But my intention is very far from being
confined to provide only for the children of
professed beggars; it is of a much greater
extent, and shall take in the whole number of
infants at a certain age who are born of
parents in effect as little able to support
them as those who demand our charity in
the streets.

As to my own part, having turned my
thoughts for many years upon this important
subject, and maturely weighed the several
schemes of other projectors, I have always
found them grossly mistaken in the
computation. It is true, a child just dropped
from its dam may be supported by her milk
for a solar year, with little other nourishment;
at most not above the value of 2s., which the
mother may certainly get, or the value in
scraps, by her lawful occupation of
begging; and it is exactly at one year old that
I propose to provide for them in such a
manner as instead of being a charge upon
their parents or the parish, or wanting food
and raiment for the rest of their lives, they
shall on the contrary contribute to the
feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many
thousands.

There is likewise another great advantage
in my scheme, that it will prevent those
voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice
of women murdering their bastard children,
alas! too frequent among us! sacrificing the
poor innocent babes I doubt more to avoid

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pounds, or three pounds and half-a-crown
at most on the exchange; which cannot turn
to account either to the parents or kingdom,
the charge of nutriment and rags having
been at least four times that value.

I shall now therefore humbly propose my
own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable
to the least objection.

I have been assured by a very knowing
American of my acquaintance in London,
that a young healthy child well nursed is at a
year old a most delicious, nourishing, and
wholesome food, whether stewed,
roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no
doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee
or a ragout.

I do therefore humbly offer it to public
consideration that of the hundred and
twenty thousand children already
computed, twenty thousand may be
reserved for breed, whereof only one-
fourth part to be males; which is more than
we allow to sheep, black cattle or swine;
and my reason is, that these children are
seldom the fruits of marriage, a
circumstance not much regarded by our
savages, therefore one male will be
sufficient to serve four females. That the
remaining hundred thousand may, at a year
old, be offered in the sale to the persons of
quality and fortune through the kingdom;
always advising the mother to let them suck
plentifully in the last month, so as to render
them plump and fat for a good table. A child
will make two dishes at an entertainment for
friends; and when the family dines alone,
the fore or hind quarter will make a
reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little
pepper or salt will be very good boiled on
the fourth day, especially in winter.

I have reckoned upon a medium that a child
just born will weigh 12 pounds, and in a solar

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As to our city of Dublin, shambles may be
appointed for this purpose in the most
convenient parts of it, and butchers we may
be assured will not be wanting; although I
rather recommend buying the children alive,
and dressing them hot from the knife, as we
do roasting pigs.

A very worthy person, a true lover of his
country, and whose virtues I highly esteem,
was lately pleased in discoursing on this
matter to offer a refinement upon my
scheme. He said that many gentlemen of
this kingdom, having of late destroyed their
deer, he conceived that the want of venison
might be well supplied by the bodies of
young lads and maidens, not exceeding
fourteen years of age nor under twelve; so
great a number of both sexes in every
country being now ready to starve for want
of work and service; and these to be
disposed of by their parents, if alive, or
otherwise by their nearest relations. But
with due deference to so excellent a friend
and so deserving a patriot, I cannot be
altogether in his sentiments; for as to the
males, my American acquaintance assured
me, from frequent experience, that their
flesh was generally tough and lean, like that
of our schoolboys by continual exercise,
and their taste disagreeable; and to fatten
them would not answer the charge. Then as
to the females, it would, I think, with humble
submission be a loss to the public, because
they soon would become breeders
themselves; and besides, it is not
improbable that some scrupulous people
might be apt to censure such a practice
(although indeed very unjustly), as a little
bordering upon cruelty; which, I confess,
hath always been with me the strongest
objection against any project, however so
well intended.

But in order to justify my friend, he
confessed that this expedient was put into

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made are obvious and many, as well as of
the highest importance.

For first, as I have already observed, it
would greatly lessen the number of papists,
with whom we are yearly overrun, being the
principal breeders of the nation as well as
our most dangerous enemies; and who stay
at home on purpose with a design to deliver
the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to
take their advantage by the absence of so
many good protestants, who have chosen
rather to leave their country than stay at
home and pay tithes against their
conscience to an Episcopal curate.

Secondly, The poorer tenants will have
something valuable of their own, which by
law may be made liable to distress and help
to pay their landlord's rent, their corn and
cattle being already seized, and money a
thing unknown.

Thirdly, Whereas the maintenance of an
hundred thousand children, from two years
old and upward, cannot be computed at
less than ten shillings a-piece per annum,
the nation's stock will be thereby increased
fifty thousand pounds per annum, beside
the profit of a new dish introduced to the
tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the
kingdom who have any refinement in taste.
And the money will circulate among
ourselves, the goods being entirely of our
own growth and manufacture.

Fourthly, The constant breeders, beside the
gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by
the sale of their children, will be rid of the
charge of maintaining them after the first
year. Fifthly, This food would likewise bring
great custom to taverns; where the vintners
will certainly be so prudent as to procure the
best receipts for dressing it to perfection,
and consequently have their houses
frequented by all the fine gentlemen, who

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Dublin would take off annually about twenty
thousand carcasses, and the rest of the
kingdom (where probably they will be sold
somewhat cheaper) the remaining eighty
thousand.

I can think of no one that will possibly be
raised against this propasal, unless it
should be urged that the number of people
will be thereby much lessened in the
kingdom. This I freely own, and it was
indeed one principal design in offering it to
the world. I desire the reader will observe,
that I calculated my remedy for this one
individual Kingdom of Ireland, and for no
other that ever was, is, or, I think, ever can
be upon earth. Therefore let no man talk to
me of other expedients: Of taxing our
absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using
neither clothes, nor household furniture,
except what is our own growth and
manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the
materials and instruments that promote
foriegn luxury: Of curing the expensiveness
of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our
women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony,
prudence, and temperance: Of learning to
love our country, wherein we differ even
from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of
Tompinamboo: Of quitting our animosities
and factions, nor act any longe like the
Jews, who were murdering one another at
the very moment their city was taken: Of
being a little cautious not to sell our country
and consciences for nothing: Of teaching
landlords to have at least one degree of
mercy towards their tenants. Lastly, of
putting a spirit of honesty, industry, into our
shopkeepers, who, if a resolution could
now be taken to buy only our native goods,
would immediately unite to cheat and exact
upon us in the price, the measure and
goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to
make one fair propasal of just dealing,
though often and ernestly invited to it.

-5-

prescribe, and thereby have avoided such a
perpetual scene of misfortunes as they
have since gone through by the oppression
of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent
without money or trade, the want of
common sustenance, with neither house
nor clothes to cover them from the
inclemencies of the weather, and the most
inevitable prospect of entailing the like or
greater miseries upon their breed for ever.

I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I
have not the least personal interest in
endeavoring to promote this necessary
work, having no other motive than the public
good of my country, by advancing our trade,
providing for infants, relieving the poor, and
giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no
children by which I can propose to get a
single penny; the youngest being nine years
old, and my wife past child-bearing. (1729)

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