h. xiv. respecting fat lire Improvements. 433 



centuries, produced a change of the same kind. 

 And in this country, it is not to be doubted that 

 the proportion of marriages has become smaller 

 since the improvement of our towns, the less 

 frequent returns of epidemics, and the adoption 

 of habits of greater cleanliness. During the late 

 scarcities it appears that the number of marriages 

 diminished ;* and the same motives which pre- 

 vented many people from marrying during such 

 a period, would operate precisely in the same 

 way, if, in future, the additional number of child- 

 ren reared to manhood from the introduction of 

 the cow-pox, were to be such as to crowd all 

 employments, lower the price of labour, and make 

 it more difficult to support a family. 



Universally, the practice of mankind on the 

 subject of marriage has been much superior to 

 their theories; and however frequent may have 

 been the declamations on the duty of entering 

 into this state, and the advantage of early unions 

 to prevent vice, each individual has practically 

 found it necessary to consider of the means of 

 supporting a family, before he ventured to take 

 so important a step. That great vis medicatria: 

 reipublica, the desire of bettering our condition, 

 and the fear of making it worse, has been con- 

 stantly in action, and has been constantly direct- 

 ing people into the right road, in spite of all the 

 declamations which tended to lead them aside. 

 Owing to this powerful spring of health in every 



» * 1800 and 1801. 



V0J-. II. F I' 



