Free ftates, on the contrary, are always populous a man who is happy, longs for children to make them alfo happy; and industry enables him to accomplish his longing. This obfervation is verified from the hiftory of Greece, and of the Leffer Afia: the inhabitants anciently were free and numerous: the prefent inhabitants are reduced by flavery to a fmall number. A peftilence destroys thofe only who exift, and the lofs is foon repaired; but defpotifm, as above obferved, ftrikes at the very root of population.

An overflowing quantity of money in circulation, is another caufe of depopulation. In a nation that grows rich by com merce, the price of labour increases with the quantity of circulating coin, which of course raises the price of manufactures ; and manufacturers, who cannot find a vent for their high-rated goods in foreign markets, must give over business and commence beggars, or retire to another country where they may have a prospect of fuccefs. But luckily, there is a remedy, in that cafe, to prevent depopulation: land is cultivated to greater perfection by the fpade than by the plough; and the more plentiful

plentiful crops produced by the former, are fully fufficient to defray the additional expence. This is a refource for employing those who cannot make bread as manufacturers, and deferves well the attention of the legislature. The advantage of the spade it is confpicuous with respect to war; provides a multitude of robuft men for recruitmay ing the army, the want of whom be fupplied by the plough, till they return in peace to their former occupation.

SKETCH

A

SKETCH II.

Progress of Property.

MONG the fenfes inherent in mạng the fenfe of property is eminent. That fenfe is the foundation of yours and mine, a distinction which no human being is ignorant of. By that fenfe, wild animals, caught with labour or art, are perceived to belong to the hunter or fisher; they become his property. There is the fame perception of property with respect to wild animals tamed for ufe, with their progeny. A field feparated from the common, and cultivated by a man for bread to himself and family, is equally perceived to be his property (a).

The fenfe of property is flower in its growth toward maturity than the external fenfes, which are perfect even in childhood; but it ripens more early than the fense of congruity, of fymmetry, of dignity, of grace, and the other refined fen

(a) See Principles of Morality and Natural Religion, P. 77. edit. 2.

fes,

fes, which scarce make any figure before the age of manhood. Children discover a fense of property in diftinguishing their own chair, and their own fpoon. In them, however, it is faint and obscure, requiring time to ripen. The gradual progress of that fenfe, from its infancy among favages to its maturity among polished nations, is one of the most inftructive articles that belong to the prefent undertaking. But as that article makes a part of Hiftorical Law-tracts (a), nothing remains here but a few gleanings.

It is

Man is by nature a hoarding animal, having an appetite for ftoring up things of ufe; and the sense of property is bestowed on men, for fecuring to them what they thus ftore up. Hence it appears, that things deftined by Providence for our fuftenance and accommodation, were not intended to be poffeffed in common. even probable, that in the earliest ages every man feparately hunted for himself and his family. But chance prevails in that occupation; and it may frequently happen, that while fome get more than enough, others must go fupperless to bed. (a) Tract 3. Senfible

Senfible of that inconvenience, it crept into practice, for hunting and fishing to be carried on in common. We find, accordingly, the practice of hunting and fishing in common, even among grofs favages. Those of New Holland, above mentioned, live upon fmall fish dug out of the fand when the fea retires. Sometimes they get plenty, fometimes very little; and all is

Inequalities of chance, which are great in a few trials, vanish almost entirely when an operation is frequently reiterated during a courfe of time. Did every man's fubfiftence depend on the fruits of his own field, many would die of hunger, while others wallowed in plenty. Barter and commerce among the inhabitants of a diftrict, leffen the hazard of famine: the commerce of corn through a large kingdom, fuch as France or Britain, leffens it ftill more. Extend that commerce through Europe, through the world, and there will remain scarce a vestige of the inequalities of chance the crop of corn may fail in one province, or in one kingdom; but that it fhould fail univerfally, is beyond the varieties of chance: the fame obfervation holds in every other matter of chance; one's gain or lofs at game for a night, for a week, may be confiderable; but carry on the game for a year, and fo little of chance remains, that it is almost the fame whether one play for a guinea or for twenty. Hence a skilful infurer never ventures much upon one bottom, but multiplies his bargains as much as poffible: the more bargains he is engaged in, the greater is the probability of gain.

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