ance of the enemies of our cause than to our imposing
on ourselves such tasks as no human faculties, employed as we are, can
be equal to. Our worthy members have shown distinguished ability and
zeal in support of our petition. I am just going down to a bill brought
in to frustrate a capital part of your desires. The minister is
preparing to transfer the cognizance of the public accounts from those
whom you and the Constitution have chosen to control them, to unknown
persons, creatures of his own. For so much he annihilates Parliament.

I have the honor, &c.

EDMUND BURKE.

CHARLES STREET, 12th April, 1780.

FRAGMENTS OF A TRACT

RELATIVE TO

THE LAWS AGAINST POPERY

IN IRELAND.

NOTE.

The condition of the Roman Catholics in Ireland appears to
lave engaged the attention of Mr. Burke at a very early
period of his political life. It was probably soon after the
year 1765 that he formed the plan of a work upon that
subject, the fragments of which are now given to the public.
No title is prefixed to it in the original manuscript; and
the _Plan_, which it has been thought proper to insert here,
was evidently designed merely for the convenience of the
author. Of the first chapter some unconnected fragments only,
too imperfect for publication, have been found. Of the second
there is a considerable portion, perhaps nearly the whole;
but the copy from which it is printed is evidently a first
rough draught. The third chapter, as far as it goes, is taken
from a fair, corrected copy; but the end of the second part
of the first head is left unfinished, and the discussion of
the second and third heads was either never entered upon or
the manuscript containing it has unfortunately been lost.
What follows the third chapter appears to have been designed
for the beginning of the fourth, and is evidently the first
rough draught; and to this we have added a fragment which
appears to have been a part either of this or the first
chapter.

In the volume with which it is intended to close this
posthumous publication of Mr. Burke's Works, we shall have
occasion to enter into a more particular account of the part
which he took in the discussion of this great political
question. At present it may suffice to say, that the Letter
to Mr. Smith, the Second Letter to Sir Hercules Langrishe,
and the Letter to his S