Page:A View of the State of Ireland - 1809.djvu/18

Eudox. Surely I suppose this but a vaine concelpt of simple men, which judge things by their effects, and not by their causes; for I would rather thinke the cause of this evill, which hangeth upon that countrey, to proceed rather of the unsoundnes of the councels, and plots, which you say have bin oftentimes laid for the reformation, or of faintnes in following and effecting the same, then of any such fatall course appointed of God, as you misdeem; but it is the manner of men, that when they are fallen into any absurdity, or their actions succeede not as they would, they are alwayes readie to impute the blame thereof unto the heavens, so to excuse their owne follies and imperfections. So have I heard it often wished also, (even of some whose great wisedomes in opinion should seeme to judge more soundly of so weighty a consideration) that all that land were a sea-poole; which kinde of speech, is the manner rather of desperate men farre driven, to wish the utter mine of that which they cannot redress, then of grave councellors, which ought to think nothing so hard, but that thorough wisedome, it may be mastered and subdued, since the Poet saith, that "the wise man shall rule even over the starres," much more over the earth; for were it not the part of a desperate phisitian to wish his diseased patient dead, rather then to apply the best indeavour of his skill for his recoverv, But since we are so farre entered, let us, I pray you, a little devise of those evils, by which that country is held in this wretched case, that it cannot (as vou say)