cattle, Vafl and Fruits. Our Na¬ tural Products, which we Export, are not computed to be above one Fifteenth part of our Exportations; and tho' they that live by thefe muft not be but encouraged ; yet our main care ought to be laid out for our Manufacturers, as thofe that have raifed the Kingdom to its prefent Wealth and which fupports it, and makes up the Bulk, of our Expectations. Now the Trade of England being moftly carried on by its Manufa¬ ctures, fliould the Rents of Land here advance; fuppofe one fourth part above what they were in 1662. and Lands in Germany and &c. do not rifeproportionably, I fuppofe it would be very prejudicial to the Kingdom in general: For I am not here fpeaking of what would for a time gratifie the humour of our Nobility, Gentry, or Landed Men, but what would be their, and the Kingdoms true Intereft. If Rent of Land fliould advance one fourth part, or more, above what they were in 1662. The Fruits and Products of the Land ought to rife in their price proportionably, one fourth above what they then were, or the Farmers would not be able to pay their Rents. And were the Natural Products thus advanced for a continuance, Provifions being fo ( 53 ) fo much Dearer; it would be but reafonable, that the Labour of the Working People fhould advance alfo. And were this fo, our Manu¬ factures would be Dearer, which in the prefent State of things (as hath been obferved) would be pernicious to the Kingdom : For by fuch ad¬ vance of Rents, and the Price of our Natural Products, and Manufa¬ ctures, we fhould, Firft, Lofe all our Forreign Markets, for that part of the Natural Pro¬ ducts of our Lands which we Annually Export to other Countries, which could in that Cafe under-fell us. Secondly, We fhould for the fame Reafon lofe all Forreign Markets for our Manufacture; and thereby the means of imployment for our People at home, and of our Ships and Seamen abroad, which would yet be more mifchievous to us. The Kingdom affords no Commodi¬ ty that I call to mind peculiar to us but Tin, nor are we fole Matters of that neither, tho' we have more and better of that Commodity than any Country in Europe.Therefore all things confidered, it is the Intereft of the Kingdom that we raife both our Natural Product and Artificial Commodities and Manufactures fo Cheap, as that we may be able to furnifh all Forreign Markets with them (their quality confide¬ red )fome fmall matter Cheaper than any other Country can : For thereby only can we fecure Forreign Markets for our Surplufage of both, and imployment for our People- The Dutch and Venetians,&c. do in fome fort Vie with us at For¬ reign Markets as to Fine Cloth, and fome coftly Fabricks of Manufa¬ ctures, but they are not able fo to do in Courle Cloths, and Courfe Manufactures, becaufe of the much higher Prices of Food and La¬ bour among them than us, which with the different Price of Wool there and here, enables us to make great quantities of thefe Courfer Manu¬ factures much Cheaper than it is pollible for them to do. But if now that we have caft out fo confiderable a part of our Manufacturers into other Countries, and that by raifing our Rents, Provifions, Wool, La¬ bour and Manufactures fhould be advanced much in their Price ; we fhould be in danger of lofing a much greater part of our Trade to other Countries than what we have already loft. So great and xicklilh is the difficulty of Regaining any part of Trade, or bringing it into it's former- Channel when once loft or turned out of it. If againft what hath been faid, ic be objected, that experience tells us that our Manufactures are raifed Cheapeft in Years of Dearth and Scarcity; I anfwer that extraordina ry accidents do not conftitute a ftanding Rule : That 'tis true in fuch years, the Poor are conftrained to Work Harder and Cheaper thanatothey times: Yet in thofcyears they are conftrained to run in Debt^acd often Sell even the very Clothes which ( 54 ) which they Earned in times of Plenty, &c\ and did Provi "ons ad- vance for a continuance, Labour muft do fo too, or many of t; Poor would perifh, and the reft be reduced to live on Herbs, wear V' -. . .'en Clogs, or Shooes, and like the Peafants of France* look like wo king Ghofts, which I hope will never happen in England. It is the undoubted Inters A of the Kingdom to recal, and allure as many of cur ManufaBurers home as pojfibly we can, to fet up and encourage new Mann- failures for the imphying of our People, for the augmenting of our Export ati- ons* and the encreafe of the Revenue, to improve the opportunity put into our hands, by cherifhing the French that are already amongft us* and inviting in as many more as we can get 5 They live more hardily, and therefore can work much cheaper than ordinarily our People can- Their labour may be applyed and directed to fome new Manufactures* or new Fabricks which we have not yet, which we were wont to