The securing the parish for bastard children is become so small a
punishment and so easily compounded, that it very much hinders
marriage. The Dutch compel men of all ranks to marry the woman whom
they have got with child, and perhaps it would tend to the further
peopling of England if the common people here, under such a certain
degree, were condemned by some new law to suffer the same penalty.
A country that makes provision to increase in inhabitants, whose
situation is good, and whose people have a genius adapted to trade,
will never fail to be gainers in the balance, provided the labour
and industry of their people be well managed and carefully directed.
The more any man contemplates these matters the more he will come to
be of opinion, that England is capable of being rendered one of the
strongest nations, and the richest spot of ground in Europe.
It is not extent of territory that makes a country powerful, but
numbers of men well employed, convenient ports, a good navy, and a
soil producing all sort of commodities. The materials for all this
we have, and so improvable, that if we did but second the gifts of
Nature with our own industry we should soon arrive to a pitch of
greatness that would put us at least upon an equal footing with any
of our neighbours.
If we had the complement of men our land can maintain and nourish;
if we had as much trade as our stock and knowledge in sea affairs is
capable of embracing; if we had such a naval strength as a trade so
extended would easily produce; and, if we had those stores and that
wealth which is the certain result of a large and well-governed
traffic, what human strength could hurt or invade us? On the
contrary, should we not be in a posture not only to resist but to
give the law to others?
Our neighbouring commonwealth has not in territory above 8,000,000
acres, and perhaps not much above 2,200,000 people, and yet what a
figure have they made in Europe for these last 100 years? What wars
have they maintained? What forces have they resisted? and to what a
height of power are they now come, and all by good order and wise
government?
They are liable to frequent invasions; they labour under the
inconvenience and danger of bad ports; they consume immense sums
every year to defend their land against the sea; all which
difficulties they have subdued by an unwearied industry.
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