Page:PettyWilliam1899EconomicWritingsVol2.djvu/117

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Paris and London.
423

but 14. At a medium being compared to the gross sum, the Protestants in Paris are but as one to 65.

A further Observation may be made; That whereas in the whole Year of 1672, there were Buried I7584, and the Christenings then were 18427, which difference |142| between Christening and Burials was very agreeable with the difference formerly in the City of London, before Phanaticism and the Anabaptists were known in those Parts: But in the same Year of 1672 in the City of London and Places adjacent, the Burials were 18230, and the Christenings but 12563, By which it plainly appears that ⅓ of the Inhabitants of the Places aforesaid, are such as do not conform to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England.

As concerning the common Question[1], Whether Paris or London hath most Inhabitants, my Answer must be fram'd after this manner, upon some Observations made upon the numbers of Burials of each City.

I find that in the City and Suburbs of Paris in the Years 1670, 1671, and 1672, the total number of the Burials was 56443, and in the Years aforesaid in the City of London, Suburbs, and Places adjacent (as appears by the Annual Bills of Mortality) was Buried 54157.

But since that Hackney, Lambeth, Newington, Islington, Rotherhith, Stepney and Westminster, although put into the Bills of Mortality, they cannot properly be reckon'd as parts of the City of London (Westminster being a distinct City of it self, and the others |143| above-named Country Villages) and there having been Buried in the Places last named in the three Years aforesaid (as appears by the said Annual Bills) 10000, which being deducted out of the number aforesaid, the remaining number is 44157, upon which I think the Comparison must be made.

By which it appears that Paris hath exceeded the City of London in the number of Burials 12286, which number is between a fourth and a fifth of the said number of 56443,

  1. The discussion on London and Paris was continued by Petty in his Two Essays.