11 



and the author was emboldened to aflc a place for a produc- 

 tion on an interefting fubjedt, and which he had the vanity 

 to hope might be of feme little ufe to the public. 



The reader will have the goodnefs to recoiled:, that full 

 fix years have elapfed fmce the prefent eiTay was written. 

 Some moft important events have occurred fince that time, in 

 every part of Europe, and particularly in Ireland, which have 

 materially afFefted, and eflfentially changed both the intrinfic 

 and relative ftate of the country, hence, fome of the pofitions 

 laid down by me, may not appear fo ftridly juft, fome of 

 the topics difcufled not altogether fo appofite as they would 

 have done, had they been offered to the public, before the 

 great and ftupendous events, to which I allude, took place. 

 It will readily be feen how much the political changes in 

 Europe, will bear on commercial queftions. 



The author frankly confefTes, that the profpeft of his de- 

 riving any credit from the following fpeculations, is very much 

 diminiftied by the delay of this publication. 



Pereant, qui ante nos noftra dixere ! 



is the pathetic exclamation of a writer. Many of the ob- 



fervations 



