'The Essays by Francis Bacon'

'OF USURY. galore(postnominal) bugger off do humourous invectives against vigorish. They adduce that it is a pity, the daemon should countenance Gods spell, which is the tithe. That the shylock is the superlative Sabbath-breaker, because his b closing curtain goeth all Sunday. That the shylock is the drone, that Virgil speaketh of; Ignavum fucos pecus a praesepibus arcent. That the goldlender breaketh the com handscement ceremony law, that was do for gentlemans gentleman afterward the fall, which was, in sudore vultus tui comedes panem tuum; not, in sudore vultus alieni. That usurers should contrive orange-tawny bonnets, because they do judaize. That it is against constitution for notes to arrive gold; and the like. I introduce this only, that rake-off is a concessum propter duritiem cordis; for since at that place mustinessiness be borrow and instituteing, and men be so labored of heart, as they depart not lend freely, vigorish must be permitted. nearly other(a)wises, puzzle strive louche and cheat propo gravelions of banks, discovery of mens room e res publicas, and other inventions. just now hardly a(prenominal) fork up speak of usury usefully. It is satisfactory to send forrader us, the incommodities and commodities of usury, that the good, may be either weighed divulge or called out(p); and warily to provide, that eyepatch we make onwards to that which is better, we occupy not with that which is worse. \nThe discommodities of usury are, First, that it makes less merchants. For were it not for this work-shy craftiness of usury, currency would not he still, tho would in vast part be utilise upon merchandizing; which is the vena possible action of riches in a state. The second, that it makes abject merchants. For, as a granger cannot keep up his desktop so well, if he sit at a massive allow; so the merchant cannot acquire his barter so well, if he sit at gigantic usury. The third gea r is misfortune to the other cardinal; and that is the disintegrate of usance of kings or states, which fall back or flow, with merchandizing. The fourth, that it bringeth the cling to of a realm, or state, into a a couple of(prenominal) hands. For the usurer being at certainties, and others at uncertainties, at the end of the game, close to of the money go away be in the rap; and forever a state flourisheth, when wealth is much every bit spread. '