us other Returns, than cramping our
Trade, making us poor Petitioners, for leave to live by our Linen, and
binding us by Laws (a Thing which every _Briton_ shou'd start at) to
which we never gave our Consent.

PRIOR. I cannot enter on that Subject, without irritating you, and
therefore, Mr. _Dean_, I will drop it; but this I must say, that
_England_ had probably shewn us more Affection and Indulgence, if she
had not been kept in perpetual Alarms, by our endeavouring to Rival her
in her great Staple, the Woollen Trade. I have heard of some Women, who
to regain their Husband's Affections, strove to make them Jealous; but
I fancy that is no good Artifice, to make Nations love one another, and
I hope as our Linen Manufactures, and our Tillage encrease in the
South; we shall remove all uneasiness from that Quarter. It is certain
our Interests and _England_'s are inseparably united, and he must be a
very weak, or a very malicious Man, who wou'd endeavour to divide our
Inclinations, and set up a Wall Partition between us; by keeping up
artificial Jealousy on the one Side, and unnatural Aversion on the
other. It wou'd be absurd to think that because we have a broader Arm
of the Sea, between us and _England_ than the _Isle of Wight_, or
_Anglesea_; that therefore we ought to have, different Rules and Views
of Acting; whereas we shou'd consider ourselves as one People, join'd
in one System of Government, Religion, Laws and Liberties; and he that
divides us Ruins us.

SWIFT. What dost thou talk of dividing us? I hope that Word was not
aim'd at me. I am not for Divisions (nor let me whisper you in the Ear,
_Tom_) Unions either, till I see more Cause. But in the mean Time, I
say since _England_ makes so much by _Ireland_, she ought to help us to
get something for ourselves, if it was for no other Reason but to
double her Gain by us. But it is amazing how a Nation so sensible and
enterprizing as she is generally allow'd to be, can so long over look
the vast Advantages she might draw from us, if we were cultivated and
improv'd under her Direction. Can she be Ignorant how useful, so large
and so fertile a Country may be to her, where Hands and Food are so
easily had, and may be turn'd to every Manufacture she wants, as
effectually as the Motion of an Army by a skilful General. And if she
knows it, can she neglect it? Does she want to be told, where she may
most properly and providently give all the vast Sums she pays, for
Hempen and