HE facte in other maie be with more facilitée to-
lerated, in that to theim selues, the facte and con-
uersacion of life is moste pernicious, and hurtfull,
but by soche kinde of menne, whole kyngdomes
and common wealthes would bee ouerthrowen. And for a
prosperous state and common wealthe, a common woe and
Horrible vi-
ces. calamitée would fall on them, tumultes and vprores main-
tained, right and lawe exiled: neither in field quietnes, welth
or riches, houses spoiled, families extinguished, in all places
sedicion, warre for peace, violence for right, will and lust for
Userers. lawe, a hedlesse order in all states. And as concernyng Usu-
rers, though their gaines be neuer so ample, and plentifull,
to enriche them, whereby thei growe to be lordes, ouer many
thousandes of poundes: yet the wealthe gotten by it, is so in-
iurious, that thei are a greate plague, to all partes of the cō-
mon wealthe: so many daungers and mischiues, riseth of thē[.]
Cato the noble and wise Senator of Rome, being demaun-
ded diuers questions, what was firste to bee sought, in a fa-
milie or housholde, the aunsweres not likyng the demaun-
The sentence
of Cato a-
gainst vsu-
rers.
Usure is mur[-]
ther. der: this question was asked, O Cato, what sentēce giue you
of Usurie, that is a goodlie matter to bee enriched by. Then
Cato aunswered in fewe woordes. Quid hominem occidere.
What saie you to be a murderer? Soche a thyng saieth he, is
Usurie. A brief sentence againste Usurers, but wittely pro-
nounced from the mouth of a godlie, sage, noble, and descrite
persone, whiche sentence let the Usurer, ioigne to his Usury
retourned, and repeate at the retourne thereof, this sentence
The sentence
of Cato a dis-
comfort to v-
surers. of Cato, I haue murthered. This one sentence will discou-
rage any Usurer, knowyng hymself a murtherer. Though
moche more maie be spoken against it, this shalbe sufficient.
The Hebrues calleth Usurie, by the name of Shecke, that is
a bityng gaine, of the whiche many haue been so bitten, that
whole families haue been deuoured, & beggerie haue been
their gaine. And as Palingenius noteth.
Debitor aufugiens portat cum fænore sortem.
The debtour often tymes saieth he, runneth awaie, and
carieth with hym, the debte and gaines of the Usurie. The
Grekes calleth Usurie Tokos, that is properlie the trauaile
of women of their childe: soche is their Usurie, a daungerous
gettyng. Demosthenes likeneth their state as thus, as if ter-
restriall thynges should be aboue the starres: and the heauēs
Usure a dan-
gerous [gaue]. and celestialle bodies, gouerned by the base and lowe terre-
striall matters, whiche by no meanes, can conserue the ex-
cellencie of them, for, of them onely, is their matter, substaūce
and nature conserued.
¶ Exclusion of mercie.
Herefore, to whom regimente and gouerne-
mente is committed, on whose administracion,
the frame of the cōmon wealth doe staie it self:
thei ought with al wisedome and moderacion,
to procede in soche causes, whose office in wor-
Princes and
magistrates
be as Gods
on the earth. thinesse of state, and dignitée, maketh thē as Goddes on the
yearth, at whose mouthes for wisedome, counsaill, and for-
tunate state, infinite people doe depende. It is no smal thing
in that their sword & aucthoritée, doeth sette or determine all
thinges, that tendereth a prosperous state, whereupon with
all integritée and equitée, thei ought to temper the affeccions
of their mynde: and accordyng to the horrible facte, and mis-
chiues of the wicked, to exasperate & agrauate their terrible
iudgemente, and to extirpate from the yearth, soche as be of
The homicide.
The Theue.
The Adulte-
rer. no societie in life. The bloodie homicide, the thief, the adul-
terer, for by these all vertue is rooted out, all godlie societie
extinguished, citees, realmes, and countrées, prostrate & pla-
gued for the toleracion of their factes, against soch frendship
in iudgemente muste cease, and accordyng to the state of the
cause, equitee to retaine frendship, money muste not blinde,
nor rewardes to force and temper Iudgementes: but accor-
dyng to the veritee of the cause, to adde a conclusion. Wor-
Whey the pi-
ctures of ma-
gistrates bee
picturid with-
oute handes. thelie the pictures of Princes, Gouernours and Magistrates
in auncient tymes doe shewe this, where the antiquitée ma-
keth theim without handes, therein it sheweth their office,
and iudgemente to proceade with equitée, rewardes not to
blind, or suppresse the sinceritée of the cause. Magistrates not
to bee bounde to giftes, nor rewardes to rule their sentence.
Alciatus in his boke called Emblemata, in senatū sancti prin-
cipis.
Princes and
magistrates
graue & con-
stante.
Effigies manibus trunc[ae] ante altaria diuum
Hic resident, quarum lumine capta prior
Signa potestatis summ[ae], sanctiq[ue] senatus,
Thebanis fuerant ista reperta viris.
Cur resident? Quia mente graues decet esse quieta
Iuridicos, animo nec variare leui.
Cur sine sunt manibus? Capiant ne xenia, nec se
Pollicitis flecti muneribus ve sinant.
Cecus est princeps quod solis auribus, absq[ue]
Affectu constans iussa senatus agit.
Where vertue and integritée sheweth it self, in the persone
and cause, to vpholde and maintein thesame. Roote out hor-
rible vices from common wealthe, that the more surer and
stronge foundacion of vertue maie be laied: for, that onelie
cause, the scepter of kinges, the office of magistrates was left
to the posteritée of all ages.