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Show i' , mamas-y» ‘ 1'6 REMARKS on THE Tnouom‘s [G.P.] ON THE PEOPLING or COUNTRIES. 17 The quantity of fubfif'tence‘in England has un- fame ; Scotland had then none of them but fruga- queflionably become greater for many ages; and yet if the inhabitants are more numerous, they certainly are not f0 in proportion to our improvement of the means of fupport. I am apt to lity. The change in thefe two countries is obvious think there are few parts of this kingdom that have not been at fome former time more popu- lous than at prefent. I have feveral cogent rea- fons for thinking f0 ofgreat part of the counties '1 am molt intimately acquainted with; but as of equal goodnefs lets for double the rent of other land lying in the fame county; and there are many years purchafe difference between difi'erent counties, where rents are equally well paid ,and fecure.-Thus Manners operate upon the .numéer of inhabitants : but of their filent effects and val'tly grown in bulk, I dare not fuppofe, as as iltfllivml~~ to every one, and it is owing to indultry, not yet very widely dififufed in either.---The effects of indufiry and frugality in England are furprifing. ; both the rent and the value of the inheritance of land depend on them greatly more than on nature; and this, though there is no confiderable difference in the prices of our markets. Land they were probably not all molt populous at the fame time, and as fome of our towns are vilibly judicious men have done, that England is lefs i ‘ weft" peopled than heretofore-This growth of our town: is the eficeét of a change of manners, and improvement ofarts, common to all Europe; and though it is not imagined that it has leffened the country growth of niecelfaries; it has evidently, by introducing a greater confumption of them, (an infallible confequence of a nation's dwelling in towns) counteracted the effects of our prodi- gious advances in the arts.--But however frugality may fupply the place, or prodigality coun- teract the effects, of the natural or acquired fubfiftence of a country; indylry is, beyond doubt, a more efficacious caufe of plenty, than any natural advantage of extent or fertility. l have mentioned infiances of frugality and indufi'ry, united with extent and fertility; in Spain andA/ialllzhor, we fee frugality joined to extent and fertility, without induftry; in Ire/477d we once 111w the fame ; .upon a civil cotylltutzbn, hiltory and even our own experience, yields us abundance of proofs, though they are not uncommonly attributed to external caufes: Their fupport of a government againfl: external force is [0 great, that it is acornmon maxim among the advocates of liberty, that no free government was ever diffolved, or overcome, before .the manners of its fubjeé'cs were cor- rupted. i The fuperiority of Greece over Perfz'a was fingly owing to their difference of manners ; and t/Jaz‘, though all natural advantages were on the tide of the latter-~to which I might add the civil ones ; :for though the greatelt of all civil advantages, Liberty, was on the fide of Greece, yet that added no political {trength to her [otherwife] than as it xoperated on her manners; and, when tlugv were D corrupted, |
