[ 327 ] 
that is, near 5 8 annually. And if no allowance be made 
for illegitimate births (which, I helieve, in this parifh 
are not numerous, andean no where be fuppofed to equal 
one fourth of all that are born), each marriage has pro- 
duced 4| children. It is curious to obferve the change 
in the proportion of births to the deaths, and alfo to the 
marriages, which has taken place at Middleton (and I 
have received limilar accounts of other places), during 
the courfe of the laft century. The former may be ex- 
plained by the greater encouragement to matrimony 
tfom the increafe of trade; the latter is of more difficult 
folution ; though it is probable, that the warmer cloath- 
ing and better fare, which the poor now enjoy, may have 
contributed to it. Luxury, when carried to fuch a de- 
gree as to enervate the conftitution, is unfavourable to 
population ; but plenty of nutritive diet may v/ell be re- 
garded as a fource of fruitfulnefs. The lower clafs of 
people in this county formerly lived upon the coarfeft 
food. Wheat, an hundred years ago, was almoft un=- 
known to them:^; and fo lately has it been cultivated in 
Lancaffiire, that it has fcarceiy yet acquired the name o-f 
corn, which in general is applied only to barley, oats, 
and rye. Potatoes alfo are much improved by the pre- 
fent judicious method of growing and propagating them ; 
and they now conhitute a moft wholefome and nouriffi- 
ing part of our diet. Perhaps likewife the general 
ufe of pepper and of other fpices may increafe the fer- 
tility of mankind. But I ffiall fufpend my conjectures 
for the prefent. A variety of caufes may counteract the 
Von. L'XV^ Y y operation 
