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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	great_a	king_n	time_n	14,389	5	3.4431	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54612	A discourse of taxes and contributions shewing the nature and measures of crown-lands, assessments, customs, poll-moneys, lotteries, benevolence, penalties, monopolies, offices, tythes, hearth, excise, &c. : with several intersperst discourses and digressions concerning wars, the church, universities, rents and purchases ... : the same being frequently applied to the state and affairs of Ireland, and is now thought seasonable for the present affairs of England : humbly recommended to the present Parliament.	Petty, William, Sir, 1623-1687.	1689 (1689)	Wing P1920; ESTC R20953	59,806	88

thriving men are concerning the profuseness of their Children for as they take pleasure to get even what they believe will be afterwards pissed against the wall so do I to write what I suspect will signifie nothing Wherefore the race being not to the swift c. but time and chance happening to all men I leave the Judgment of the whole to the Candid of whose correction I shall never be impatient THE INDEX AN Enumeration and Description of the several Branches of the Publick Charge Page 1 The maintenance of Governours ought to be in greater splendour than private Callings can reach to Ibidem The honour of being trusted and the pleasure of being feared is reward enough for some Offices p. 2. The Pastorage of Souls ought to be a Publick Charge even upon a Civil Account Ibid. The use of Schools and Vniversities as they are a Publick Charge p. 3 The common and general causes which encrease and aggravate the burthen of paying Taxes Ibid. The causes that excite Forreign and Offensive Wars p. 4 The causes of Defensive and Civil Wars p. 5 A cause of unnecessary Ecclesiastical Charge is the not sizing of Parishes according to the alterations which have been in Religion and Trade p. 6 That five thousand Parishes are enough for England and Wales so as to give unto each but a thousand Parishioners and so as that none need go two miles to Church Ibid. Antiquated Offices and overgrown Fees a cause of unnecessary Charge in the Government and administration of Justice p. 8 Registers for Conveyances of Land and Depositories for moveable Pawns as also Banks of Money will lessen the charge of Law-suits and Writings p. 9 How the number of such as relate to the Faculty of Medicine may be adjusted Ibid. How the number of Students in the Vniversities intending to make Learning the way of their livelihood may be adjusted p. 10 An Vse propounded for the choice Parish-Children and Foundlings to force on an useful Work which hath hitherto been but perfunctorily pursued Ibid. That the number of unnecessary Merchants and Retailers be retrenched Ibid. The careful Maintenance and Education of exposed Children and concealing their Names and Families is a matter of great consequence p. 11 A Proposal of several Imployments for Beggars and such as have now no Work. Ibid. Great works of labour though in themselves unnecessary are nevertheless of advantage to the Publick p. 12 The mending of High-ways building Bridges and Causeys and the making of Rivers Navigable in England would make English Horses an exportable Commodity and help to vend the Commodities of Ireland p. 13 The Causes of unquiet bearing of Taxes viz. Ibid. First that the Soveraign exacts too much p. 14 Secondly that Assessments are unequally laid Ibid. Thirdly that the Moneys levied are vainly expended Ibid. Fourthly or given to Favourites p. 15 Fifthly Ignorance of the Number Trade and Wealth of the people Ibid. Sixthly Obsourity about the right of imposing p. 16 Seventhly Fewness of people Ibid Eighthly Scarcity of Money and confusion of Coyns Ibid. Ninthly That scarce an hundredth part of the Riches of this Nation is Coyned Bullion Ibid. Tenthly The non-acceptance of some Commodities in specie in discharge of Taxes Ibid. The Consequences of a Tax too heavy if there be too much Money in a Nation which may be or if there be too little and that either in a State well or ill governed p. 17 p. 18 p. 19 The first way of providing for the Publick Charge is the excinding or setting apart of a proportion of the Territory in the nature of Crown-Lands p. 19 The second is taking away the same proportion of the Rents of all Lands p. 20 The Nation is happy where either of the said two ways is practised ab antiquo and upon original agreement and not exacted as a sudden contingent Surcharge upon the people Ibid. The Owners of settled Rents bear the burthen of a Land-Tax or Assessment others probably gaining thereby Ibid. A Land-Tax upon free Estates resolves into an Excize upon Consumptions p. 21 Assessment upon Housing more uncertain than that of Land Housing being of a double nature viz. either an instrument of gain or way of expence Ibid. The heavy Taxing of Housing no discouragement to new Buildings nor is the discouragement of new Buildings any means to prevent the populousness of a City p. 22 Prohibition to build upon new Foundations serves only to six the Ground-plot of a City Ibid. The reason why the City of London removes its Ground-plot