Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 9.djvu/336

326 we to license and authorise a mischievous practice, because we cannot totally prevent it? Every one justly applauded his majesty's singular firmness and resolution in supporting the rights of his German subjects, when an attempt was made to seduce some of them into the king of Prussia's service, although perhaps it is impossible to prevent that practice entirely. We all remember that the enlisting of a miller's son, and a few other ordinary peasants, occasioned such a misunderstanding between the two crowns, as proceeded almost to a rupture. Nor was the zeal of the English parliament backward on this occasion; but on this consideration, among others, resolved to keep up a body of 12000 Hessian troops in our pay, which have already cost us above a million of money. I am confident, therefore, that the same paternal care will always influence his majesty to guard and protect his British subjects in the same manner; and if any measure should be taken, which savours too much of the French interest, and seems of dangerous consequence to the interest of his family, the world can impute it to nothing, but the deceitful representations of those, who lie under such particular obligations to the court of France, that they can refuse them nothing.

Such a license seems to give encouragement to the people of Ireland to continue Roman catholicks, since they are sure to meet with a provision both in the French and Spanish service; whereas we always reject them in our troops, and absolutely prohibit our officers to recruit in Ireland. Now, although it may not be safe to trust them in our armies, yet certainly we ought not to give the least encouragement to their entering into foreign vice;