Those who think that such matters find their own level, and regulate
themselves, may be right in the long run, for so they indeed do. But
how? When poverty and want came, no doubt the consumption of
flesh-meat would be diminished; when the country had no means of
supplying itself as it did when it was rich, famine would play its part
in becoming one of the regulators; but, before this regulation could be
effected, the evil we wish to prevent would have taken place. The
country would be depopulated and ruined. We must, therefore, in
trying to avert the decline of a nation, not set any thing down for the
counteracting and adjusting power, which is known sometimes to
interfere so very advantageously in the affairs of men. Though it is true
that it does interfere, it is in all cases of this sort too late, it is
an effect of the cause which we wish to avoid; we can only look to it here
for stopping the career in process of time, but, never for preventing it.
We know that the extravagance of an individual impairs his fortune,
and, that the diminution of means will, at length, counteract the
extravagance; but, then it will do so when it is too late, and after he is
ruined. Wastefulness may be stopped, but it cannot possibly stop
itself, as the diminution of means is the cause of the extravagance
ceasing, and itself is an effect of the prior existence of the
extravagance.

Regarding men merely then as producing and consuming, (the
proportion between which regulates the wealth of a nation,) we find
that, in their own persons, there is a rooted tendency to bring on the
decline. But we shall farther find that not only do people in wealthy
and luxurious nations produce less and consume more than in nations
less advanced, but they increase the number of unproductive
labourers, all of whom consume without producing. They also main-
[end of page #146] tain animals who consume, but do nothing towards