Westward Ibid. That 't is probable the King of Englands Palace will in process of time be towards Chelsey p. 23 That the present Seat of London will be the greatest Conhabitation of people ever whilst this Island is inhabited Ibid. The nature and natural Measures of the Rent of Land computed in Commodities of the growth of the said Land. Ibid. The Par between Food or other proceed of Land and Bullion or Coyn. p. 24 The Par between Gold and Silver Ibid. Gold and Silver are not natural Standards of the Values of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 25 The prime Denomination of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are but two viz. Land and Labour as the Denominations of Money in England are Pounds Shillings Pence Ibid. Of the Par between Land and Labour Ibid. The reason of the number of years Purchase that Land is worth in several Countries p. 26 Why Land in Ireland is worth fewer years Purchase than in England Ibid. 27 The Description and Ratio formalis of Vsury p. 28 The same of Exchange Ibid. The Measures of both Ibid. Why Vsury hath been limited more than Exchange p. 29 A parallel between the Charges of the price of Money and that of Land. Ibid. How to compute and compare the Rents of Lands in order to a just Land-Tax or Assessment p. 30 The intrinsick value of Land is found by Surveys of the Quantity Figure and Scituation Ibid. And by the Survey of the Quality viz. its aptitude to bear first precious Commodities secondly the best of the kind thirdly most in quantity Ibid. The extrinsick or accidental value depends upon the plenty of Money luxurious or frugal living the Opinions Civil Natural and Religious of the People It is necessary to these Enquiries to know how to tell the Gold and Silver Coyns of this present Age and compare the same with that of former times Ibid. How to compare not only the Money of this present Age with that of the former but the entire riches of the present with the former People Ibid. By the numbers of People and the proportion of Money amongst them the accidental values of Lands are to be computed p. 32 How to proportion the Rates of a Commodity in one place unto the Rates of the same in another place Ibid. That the Day-wages of Labourers and several other of the most vulgar Trades-men ought to be ascertained and well adapted to the changes of time Ibid. That

then before Secondly that the Farmer to B. shall gain more then before the Tax Thirdly that the Tenant or Farmer of A. shall gain as much as the King and Tenant to B. both Fourthly the Tax doth ultimately light upon the Landlord A. and the Consumptioners From whence it follows that a Land-tax resolves into an irregular Excize upon Consumptions that those bear it most who least complain And lastly that some Landlords may gain and only such whose Rents are predetermined shall lose and that doubly viz. one way by the raising of their Revenues and the other by Enhaunsing the prices of provisions upon them 6. Another way is an Excisium out of the Rent of Houseing which is much more uncertain then that of Land. For an House is of a double nature viz one wherein it is a way and means of expence the other as 't is an Instrument and Tool of gain for a Shop in London of less capacity and less charge in building then a fair Dining-Room in the same House unto which both do belong shall nevertheless be of the greater value so also shall a Dungeon Sellar then a pleasant Camber because the one is expence the other profit Now the way of a Land-tax rates housing as of the latter nature but the Excize as of the former 7. We might add hereunto that housing is sometimes disproportionally taxed to discourage Building especally upon new Foundations thereby to prevent the growth of a City suppose London such excessive and overgrown grown Cities being dangerous to Monarchy though the more secure when the Supremacy is in Citizens of such places themselves as in Venice 8. But we say that such checking of new Buildings signifies nothing to this purpose forasmuch as Buildings do not encrease until the People already have increased but the remedy of the above mentioned dangers is to be sought in the causes of the encrease of People the which if they can be nipt the other work will necessarily be done But what then is the true effect of forbidding to build upon new foundations I answer to keep and fasten the City to its old seat and ground-plot the which encouragement for new Buildings will remove as it comes to pass almost in all great Cities though insensibly and not under many years progression 9. The reason whereof is because men are unwilling to build new houses at the charge of pulling down their old where both the old house it self and the ground it stands upon do make a much dearer ground-plot for a new-house and yet far less free and convenient wherefore men build upon new free foundations and cobble up old houses until they become fundamentally irreparable at which time they become either the dwelling of the Rascality or in process of time return to waste and Gardens again examples whereof are many even about London Now if great Cities are naturally apt to remove their seats I ask which way I say in the case of London it must be Westward because the