VOL. XL.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 259 



and the great resort of people from all parts, but in fact to the great defect 

 abovementioned. 



However, that gentleman, from the aforesaid very defective account of the 

 christenings of this city, has calculated the number of its inhabitants by a 

 medium of the christenings in the years l684 and J 685 ; by which he makes 

 the number at that time amount to 500344 : but as this number is only taken 

 from a medium of 2 years, he imagines it too great ; therefore to reduce the 

 same to the number of 469700, by a medium of 20 years, he has unwarrantably 

 precluded the sum of 14702, the number of christenings in the year 1 684, to 

 make room for the sum of 1 1 85 1 , the number of christenings in the year 1 674 ; 

 by which the number of the inhabitants of London, is very much lessened. 



And as a further instance of Mr. Kersseboom's partiality in favour of the 

 city of Paris, he has calculated the number of its inhabitants, without men- 

 tioning the uncertainty of a calculation founded on a short space of time, as he 

 has done in the case of London, at a medium of the christenings for the years 

 ]670, 1671 and 1672, by which he makes them at that time, amount to 

 6)0300; adding that the number must have been greater at the end of the last 

 century; as by his extravagant manner of calculation it should be at present. 



But as it appears by the above specified 10 years account, that the christen- 

 ings of London greatly exceed the burials of that time, it will not be denied, 

 that they exceed the same at present ; especially if we consider, that the num- 

 ber of christenings in Paris, at a medium of 9 years, preceding that of 1737, 

 exceeded that of the burials 98 yearly ; notwithstanding that city not only 

 abounds with a vast number of religious of both sexes, who are sworn to celi- 

 bacy, but likewise many thousands of students belonging to the university, who 

 lead a single life ; whereas in London, there are no such persons, to prevent 

 the increase of its inhabitants. 



And as in the author's political account of London, it appears that, at a 

 medium of 9 years, there are annually buried in London 29542, and in Paris 

 only 17804, which is 11738 in favour of the former; so must the births in 

 London at present, according to the above-specified 1 years account, the rea- 

 sons aforesaid, and the Paris account of christenings, yearly exceed those of 

 Paris 12320 ; whence it appears, that the inhabitants of London exceed those 

 of Paris, above three fifths in number. 



Mr. Kersseboom seems dissatisfied with Sir Wm. Petty's assertion, that the 

 city of London contained as many inhabitants as the province of Holland and 

 West-Friesland : which our author thinks will be no difficult matter to make 

 appear, by allowing that gentleman his supposed number of 28000 children to 

 be annually born in the said province; whereas, according to the above-specified 



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