Natural and political observations mentioned in a following index, and made upon the bills of mortality by John Graunt ... ; with reference to the government, religion, trade, growth, ayre, diseases, and the several changes of the said city.

THE PREFACE.

HAving been born, and bred in the City of London, and having always observed, that most of them who constantly took in the weekly Bills of Mortality, made little other use of them, then to look at the foot, how the Burials increased, or decreased; And, among the Casualties, what had happened rare, and extraordinary in the week currant: so as they might take the same as a Text to talk upon, in the next Company; and withall, in the Plague-time, how the Sickness increased, or decreased, that so the Rich might judge of the necessity of their removall, and Trades-men might conjecture what doings they were like to have in their respective dealings:

2. Now, I thought that the Wisdom of our City had certainly designed the laudable practice of take∣ing, and distributing these Accompts, for other, and greater uses then those above-mentioned, or at least, that some other uses might be made of them: And thereupon I casting mine Eye upon so many of the

General Bills, as next came to hand, I found encou∣ragement from them, to look out all the Bills I could, and (to be short) to furnish my self with as much mat∣ter of that kind, even as the Hall of the Parish-Clerks could afford me; the which, when I had reduced in∣to Tables (the Copies whereof are here inserted) so as to have a view of the whole together, in order to the more ready comparing of one Year, Season, Parish, or other Division of the City, with another, in respect of all the Burials, and Christnings, and of all the Dis∣eases, and Casualties happening in each of them re∣spectively; I did then begin, not onely to examine the Conceits, Opinions, and Conjectures, which upon view of a few scattered Bills I had taken up; but did also admit new ones, as I found reason, and occa∣sion from my Tables.

3. Moreover, finding some Truths, and not com∣monly-believed Opinions, to arise from my Meditati∣ons upon these neglected Papers, I proceeded fur∣ther, to consider what benefit the knowledge of the same would bring to the World; that I might not en∣gage my self in idle, and useless Speculations, but like those Noble Virtuosi of Gresham-Colledge (who reduce their subtile Disquisitions upon Nature into downright Mechanical uses) present the World with some real fruit from those ayrie Blossoms.

4. How far I have succeeded in the Premisses, I now offer to the World's censure. Who, I hope, will not expect from me, not professing Letters, things demonstrated with the same certainty, wherewith Learned men determine in their Scholes; but will take it well, that I should offer at a new thing, and could

forbear presuming to meddle where any of the Learned Pens have ever touched before, and that I have taken the pains, and been at the charge, of set∣ting out those Tables, whereby all men may both correct my Positions, and raise others of their own: For herein I have, like a silly Schole-boy, coming to say my Lesson to the World (that Peevish, and Tetchie Master) brought a bundle of Rods where∣with to be whipt, for every mistake I have com∣mitted.