Winds blowing near 3 fourths of the year from the West the dwellings of the West end are so much the more free from the fumes steams and stinks of the whole Easterly Pyle which where Seacole is burnt is a great matter Now if it follow from hence that the Pallaces of the greatest men will remove Westward it will also naturally follow that the dwellings of others who depend upon them will creep after them This we see in London where the Noblemens ancient Houses are now become Halls for Companies or turned into Tenements and all the Pallaces are gotten Westward Insomuch as I do not doubt but that five humdred years hence the Kings Pallace will be near Ch●lsy and the old building of Whitehall converted to uses more answerable to their quality For to build a new Royal Pallace upon the same ground will be too great a confinement in respect of Gardens and other magnificencies and withal a disaccommodation in the time of the work but it rather seems to me that the next Pallace will be built from the whole present contignation of houses at such a distance as the whole Pallace of Westminster was from the City of London when the Archers began to bend their bows just without Ludgate and when all the space between the Thames Fleet-street and Hollorn was as Finsbury-fields are now 10. This digression I confess to be both impertinent to the business of Taxes and in it self almost needless for why should we trouble our selves what shall be five hundred years hence not knowing what a day may bring forth and since 't is not unlikely but that before that time we may be all transplanted from hence into America these Countreys being over-run with Turks and made waste as the Seats of the famous Eastern Empires at this day are 11. Onely I think 't is certain that while ever there are people in England the greatest cohabitation of them will be about the place which is now London the Thames being the most commodious River of this Island and the seat of London the most commodious part of the Thames so much doth the means of facilitating Carriage greaten a City which may put us in mind of employing our idle hands about mending the High-ways making Bridges Cawseys and Rivers navigable Which considerations brings me back round into my way of Taxes from whence I digrest 12. But before we talk too much of Rents we should endeavour to explain the mysterions nature of them with reference as well to Money the Rent of which we call Usury as to that of Lands and Houses aforementioned 13. Suppose a man could with his own hands plant a certain scope of Land with Corn that is could Diggor Plough Harrow Weed Reap Carry home Thresh and Winnow so much as the Husbandry of this Land requires and had withal Seed wherewith to sow the same I say that when this man hath subducted his seed out of the proceed of his Harvest and also what himself hath both eaten and given to others in exchange for Clothes and other Natural necessaries that the Remainder of Corn is the natural and true Rent of the Land for that year and the medium of seven years or rather of so many years as makes up the Cycle within which Dearths and Plenties make their revolution doth give the ordinary Rent of the Land in Corn. 14. But a further though collateral question may be how much English money this Corn or Rent is worth I answer so much as the money which another single man can save within the same time over and above his expence if he imployed himself wholly to produce and make it viz. Let another man go travel into a Countrey where is Silver there Dig it Refine it bring it to the same place where the other man planted his Corn Coyn it c. the same person all the while of his working for Silver gathering also food for his necessary livelihood and procuring himself covering c. I

design Offices instituted by the State with Fees of their own appointment are of parallel nature to Monopolies the one relating to actions and employments as the other to things and have the same to be said for and against them as Monoplies have As a Kingdom encreaseth and flourisheth so doth variety of things of actions and even of words encrease also for we see that the language of the most flourishing Empires was ever the most copious and elegant and that of mountainous Cantons the contrary Now as the actions of this Kingdom encreased so did the Offices that is the power and faculty of solely executing and performing the said actions encrease likewise and on the contrary as the business of Offices encreased so did the difficulty and danger of discharging them amiss decrease proportionably from whence 't is come to pass that the Offices which at their first erecting were not performed but by the ablest most inventive and versatile Instruments such as could wrestle with all emergent difficulties and collect Rules and Axioms out of the Series of their own Observations with reference to the various casualties of their employments whereby to direct Posterity are now persormed by the most ordinary formal pack-horse Deputies and Sub-Deputies And whereas at first such large Fees were allowed as considering even the paucity of them which might then be received should compensate the Art Trust and Industry of the Administrator yet the said large Fees