28。BywhatmeanswemayremedyaDepopulation。Whenastateisdepopulatedbyparticularaccidents，bywars，pestilence，orfamine，therearestillresourcesleft。Themenwhoremainmaypreservethespiritofindustry；theymayseektorepairtheirmisfortunes，andcalamityitselfmaymakethembecomemoreindustrious。Thisevilisalmostincurablewhenthedepopulationispreparedbeforehandbyinteriorviceandabadgovernment。Whenthisisthecase，menperishwithaninsensibleandhabitualdisease；borninmiseryandweakness，inviolenceorundertheinfluenceofawickedadministration，theyseethemselvesdestroyed，andfrequentlywithoutperceivingthecauseoftheirdestruction。Ofthiswehaveamelancholyproofinthecountriesdesolatedbydespoticpower，orbytheexcessiveadvantagesoftheclergyoverthelaity。
Invainshallwewaitforthesuccourofchildrenyetunborntore—establishastatethusdepopulated。Thereisnottimeforthis；menintheirsolitudearewithoutcourageorindustry。Withlandsufficienttonourishanation，theyhavescarcelyenoughtonourishafamily。Thecommonpeoplehavenotevenapropertyinthemiseriesofthecountry，thatis，inthefallowswithwhichitabounds。Theclergy，theprince，thecities，thegreatmen，andsomeoftheprincipalcitizensinsensiblybecomeproprietorsofallthelandwhichliesuncultivated；thefamilieswhoareruinedhavelefttheirfields，andthelabouringmanisdestitute。
InthissituationtheyshouldtakethesamemeasuresthroughoutthewholeextentoftheempirewhichtheRomanstookinapartoftheirs；
theyshouldpractiseintheirdistresswhattheseobservedinthemidstofplenty；thatis，theyshoulddistributelandtoallthefamilieswhoareinwant，andprocurethemmaterialsforclearingandcultivatingit。
Thisdistributionoughttobecontinuedsolongasthereisamantoreceiveit，andinsuchamannerasnottoloseamomentthatcanbeindustriouslyemployed。