2796) | 
ode under contemplation is inferted, with 
the trivial variations of a few words 
from the latter copies, and was, I have no 
doubt, furnifhed to Bourne by Dr. Jor- 
tin, his contemporary at Cambridge: 
for the title page, in addition to the for- 
mer words, has only “ Edidit V. B. 
Coll. Trin. Socius.’’ Now the publifhers 
of Bourne’s pofthumous edition, whe- 
ther from a real or diflembled ignorance 
ef the true author, took advantage of 
- this circumftance to increafe their col- 
lection ; for the poem, F believe, never 
appeared as his own in any edition of 
his Poems by Bourne himfelf. 
tee ane 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
Hints. ON THE POPULATION OF 
- GREAT-BRITAIN, AND ON 
MANNER IN WHICH IT IS AF- 
FECTED BY THE .NaTIoNAL 
Derr, 
rPHE prefent ftate of this country 
cannot poilibly be regarded by an 
impartial and attentive obferver, with- 
out much grief and apprehenfion. The 
continued drains-of men and treafure, 
produced by repeated wars for the laft 
century, muft have weakened: the moft 
populous and wealzhy nation that had 
ever exifted. But when the confined 
khmits of this country are confidered, and 
particularly the large portion of it 
which has never been cultivated, it will 
be more 2 matter of aftonifhment that it 
fhould have been capable of exerting 
itfelf fo powerfully, than that its ftrength 
thould have been impaired by thofe 
exertions. 
There are, however, fome perfons fo 
fully perfuaded of its inexhauftible re- 
fources, that the accumulation of its 
debts is confidered cnly as a proof of its 
growing wealth, and the prefent fcarcity 
of fubfiftence as arifing principally from 
its increafed population. Hence we fee 
our legiflators gravely propofing the in- 
clofure of the wafte lands as the infallible 
means of preventing any future {carcity, 
without ever reflecting that the multi- 
plied taxes which every new war creates, 
continually render it more diiicult for 
the poor man to maintain his family by 
his labour; and therefore that, under 
thefe circumftances, he muft be ftarved 
long before the foil which is offered him 
can be fo far cultivted as to afford any 
fubfiftence to himfelf and family. Had 
a tweniieth part of the money which 
has been fquandered in either of thofe 
THE: 
Decreafe of National Population: 7 
wars which have defolated this country 
fince the Revolution, been allotted to the 
poor either as a loan, or a reward, to af= 
fift and encourage them in this work, 
the whole kingdom by this time mighr 
have been cultivated like a garden, and 
every part of it been made to overflow 
with inhabitants: but, “inftead of this,. 
what has been the cafe? By the con- 
tinual impofitions of new taxes, the bur- 
dens and opprefiions of the poor have 
been increafed, the means of fubfiftence 
have become more difheult, and a gra- 
dual depopulation has fucceeded, much 
more deftructive in its confequences 
than any temporary wafte of human 
life, which is the zmmediate effect of 
war. 
If we were to reafon from the pre- 
fent increafed fize of fome of our prin- 
cipal manufacturing towns, we might be 
led to conclude, that at no period have 
the inhabitants of this kingdom mui- 
tiplied fo fait. But a little attention 
will convince us, that this acceffion te 
the towns is derived from the neigh- 
bouring country places, and that the 
exchange of a healthier abode for 
another lefs healthy, tends rather to 
diminifh than to improve our population. 
The manufaétories of Lancafhire, War- 
wickihire, and Yorkfhire, may probably 
have increafed the number of inhabi- 
tants in fome parts of thofe counties: 
but if the whole kingdom be taken 
into the account, it will be impofhble te 
deny the very alarming progrefs of de- 
population amoung us. In the year 
1690, according to the report of the 
furveyors of the houfe and window 
duties, the whole number of houfes in 
England and Wales was, 1,319,215 3 in 
the year 175g, according to the report 
of the fame officers, their number was 
reduced to 986,482; in the year 1761, 
their number was ftill farther reduced 
to 980 692 5 and in the year 1777, their 
number did not exceed 952,734: in lef 
than go years, therefore, the number of 
houfes had decreafed above 360,000. If 
the carnage of the Aterican and the 
prefent wars be confidered, it will ap- 
pear highly probable, that, fince ‘the 
year 1777, the number of houfes has 
continued ‘to diminifh, and that they 
may now he fairly ftated at 400,000 
fewer than they were in the year 1690 ; 
fo that, allowing five perfons to each 
houfe, it will follow, that the prefent 
number of inhabitants in England and 
Wales is two millions, or almoft one 
third, lefs than it was at the time of the 
: ‘revolution. 