bring from France 5 and which may not interfere with thofe we have, or with the prefent labour of our own People. A prudent management of thefe things would conduce more than a little to the regaining and enlarging of our Trade to the enrich¬ ing of the Kingdom, and advancing Rents, by encreafing the home Confumption, the leflening our Importations, and augmenting our Ex¬ portation. There are fever al things that may by accident, and for a fpurt advance the Rents of Lands: But it is only the leffening our Importations* and the augment- ing our Exportations that can keep them up. In order to thefe great Ends, we fhould remove all thofe Bars and Difcouragements which lye in the way. It's true, the King and Parlia¬ ment have in their Wifdom by an Ad of Indulgence fufpended the Execution of thofe fevere and unkind Laws wftth which Diffenters have been fo long plagued, and which have been fo prejudicial to the King¬ dom ; Yet they are not repealed, but feem to be kept like Rods in pickle ^ and the Inftruments of our paft Miferies, and which procured them, are many of them ftill in being; longing, endeavouring, and dai¬ ly threatning the Repeal of that Act of Indulgence and Sufpenfion. In luch a State of things, no man of fence, that is tolerably fetled abroad, will be induced by a Liberty that's fo precarious to return home; efpe- cially when he obferves, that if he do return, and that he hath not ftretched his Confcience larger than it was at his going abroad, he muft be content to be a. Slave in one of the freeft Kingdoms in the World, incapacitated to ferve God or his Country in any Office CfvH or Milita¬ ry * and like IJfachars Afs be ufed only to bear a greater fhare of the pub- Jtck burthen and charge, and do a greater part of the publick drudgery tnan his Neighbours * but muft: not be employed in any place either of Honour or Profit, but be like the Silk-worm, permitted to fpin out his Bowels to* others. Tt ( J The Irijh Lawyers, ( for whom the People have great veneration ) have in all times by mifchievous Conftructions of the Laws, difpofed the Irijh to Rebellions; whilft they remain amongrt them they will hinder the Settlement of that Kingdom; therefore they ought alfo to be expelled. It is likewife neceflary that the Souldiers that have taken Arms for King James Ihould alfo be tranfported to the Plantations, or to , or be Banilhed : For they have lived fo long by Rapine and Plunder, that they can never be reduced to live regularly $ if they be permitted to continue in that Kingdom, they will always difturb the tranquillity thereof. If His Majefty would keep that Kingdom from Rebellion, it is necef- fary that their Priefts, Fryars and Clergy of every fort be banilhed from amongft them •• They have been the chief Incendiaries to Rebellion in j, all Ages. The Author of the Politicks of France fuggefts to that King the facility of diflradting England at pleafure, by letting the Popilh i:! Clergy upon fomenting Rebellions in Ireland. And we muft rernem- ber, that that Prince leldom neglefts any means fo obvioufly fervice- able to him. And whatfoever may be to His Majefty concerning " the Innocency of the Secular Clergy; yet it muft be allowed, that they are only jft lefs mifchievous than the Regular, lecaufe of left skill to do evil: For >C in& t0 their ability they have always d that Kingdom: They have the Conduct of the Confciences of that poor blind bigotted and are under Oath blindly to obey not only the Pope, but their Diocefans : Had they no difpojition to move Rebellions of them/elves, yet if they be commanded thereto (as undoubtedly they will be) they muft- and will readily obey : For the Irijh, as all other ignorant People, are Prieft-ridden; and their Priefts make them believe that they fhall be damned if they do not lay hold on eve¬ ry occafion to deftroy the Hereticks, and that they fliall certainly merit Heaven if they do. In Queen Elizabeth's time, thofe that had not the opportunity to Rebel, did purchafe Pardons, at dear Rates, from for their not having actually Rebelled. And we have had a pregnant Inftance of the Empire thefe Priefts have over the People in the pre- fent Rebellion;for notwithftanding Their Majefties have by three graci¬ ous Declarations invited that People to fubmit; yet I bear not of one Gentleman that hath hitherto fubmitted; and the People generally have chofen rather to quit their Habitations, and wander thorow the Kingdom, than to fit down quietly under Their Majefties gentle Go¬ vernment, with the enjoyment of all their Pofleffions. The Toleration of the Popilh Clergy, and their pernicious Reli¬ gion, as it would befinful iaTheir Majefties, fo it would be deftruCtive to that Kingdom, whatever the favourers of the French, or King I 2 James S ( 6i the quiet of England requires, That all the Roman Clergy, their Landed men concerned in this Rebellion? and that of 