( 300 ) Bk. iv. 



CHAP. V. 



Of the Consequences of pursuing the opposite Mode. 



It is an evident truth that, whatever may be the 

 rate of increase in the means of subsistence, the 

 increase of population must be limited by it, at 

 least after the food has once been divided into 

 the smallest shares that will support life. All the 

 children born, beyond what would be required to 

 keep up the population to this level, must neces- 

 sarily perish, unless room be made for them by 

 the deaths of grown persons. It has appeared 

 indeed clearly in the course of this work, that in 

 all old states the marriages and births depend 

 principally upon the deaths, and that there is no 

 encouragement to early unions so powerful as a 

 great mortality. To act consistently therefore, 

 we should facilitate, instead of foolishly and vainly 

 endeavouring to impede, the operations of nature 

 in producing this mortality ; and if we dread the 

 too frequent visitation of the horrid form of famine, 

 we should sedulously encourage the other forms 

 of destruction, which we compel nature to use. 

 Instead of recommending cleanliness to the poor, 

 we should encourage contrary habits. In our 

 towns we should make the streets narrower, crowd 

 more people into the houses, and court the return 



