TheprevalenceofthisviewexplainsMalthus’sposition。Toattributedepopulationtoluxurywastosaythatitwascausedbytheinequalityofproperty。Therichmanwastedthesubstanceofthecountry，becamedemoralisedhimself，andbothcorruptedandplunderedhisneighbours。Thereturntoa’stateofnature，’inRousseau’sphrase，meantthereturntoastateofthingsinwhichthismisappropriationshouldbecomeimpossible，thewholeindustryofthenationwouldthenbedevotedtosupportingmillionsofhonest，simplepeasantsandlabourers，whereasitnowwenttoincreasingthesplendourofthegreatattheexpenseofthepoor，Priceenlargesuponthistheme，whichwas，infact，thecontemporaryversionofthelaterformulathatthericharegrowingricherandthepoorpoorer。Theimmediateeffectofequalisingproperty，then，wouldbeanincreaseofpopulation。Itwasthenaturalretort，adoptedbyMalthus，thatsuchanincreasewouldsoonmakeeverybodypoor，insteadofmakingeveryonecomfortable。Population，theFrencheconomistshadsaid，followssubsistence。Willitnotmultiplyindefinitely?TherapidgrowthofpopulationinAmericawasnoticedbyPriceandGodwin；andthetheoryhadbeenlongbeforeexpandedbyFranklin，inapaperwhichMalthusquotesinhislatereditions。’Thereisnobound，’saidFranklinin1751，13’totheprolificnatureofplantsandanimalsbutwhatismadebytheircrowdingandinterferingwitheachother’smeansofsubsistence。’Thewholeearth，heinfers，mightbeoverspreadwithfennel，forexample，or，ifemptyofmen，replenishedinafewageswithEnglishmen。ThereweresupposedtobealreadyonemillionofEnglishmeninNorthAmerica。Iftheydoubledonceintwenty-fiveyears，theywouldinacenturyexceedthenumberofEnglishmenathome。ThisisidenticalwithMirabeau’sprincipleofthemultiplyingofratsinabarn。Populationtreadscloselyontheheelsofsubsistence。Workoutyourfiguresandseetheresults。14
Malthus’sessayinthefirsteditionwasmainlyanapplicationofthisretort，andthoughthelogicwaseffectiveasagainstGodwin，hemadenoelaborateappealtofacts。
Malthussooncametoseethatamorepreciseapplicationwasdesirable。
Itwasclearlydesirabletoknowwhetherpopulationwasorwasnotactuallyincreasing，andunderwhatconditions。IhavespokenofthecontemporarylaboursofSinclair，Young，SirF。Eden，andothers。Tocollectstatisticswasplainlyoneoftheessentialconditionsofsettlingthecontroversy。
Malthusin1799travelledonthecontinenttogatherinformation，andvisitedSweden，Norway，Russia，andGermany。ThepeaceofAmiensenabledhimin1802tovisitFranceandSwitzerland。Heinquiredeverywhereintotheconditionofthepeople，collectedsuchstatisticalknowledgeaswasthenpossible，andreturnedtodigestitintoamoreelaboratetreatise。Meanwhile，theconditionofEnglandwasgivingafreshsignificancetotheargument。Thefirsteditionhadbeenpublishedatthecriticaltimewhenthepoor-lawwasbeingrelaxed，anddisastrousresultswerefollowingwarandfamine。