Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/78

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56
LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM PETTY
chap. ii

little, if we should, and rather neglect the very Church than put themselves to any pains that way; which when they do, they come no more to us, but become incorrigible hereticks. But," said he, "they be the Bigotts and Devout Persons whom wee load with penance, and on whom wee impose all the scrutinies imaginable in their confession; because such care, and will submit to us therein." In like manner, because I was willing to give content in all things reasonable had I unreasonable things put upon mee, always enduring a more than Inquisition-like severity.'[1]

While these events were taking place, the committee of the adventurers, sitting at Grocers' Hall, London, had become involved in interminable discussions, but at last, in September 1656, they decided to entrust the survey and admeasurement of their lands to Dr. Petty and Worsley jointly. An order and instructions were accordingly issued by the Council, in regard to the forfeited lands in the counties on which the adventurers had a joint claim with the army, to those in Louth and Leitrim, and to those escheated, but as yet not admeasured, in the remaining counties of Ireland. The lands in the liberties of Galway and Athenry were specially excepted from this order, because they were appointed for the satisfaction of the regicide, Colonel Whalley, and they were confided to the superintendence of Dr. Petty by orders of April 3 and December 29, 1657. Thus was begun 'the second great survey,' which was carried out on the same lines and by the same persons as the first, and proceeded with equal regularity and speed.[2]

Owing to the disputes already described between the different categories of officers and soldiers, the provision in the contract by which Dr. Petty had engaged to mark out at once the subdivision by name amongst the allottees on his maps had, as already seen, been unavoidably dispensed with, and the actual allotment for the time adjourned. Meanwhile,

  1. Reflections, pp. 23, 24. Compare D'Alembert, Sur la Destruction des Jésuites en France, ed. 1765, p. 67.
  2. Down Survey, p. 53; Hardinge, p. 24.