# Reflections upon Ireland (Petty 1660)/6

​I have hitherto set forth the several matters, as well those whereof I have been accused and not condemned, as those for which I am condemned without having been so much as accused, as they relate to the designing and concerned parties. I now come to give you my own Conjectures of the true cause of the more popular Envy and Odium I fell under, Whether those causes have been, either by inevitable misfortunes or indiscreet miscarriages, and that with reference to the Multitude, consisting of all parties and factions together.
My first Enemies were the Surveyors employed before my undertaking, among whom Mr. Worsly was chief (in whom my refusal some time before to lend him the monies I my self had present use for; and that to maintain a greater pomp and splendor then became his estate and condition, was the first seed of his Enmity, which seed was much virtuated and cherished by the Eclipse which my undertaking threatened to his pretences of skill in the Conduct of the Survey.) These Surveyors (with their said General) did labour by all means to supplant me, traduce me and my Instruments, to beget false Opinions ​of us in the minds of the Army, viz. to perswade them that my instruments were ignorant, Drunkards, careless, and interested to wrong the Army; That the work would never be done, but especially that I had cousened them all in the Contract they had made with me, and (which was most intolerable) that in stead of my thanks and good endeavours to serve the Army, I laughed at their folly and easiness to be over-reached by me, and that I boasted of my power to abuse even the L. Deputy and Council in the same manner.
Secondly, The infinite difficulty and indeed impossibility of making certain and regular distinctions between profitable and unprofitable Lands, and the defect of the very Law in this particular was a very operative cause of the Clamours I endured; for by occasion hereof, men that had Lots intrinsecally good, would call them unprofitable, in case such their Lots yielded much less profit then their Neighbours; and if themselves (for example) had one hundred acres of Land yielding but two shillings per acre, they would term them unprofitable, if the rest of their Lot (being perhaps one thousand acres) were ​worth five or six shillings per acre, meerly for the great difference between the one and the other. Moreover, the Ulster and Leimster Agents (to augment the Quota, or proportion of their own Satisfaction on rich Baronies) their contending to have the disputeable, and but part profitable Land of Kerrey, put upon the Munster men, for wholly profitable and payable; was the chief cause of an incureable Clamour upon me, who was so far from contributing any thing to that grievance of the Armies, that I did what in me lay to prevent it; and ever bore my Testimony against it:
Thirdly, When men saw (in the first three moneths of my managing the Survey) how I had facilitated and regulated the whole Art, that I had divided the whole practice into several parts, and committed each to such Actors as were respectively most fit for it, how I provided a double proportion of Workmen and Instruments to prevent emergent hinderances, and had the examination performed under my own Eye, by Persons who daily eat and drank with me, and how I contracted with most of my Instruments by ​that most impartial, just, and never before thought of way, of the Mile in length, and not by the thousand acres of superficial Content; I say when men saw, how by a little better contrivance and method, and a little more diligence and assiduity I was like to perform my undertaking, and to gain more for my work pro ratâ then the Vulgus of ignorant, immethodical, loytering, disunited, emulating and contentious Surveyors (especially the vastness of the work being considered) could ever do. Moreover when Mr. Worsly himself (who traded only in slights to become suddenly rich, as by the Universal Medicine, Making of Gold, Sowing of Salt-Peter, Universal Trade, Taking great Farms, &c.) saw a fair opportunity taken out of his hands, and that all his Mountain-bellied Conceptions ended only in abortive Mice, when also several Officers who had been always Favourites to the Governments, and had mighty friends to back them, saw there was a design of profit which themselves had missed; and when some of the Souldiers reflecting upon their long Services in the Army, hard Duties, their Wounds and Maims, Considered, they had ​not made near the advantage which a Stranger, Sedentary Schollar, and a very young Man was like to make even by a slight; And lastly, when those that called themselves the old Surveyors, were unmasked, and the world let to see, that what those formal Glorioso's cryed up for a mystery, was nothing beyond the reach of a mean capacity within a few moneths time: Then all those several persons set themselves to throw blocks in my way, and to hang clogs at my heels, whereby to make my Merits and Fortunes no more considerable then their own.
