speaking of which Blackstone quaintly observes that " many good and learned men have in former times very much per- plexed themselves and otTier people, by raising doubts about its legality in faro conscientiae,-" ' the objections being founded upon the ^proposition attributed to Aristotle : that money being naturally barren, to make it breed money is preposterous, and a monstrous perversion from the end of its institution, which was only to serve the purposes of exchange and not of in- crease.' St. Bazil, bishop of Csesarea, a learned and influential churchman of the fourth century, took up this doctrine, and discoursed with pious horror of the unnatural fertility of money when put out at interest.
" Brought and bringing fourth [said he] on the same day, though not gifted by the God of nature with 'Blh. Com. II., p. 454.
^ This is believed to be spurious. — (Blk. Com. II., p. 450.)
Aristotle's boctbink. 23 genitive or procreative faculties." And so the argument continued to be quoted by all the enemies of usury in all countries and times down to the beginning of the seventeenth century, when the expiring embers of prejudice were sought to be fanned again into flame by the inveterate enemy of interest, John Blaxton.' "There are [said he] in his 'English Usurer,' infinite colours, mitigations, evasions and dis- tinctions