Policy of encouraging MARRIAGE. Dr Halley observes, that the growth and increase of mankind is not so much stunted by any thing in the nature of the species, as it is from the cautious difficulty most people make to adventure on the state of marriage, from the prospect of the trouble and charge of providing for a family: nor are the poorer sort of people herein to be blamed, who, besides themselves and families, are
obliged to work for the proprietors of the lands that feed them; and of such does the greater part of mankind consist. Were it not for the backwardness to marriage, there might be four times as many births as we find; for by computation from the table given under the article MORTALITY, there are 15,000 persons above 16 and under 45, of which at least 7000 are women capable of bearing children; yet there are only 1238, or little more than a sixth part of these, that breed yearly: whereas, were they all married, it is highly probable that four of six should bring forth a child every year, the political consequences of which are evident. Therefore, as the strength and glory of a kingdom or state consists in the multitude of subjects, celibacy above all things ought to be discouraged, as by extraordinary taxing or military service; and, on the contrary, those who have numerous families should be allowed certain privileges and immunities, like the jus trium liberorum among the Romans; and especially, by effectually providing for the subsistence of the poor.