FOOD. 33 



niore induftrious people. Though my refidence in Ireland was 

 not Ion? enough to become a perfeft matter of the queftion, 

 yet I have employed from twenty to fifty men for feveral 

 months, and found their habitual lazinefs or weaknefs fo great, 

 whether Working by meafure or by day, that I am abfoluteiy 

 convinced is. 6d. and even zs. a day in Suffolk or Hertford- 

 fViire much cheaper than fixpence halfpenny at Mitchelftown : 

 It would not be fair to conhder this as a reprefentation of the 

 kingdom, that place being remarkably backward in every fpe- 

 cies of induftry and improvement j but I am afraid this obfer- 

 vation would hold true in a lefs degree for the whole. But 

 is this owing to habit or food ? Granting their food to be 

 the caufe, it decides very little againlt potatoes, unlefs they 

 were tried with good nourifhing beer inftead of their vile po- 

 tations of whiflcy. When they are encouraged, or animate 

 thetnfelves to work hard, it is all by whifky, which though it 

 has a notable effeft in giving a perpetual motion to their 

 tongues, can have but little of that invigorating fubftance 

 which is found in ftrong beer or porter, probably it has an ef- 

 fect as pernicious, as the other is beneficial . One circumftance 

 I fhould mention, which feems to confirm this: I have known 

 the Irifh reapers in Hertfordthire work as laborioufly as any of 

 our own men, and living upon potatoes which they procured 

 from London, but drinking nothing but ale. If their bodies 

 are weak I attribute it to whilky, not potatoes ; but it is ftill a 

 queftion with me whether their miferable working arifes from 

 any fuch weaknefs, or from an habitual lazinefs. A friend of 

 mine always refufed Irilhmen work in Surrey, faying his bailiff 

 could do nothing but fettle their quarrels. 



But of this food there is one circumftance which muft eve.r 

 recommend it, they have a belly full, and that let me add is 

 more than the fuperfluities of an Englishman leaves to his fa- 

 mily : let any perfon examine minutely into the receipt and 

 expenditure of an Englilh cottage, and he will find that tea, fu- 

 gar and ftrong liquors, can come only from pinched bellies, f 

 will not afll-rt that potatoes are a better food than bread and 

 cheefe ; but I have no doubt of a bellyfull of the one being; 

 much better than half a bellyfull of the other ; ftill lefs have I 

 that the milk of the Irifhman is incomparably better than the 

 fmall beer, gin, or tea of the Englifliman ; and this even for 

 the father, how much better muft it be for the poor infants ; 

 milk to them is nourilhrnent, is health, is life. 



If any one doubts the comparative plenty, which attends 

 the board of a poor native of England and Ireland, let him at- 

 tend to their meals : the fparingnei.* with which our labourer 

 eats his bread and cheefe is well known ; mark the Irifliman's 

 potatoe bowl placed on the floor, the whole family upon their 

 hams around it, devouring a quantity almoft incredible, the 

 beggar feating himfelf to it with a hearty welcome, the pig 

 taking his fliare as readily as the wife, the cocks, hens, lur- 

 C kies, 



