form the reſt, without any art or evaſion: But inſtead of this, they formed a certain number of Men out of every Troop and Company, and kept up all the Officers, who are the moſt eſſential and chargeable part of an Army, the private Soldiers being to be raiſed again in a few Days whenever they pleaſe. This is ſuch a diſbanding as every Officer would have made in his Company for his private advantage, and always did in Charles the 2d's time, and even in this Reign when they were not in Action: So that lal the effect of ſuch a Reform is to hinder the Officers from falſe Maſters, and ſave the pay of a few common Soldiers.
But this would not ſatisfy the People, and therefore they diſbanded ſome Regiments of Horſe, Foot and Dragoons, and thought of that profound Expedient of ſending a great many more to Ireland; as if our grievance was not the fear of being enſlaved by them, but left they ſhould ſpend their Money among us. I am ſorry the Nation is grown ſo contemptible in theſe Gentlemens Opinions, as to think that they can remove our fears of a Standing Army by ſending them threeſcore Miles off, from whence they may recall them upon a few Days notice. Nay an Army kept in Ireland, is more dangerous to us than at home: For here by perpetual converſe with their Relations and Acquaintance, ſome few of them perhaps may warp towards their Country; whereas in Ireland they are kept as it were in a Gariſon, where they are ſhut up from the communication of their Countrymen, and my be nurſed up in another Intereſt. This is true, that 'tis a common Policy among Arbitrary Princes often to ſhift their Soldiers Quarters, leſt they ſhould contract friendſhip among the Natives, and by degrees fall into their Intereſt.
It may be ſaid perhaps, That the People of Ireland will pay them; which makes the matter ſo much the worſe, for they are leſs likely to have any regard to their Country. Beſides if we conſider the Lords Juſtices Speech to that Parliament, wherein they are let know that his Majeſty Expects that they will continue the Subſiſtence to the diſbanded Officers, and ſupport the preſent Eſtabliſhment (which by the way is near three times as great as Charles
