Two essays in political arithmetick concerning the people, housing, hospitals, &c. of London and Paris / by Sir William Petty ... Petty, William, Sir, 1623-1687. 1687 Approx. 16 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 14 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A54629 Wing P1942 ESTC R13444 12363809 ocm 12363809 60342 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A54629) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 60342) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 220:29) Two essays in political arithmetick concerning the people, housing, hospitals, &c. of London and Paris / by Sir William Petty ... Petty, William, Sir, 1623-1687. [6], 21, [1] p. Printed for J. Lloyd ..., London : 1687. Reproduction of original in Harvard University Libraries. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng London (England) -- Statistics, Vital. Paris (France) -- Statistics, Vital. 2003-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-07 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-08 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2003-08 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion WHITE-HALL , Aug. 26th 1686. Let this Paper be printed . Sunderland P. TWO ESSAYS IN Political Arithmetick , Concerning the People , Housing , Hospitals , &c. OF LONDON and PARIS . By Sir WILLIAM PETTY , Fellow of the Royal Society . — Qui sciret Regibus uti Fastidiret olus — LONDON , Printed for I. Lloyd in the Middle Exchange next Salisbury-House in the Strand . 1687. TO THE KING'S Most Excellent MAJESTY . I Do presume , in a very small Paper , to shew Your Majesty , that Your City of London seems more considerable than the Two best Cities of the French Monarchy , and for ought I can find , greater than any other of the Universe , which because I can say without flattery , and by such Demonstration as Your Majesty can examine , I humbly pray Your Majesty to accept from Your Majesty's Most Humble , Loyal and Obedient Subject , William Petty . AN ESSAY IN Political Arithmetick , BY Sir WILLIAM PETTY , Tending to prove that London hath more People and Housing than the Cities of Paris and Rouen put together , and is also more considerable in several other respects . 1. THE Medium of the Burials at London in the three last years , viz , 1683 , 1684 and 1685 , ( wherein there was no extraordinary Sickness , and wherein the Christenings do correspond in their ordinary proportions with the Burials and Christenings of each year one with another ) was 22337 , and the like Medium of Burials for the three last Paris Bills we could procure , viz. for the years 1682 , 1683 and 1684 ( whereof the last as appears by the Christenings to have been very sickly ) is 19887. 2. The City of Bristol in England appears to be by good estimate of its Trade and Customes as great as Rouen in France , and the City of Dublin in Ireland appears to have more Chimnies than Bristol , and consequently more People , and the Burials in Dublin were Anno 1682 ( being a sickly year ) but 2263. 3. Now the Burials of Paris ( being 19887 ) being added to the Burials of Dublin ( supposed more than at Rouen ) being 2263 , makes but 22150 , whereas the Burials of London were 187 more , or 22337 , or as about 6 to 7. 4. If those who die unnecessarily , and by miscarriage in L'hostel Dieu in Paris ( being above 3000 ) as hath been elsewhere shewn , or any part thereof , should be subtracted out of the Paris Burials aforementioned , then our assertion will be stronger , and more proportionable to what follows concerning the Housing of those Cities , viz. 5. There were burnt at London , Anno 1666 , above 13000 houses , which being but a fifth part of the whole , the whole number of houses in the said year , were above 65000 ; and whereas the ordinary Burials of London have increased between the years 1666 and 1686 , above one third , the total of the houses at London Anno 1686 , must be about 87000 , which Anno 1682 , appeared by accompt to have been 84000. 6. Monsieur Morery , the great French Author of the late Geographical Dictionaries , who makes Paris the greatest City in the World , doth reckon but 50000 houses in the same , and other Authors and knowing Men much less ; nor are there full 7000 houses in the City of Dublin , so as if the 50000 houses of Paris and the 7000 houses in the City of Dublin were added together , the total is but 57000 houses , whereas those of London are 87000 as aforesaid , or as 6 to 9. 7. As for the Shipping and foreign Commerce of London , the common sense of all Men doth judge it to be far greater than that of Paris and Rouen put together . 