4ly, I was constrained to collect by driblets, from above five hundred particular persons belonging to the Army, the Monys which I was to receive intire from the State; by which means many Controversies arose, even upon that; And from those Controversies we commonly fell into unpleasant, thredbare wrangles about profitable and unprofitable Land, (all contentious discourse still ending in that) And consequently into many other matters, which wid'ned the Breaches first made. Upon occasion whereof, hapned also many smart jeers and reparties, all ​tending to the same unhappy purposes of drawing Odiums and Envy upon myself.
5ly, My Experience arising from the management of the Survey, brought me to be one of the Commissioners for setting out Lands to the Army. That employment to be one of the Clerks of the Council (the one third part of the business of that Office, during my Employment in it, consisting of Orders, References, &c. concerning Lands, the Niceties whereof were not obvious to every man, how able otherwise soever he might be. All these Employments together, gave me the opportunity, to let the Lord Deputy see, I was (in a time of great scarcity) able to serve him as Secretary. The which plurality of Offices multiplyed Envy almost from every Body, especially such as wanted Employments, such as being conscious of their own weakness feared to be supplanted, and from such who thought themselves fitter and worthier of what was cast upon me; the which Envy (especially I having arrived at those promotions from small and unlikely beginnings) made all men watch my trippings (which ​probably they thought would be great and numerous, by reason of the distractions and temptations which so much business and faction might occasion,) The multiplicity of business, and that of several Kinds, as also my preferring the Lord Deputies work before any other mans (having more of it upon my care then the world might take notice of) was the cause why I could not so well as I ought, keep my promises of time and place, with the particular persons I had to do with; wherein being forced to fail often, and that with considerable persons; I became obnoxious to their displeasure, insomuch as to provoke them sometimes in heat, and sometimes otherwise, to speak discontentedly of me.
6ly, Having succeeded in two or three considerable matters, I was thereupon accompted of far more design and knowledge then really I either was or could be, and withall thought (by the more vain and credulous part of the People) to have great Intelligence, and other means to work my Ends, whatsoever they might be. The which perswasion (among other Inconveniencies wrought this effect, viz. ​That whoever had at any time spoken ill of me, and had withall suffered any cross or disappointment in any of the Offices I had to do withal, would by and by conclude, That such his cross was a revenge of mine for his misbehaviour towards me, whereas probably I never heard or dreamt either of such his fault or punishment.
Another cause of the popular rage against me was, My strictness, and perhaps too abundant Caution in the administration of my Duty, The which proceeded from the disposition I observed in all that envyed my precedent successes, to catch me tripping, baiting hooks to entangle me. As for example, they would send som poor impotent wretch with a small Debenture of about forty shillings, begging for Gods sake to have it satisfied with some advantage and favour upon the accompt of the smaleness of the sum, and the distress of the suitor; the Trepanners designing that if the Fish had bitten, to demand the like satisfaction for some other Debenture of 500 l. of their own, in pursuance of the aforemention'd Precedent, Which if we had denyed, alleadging the abovementioned motives, for the cause of ​our former Deviation; They resolved forthwith to cry out [Arbitrary Power!] Who made you Chancellors, &c. But God, who bids us not to regard the cause of the poor, in judgement with-held me from being charitable out of that which was not my own, and sacrificing to him what cost me nought: Whereat some of my fellow Commissioners wondered, and out of tenderness were offended. But God put it further into my heart, to silence them likewise, by giving the poor wretch some piece of Money, and leaving it to them to commiserate him in the like manner (against whom they thought me so hard-hearted) which they have often done, upon such my example.
The other Reason of my severity, was the backwardness of my Partners to act, and the reputation I had upon that accompt to do all my self, which was to me a ground to be as careful as if I had certainly fore-seen what is since come to pass, viz. That I must answer for all.
