Buffon adds, “The age at which the longest life is to be expected is 7, because we may lay an equal wager, or 1 to 1, that a child of that age will live 42 years and 3 months longer. That at the age of twelve or thirteen, we have lived a fourth part of our life, because we cannot reasonably expect to live 38 or 39 years longer; that in like manner at the age of 28 or 29, we have lived one-half of our life, because we have but 28 years more to live; and lastly, that before fifty we have lived three-fourths of our life, because we can hope but for 16 or 17 years more.” Some profound moral reflections followed these estimates; and as a critic of the day “thought all serious remarks out of place in an arithmetical calculation, and that M. Buffon had better reserve them for his book on beasts,” the reader will not be troubled with their repetition. He will not, however, be displeased to read the remarks on this table, by one of the annotators of the day. “For insuring for 1 year the life of a child of three years old we ought to pay 10 per cent., for as it has by M. Buffon’s table an equal chance of living 40 years, it is 40 to 1 that it does not die in a year. In the same manner we ought to pay but 3 per cent. for insuring for 1 year the life of a lad of nineteen or twenty; but 4 per cent. for insuring for 1 year the life of a man of thirty-five; and 5 per cent. per annum for insuring for 1 year the life of a man of forty-three; after which the insurances ought to rise above 5 per cent. in proportion to the advance of a person’s age above forty-three. So that a man of seventy-seven ought to pay 25 per cent., and a man of eighty-five 33-1/2 per cent. for insuring his life for 1 year.” FOOTNOTE: [10] By Kersseboom’s table, out of 817 persons of 20 years of age, all living at the same time-- 711 will have lived to 30 years 605 ” ” 40 ” 507 ” ” 50 ” 382 ” ” 60 ” 245 ” ” 70 ” 100 ” ” 80 ” 10 ” ” 90 ” By De Parcieux’s, it appears that out of 814 persons of 20-- 734 will have lived to 30 years 657 ” ” 40 ” 581 ” ” 50 ” 463 ” ” 60 ” 310 ” ” 70 ” 118 ” ” 80 ” 11 ” ” 90 ” 1 ” ” 94 ” CHAP. VII. RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE EQUITABLE--ITS DANGERS AND ITS DIFFICULTIES--COMPARATIVE PREMIUMS.--SKETCH OF MR. MORGAN--HIS OPINIONS.--SINGULAR ATTEMPT TO DEFRAUD THE EQUITABLE--DEATH OF THE OFFENDER.--ATTEMPT OF GOVERNMENT TO ROB THE OFFICES.