Ch. xiv. among the Romans. 249 



wars do not depopulate much while industry con- 

 tinues in vigour; and that peace will not increase 

 the number of people when they cannot find the 

 means of subsistence. The renewal of the laws 

 relating to marriage under Trajan, indicates the 

 continued prevalence of vicious habits and of a lan- 

 guishing industry, and seems to be inconsistent 

 with the supposition of a great increase of popu- 

 lation. 



It might be said perhaps that the vast profu- 

 sion of slaves would more than make np for the 

 want of Roman citizens ; but it appears that the 

 labour of these slaves was not sufficiently directed 

 to agriculture to support a very great population. 

 Whatever might be the case with some of the pro- 

 vinces, the decay of agriculture in Italy seems to 

 be generally acknowledged. The pernicious cus- 

 tom of importing great quantities of corn to dis- 

 tribute gratuitously among the people had given 

 it a blow, which it never afterwards recovered. 

 Hume observes that " when the Roman authors 

 " complain that Italy, which formerly exported 

 " corn, became dependent on all the provinces 

 " for its daily bread, they never ascribed this 

 " alteration to the increase of its inhabitants, but 

 " to the neglect of tillage and agriculture. v * And 

 in another place he says, " All ancient authors tell 

 " us that there was a perpetual influx of slaves to 

 " Italy from the remoter provinces, particularly 

 " Syria, Cilicia, Cappadocia, and the lesser Asia, 



* Essay xi. p. 504. 