are still continued although the skill and trust be lessened and the number of the said Fees so extreamly multiplied so as now the profits of such Offices being become cleer and the work so easie as any man is capable of it even those that never saw it are bought and sold for Years or Lives as any other Annuity may be and withal the splendor arising from the easie gains of those places in Courts of Justice is called the Flourishing of the Law which certainly flourisheth best when the Professors and Ministers of it have least to do And moreover when the burthen and uselesness of such an Office is taken notice of 't is nevertheless spared as a Subjects Freehold in Favour of him that bought it Of these Offices are many in this Nation and such as might be a Revenue to the King either by their Annual profits or the Sale of them for many years together And these are the Offices that are properly Saleable viz. where the Fees are large as appointed when the number of them was few and also numerous as multiplying upon the encrease of business and where the business is only the labour of the meanest men length of time having made all the work so easie and found out security against all the frauds breaches of trust and male-administrations whereunto the infancies of those places were obnoxious These Offices are therefore Taxes upon such as can or will not avoid the passing through them and are born as men endure and run themselves into the mischiefs of Duelling the which are very great which side soever prevails for certainly men do not alwaies go to Law to obtain right or prevent wrong which judicious neighbours might perform as well as a Jury of no abler men and men might tell the Judge himself the merits of their Cause as well as now they instruct their Council This therefore of Offices is a voluntary Tax upon contentious men as Excize upon Drink is to good Fellows to love it CHAP. XII Of Tythes THe word Tythes being the same with Tenths signifie of it self no more then the proportion of the Excisium or part retrenched as if Customs upon imported and exported Commodities should be called by the name of Twentieths as it is sometimes called Tunnage and Poundage wherefore it remains to say that Tythes in this place do together with the said proportion consignifie the use of it viz. the maintenance of the Clergy as also the matter or substance out of which this Maintenance is cut viz. the immediate fruit of the Land and Waters or the proceed of mens Labour Art and Stock laid out upon them It signifies also the manner of paying it viz. in spccie and not but upon special and voluntary causes in money 2. We said the matter of Tythes was the immediate fruitsof the Earth viz. of Grain as soon as 't is ready to be removed from the ground that bare it and not of Bread which is Corn thresht winnowed ground tempered with liquor and baked 3. 'T is also the second choice out of the young of multiparous Cattle taken in spccie so soon as the said Yonglings can subsist without their Dams or else a Composition in Money for the Uniparons 4. 'T is Wooll so soon as it is shorn 't is Fowl and Fish where Fowling and Fishing is rather a Trade then a meer Recreation sic de cateris 5. Moreover in great Cities Tythes are a kind of composition in Money for the labour and profit of the Artisans who work upon the materials which have paid Tythes before 6. Tythes therefore encrease within any Territory as the labour of that Country increases and labour doth or ought to increase as the people do now within four hundred years the people of England are about quadrupled as doubling every two hundred years and the proportion of the Rent of all the Lands in England is about the fourth part of the Expence of the people in it so as the other three parts is labour and stock 7. Wherefore the Tythes now should be twelve times as good as they were four hundred years ago which the rates of Benefices in the Kings books do-pretty well shew by comparing of times something of this should be abated because the proportion between the proceed of Lands and Labour do vary as the hands of Labourers vary Wherefore we shall rather say that the Tythes are but six times as good now as four hundred years ago that is that the Tythes now would pay six times as many Labourers or feed six times as many mouths as the Tythes four hundred years ago would have done 8. Now if there were not only as many Parishes then as now more Priests in every Parish and also more Religious Men who were also Priests and the Religion of those times being more operose and fuller of work than now by reason of Confessions Holy-days Offices c. more in those days than now the great work in these days being a compendious teaching of above a thousand at once without much particular Confession and Catechising or trouble about the dead it seems clear that the Clergy now is far richer than heretofore and that to be a Clergy man then was a kind of a Mortification whereas now praised by God 't is matter of splendour and magnificence unless any will say that there were golden Priests when the Chalices were wood and but wooden Priests when the Chalices were gold or that Religion best flourisheth when the Priests are most mortified as was before said