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Hefe Things are but Toyes, to come amongst fuch Serious Obferuations. But yet, fince Princes will haue fuch Things, it is better,

they should be Graced with Elegancy, then Daubed with Coft. Dancing to Song, is a Thing of great State, and Pleasure. I vnderstand it, that the Song be in Quire, placed aloft, and accompanied with fome broken Musicke: And the Ditty fitted to the Deuice. Acling in Song, especially in Dialogues, hath an extreme Good Grace: I fay Acting, not Dancing, (For that is a Meane and Vulgar Thing;) And the Voices of the Dialogue, would be Strong and Manly, (A Base, and a Tenour; No Treble ;) And the Ditty High and Tragicall; Not nice or Dainty. Seuerall

Quires, placed one ouer against another, and taking the Voice by Catches, Antheme wife, giue great Pleafure. Turning Dances into Figure, is a childish Curiofity. And generally, let it be noted, that those Things, which I here fet downe, are such, as doe naturally take the Sense, and not refpect Petty Wonderments. It is true, the Alterations of Scenes, so it be quietly, and without Noife, are Things of great Beauty, and Pleasure: For they feed and relieue the Eye, before it be full of the fame Obiect. Let the Scenes abound with Light, specially Coloured and Varied: And let the Mafquers, or any other, that are to come down from the Scene, haue fome Motions, vpon the Scene it felfe, before their Comming down: For it drawes the Eye ftrangely, and makes it with great pleasure, to defire to fee that, it cannot perfectly difcerne. Let the Songs be Loud, and Cheerefull, and

This Essay is not included in the posthumous Latin Edition of 1638.

V.

1625.

æt. 65.

not Chirpings, or Pulings. Let the Muficke likewise, be Sharpe, and Loud, and Well Placed. The Colours, that fhew beft by Candlelight, are; White, Carnation, and a Kinde of Sea-Water-Greene; And Oes, or Spangs, as they are of no great Coft, so they are of moft Glory. As for Rich Embroidery, it is loft, and not Difcerned. Let the Sutes of the Mafquers, be Gracefull, and fuch as become the Perfon, when the Vizars are off: Not after Examples of Knowne Attires; Turks, Soldiers, Mariners, and the like. Let Antimafques not be long: They haue been commonly of Fooles, Satyres, Baboones, Wilde-Men, Antiques, Beasts, Sprites, Witches, Ethiopes, Pigmies, Turquets, Nimphs, Rusticks, Cupids, Statua's Mouing, and the like. As for Angels, it is not Comicall enough, to put them in Anti-Mafques; And any Thing that is hideous, as Deuils, Giants, is on the other fide as vnfit. But chiefly, let the Muficke of them, be Recreatiue, and with fome ftrange Changes. Some Sweet Odours, fuddenly comming forth, without any drops falling, are, in fuch a Company, as there is Steame and Heate, Things of great Pleasure; and Refreshment. Double Mafques, one of Men, another of Ladies, addeth State, and Variety. But All is Nothing, except the Roome be kept Cleare, and Neat.

For Iufts, and Tourneys, and Barriers; The Glories of them, are chiefly in the Chariots, wherein the Challengers make their Entry; Efpecially if they be drawne with Strange Beasts; As Lions, Beares, Cammels, and the like: Or in the Deuices of their Entrance; Or in the Brauery of their Liueries; Or in the Goodly Furniture of their Horses, and Armour. But enough of these Toyes.

V.

M

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Any haue made Wittie Inuectiues against Vfurie.2 They say, that it is Pitie, the Deuill should haue Gods part, which is the Tithe. That the Vfurer is the greatest Sabbath Breaker, because his Plough goeth euery Sunday. That the Vfurer is the Droane, that Virgil speaketh of:

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Ignauum Fucos Pecus à præfepibus arcent.a

That the Vfurer breaketh the First Law, that was made for Mankinde, after the Fall; which was, In fudore Vultus tui comedes Panem tuum; Not, In fudore Vultus alieni. That Vfurers fhould haue Orangetawney Bonnets, because they doe Iudaize. That it is against Nature, for Money to beget Money; And the like. I fay this onely, that Vfury is a Conceffum propter Duritiem Cordis: For fince there must be Borrowing and Lending, and Men are so hard of Heart, as they will not lend freely, Vfury must be permitted. Some Others haue made Sufpicious, and Cunning Propofitions, of Bankes,5 Difcouery of Mens Estates, and other Inuentions. But few haue spoken of Vfury vfefully. It is good to fet before vs, the Incommodities, and Commodities of Vfury; That the Good may be,

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a They drive away the drones, a slothful race, from the hives. Virgil. Georgics. iv. 168.

b in the sweat of thy face, shalt thou eat thy bread [Gen. iii. 18], not in the sweat of another's face.

A concession on account of the hardness of the heart.

