IT could not be expected that an assertion of London’s being bigger than
Paris and Rouen, or than Paris and Rome put together, and bigger than any
city of the world, should escape uncontradicted; and ’tis also expected
that I (if continuing in the same persuasion), should make some reply to
those contradictions. In order whereunto,
I begin with the ingenious author of the “_République des Lettres_,” who
saith that Rey in Persia is far bigger than London, for that in the sixth
century of Christianity (I suppose, A.D. 550 the middle of that century),
it had 15,000, or rather 44,000 mosques or Mahometan temples; to which I
reply, that I hope this objector is but in jest, for that Mahomet was not
born till about the year 570, and had no mosques till about 50 years
after.
In the next place I reply to the excellent Monsieur Auzout’s “Letters
from Rome,” who is content that London, Westminster, and Southwark may
have as many people as Paris and its suburbs; and but faintly denieth,
that all the housing within the bills may have almost as many people as
Paris and Rouen, but saith that several parishes inserted into these
bills are distant from, and not contiguous with London, and that Grant so
understood it.
To which (as his main if not his only objection) we answer:—(l) That the
London bills appear in Grant’s book to have been always, since the year
1636; as they now are; (2) That about fifty years since, three or four
parishes, formerly somewhat distant, were joined by interposed buildings
to the bulk of the city, and therefore then inserted into the bills; (3)
That since fifty years the whole buildings being more than double have
perfected that union, so as there is no house within the said bills from
which one may not call to some other house; (4) All this is confirmed by
authority of the king and city, and the custom of fifty years; (5) That
there are but three parishes under any colour of this exception which are
scarce one-fifty-second part of the whole.
Upon the whole matter, upon sight of Monsieur Auzout’s large letter,
dated the 19th of November, from Rome, I made remarks upon every
paragraph thereof, but suppressing it (because it looked like a war
against a worthy person with whom I intended none, whereas, in truth, it
was but a reconciling explication of some doubts) I have chosen the
shorter and softer way of answering Monsieur Auzout as followeth, viz.:—
Concerning the number of people in London, as also in Paris, Rouen, and
Rome, viz.:—
Monsieur Auzout allegeth an authentic account that there are 23,223
houses in Paris, wherein do live about eighty thousand families, and
therefore supposing three and a half families to live in every of the
said houses, one with another, the number of families will be 81,280; and
Monsier Auzout also allowing six heads to each family, the utmost number
of people in Paris, according to that opinion, will be 487,680.
The medium of the Paris burials was not denied by Monsier Auzout to be
19,887, nor that there died 3,506 unnecessarily out of the L’Hôtel Dieu;
wherefore deducting the said last number out of the former, the net
standard for burials at Paris will be 16,381, so, as the number of people
there, allowing but one to die out of thirty (which is more advantageous
to Paris than Monsieur Auzout’s opinion of one to die out of twenty-five)
the number of people at Paris will be 491,430 more than by Monsier
Auzout’s own last-mentioned account 491,430.
And the medium of the said two Paris accounts is 488,055.
The medium of the London burials is really 23,212, which, multiplied by
thirty (as hath been done for Paris), the number of the people there will
be 696,360.
The number of houses at London appears by the register to be 105,315,
whereunto adding one-tenth part of the same, or 10,315, as the least
number of double families that can be supposed in London, the total of
families will be 115,840, and allowing six heads for each family, as was
done for Paris, the total of the people at London will be 695,076.
The medium of the two last London accounts is 695,718.
So, as the people of Paris, according to the above 488,055.
account, is
Of Rouen, according to Monsieur Auzout’s utmost demands 80,000.
Of Rome, according to his own report thereof in a 125,000.
former letter
Total 693,055.
So as there are more people at London than at Paris, Rouen, and Rome by
2,663.
Memorandum.—That the parishes of Islington, Newington, and Hackney, for
which only there is any colour of non-contiguity, is not one-fifty-second
part of what is contained in the bills of mortality, and consequently
London, without the said three parishes, hath more people than Paris and
Rouen put together, by 114,284.
Which number of 114,284 is probably more people than any other city of
France contains.