An expositio[n] upon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians…An expositio[n] vpon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians…

Here, I pray you to lend me your minds, and consider what I say. A Merchant taketh up of his neighbour a hundred pounds, and must answer again a hundred and ten pounds He bestoweth it all in corn, and buyeth for his hundred pounds, a hundred quarters of corn. He sendeth it to the market, the people have need of it, and buy it. If he sold it for eight groats a bushel, he might make up his hundred pounds, and be a gainer. But unless he make up a hundred and ten pounds to discharge his usury, he must needs be a looser and undone. But undone he will not be: he will rather undo many others. Therefore he setteth price at three shillings the bushel, and and so maketh his money, and payeth the Usurer, and saveth himself, and is no loser. Who then payeth the ten pounds? who is the loser, any man may see. The poor people which buy the corn, they find it, and feel it in every morsel they eat. Thus, if the Merchant borrower be not hindered by the Usurer: yet the people that buy his ⟨p. 133⟩wares are plagued. Thus it is no hard matter to find, that howsoever Usury be used, it is always dangerous, and beguileth the people, and is therefore the destruction and overthrow of the common wealth.

Here, I pray you to lend me your minds, and consider what I saie. A Marchant taketh vp of his neighbour a hundred poundes, and must answere againe a hundred and ten poundes He bestoweth it al in corne, and buyeth for his hundred poundes, a hundred quarters of corne. He sendeth it to the market, the people haue néede of it, and buie it. If he sold it for eight groats a bushel, he might make vp his hundred pounds, and be a gainer. But vnlesse he make vp a hundred and ten pounds to discharge his vsurie, he must néedes be a looser and vndone. But vndone he wil not be: he wil rather vndoe manie others. Therefore he sefteth price at thrée shillings the bushel, and and so maketh his money, and payeth the Vsurer, and saueth himselfe, and is no loser. Who then payeth the tenne poundes? who is the loser, anie man maie sée. The poore people which buie the corne, they finde it, and féele it in euerie morsell they eate. Thus, if the Marchant borrower be not hindered by the Vsurer: yet the people that buie his ⟨p. 133⟩wares are plagued. Thus it is no harde matter to finde, that howsoeuer Vsurie be vsed, it is alwaies daungerous, and beguileth the people, and is therefore the destruction and ouerthrowe of the common wealth.