in Ancient and Modern Times, ^ 



known, the subject occupied, in a very slight degree, the at- 

 tention either of their legislators or philosophers. Though li- 

 terature, as well as all the liberal and elegant arts were then 

 advanced to their point of highest perfection, the exacter sci- 

 ences were, with a few exceptions, very loosely and imperfectly 

 cultivated. It is true, a census of the citizens of ancient Rome 

 was periodically taken and regularly published ; but as this was 

 done chiefly for military purposes, it affords no sufficient data for 

 estimating the entire population of the country. The facts and 

 circumstances which have been enumerated, are, however, for 

 the most part, sufficiently conclusive ; and they are, in general, 

 such alone as we can ever hope to obtain in our reasonings on 

 this important subject. That Ireland, for example, is a more 

 populous country than Livonia, is a point ascertained by un- 

 questionable indications, though the inhabitants of these two 

 nations have never yet been accurately numbered. On such 

 subjects we have only to rest contented with the best evidence 

 which can be afforded by the nature of the case. 



From the evidence then, such as it is, which has just been 

 produced, I think it is sufficiently manifest, that two, at least, 

 of the three great quarters of the ancient world, have been ma- 

 terially depopulated since the Christian era. Without assenting 

 to the extravagant speculations of Vossius, Montesquieu, and 

 other writers of very grave authority, who have been visibly 

 misled by their predilection for ancient times, a great decrease 

 in the numbers of the human species is but too apparent* 

 That vast portion of the globe, which is furnished with the 

 most abundant resources for the enjoyment and propagation 

 of life, where nature annually pours forth, in profusion, her 

 double and three-fold harvests, and where myriads might be 

 maintained with the toil of a few, — that richest and fairest 

 part of the earth is now a comparative desert. In the whole 

 of that immense tract which stretches from the Straits of Gib- 

 raltar, through Northern Africa to the Indus, the great seat of 

 ancient civilization, commerce, and population, there is scarcely 

 a single city of the first order ; not a single province which is 

 fully inhabited ; not one district which is perfectly cultivated. 

 The subjects of the Roman empire are estimated by M. Gib- 

 bon, on a very loose calculation, it must be admitted, at 120 



H2 



