litical economy. I must try to define as well as I
can what were the essential first principles implied, without going
into the special problems which would be relevant in a history of
political economy.

The two leading names in the literature of political economy during
the first quarter of this century were undoubtedly Malthus and
Ricardo. Thomas Robert Malthus[203] (1766-1834) was not one of the
Utilitarian band. As a clergyman, he could not share their opinion of
the Thirty-nine Articles. Moreover, he was a Whig, not a Radical; and
he was even tainted with some economic heresy. Still, he became one of
the prophets, if not the leading prophet, of the Utilitarians. Belief
in the Malthusian theory of population was the most essential article
of their faith, and marked the line of cleavage between the two wings
of the Radical party.

Malthus was the son of a country gentleman in Surrey. His father was
a man of studious habits, and one of the enthusiastic admirers of
Rousseau. His study of _Emile_ probably led to the rather desultory
education of his son. The boy, after being taught at home, was for a
time a pupil of R. Graves (1715-1804), author of the _Spiritual
Quixote_, a Whig clergyman who was at least orthodox enough to
ridicule Methodism. Malthus was next sent to attend Gilbert
Wakefield's lectures at the Warrington 'Academy,' the Unitarian place
of education, and in 1784 went to Jesus College, Cambridge, of which
Wakefield had been a fellow. For Wakefield, who had become a
Unitarian, and who was afterwards a martyr to political Radicalism, he
appears to have retained a strong respect. At Jesus, again, Malthus
was under Frend, who also was to join the Unitarians. Malthus was thus
brought up under the influences of the modified rationalism which was
represented by the Unitarians outside the establishment and by Paley
within. Coleridge was at Jesus while Malthus was still a fellow, and
there became an ardent admirer of Priestley, Malthus remained within
the borders of the church. Its yoke was light enough, and he was
essentially predisposed to moderate views. He took his degree as ninth
wrangler in 1788, became a fellow of his college in 1793, took orders,
and in 1798 was curate of Albury, near his father's house in Surrey.
Malthus's home was within a walk of Farnham, where Cobbett had been
born and passed his childhood. He had, therefore, before his eyes the
same agricultural labourer whose degradation excited C