THE FOURTH ESSAY.
Concerning the proportions of People in the eight eminent Cities of Christendom undernamed, viz.:—
1. We have by the number of burials in healthful years, and by the proportion of the living to those who die yearly, as also by the number of houses and families within the 134 parishes called London, and the estimate of the heads in each, pitched upon the number of people in that city to be at a medium 695,718.
2. We have, by allowing that at Paris above 80,000 families, viz., 81,280, do live in 23,223 houses, 32 palaces, and 38 colleges, or that there are 81,280 kitchens within less than 24,000 street doors; as also by allowing 30 heads for every one that died necessarily there; we have pitched upon the number of people there at a medium to be 488,055, nor have we restrained them to 300,000, by allowing with Monsieur Auzout 6 heads for each of Moreri’s 50,000 houses or families.
3. To Amsterdam we allow 187,350 souls, viz., 30 times the number of their burials, which were 6,245 in the year 1685.
4. To Venice we allow 134,000 souls, as found there in a special account taken by authority, about ten years since, when the city abounded with such as returned from Candia, then surrendered to the Turks.
5. To Rome we allow 119,000 Christians, and 6,000 Jews, in all 125,000 souls, according to an account sent thither of the same by Monsieur Auzout.
6. To Dublin we allow (as to Amsterdam) 30 times its burials, the medium whereof for the last two years is 2,303, viz., 69,090 souls.
7. As to Bristol, we say that if the 6,400 houses of Dublin give 69,090 people, that the 5,307 houses of Bristol must give above 56,000 people. Moreover, if the 29,325 hearths of Dublin give 69,090 people, the 16,752 hearths of Bristol must give about 40,000; but the medium of 56,000 and 40,000 is 48,000.
8. As for Rouen, we have no help, but Monsieur Auzout’s fancy of 80,000 souls to be in that city, and the conjecture of knowing men that Rouen is between the one-seventh and one-eighth part of Paris, and also that it is by a third bigger than Bristol; by all which, we estimate, till farther light, that Rouen hath at most but 66,000 people in it.
Now it may be wondered why we mentioned Rouen at all, having had so little knowledge of it; whereunto we answer, that we did not think it just to compare London with Paris, as to shipping and foreign trade, without adding Rouen thereunto, Rouen being to Paris as that part of London which is below the bridge, is to what is above it.
All which we heartily submit to the correction of the curious and candid, in the meantime observing according to the gross numbers under-mentioned.
| London | 696,000 |
| Paris | 488,000 |
| Amsterdam | 187,000 |
| Venice | 134,000 |
| Rome | 125,000 |
| Dublin | 69,000 |
| Bristol | 48,000 |
| Rouen | 66,000 |
Observations on the said Eight Cities.
1. That the people of
| Paris being | 488,000 |
| Rome | 125,000 |
| Rouen | 66,000 |
| do make in all but | 679,000 |
or 17,000 less than the 696,000 of London alone.
2. That the people of the two English cities and emporiums—viz., of London, 696,000, and Bristol, 48,000—do make 744,000, or more than
| In Paris | 488,000 |
| Amsterdam | 187,090 |
| Rouen | 66,000 |
| Being in all | 741,000 |
3. That the same two English cities seem equivalent
| To Paris, which hath | 488,000 souls. |
| Rouen | 66,000 |
| Lyons | 100,000 |
| Toulouse | 90,000 |
| In all | 744,000 |
If there be any error in these conjectures concerning these cities of France, we hope they will be mended by those whom we hear to be now at work upon that matter.
4. That the King of England’s three cities, viz.:
King’sCities | Exceed | ||
London | 696,000 | Paris | 488,000 |
Dublin | 69,000 | Amsterdam | 187,000 |
Bristol | 48,000 | Venice | 134,000 |
In all | 813,000 | Being but | 809,000 |
5. That of the four great emporiums, London, Amsterdam, Venice, and Rouen, London alone is near double to the other three, viz., above 7 to 4.
Amsterdam | 187,000 |
| |
Venice | 134,000 |
| |
Rouen | 66,000 | 387,000 |
|
| × 2 |
| |
| 774,000 | London 696,000 | |
6. That London, for aught appears, is the greatest and most considerable city of the world, but manifestly the greatest emporium.
When these assertions have passed the examen of the critics, we shall make another essay, showing how to apply those truths to the honour and profit of the King and Kingdom of England.