Chap. VI. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 481 



to be the fa£t, that our numbers are decreafing, we (liall find out 

 the remedies that are to be applied for the cure of fo great an evil. 



And, ly?, It is evident, as I have elfewhcre faid *, that the num- 

 bers of people in a country muft depend upon three things ; the 

 Morals, the Health, and the Occupations of the people. I begin with 

 the Morals, as without good morals no people can be great, good, 

 or happy ; and, particularly, it is impoflible that they can be popu- 

 lous. Now, as to morals in England, I think, I have faid enough, 

 when I have mentioned the colonies of convicts which we fend to Bo- 

 tany Bay f ; fuch colonies as no nation in the world, except Britain, 

 ever fent out : Nor, indeed, can there be a worfe fign of the morals of 

 any people, than that the jails of the country cannot contain the crimi- 

 nals in it ; fo that if they are not executed, they muft be tranfport- 

 ed to a very diftant country, at a great expence, and there main- 

 tained at a ftill greater. We muft, therefore, I am afraid, conclude, 

 that there are, in England, more crimes than in any other country 

 we know : But which, as I have obferved elfewhere J, do not pro- 

 ceed from a bad natural difpofition of the people, (for, on the 

 contrary, I believe, as I have faid, that the people of England 

 are naturally as well difpofed a people as any in the world,) 

 but are the confequence of wealth, which neceffarily produces 

 crimes and vices, and is the root of all evil ; nor can we be- 

 lieve otherwife, if we give credit to what both our Scripture and 

 philofophy tell us, and which is confirmed by what we learn of the 

 hiftory both of antient and modern nations. No government, there- 

 fore, or laws, can alter the nature of things : So that there muft be 

 crimes, vices, and difeafes in England, unlefs the ufe of money be 

 profcribed altogether, as it was in Sparta ; to which, neverthelefs, it 

 found its way, and was, as the Oracle foretold, the ruin of the ftate. 



Vol. V. Nn I 



* Page 77. of this volume. 



■y Page Z48. of ditto. i^ Page 77. of ditto. 



