Page:William Petty - Economic Writings (1899) vol 1.djvu/87

Rh the observations collected by Derham. Becoming interested in the subject, he sent to England for the writings of Graunt and Petty, and was thus induced to publish his book partly because the observations already made were known to very few people, partly because the lists which he had collected in Germany enabled him to go further in some respects than Graunt and Petty had done. But to Graunt, as he acknowledges, the first and most distinguished praise belongs. Graunt first sought to utilize the bills for the discovery of the new truths. Parish registers had been kept for centuries, but who before Graunt used them to lay bare "Die göttliche Ordnung?" The discovery was as possible as that of America, all that was wanting was a Columbus who should go further than others in his survey of old and well known truths and reports. That Columbus was Graunt.

The influence of Süssmilch upon Malthus has never been traced. The first suggestion of the "Essay on the Principle of Population" owes nothing to "Die göttliche Ordnung," but in every edition after the first Süssmilch is cited between forty and fifty times. It was doubtless to one of the later editions that the author of "The Origin of Species" acknowledges his indebtedness for what is perhaps the central idea of his work.

"The Observations upon the London Bills of Mortality," wrote Petty at the outset of the statistical work which first engaged his own attention, "have been a new Light to the World; and the like Observation upon those of Dublin may serve as Snuffers to make the same candle burn clearer." It is improbable that even Petty, in spite of the openness of his mind and the vigour of his imagination, appreciated to the full the significance of Graunt's discoveries; but it may perhaps be noted that he wrote of another great work of his day, "Poor Mr Newton... I have not met with one man that putt an extraordinary value on his book. I would give 500l. to have been the author of it; and 200l. that Charles understood it ."