CHAP. VII. That one tenth Part of the whole ex∣pence of the King of England's Sub∣jects is sufficient to maintain one hundred thousand Foot, forty thou∣sand Horse, and forty thousand men at Sea, and defray all other Charges of the Government; both ordinary, and extraordinary, if the same were re∣gularly Taxed and raised.
TO clear this point we are to find out what is the middle Expence of each Head in the Kings Dominions between the highest and the lowest; to which I say it is not probably less then the Expence of a Labourer, who earns about eight pence a day, for the wages of such men is four Shillings a Week without Victuals, or two Shillings with it; wherefore the value of his Victuals is two Shillings per Week, or five pound four Shillings per Annum. Now the value of Cloaths can't be less then wages given to the Poorest Maid-Servant in the Page 88 Country, which is thirty Shillings per An∣num, nor can the charge of all other neces∣saries be less then six Shillings per Annum more, wherefore the whole charge is seven pound.
It is not likely that this Discourse will fall into the Hands of any that lives at se∣ven pound per Annum; and therefore such will wonder at this Supposition; but if they consider how much the number of the Poor and their Children is greater, then that of the Rich, altho the personal Expence of some Rich men should be above twenty times more then that of a Labourer; yet the expence of a Labourer above menti∣oned, may well enough stand for the Stan∣dard of the expence of the whole Mass of Mankind.
Now if the expence of each man one with another be seven pound per Annum, and if the number of the Kings Subjects be Ten thousand; then the tenth part of the whole Expence will be seven thousand; but about five thousand, or a very little more will amount to a years pay for one hundred thou∣sand Foot; forty thousand Horse, and forty thousand men at Sea, Winter and Summer, which can rarely be necessary, and other ordinary charge of the Government in the time of deep and secute peace was not 600000 per Annum.
Page 89Where a People thrive there the In∣come is greater then the Expence; and consequently the tenth part of the Expence is not the tenth part of the Income. Now for men to pay a tenth part of their ex∣pence in a time of greatest exigency (for such it must be when so great forces is re∣quisite) can be no hardship, much less a de∣plorable conditon, for to bear the tenth part, a man must needs spend a twentyeth part less, and Labour a twentieth part more for half an hour per diem extraordinary; both which in common Experience are very Tolerable, here being very few in England, who do not eat by a twentieth part more then does them good: and what Misery were it, instead of wearing Cloaths of twen∣ty Shillings per Yard to be contented with that of nineteen Shillings, few men having skill enough to discern the difference?
Memorandum that all this while, I sup∣pose all of these Ten thousand of people are obedient to their Soveraign, and within the reach of his Power, for as things are otherwise, so the Calculation must be varied.