8. As to the Wealth and Gain accruing to the Inhabitants of London and Paris by Law-suits ( or La chicane ) lonely say that the Courts of London extend to all England and Wales , and affect seven Millions of People , whereas those of Paris do not extend near so far : Moreover there is no palpable conspicuous argument at Paris for the Number and Wealth of Lawyers like the Buildings and Chambers in the Two Temples , Lincoln's Inn , Gray's Inn , Doctors Commons , and the seven other Inns in which are Chimnies , which are to be seen at London , besides many Lodgings , Halls and Offices relating to the same . 9. As to the plentifull and easie living of the People we say , 1. That the People of Paris to those of London , being as about 6 to 7 , and the Housing of the same as about 6 to 9 , we infer that the People do not live at London so close and crouded as at Paris , but can afford themselves more room and liberty . 2. That at London the Hospitals are better and more desirable than those of Paris , for that in the best at Paris there die 2 out of 15 , whereas at London there die out of the worst scarce 2 of 16 , and yet but a fiftieth part of the whole die out of the Hospitals at London , and ⅖ or 20 times that proportion die out of the Paris Hospitals which are of the same kind ; that is to say , the number of those at London who chuse to lie sick in Hospitals rather than in their own Houses , are to the like People of Paris as one to twenty ; which shews the greater Poverty or want of Means in the People of Paris than those of London . 3. We infer from the premisses , viz. the dying scarce 2 of 16 out of the London Hospitals , and about 2 of 15 in the best of Paris , ( to say nothing of L' hostel Dieu ) That either the Physicians and Chirurgeons of London are better than those of Paris , or that the Air of London is more wholesome . 10. As for the other great Cities of the World , if Paris were the greatest , we need say no more in behalf of London . As for Pequin in China , we have no account fit to reason upon ; nor is there any thing in the Description of the two late Voyages of the Chines's Emperour from that City into East and West Tartary , in the years 1682 and 1683 , which can make us recant what we have said concerning London . As for Dely and Agra belonging to the Mogull we find nothing against our position , but much to shew the vast numbers which attend that Emperour in his business and pleasures . 11. We shall conclude with Constantinople and Gran Cairo ; as for Constantinople it hath been said by one who endeavour'd to shew the greatness of that City , and the greatness of the Plague which reigned in it , that there died 1500 per diem , without other circumstances : To which we answer , that in the year 1665 there died in London 1200 per diem , and it hath been well proved that the Plague of London never carried away above ⅕ of the People , whereas it is commonly believed that in Constantinople , and other Eastern Cities , and even in Italy and Spain , that the Plague takes away ⅖ one half or more ; wherefore where 1200 is but ⅕ of the People it is probable that the number was greater , than where 1500 was ⅖ or one half , &c. 12. As for Gran Cairo it is reported , that 73000 died in 10 weeks or 1000 per diem , where note , that at Gran Cairo the Plague comes and goes away suddenly , and that the Plague takes away 2 or ⅗ parts of the People as aforesaid ; so as 73000 was probably the number of those that died of the Plague in one whole year at Gran Cairo , whereas at London Anno 1665 , 97000 were brought to account to have died in that year . Wherefore it is certain , that that City wherein 97000 was but ⅕ of the People , the number was greater than where 73000 was ⅖ or the half . We therefore conclude , that London hath more People , Housing , Shipping and Wealth , than Paris and Rouen put together ; and for ought yet appears , is more considerable than any other City in the Vniverse , which was propounded to be proved . AN ESSAY IN Political Arithmetick , BY Sir WILLIAM PETTY , Tending to prove that in the Hospital called L' hostel Dieu at Paris , there die above 3000 per Annum by reason of ill accommodation . 1. IT appears that Anno 1678 there entred into the Hospital of La Charité 2647 Souls , of which there died there within the said year 338 , which is above an eighth part of the said 2647 , and that in the same year there entred into L' hostel Dieu 21491 , and ▪ that ▪ there died out of that number 5630 , which is above one quarter , so as about half the said 5630 , being 2815 , seem to have died for want of as good usage and accommodation as might have been had at La Charité . 