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CHAP. XIV. 



Of the Checks to Population among the Romans. 



The havoc made by war in the smaller states of 

 Italy, particularly during the first struggles of 

 the Romans for power, seems to have been still 

 greater than in Greece. Wallace, in his Disserta- 

 tion on the Numbers of Mankind, after alluding to 

 the multitudes which fell by the sword in these 

 times, observes, " On an accurate review of the 

 " history of the Italians during this period, we 

 " should wonder how such vast multitudes could 

 " be raised as were engaged in those continual 

 " wars till Italy was entirely subdued."* And 

 Livy expresses his utter astonishment that the 

 Volsci and iEqui, so often as they were conquered, 

 should have been able to bring fresh armies into 

 the field. f But these wonders will perhaps be 

 sufficiently accounted for, if we suppose, what 

 seems to be highly probable, that the constant 

 drains from wars had introduced the habit of 

 giving nearly full scope to the power of popula- 

 tion ; and that a much larger proportion of births, 

 and of healthy children were rising into manhood 

 and becoming fit to bear arms, than is usual in 

 other states not similarly circumstanced. It was, 



* Dissertation, p. 62, 8vo. 1763, Edinburgh, 

 t Lib. vi. c. xii. 



it 2 



