invented on earth to cover heaven-exploded usury ; nay, the tired earth becomes barren, only the usurers' money the longer it breeds, the lustier ; and an hundred pounds put out twenty years since, is grandmother to two or three hundred children, pretty stripplings, able to begette their mother againe in a short time. "
In answer to these objections it may be said : that money begets not money is a weak argument, for the gain that is raised out of anything is not always the same thing, nor the fruit of the same thing, but rather of his skill and industry that employs it.^ And Blackstone observes as to the natural barrenness of money, that "the same may with equal force be alleged of houses which never breed houses; and twenty other things which nobody doubts it is lawful ' To this author we are also indehted for the following portrait of the usurer's person : " The usurer," he says, " is known hy his very looks often, by his speeches commonly, by his actions ever ; he hath a leane cheeke, a meagre body, as if he were fed by the devill's allowance, his eyes are almost sunke to the backside of his head with admiration of money, his eares are set to tell the clocke, his whole carcass is a meere anatomy."