own interest; he is an Englishman and had great friends, and it seems knew very well where to give money, to those that would speak to others that could speak to the King and could tell a fair story.  And His Majesty, and perhaps the great lord or lords who advised him, might think it was for our country’s good; and so, as the lawyers express it, “the King was deceived in his grant,” which often happens in all reigns.  And I am sure if His Majesty knew that such a patent, if it should take effect according to the desire of Mr. Wood, would utterly ruin this kingdom, which hath given such great proofs of its loyalty, he would immediately recall it, and perhaps shew his displeasure to somebody or other.  But “a word to the wise is enough.”  Most of you must have heard, with what anger our honourable House of Commons received an account of this Wood’s patent.[16] There were several fine speeches made upon it, and plain proofs that it was all A WICKED CHEAT from the bottom to the top, and several smart votes were printed, which that same Wood had the assurance to answer likewise in print, and in so confident a way, as if he were a better man than our whole Parliament put together.[17]

[Footnote 16:  The Irish House of Commons reported that the loss to the country, even if the patent were carried out as required, would amount to about 150 per cent.; and both Irish Houses of Parliament voted addresses against the coinage, and accused the patentee of fraud and deceit.  They asserted that the terms of the patent had not been fulfilled and “that the circulation of the halfpence would be highly prejudicial to the revenue, destructive of the commerce, and of most dangerous consequences to the rights and properties of the subjects.”  See introductory note. [T.S.]]

[Footnote 17:  Wood’s indiscreet retort was published in the “Flying Post” October 8th, 1723.  Later he boasted that he would, with Walpole’s assistance, “pour the coin down the throats of the people.” [T.S.]]

This Wood, as soon as his patent was passed, or soon after, sends over a great many barrels of these halfpence, to Cork and other sea-port towns,[18] and to get them off offered an hundred pounds in his coin for seventy or eighty in silver.  But the collectors of the King’s customs very honestly refused to take them, and so did almost everybody else.  And since the Parliament hath condemned them, and desired the King that they might be stopped, all the kingdom do abominate them.

[Footnote 18:  At Dublin, Cork, Waterford and other ports, the merchants refused to accept the copper coins.  Monck Mason notes that “in the ‘Dublin Gazette,’ No. 2562, we meet with resolutions by the merchants of Cork, dated the 25th of Aug., 1724, and like resolutions by those of Waterford, dated 22d Aug. wherein they declare, that, ’they will never receive or utter in any payment, the halfpence or farthings coined by William Wood; as they conceive the importing and uttering the same, to be highly prejudicial to His Majesty’s revenue, and to the trade of the kingdom’:  these resolutions are declared to be conformable to those of the Trinity Guild, of merchants, of the city of Dublin, voted at their guild-hall, on the 18th day of the same month” (Hist.  St. Patrick’s, p. 346, note r).  See also Appendix No.  IX. [T.S.]]