e to make us a while forget our misery; or give your tenants
leave to plough for barley. But I will tell you a secret, which I
learned many years ago from the commissioners of the customs in London:
they said, when any commodity appeared to be taxed above a moderate
rate, the consequence was, to lessen that branch of the revenue by one
half; and one of those gentlemen pleasantly told me, that the mistake of
parliaments, on such occasions, was owing to an error of computing two
and two to make four; whereas, in the business of laying impositions,
two and two never made more than one; which happens by lessening the
import, and the strong temptation of running such goods as paid high
duties. At least in this kingdom, although the women are as vain and
extravagant as their lovers or their husbands can deserve, and the men
are fond enough of wine; yet the number of both who can afford such
expenses is so small, that the major part must refuse gratifying
themselves, and the duties will rather be lessened than increased. But,
allowing no force in this argument; yet so preternatural a sum as one
hundred and ten thousand pounds, raised all on a sudden, (for there is
no dallying with hunger,) is just in proportion with raising a million
and a half in England; which, as things now stand, would probably bring
that opulent kingdom under some difficulties.

You are concerned how strange and surprising it would be in foreign
parts to hear that the poor were starving in a RICH country,
&c. Are you in earnest? Is Ireland the rich country you mean? Or are you
insulting our poverty? Were you ever out of Ireland? Or were you ever in
it till of late? You may probably have a good employment, and are saving
all you can to purchase a good estate in England. But by talking so
familiarly of one hundred and ten thousand pounds, by a tax upon a few
commodities, it is plain you are either naturally or affectedly ignorant
of our present condition: or else you would know and allow, that such a
sum is not to be raised here, without a general excise; since, in
proportion to our wealth, we pay already in taxes more than England ever
did in the height of the war. And when you have brought over your corn,
who will be the buyers? Most certainly not the poor, who will not be
able to purchase the twentieth part of it.

Sir, upon the whole, your paper is a very crude piece, liable to more
objections than there are lines; but I think your meaning is good, and