TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. The original text used the long-form s; this has been replaced by the normal s in the etext. The original text printed ‘ct’ as a ligature, and is displayed simply as ‘ct’ character pair in the etext. Fractions are displayed as a./b., for example 3./4., similar to the format of the original text. Whole numbers are always terminated with a period, as in the original text, for example ‘about 1800. is the number of ... ’. The pound currency sign in the text is l, which looks very similar to the number 1, and the five occurrences have been italicized in the etext. For example one hundred pounds is shown as 100_l._, instead of 100l. A superscript is denoted by ^{}, for example 1./5.^{th.}. All changes listed in the Errata at the back of the book have been applied to the etext. Some other minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book. A TREATISE OF Taxes & Contributions. Shewing the Nature and Measures of { Crown-Lands. } { Assessements. } { Customs. } { Poll-Moneys. } { Lotteries. } { Benevolence. } { Penalties. } { Monopolies. } { Offices. } { Tythes. } { Raising of Coins. } { Harth-Money. } { Excize, &c. } With several intersperst Discourses and Digressions concerning { Warres. } { The Church. } { Universities. } { Rents & Purchases. } { Usury & Exchange. } { Banks & Lombards. } { Registries for Conveyances. } { Beggars. } { Ensurance. } { Exportation of { Money. } { { Wool. } { Free-Ports. } { Coins. } { Housing. } { Liberty of Conscience, &c. } _The same being frequently applied to the present State and Affairs of_ IRELAND. _London_, Printed for _N. Brooke_, at the Angel in _Cornhill_. 1662. [Illustration: (decorative header)] _The Preface._ Young and vain persons, though perhaps they marry not primarily and onely on purpose to get Children, much less to get such as may be fit for some one particular vocation; yet having Children, they dispose of them as well as they can according to their respective inclinations: Even so, although I wrote these sheets but to rid my head of so many troublesome conceits, and not to apply them to the use of any one particular People or Concernment; yet now they are born, and that their Birth happened to be about the time of the _Duke of Ormond’s_ going Lord Lieutenant into _Ireland_, I thought they might be as proper for the consideration of that place, as of any other, though perhaps of effect little enough in any.