THE FIFTH ESSAY.



Concerning Holland and the rest of the United Provinces.

Since the close of this paper, it hath been objected from Holland,
that what hath been said of the number of houses and people in
London is not like to be true; for that if it were, then London
would be the two-thirds of the whole Province of Holland. To which
is answered, that London is the two-thirds of all Holland, and more,
that province having not 1,044,000 inhabitants (whereof 696,000 is
the two-thirds), nor above 800,000, as we have credibly and often
heard. For suppose Amsterdam hath--as we have elsewhere noted--
187,000, the seven next great cities at 30,000 each, one with
another, 210,000, the ten next at 15,000 each 150,000, the ten
smallest at 6,000 each 60,000--in all, the twenty-eight walled
cities and towns of Holland 607,000; in the dorps and villages
193,000, which is about one head for every four acres of land;
whereas in England there is eight acres for every head, without the
cities and market-towns.

Now, suppose London, having 116,000 families, should have seven
heads in each--the medium between MM. Auzout's and Grant's
reckonings--the total of the people would be 812,000; or if we
reckon that there dies one out of thirty-four--the medium between
thirty and thirty-seven above mentioned--the total of the people
would be thirty-four times 23,212, viz., 789,208, the medium between
which number and the above 812,000 is 800,604, somewhat exceeding