Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/115

 suspicion of bringing pressure to bear on the distressed soldiery individually, as long as the latter were still themselves the holders of land debentures. He concludes with an elaborate calculation to show that, without ever meddling with the surveys at all, he might have acquired a far larger fortune by simply following the example of others and investing his own small savings in Irish land debentures at the current market rates. As to the criticisms which had been made that he was unduly satirical in his treatment of some of the claimants, he admits it; but pleads that he was 'forced to restrain the growing impertinences of some, with very short answers, and to nip the unreasonableness of others, perhaps with a jest, when serious answers would not suffice. It came to pass in consequence that persons so dealt with would think themselves extreamly injured and abused, especially when the same jest was used and repeated upon them by others afterwards.' 'Myself, in such their heats and mistakes,' he says, 'was rendered as an insulting and insolent fellow, and one not having due respect to the officers and others who had business with me. And this most frequently happened from those who, trusting to the sharpness of their own wits, would first attaque me with jeers, but being replied upon beyond their expectations, and deservedly laught at by the standers-by, would grow angry, and reek their revenge at other weapons, like gamesters; who—out of the high opinion they have that fortune is bound to favour them—venture to play, but when they find it otherwise, snatch up their stakes, and betake themselves to scurrility and violence. Moreover, when I had to do at this sport with many together at once, all those who were not themselves toucht, would encourage this jocularity by their complaisant laughing, on my side; but yet when they happened to receive a shot themselves, would seem no less enraged than he whom alone they intended as a sacrifice to mirth and laughter.' His conduct in this respect he acknowledges may have been imprudent. 'For what they say about my satire I accept it,' he says, addressing the imaginary correspondent to whom the 'Reflections' are a reply; 'but those versipelles,