I. IT is necessary for England , that Ireland shou'd be intirely in the English hands .

This can't be done , but by a strong party of English in this Kingdom of Ireland .

How such a Party is to be kept up here , is to be consider'd .

In order to it let us suppose ;

If this Kingdom were now first reduced ; the Lands reserv'd to the Irish , the same as are now restor'd to them , or at present enjoy'd by them ; and the remainder were to be dispos'd of to English Planters and Purchasers :

The Question wou'd be , What Encouragements wou'd be sufficient to induce the English to Purchase and Plant here , in such numbers as should answer the Intent and Interest of England ? What Advantages wou'd these Planters expect , and wou'd it be reasonable the English shou'd grant them ?

II . 't is certain few wou'd be willing to leave their native Countrey and secure Dwelling , to come to a strange Place , less secure ; unless they cou'd propose to themselves some profit here , beyond what they cou'd make by staying in England . This Advantage it 's reasonable England shou'd allow them , if they wou'd have this Country well Peopled with English . And this Advantage wou'd be had ,

1. By the easie Penny-worths of Land , or Rent of Farms , in a fruitful and improving Soil as Ireland is .

2. By a Liberty of using English or Forreign Markets for their Growth and Product .

3. It 's reasonable also , that the Profits they make shou'd be some way secur'd to them , that is , that they might have competent Assurance of enjoying what they shou'd gain ; so as not to fear that it shou'd be taken from them , either by the Irish over-running them , or by Arbitrary Impositions of England without their Consent . These two Assurances they wou'd competently have , by being granted ,

( 1. ) The Civil Government of England , ( for it 's suppos'd they wou'd desire no better , both for Themselves and the Irish . )

( 2. ) Setled Laws ; and a Power of altering them by Themselves or Representatives , according to Emergencies .

( 3. ) That they shou'd not wholly lose their Priviledges in England , as English men , by removing hither ; and that the Irish shou'd partake ( in some degree ) of the same Priviledges , in order to unite them as one People with the English in this Kingdom .

( 4. ) With these Advantages , they ought to be content that England shou'd have a Power of over-ruling 〈…〉 dice of England .

III . On this foot we seem now to stand : And the Magna Charta of Ireland , that confirms to us all these Advantages inviolably , is the Interest of England ; which is , That the English here shou'd be strengthened and supported against both Irish and Forreigners ; so that England , ( if they will see and be guided by their true Interest ) cannot infringe these Advantages without manifest prejudice to themselves : Nor make any Laws for us that shall weaken us , without weakning themselves .

IV . But there is this difference between the Case Suppos'd , and the Case in Fact , of this Kingdom .

It has hapned through the calamitousness of times , that whatever sums English Planters have laid out on Estates here , the People of England have more than over again purchas'd the same Estates , by rescuing them out of the hands of Irish Rebels or Enemies , at their own Expence .

And tho' they have not taken the Advantage of these repeated Purchases , so as to make the English Planters redeem their several Estates : Partly from their own Interest , that they might not too much weaken the English here ; and partly out of Generousness and Charity in thinking that their Countrey-men sustain'd loss enough , by having their Countrey the Seat of War , and their Stocks and Improvements ruin'd ;

Yet it may seem that England at this time may reasonably take the Advantages of their repeated Purchases so far , as to consider whether the present Constitutions of this Kingdom are best for their Interest , or how otherwise they might be modell'd more for their Advantage .

Nor is there any danger hereby of discouragement to the English in Ireland : Since the Interest of England will necessarily lead the English Parliament to take such measures for Ireland , as may most strengthen the English that are here , and encourage others to come to them ; which is all that the English in Ireland can desire .

V. By what right the People of Ireland hold a Parliament , does not appear ; neither by what right they did put it into the hands of the Court of England , by Poynings Act ; However the Crown having been so long possest of this Priviledge , it shou'd seem , that tho' the People of England may have right against the People of this Kingdom , to take the Constitutions of it at present into their own hands , and to dispose of them as they think fit , yet they have not that right against the Crown . If they have purchas'd us out of our Rights , they have not purchas'd the King and his Councils out of theirs . Besides , his present Majesty has expos'd his Person , and exhausted his Treasure in the Reduction of Ireland ; and has been a Party Purchaser with the People of England , for whatever might be claim'd to be had by right of Purchase here , if the Constitutions of this Kingdom may be reckon'd among such .

