The Interest of England in the Preservation of Ireland, Title page – Table of contents
THE INTEREST OF ENGLAND In the PRESERVATION of IRELAND. Humbly Preſented to the PARLIAMENT OF ENGLAND.
By G. P. Eſq
Nam tua Res agitur, Paries cùm proximus ardet, Et neglecta ſolent Incendia ſumere Vires.
Licenſed, July 15th. 1689.
J. Fraſer.
LONDON, Printed for Rich Chiſwell at the Roſ… and … St. Pauls Church-Yard, MDCLXXX….
TO THE HONOURABLE THE Knights, Citizens, and Burgeſſes IN PARLIAMENT Aſſembled.
I do not in the leaſt preſume to inform Your Judgments, or to ſupplicate your Charity by the Boldneſs of this Dedication. The Wiſdom of the Nation cannot be Ignorant of all matters Foreign or Domeſtick, that concern the Honour, Safety, and Advantage of it. And you have already expreſt ſuch a feeling Commiſeration of the Calamities of Ireland, that it would ſeem an Offence unpardonable, to ſolicit your Compaſſion by an immodeſt Importunity.
You have Teſtify'd your Tenderneſs, in promoting the Brief, and General Collection, for the Relief of the Diſtreſſed Proteſtants of Ireland.
You have Signaliz'd your Zeal to the Proteſtant Intereſt, by a deliberate Contrivance, and a ready Expedition of the Pole-Bill, appropriated, and appointed only for the Reduction of Ireland.
You have Publiſhed your Reſolution to intereſs your ſelves in the Cauſe of Ireland, by a Noble Promiſe to ſupply the KING with what ſhall be further requiſite for the Recovery of it.
You have Vouchſafed a Generous Regard to a multitude of Exiled Gentlemen (of whom ſome ſeaſonably and prudently withdrew, others with great Hazard and Difficulty eſcaped; but all Voluntarily dſſierted then Houſes and Eſtates, becauſe they would not ſtrengthen the hands of the Papiſts, or contribute to a French Ʋſurpation or the Excluſion of the Engliſh Right and Title) by deſigning ſome competent Proviſion for their neceſſary Support proportion'd to their reſpective Sufferings; and by ſo affectionate and repeated Addreſſes to His Majeſty in their Favour (who tho he needs no Interceſſion for the Care of His Subjects, yet He loves and delights to ſeem perſwaded by His Parliament) you have made them your Votaries, you have obliged them by everlaſting Bonds of Gratitude, and they ſhall be recommended to Posterity as the firſt that ever went under the Honourable Character of Penſioners to the Parliament.
You have demonſtrated your Abhorrence of all clandestine Practices, by a ſtrict Inquiſition after the Authors and occaſions of the procraſtinated Relief of Ireland. and the Miſcarriages of particular Men in their Truſts, and Imployments: Whereby England, is put to an After-game, and obliged in their own Defence to retrive that Kingdom, at the hazard of many Lives, and the Expence of a vaſt Treaſure, which by the very Countenance, and appearance of a ſmall Succour had been eaſily, cheaply, and ſafely aſſured and preſerved Nay under your Protection, I will ſpeak out the Truth: When London Derry had ſhut their Gates againſt the Iriſh, and Iniskillin ſoon after refuſed to admit a Popiſh Garriſon; when the Proteſtants in Dublin were Numerous, Rich and Stout; when in Munſter, the Earl of Inchiquin (with many others) was very apprehenſive of the imminent danger, and ready with the leaſt Aſſiſtance from England, to ſecure the Proteſtant Intereſt there: When the Lord Kingſton in Conaght out ſtript the Deputy, and made up his Muſters of Horſe and Foot before him: when forty thouſand brisk men were upon Watch and Ward in Ulſter; and the Earl of Tyrconnel (utterly irreſclute what Meaſures to take) ſaid to a Perſon of Honour (who urged him to lay down the Sword, and Submit to the Engliſh Government) What would you have me do? I ſee no Commiſſion to demand the Sword, would you have me caſt it over the Caſtle Walls? I ſay in this Juncture, any one eminent Perſon, attended with a ſmall Party, and furniſhed with a reaſonable Proportion of Arms and Mony, had without blows, or ſlaughter, ſecured the Kingdom of Ireland, in their Allegiance to the preſent King and Queen; and with much Eaſe prevented, and curbed the inſultory Inſurrections in Scotland.
But alas! while the Parliament are buſie in diſcourſing, and debating the Buſineſs of Ireland, the Clergy are for the moſt Part ſilent; the one Votes for them, but I do not hear, that the other Prays for them; the miſeries of Ireland are Remembred in the Parliament-Houſe, but Seldom mentioned in the Pulpit; being omitted in their Addreſſes to the Throne of Mercy, by a very regardleſs Preterition.
For my Part, I had neither taken upon me the Confidence to make this Addreſs, nor given the world the Trouble of this undigeſted Pamphlet (hudled over in haſt, and without the Advantages of Study, Books, Advice, or Retirement) but that a ſort of Men no way conſiderable in number, or Intereſt, perverſe in their Humor, as Flattering in their judgments, aſſume a Liberty to retail their raw and unconcocted Notions in Coſſee-Houſes (where Men pretend a Priviledge, to ſay any thing but their Prayers) and with as little Charity as Diſcretion, to arraign the Judgment, and cenſure the Actions of the Iriſh Proteſtant-Refuges, and ſeverely to upbraid them with their Baniſhment and Poverty, as the diſſerved Effects of their own Perverſneſs, in not Submitting to him; who deſerted the principal Kingdom, and reſtleſs himſelf in that which is Subordinate. Nay, ſome have proceeded to that degree of uncharitable Frenzy, that they have belched out their balſphemous Curſes on poor bleeding Ireland: Sinking it into the Sea with their Execrations, and diſparaging it as an incomber'd Eſtate, not worth the Redemption. Would God! it might pleaſe the King to undeceive this murmuring Crew, by Commanding them on the Expedition with Duke Schomberg, or Count Solmes; that they may ſee the Country they ſo much deſpiſe, and be convinced how little Reaſon they had to undervalue it. And I am humbly of Opinion, that it would conduce much to the regaining that Kingdom, if the King would think it fit, to imploy the Gentlemen of that Country upon that Service. It is not to be imagin'd, how far Loyalty, whetted with ſelf-Intereſt, will go, or what Exploits may be performed by ſuch as fight with a double Courage, to ſerve the King, and to recover their Own.
Thus far I have pleaded for my Country, let me now be a Suitor for my ſelf. If a glowing Zeal, for Religion; an anxious Sympathy with my Friends; and a pungent ſenſe of my own Sufferings have tranſported me into any Impertinency: I humbly implore Pardon from the Honourable Houſe of Commons, for the Rudeneſs of this Addreſs.
George Philips.
The Intereſt of England in the Preſervation of Ireland.
From theſe Conſiderations.
I. The Advantage to the Kingdom of England in general.
1. By the Revenue.
2. The Fertility, and Plenty.
3. The Number.
4. The Religion.
5. The Conſanguinity, and Aſſinity.
6. The Imployments Eccleſiaſtical, Civil and Military.
II. The Advantage to the Trade of England.
1. By the Scituation.
2. The Exportation.
3. The Importation.
4. The Ingenuity of the Inhabitants.
5. The Benefit to the KING.
III. The Danger of falling into the Hands of the French.
1. By Ingroſſing all Trade.
2. By Intercepting the Trade of England.
3. By Interrupting the Peace of England.