ildings, or examining his
private Accounts; and tho' I often thought but meanly of my own Species,
yet I began to think, from the Conduct of this great Minister, that a
Cock was a far more selfish, and more worthless Animal than Man;
insomuch, that I have so despised them ever since, as to think them good
for nothing but the Spit.

The Schemes which he put in Practice were all the Invention of others,
tho' he assum'd the Credit of them; and I will be bold to say, that,
before my Time, amongst Numbers that were offer'd to him, he generally
chose the worst.

I was therefore order'd, after I had been two Years at Court, to take
this Business upon me, with the Title of _Castleairiano_, or Project
Examiner, and a Salary of Thirty Thousand _Spasma_'s. The first Project
offer'd me, was the laying a Tax on Cloath, and all manner of Stuffs.
This I rejected, because it being the chief Manufacture of the Country,
it would, by raising the Price abroad, be a Hindrance to the Commerce of
the Nation, and give the _Cormorants_ who made it, tho' nothing so fine
as the _Cacklogallinians_, an Opportunity, by under-selling them, to
become the chief Merchants in this Branch of Trade. But it would be
tedious to mention the many Offers, with my Reasons for accepting or
rejecting them, which I once a Week gave a List of to the Minister, who
was often so good as to approve my Judgment.

There were Projects for taxing Soot, Corn, Ribbons, for coining all the
Plate of the Nobility, for prohibiting the wearing of Gold or Silver.
Some were for the Government's taking all the Torchtrees (which gave a
Light, and are used like our Candles) and dispose of them, by which
great Sums might be raised. Some were for laying a Tax on all who kept
Coaches; others upon all who wore Silver or Gold Spurs: But these
touching only the Rich, the Minister would not listen to. The Tax which
he approved of most, was on the Light of the Sun, according to the Hours
it was enjoy'd; so that the poor Peasant, who rose with it, paid for
Twelve Hours Day-light, and the Nobility and Gentry, who kept their Beds
till Noon, paid only for Six.

Another Tax was laid upon those who drank only Spring Water. This fell
altogether on the Poor, for the better Sort drank the Juice of a certain
Tree imported from the _Bubohibonians_.

Whoever had not an Estate in Land of an Hundred _Spasma_'s was also
tax'd Ten _Spasma_'s a Year, to be paid out of their Day Labour. He
who deliver'd a