580 A. D. 1676. 



metic. Perhaps all his computations and inferences are not quite un- 

 exceptionable, yet, as he was well verfed in the theory of conumerce, we 

 may fafely avail ourfelves of feme of his ufeful remarks on its increafe 

 in England, from the year 1636, to the year 1676, viz. 



That in that fpace the taxes and public levies in our three kingdoms 

 have been much greater than at any time before, and yet the faid king- 

 doms have gradually increafed in wealth and flrength. 



1. With refped to.houfing, the ftreets of London ihewit to be double 

 the value of what it was 40 years before. And they have alfo increafed 

 therein at Newcaftle, Yarmouth, Norwich, Exeter, Portfmouth, and 

 Cowes. In Ireland alfo, at Dublin, Kingfale, Colerain, and London- 

 derry. 



2. With refpecl to fliipping, the navy is now triple or quadruple of 

 what it -was 40 years ago, and before the Sovereign was built. The 

 fhipping of Newcaftle is now about 80,000 tons, and could not then be 

 above a quarter of that quantity ; firft, becaufe London is doubled in 

 people ; iecondly, becaufe the ufe of coals is at leaft doubled, they be- 

 ing heretofore feldom ufed in chambers, as now they are ; nor were 

 there fo many bricks burnt with them as of late ; nor did the country 

 on both fides the Thames make ufe of them as now. 



Above 40,000 ton of fhipping are employed in the Guinea and Ame- 

 rican trade, which trade in thofe days was inconfiderable. The quan- 

 tity of wines imported was not then near fo great as now. And, in 

 (hort, the cuftoms did not then yield one third of the prefent value. 



3. The number and fplendour of coaches, equipages, and houfehold- 

 furnlture, have much increafed fince that period. 



4. The poftage of letters is increafed from one to twenty *. 



5. And his majefty's revenue is now tripled. 



6. The money coined during the ufurpation, being called in after the 

 reftoration, was found to be about one feventh part of the whole cafh of 

 the nation ; and as it amounted to L8oo,ooo, and fome hoarded money 

 was not brought in at all, the whole cafh of England may be eftimated 

 at fix milHons. 



Another attempt was now made to difcover a north-eaft paflage. The 

 duke of York, who was on all occafions a zealous friend to commerce 

 and navigation, obtained the ufe of a king's flilp, which he. Lord 



* This Tiitely is exaggerated. A. The Unilcd provinces, - 900,000 



Sir William Petty [/>. I <;, f<^. 1690] fays, ' the France, - - - lot.oco 



' very poftage of letters coll the people, perhaps, Hamburgh, Denmark, Swe- 



' 1.50,000 per annum, though farmed at much lels.' den, Dantzick, - 250,000 



The following calculation of the fhipping of Spain, Portugal, Italy, S;c. 250,000 



Europe, made by Sir William, [/•. 5] ought not 



to be omitted in this work. 



England, (perhiips he includes Scotland and Total iliipping of Europe, 2,oco,coo tons. M. 

 ireland) - ■ 500,000 tons. 



