[172] 
difficult, to make an accurate computation of the de- 
crements of life through the different ages ; though 
this defed: I imagine I fhall be able nearly to fupply. 
But I think, without examining the feries of num- 
bers refulting from our bills, if we only confider the 
circumftances of our great Metropolis, we ffiall plainly 
fee, that above 20 years of age there can be no de- 
pending on the number of our burials, fo as to com- 
pute the probability of life. For after that age, there 
is fuch a multitude of ffrangers come here, from 
all places j fome to fettle for life, others to ffay for 
a time to acquire fome fortune or employment, and 
others only to remain a few years or months, that our 
burials are always in a fluduating date. ’ Servants, 
journey-workmen, and young people, that are to 
puffi into life, generally come at that agej fome of 
which come only for two or three years j and then, 
if they furvive, retire again into the county; all 
which occafions fuch a great number of accidental 
burials, that it feems plain, that our bills cannot be 
fo regular as to fhew the probability of life above 
20 years of age. And therefore, by the way, it 
may be obferved, that the greateft number of peo- 
ple is between 20 and 30 ; for at that age there is 
above 160000, that is, above a fifth of the whole; 
which is twice the number that is between 10 and 
20. And thus, I think there are fo great objedions 
to our bills, in the ages above 20, that they feem to 
me to be improper, to make any computation of the 
value of lives from them. And it were to be wiffied, 
that fome inland town could be found in England, 
where there was kept an accurate regifter of births 
and burials, with the ages of the deceafed, and where 
there 
