that he might be a gainer of three or four score thousand pounds to himself?  Before he was at the charge of passing a patent, much more of raking up so much filthy dross, and stamping it with His Majesty’s “image and superscription,” should he not first in common sense, in common equity, and common manners, have consulted the principal party concerned; that is to say, the people of the kingdom, the House of Lords or Commons, or the Privy-council?  If any foreigner should ask us, “whose image and superscription” there is in Wood’s coin, we should be ashamed to tell him, it was Caesar’s.  In that great want of copper halfpence, which he alleges we were, our city set up our Caesar’s statue[11] in excellent copper, at an expense that is equal in value to thirty thousand pounds of his coin:  And we will not receive his image in worse metal.

[Footnote 11:  An equestrian statue of George I. at Essex Bridge, Dublin, [F.]]

I observe many of our people putting a melancholy case on this subject.  “It is true” say they, “we are all undone if Wood’s halfpence must pass; but what shall we do, if His Majesty puts out a proclamation commanding us to take them?” This hath been often dinned in my ears.  But I desire my countrymen to be assured that there is nothing in it.  The King never issues out a proclamation but to enjoin what the law permits him.  He will not issue out a proclamation against law, or if such a thing should happen by a mistake, we are no more obliged to obey it than to run our heads into the fire.  Besides, His Majesty will never command us by a proclamation, what he does not offer to command us in the patent itself.  There he leaves it to our discretion, so that our destruction must be entirely owing to ourselves.  Therefore let no man be afraid of a proclamation, which will never be granted; and if it should, yet upon this occasion, will be of no force.  The King’s revenues here are near four hundred thousand pounds a year, can you think his ministers will advise him to take them in Wood’s brass, which will reduce the value to fifty thousand pounds.  England gets a million sterl. by this nation, which, if this project goes on, will be almost reduced to nothing:  And do you think those who live in England upon Irish estates will be content to take an eighth or a tenth part, by being paid in Wood’s dross?

If Wood and his confederates were not convinced of our stupidity, they never would have attempted so audacious an enterprise.  He now sees a spirit hath been raised against him, and he only watches till it begins to flag, he goes about “watching” when to “devour us.”  He hopes we shall be weary of contending with him, and at last out of ignorance, or fear, or of being perfectly tired with opposition, we shall be forced to yield.  And therefore I confess it is my chief endeavour to keep up your spirits and resentments.  If I tell you there is a precipice under you, and that if you go forwards you will certainly break your necks.