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peace during the reign of the late Ks Charles would have 
been more serviceable to y° public in such a work y* unneces- 
sary watching and warding; and by being kept in continuall 
action would have been hardened, and made fitter for service 
in time of need y" by such a lazy life as commonly soldiers 
lead in time of peace. We discourse, but w* how much truth 
I cannot tell, of bottomless bogs; if any such thing be, I sup- 
pose they must be about y* West of Ireland, where a vast 
tract of sea, continually beating upon a low shoare, hinders y* 
earth from knitting, keeping it in a spungy loose texture; and 
y' may possibly be y® reason of soe many bogs in Ireland more 
y" in other countrys of its bigness. Yet I will not lay the blame 
altogether upon nature, and excuse my countrymen from con- 
tributing by y* lazyness to y* own misery; it is soe naturall to 
y™ y' I cannot suspect but y*it was as great in former ages as 
now; for I question not but some of what is now bog land 
was formerly woodland, and some under other husbandry, 
w" by neglect of culture grew in time to have many broad 
patches of standing water; this soe formed y* globe y* it was 
unfitt for any of those production w™ other land yields for the 
service of mankind. A good numerous colony of Dutch, who 
have given such demonstraén of y* industry at home, would 
doe us this service, and a great many others y‘ we stand in 
need of, as the erecting of manufactures and sowing of new 
grains for the use of those manufactures; and others for pasture, 
sorts of husbandry w™ have [been] attempted by some few, 
but, like all noveltys, fell again for want of followers. 
<< The quantity of unprofitable land now in Ireland would 
find work for a great army to reduce it to profitable, w®, if 
undertaken by y° Crown of England, would in time turn to 
its advantage. The Romans in time of peace used to employ 
y' armys in building of publick Inns, Hospitalls, and Work- 
houses, in making of causeways, bridges, and vast aquaducts, 
and other structures of public use and greatness, and if the 
same were practised here when ever it shall please God to 
