£94 
ed. Provisions and assistance would spon- 
taneously flow from the quarter in which 
they abounded, to the quarter in which they 
were deficient.* And every man, according 
to his capacity, would be ready to furnish 
instruction to the rising generation. 
«<{ cannot conceive a form of society $0 
favourable, upon the whole, to popylation. 
The irremediableness of marriage, as it is at 
present constituted, undoubtedly deters many 
from entering into this state. An unshack- 
led intercourse, on the contrary, would be a 
most powerful incitement to early attach- 
ments : and as we are supposing no anxiety 
about the future support of children to ex- 
ist, I do not conceive there would be one 
woman in a hundred, of twenty-three years 
~ of age, wighout a family. 
«* With these extraordinary encourage- 
ments to population, and every cause of de- 
population, as we have supposed, removed, 
the numbers would necessarily increase faster 
than in any society that has ever yet been 
5 , J 
known. J have before mentioned, that the 
inhabitants of the back settlements of Ame- 
rica appear to double their numbers in fifteen 
years. England is certainly a more healthy 
country than the back settlements of Ame- 
rica; and as we have supposed every house 
in the island to be airy A wholesome, an‘l 
the encouragements to have a family, greater 
even than in America, no probable reason 
can be assigned, why the population should 
not double itself, in les, if possible, than 
fifleen years. But to be quite sure that we 
do not go beyond the truth, we will only 
suppose the period of doubling to be twenty- 
five years ; a ratio of increase which is well 
known to have taken place throughout all 
the northern states of America. 
«There can be little doubt. that the equa- 
lization of property which we have supposed, 
added to the circumstance of the labour of 
the whole community being directed chiefly 
to agriculture, would rend greatly to aug- 
ment the produce of the country. But to 
answer the demands of a population increas- 
ing so rapidly, Mr. Godwin’s calculation of 
half an hour a day would certainly not be 
sutlicient. It is probable, that the half of 
every man’s time must be employed for this 
purpose. Yet with such, or much greater 
exertions, 4 person who is acquainted with 
» the nature of the soil in this country, and 
who reflects on tlie fertility of the lands al- 
ready in cultivation, and the barrenness of 
those that are not cultivated, will be very 
much disposed to dgubt, whether the whole 
average produce could possibly be doubled 
in twenty-five years from the present period. 
The only chance ef success would be from 
the ploughing up most of the grazing coun- 
tries, and putting an end almost entirely to 
animal food. Yet this scheme would pro- 
bably defeatitself. The soil of England will 
not produce much without dressing ; and 
HISTORY, POLITICS, AND STATISTICS. 
cattle seem to be necessary to make that 
species of manure which best suits the land. 
«« Difficult, however, as it might be, to 
double the average produce of the island in 
twenty-five years, let us suppose it effected. 
At the expiration.of the first period, there- 
fore, the Pod, though almost entirely vege- 
table, would be sufficient to support in 
health the doubled population of 22 millions. 
«« During the next period, where will the 
food be found to satisfy the importunate de- 
mands of the increasing numbers? Where 
is the fresh Jand to turn up? Where is the 
dressing necessary to improve that which is 
already in cultivation? ‘There is no person 
with the smallest knowledge of land, but 
would say, that it was impossible that the 
average produce of the country could be in- 
creased during the second twenty-five years, 
by a quantity equal to what it at present 
rields. Yet we will suppose this increase, 
fraweves improbable, to take place. The ex- 
uberant strength of the argument allows of 
almost any concession. Even with this con- 
cession, however, there would be eleven mil- 
lions at the expiration of the second term 
unprovided for. A quantity equal to the 
frugal support of 33 millicns would be to be 
divided among 44 millions. 
“ Alas! what becomes of the picture, 
where men lived in the midst of plenty, 
where no man was obliged to provide with 
anxiety and pain for hisresiless wants; where | 
the narrow principles of selfishness did not 
exist ; where the mind was delivered from 
her perpetual anxiety about copa sup- 
port, and free to expatiate in the field of 
thought which is congenial to her. ‘This 
beautiful fabrick of the imagination vanishes 
at the severe touch of truth, The spirit of 
benevolence, cherished and invigorated b 
plenty, is repressed by the chilling breath of 
want. The hateful passions that had vanish- 
ed reappear. The mighty law of self-preser- 
vation expels all the softer, and more exalted 
emotions of the soul. The temptations to 
evil are too streng for human nature to resist. 
The corn is plucked before it is ripe, or se-. 
creted in unfair proportions; and the whole 
black train of vices that belong to falsehood 
are immediately generated. Provisions no 
longer flow in for the support of a mother 
with a large family. The ides are sickly 
from insufficient food. The rosy flush of 
health gives place to the pallid cheek, and 
hollow eye of misery. Benevolence, yet lin- 
gering in a few bosoms, makes some faint 
expiring strugeles, till at length self-love re- 
sumes his wonted empire, and lords it tri- 
umphant over the world. 
«« No human institutions here existed, to 
the perverseness of which Mr. Godwin as- 
cribes the original sin of the worst men.> 
No opposition had been produced by them 
between publick and private good. No mo- | 
nopoly had been created of those advantages 
* Polit cal Justice, b. viii. c. viii. p. 504. - + Ib. c. lil. p. 340. 
