cement to marriage, which all wise
nations have either encouraged by rewards, or enforced by laws and
penalties. It would increase the care and tenderness of mothers toward
their children, when they were sure of a settlement for life, to the
poor babes, provided in some sort by the public to their annual profit
instead of expense. We should see an honest emulation among the married
women, which of them could bring the fattest child to the market, men
would become as fond of their wives, during the time of their pregnancy,
as they are now of their mares in foal, their cows in calf, or sows when
they are ready to farrow, nor offer to beat or kick them (as it is too
frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage.

Many other advantages might be enumerated: For instance, the addition of
some thousand carcasses in our exportation of barrelled beef; the
propagation of swine's flesh, and improvement in the art of making good
bacon, so much wanted among us by the great destruction of pigs, too
frequent at our tables, which are no way comparable in taste, or
magnificence to a well-grown, fat yearling child, which roasted whole
will make a considerable figure at a Lord Mayor's feast, or any other
public entertainment. But this, and many others I omit being studious of
brevity.

Supposing that one thousand families in this city, would be constant
customers for infants' flesh, besides others who might have it at
merry-meetings, particularly weddings and christenings, I compute that
Dublin would take off annually about twenty thousand carcasses, and the
rest of the kingdom (where probably they will be sold somewhat cheaper)
the remaining eighty thousand.

I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised against
this proposal, unless it should be urged that the number of people will
be thereby much lessened in the kingdom. This I freely own, and was
indeed one principal design in offering it to the world. I desire the
reader will observe, that I calculate my remedy _for this one
individual Kingdom of Ireland, and for no other that ever was, is, or,
I think, ever can be upon earth_. Therefore let no man talk to me of
other expedients: _Of taxing our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of
using neither clothes, nor household furniture, except what is of our
own growth and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and
instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the expensiveness of
pride, vanity, idleness,