Volume 1

The economic writings of Sir William Petty together with the Observations upon the bills of mortality, more probably by Captain John Graunt / edited by Charles Henry Hull.

  • Petty, William, Sir, 1623-1687.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The economic writings of Sir William Petty together with the Observations upon the bills of mortality, more probably by Captain John Graunt / edited by Charles Henry Hull. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    more than we think are necessary, (that is to say) Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand withdrawn out of the World. Now the said number of adult and able bodied Persons, are equivalent to about double the same number, of the promis- cuous Mass of Mankind. And the same Author says, that the same Religious Persons, do spend one with another about 18 d. per diem, which is triple even to what a labouring Man requires. Wherefore the said Two Hundred and Fifty thousand Church-men (living as they do) makes the King of France's || [77] Thirteen Millions and a half, to be less than Thirteen1: 2Now The mul- titude of Clergy’s do lessen the K. of France's People, the mul- titude of Sea & Naval Men do increase the K. of England's Subjects. if Ten Men can defend themselves as well in Islands, as Thirteen3 can upon the Continent; then the said Ten being not concerned to increase their Territory by the Invasion of others, are as effectual as the Thirteen4 in point of Strength also5; wherefore that there are more Superlucrators in the English, than the French Dominions, we say as followeth. There be in England\ Scotland, Ireland, and the Kings other Territories above P'orty Thousand6 Seamen; in France not above7 a quarter so many ; but one Seaman earneth as much as three common Husbandmen; wherefore this difference in Seamen, addeth to the account of the King of England's 1 S, R, ‘be really no better than 12 or thereabouts,’ S, altered to ‘be less than 13.’ 2 S, R, G, have here the following passage, stricken out but still legible in S: ‘ In the next place it is to be considered, That the Inhabitants of the Inner Parts of France, remote from the Sea cannot be probably Superlucrators; Now if there be 2 Millions in the King of England’s dominions, more then in the King of France’s who—[a word rendered illegible by Petty’s alteration of it to ‘earn,’ which R and G have] more then they Spend, or if 10 men in England earne more then 12 men in France, then the Subjects of England, are as effective as to the gaining of wealth and Riches as those of Franee.’ The alteration of one word in this passage implies that Petty intended to let it stand and afterwards decided to strike it out. The passage is in Sloane MS. 2572 also. 3 S, R, ‘ 12,’ S altered to ‘ 13.’ 4 S, R, ‘ 12,’ S altered to * 13.’ 5 ‘also’ refers to the (omitted) argument about gaining wealth. 6 S, R, ‘in England, Scotland and Ireland about 60 thousand,’ in S is inserted ‘and ye Kings other Territoryes’ and ‘60’ is altered to above ‘40.’ G, ‘bomillion.’ 7 S, R, ‘about,’ S altered to ‘not above.’