Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/433



[ covetous desire of earthly goods is a passion incurable, but especially after that it hath gotten the mastery of the soul, in such sort as the advertisements which are made in regard of covetous men be not proposed for anything else but for the profit and benefit of those persons who are to keep themselves from the nets and snares of these enemies of human society. Now among all those who have need of good counsels in this behalf, we must range them that take up money upon interest, who serving as a prey and booty to these greedy and hungry hunters, ought so much the rather to look unto their own preservation, if they would not be cruelly devoured. And as this infortunity hath been in the world ever since the entry of sin, that always some or other, yea, and great numbers, have endeavoured to make their commodity and gain by the loss and damage of their neighbours; so we may see here that in Plutarch's time things were grown to a wonderful confusion, the which is nothing diminished since, but contrariwise it seemeth that in these our days it is come to the very height. And for to apply some remedy hereto, our author leaveth usurers altogether as persons graceless, reprobate, and uncapable of all remonstrance, addressing himself unto borrowers, to the end that he might discover and lay open unto them the snares and nets into which they plunge themselves; and this he doth without specifying or particularising over-near of usury, because there is no mean or measure limited nor any end of this furious desire of gathering and heaping up things corruptible. Considering then that covetous folk have neither nerve nor vein that reacheth or tendeth to the pity of their neighbours, meet it is and good reason that borrowers should have some mercy and compassion of themselves, to weigh and ponder well the grave discourses of this author, and to apply the same unto the right use. He saith, therefore, that the principal means to keep and save themselves from the teeth of usury is to make the best of their own, and shift with those things that they have about them, before they approach unto the den of this hungry and greedy beast, and that men ought to make an hand and quick dispatch of that which is not very necessary before they come thither; where he taxeth those who had leifer lay to gage and pawn their goods, and remain under the burden of usury, than to sell up all and disgage themselves at once. After this, he presenteth the true remedy of this mischief, namely, to spare and spend in measure; and to cause us to be more wary and better advised, he proposeth the lively image of this