Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 6.djvu/168

146 between right and wrong, and what degree of expense. Whether advocates and orators had liberty to plead in causes, manifestly known to be unjust, vexatious, or oppressive. Whether party, in religion or politicks, were observed to be of any weight in the scale of justice. Whether those pleading orators, were persons educated in the general knowledge of equity, or only in provincial, national, and other local customs. Whether they or their judges had any part in penning those laws, which they assumed the liberty of interpreting, and glossing upon at their pleasure. Whether they had ever, at different times, pleaded for and against the same cause, and cited precedents to prove contrary opinions. Whether they were a rich, or a poor corporation. Whether they received any pecuniary reward for pleading, or delivering their opinions. And particularly, whether they were ever admitted as members in the lower senate.

He fell next upon the management of our treasury; and said, he thought my memory had failed me, because I computed our taxes at about five or six millions a year, and when I came to mention the issues, he found they sometimes amounted to more than double; for the notes he had taken were very particular in this point, because he hoped, as he told me, that the knowledge of our conduct might be useful to him, and he could not be deceived in his calculations. But, if what I told him were true, he was still at a loss, how a kingdom could run out of its estate, like a private person. He asked me, who were our creditors: and where we found money to pay them. He wondered to hear me talk of such chargeable and expensive wars; that certainly we must