Nor thus beneath the straw-roof'd cot, By BARNHAMWATER's shadeless stream! The memory of thy song, and thee:While Nature's healthful feelings nerve The arm of labour toiling free; While Childhood's innocence and glee With green Old Age enjoyment share;RICHARDS and KATES shall tell of thee, WALTERS and JANES thy name declare. On themes like these, if yet there breath'd The praise my numbers can assign, To yield thy Muse her homage due; At springs which gave thine own its birth. Those springs may boast no classic name Than Nature's quiet teachings guide 'Tis to THE HEART Song's noblest power Taste's purest precepts must refer; And Nature's tact, not Art's proud dower, Remains its best interpreter: He who shall trust, without demur, What his own better feelings teach, Although unlearn'd, shall seldom err, But to the hearts of others reach. It is not quaint and local terms Besprinkled o'er thy rustic lay, Its power unletter'd minds to sway, Thy sweetest charms, thy gentlest thrall,— These, these have given thy rustic lyre Shall give thy honour'd name to dwell: And when Death's shadowy curtain fell Upon thy toilsome earthly lot, With grateful joy thy heart might swell To feel that these reproach'd thee not. To feel that thou hadst not incurr'd The deep compunction, bitter shame, Of prostituting gifts conferr'd To strengthen Virtue's hallow'd claim. How much more glorious is the name, The humble name which thou hast won, Than-damn'd with everlasting fame," To be for fame itself undone. Better, and nobler was thy choice To be the Bard of simple swains,In all their pleasures to rejoice, And soothe with sympathy their pains; To paint with feeling in thy strains The themes their thoughts and tongues dis cuss, And be, though free from classic chains, Our own more chaste THEOCRITUS. For this should SUFFOLK proudly own Her grateful, and her lasting debt ;-How much more proudly-had she known That pining care, and keen regret,— Thoughts which the fever'd spirits fret, And slow disease,-'twas thine to bear;And, ere thy sun of life was set, Had won her Poet's grateful prayer. "TIS NOW TOO LATE! the scene is clos'd, Thy conflicts borne,-thy trials o'er ;And in the peaceful grave repos'd That frame which pain shall rack no more; Peace to the Bard whose artless store Was spread for Nature's lowliest child; Whose song, well meet for peasant lore, Was lowly, simple, undefil'd. Yet long may guileless hearts preserve The memory of thy verse and thee;While nature's healthful feelings nerve The arm of labour toiling free. While SUFFOLK PEASANTRY may be Such as thy sweetest tales make known,By cottage-hearth, by greenwood tree, Be BLOOMFIELD call'd with pride their own! Some Articles promised this month, and Answers to numerous Correspondents, are unavoidably postponed for want of room. THE London Magazine. OCTOBER, 1823. NOTES FROM THE POCKET-BOOK OF A LATE OPIUM-EATER, No. II. MALTHUS. “Go, my son,”-said a Swedish totally groundless: both tend to in chancellor to his son, go and see crease in a geometric ratio; both with how little cost of wisdom this have this tendency checked and counworld is governed.” “ Go," might teracted in the same way. In every a scholar, in like manner say, after a thing which serves for the food of thoughtful review of literature, “ go man, no less than in man himself, and see-how little logic is required there is a positive ground of increase to the composition of most books.” by geometrical ratios : but in order Of the many attestations to this fact, that this positive ground may go on furnished by the history of opinions to its effect, there must in each case in our hasty and unmeditative age, be present a certain negative condiI know of none more striking than tion (i. e. conditio sine qua non*): for the case of Mr. Malthus, both as re- the food, as suppose for wheat, the gards himself and his critics. About negative condition is soil on which it a quarter of a century ago Mr. Mal- may grow, and exert its virtue of thus wrote his Essay on Population, self-multiplication; for man the newhich soon rose into great reputa- gative condition is food : i.e. in both tion. And why? not for the truth it cases the negative condition is the contained ; that is but imperfectly samemutatis mutandis: for the soil understood even at present; but for is to the wheat what the wheat is to the false semblance of systematic man. Where this negative condiform with which he had invested the tion is present, both will increase truth. Without any necessity he geometrically; where it is absent, placed his whole doctrine on the fol- neither. And so far is it from being lowing basis: man increases in a true that man has the advantage of geometrical ratio—the food of man the wheat, or increases according to in an arithmetical ratio. This pro- any other law, as Mr. Malthus afposition, though not the main error firms, that on the contrary the wheat of his work, is one ; and therefore I has greatly the advantage of man shall spend a few lines in exposing it. (though both increase according to I say then that the distinction is the same law). But, says Mr. Mal Once for all let me say to the readers of these memoranda that I use the term negative condition as equivalent to the term conditio sine qua non, and both in the scholastic sense. The negative condition of X is that which being absent X cannot exist ; but which being present X will not therefore exist, unless a positive ground of X be co-present. Briefly,-- If not, not: if yes, not therefore yes. Ост. 1823. 