TENANTRY. 19 



up the rent to the uttermoft farthing, they are rapacious and 

 relentlefs in the collection of it. Many of them have defend- 

 ed themfelves in converfation with me, upon the plea of taking 

 their rents, partly in kind, when their undertenants are much 

 diftrefTed : " What," fay f.hey, " would the head landlord* 

 fuppofe him a great nobleman, do with a miferable cottar, 

 who, difappointed in the fale of a heifer, a few barrels of 

 corn, or firkins of butter, brings his five inftead of his ten 

 guineas ? But we can favour him by taking his commodities 

 at a fair price^^and wait for reitnburfement until the market 

 rifes. Can my lord do that ?" A very common plea, but 

 the moft unfortunate that could be ufed to any one whoever re* 

 marked that portion of human nature which takes the garb of 

 an Irifh land jobber ! For upon what iflue does this remark 

 place the queftion ? Does it not acknowledge, that calling 

 for their rents, when they cannot be paid in cafli, they take 

 the fubftance of the debtor at the very moment when 

 he can not fell it to anothe* ? Can it be neceflary to aflc 

 what the price is ? It is at the option of the creditor j 

 and the miferable culprit meets his oppreflion, perhaps his 

 ruin in the very adlion that is trumpeted as a favour to 

 him. It may feem harm to attribute a want of feeling to 

 any clafs of men ; but let not the reader mifapprehend me ; 

 it is the fttuation, not the man, that I condemn. An injudici- 

 ous fyftem places a great number of perfons, not of any liberal 

 rank in life, in aftate abounding with a variety of opportuni- 

 ties of oppreflion, every aft of which is profitable to them- 

 felves. lam afraid it is human nature for men to fail in fuch 

 pofts j and I appeal to the experience of mankind, in other 

 lines of life, whether it is ever found advantageous to a poor 

 debtor to fell his products, or wares, to his richer creditor, at 

 the moment of demand. 



But farther ; the dependence of the occupier on the refident 

 middle man goes to other circumftances, perfonal fervice of 

 themfelves, their cars and horfes, is exafted for leading turf, 

 hay, corn, gravel, &c. infomuch that the poor undertenants 

 often lofe their own crops and turf, from being obliged to 

 obey thefe calls of their fuperiors. Nay, I have even heard 

 thefe jobbers gravely aflVrt, that without undertenants to fur- 

 nifh cars and teams at half or two-thirds the common price of 

 the country, they could carry on no improvements at all ; yet 

 taking a merit to themfelves for works wrought out of the 

 fweat and ruin of a pack of wretches, afligned to their plun- 

 der by the inhumanity of the landholders. 



In a word, the cafe is reducible to a iliort compafs ; in- 

 termediate tenants work no improvements ; if non-refident 

 they cannot, and if refident they do not ; but they oppfefs 

 the occupiers, and render them as incapable as they are 

 themfelves unwilling. The kingdom is an aggregate proof 'of 

 thefe facls j for if long leafes, at low rents, and profit incomes 

 B z given, 



