'i 
[ 67 ] 
I have to offer more perfedt in their dead. The 
ground-work I prefent would lie in a nut-fhell (33) - 
the edifice would fupply matter for fuch another 
letter : and, I think, you will be glad to have a little 
refpite, to confider of this, and judge how far fome 
fadts herein fet forth ought to be regarded, without 
which, I prefume to affirm, all computations of value 
will be found inconfident, and very faulty in fome 
other parts of life. 
Upon fuch an occafion as this, I hope you will 
excufe the intrusion and tedioufnefs of a new vifitor, 
who aims at further improvements on this fubjedt, 
both in matter and form. I willingly fubmit the re- 
fult of not a little time and pains to your fuperior 
judgment, and beg you will either frankly pronounce 
it time mifpent, and labour in vain, or elfe, by your 
kind diredtions, enable me (if the ardor of prefent in- 
clination fhould continue) to improve and finiffi a 
fcheme, perfedt enough to bear public view. I can 
only fay, I fhould endeavour to keep clear of the 
*)bjedtions made to other tables, and to fupport what- 
ever I advance by real fadts, or very flrong probabi- . 
lities, and to make the whole confident and uniform. 
I do not enter upon any computation of values, nor 
prefer either of the two methods (34) for finding 
them; let the fadts, upon which they depend, be 
better afeertained. In -order to this, the foie objedt 
( 33 ) See P- 69. letters (g), (h). 
(34) One propofed by Dr. Halley, and approved by Mr. De 
Mo tv re, the other by Mr. Lee. Richards’s Annuities, p, 1. 
Lee’s Valuation, p. 2. 
JC 2 
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