2 A thus, you would find it impossible to of increase in man and in the food of increase the annual supply of wheat man is equally inefficient, is within England by so much as the con- drawn in fact as a country grows tinual addition even of the existing populous : for the sake of argument, quantity; whereas man might, on a and as the basis of a chain of reasoncertain supposition, go on increasing ing, it may be restored in idea to his species in a geometric ratio. either ; but not more to one than to What is that supposition? Why the other. That proposition of Mr. this--that the negative condition of Malthus therefore which ascribes a increase, the absence of which is the different law of increase to man and actual resistance in both cases to the to the food of man (which proposirealization of a geometric increase, is tion is advanced by Nr. Malthus and here by supposition restored to man considered by most of his readers as but not restored to the wheat. It is the fundamental one of his system) certainly true that wheat in England is false and groundless. Where thé increases only by an arithmetic ratio ; positive principle of increase meets but then so does man: and the in- with its complement the negative ference thus far would be, that both ground, there the increase proceeds alike were restricted to this law of in a geometrical ratio-alike in man increase. “ Aye, but then man," and in his food: where it fails of says Mr. Malthus, “ will increase by meeting this complement, it proceeds another ratio, if you allow him an in an arithmetical ratio, alike in both. unlimited supply of food.” Well, I And I say that wherever the geomeanswer, and so will the wheat: to trical ratio of increase exists for man, suppose this negative condition (an it exists of necessity for the food of unlimited supply of food) concurring man: and I say that wherever the with the positive principle of in- arithmetical ratio exists for the food crease in man, and to refuse to sup- of man, it exists of necessity for man. pose it in the wheat, is not only con- Lastly,—I repeat that, even where trary to all laws of disputing—but the food of man and man himself inis also on this account the more mon- crease in the same ratio' (viz. a geostrous, because the possibility and metrical ratio), yet that the food has impossibility of the negative con- greatly the advantage in the rate of curring with this positive ground of increase. For assume any cycle of increase is equal, and (what is still years (suppose 25) as the period of more to the purpose) is identical for a human generation and as corresboth : wheresoever the concurrence ponding to the annual generations of is realised for man, there of necessity wheat, then I say that, if a bushel it is realised for the wheat. And, of wheat and a human couple (man therefore, you have not only a right to and woman) be turned out upon Sademand the same concession for the lisbury plain-or, to give them more wheat as for the man, but the one con- area and a better soil for the expericession is actually involved in the ment, on the stage of Canada and other. As the soil (S) is to the wheat the uncolonized countries adjacent, (W), so is the wheat (W)to man(M); -the bushel of wheat shall have proi.e. S:W::W:M. You cannot even duced its cube-its 4th 10th-- Mth by way of hypothesis assume any cause power in a number of years which as multiplying the third term, which shall always be fewer than the numwill not also presuppose the multipli- ber of periods of 25 years in which cation of the first: else you suffer W the human pair shall have produced as the third term to be multiplied, and its cube—its 4th—10th-Mth power, the very same W as the second term &c.—And this assertion may be not to be multiplied.-In fact, the easily verified by consulting any recoincidence of the negative with the cord of the average produce from a positive ground of increase must of given quantity of seed corn. necessity take place in all countries II. The famous proposition thereduring the early stages of society for fore about the geometrical and ariththe food of man no less than for man: metical ratios as applied to man and this coincidence must exist and gra- his food—is a radical blunder. I dually cease to exist for both simul- come now to a still more remarktaneously. The negative condition, able blunder, which I verily believe without which the positive principle is the greatest logical oversight that a a has ever escaped any author of respectability. This oversight lies in Mr. Malthus's view of population considered not with reference to its own internal coherency but as an answer to Mr. Godwin. That gentleman, in common with some other philosophers, no matter upon what arguments, had maintained the doctrine of the perfectibility' of man. Now, says Mr. Malthus, without needing any philosophic investigation of this doctrine, I will overthrow it by a simple statement drawn from the political economy of the human race: I will suppose that state of perfection, towards which the human species is represented as tending, to be actually established: and I will show that it must melt away before the principle which governs population. How is this accomplished? briefly thus:-In every country the food of man either goes on increasing simply in an arithmetical ratio, or (in proportion as it becomes better peopled) is rapidly tending to such a ratio. Let us suppose this ratio every where established, as it must of necessity be as soon as no acre of land remains untilled which is susceptible of tillage; since no revolutions in the mere science of agriculture can be supposed capable of transmuting an arithmetic into a geometric ratio of increase. Food then increasing under this law can never go on pari passu with any population which should increase in a geometric ratio. Now what is it that prevents population from increasing in such a ratio? Simply the want of food. But how? Not directly, but through the instrumentality of vice and misery in some shape or other. These are the repressing forces which every where keep down the increase of man to the same ratio as that of his food-viz. to an arithmetic ratio. But vice and misery can have no existence in a state of perfection; so much is evident ex vi termini. If then these are the only repressing forces, it follows that in a state of perfection there can be none at all. If none at all, then the geometric ratio of increase will take place. But, as the arithmetic ratio must still be the law for the increase of food, the population will be constantly getting ahead of the food. Famine, disease, and every mode of wretchedness will return: and thus out of its own bosom will the state of perfection have regenerated the worst forms of imperfection by necessarily bringing back the geometric ratio of human increase unsupported by the same ratio of increase amongst the food. This is the way in which Mr. Malthus applies his doctrine of population to the overthrow of Mr. Godwin. Upon which I put this question to