Political arithmetick, or, A discourse concerning the extent and value of lands, people, buildings ... as the same relates to every country in general, but more particularly to the territories of His Majesty of Great Britain, and his neighbours of Holland, Zealand, and France / by Sir William Petty ...

PREFACE.

FOrasmuch as Men, who are in a decaying condition, or who have but an ill opinion of their own Concernments, instead of being (as some think) the more industrious to resist the Evils they apprehend, do contrariwise be∣come the more languid and inef∣fectual in all their Endeavours, nei∣ther caring to attempt or prose∣cute even the probable means of their relief. Upon this Considera∣tion, as a Member of the Com∣mon-Wealth, next to knowing the precise Truth in what condi∣tion the common Interest stands, I would in all doubtful Cases think

the best, and consequently not de∣spair, without strong and manifest Reasons, carefully examining what∣ever tends to lessen my hopes of the publick Welfare.

I have therefore thought fit to examin the following Perswasions, which I find too currant in the World, and too much to have af∣fected the Minds of some, to the prejudice of all. viz.

That the Rents of Lands are* 1.1 generally fall'n; that therefore, and for many other Reasons, the whole Kingdom grows every day poorer and poorer; that formerly it a∣bounded with Gold, but now there is a great scarcity both of Gold and Silver; that there is no Trade nor Employment for the People, and yet that the Land is under-peopled; that Taxes have been many and

great; that Ireland and the Planta∣tions in America and other Addi∣tions to the Crown, are a Burthen to England; that Scotland is of no Advantage; that Trade in gene∣ral doth lamentably decay; that the Hollanders are at our heels, in the race of Naval Power; the French grow too fast upon both, and ap∣pear so rich and potent, that it is but their Clemency that they do not devour their Neighbors; and finally, that the Church and State of England, are in the same dan∣ger with the Trade of England; with many other dismal Sugge∣stions, which I had rather stifle than repeat.

'Tis true, the Expence of foreign* 1.2 Commodities hath of late been too great; much of our Plate, had it remain'd Money, would have bet∣ter

served Trade; too many Mat∣ters have been regulated by Laws, which Nature, long Custom, and general Consent, ought only to have governed; the Slaughter and Destruction of Men by the late Civil Wars and Plague have been great; the Fire at London, and Disaster at Chatham, have begot∣ten Opinions in the Vulgus of the World to our Prejudice; the Non∣conformists increase; the People of Ireland think long of their Set∣tlement; the English there appre∣hend themselves to be Aliens, and are forced to seek a Trade with Foreigners, which they might as well maintain with their own Re∣lations in England. But notwith∣standing all this (the like whereof was always in all Places), the* 1.3 Buildings of London grow great and glorious; the American Planta∣tions

employ four Hundred Sail of Ships; Actions in the East-India Company are near double the prin∣cipal Money; those who can give good Security, may have Money under the Statute-Interest; Materials for building (even Oaken-Timber) are little the dearer, some cheaper for the rebuilding of London; the Exchange seems as full of Mer∣chants as formerly; no more Beg∣gars in the Streets, nor executed for Thieves, than heretofore; the Number of Coaches, and Splen∣dor of Equipage exceeding former Times; the publique Theatres ve∣ry magnificent; the King has a greater Navy, and stronger Guards than before our Calamities; the Clergy rich, and the Cathedrals in repair; much Land has been im∣proved, and the Price of Food so reasonable, as that Men refuse

to have it cheaper, by admitting of Irish Cattle; And in brief, no Man needs to want that will take moderate pains. That some are poorer than others, ever was and ever will be: And that many are naturally querulous and envious, is an Evil as old as the World.

These general Observations, and that Men eat, and drink, and laugh as they use to do, have encou∣raged me to try if I could also comfort others, being satisfied my self, that the Interest and Affairs of England are in no deplorable Condition.

The Method I take to do this,* 1.4 is not yet very usual; for instead of using only comparative and su∣perlative Words, and intellectual Arguments, I have taken the course (as a Specimen of the Political A∣rithmetick

I have long aimed at) to express my self in Terms of Number, Weight, or Measure; to use only Arguments of Sense, and to consider only such Causes, as have visible Foundations in Na∣ture; leaving those that depend upon the mutable Minds, Opi∣nions, Appetites, and Passions of particular Men, to the Consider∣ation of others: Really professing my self as unable to speak satis∣factorily upon those Grounds (if they may be call'd Grounds), as to foretel the cast of a Dye; to play well at Tennis, Billiards, or Bowles, (without long practice,) by virtue of the most elaborate Conceptions that ever have been written De Projectilibus & Missili∣bus, or of the Angles of Incidence and Reflection.

Now the Observations or Po∣sitions* 1.5 expressed by Number, Weight, and Measure, upon which I bot∣tom the ensuing Discourses, are either true, or not apparently false, and which if they are not al∣ready true, certain, and evident, yet may be made so by the So∣vereign Power, Nam id certum est quod certum reddi potest, and if they are false, not so false as to de∣stroy the Argument they are brought for; but at worst are suf∣ficient as Suppositions to shew the way to that Knowledge I aim at. And I have withal for the present confined my self to the Ten prin∣cipal Conclusions hereafter parti∣cularly handled, which if they shall be judged material, and worthy of a better Discussion, I hope all ingenious and candid Persons will rectifie the Errors, Defects, and

Imperfections, which probably may be found in any of the Po∣sitions, upon which these Ratioci∣nations were grounded. Nor would it misbecome Authority it self, to clear the Truth of those Matters which private Endeavours cannot reach to.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The fears of many concern∣ing the Welfare of England.
• * 1.2

  The real Preju∣dices of England.
• * 1.3

  The Im∣prove∣ments of England.
• * 1.4

  The Au∣thor's Me∣thod and Manner of Argu∣ing.
• * 1.5

  The Na∣ture of his Posi∣tions and Supposi∣tions.