APPENDIX. 453 



increase of population is a miracle, and does not arise from 

 llie greater facility of obtaining the means of subsistence.* 

 In fact, wl'.atever we may say in our declamations on this 

 subject, almost the whole of our conduct is founded on the 

 non-existence of this right. If the poor had really a claim 

 of right to support, 1 do not think that any man could 

 justify his wearmg broad cloth, or eating as much meat as 

 he likes for dinner; and those who assert this right, and yet 

 are rolling in their carriages, living every day luxuriously, 

 and keeping even their horses on food of which their fellow- 

 creatures are in want, must be allowed to act with the 

 greatest inconsistency. Taking an individual instance with- 

 out reference to consequences, it appears to me that Mr. 

 Godwin's argument is irresistible. Can it be pretended for 

 a moment that a part of the mutton which I expect to eat 

 to-day would not be much more beneficially employed on 

 some hard-working labourer, who has not perhaps tasted 

 animal food for the last week, or on some poor family, who 

 cannot command sufficient food of any kind fully to satisfy 

 the cravings of hunger? If these instances were not of a 

 nature to multiply in proportion as such wants were indis- 

 criminately gratified, the gratification of them, as it would 

 be practicable, would be highly beneficial ; and in this case 

 . I should not have the smallest hesitation in most fully 

 allowing the right. But as it appears clearly, both from 

 theory and experience, that, if the claim were allowed, it 

 would soon increase beyond the possibility of satisfyino- it; 

 and that the practical attempt to do so would involve the 

 human race in the most wretched and universal poverty; it 

 follows necessarily that our conduct, which denies the 

 right, is more suited to the present state of our being, than 

 our declamations which allow it. 



The great Author of nature, indeed, with that wisdom 



• It lias been said, tlrat 1 have writtt-n a quarto volume to prove, that popii- 

 latioii increases ill a geoiiiclrical, unci food ill ail arithiiutical ratio ; but lliis is 

 not quite true. The first of these proposiiioiis I considered as proved the nio- 

 ment the American increase was related, and the second proposition as soon .ns 

 it was enunciated. The chief object of my worli was to inquirewli.it elVects 

 these laws, which 1 considered as established in the first six pages, had pro- 

 duced, and were likely to produce, on society ; a subject not very readily 

 exhausted. The principal fault of my details is, that they are not sufficiently 

 particular; but this was a fault whicli it was not in my power to remedy. It 

 would be a most curious, and, to every philosophical mind, n most interesting, 

 piece of information, to know the exact share of the full power of increase which 

 each existing check prevents ; but at present I see nu mode of obtaining such 

 iul'onuulion. 



