25000 Geometrical Paces, or Two Miles and an half; yet upon a Medium, he saith, LONDON is Seven Miles long, and One Mile and a quarter broad; which make an Area of near Nine square Miles.

For the Bigness of it, it was computed divers Years ago, to be Seven times bigger than it was in the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign. The present City stands upon somewhat less than 2500 Acres of Ground; which is about equivalent to a Circle of Four Miles and a half Diameter; and less than Fifteen Miles in Circumference.

The Populousness, and withal the Wealth of it, may be reckoned from the Tax Anno 1702. 1. Regin. Annæ. Which Tax amounted to 1979931l. And the Quota of the said Tax set upon London and Westminster, was 198843l. And besides, upon Middlesex, where those Cities stand, 108912l. In all 3077551. Which was near the Fourth Part of the whole Tax upon the whole Kingdom; which shews the vast Importance of the City to the whole Nation.

In the Case of the late Quo Warranto, the Number of the Citizens and Freemen of London, is said to be 50000 Persons, and more. But the Number of the Inhabitants of the whole City and Suburbs must be much more.

How populous the City was formerly, I shall mention here the Conjectures of some. James Howel, Esq; (who writ an History of London above Threescore and Ten Years ago) saith, that in the Year 1636. King Charles I. sent to the Lord Mayor to make a Scrutiny, what Number of Papists and Strangers were in the City, Sir Edward Bromfield, then Mayor, took occasion hence to make a Cense or Computation of the People; who were, of Men, Women and Children, found to be 700000, that lived within the Bars of the Jurisdiction alone. And it was judged, he said, by all probable Supputation, that LONDON had more by a Third Part, when he set forth his Book, which was little above Twenty Years after. The City of Westminster, and all the Suburbs without the Mayor's Jurisdiction, and the contiguous Buildings contained by all likely Conjectures, at least as many more. So that taking all together, the Number of human Souls, he reckoned, might amount to above One Million and an Half.

This Computation, saith another later Writer concerning the State of the City, was deliver'd Four and Twenty Years ago; and it is certain the Number is vastly encreased since; as might appear by the great Addition of Buildings. And it was then above 24 Years since this last Writer: [He means Howel] How then, as he concludes, the Number of Souls in London at this present, [viz. 1681.] are increased, may be further considered.

Furthermore, as to the Quantity of People contained in London, and the continual Increase and Growth thereof, Sir William Petty, Kt. a Member of the Royal Society, above Thirty or Forty Years ago, made several ingenious Calculations from the Bills of Mortality, viz.

That there were Anno 1682. 84000 Tenanted Houses; which, at Eight Persons in each, make 672000 Persons. But he fixed it to a round Number, that there were about 670000 Souls in London.

By London, he meant the Housing within the Walls, with the Liberties thereof; Westminster, and the Borough of Southwark; and so much of the built Ground in Middlesex and Surrey, whose Houses were contiguous unto, or within Call of those before-mentioned.

That this City doubleth the Number of its Inhabitants in Forty Years.

That according to this Doubling, the People of London will be Anno 1840, 10718880 in Number. And,

That the Inhabitants of all England will be but inconsiderably more, viz. 10917389 in Number Wherefore,

That it is certain, that the Growth of the City must stop before the said Year 1840; and will be at its utmost Height in the next preceding Period, Anno 1800. And

That then, viz. 1800. the Number of the People of the City, will be Eight times its present Number, that is to say, 5 Millions, 359 Thousand.

That London is Seven times bigger than in the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign, viz. Anno 1560.

So that by this Calculation, the Inhabitants of London, Anno 1702, being half doubled, since the Year, 1682, must have been One Million, Fifty Thousand in Number. He offered this Table to judge of the Increase of the Number of Souls in London from time to time, at a Medium of two Years indifferently taken.

Wherein observe, that the Number C is double to A, and 806 over. That D is double to B within 1906. And C and D is double to A B, within 293. That E is double to C within 3341, and C, and D, and E, are double to A, and B, and C, within 1736; and that E is above Quadruple to A; all which Differences, every way considered, do allow the Doubling of the People of London in Forty Years.

By the Computations of the Burials and Christenings in this City, one may be enabled to compare the Bigness and Populousness of it with other great Cities in the World. As for Example, in the Year, 1707, the Christenings in the Imperial City Vienna amounted to 3963, and the Burials to 4354; whereas the Burials in London, the same Year were 21600, and the Christenings 16066.

Yet further, to set forth the surpassing Eminency of this City, on account of the vast Numbers of People it consists of; the fore-cited ingenious Author, makes a comparison under divers Heads between it and Paris, now one of the most nourishing Cities in Europe. And to exceed it in all these Particulars following: I. In the Wealth and great Estates of the Inhabitants, the Number of their Servants, and Greatness of their Equipage. II. In the Wholesomeness of the Air. III. In the cleanly, and more convenient way of Living. IV. In the Preference of the River Thames to that of Seine, both in Pleasantness and Navigableness; and in the Wholesomeness of its Waters, and the great Bridge of London, built over it. V. In the Shipping and Foreign Trade; London therein incomparably exceeding both Paris and Roan. VI. In the Cheapness of all the most necessary Sorts of Food, and the great Variety and Plenty of all Sorts of Drink. VII. In the Cheapness likewise and goodness of Fewel, and Conveniency of Stowage. VIII. In the Magnificence of the Churches; none at Paris being so great as St. Pauls hath been, and now is. None so beautiful as K. Henry the Seventh's Chapel. IX. In the Courts of Inns, and Charcery, and the Lawyers Chambers. And lastly, in the Hospitals, so many, and so richly endowed: And for the Relief of Multitudes of miserable and distressed People of all Sorts.

And to add no more, the Account of the Burials in the Year, viz. from December 1716, to De-