192 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 



ness. I am out of favour at court, where I was well received 

 during two summers six and seven years ago. The 

 governing people do not love me, for, as corrupt as Eng- 

 land is, it is a habitation of saints in comparison of Ire- 

 land. We are all slaves, and knaves, and fools, and all, 

 but bishops and people in employments, beggars. The 

 cash of Ireland does not amount to L. 200,000. The few 

 honest men amongst us are dead-hearted, poor, and out 

 of favour and power. I talked to two or three gentlemen 

 of this House of Commons, now sitting here, mentioned 

 your scheme, showed how very advantageous it would be 

 to Ireland ; they agreed with me, but said that ii such a 

 thing was proposed, the members would all go out, as a 

 thing they had no concern in. I believe the people of 

 Lapland, or the Hottentots, are not so miserable a people 

 as we, for oppression supported by power will infallibly 

 introduce slavish principles. I am afraid that even in 

 England your proposal will come to nothing ; there is not 

 virtue enough left among mankind. If your scheme should 

 pass into a law, it will become a job ; your sanguine tem- 

 per will cool, rogues will be the gainers, party and faction 

 will intermingle and defeat the most essential part of 

 the whole design ; standing armies in the time of peace, 

 projects of Excise, and bribing elections, are all you are 

 like to be employed in, — not forgetting septennial par- 

 liaments, directly against the old Whig principles, which 

 always have been mine. A gentleman of this kingdom, 

 about three years ago, joined with some others in a fishery 

 here in the northern parts ; they advanced only L.200 

 by way of trial ; they got men from Orkney to cure the 

 fish, who understood it well ; but the vulgar folks of Ire- 

 land are so lazy and so knavish, that it turned to no 

 account, nor would anybody join with them, and so the 



