xxii PREFACE. 

 the vaft field of improvement which 

 Ireland will continue, until it comes to 

 be every thing to Britain which the 

 warmeft patriot could wifh. For fo 

 happy a ftate to arrive, nothing is want- 

 ing but this country to change her po- 

 licy, and cherifh that induftry fhe has 

 hitherto feemed fo anxious to fhackle. 



After having travelled through the 

 greateft part of the kingdom, I found, 

 upon fitting down to give an account 

 ot thofe circumftances, not immediately 

 ariilng from the hufbandry of the coun- 

 try, that I was in want of many public 

 accounts of trade, manufactures, taxes, 

 &c. not to be procured upon a journey, 

 I was for fome time in correfpondence 

 with fome friends in Dublin to gam 

 thefe, but after palling near a twelve- 

 month in expectation I found it would 

 be impoffible to procure the necelTary 

 papers without going thither ; I accord- 

 ingly went and refided nine weeks in 

 that city, very buf-ly employed in exa- 

 mining and tranfcribing public records 

 and accounts, which enabled me to give 



fuch 



