The Maintenance of Free Trade [13]
Braine (Exchange:) so doth the Brayne exchange minister to the whole Microcosme or the whole Body of Traffique. Let the heart therefore by the liver receive his Tinctured Chilus by his own mouth and stomacke, and the blood full of Spirits, shall fill all the Veines, and supply the want of monyes. The easie course and recourse of whose exchange, shall bring all things in time, and serve all mens turnes. For even as there are two Courses observed of the Sunne: the one Annual, and the other by dayly declination, rising and going under: even so much wee observe in exchange two Courses, the one according to Par pro Pari, or value for value: the other rising and falling from time to time, as wee have already declared. The second Cause of the decay of Trade, saith he, is Usury, meaning Usury Politicke, wherein he is prevented to speake, because of a Treatise made against Usury by an unknowne Authour, and presented to the last Parliament, for whom he taketh great care, that hee be not abused as Virgill was by proclaiming too late, Hos ego versiculos feci, tulit alter honores. True it is that the said Authour doth not attribute unot himself the makeing of verses: but taketh the whole substance of his discourse out of other mens workes, published above twenty yeares since. Turpe est Doctori, dum culpa redarguit ipsum. Cato. Usury in a Common-wealth is so inherent, and doth properly grow with the decay of Trade, as Pasturage doth increase, with the decrease of Tilling. Albeit in some respects, Trade is increased by monyes delivered at use or interest upon occasions, when the Usurer is glad to finde a taker up of his monyes, and doth pray him to doe the same, by reason of the abundance of money; which maketh the price of Usury to fall, more then any Law or Proclamation can ever doe. So that to abate the Rate of Tenne upon the hundred to eight (as the saide Tract against usury would have had the Parliament to do:) will be effected or course, which alwaies hath the greatest command. This doth also much prevent, that the Rule of Concord and Equality is not so soone broken and overthrowne in Common-weales, some growing very rich, and others extreame poore, not able to live in their vocation: The most pregnant cause of discord, causing many times civill warres, as Corvelius Tacitus hath noted, and appeareth in another Treatise where the operations of Usury are described. The biting Usury & intolerable extortion committed by certain uncharitable men, commonly called Brokers for pawnes, is not to bee touched in a word, for this is the only the remarkable sin, (I meane extortion & oppression:) for which feedeth upon the sweat & blood of the meere merchanicall poore, taking 40, 50, 60 & 100 upon the 100 by the yeare: besides Bill money and forfeiture of the pawnes, when charitable persons have offered above 20 yeares since, to give largely, and to lend moneys Gratis, as also after 10 in the 100 to supply by way of pawn- houses (by some called Lombards:) the need and occasions of the poore & mechanicke people; the neglect wherof sheweth that our hearts are overfrozen with the Ice of uncharitablenesse, which otherwise could not have so long continued; for it provoketh Gods anger against us in the highest degree. If these men had beene Jewes, I might have bestowed some Hebrew upon them in detestation of the word Neshech, which is nothing else but a kind of biting, as a dog useth to bite & gnaw upon a bone; otherwise to use many languages in a litle Treatise of free trade may seem impertinent. The third cause of the decay of Trade he saith, is, the litigious Law suits, which as one way they increase by scarcity of money, which compelleth men to stand out in Law for a time, when they cannot pay untill they receive: So another way, when moneys are plentifull, men care the less for money, & pride causeth them to spend, & to go to law for every triffle, disputing De lana Caprina: true it it, that this Law warfare interrupteth trade, but to make the same to be one of the efficient Causes of the decay of trade, I cannot altogither