KingsmighthelpProvidence。AnewTrajanwoulddeservetobecalledthefatherofhispeople，ifheincreasedthemarriage-rate。Malthusrepliesthatthestatisticswhichtheworthymanhimselfproducedshowedconclusivelythatthemarriagesdependeduponthedeaths。Thebirthsfillupthevacancies，andtheprincewhoincreasedthepopulationbeforevacanciesarosewouldsimplyincreasetherateofmortality。60Ifyouwanttoincreaseyourbirth-ratewithoutabsolutelyproducingfamine，asheremarksafterwards，61makeyourtownsunhealthy，andencouragesettlementbymarshes。Youmightthusdoublethemortality，andwemightallmarryprematurelywithoutbeingabsolutelystarved。Hisownaimisnottosecurethegreatestnumberofbirths，buttobesurethatthegreatestnumberofthosebornmaybesupported。62TheingeniousM。Muret，again，hadfoundaSwissparishinwhichthemeanlifewasthehighestandthefecunditysmallestknown。HepiouslyconjecturesthatitmaybealawofGodthat’theforceoflifeineachcountryshouldbeintheinverseratioofitsfecundity。’Heneedsnotbetakehimselftoamiracle，saysMalthus。63Thecaseissimplythatinasmallandhealthyvillage，wherepeoplehadbecomeawareoftheimportanceofthe’preventivecheck，’theyoungpeopleputoffmarriagetilltherewasroomforthem，andconsequentlybothloweredthebirthrateandraisedtheaveragedurationoflife。
Nothing，saysMalthusveryforcibly，hascausedmoreerrorsthantheconfusionbetween’relativeandpositive，andbetweencauseandeffect。’64Heishereansweringtheargumentthatbecausethepoorwhohadcowswerethemostindustrious，thewaytomakethemindustriouswastogivethemcows。Malthusthinksitmoreprobablethatindustrygotthecowthanthatthecowproducedindustry。
Thisisatriflinginstanceofaverygeneraltruth。Peoplehadbeencontenttonoticethedeathscausedbywaranddisease，andtoinferatoncethatwhatcauseddeathmustdiminishpopulation。Malthusshowsthenecessityofobservingothercollateralresults。Thegapmaybemadesogreatastodiminishpopulation；butitmaybecompensatedbyamorerapidreproduction；
or，therapidityofreproductionmayitselfbethecauseofthedisease；
sothattoremoveonekindofmortalitymaybeonsomeoccasiontointroduceothers。Thestreamisdammedononebreachtoflowmorestronglythroughotheroutlets。65