A. D. 1624. 325 



modlties at home, or the hurt of trade. Saving alfo to the city of 

 London, and other cities and towns corporate, their charters concern- 

 ing any cuftoms ufed within them, or to any corporations, companies, 

 or fellowships of any art, or of any company of merchants ere6ted for 

 the maintenance and enlargement of commerce. Nor did this ad: ex- 

 tend to charters for printing ; or for making faltpetre, gunpowder, can- 

 non, cannon-bullets, or alum ; nor to Sir Robert Maunfell's patent for 

 making glafs ; nor to a patent for making fmalt ; nor to another for 

 fmelting iron with pit-coal, granted to Edward Lord Digby.' [21 Jac. 7, 



c- 3 ] 



By another ftatute, it was enaded, that whereas the price of the value 

 of lands and of other commodities of England was much abated ; and 

 that notwithftanding the intereft on the loan of money continued at fo 

 high a rate as ten pounds in the hundred pounds for a year, no perfon 

 after the 24th of June 1625, {hould diredly or indiredly take for the 

 loan of any monies, wares, or merchandize, &c. above the value of L8 

 for the forbearance of Lioo for a year. And all bonds, contracts, and 

 aflurances, made after the time aforefaid, for any ufury above the rates 

 of L8 per cent, were declared void. And whoever fhould take more, 

 by means of any corrupt bargain, loan, exchange, chevifance, fhift, or 

 interefl of any wares, merchandize, &c. or by any covin, engine, or 

 deceitful conveyance, for the forbearing of money, or other thing what- 

 foever, than eight per cent, fhould forfeit triple the value of the mo- 

 ney, &c. fo lent. Scriveners, brokers, folicitors, and drivers of bar- 

 gains tor contracl:s and loans, who fhould diredly or indirectly take for 

 negociating any fuch loan, over and above the rate of five fliillings for 

 ever Lioo, or above twelvepence for making the bond, fhall forfeit 

 L20, and be imprifoned for fix months. This a£t to continue for feven 

 years. (Now follows what is fhameful to appear in any ftatute-book, 

 after what has been juft enatted.) Provided, that no words in this law 

 contained fhall be conftrued or expounded to allow the pradice of ufury 

 in point of religion or conlcience ! [21 'Jac. /, c. 17.] 



Sir Thomas Culpcper, a member of parliament, was greatly inftru- 

 mental in obtaining this redudion : he laid before the houfe of com- 

 mons a treatife, which he publifhed in the year 1623, againft the high 

 rate of interefl, which his Ion Sir Thomas reprinted in 1668, with in- 

 tent to get interefl brought lower, after being reduced to 6 per cent. 

 The later obferves that this ad patfed with all oppoiition imaginable ; 

 it being an untrodden path, and therefor to be hewn out by dint of 

 reafon. At its pafling, a zealous oppofer of it defired it might be remem- 

 bered that he had foretold the inconveniencies that would enfue. In 

 anfwer to which, Sir Thomas Culpeper alio defired it might be remem- 

 bered that he had prophefied many happy effeds from it ; to the king, 

 in the improvement of his cufloms ; to the landlord, in the advance uf 



