An apology for the builder, or, A discourse shewing the cause and effects of the increase of building

Of the Cause.

THE Cause of the Increase of Building is from the natural increase of Mankind, that there is more born than die. From the first blessing of the Creation, Increase and multiply, joined to the good Government of a Gracious King.

There are three things that man by nature is un∣der a necessity to take care of, to provide food for himself, Clothes and a House. For the first, all the rest

of Creation as well as man is under that necessity to take care of: For life cannot be maintained with∣out food.

The second belongs only to man, and it is a que∣stion by some, whether it is required of him by na∣ture, or custom, because in some Countries (and those cold) men go naked.

But as to the last, it is most certain, that Man is forced to build by nature, as all those Creatures are, whose young are born so weak (like the off∣spring of Mankind), that they require some time for strength after their birth, to follow their Parents, or feed themselves. Thus the Rabbit, the Fox and Lion make themselves Burrows, Kennels, and Dens to bring forth, and shelter their young, but the Mare, Cow, Sheep, &c. bring forth in the open field, because their young are able to follow them as soon as folded.

So that the natural cause of Building a House is to provide a shelter for their young; and if we examine man in his Natural condition without Arts, his Tenement differs little from the rest of Nature's Herd: The Fox's Kennel though not so large; being a lesser creature, may yet for its con∣trivance in its several apartments be compared with any of his Cottages: Earthen walls, and covering are the manner of both their Buildings, and the Furniture of both their Houses alike: Now as the

Rabbits increase, new Burrows are made, and the Boundaries of the Warren are enlarged. So it is with Man, as he increaseth, new Houses are built, and his Town made bigger.

When Mankind is civilized, instructed with Arts, and under good Government, every man doth not dress his own meat, make his own Clothes, nor build his own House. He enjoys pro∣perty of Land and Goods, which he or his Ance∣stors by their Arts and industry gained. These Pos∣sessions make the difference among men of rich and poor. The rich are fed, clothed, and housed by the labour of other men, but the poor by their own, and the Goods made by this labour are the rents of the rich mens Land (for to be well fed, well clothed, and well lodged, without labour either of body or mind, is the true definition of a rich man.)

Now as men differ in Estates, so they differ in their manner of living. The rich have variety of Di∣shes, several suits of Clothes, and larger Houses; and as their riches increase, so doth their wants, as Sir William Temple hath observed, men are better distin∣guished by what they want, than by what they injoy. And the chief business of Trade is the ma∣king and selling all sorts of Commodities to sup∣ply their occasions. For there are more hands im∣ployed to provide things necessary to make up the several distinctions of men. Things that promote

the ease, pleasure and pomp of life, than to supply the first natural necessities from hunger, cold, and a house only to shelter their young. Now the Trader takes care from time to time, to provide a sufficient quantity of all sorts of Goods for mans occasions, which he finds out by the Market: That is, By the quick selling of the Commodities, that are made ready to be sold. And as there are Butchers, Brew∣ers and Cooks, Drapers, Mercers and Taylors, and a hundred more, that furnish him with food and clothes; so there are Bricklayers, Carpenters, Play∣sterers, and many more Traders, that build houses for him, and they make houses of the first, second, and third rate of building in proportion to the in∣crease of the several degrees of men, which they find out by the Market, that is by letting of Houses alrea∣dy built: so that if it were throughly believed, that Mankind doth naturally increase; this miracle of the great increase of Houses would cease, it is there∣fore necessary to shew that man doth naturally in∣crease.

This may be sufficiently proved by Sacred History, That the World was first peopled by the increase from Adam and Eve, and after the de∣luge repeopled by Noah and his Sons Shem, Ham, and Japhet. That the Jews began from the single stock of Abraham by Isaac, and so from Jacob; and when Moses numbred them, which was not long distance

of time (being computed to be about Two hun∣dred and sixty years from Jacob) they were above Six hundred thousand fighting men, reckoning only from Twenty years old and upward, be∣sides Women and Children. And when num∣bred by David, which was about four hundred and fifty years after, they were grown a very great Nation, being Thirteen hundred thou∣sand fighting men of Judah and Israel.

