Page:Petty 1851 The Down Survey.djvu/45

 3dly. He confest himselfe gravelled as to his objecting against the performance of soe vast a worke in thirteene moneths, because he allways tooke it for a business of as many yeares.

4thly. He argues against the price, laughing att the Dr ffor offering to admeasure whole barronyes by their out lines for eight shillings per thousand, which the Dr says now is not worth eight groats, when as he made the State pay fourty shillings for the same the year before, and by saying his most exsperienced advisers affirmed it was worth twenty shillings at least; whereas indeed he durst advise with none that were able to tell him, least such should seeme better Surveyor-Generall then himselfe!

So that all his argument being grounded uppon pedantique comparisons of the mistaken number, eight shillings and twenty, without understanding that twenty shillings for barrony lines hold noe proportion to three pound for particular estates, as he calls them, nor that distinctions into the lowest denominations, proprieties, and with subdivisions, to be better worth ten pounds then that into particular estates only is worth three pounds: his pretty inferences are worth no further notice.

Lastly, he further sayth, if it be the right of the State to survey the lands only into such surrounds as whereby they may bee at a certainty what they sett out between the Commonwealth and the souldiery, and that a survey into parcells of one hundred acres hath noe other argument then this to commend it, then, for as much as the said premises are true, the proposalls made by Dr [Petty] is insignificant.

To which the Doctor answered:

1st. Let the Act of the 26th of September, 1653, be consulted, where it will appeare that it prescribes a survey noe less exact then what is propounded.

2dly. Looke backe uppon the report of the 24th September, 1654, to see what other arguments there are to recommend what the Surveyor-Generall knew not how to value. These animadversions were soe clandestinely made use of, the Doctor never seing them till above three moneths after, that they produced the following order, and the addition of Sr Charles Coot and Commissary-Generall Reynolds to the committee, in whom, by the business of Carricke, &c., Mr Worsly thought he had wrought an extraordinary interest for this purpose.