Mr. Malthus. In what condition must the human will be supposed, if with the clear view of this fatal result (such a view as must be ascribed to it in a state of perfection), it could nevertheless bring its own acts into no harmony with reason and conscience? Manifestly it must be in a most diseased state. Aye, says Mr. Malthus, but “I take it for granted" that no important change will ever take place in that part of human nature. Be it so, I answer: but the question here is not concerning the absolute truth,-Is there any hope that the will of man can ever raise itself from its present condition of weakness and disorder? The question is concerning the formal or logical truth-concerning the truth relatively to a specific concession previously made. Mr. Malthus had consented to argue with Mr. Godwin on the supposition that a state of perfection might be and actually was attained. How comes he then to take for granted' what in a moment makes his own concession void? He agrees to suppose a perfect state; and at the same time he includes in this supposition the main imperfection of this world-viz. the diseased will of man. This is to concede and to retract in the same breath; explicitly to give, and implicitly to refuse. Mr. Godwin may justly retort upon Mr. Malthus you promised to show that the state of perfection should generate out of itself an in What is the particular shape which they put on in most parts of the earth-fur. nishes matter for the commentary of Mr. Malthus on his own doctrine, and occupies the greater part of his work. The materials are of course drawn from voyages and travels; but from so slender a reading in that department of literature, that the whole should undoubtedly be re-written and more learnedly supported by authorities. evitable relapse into that state of merits, it may be supposed that I do imperfection : but your state of per- not regard his critics with much fection already includes imperfection, sympathy: taking them generally, and imperfection of a sort which is they seem to have been somewhat the principal parent of almost all captious, and in a thick mist as to other imperfection. Eve, after her the true meaning and tendency of the fall, was capable of a higher resolu- doctrine. Indeed I question whether tion than is here ascribed to the chil- any man amongst them could have dren of perfection; for she is repre- begun his own work by presenting a sented by Milton as saying to Adam just analysis of that which he was - miserable it is assailing; which however ought alTo be to others cause of misery, ways to be demanded peremptorily -Our own begotten; and of our loins to of 'him who assails a systematic bring work, for the same reason that in the Into this cursed world a woeful race, old schools of disputation the reThat after wretched life must be at last spondent was expected to repeat the Food for so foul a monster : in thy power syllogism of his opponent before he It lies yet, ere conception, to prevent undertook to answer it. Amongst The race unblest—to being yet unbegot. others Mr. Coleridge, who probably Childless thou art, childless remain : contented himself more suo with read. P. L. Book X. ing the first and last pages of the What an imperfect creature could work, has asserted that Mr. Malthus meditate, a perfect one should exe- had written a 4to. volume (in which cute. And it is evident that, if ever shape the second edition appeared) the condition of man were brought to to prove that man could not livé so desirable a point as that simply by without eating. If this were the replacing itself the existing genera- purpose and amount of the Malthution could preserve unviolated a state sian doctrine, doubtless an infra-duoof perfection, it would become the decimo would have been a more beduty (and, if the duty, therefore the coming size for his speculations. But inclination of perfect beings) to com- I, who have read the 4to. must asply with that ordinance of the reason.* sure Mr. Coleridge that there is III. Thus far on the errors of Mr. something more in it than that. I Malthus :—now let me add a word shall also remind him that, if a man or two on the errors of his critics. produces a body of original and emiBut first it ought in candor to be ac- nently useful truths, in that case the knowledged that Mr. Malthus's own more simple—the more elementaryerrors, however important separately the more self-evident is the proposiconsidered, are venial as regards his sition on which he suspends the chain system ; for they leave it unaffected, of those truths,—the greater is his and might be extirpated by the knife merit. Many systems of truth, which without drawing on any consequent have a sufficient internal consistency, extirpations or even any alterations. have yet been withheld from the That sacrifice once made to truth and world or have lost their effect simply to logic,-1 shall join with Mr. Ri- because the author has been unable cardo (Pol. Econ. p. 498, 2nd ed.) to bridge over the gulph between his in expressing my persuasion “that own clear perceptions and the unithe just reputation of the Essay on versal knowledge of mankind-has Population will spread with the cul- been unable to deduce the new truths tivation of that science of which it is from the old precognita. I say thereso eminent an ornament." With fore that our obligations to Mr. Malthese feelings upon Mr. Malthus's thus are the greater for having hung Mr. Malthus has been charged with a libel on human nature for denying its ability even in its present imperfect condition to practise the abstinence here alluded to--provided an adequate motive to such abstinence existed. But this charge I request the reader to observe that I do not enter into. Neither do I enter into the question-whether any great change for the better in the moral nature of the man is reasonably to be anticipated. What I insist on is simply the logical error of Mr. Malthus in introducing into the hypothesis which he consents to assume one element which is a contradiction in terminis to that hypothesis. Admit that Mr. Malthus is right in denying the possibility of a perfect state of man on this earth; he cannot be right in assuming an enormous imperfection (disorder of the will) as one constituent of that perfect state. a |