Vlll PREFACE TO THE 



former, as to suppose the action of another 

 check to population which does not come 

 under the head either of vice or misery; and, 

 in the latter part I have endeavoured to soften 

 some of the harshest conclusions of the first 

 Essay. In doing this, I hope that I have not 

 violated the principles of just reasoning; nor 

 expressed any opinion respecting the probable 

 improvement of society, in which I am not 

 borne out by the experience of the past. To 

 those who still think that any check to popu- 

 lation whatever would be worse than the evils 

 which it would relieve, the conclusions of the 

 former Essay will remain in full force; and if 

 we adopt this opinion we shall be compelled 

 to acknowledge, that the poverty and misery 

 which prevail among the lower classes of so- 

 ciety are absolutely irremediable. 



I have taken as much pains as I could to 

 avoid any errors in the facts and calculations 

 which have been produced in the course of 

 the work. Should any of them nevertheless 

 turn out to be false, the reader will see that 

 they will not materially affect the general 

 scope of the reasoning. 



From the crowd of materials which pre- 

 sented themselves, in illustration of the first 



