t troubled. Mist,
the famous journalist, happened to reprint this paper in London, for
which his press-folks were prosecuted for almost a twelve-month; and,
for aught I know, are not yet discharged.[126]

This is our case; insomuch, that although I am often without money in my
pocket, I dare not own it in some company, for fear of being thought
disaffected.

But, since I am determined to take care that the author of this paper
shall not be discovered (following herein the most prudent practice of
the Drapier,) I will venture to affirm, that the three seasons wherein
our corn hath miscarried, did no more contribute to our present misery,
than one spoonful of water thrown upon a rat already drowned would
contribute to his death; and that the present plentiful harvest,
although it should be followed by a dozen ensuing, would no more restore
us, than it would the rat aforesaid to put him near the fire, which
might indeed warm his fur coat, but never bring him back to life.

The short of the matter is this: The distresses of the kingdom are
operating more and more every day, by very large degrees, and so have
been doing for above a dozen years past.

If you demand from whence these distresses have arisen, I desire to ask
the following question:

If two-thirds of any kingdom's revenue be exported to another country,
without one farthing of value in return; and if the said kingdom be
forbidden the most profitable branches of trade wherein to employ the
other third, and only allowed to traffic in importing those commodities
which are most ruinous to itself[127]; how shall that kingdom stand?

If this question were formed into the first proposition of an
hypothetical syllogism, I defy the man born in Ireland, who is now in
the fairest way of getting a collectorship, or a cornet's post, to give
a good reason for denying it.

Let me put another case. Suppose a gentleman's estate of two hundred
pounds a year should sink to one hundred, by some accident, whether by
an earthquake, or inundation, it matters not: and suppose the said
gentleman utterly hopeless and unqualified ever to retrieve the loss;
how is he otherwise to proceed in his future economy, than by reducing
it on every article to one half less, unless he will be content to fly
his country, or rot in jail? This is a representation of Ireland's
condition; only with one fault, that it is a little too favourable.
Neither am I able to propose a full remedy for this, t