cried out against the builders, that the city would grow too big; and therefore, in the 38th of Queen Elizabeth, they made a law to prohibit buildings in the city of London; which, though it was but a probationary act, to continue only to the next sessions of Parliament (which was but a short time), yet its effects were long; for it frighted the builders, and obstructed the growth of the city; and none built for thirty years after, all King James his reign, without his Majesty's license; but for want of houses the increase of the people went into other parts of the world; for within this space of time were those great plantations of New England, Virginia, Maryland, and Bermudas began; and that this want of houses was the occasion is plain; for they could not build in the country, because of the law against cottages. For people may get children and so increase, that had not four acres of ground to build on.

"But the people of England at last were convinced of this popular error, and petitioned in Parliament his Majesty King Charles the martyr, that he would take his restraint from the builders; and if the next period of seven-and-twenty years be examined, wherein there was a greater liberty of building, though in this space there was a great rebellion and civil wars, which is a great allay to the growth of the people, yet there appeareth a much greater increase of the city of London;

for

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for in the years 1656 and 1657 the burials were twelve and thirteen thousand.

it

"But the flourishing condition of the city of London raised a new clamour against the builders, and Oliver the usurper, glad of any pretence to raise a tax, made use of this clamour, and laid upon the new foundations; but, though it was an heavy and unjust tax upon the builders, yet he got little by it, for the whole sum collected was but twenty thousand pounds clear of all charges, as appears by the records of the exchequer; however, it had the same ill effects to stop the builders and growth of the city; for the people, for want of houses in that time, began that great and flourishing plantation of Jamaica.

Now, if the last period since King Charles's restoration be examined, wherein the builders have had the greatest liberty, it will appear that the inhabitants of the city have increased more than in both of the former periods, for the yearly bills of mortality are now betwixt two and threeand-twenty thousands, so that the city is since increased one-third, and as much as in sixty years before,

"This is sufficient to shew, that a nation cannot increase without the metropolis be enlarged, and how dangerous a consequence it may be to obstruct its growth, and discourage the builders. It is to banish the people, and confine the nation

to

to an infant-estate, while the neighbouring nations grow to the full strength of manhood, and thereby to render it an easy conquest to its enemies.

"For the metropolis is the heart of a nation, through which the trade and commodities of it circulate, like the blood through the heart, which, by its motion, giveth life and growth to the rest of the body; and if that declines, or be obstructed in its growth, the whole body falls into consump→ tion; and it is the only symptom to know the health and thriving of a country by the enlarging of its metropolis; for the chief city of every nation in the world that flourisheth doth increase.

"And if those gentlemen that fancy the city to be the head of the nation would but fancy it like the heart, they would never be afraid of its growing too big.

"2. It is the interest of the government to encourage the builders; not only because they preserve and increase the subjects, but they provide an employ for them, by which they are fed, and get their livelihood.

"There are three great ways that the people in all governments are employed in—in providing food, clothes, and houses. Now those ways are most serviceable to the government that employ most of the people: those that are employed in feeding of them are the fewest in number; for ten men may provide food enough for a thousand

but

but to clothe and build houses for them requireth many hands. And there is that peculiar advantage that ought to be ascribed to the builder, that he provideth the place of birth for all the other arts, as well as for man. The cloth cannot be made without houses to work it in. Now, besides the vast numbers of people that are employed in digging and making the materials, the bricks, stone, iron, lead, &c. all those trades that belong to the furnishing of an house have their sole dependencies on the builders, as the upholsterers, chair-makers, &c.

"But that which is the greatest advantage, they do not only provide a livelihood to those that belong to the building and furnishing of houses, but for the tenants of those new houses: for the people being collected and living together in one street, they serve and trade one with another: for trade is nothing else but an exchange of one man's labour for another; as for instance, supposing an hundred men which lived at great distance before, some in Cornwall, others in Yorkshire, and so dispersed over all the countries in England, live together in one street; one is a baker, the other a brewer, a shoemaker, taylor, &c. and so in one trade or other the whole hundred are employed: the baker gets his living by making bread for the other ninety; and so do all the rest of them; which, while they were dispersed at distances,

were

were useless, and could not serve one another, and were ready to starve for want of a livelihood.

"3. But they get not only a livelihood but grow rich. There ariseth an emulation among them to outlive and outvie one another in arts. This forced them to be industrious, and by industry they grow rich.

"4. The increasing of buildings, and enlarging of towns, preserveth the peace of a nation, by rendering the people more easily governed. First, it is the builder's interest, of all sorts of men, to preserve peace. Every man that buildeth an house gives security to the government for his good behaviour: for war is the builder's ruin. The countryman may expect to enjoy his land again, though for a time it be laid waste; the merchant may hide his goods or remove them; but when the town is besieged, the houses are fired, the place made desolate, and nothing is left to the builder but ruins, the sad remembrance of his condition.

"Besides, all cities are more inclined to peace than the country; the citizen's estates are in trade and in goods; many of which grow useless in war, and lye in other people's hands, and their debtors run away, and take sanctuary under the sword; and citizens, being usually rich, cannot endure the hardship of war. Next, great cities are more easily governed, because they are under

the