Ch.iii. Of Systems of Equality, continued. 41 



A theory professed to be founded on such experi- 

 ence is, no doubt, worthy of much more consi- 

 deration than one formed in a closet. 



The claims to attention possessed by the author 

 of the new doctrines relating to land are certainly 

 very slender ; and the doctrines themselves indi- 

 cate a very great degree of ignorance ; but the 

 errors of the labouring classes of society are al- 

 ways entitled to great indulgence and considera- 

 tion. They are the natural and pardonable re- 

 sult of their liability to be deceived by first ap- 

 pearances, and by the arts of designing men, owing 

 to the nature of their situation, and the scanty 

 knowledge which in general falls to their share. 

 And, except in extreme cases, it must always be 

 the wish of those who are better informed, that 

 they should be brought to a sense of the truth, 

 rather by patience and the gradual diffusion of 

 education and knowledge, than by any harsher 

 methods. 



After what I have already said on systems of 

 equality in the preceding chapters, I shall not 

 think it necessary to enter into a long and elabo- 

 rate refutation of these doctrines. I merely mean 

 to give an additional reason for leaving on record 

 an answer to systems of equality, founded on the 

 principle of population, together with a concise 

 restatement of this answer for practical applica- 

 tion. 



Of the two decisive arguments against such 

 systems, one is, the unsuitableness of a state of 

 equality, both according to experience and theory, 