VI . How ( now ) to unite the Interest of the People of England with the Interest , or rather Priviledges , of the Crown in this point , will be the Question . But to pass this by at present ; it is here to be consider'd how far it is now the Interest of the People of England to new model the Constitutions of this Kingdom , and to take them into their own hands . In order to examine this , we may observe ; First ,

VII . That it is wonderful to consider , that there shou'd be such strangeness between two Countreys so nearly united in Interest , as there has been between England and this place ; if we enquire into the Reasons of it , they seem to be ,

1st . On the part of England ; Their People find that the flourishing of this Kingdom makes their Rents in England fall ; perhaps it is too true , and there 's no help for it . The Question is , whether they had better have their Rents fall alittle , or be frequently at the Expence of so many millions as they have been at in reducing Ireland . That their Rents must fall by the flourishing of Ireland , seems plain from hence ;

First , Farmers remove themselves thither , where they may have the easiest Bargains .

Secondly , The Corn , Hides , Tallow , Linnen and Woollen Cloath , and Manufactures of Ireland , ( if they were permitted to be sold only in Forreign Markets , and not in England ) will yet sink the value of these Commodities in England , which must necessarily sink the Rents there .

2ly . A second Reason of the strangeness of England to Ireland , is , that they look upon the People here in gross , as different from them , and their Enemies . They consider not the English stake here ; but look upon all here in effect to be Irish . And indeed the English Planters here have given too much occasion for it , by closing in with the Irish , and degenerating to their humours . But this will make the thing proposed of Englands taking this Kingdom into its own hands , now more necessary , as the only probable means to remedy this Evil ; for while we lookt upon our selves to be a distinct Kingdom , and to have a Legislative Power within our Selves , we were more ready to forget England , and to bandy and side with the Irish ; and as this bred aversion in the People of England to us , it reciprocally increas'd ours to them . Hence grew those Jealousies , even among the English here , of the Power of England over this place , and our great stickling against their making Laws for us . But who it was fomented these Debates , and put these Jealousies into our Heads , appears by what the Irish lately did wh●● it came into their Power , by their Act past in their pretended Parliament , in which they utterly cut off this Kingdom from England ; and declared against the Right of England to make any Laws for this Kingdom .

3ly . A third Reason of the strangeness of England to Ireland , was , that we seem'd remote to them ; independent on them ; a People setting up for our selves . And this , because there was no Communication 〈…〉 proceedings ; They look'd upon us at a distance , and were in the dark as to our affairs , which bred jealousies and distrusts : and thought it enough to wish this Island sunk in the Sea ; tho' they might with the same pains , have wish'd it to be turn'd to Gold .

IV . A fourth reason is , that they look'd upon this Kingdom to be Peopled with Men of desperate fortunes , and the scum of their Nation , that have come over hither with the several English Armies , and planted here ; and with the Bankrupts and Cheats of England , that have from time to time fled hither from England for refuge , to defraud their Creditors there . Also many in England have had considerable stakes here ; who have intrusted them to their Agents , and have been defrauded and abused by them ; All this is too true . But then it must be considered , that there are some English of worth and goodness here , who deserve their favour and esteem , and for whose sake they ought to look more kindly on the whole . And next , that let them that are here be what they will , if they are English , they ought to be countenanced and upheld as the Bulwark of England against the Irish and Forreigners .

Secondly , On the part of Ireland ; The reasons of strangeness have been .

I. That the People of England have disregarded and cast off the English here ; They have set themselves to suppress them , and keep them low ; and this has made the English here more readily to c●●se in with the Irish , and to set up for an Interest different from England .

II . The English here having no Representatives in the Parliament in England , the debates there ( for want of some to possess them with the Condition of Ireland , and the true interest of England , in respect of it ) have run so high in disfavour of Ireland , ( without regard to any difference between the English and Irish Inhabitants of it , ) that it very much alienated the minds of the English here from England .

III . Interest helps on the same thing . For while the People of England , through intentness on their private interest ( in respect of their Rents ) set themselves to keep Ireland as poor as they can , ( which they have done by prohibiting the Transportation of Cattle , and the Plantation Trade they made those that were here espouse the concern of this Country , without regard to England . And it was observable , that when an English-Man came hither , he quickly degenerated in his affections ; and his Interest byass'd for Ireland , insomuch that we hardly find a Man who had liv'd seven years in Ireland , and design'd to Live in it , but he became sensibly averse to England , and grew something of an Irish-man in his affections ; And it is a melancholy thing for Men to have the prospect of their Children in a Generation or two , to be treated as Rebels , which too often happens .

