[i>8] 
who have died, have lived to be 8o, or a 40th part j. 
which may be eafily difcovered by dividing the iuin 
of all who have died during thefe years at all ages, 
by the fum of all who have died above 80. 
Among the peculiar evils to which great towns are 
fubjedl, 1 might further mention the plague. Be- 
fore the year 1666 this dreadful calamity laid Lon- 
don almofl wade once in every 1 5 or 20 years ; and 
there is no reafbn to think that it was not generally 
bred within itfelf. A mod happy alteration has 
taken place, which, perhaps, in part, is owing to 
the greater advantages of cleanlinefs and opennefs, 
which London has enjoyed fince it was rebuilt, and 
which lately have been very wifely improved. 
The fads I have now taken notice of are fo im- 
portant that, I think, they deferve more attention than 
has been hitherto bedowed upon them. Every one 
knows that the drength of a date condds in the num- 
ber of people. The encouragement of population, 
therefore, ought to be one of the fird objeds of policy 
in every date ; and fbme of the word enemies of 
population are the luxury, the licentioufnefs, and 
debility produced and propagated by great towns. 
I have obferved that London is now* increafing. 
But it appears that, in truth, this is an event more to 
be dreaded than defired. The more London in- 
* This increafc is greater than the bills (hew, on account of 
the omiflion in them of the two parilhes which have been molt 
encreafed by new buildings; I mean Marybone and Pancrafs pa- 
rilhes. The former of thefe pariflies is, I fuppofe, now one of 
•he largeft in London. 
crea fes. 
