Ch. viii. in England. 423 



sert in a subsequent chapter ; where, in the year 

 following to the loss of one third of the popu- 

 lation, the births were considerably increased, 

 and in an average of five years but very little 

 diminished ; and this at a time when, of course, 

 the country could have made but a very small 

 progress towards recovering its former popula- 

 tion. 



We do not know indeed of any extraordinary 

 mortality which has occurred in England since 

 1700; and there are reasons for supposing that 

 the proportions of the births and deaths to the 

 population during the last century have not 

 experienced such great variations as in many 

 countries on the continent; at the same time it 

 is certain that the sickly seasons which are known 

 to have occurred, would, in proportion to the 

 degree of their fatality, produce similar effects ; 

 and the change which has been observed in the 

 mortality of late years, should dispose us to be- 

 lieve, that similar changes might formerly have 

 taken place respecting the births, and should in- 

 struct us to be extremely cautious in applying 

 the proportions, which are observed to be true at 

 present, to past or future periods. 



