I must therefore beg leave to confider the prefent fubject, of the Irifb forces, in this light.

It will not be denied, I prefume, that a licence to recruit Roman Catholick

regiments of English fubjects, in foreign fervice, and in the intereft of a pretender to the crown, (which is death by the law, without his majesty's permiffion) is a favour of a very extraordinary nature, and ought to be attended with fome extraordinary circumftances. I confefs that I can fee no fuch extraordinary circumftances at prefent; unless it should be faid that this favour was granted, in order to engage our good allies in the demolition of Dunkirk; but I hope they have more generofity than to infift upon fuch hard terms for the effectual performance of that, which they are obliged by treaty to do. I am fure, fuch conditions feem unreasonable on our part, after we have made them fo many other conceffions; particularly with relation to the flag and Santa Lucia; which, I think, are fufficient to make them comply with all our demands, without expecting any

farther

farther favours, and even fupererogation of friendship.

Perhaps my adverfaries (if they have any conceit) may take an opportunity of ridiculing me for writing in this ftrain; but as it fometimes ferveth their turn to make me a great man, and to argue against me as fuch, I will for once suppofe myself fo; and, methinks, if I had the honour of being but half an hour in that station, I could reafon against such an order, for the good of my king and my country, in the following manner:

1. These troops have always been made ufe of, whenever there hath been any attempt in favour of the Pretender; and indeed they are, upon many accounts, the fitteft for this purpose. They are our fellow-subjects; they fpeak our language; are acquainted with our manners; and do not raife that averfion in the people, which they naturally conceive against other foreign troops, who understand neither. I am afraid I may add, that they are kept up, for this purpofe, in entire regiments, without fuffering them to be mixed with the troops of any other

nation.

nation. It is well known, at least, that' they supplied the late king JAMES with a nursery of foldiers, who were always ready for his fervice, whenever any opportunity offered itfelf for his reftoration; and that, at this time, the Pretender is always the bait made use of by their officers to raise recruits. They never mention the king of France, or the king of Spain, upon these occafions; but lift the poor wretches under an affurance, that they are entered into the fervice of him, whom they call their natural and rightful king I will not suspect the present fidelity of France, and their cordiality to the protestant establishment; yet methinks we might easily excufe ourselves from furnishing them with inftruments, which they may employ against us, whenever ambition, or reasons of ftate, fhall diffolve their prefent engagements, and induce them to efpouse the cause of the Pretender again.

2. It is very probable that his Catholic Majefty (who hath likewife feveral regiments of this kind in his fervice) will expect the fame favour of recruiting them in Ireland! and that he may, in cafe of refufal,

I

refusal, make it a pretence, at any time, for quarrelling with us, interrupting our commerce, and disturbing us again in the poffeffion of Gibraltar. And here it is proper juft to take notice, that these troops did his Catholic Majefty the most eminent service in the laft fiege of that important place. He may complain, perhaps, of our partiality to France, and alledge, that we do not treat Spain in the fame manner we expect to be treated by them, as one of the most favoured nations.

3. The kingdom of Ireland feemeth, at this time, in a very ill condition to admit of any fuch draughts out of her dominions. She hath been already so much exhausted by the voluntary transportation of multitudes of her inhabitants, (who have been prevailed upon, by the calamities of their own country, to feek their bread in other parts of the world) that the interpofition of parliament was found neceffary to put a stop to it; and fhall we fuffer any foreign power to drain her ftill farther under fuch circumstances; especially in this manner, and for this purpose?

purpose? I do not hear that this licence is confined to any particular number of men. It is confeffed, I think, that they want above two thousand men to complete their corps; and who knoweth but they may defign to raise a great many more than they care to own; or even to form fome new regiments of thefe troops? But fuppofing they are confined to a certain number of recruits, and that Ireland were in a capacity to fpare them; it is well known how eafily fuch limitations are evaded, and how difficult it is to know when people conform exactly to the terms of their commiffion. This was fufficiently explained in the late famous controverfy, concerning Mr. * WOOD'S patent for fupplying Ireland with a particular fum of copper half-pence; and the arguments upon that fubject may be applied to this, with fome allowances for the difference between the two cafes. It may, perhaps, be faid likewife, that all the vigilance of the miniftry hath been hitherto found ineffectual to prevent the French from clandeftinely recruiting these * See the Drapier's Letters. N regiments

VOL. XIII.