there is not one farmer in a hundred through the kingdom who can
afford shoes or stockings to his children, or to eat flesh, or
drink anything better than sour milk or water, twice in a year; so
that the whole country, except the Scottish plantation in the
north, is a scene of misery and desolation hardly to be matched on
this side of Lapland.

"The rents of Ireland are computed to about a million and a half,
whereof one half million at least is spent by lords and gentlemen
residing in England, and by some other articles too long to
mention.

"About three hundred thousand pounds more are returned thither on
other accounts; and, upon the whole, those who are the best versed
in that kind of knowledge agree, that England gains annually by
Ireland a million at least, which even I could make appear beyond
all doubt.

"But, as this mighty profit would probably increase, with tolerable
treatment, to half a million more, so it must of necessity sink,
under the hardships that kingdom lies at present.

"And whereas Sir Robert Walpole was pleased to take notice, how
little the king gets by Ireland, it ought, perhaps to be
considered, that the revenues and taxes, I think, amount to above
four hundred thousand pounds a-year; and, reckoning the riches of
Ireland, compared with England, to be as one to twelve, the king's
revenues there would be equal to more than five millions here;
which, considering the bad payment of rents, from such miserable
creatures as most of the tenants in Ireland are, will be allowed to
be as much as such a kingdom can bear.

"The current coin of Ireland is reckoned, at most, but at five
hundred thousand pounds; so that above four-fifths are paid every
year into the exchequer.

"I think it manifest, that whatever circumstances could possibly
contribute to make a country poor and despicable, are all united
with respect to Ireland. The nation controlled by laws to which
they do not consent, disowned by their brethren and countrymen,
refused the liberty not only of trading with their own
manufactures, but even their native commodities, forced to seek for
justice many hundred miles by sea and land, rendered in a manner
incapable of serving their king and country in any employment of
honour, trust, or profit; and all th