not uttered the most lugubrious predictions. Turnpike roads,
navigable canals, inoculation, hops, tobacco, the Reformation, the
Revolution--there are always a set of worthy and moderately-gifted
men, who bawl out death and ruin upon every valuable change which
the varying aspect of human affairs absolutely and imperiously
requires. I have often thought that it would be extremely useful to
make a collection of the hatred and abuse that all those changes
have experienced, which are now admitted to be marked improvements
in our condition. Such a history might make folly a little more
modest, and suspicious of its own decisions.

Ireland, you say, since the Union is to be considered as a part of
the whole kingdom; and therefore, however Catholics may predominate
in that particular spot, yet, taking the whole empire together, they
are to be considered as a much more insignificant quota of the
population. Consider them in what light you please, as part of the
whole, or by themselves, or in what manner may be most consentaneous
to the devices of your holy mind--I say in a very few words, if you
do not relieve these people from the civil incapacities to which
they are exposed, you will lose them; or you must employ great
strength and much treasure in watching over them. In the present
state of the world you can afford to do neither the one nor the
other. Having stated this, I shall leave you to be ruined,
Puffendorf in hand (as Mr. Secretary Canning says), and to lose
Ireland, just as you have found out what proportion the aggrieved
people should bear to the whole population before their calamities
meet with redress. As for your parallel cases, I am no more afraid
of deciding upon them than I am upon their prototype. If ever any
one heresy should so far spread itself over the principality of
Wales that the Established Church were left in a minority of one to