1641. together with their Lawyers, Jhould be banifhed, and not to return on pain of Death. We may wifh for Advantage by that Kingdom, but we cannot rationally expect it, w hil ft thefe three Parties, or any of them are permitted to remain there, for they will be fit Tools in the hands of the French King to foment Rebellions, to which their jcynt and feveral Interefts, (the hope of regaining their Eftates, the Church-Livings, and their Practice,) will prompt and difpole them ; and nothing lefs than their Banifhment, or Extirpation will deveft France of the means of diftradting us at plea- fure,now that they are joyned with that Enemy of Mankind. As for the reft of the Papifts who (hall be permitted to abide in thac Kingdom ; it is but reafonable that they be excluded from living in the Cities, Walled Towns, and Corporations,which are the ftrengths of the Kingdom. I am well aware that this latter, tho' as confiderable as any other means for the fecurity of that Kingdom, will meet wich much oppofition from many of the Proteftants of Ireland themfelves,who(like too many in England) prefer their particular (the Advancement of their Rents in thole Towns and Cities) to the Publick Safety, to which their Private Intereft ought ever to give way. The Papifts 2re already ex¬ cluded from Purchafing any of the Houfes in any Corporation which were forfeited by the Rebellion in 1641. But this without the other is not fufficient, ana indeed there is no other way to deal with them. If His Majefty imagines that the Pofleflion of their Eftates, Liberty,1 for their Religion, a fhare in the Civil-Juftice will oblige and reftrain them from Violence and Rebellion, he will (I fear ) in the iflue find it otherways; for in 1641. they had their titular Arch-Biihopsand Bifhops, their Fryaries and Nunneries; their Secular and Regular Clergy; they were Juftices of the Peace,Sheriffs of Counties, Members of Parliament, Mayors and BaylifFs of Corporations, &c. They were feized of three fourths of all the Lands there: All the Laws againft them were fu Im¬ pended as to their Execution ; they had all their Grievances redreffed, even to the releafe of the forfeiture of whole Counties. In a few months after which, they broke out into that horrid and barbarous Re¬ bellion, wherein they Maflacred 150000 Proteftants in cold Blood with¬ out any provocation, befides as many more that periihed by Famine and Sword in the profecution of that Rebellion; which Isdemonftra- tion to all the World, that thefe People are not to be retain'd in obe¬ dience by Immunities, Priviledges and Kindnefles, nor reftrai^d from Rebellion and Maflacres, whilft their Clergy, <^c, are permitted and many and Critical are the inquifiti- ons which he appointed to be made for the Difcovery of Private Mur¬ der before the place where it was committed could be deemed acquit, 0re. And his command is pofitive, that whofoever taketh away the Life of another, fhould be put to Death, and none may hinder, lett, or ftay him, &c. And the reafon is given, becaufe that Blood is a Land- defiling Sin: And that the Land cannot in any wife be cleanfed from the guilt of it, but by the Blood of the Murderer. Therefore great care ought to be taken to prevent future abufes of this kind, and to fup- ply and rectifie the defects and abufes of the Laws in this particular. It is dangerous to the Community to fufter Criminals to Efcape with impunity 3 but the worft andmoft intolerable Robberies and Murders, are thofe which are committed by the Abufe of the forms of Laws, when thro' the corruption of Judges, the Laws made for fecority of Life, Liberty and Property are perverted to the Deftruction of any of them. Sixthly, What hath hitherto been propofed, hath been for prevent- ing future charge by Ireland, and for the fecuring the advantages which comes thence to England. I am now toftiew that it is the Intereft of their Majefties, and of England, to put that Kingdom into a thriving con¬ dition, and how that may be done. That it is the Intereft of England and their .Majefties, is evident by what hath been already obferved. ^ The Revenues of Ireland before the breaking out of the prefent Rebellion, did furmount the charge of the Kingdom: And the Surplufage was transmitted yearly into England Now if by Trade, or otherwife, the Revenues of that Kingdom had been augmented or doubled to what it was in 1685. Then the Annual advantage to England, or to the late King, would have been fo much more : As fuppofe for the Year 1685. The Revenue had Surmounted the charge by 40000/. more or lefs ■; and that in 1686. it had amount¬ ed to 150000 /. more than it did the preceding Year : In that Cafe there had been 190000/. tranfmitted thence to England for that Year, &c. In this refpect you fee it is the Intereft both of the King, and this Kingdom, to put Ireland into a condition of continual improvement. . ■ i ^ jV,