Page:Trenchard Tracts 074-124.djvu/32

 the ret, without any art or evaion: But intead of this, they formed a certain number of Men out of every Troop and Company, and kept up all the Officers, who are the mot eential and chargeable part of an Army, the private Soldiers being to be raied again in a few Days whenever they pleae. This is uch a dibanding as every Officer would have made in his Company for his private advantage, and always did in Charles the 2d's time, and even in this Reign when they were not in Action: So that lal the effect of uch a Reform is to hinder the Officers from fale Maters, and ave the pay of a few common Soldiers.

But this would not atisfy the People, and therefore they dibanded ome Regiments of Hore, Foot and Dragoons, and thought of that profound Expedient of ending a great many more to Ireland; as if our grievance was not the fear of being enlaved by them, but left they hould pend their Money among us. I am orry the Nation is grown o contemptible in thee Gentlemens Opinions, as to think that they can remove our fears of a Standing Army by ending them threecore Miles off, from whence they may recall them upon a few Days notice. Nay an Army kept in Ireland, is more dangerous to us than at home: For here by perpetual convere with their Relations and Acquaintance, ome few of them perhaps may warp towards their Country; whereas in Ireland they are kept as it were in a Garion, where they are hut up from the communication of their Countrymen, and my be nured up in another Interet. This is true, that 'tis a common Policy among Arbitrary Princes often to hift their Soldiers Quarters, let they hould contract friendhip among the Natives, and by degrees fall into their Interet.

It may be aid perhaps, That the People of Ireland will pay them; which makes the matter o much the wore, for they are les likely to have any regard to their Country. Beides if we conider the Lords Jutices Speech to that Parliament, wherein they are let know that his Majety Expects that they will continue the Subitence to the dibanded Officers, and upport the preent Etablihment (which by the way is near three times as great as Charles