Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 9.djvu/155

Rh I do not see why any man should be hindered from cautioning his countrymen against this coin of William Wood: who is endeavouring by fraud to rob us of that property, which the laws have secured. If I am mistaken, and this copper can be obtruded on us, I would put the drapier's case in another light, by supposing that a person going into his shop should agree for thirty shillings worth of goods, and force the seller to take his payment in a parcel of copper pieces intrinsically not worth above a crown: I desire to know whether the drapier would not be actually robbed of five and twenty shillings; and how far he could be said to be master of his property? The same question may be applied to rents and debts on bond or mortgage, and to all kind of commerce, whatsoever.

Give me leave to do, what the drapier has done more than once before me, which is, to relate the naked fact, as it stands in the view of the world.

One William Wood, esq. a hardwareman, obtains by fraud a patent in England to coin 108000l. in copper, to pass in Ireland, leaving us liberty to take or to refuse. The people here, in all sorts of bodies and representatives, do openly and heartily declare, that they will not accept this coin: to justify these declarations, they generally offer two reasons; first, because by the words of the patent they are left to their own choice; and secondly, because they are not obliged by law; so that you see there is, bellum atque virum, a kingdom on one side, and William Wood on the other. And if Mr. Wood gets the victory at the expense of Ireland's ruin, and the profit of one or two hundred thousand pounds (I mean by continuing, and counterfeiting as long . IX.