Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/65

 with perfect plots of each townland thereon, with the necessary sub-divisions and books of reference, corresponding to the reports of the Civil Survey, when complete, into the office of the Surveyor-General.

By separate articles he engaged to map and project, in addition to the maps of the forfeited estates, the bounds of all baronies and townlands within the before-mentioned counties, whether forfeited or not, so that in each province perfect and exact maps might be had, for public use, of each province, county, and barony, and for this work he was to receive a payment, the amount of which at the moment does not seem to have been specifically stated.

As to the survey and admeasurement of the adventurers' lands, nothing for the moment was determined.

It will thus be seen that he undertook two things which had no necessary connection with each other, viz. a survey and admeasurement with maps on a large scale of the forfeited lands; and also the preparation of a general county and barony map of the whole of Ireland, for public use and convenience.

The Act expressly provided that no surveyor or other officer employed in the execution of this survey, during the time of his employment, should be allowed to become a purchaser of land, unless with the consent of the Parliamentary Commissioners appointed under the Act. It was further expressly provided that it should be open to Parliament to pay the surveyors with land, if it were found more convenient than to pay in money: a possibility more than likely to be realised in the embarrassed condition of the finances of the Commonwealth.

The war was over. The division of the spoils was about to commence. 'As for the blood shed in those contests,' Dr. Petty afterwards wrote, 'God best knows who did occasion it; but upon the playing of the game or match the English won, and had amongst other pretences a gamester's right at least to their estates.' He had not himself been concerned in the