But the late Lord Chief Justice Hales in his Discourse on this subject was not contented to relye wholly on Arguments from Authority of of Holy Writ, and therefore takes other To∣picks to confirm the relation of Moses concern∣ing the beginning of the world, and the peo∣pleing of it by a natural increase.

I. From the novity of History, That no Au∣thentick History is older than four thousand years, and none so old as Moses of the Beginning of the World.

II. From the Chronological Account of Times. That the Assyrian, Egyptian, and Grecian Accounts are to be found out in what year of the World they began.

III. From the beginning of the ancient King∣doms, That Rome was built by Romulus in the Seventh Olympiad, the Assyrian Monarchy be∣gan by Cyrus in 55 Olympiad, and the Grecian by Alexander in 111.

IV. From the first invention of Arts, That the times of the first invention of Husbandry and making of Wine are as well known, as the later Inventions of Gun-powder and Printing.

V. From the beginning of Religions, That the time of the Inauguration of the Heathen Deities are known; As when that Jupiter, Bacchus, Ceres and Aesculapius, and the rest of them were but men of great renown, and for their Good Deeds after their death worshipped; As well as when Moses, our Saviour, and Mahomet were born.

VI. From the Decays of Humaue Nature; but how far that may be true, I leave to further inquiry.

VII. From the beginning of the Patres fa∣milias, or the first Planters of the Continents and Islands of the World; that Helen gave de∣nomination to the Grecians called Hellenista, Pela∣sigus,

to the Pelasgi, Latinus to the Latins, and the place called Latium, Italus to the Italians, and Italy is as much to be believed, as that the English gave name to New England in America, and the Names of the Towns there, London and New York.

VIII. From the gradual increase of Mankind; That considering the time of his first Procreati∣on, which is agreed to be about 15 or 16 years, to the time he gives over, which is about sixty: It cannot be otherwise believed but that in the space of five and forty years he must produce a numerous off-spring: And it is no wonder amongst us; For a person to live to see some hundreds descended from his loyns.

Afterwards he comes to a particular Obser∣vation of the Increase of England by comparing the present State of it with the Survey set down in the Doomsday-Book, and makes an Instance in Gloucester-Shire, by which it appeareth, that the Inhabitants of that County since that time are greatly increased. And last of all he argu∣eth the Increase of London from the Bills of Mortality.

These are the Arguments of the late Lord Chief Justice Hales, to prove that Mankind naturally increaseth, of which he discourseth at

large in his Book of the Origination of Man∣kind, and therein answereth all the Objections to the contrary. And because these two last Ar∣guments from the Survey of the Doomsday-Book, and Bills of Mortality carry with them the greatest force, for they best discover the matter of Fact as to our own Nation. I have therefore made it my business to make a scruti∣ny into the truth of them: As to the first, it is easie to make it appear that there is thirty times more people in England than they were in Willi∣am the Conqueror's time, when the Survey was taken. And as to the latter, I shall have occasi∣on to discourse of at large hereafter.

And if it were necessary to use any further Ar∣guments for the proof of this Matter, they would plainly appear by comparing ancient Histories with Modern in the Descriptions they give of the Countries. As to the great Woods, the many little Governments, and the manner of the Peoples living without Arts: But not to wander over many Countries, and among several Hi∣storians I will only take the short description that Caesar giveth of our own, to shew how it differs from what it now is.

He says,

That the inner part of Britan••y is in∣habited by such as memory recordeth to be

born in the Island: And the Maritime Coast by such as came out of Belgia, either to make In∣cursions or Invasions, and after the War was ended they continued in the Possessions they had gained, and were called by the name of the Cities from whence they came.

It is true, he saith,

The Country is very populous and well inhabited, with Houses like unto them in Gallia.:

But that must be understood as other Countries of Europe were then. It appears that in England there were many Governments and little Colonies of people,

for he reckons four Kings in the County of Kent, besides some little States.

And he says,

Most of the Inland people sow no Corn, but live on Milk and Flesh, clothed with skins, and having their faces painted with a blew color to the end they might seem more terrible in fight. The Britans Towns, he says, is a place ditched about to make a shelter for themselves and Cattel. And their manner of fighting was by making sudden Excursions out of the Woods, and then retiring into them for shelter.

All which De∣scriptions shew the Country was not so popu∣lous as now.

