Wilson,^ in his "discourse upon usurie," says, " I will wish some penall lawe of death to bee made against those usurers, as well as against theeves or murtherers, for that they deserve death much more than such men doe ; for these usurers destroie and devour up not onlie whole famiUes, but also whole countries, and bring all folke to beggerie that have to doe with them." And again, as late as the ■ Cic. de oflF. lib. 2, in fine (c. 25). " Thomas Wilson, D.C.L., was one of the masters of the Court of Requests, and wrote in the reign of Elizabeth. His famous " Discourse upon Usurie, by way of Dialogue," appeared in 1569.
ETYMOLOGY AND DEFINITION. 13 reign of James I., we find Mr. Noy^ was of the same opinion with Dr. Wilson, and thought that the guilt of taking another man's money was equal to that of taking another's life, and asserted in solemn argument before the Court, that " according to an ancient book in the Exchequer, called Magister et Tilbu- riensis, usurers are well ranked amongst murderers."^ And so as we shall hereafter see, usury has been in almost every age the invariable theme of censure to the moralist, of persecution to the Statesman, and of eternal reprobation to the divine.
The word usury derives its Etymology from usus, to use, and oera, a mark upon money to show its value. Usura dicitur ab usu et asre quia datur, pro usu ceris, for the use of money, as though it were ususera.' It is not, however, to be hence understood that usury is only applicable to pecuniary trans- actions. For as it is properly defined as the taking of an extravagant interest for the forbearance of the principal ; '' so the taking for use of other things comes within this explanation of usury.' " For if a woman should lend her neighbour two egges, to have three againe, were it not damnable usurie !" ° The inajority of our Etymologists make interest and usury synonymous ; and the enemies to interest in general Inake no distinction between that and usury, holding that any increase of money is indefensibly usurious ;