wholefome domeftic vegetables, we might poffibly be able to subsist, and pay our abfentees, penfioners, generals, civil officers, appeals, colliers, temporary travellers, ftudents, fchoolboys, fplenetic vifiters of Bath, Tunbridge, and Epfom, with all other fmaller drains, by fending our crude unwrought goods to England, and receiving from thence, and all other countries, nothing but what is fully manufactured, and keep a few potatoes and oatmeal for our own fubfiftence.

I have been, for a dozen years past, wisely prognofticating the prefent condition of this kingdom; which any human creature, of common fenfe, could foretel, with as little fagacity as myself. My meaning is, that a confumptive body muft needs die, which hath spent all its fpirits, and received no nourishment. Yet I am often tempt ed to pity, when I hear the poor farmer and cottager lamenting the hardness of the times, and imputing them either to one or two ill feafons, which better climates than ours are more exposed to; or to scarcity of filver, which to a nation of liberty, would only be a flight and temporary inconvenience, to be removed at a month's warning.

ANSWER

A N S WE R
ΑΝ

ER

ΤΟ SEVERAL

LETTERS from unknown PERSONS.

I

Written in the Year M DCC XXIX.

GENTLEMEN,

Am inclined to think that I received a letter from you two* laft fummer, directed to Dublin, while I was in the country, whither it was fent me, and I ordered an answer to it to be printed; but, it seems, it had little effect, and I suppose this will have not much more. But the heart of this people is waxed grofs, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed. And, Gentlemen, I am to tell you another thing: That the world is too regardless of what we write for the public good: That, after we have delivered our thoughts, without any prospect of advantage or of reputation, which latter is not to be had but by subscribing our names, we cannot prevail upon a printer

* Trueman and Layfield.

to be at the charge of fending it into the world, unless we will be at all, or half the expence: And, although we are willing enough to bestow our labours, we think it unreasonable to be out of pocket; becaufe it, probably, may not confift with the fituation of our affairs.

I do very much approve your good in: tentions, and, in a great measure, your manner of declaring them; and I do imagine you intended that the world fhould not only know your fentiments, but my answer, which I fhall impartially give.

That great Prelate, in whose cover you directed your letter, fent it to me this morning; and I begin my anfwer to-night, not knowing what interruption I may meet with.

I have ordered your letter to be printed, as it ought to be, along with my anfwer; because, I conceive, it will be more acceptable and informing to the kingdom.

I shall therefore now go on to answer your letter in all manner of fincerity.

Although your letter be directed to me, yet I take myself to be only an imaginary perfon: For although I conjecture I had formerly one from you, yet I never answer

ed

ed it otherwise than in print; neither was I at a lofs to know the reasons why fo many people of this kingdom were tranfporting themselves to America. And, if this encouragement were owing to a pamphlet written, giving an account of the country of Pensylvania, to tempt people to go thither; I do declare that those who were tempted, by fuch a narrative, to fuch a journey, were fools, and the author a most impudent knave; at leaft, if it be the fame pamphlet I faw when it first came out, which is above twenty-five years ago, dedicated to William Pen, (whom, by a miftake, you call Sir William Pen) and styling him, by authority of the Scripture, Moft Noble Governor. For I was very well acquainted with Pen, and did, fome years after, talk with him upon that pamphlet, and the impudence of the author, who spoke so many things in praise of the foil and climate, which Pen himself did abfolutely contradict. For he did affure me, that this country wanted the fhelter of mountains, which left it open to the northern winds from Hudfon's Bay and the Frozen Sea, which deftroyed all plantations of trees, and was even pernicious to all common vegetables. But, indeed, NewYork,

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York, Virginia, and other parts less northward, or more defended by mountains, are defcribed as excellent countries: But, upon what conditions of advantage foreigners go thither, I am yet to feek.

What evils our people avoid by running from hence, is eafier to be determined. They conceive themselves to live under the tyranny of moft cruel exacting landlords, who have no view further than encreafing their rent-rolls. Secondly, You complain of the want of trade, whereof you feem not to know the reafon. Thirdly, You lament moft juftly the money spent by abfentees in England. Fourthly, You complain that your linen manufacture declines. Fifthly, That your tythe-collectors opprefs you. Sixthly, That your children have no hopes of preferment in the church, the revenue, or the army; to which you might have added the law, and all civil employments whatfoever. Seventhly, You are undone for want of filver, and want · all other money.

I could easily add fome other motives, which, to men of fpirit, who defire and expect, and think they deferve the common privileges of human nature, would be of more force than any you have yet named