For were there are great Woods, there is not room for Pasture or Corn, to feed Mankind:

Besides they are a shelter for beasts of prey, which man as he increaseth doth every where destroy, and suffers no Flesh-eaters to live but himself, except the Dog and Cat, which he maketh tame for his use. The Lion, Wolf, and the Bear are not to be found in a po∣pulous Country; and it is the first business of all the Planters in America to destroy the wild Beasts, and the Woods, to make room for them∣selves to plant in.

And the reason probably of those Roman Causways, that we find in England, was to make Roads through great Woods to the several Ro∣man Colonies; though at this time we find them in open Champaign Countries; for had the Country been so then, they would certainly have made them straiter than we now find them.

The many little Governments shew the infancy of a Country, for from single Family-govern∣ment first began; those Governments were but so many families of great Men: Now the large Boun∣daries that so many little Governments take up in a Country, make one half of the Country useless: For men are afraid to plant or sow too near their enemies Country for fear they should lose their Harvest. Therefore the same Land can∣not feed so many people as when it is under but one Government.

Besides without Arts, a great number of People cannot live together; the earth by the arts of Hus∣bandry produceth ten times more food than it can naturally. And neither can there be any great Cities, for the Inhabitants have nothing to ex∣change for their food, for it is the Arts of the City which are paid for the provisions of the Coun∣try.

To conclude, nothing is so plain from ancient History as that Asia was first peopled, and (accor∣ding to the Description of Moses) began about Babylon: And as Mankind increased, and the Coun∣try filled with Inhabitants; Arts were in∣vented, and they possest more ground, till they spread themselves into Egypt, and so over Africa, and from thence into Greece, over Europe, and now Europe being full, their swarm begins to fill America.

And all the ancient Descriptions of the Countries of Europe, in the times of the Ro∣man Greatness, are just such as are now given of America, and differs vastly from what they are now, in the number of Cities, Towns, and Arts of Inhabitants.

For were America so well peopled as Europe is, those great Countries that are possest there by the Spaniards, French, Dutch and

English, some of them bigger than their own Countries in Europe, could not be so quietly held, and injoyed by not a hundredth part of the peo∣ple of their own Country.

And although the valor of the Roman Soldiers, and their affected Bravery (grown as it were a fashion, and a popular Emulation) conduced much to the greatness of the Roman Empire; yet nothing promoted its success so much, and gave it such large extent as the Infancy of Europe at that time, being thinly inhabited with people, with∣out Arts, and full of little Monarchies aud States. For had it not been so, Caesar could never have over-run Gallia, Belgia, Britany, and some part of Germany, and kept them in subjection with only ten Legions of Soldiers, which was but fifty thousand men; for we have seen within these late years much greater Armies in Belgia a∣lone, (that is within the Seventeen Provinces, and amongst them men not inferior either in courage or skill in War, and yet have not wholly subdu∣ed one Province. And perhaps had these Forces at the same time been sent into America, they might have extended their conquest over as much ground and over as many people as Caesar did.

Nor was England so populous then as now it is; For had it been, Caesar would never at first have ventured to invade it with two Legions; and at the second time when he designed a full conquest brought over with him but five Le∣gions, that is but five and twenty thousand men.

For although some may think from the great Armies we read of; neer two Millions of men under Cyrus and Xerxes in Asia; and of vast swarms of the Goths and Vandals in Europe, in their Invasions under King Attila and others, that the world was more populous than now, because we hear of no such numbers of late; yet if it be considered, it demonstrates only the manner of their fighting, and the infancy of the world; The want of people, and Arts, rather than that it was populous.

For the Gentiles Armies were made up after the manner of the Jews, by taking all that were able to bear Armes, reckoning from about 20 years old to sixty. For when Caesar had slain the Army of the Nervii, being about 50000 men, (a valiant people, one of the Seventeen Provinces); the old men and Women Petitioning for mer∣cy, declared that there was not 500 men left in the whole Nation, that were able to bear Arms.

And if the King of England should reckon his Army after this manner; Of his eight Million of Subjects (as they are computed to be) there could not be less than three Millions that were able to bear Armes, which would be a greater Army than ever we read of; which must shew that the world was thin of People; since the Assy∣rian Empire the oldest, and therefore most po∣pulous did never raise so great a number.

