11. For increasing the people by generation.

12. For preventing the mischiefs of plagues and contagious. And
withal, which of the said two states is most practicable and
natural, for in these and the like particulars do lie the tests and
touchstones of all proposals that can be made for the public good.

First, as to practicable, we say, that although our said extravagant
proposals are both in nature possible, yet it is not obvious to
every man to conceive how London, now seven times bigger than in the
beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign, should be seven times bigger
than now it is, and forty-nine times bigger than A.D. 1560. To
which I say, 1. That the present city of London stands upon less
than 2,500 acres of ground, wherefore a city seven times as large
may stand upon 10,500 acres, which is about equivalent to a circle
of four miles and a half in diameter, and less than fifteen miles in
circumference. 2. That a circle of ground of thirty-five miles
semidiameter will bear corn, garden-stuff, fruits, hay, and timber,
for the 4,690,000 inhabitants of the said city and circle, so as
nothing of that kind need be brought from above thirty-five miles
distance from the said city; for the number of acres within the said
circle, reckoning two acres sufficient to furnish bread and drink-
corn for every head, and two acres will furnish hay for every
necessary horse; and that the trees which may grow in the hedgerows
of the fields within the said circle may furnish timber for 600,000
houses. 3. That all live cattle and great animals can bring
themselves to the said city; and that fish can be brought from the
Land's End and Berwick as easily as now. 4. Of coals there is no
doubt: and for water, 20s. per family (or 600,000 pounds per annum
in the whole) will serve this city, especially with the help of the