Page:William Petty - Economic Writings (1899) vol 1.djvu/103



The Treatise of Taxes and Contributions is the earliest of Petty's economic writings. Since it mentions Graunt's Observations, published in January, 1662, as "lately made," and inasmuch as Petty was in Ireland before the end of October, the Treatise was probably composed in the early months of 1662. About this time Petty, relieved from his political anxieties, returned with vigour to his scientific pursuits. He experimented with the Double Bottom, and wrote, in addition to the Treatise, his Discourse concerning the Making of Cloth, his Apparatus to the History of Dying, and a paper on shipping.

The precise date of the publication of the Treatise is not known. If we take the phrase "a parliament most affectionate to his [Ormond's] person" as an allusion to the gift of £30,000 voted to Ormond by the Irish House of Commons 4 March, 1662 and acknowledged by him in a letter from Whitehall 19 April, we may well believe White Kennett's assertion that the Treatise first appeared in May, 1662. If, on the other hand, we note Petty's statement that its birth "happened to be about the time of the Duke of Ormond's going Lord Lieutenant into Ireland," we shall place the publication nearly two months later. It appears, however, that Ormond's departure, postponed by the King's marriage until the beginning of July, was originally planned to take place in April.