7ly, Surmises and Clamours being thus multiplyed, I became the Robin-goodfellow and Oberon of the whole Country. For as heretofore Domestick Servants ​in the Country, did set on foot the Opinion of Robin-good-fellow and the Fairies; that when themselves had stolen Junkets, they might accuse Robin-good-fellow for it; and when themselves had been revelling at unseasonable hours of the night, they might say the Fairies danced; and when by wrapping themselves in white sheets, they might go any whither without opposition or suspition upon the accompt of being Ghosts and walking Spirits. In the same manner several Agents of the Army, when they could not give any good accompt to those that entrusted them, To say Dr. Petty was the cause of the miscariage, was a ready and credible Excuse: If the Agent would go from his Country Quarters to Dublin on free cost, the Souldiers must contribute towards it, upon the accompt of getting Justice from Dr. Petty there. If the poor Souldiers would have their Land set out before necessity compelled them to sell, 'twas but saying Dr. Petty would not send them a Surveyor. If the Surveyor do not lay the House and Orchard on the right side, The party disappointed need but say, Dr. Petty employes ​insufficient Instruments, When one party hath by good chear and gratuities byassed a poor fellow, 'twas a good ground for the other to say, Dr. Petty imployes such as take Bribes, and perhaps shares with them himself. There be persons who have shown a poor Souldier a Bog, or other piece of course Land, telling him that was the Lott set him out by Dr. Petty, and by that means bought the good Land, which really was the poor Mans, at the price of Bog: If a piece of Land better then our own (through an accident) happen to be undisposed of, then our own is cryed out upon, as incumbered, and Dr. Petty a villain if he do not helpe cozen the State to exchange it: If we have underset our Land, then a Protestant claims it, and so we become free to have other Lands in lieu, whereupon to make a wiser bargain. If we would have a good large Quota, or proportion of our Debt satisfied in Lemster and Ulster, then Kerry, (being the refuse County of Munster) is all good Land. If the Munster lot would be rid of Kerry, They cry up the Neating and with-drawing of dubious Lands for a divine Invention, to others an ​abominable project. If the Commissioners are sparing to shew their Maps to prevent projecting and contriving upon them, then Dr. Petty keeps all in the Dark. If we do not observe what every Juncto or Faction directs how contradictory or unintelligible soever, Dr. Petty transgresses the Committees Orders. If we fall upon coarse Land; Better being behind us, Dr. Petty hath overcharged the Lot, and stuft in his own friends. If better Lands be before us, then Debentures were not equally affixed. When Dr. Petty minds the agents of their poor Brethren who served before 1649. and were disbanded in 1653. It is said, That this advertisement is like Judas his proposing to have the Box of Oyntment sold for 100 d. and given to the poor. When loose Debentures swarme up and down, D. Petty is suspected for buying them at under rates, & hath bin search: like a Thief with a Constable about it. But no body observes the Agents breaking up the Office Seal, and thereby introducing this danger. When the List or string of disposeable Lands was made and presented to the Agents, they would out of greediness acquiesce in any ​thing; But when the Lot sell out amiss. Dr. Petty juggled: whilst Dr. Petty forbore out of tenderness to deal in Lands or Debentures, until the whole Army was satisfied, then 'twas said he would not engage in the Lands of Ireland, but having got his Money, would run away: But when he had laid out his Estate in Land, he became so wicked, as not to be worthy to stay in the Nation.
8ly, It came to pass through the fewness of Trustees, in the Commission for setting out Lands to the Army (being in all but three) and through the absence of two of them during the time of our greatest and most distasteful business, & withall through the fright, which by the example of my sufferings other able men took from coming into our Commission, or acting boldly therein; I say by all these meanes it came to pass; that I was forced to manage the executive part of that vast and intricate work, as it were alone, Few other Commissioners (for fear of falling into some Error,) adventuring to do business without me, Whereby all displeasures real or imaginary, were accounted not onely my Permission, but ​Commission; Not onely my simple Act, but design, contrivance and revenge: And yet such was the firmness, natural Justice and unalterableness of what was usually done, and such was the approbation, that upon all Complaints it found from Superiors, That men would onely make their applications to me, would onely be served by me, expecting that all the casual imperfect and extorted promises I made them in the street, should be made good by me, and with equal firmness with Letters Pattents.
9ly, Whereas by reason of all the aforementioned Employments, many several persons made applications to me; I was forced to restrain the growing impertinencies of some, with very short answers, and to nip the unreasonableness of others, perhaps with a jest, when serious answers would not suffice; It came to pass that persons so dealt withal, would think themselves extreamly injured and abused, especially when the same jest was used and repeated upon them again by others afterwards; and my self in such their heats and mistakes, was rendered an insulting and insolent Fellow, and as one ​not having due respect to the Officers and others who had business with me. And this most frequently hapned from those, who trusting to the sharpness of their own wits, would first attaque me with jeers, but being replyed upon beyond their expectations, and deservedly laught at by the standers by, would grow angry and seek their revenge at other weapons, like Gamesters; who (out of the high opinion they have, that fortune is bound to favour them) venture to play, but when they find it otherwise, snatch up their stakes, and betake themselves to scurrility and violence. Moreover, when I had to do at this sport with many together at once, all those who were not themselves toucht, would encourage this jocularity by their complaisant laughing, on my side; but yet when they hapned to receive a shot themselves, would seem no less enraged then he, whom alone they intended as a sacrifice to Mirth and laughter.