VI. Variations in posthumous Latin Edition of 1638.

1 TITLE. De Vsura sive Fænore, of usury or interest.'

2 Vsurie. Fæneratores, 'usurers.'

3 Euery Sunday. Sabbathis, on Sabbaths.'

4 Borrowing and Lending. Ut Pecunias mutuo dent, et accipiant,' that men should give and receive money on loan.'

5 Bankes. Argentariis, et Excambiis publicis, banks and public exchanges.'

6 Vsefully. Solide et utiliter, 'solidly and usefully.'

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ather Weighed out, or Culled out; And warily to prouide, that while we make forth, to that which is better, we meet not, with that which is worse.

The Delomnodities of Vfury are: First, that it makes fewer Merchants. For were it not, for this Laze Trade of jury, Money would not lie ftill,” but would, in great Part, be Imployed vpon Merchandizing; Which is the Vena Porta of Wealth 1o in a State. The Second, that it makes Poore Merchants. For as a Farmer cannot husband his Ground so well,11 if he sit at a great Rent: So the Merchant cannot driue his Trade to well if he fit at 14 great 'fury. The Third is incident to the other two; And that is, the Decay of Customes of Kings or States,15 which Ebbe or flow with Merchandizing. The Fourth, that it bringeth the Treature of a Realme or State, into a few Hands. For the Wurer being at Certainties, and others at Vncertainties, at the end of the Game; 18 Moft of the Money will be in the Boxe;19 And euer a State flourisheth, when Wealth is more equally 20 fpread.21 The Fifth, that it beats downe the Price of Land:22 For the Employment of Money, is chiefly, either

7 Meet not with Intercipiamur et incidamus, ‘are intercepted by and fall inta

Trade of Vsury. Pecunia in Fanus Erogatio, 'giving out of money at interest."

9 Lie still Delitescerent præ Socordia, 'be hidden away from idleness.' 10 Of Wealth. Ad Opes introducendas, ‘for bringing in wealth.' So well. Ita fructuose, so fruitfully.'

12 Sit at. Solvat, 'pay.'

13 So well Tam commode et lucrose, so conveniently and profitably.' 14 If he sit at. Si Pecuniis Fænore sumptis, negotietur, ‘if he do business with money taken up at interest."

15 Customes of Kings or States. Portoriorum et Vectigalium publicorum, 'public customs and taxes'

16 Treasure. Thesaurum, et Pecunias, treasure and money.'

17 Vsurer. Fæneratoris Lucrum, the usurer's gain.'

13 After Game. Prout fit sæpe in Alea, as often happens at dice.' 19 The Boxe. Promo, the keeper.*

20 Equally. Omitted in the Latin.

Spread. Dispergantur, non coacerventur, spread not heaped up.' 22 Land. Terræ et Prædiorum, 'land and farms.'

V.

both.

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Merchandizing, or Purchafing; 23 And Vfury Way-layes The Sixth, that it doth Dull and Dampe all Industries, Improuements, and new Inuentions, wherin. Money would be Stirring, if it were not for this Slugge. The Laft, that it is the Canker and Ruine of many Mens Eftates; Which in proceffe of Time breeds a Publike Pouertie.

On the other fide, the Commodities of Vfury are. First, that howfoeuer Vfury in fome refpect hindereth Merchandizing, yet in fome other it aduanceth it: For it is certain, that the Greatest Part of Trade, is driuen by Young Merchants, vpon Borrowing at Interest: So as if the Vfurer, either call in, or keepe backe his Money, there will enfue presently a great Stand 24 of Trade. The Second is, That were it not, for this easie borrowing vpon Intereft, Mens neceffities would draw vpon them, a moft fudden vndoing; In that they would be forced to fell their Meanes (be it Lands or Goods) farre vnder Foot; 25 and fo, whereas Vfury doth but Gnaw vpon them, Bad Markets 26 would Swallow them quite vp. As for Mortgaging, 27 or Pawning, it will little mend the matter; For either Men will not take Pawnes without Vfe; Or if they doe, they will looke precisely for the Forfeiture. 28 I remember a Cruell Moneyed Man, in the Country, that would fay; The Deuill take this Vfury, it keepes vs from Forfeitures, of Mortgages, and Bonds. The third and Laft is; That it is a Vanitie to conceiue, that there would be Ordinary Borrowing without Profit;

23 Purchasing. Prædiorum Coemptiones, 'purchasing farms.' 24 Stand. Clades, 'destruction.'

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25 Farre vnder Foot. Nimis vili pretio, at too low a price.'

26 Bad Markets. Distractiones, selling piecemeal.'

27 Mortgaging. Ea quæ a Jureconsultis appelluntur Mortua vadia, 'what are called by lawyers mortgages.'

28 Forfeiture. Solutione ad diem minime præstita, summo jure agent, 'if payment is not made at the day, they will act according to the extremity of the law.'

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