4 Statement of the Subject. Ratios of Bk. i. 



it, a strong check on population, from the difficulty 

 of acquiring food, must be constantly in operation. 

 This difficulty must fall somewhere, and must 

 necessarily be severely felt in some or other of the 

 various forms of misery, or the fear of misery, by 

 a large portion of mankind. 



That population has this constant tendency to 

 increase beyond the means of subsistence, and that 

 it is kept to its necessary level by these causes, 

 will sufficiently appear from a review of the dif- 

 ferent states of society in which man has existed. 

 But, before we proceed to this review, the subject 

 will, perhaps, be seen in a clearer light, if we 

 endeavour to ascertain what would be the natural 

 increase of population, if left to exert itself with 

 perfect freedom ; and what might be expected to 

 be the rate of increase in the productions of the 

 earth, under the most favourable circumstances of 

 human industry. 



It will be allowed that no country has hitherto 

 been known, where the manners were so pure and 

 simple, and the means of subsistence so abundant, 

 that no check whatever has existed to early mar- 

 riages from the difficulty of providing for a family, 

 and that no waste of the human species has been 

 occasioned by vicious customs, by towns, by un- 

 healthy occupations, or too severe labour. Con- 

 sequently in no state that we have yet known, 

 has the power of population been left to exert 

 itself with perfect freedom. 



Whether the law of marriage be instituted, or 

 not, the dictate of nature and virtue seems to be 