10ly, Being a votary neither to any one particular sect or superstition, (as a member of Christs universal Church) nor to any one Faction or party as obedient ​to my present visible Governours, (it being alledged against me, that I had term'd such as were otherwise, to be as worms and Magots in the Guts of a Commonwealth) I was counted an Enemy even to all the Sects and Factions; and although none could say, I laboured to promote or suppress any of them, yet they all severally apprehended the contrary, and that I stood as a block in the way to each of their Ends; The which put them upon projects to remove me in order to get one of their own party and friends substituted in my room; To which end they would all maliciously watch my haltings, put the worst sense upon all my dubious actions, lay snares to make me stumble, &c.
11ly, I finding the Lord Henry Cromwel to be a person of much Honour and Integrity to his trust, as also of a firm faith and zeal to God and his Church, and withall to have translated me from a stranger into his bosome, thinking me worthy of the nearest relation to himself, and one who when all tricks and devices were used to surprise by me foul play, would still be careful I might have fair; I did (as ​in justice and gratitude I was bound) serve him faithfully and industriously; I was his Secretary without one penny of reward, I neglected my own private affairs to promote his, and consequently I preferred his interest before any Mans, and I serv'd his friends cæteris paribus, before his enemies.
Moreover because he should not be jealous of me, I became as a stranger to other Grandees, though without the least distaste intended to them; when he was shaken I was content to fall, I did not lessen him to his Enemies to magnifie my self. I never accused him to excuse my self. Moreover, though I never promised to live and die with him, which is the common Phrase; Yet I did stay to see his then interest which I had espoused, dead and buried, Esteeming that then, and when a convenient time of mourning was over, That if I should marry another Interest, and be as fixt unto it as I had been to his, I should do no more then I alwayes in his prosperity told him I would do, if I saw occasion. Which kind of Devotion to him, making some others think I slighted them, made them to hate me.
​12ly, The business of setting out Lands was vast and intricate, insomuch as few attained to any competency of knowledg in it, Partly, by reason of the pains and multitude of Arithmetical Calculations, requisite thereunto, Partly, because my Fellow Commissioners thought themselves too much behind hand to overtake me, occasioned by their necessary absence on the one hand, and by my peculiar Preparatory acquaintance with the Surveys, on the other hand, And partly, because the causeless Odiums cast upon me discouraged them from labouring to fit themselves for so dangerous and thankless an Office: Wherefore it came to pass, that few were able to justifie me knowingly against the many obtrectations of those half-sighted Busie-bodies which made them.
Moreover my Excess of businesss kept me from publick Conversation, viz. visiting and being visited, and from the other means of amicable familiarities with persons of Honour, by reason whereof I stood naked, not having any (for the causes first alledged) that could, and but few (for these latter) that would vindicate me. Besides that kind of conspicuity as ​to the place wherein I was, made me very frequently talked of, and consequently enviously stroke at, whilst on the other side, my own necessitated personal obscurity and reservedness, permitted every such stroke to pierce and wound me without defence.
14thly, I was contrary to Solomons rule, too just, having perhaps a vanity to administer that great work (lyable to so much Knavery) with exact method and uprightness, of which being too confident, I neglected all Clamours, thinking the worst of them unable to hurt the innocence I could boast of; especially for that I never observed, that even that Member of the Council who least affected me, was at all inclined to believe ill of my carriage in distributing the Lands: Hence it unhappily came to pass, That in slighting the said clamours I seemed withal to contemn the persons that made them, in which number (at one time or other, during the whole course of the affair) was everybody, viz. some of all sorts and factions, who all (blowing up and kindling one another, and the justice on my side yielding them no relief in their Complaints) became ​enraged to my very great prejudice.
Moreover when once a Complaint was causelesly exhibited and bitterly prosecuted against me, whereas possibly I might have pacified the Complainant in some other way, equal'y just: Yet I did often in such cases, rather fortius nodos stringere, tye the faster knots, straining them even so hard, as that no Friendship or Interest my Opponents had with the greatest, could afterwards untye them.