Page:William Petty - Economic Writings (1899) vol 1.djvu/256

156 1. That the British Protestants and Church have $3/4$ of all the Lands; $5/6$ of all the Housing; $9/10$ of all the Housing in wall'd Towns, and Places of strength $2/3$ of the Foreign Trade. That 6 of 8 of all the Irish live in a brutish nasty Condition, as in Cabins, with neither Chimney, Door, Stairs nor Window; feed chiefly upon Milk and Potatoes, whereby their Spirits are not dispos'd for War. And that although there be in Ireland 8 Papists for 3 others; yet there are far more Soldiers, and Soldierlike-Men of this latter and lesser Number, than of the former.

That His Majesty, who formerly could do nothing for, and upon Ireland, but by the help of England, hath now a Revenue upon the Place, to maintain, if he pleases, 7000 Men in Arms, besides a Protestant Militia of 25000 more, the most whereof are expert in War.

That the Protestants have Housing enough within Places of strength within 5 Miles of the Sea-side, to receive and protect, and harbour every Man, Woman and Child belonging to them, and have also places of strength of their own properly, so situate in all parts of Ireland, to which they can easily travel the shortest day of the year. |28|

That being able so to secure their Persons, even upon all sudden Emergencies, they can be easily supplied out of England with Food sufficient to maintain them, till they have burnt 160 M. of their afore-described Cabins, not worth 50 M.l. destroy'd their Stacks and Haggards of Corn, and disturbed their Tillage, which the embody'd British can soon and easily atchieve.

That a few Ships of War, whereof the Irish have none, nor no Skill or Practice of Navigation, can hinder their relief from all Foreign help.

That few Foreigners can help them if they would. But that none, not the King of France, can gain advantage by so