364 Of the Checks to Population Bk. ii. 



exactly this calculation was made; but as the 

 author uses the expression en terns ordinaire, it is 

 probable that he refers to the period before the 

 revolution. Let us suppose, then, that this num- 

 ber of 1,451,063 expresses the collective body of 

 unmarried males of a military age at the com- 

 mencement of the revolution. 



The population of France before the beginning 

 of the war was estimated by the Constituent As- 

 sembly at 26,363,074;* and there is no reason to 

 believe that this calculation was too high. Necker, 

 though he mentions the number of 24,800,000, ex- 

 presses his firm belief that the yearly births at 

 that time amounted to above a million, and con- 

 sequently, according to his multiplier of 25-| , the 

 whole population was nearly 26 millions;-}- and 

 this calculation was made ten years previous to 

 the estimate of the Constituent Assembly. 



Taking then the annual births at rather above 

 a million, and estimating that rather above f- 

 would die under 18, which appears to be the case 

 from some calculations of M. Peuchet,;}: it will 

 follow, that above 600,000 persons will annually 

 arrive at the age of 18. 



The annual marriages, according to Necker, are 

 213,774 ;§ but as this number is an average of 



* A. Young's Travels in France, vol. i. c. xvii. p. 466, 4to. 1 792. 

 f De l'Administration des Finances, torn. i. c. ix. p. 256, 12mo. 

 1785. 



X Essai, p. 31. 



§ De 1' Administration des Finances, torn. i. c. ix. p. 255. 



