214 Of the Checks to Papulation in Bk. i. 



fear is entertained of entering into the married 

 state; and the parental feelings will always step 

 forwards, to prevent a recurrence to it, except 

 under the most dire necessity. Marriage with 

 the poor is besides a measure of prudence, be- 

 cause the children, particularly the sons, are 

 bound to maintain their parents.* 



The effect of these encouragements to marriage 

 among the rich, is to subdivide property, which 

 has in itself a strong tendency to promote popu- 

 lation. In China there is less inequality in the 

 fortunes than in the conditions of men. Property 

 in land has been divided into very moderate par- 

 cels, by the successive distribution of the posses- 

 sions of every father equally among his sons. It 

 rarely happens that there is but one son to enjoy 

 the whole property of his deceased parents ; and 

 from the general prevalence of early marriages, 

 this property is not often increased by collateral 

 succession.^ These causes constantly tend to 

 level wealth; and few succeed to such an accumu- 

 lation of it, as to render them independent of any 

 efforts of their own for its increase. It is a com- 

 mon remark among the Chinese, that fortunes 

 seldom continue considerable in the same family 

 beyond the third generation.^; 



The effect of the encouragements to marriage 

 on the poor is to keep the reward of labour as low 

 as possible, and consequently to press them down 



* Embassy to China, vol. ii. p. 157. 

 fid. p. 151. 

 % U. p. 152. 



