make up, one time with another, at least one-third of our bills of
mortality, and our assurances lie upon none but the middling age of
the people, which is the only age wherein life is anything steady;
and if that be allowed, there cannot die by his computation above
one in eighty of such people every year; but because I would be sure
to leave room for casualty, I will allow one in fifty shall die out
of our number subscribed.

Secondly, it must be allowed that our payments falling due only on
the death of husbands, this one in fifty must not be reckoned upon
the two thousand, for it is to be supposed at least as many women
shall die as men, and then there is nothing to pay; so that one in
fifty upon one thousand is the most that I can suppose shall claim
the contribution in a year, which is twenty claims a year at 5s.
each, and is 5 pounds per annum. And if a woman pays this for
twenty years, and claims at last, she is gainer enough, and no
extraordinary loser if she never claims at all. And I verily
believe any office might undertake to demand at all adventures not
above 6 pounds per annum, and secure the subscriber 500 pounds in
case she come to claim as a widow.

I forbear being more particular on this thought, having occasion to
be larger in other prints, the experiment being resolved upon by
some friends who are pleased to think this too useful a project not
to be put in execution, and therefore I refer the reader to the
public practice of it.

I have named these two cases as special experiments of what might be
done by assurances in way of friendly society; and I believe I
might, without arrogance, affirm that the same thought might be