And those great numbers shew that they wanted Arts; for we read that the Athenians a small but learned people baffled and destroyed all the great Army of Xerxes, reckoned by some to be Seventeen hundred thousand men; And Alexander with a small number of skilful and valiant Greeks subdued the then inhabited World.

And although the Goths and Vandals, and the Cold parts of the World made their Invasion for want of room to live in, yet that proceeded from the want of Arts.

For by Arts the Earth is made more fruitful, and by the invention of the Compass and Printing, the World is made more habitable and con∣versable: By the first the Countries Traffick and Exchange the Commodities they abound with, for those they want. The Timber, Pitch

and Tarr of the cold Countries are Exchanged for the Wine, Brandy, and Spices of the hot. By the latter all Arts are easier discovered; By Traffick and Arts the Inhabitants of the cold Countries are better fed, better clothed, and better lodged; which make them indure the Extremities of their Climates better than formerly; and as they increase they build new Towns, inlarge their Cities, and im∣prove their own Country; instead of invading and destroying their Neighbours.

But to return home: It is plain that the na∣tural increase of Mankind is the cause of the increase of the City, and that there are no more Houses built every year in it, than are necessary for the growth of the Inhabitants: As will some∣what appear by the number of Apprentices made free, and Marriages every year in the City.

By the best computation that I can learn, there are no less than ten thousand Married every year in the City; which is no great num∣ber considering the number of Inhabitants: And if we should allow two Weddings in a Parish every week one with another, (there being a hundred and thirty Parishes in all) it will much exceed this proportion. Now in some Parishes there is seldom less than ten in a week. And in Dukes-place, and St. Katharine's, being privi∣ledg'd

places, there is ordinarily twenty or thirty in a week.

As to the number of Apprentices that come every year out of their time, there are not less than Nine thousand; which will not be thought too great a number, if we reckon the Houses in the City, to be about Fourscore thousand: And if the fourth part of this number be al∣lowed for the Gentry, or those which live without Trades or Professions; and the three other parts being Sixty thousand, for Trades or Professions; and one Aprentice to every House (though in some Houses are three or four Ap∣prentices); and that in seven years the whole number come out of their time; then in every year a seventh part of Sixty thousand, (which is about Nine thousand a year) will come out of their time. Now if Mr. Grant's Com∣putation be right, that these Houses contain Eight persons, one with another, then there ought to be a thousand Houses at least built every year for these Nine thousand Apprentices that come out of their time, and the Ten thousand Weddings to have room to breed in. And this proportion is only sufficient to lodg them, and not for places to Trade in, for nine Traders can∣not live in one House. Therefore some of their

Masters, or other Traders must either die, break, or being grown too rich give over their Trades to make room for some of them to have places to Trade in, besides those that are furnish'd with places by the new Houses.

But I find Mr. Grant much mistaken in his ac∣count about the number of Inhabitants in each House in the out-parts; Perhaps it was from the rebuilding of the City with Houses more ca∣pacious and more in number. For in this last five and twenty years: the Inhabitants are now a third part more, as appeareth by the Bills of Mortality; For in the year 1660 and 1661 there died between Thirteen and fourteen thousand a year, and now there dies betwixt Twenty one and twenty two thousand a year. So that there ought to have been built above Twenty six thousand Houses in these twenty five years, which is above a thousand Houses a year to lodg this increase, which are much more than have been built in the out parts, for it appears by Mr. Morgan's Map of the City that there have not been built in this time 8000 Houses, that is not 300 Houses one year with another.

But this is certain, that there are no more Houses built every year than are occasion for; because there are Tenants for the Houses, when built, and a continuancee every year to

build more. For the Builders will do as other Traders, who, when the Market is over∣stocked with their Commodities, and no occa∣sion for those already made, forbear to make any more, or bring them to Market, till a new occasion requireth them. And when they find they cannot lett those already built, they will desist from building, and need no Act of Parliament to hinder them. So that we may as well complain that there is too much Cloth and Stuff made, too much Corn sowed, too many Sheep or Oxen bred, as that there are too many Houses built; too many Taylors, Shoo-makers, Bakers and Brewers, as there are too many Builders.