2. Moreover in the year 1679 there entred into La Charité 3118 , of which there died 452 , which is above a seventh part , and in the same year there entred into L' hostel Dieu 28635 , of which there died 8397 , and in both the said years 1678 and 1679 ( being very different in their degrees of Mortality ) there entred into L' hostel Dieu 28635 and 21491 , in all 50126 , the Medium whereof is 25063 , and there died out of the same in the said Two years 5630 & 8397 , in all 14027 , the Medium whereof is 7013. 3. There entred in the said years into La Charité 2647 and 3118 , in all 5765 , the Medium whereof is 2882 , whereof there died 338 and 452 , in all 790 , the Medium whereof is 395. 4. Now if there died out of L' hostel Dieu 7013 per annum , and that the proportion of those that died out of L' hostel Dieu is double to those that died out of La Charité ( as by the above Numbers it appears to be near there abouts ) then it follows that half the said Numbers of 7013 being 3506 , did not die by natural necessity , but by the evil administration of that Hospital . 5. This Conclusion seem'd at the first sight very strange , and rather to be some mistake or chance than a solid and real truth , but considering the same matter as it appeared at London , we were more reconciled to the belief of it , viz. 1. In the Hospital of St. Bartholomew in London there was sent out and cured in the year 1685 , 1764 Persons , and there died out of the said Hospital 252. Moreover there were sent out and cured out of St. Thomas's Hospital 1523 , and buried 209 , that is to say , there were cur'd in both Hospitals 3287 , and buried out of both Hospitals 461 , and consequently cured and buried 3748 , of which number the 461 buried is less than an eighth part , whereas at La Charité the part that died was more than an eighth part ; which shews that out of the most poor and wretched Hospitals of London there died fewer in proportion than out of the best in Paris . 2. Farthermore , it hath been above shewn that there died out of La Charité at a Medium 395 per annum , and 141 out of Les Incurables making in all 536 ; and that out of St. Bartholomew's and St. Thomas's Hospital , London , there died at a Medium but 461 , of which Les Incurables are part ; which shews that although there be more People in London than in Paris , yet there went at London not so many People to Hospitals as there did at Paris , although the poorest Hospitals at London , were better than the best at Paris ; which shews that the poorest People at London have better accommodation in their own houses , than the best Hospital of Paris affordeth . 6. Having proved that there die about 3506 Persons at Paris unnecessarily to the damage of France , we come next to compute the value of the said damage and of the Remedy thereof , as follows , viz. the value of the said 3506 at 60 li. Sterl . per head , being about the value of Argier Slaves , ( which is less than the intrinsick value of People at Paris ) the whole loss of the Subjects of France in that Hospital seems to be 60 times 3506 li. Sterl . per Annum , viz. 210 thousand 360 li. Sterl . equivalent to about two Millions 524 Thous . 320 French Livers . 7. It hath appeared that there came into L' hostel Dieu at a Medium 25063 per Annum , or 2089 per Mensem , and that the whole stock of what remain'd in the precedent Months is at a Medium about 2108 ( as may appear by the third Line of the Table N o 5 , which shall be shortly published ) viz. the Medium of Months is 2410 for the sickly year 1679 , whereunto 1806 , being added as the Medium of Months for the year 1678 makes 4216 , the Medium whereof is the 2108 above mentioned ; which number being added to the 2089 which entred each Month , makes 4197 for the Number of Sick which are supposed to be always in L' hostel Dieu one time with another . 8. Now if 60 French Livers per Annum for each of the said 4197 sick Persons were added to the present ordinary Expence of that Hospital ( amounting to an addition of 251 Thousand 820 Livers ) it seems that so many lives might be saved as are worth above ten times that sum , and this by doing a manifest deed of Charity to Mankind . Memorandum , That Anno 1685. the Burials of London were 23222 , and those of Amsterdam 6245 ; from whence , and the difference of Air , 't is probable that the People of London are quadruple to those of Amsterdam . FINIS .