154 SwKDisH Turnips. [Part II, 



and overaice the people. I'll engage that to supply 

 Judge Lawrence's house that one week required a 

 greater sacrifice of aiiimal life than merciful Gibbs's 

 kitchen demands in a year : but, then, our hearty and 

 liberal neighbour never deals in human sacrifiees. 



CHAP. VII. 



Potatoes. 



265. I have made no experiments as to this root, and 

 I am now about to offer my opinions as to the mode of 

 cultivating it. But, so much has been said and written 

 against me on account of my scouting the idea of this 

 root as being proper as food for man, I will, out of 

 respect for public opinion, here state my reasons for 

 thinking that the Potatoe is a root, ivorse than useless. 



266. When I published some articles upon this 

 subject, in England, I was attacked by the Irish Avriters 

 with as much fury as the Newfoundlanders attack 

 people who speak against the Pope ; and with a great 

 deal less reason ; for, to attack a system, which teaches 

 people to fill their bellies with fish for the good of their 

 souls, might appear to be dictated by malice against 

 the sellers of the fish ; whereas, my attack upon Potatoes, 

 was no attack upon the sons of St. Patrick, to whom, 

 on the contrary, I wished a better sort of diet to be 

 afforded. Nevertheless, I was told, in the Irish pa- 

 pers, not that I was a fool: that might have been 

 rational: but, when I was, by these zealous Hiber- 

 nians, called a liar, a slanderer, a viper, and Avas 

 reminded of all my political sins, X could not help 

 thinking, that, to use an Irish Peeress's expression 

 with regard lo her Lord, there was a little of the 

 Potatoe sprouting out of their head. 



267. These rude attacks upon ine even were all 

 nameless, however; and, with nameless adversaries 



