The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D. D., Vol. VI | Page 8

by Mr. Wood," and signed,
"M.B. Drapier." The letter, as Lord Orrery remarked, acted like the

sound of a trumpet. At that sound "a spirit arose among the people, that
in the eastern phrase, was like unto a trumpet in the day of the
whirlwind. Every person of every rank, party, and denomination was
convinced, that the admission of Wood's copper must prove fatal to the
Commonwealth. The papist, the fanatic, the Tory, the Whig, all listed
themselves volunteers under the banners of M.B. Drapier, and were all
equally zealous to serve the Common cause."
The present text of the first of the Drapier's letters is based on that
given by Sir W. Scott, carefully collated with two copies of the first
edition which differed from each other in many particulars. One
belonged to the late Colonel F. Grant, and the other is in the British
Museum. It has also been read with the collection of the Drapier's
Letters issued by the Drapier Club in 1725, with the title, "Fraud
Detected"; with the London edition of "The Hibernian Patriot" (1730),
and with Faulkner's text issued in his collected edition of Swift's Works
in 1735.
[T.S.]
[Illustration: A *LETTER* TO THE _Shop-Keepers_, _Tradesmen_,
Farmers and _Common-People_ of *IRELAND*,
Concerning the *Brass Half-pence* Coined by
**Mr. Woods,**
WITH A Design to have them Pass in this *KINGDOM*.
Wherein is shewn the Power of the said PATENT, the Value of the
HALF-PENCE, and how far every Person may be oblig'd to take the
same in Payments, and how to behave in Case such an Attempt shou'd
be made by WOODS or any other Person.
[Very Proper to be kept in every FAMILY.]
By M.B. Drapier.
DUBLIN: Printed by _J. Harding_ in _Molesworth's-Court_. ]

LETTER I.
TO THE TRADESMEN, SHOP-KEEPERS, FARMERS, AND
COMMON-PEOPLE IN GENERAL OF IRELAND.
BRETHREN, FRIENDS, COUNTRYMEN AND
FELLOW-SUBJECTS,
What I intend now to say to you, is, next to your duty to God, and the
care of your salvation, of the greatest concern to yourselves, and your

children, your bread and clothing, and every common necessary of life
entirely depend upon it. Therefore I do most earnestly exhort you as
men, as Christians, as parents, and as lovers of your country, to read
this paper with the utmost attention, or get it read to you by others;
which that you may do at the less expense, I have ordered the printer to
sell it at the lowest rate.
It is a great fault among you, that when a person writes with no other
intention than to do you good, you will not be at the pains to read his
advices: One copy of this paper may serve a dozen of you, which will
be less than a farthing a-piece. It is your folly that you have no
common or general interest in your view, not even the wisest among
you, neither do you know or enquire, or care who are your friends, or
who are your enemies.
About three[9] years ago, a little book was written, to advise all people
to wear the manufactures of this our own dear country:[10] It had no
other design, said nothing against the King or Parliament, or any man,
yet the POOR PRINTER was prosecuted two years, with the utmost
violence, and even some WEAVERS themselves, for whose sake it was
written, being upon the JURY, FOUND HIM GUILTY. This would be
enough to discourage any man from endeavouring to do you good,
when you will either neglect him or fly in his face for his pains, and
when he must expect only danger to himself and loss of money,
perhaps to his ruin.[11]
[Footnote 9: In his reprint of the Drapier's Letters, issued in 1725 with
the title, "Fraud Detected; or the Hibernian Patriot," Faulkner prints
"four" instead of "three"; but this, of course, is a correction made to
agree with the date of the publication of this reprint. The "Proposal"
was published in 1720. [T.S.]]
[Footnote 10: The "little book" was "A Proposal for the Universal Use
of Irish Manufactures." See vol. vii. [T.S.]]
[Footnote 11: Instead of the words "loss of money," Faulkner in the
reprint of 1725 has "to be fined and imprisoned." [T.S.]]
However I cannot but warn you once more of the manifest destruction
before your eyes, if you do not behave yourselves as you ought.
I will therefore first tell you the plain story of the fact; and then I will
lay before you how you ought to act in common prudence, and
according to the laws of your country.

The fact is thus: It having been many years since COPPER
HALFPENCE OR FARTHINGS were last coined in this kingdom, they
have been for some time very scarce,[12] and many counterfeits passed
about under the name of _raps_, several