Retrofpeet of Domeftic Literature.—Political Beanomy. 
of the immortality and perfectibility of 
man. In the courfe of the difcuffion 
Mr. Malthus was led into an examina- 
tion of the effects ofthis principle on 
the exilting {tate of fociety ; and it ap- 
peared to account, in a great meafure, 
for the poverty and mifery which ai- 
fect the lower claffes in every nation, 
and for the fhefiicacy of the meafures — 
which the higher orders have fo repeat- 
edly adopted for their relief. In this 
point of view the fubject acquired ad- 
ditional importance ; and as the Effay 
excited a confiderable fhare of public 
attention, the author was ftimulated to 
profecute his inguiries towards an hif 
torical examination of the effects of 
‘the principle of population on the paft 
and prefent ftate of feciety, in order 
that, by illuftrating the fubje&t more 
generally, and drawing thofe inferences 
from it im application to the actual 
{tate of things which experience feemed 
to warrant, he might give it a more 
practical and permanent intereft. 
When this anonymous Effay firf ap- 
peared, we noticed,it very curforily: 
as an opportunity now offers to make 
amends for the inattention, we fhall 
ftate the principles which’ Mr. Mal- 
thus has laid down, and notice the ap- 
plication of it at confiderable length, 
rufting that the intereft of the fubjeét 
will plead our apology for that’ difpro- 
portionate fhare of room which we fhall 
be induced to give it. ; 
In an inquiry concerning the future 
improvement of fociety, Mr. Malthus 
emarks, that the mode of conducting 
the fubjeét which naturally prefents it- 
felf is, firft,an inveftigation of the caufes 
that have hitherto impeded the pro- 
grefs of mankind towards happinefs ; 
and, fecondly, an examination into the 
probability of the total or partial re- 
moval of thofe caufes in future. But 
as it would be beyond the power of an 
individual to enter fully into this quef- 
tion, and to enumerate all the caufes 
which have hitherto influenced human 
improvement, he has, in a great mea- 
fure, confined himfelf to an examina- 
tion of the effects produced by one 
great caufe only, which 1s intimately 
united with the very nature of man, 
and which,from the commencement of 
fociety, has exerted one conftant and 
powerful operation. - This caufe is the 
tendency in all animated hfe to increafe be- 
yond the nouribment prepared for its /up- 
port. sectgeaet 
Man, in common with-all animals 
and plants, isexcited by a powerful in- 
609 
ftin& to increafe his fpecies; if the 
germs of animal and vegetable exitt- 
ence contained in this fpot of earth 
had ample room for expanfion, and 
ample food for fubfiftence, millions of 
worlds would be filled in-the fpace of a 
few thoufand years with animal and 
vegetable exiftencies,:: ‘This naturai 
fecundity is repreffed by want of room 
and waut of nourifhment ; and that it 
muit ever be fo reprefled, will appear 
from a comparifon cf the two rules of 
increafz, that of the productions of 
the earth under the molt favourable 
circumttances of human induttry, and 
that of the increafe of population wher 
left to exert itfelf with perteét freedom. 
In the northern fates of America po- 
pulation was found to double itfelf for 
fome fucceflive periods every twenty- 
five years: in the back fettlements, i€ 
has been found to double itfelf m fit- 
teen; and Sir William Petty fuppofes a 
doubling poiible within ten years. 
Mr. Malthus takes the largett of thefe 
terms, and he is unqueftionably juftinied 
in pronouncing that population, when 
unchecked,, goes on doubling - itfelf 
every twenty-five years, and thus in- 
creafes in a geometrical ratio. 
The rate according to which the pro- 
duétions of the earth may be fuppoled 
to increafe, it will not be fo eafy to 
determine ; when acre has been added 
to acre till all the ferti!. iand is occu- 
pied, the yearly increafe of food muft 
depend upon the amelioration of the 
land already in poffefhon. This isa 
fream,” fays Mr. Malthus, “ which, 
from the nature of all foils, inftead of 
increafing, muit be gradually diminifh- 
ing. But population, could it be fup- 
plied with food, would go on with un- 
exhaufted vigour, and the increafe of 
one period would furnith the powers of 
a greater increafe to the next, and this 
without any limit.” Japan and China 
are already fo highly cultivated that 
perhaps no human indaftry could dou- 
ble the produce of thefe countries even, 
in any given number of years. Were 
there, however, fufficient food.and fuf- 
ficient room in China and Japan; ia 
other words, were the natural tendency 
to population to meet with no inter- 
Tuption, no check, thofe countries 
would be doubled in as fhort a time as 
the back fettlements of America. But 
to place the argument.on its. moft ad- 
vantageous ground, we muft come home 
to Europe, -where there is a larger pre- 
portion of ground. uncultivated than 
in Japan and China, and where the 
{cience 
