Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/292



'London, 22 August, 1685. 'Sr—I received the Favour of your Letter dated the 17th Instant, being just returned from Epsom, where haveing been with my Wife and Family about 12 days to take the Ayre and the water, just as wee were comeing away, wee had such an overturn of the Coach, as hurt several of us more or lesse, but my wife so terribly, that wee doubted of her life, the two or three first days, but have this day at the month's end brought her home past all fear of Life or Limb as wee think.

'I have carefully perused your letter, and do heartily thank you for prefering mee in your thoughts to the purchase of Tobago, and do believe it to be such an Elysium as you Fancy; but the designe is as forraigne and incongruous to my circumstances as any thing can bee, for I am above 60 years old, and am under some extraordinary thoughts concerning our affairs in Ireland, nor am I willing to be a Leader of Malecontents; neverthelesse if there were two or three such Partners as I did like and could trust, I might (things standing well at home) venture £500 upon such a Designe; for my opinion is upon what I have observed from the Accounts of the People, that not above half the Women are maryed, and that if the Government pleased there might bee such a multiplication of mankind, as in 1500 years would sufficiently plant every habitable acre in the world.

'As to the measures of all sorts, it is a shame that they are not reduced to One, not onely over all our Kings Dominions but over the whole world also. But the difference thereof is a kind of mental reservation to the advantage of one party in the bargain. I wish you would, besides the Account of Sheep and the quantity of Ground they feed on, (which is a laudable designe), bring me an Account of the People of two or three Parishes, according to the directions I printed when I was last in England.

'I long for the Terme because you promise to be hear then,