to excite other kinds of industry, and thereby afford the labourer a ready market for his commodities, and a return of fuch goods as may contribute to his pleasure and enjoyment. -This method is infallible and univerfal; and, as it prevails more in modern government than in the ancient, it affords a prefumption of the fuperior populousness of the former.

Every man, fays Xenophona, may be a farmer: no art or skill is requifite: all confists in industry, and in attention to the execution.-A firong proof, as COLUMELLA hints, that agriculture was but little known in the age of XENOPHON.

All our later improvements and refinements, have they done nothing towards the easy subsistence of men, and confequently towards their propagation and increafe? Our fuperior skill in the mechanics; the difcovery of new worlds, by which commerce has been so much enlarged; the establishment of posts; and the use of bills of exchange: thefe feem all extremely useful to the encouragement of art, industry, and populousness.-Were we to trike off thefe, what a check fhould we give to every

a Oecon.

kind of bufinefs and labour, and what multitudes of fa milies would immediately perifh from want and hunger? And it seems not probable, that we could fupply the place of these new inventions by any other regulation or inftitution.

Have we reason to think, that the police of ancient ftates was anywife comparable to that of modern, or that men had then equal fecurity, either at home, or in their journeys by land or water? I question not but every impartial examiner would give us the preference in this particular.

Thus, upon comparing the whole, it feems impoffible to affign any just reason, why the world should have been more profperous and populous in ancient than in modern times. The equality of property among the ancients, liberty, and the finall divifions of their states, were indeed circumftances favourable to the propagation of mankind; BUT THEIR WARS WERE MORE BLOODY AND DESTRUCTIVE, THEIR GOVERNMENTS MORE FACTIOUS AND UNSETTLED, COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES MORE FEEBLE AND LANGUISHING, AND THE GENERAL POLICE MORE LOOSE AND IRRE

SULAR. — THESE LATTER DISADVANTAGES SEEM

6

ΤΟ

TO FORM A SUFFICIENT COUNTERBALANCE TO THE FORMER ADVANTAGES; AND RATHER FAVOUR THE

OPPOSITE OPINION TO THAT WHICH COMMONLY PREVAILS WITH REGARD TO THIS SUBJECT".

a Hume:

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME,

POLITICIAN'S CREED;

OR,

POLITICAL EXTRACTS:

BEING

AN ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS,

What is the beft Form of Government ?

AND

What is the beft Adminiftration of a
Government?

BY A LOVER OF SOCIAL ORDER.

VOL. II.

PHILOSOPHY confifls not

In airy schemes, or idle fpeculations:
The rule and conduct of all focial life
Is her great province. Not in lonely cells
Obfcure the lurks, but holds her heav'nly light
To fenates and to kings, to guide her councils,
And teach them to reform and bless mankind.

THOMSON,

LONDON:

Printed for ROBINSONS, Paternofter-Row; T. Cox, St. Thomas's-ftreet, Borough; DILLY in the Poultry; MURRAY and HIGHLEY, Fleetftreet, RICHARDSON, Cornhill; WHITE, Fleet-street; BECKET, and EDWARDS, Pall Mall; HOOKHAM

and CARPENTER, Bond-ftreet; and H. D.

SYMONDS, No. 20, Paternofter-Row.