Headnote

Composed c. 1734; published 1750; copy text 1750 (see Textual Account).

Francis Grant, a London merchant who developed schemes for improving the quantity and process of fishing in British and Irish waters, had written to Swift in 1734, enclosing his pamphlet The British Fishery Recommended to Parliament, and asking for his support (Woolley, Corr., vol. III, pp. 727–9). Grant (d. 1762) was the third son of the Scottish law lord, Lord Cullen (Sir Francis Grant, 1st Bt).

The prospect of economic gain to Ireland from the encouragement of deepsea fishing had already been discussed by pamphleteers, most recently John Knightley, To the Honourable the Lords Spiritual, Temporal and Commons in Parliament Assembled… this Essay toward Proving the Advantages which may Arise from Improvements on Salt Works, and in the Fishing Trade of Ireland, Dublin, 1733.

Based on his informal enquiries from MPs, Swift pessimistically predicted that the Irish Parliament would have no interest in Grant's scheme. This proved misplaced: a bill encouraging the fishery would be passed in April 1734 (7 Geo. II c. 11 [Ire.])

Dublin,

March 23, 1734.

Sir,

I return you my hearty Thanks for your Letter and Discourse upon the Fishery; you discover in both a true Love of your Country, and (except your Civilities to me) a very good Judgment, good Wishes to this ruined Kingdom, and a perfect Knowledge of the Subject you treat: But as you are more temperate than I, and consequently much wiser, (for Corruptions are apt to make me impatient and give Offence, which you prudently avoid) ever since I began to think, I was enraged at the Folly of England, in suffering the Dutch to have almost the whole Advantage of our Fishery just under our Noses. The last Lord Wemyss told me, he was Governor of a Castle in Scotland, near which the Dutch used to fish: He sent to them in a civil Manner, to desire they would send him some Fish, which they brutishly refused; whereupon he ordered three or four Cannon to be discharged from the Castle, (for their Boats were in Reach of the Shot) and immediately they sent him more than he wanted. The Dutch are like a Knot of Sharpers among a Parcel of honest Gentlemen who think they understand Play, and are bubled of their Money.