nd some kind of remedy against this
destructive evil, or at least, not to draw the consequences of it upon
our decaying city; the greatest part whereof must of course in a few
years become desolate, or in ruins.

In all other nations, that are not absolutely barbarous, parents think
themselves bound by the law of nature and reason to make some provision
for their children; but the reasons offered by the inhabitants of
Ireland for marrying is, that they may have children to maintain them
when they grow old and unable to work.

I am informed that we have been for some time past extremely obliged to
England for one very beneficial branch of commerce: for, it seems they
are grown so gracious as to transmit us continually colonies of beggars,
in return of a million of money they receive yearly from hence. That I
may give no offence, I profess to mean real English beggars in the
literal meaning of the word, as it is usually understood by protestants.
It seems, the Justices of the Peace and parish officers in the western
coasts of England, have a good while followed the trade of exporting
hither their supernumerary beggars, in order to advance the English
Protestant interest among us; and, these they are so kind to send over
_gratis_, and duty free. I have had the honour more than once to attend
large cargoes of them from Chester to Dublin: and I was then so ignorant
as to give my opinion, that our city should receive them into
_bridewell_, and after a month's residence, having been well whipped
twice a day, fed with bran and water, and put to hard labour, they
should be returned honestly back with thanks as cheap as they came: or,
if that were not approved of, I proposed, that whereas one English man
is allowed to be of equal intrinsic value with twelve born in Ireland,
we should in justice return them a dozen for one, to dispose of as they
pleased. But to return.

As to the native poor of this city, there would be little or no damage
in confining them to their several parishes. For instance; a beggar of
the parish of St. Warborough's,[191] or any other parish here, if he be
an object of compassion, hath an equal chance to receive his proportion
of alms from every charitable hand; because the inhabitants, one or
other, walk through every street in town, and give their alms, without
considering the place, wherever they think it may be well disposed of:
and these helps, added to what they get in eatables by going from house