Of these remedies, the principal is the diffusion of moral and religious knowledge by means of education. Man, rude and ignorant, has little dominion over his passions; he yields to the force of his appetites with scarcely any consideration as to consequences; he unites himself to a female without having made any provision for his offspring, and thus he involves thei nnocents that are to be born in calamities over which they can have no controul. The contrary of this, however, is the case with a man of strong moral feelings and habits: he has accustomed his passions to bear some restraint; he reflects on the evils of poverty; the consequences of an unprovided and pre mature marriage; on the positive guilt of involving an amiable female in the distresses of penury and want; and on those complicated circumstances which render him for life incapable of bettering his condition. These are considerations which will naturally occur to an intelligent mind; and they are sufficient to deter a prudent man from an union for which he is altogether unprepared. It is pos sible, indeed, that the influence of education in counteracting these evils may be greatly obstructed by particular customs, or by an improper interference with the concerns of the poor: but even in such circumstances its in

fluence will be of considerable avail, since it makes man more rational and thoughtful, and raises him above that low state of degradation to which otherwise his nature will be confined. Hence the necessity of presenting to the human mind some subject on which it may usefully exercise its faculties, something to excite and improve the moral feeling, something that will abstract the attention from the call of passion,- from the debasing pleasures of low and sensual enjoyment: so true is it, though the contrary has been maintained by those whose privilege it is to influence the destiny of nations, that knowledge among the multitude is essentially necessary to make their actions ultimately subservient to the real wealth and happiness of the state.

That passion which in barbarous countries occasions much evil, may, where the blessings of true religion and civilization are enjoyed, produce much good. In such circumstances, the tender influence which virtuous love exerts on the feelings, and dispositions, and character, is truly of the happiest kind; while it removes some of the asperities natural to the male, it awakens and cherishes the most delightful sympathies of his nature. Nor is this confined to the higher ranks of life; it will find its way to every order of society, provided it be ac

companied by moral and religious knowledge. Even the youthful inhabitants of the cottage, which is hallowed by the daily invocation of His presence who dwells with the lowly, are no strangers to the ameliorating power of that pleasing emotion which delights to make its object happy, and which, with its gentle but irresistible sway, excites to the ardent and ceaseless imitation of the thousand nameless excellencies, which its object is supposed to possess. And of these sons of care and toil, perhaps it may be said, that the most delightful period of a life that is full of trouble, is, whilst the tenderest sensibilities of the heart are alive to the impressions of female beauty and loveliness, to the pleasure of all the endearing associations which the indications of tenderness, and benevolence, and virtue, must necessarily form.

It is the more necessary to dwell on this particular, since it has been objected to those views which Mr. Malthus has had the merit of placing in a striking light, that they afford a dark and melancholy representation of the conduct of Providence, by holding out discouragements to the early union of the sexes. Now, if those who have not the means of supporting a family, and these are the only persons to whose early marriage the opinions of Mr. Malthus, or rather the dictates of sound

prudence, and of scripture, afford any discou ragement, were deprived of the tender, and pleasing, and humanising influence to which I have alluded, the views in question would, indeed, be dark and melancholy. But they, as well as others, may enjoy the moral advantage which an early and a continued attachment to one object affords, and all those bright visions of the future, which arise to the imagination and the heart of the dullest lover, and which made the service of seven years for Rachel, appear to the enamoured patriarch "but a few days, for the love he had to her."--Indeed this subject, when fully investigated, will not only appear illustrative of the intentions of Deity as to the moral destiny of man, but also of the extreme necessity of giving every possible attention to the instruction of the people.

Besides, the desire to consummate virtuous love will have a tendency to produce such exertion as will make some provision for the future union. All the earnings of the preceding years are carefully preserved: the lover is industrious and economical that he may have some little stock by which he can render the object of his affections more comfortable. This practice, while it induces sober habits, which will continue always useful to the individual

and his family, is of very great utility to the public, since it prevents the children born from such a marriage from becoming an useless burden. In this way, the extent of population will not at any time go much beyond the means of sustenance necessary for its support; and thus the wealth and happiness of the kingdom are promoted. Such a state of things has already taken place in Scotland to a good degree: there the poor, in place of being a nuisance to the public, are industrious, and virtuous, and comfortable: all the effects of such habits are apparent in the unrivalled progress of its agriculture, and in the advancing prosperity of the whole country. -This is the happy result of the education of the poor. If it be necessary to set off the colouring of this beautiful picture by one of an opposite description, let us turn our attention to Ireland, and there it is fully presented to our view. There the poor are ignorant, superstitious, and comfortless; wandering about in crowds on the public roads, loathsome with filth and disease, a burden to themselves, and an annoyance to those who are stunned with the noise of their vociferation. Nor is the condition of the native peasantry greatly better: their poverty and wretchedness are well known; they have been remarked by every traveller.