ere." (Same MS. Letter.)

Among the pamphlets in the Halliday collection in the Royal Irish
Academy, Dublin, is a tract with the following title:

"Reasons why we should not lower the Coins now Current in this
Kingdom ... Dublin: Printed and Sold by E. Waters in Dame-street."

At the end of this tract is printed Swift's speech to "an Assembly
of above one Hundred and fifty eminent persons who met at the Guild
Hall, on Saturday the 24th April, 1736, in order to draw up their
Petition, and present it to his grace the Lord Lieutenant against
lowering said Coin." It is from this tract that the present text
has been taken. The editor is obliged to Sir Henry Craik's "Life of
Swift" for drawing attention to this hitherto uncollected piece.

[T. S.]

SPEECH DELIVERED ON THE LOWERING OF THE COIN.

I beg you will consider and very well weigh in your hearts, what I am
going to say and what I have often said before. There are several bodies
of men, among whom the power of this kingdom is divided--1st, The
Lord-Lieutenant, Lords Justices and Council; next to these, my Lords the
Bishops; there is likewise my Lord Chancellor, and my Lords the Judges
of the land--with other eminent persons in the land, who have
employments and great salaries annexed. To these must be added the
Commissioners of the Revenue, with all their under officers: and lastly,
their honours of the Army, of all degrees.

Now, Gentlemen, I beg you again to consider that none of these persons
above named, can ever suffer the loss of one farthing by all the
miseries under which the kingdom groans at present. For, first, until
the kingdom be entirely ruined, the Lord-Lieutenant and Lords Justices
must have their salaries. My Lords the Bishops, whose lands are set at a
fourth part value, will be sure of their rents and their fines. My Lords
the Judges and those of other employments in the country must likewise
have their salaries. The gentlemen of the revenue will pay themselves,
and as to the officers of the army, the consequence of not paying them
is obvious enough. Nay, so far will those persons I have already
mentioned be from suffering, that, on the contrary, their revenues being
no way lessened by the fall of money, and the price of all commodities
considerably sunk thereby, they must be great gainers. Therefore,
Gentlemen, I do entreat you that as long as you live, you will look on
all per