22 HISTOEICAL 



citizens and children, when as no cities are more rich nor more 

 famous in arts and disciphne than those which abound most with 

 citizens.' ^ According to Botero ' the greatness of a citty is sayd 

 not to be the largeness of the citty or the circuit of the walls, but 

 in the multitude and the number of the inhabitants and their 

 power '.2 Machiavelli held very similar views, and Henry IV of 

 France is reported as saying that ' the strength and riches of 

 kings consist in the number and opulence of their subjects '.^ In 

 accordance with the views thus widely and strongly held, examples 

 of which might be multiplied almost to any extent, practical 

 measures were taken to encourage the increase of population. Of 

 these the best known is the law of Colbert passed in 1664. Like 

 most of such laws it was modelled on the laws of the later Roman 

 Empire. Similar laws were at one time or another in force in most 

 European countries. 



Towards the end of the seventeenth century there arose a school 

 of writers who might be classed as political economists, though the 

 term was not in use. In accordance with the mercantile theory 

 of commerce then predominant a large population was held to be 

 advantageous. The older and vaguer theory that a dense popula- 

 tion was necessary if the state was to be powerful was found to 

 coincide with the newer theories as to conditions of prosperous 

 trade. Of these authors Petty and Graunt are celebrated as 

 among the pioneers of statistics. According to the former : 

 ' fewness of people is real poverty ; and a nation in which are 

 eight millions of people are more than twice as rich as the 

 same scope of land in which are but four.' * ' Forasmuch as 

 princes ', says Graunt, ' are not only powerful but rich accord- 

 ing to the number of their people (hands being the father as 

 lands are the mother and womb of wealth) it is no wonder that 

 states by encouraging marriage and hindering licentiousness, 

 advance their own interest, as well as preserve the laws of God 

 from contempt and violation.' * Sir Charles Davenant and 

 Sir Josiah Child are two of the foremost authors of this school. 

 The former writes as follows : ' people are the real strength and 



1 Bodin, Six Books of a Commonueale, Bk. V, ch. ii, p. 575. ^ Botero, Ddle 



Cause ddla Grandezza della Cittd, p. 5. ^ Quoted by Stangeland, loc. cit., 



p. 103, from the Nouveau Dictionnaire d' Economic Politique, article ' Population '. 

 According to Vauban (La Dime Royale, p. 18) ' La grandeur des rois se mesure 

 par le nombie de leurs sujets '. * Petty, ' Treatise of Taxes and Con- 



tributions ' in Economic Writings, vol. i, p. 34. ' Graunt, National and 



Political Observations upon the Bills oj Mortality, ch. viii, section 14. 



