were idle, indigested, or visionary; and all of them
ineffectual, as it has plainly appeared by the consequences. Many of
those projectors were so stupid, that they drew a parallel from Holland
to England, to be settled in Ireland; that is to say, from two countries
with full freedom and encouragement for trade, to a third where all kind
of trade is cramped, and the most beneficial parts are entirely taken
away. But the perpetual infelicity of false and foolish reasoning, as
well as proceeding and acting upon it, seems to be fatal to this
country.

For my own part, who have much conversed with those folks who call
themselves merchants, I do not remember to have met with a more ignorant
and wrong-thinking race of people in the very first rudiments of trade;
which, however, was not so much owing to their want of capacity, as to
the crazy constitution of this kingdom, where pedlars are better
qualified to thrive than the wisest merchants. I could fill a volume
with only setting down a list of the public absurdities, by which this
kingdom has suffered within the compass of my own memory, such as could
not be believed of any nation, among whom folly was not established as a
law. I cannot forbear instancing a few of these, because it may be of
some use to those who shall have it in their power to be more cautious
for the future.

The first was, the building of the barracks; whereof I have seen above
one-half, and have heard enough of the rest, to affirm that the public
has been cheated of at least two-thirds of the money raised for that
use, by the plain fraud of the undertakers.

Another was the management of the money raised for the Palatines; when,
instead of employing that great sum in purchasing lands in some remote
and cheap part of the kingdom, and there planting those people as a
colony, the whole end was utterly defeated.

A third is, the insurance office against fire, by which several thousand
pounds are yearly remitted to England, (a trifle, it seems, we can
easily spare,) and will gradually increase until it comes to a good
national tax: for the society-marks upon our houses (under which might
properly be written, "The Lord have mercy upon us!") spread faster and
farther than the colony of frogs.[192] I have, for above twenty years
past, given warning several thousand times to many substantial people,
and to such who are acquainted with lords and squires, and the like
great folks, to any of whom I have not th