Ch. xiv. among the Romans. 257 



war is the most prominent and striking feature ; 

 and after this may be ranked famines and violent 

 diseases. In most of the countries considered, 

 the population seems to have been seldom mea- 

 sured accurately according to the average and 

 permanent means of subsistence, but generally to 

 have vibrated between the two extremes; and 

 consequently the oscillations between want and 

 plenty are strongly marked, as we should natu- 

 rally expect among less civilized nations. 



VOL. I 



