so pertinent to the subject-matter of this volume that it is
printed here:

"_April 28th, 1726._
"SWIFT TO THE EARL OF PETERBOROUGH.

"MY LORD,

"Your lordship having, at my request, obtained for me an hour from
Sir Robert Walpole, I accordingly attended him yesterday at eight
o'clock in the morning, and had somewhat more than an hour's
conversation with him. Your lordship was this day pleased to
inquire what passed between that great minister and me; to which I
gave you some general answers, from whence you said you could
comprehend little or nothing.

"I had no other design in desiring to see Sir Robert Walpole, than
to represent the affairs of Ireland to him in a true light, not
only without any view to myself, but to any party whatsoever: and,
because I understood the affairs of that kingdom tolerably well,
and observed the representations he had received were such as I
could not agree to; my principal design was to set him right, not
only for the service of Ireland, but likewise of England, and of
his own administration.

"I failed very much in my design; for I saw he had conceived
opinions, from the example and practices of the present, and some
former governors, which I could not reconcile to the notions I had
of liberty, a possession always understood by the British nation to
be the inheritance of a human creature.

"Sir Robert Walpole was pleased to enlarge very much upon the
subject of Ireland, in a manner so alien from what I conceived to
be the rights and privileges of a subject of England, that I did
not think proper to debate the matter with him so much as I
otherwise might, because I found it would be in vain. I shall,
therefore, without entering into dispute, make bold to mention to
your lordship some few grievances of that kingdom, as it consists
of a people who, beside a natural right of enjoying the privileges
of subjects, have also a claim of merit from their extraordinary
loyalty to the present king and his family.

"First, That all persons born in Ireland are called and treated as
Irishmen, although their fathers and grandfathers were born in
England; and their predecessors having been conquerors of Ireland,
it is humbly considered they ought to be on