The result of the whole is this , that from what reason soever this strangeness between Ireland and England has grown , the Consequences of it have been too apparent , and prejudicial to both sides ; and some remedy ought to be thought on for it .

VIII . The second thing to be observed is , that Ireland , as it is manag'd , has been a constant Charge to England . It has now thrice in a hundred years put England to a new Conquest : and by joyning with the Enemies of England , as it did in Queen Elizabeths Rebellion , and this present ; and endeavour'd to do in King Charles the first's time : it has not only endangered the Peace of England but even the Crown it self It bears no part of Englands burden ; And England is so much the weaker by having it ; as it is harder to defend a great Scope of ground than a little ; Nay , as it is harder to fight against a Forreign Enemy , and suppress a domestick Rebellion , ( which usually happens at the same time , ) than to defend against an Invasion only .

IX . Thirdly , We may observe , that between England and Wales there is none of this strangeness , because the Interests of both are United in one Legislative Power . An English-man that removes into Wales , doth not lose his Birth-right or Priviledges he had before in the Legislative Power of England ; And therefore he is as stanch to the Interest of England as ever ; and he still bears the same proportion of the burden of the Kingdom in Taxes as he did before ; And therefore no body grudges what riches he carries with him when he removes .

But the case is different , if a Man remove to Ireland ; He loses this Birth-right and Priviledges ; he neither is represented in the English Parliament , nor is under their Laws ; He loses the benefit of Trading , and many other advantages . On the contrary , in bearing none of the burden of England ; whatever he brings with him is lost out of the Common stock there : which is therefore grudged by the People of England , and look'd on with a jealous eye , because the same riches which he brings from them , serves to encrease the Trade here , which must necessarily sink their Rents there .

X. The fundamental remedy to all these inconveniencies , is plainly the Uniting this Kingdom to England , in the Legislative Power . This is the only means to Unite the Interests of both Kingdoms , and that will Unite the affections ; their interests will ever be different , while they are under different Legislative Powers ; For , though they have but one individual King , yet he stands in two capacities to them whilst they are two Kingdoms , and their Interests are almost as different as if they were under two Kings . But if the Legislative Power were the same , and by consequence the Laws and Priviledges the same , there wou'd be no more Clashing of Interests between them , than between one Shire of England and another : at most no greater than between England and Wales . And tho' ( as has been said ) the flourishing of this Kingdom must necessarily sink the Rents in England , yet the People of England , when they have the Legislative Power of this Kingdom in their hands , will see that this is not to be avoided without greater prejudice to themselves , and will submit more willingly to it when it is in their own Power to help it , and choose to pass it by for a greater good , since if it cou'd be safe , it will 〈…〉 as Ireland yields , it must in course have Trade . But they will also find , that the flourishing of this Kingdom will make some amends to England , for the prejudice of sinking its Rents , since it will be able to bear a greater share of Englands Taxes ; To say nothing of the strengthening it may give to England , by Shipping , Sea-men , and Souldiers , in proportion to its flourishing .

XI . As to accommodating this Union to his Majesties Interest in the Legislative Power of this Kingdom by Poynings Act ;

't is certain this is too considerable a Flower in the Prerogative to be expected to be parted with easily . The late King James was so sensible of this , when tho' he consented to an Act that cut off this Kingdom from the Parliament of England , yet he cou'd not be brought to the Repeal of Poynings Act ; [ which Act has in effect sold this Kingdom into the hands of the Courtiers ; so that whoever in this Kingdom can see best , either of the Irish or English , are in a fair way of carrying their terms : than which nothing can be more opposite to the Interest of England ; nor does hardly any thing concern them more than to provide some remedy for it .

XII . The advantages of such an Union must be many to both Kingdoms , besides the removing the inconveniencies before spoken of ; And among these it ought not to be reckon'd the least , that it will greatly conduce to Unite the Irish and English in this Country ; for while the Irish have hitherto liv'd under a separate Legislative Power from England , they have look'd upon themselves still as a distinct People ; but their coming under the English Legislative Power , and being United to England , the Priviledges and Immunities will by degrees carry them off from their old distinction , and they will begin to think themselves English-men , and to be affected accordingly . This , tho' with much imperfection and partiality , was practised in the late Usurpers time , and was doubtless one of the causes that gave Ireland so sudden a recovery as it obtain'd then .

XIII . The objection against this Union , on the part of Ireland , is , that it will become then Subjected to the English Taxes : and that tho' Ireland shou'd have Representatives in the Parliament there , yet the rest , being so much the greater number , will always over-vote them .