Ch. xiii. aff'tctH the Condition of the Poor. 227 



obtained, which are not strictly necessary to him, 

 and will therefore often prefer the luxury of idle- 

 ness to the luxury of improved lodging and 

 clothing. This is said by Humboldt to be parti- 

 cularly the case in some parts of South America, 

 and to a certain extent prevails in Ireland, India, 

 and all countries where food is plentiful compared 

 with capital and manufactured commodities. On 

 the other hand, if the main part of the labourer" s 

 time be occupied in procuring food, habits of indus- 

 try are necessarily generated, and the remaining 

 time, which is but inconsiderable compared with 

 the commodities it will purchase, is seldom grudged. 

 It is under these circumstances, particularly when 

 combined with a good government, that the labour- 

 ing classes of society are most likely to acquire a 

 decided taste for the conveniences and comforts 

 of life ; and this taste may be such as even to 

 prevent, after a certain period, a further fall in 

 the corn price of labour. But if the corn price of 

 labour continues tolerably high while the relative 

 value of commodities compared with corn falls 

 very considerably, the labourer is placed in a 

 most favourable situation. Owing to his decided 

 taste for conveniences and comforts, the good 

 corn wages of labour will not generally lead to 

 early marriages ; yet in individual cases, where 

 large families occur, there will be the means of 

 supporting them independently, by the sacrifice 

 of the accustomed conveniences and comforts; 

 and thus the poorest of the lower classes will 

 rarely be stinted in food, while the great mass of 



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