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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    than it was forty years since ; so it is manifest that by reason of the Dreyning of Fens, watering of dry Grounds, improving of Forrests, and Commons, making of Heathy and Barren Grounds, to bear Saint-foyne, and Clover grass ; meliorating, and multiplying several sorts of Fruits, || and Garden-Stuffe, [97] making some Rivers Navigable, &c. I say it is manifest, that the Land in its present Condition, is able to bear more Provision, and Commodities, than it was forty years ago. Secondly, Although the People in England, Scotland, and Ireland, which have extraordinarily perished by the Plague, and Sword, within this last forty years, do amount to about three hundred thousand, above what have dyed in the ordinary way; yet the ordinary increase by Generation of ten Millions, which doubles in two hundred years, as hath been shewn by the Observators1 upon the Bills of Mortality2, may in forty years (which is a fifth part of the same time) have increased3 i part of the whole number, or two Millions. Where note by the way, that the accession of Negroes to the American Plantations (being all Men of great Labour and little Ex- pence) is not inconsiderable ; besides it is hoped that New- England, where few or no Women are Barren, and most have many Children, and where People live long, and healthfully, hath produced an increase || of as many People, as were [98] destroyed in the late Tumults in Ireland. As for Housing, the Streets of London it self speaks it, I The conceive it is double in value in that City, to what it was forty years since; and for Housing in the Country, they have doubled in value. increased, at 4Newcastle, Yarmouth, Norwich, Exeter, Ports- mouth, Cowes, Dublin, Kingsaile, Londonderry, and Coleraine in Ireland, far beyond the proportion of what I can learn have been dilapidated in other places. For in Ireland where the ruin was greatest, the Housing (taking all together) is now more valuable than forty years ago, nor is this to be 1 S, ‘ Observater,’ R, ‘observators,’ altered to ‘ Observator.’ The variation is significant in the dispute concerning the authorship of the Observations. See Introduction. This is the last of Petty’s alterations in S. 2 The assertion is based, apparently, on chapter VII. of Graunt. R. ‘ neer ’ inserted by Petty. 4 R, ‘ Bristoll ’ inserted.