odious custom be allowed of cutting scraws (as they call them) which is flaying off the green surface of the ground, to cover their cabins, or make up their ditches; sometimes in shallow soils, where all is gravel within a few inches; and sometimes in low ground, with a thin greensward, and sloughy underneath; which last turns all into bog by this mismanagement. And I have heard from very skilful countrymen, that by these two practices in turf and scraws, the kingdom loses some hundreds of acres of profitable land every year; beside the irreparable loss of many skirts of bogs, which have a green coat of grass, and yet are mangled for turf; and beside the want of canals by regular cutting, which would not only be a great convenience for bringing their turf home at an easy rate, but likewise render even the larger bogs more dry and safe for summer pasture. These, and some other speculations of the like kind, I had intended to publish in a particular discourse against this session of parliament; because, in some periods of my life, I had opportunity and curiosity to observe, from what causes those great errours in every branch of country management have arisen ; of which I have now ventured to relate but few out of very many; whereof some perhaps would not be mentioned without giving offence, which I have endeavoured by all possible means to avoid. And for the same reason, I chose to add here, the little. I thought proper to say on this subject. But, as to the lands of those who are perpetual absentees, I do not see any probability of their being ever improved. In former times their tenants sat at easy rents; but for some years past, they have been, been, generally speaking, more terribly racked by the dexterity of merciless agents from England, than even those who held under the severest landlords here. I was assured upon the place, by great numbers of credible people, that a prodigious estate in the county of Cork being let upon leases for lives and great fines paid, the rent was so high, that the tenants begged leave to surrender their leases, and were content to lose their fines. The cultivating and improving of land is certainly a subject worthy of the highest inquiry in any country, but especially in ours; where we are so strangely limited in every branch of trade that can be of advantage to us, and utterly deprived of those, which are of the greatest importance; whereof I defy the most learned man in Europe, to produce me an example from any other kingdom in the world for, we are denied the benefit which God and nature intended to us; as manifestly appears by our happy situation for commerce, and the great number of our excellent ports. So that I think little is left us, beside the cultivating of our own soil, encouraging agriculture, and making great plantations of trees, that we might not be under the necessity of sending for corn and bark from England, and timber from other countries. This would increase the number of our inhabitants, and help to consume our natural products, as well as manufactures at home. And I shall never forget what I once ventured to say to a great man in England, that few politicians, with all their schemes, are half so useful members of a commonwealth, as an honest farmer; who, by skilfully draining, fencing, manuring, and planting, has increased the in trinsick trinsick value of a piece of land; and thereby done a perpetual service to his country: which it is a great controversy whether any of the former ever did since the creation of the world; but no controversy at all that ninety-nine in a hundred have done abundance of mischief. A FULL A FULL AND TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE SOLEMN FROCESSION TO THE GALLOWS, AT THE WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1724. SOME time ago, upon a report spread that Wil liam Wood, hardwareman, was concealed in his brother-in-law's house here in Dublin, a great number of people of different conditions, and of both sexes, crowded about the door, determinately bent to take revenge upon him as a coiner and a counterfeiter. Among the rest, a certain curious person standing in a corner observed, that they all discovered their resentments in the proper terms and expressions of their several trades and callings; whereof he wrote down as many as he could remember; and was pleased to communicate them to me, with leave to publish them, for the use of those who at any time hereafter may be at a loss for proper words, wherein to ex *One Molyneux an ironmonger. press press their good dispositions toward the said William Wood. The people cried out to have him delivered into their hands. Says the parliament man, expel him the house. 2d parliament man, I second that motion. Cook. I'll baste him. 2d Cook. I'll give him his bellyful. 3d Cook. I'll give him a lick in the chaps. 4th Cook. I'll sowse him. Drunken man. stand. I'll beat him as long as I can Bookseller. I'll turn over a new leaf with him. Sadler. I'll pummel him. Glazier. I'll make the light shine through him. Grocer. I'll pepper him. Groom. I'll curry his hide. 'Pothecary. I'll pound him. 2d 'Pothecary. I'll beat him to mummy. Schoolmaster. I'll make him an example. Rabbet catcher. I'll ferret him. Paviour. I'll thump him. Coiner. I'll give him a rap. WHIG. Down with him. TORY. Up with him. Miller. I'll dash out his grinders. 2d Miller. Damn him. Boatman. Sink him. Scavenger. Throw him in the kennel. Dyer. I'll beat him black and blue. I'll make the house too hot for him. Whore. Pox rot him. Bagnio man. 2d Whore. Let me alone with him. 3d Whore. |