104 BACON'S ESSAYS 



many will rather venture in that kind than take five in the 

 hundred, especially having been used to greater profit. 

 Secondly, let there be certain persons licensed to lend to 

 known merchants upon usury at a higher rate ; and let it 

 be with the cautions following. Let the rate be, even 

 with the merchant himself, somewhat more easy than that 

 he used formerly to pay ; for by that means all borrowers 

 shall have some ease by this reformation, be he merchant, 

 or whosoever. Let it be no bank or common stock, but 

 every man be master of his own money. Not that I 

 altogether mislike banks, but they will hardly be brooked, 

 in regard of certain suspicions. Let the state be answered 

 some small matter for the licence, and the rest left to the 

 lender ; for if the abatement be but small, it will no whit 

 discourage the lender. For he, for example, that took 

 before ten or nine in the hundred, will sooner descend to 

 eight in the hundred, than give over his trade of usury, 

 and go from certain gains to gains of hazard. Let these 

 licensed lenders be in number indefinite, but restrained to 

 certain principal cities and towns of merchandizing ; for 

 then they will be hardly able to colour other men's monies 

 in the country : so as the licence of nine will not suck 

 away the current rate of five ; for no man will lend his 

 monies far off, nor put them into unknown hands. 



If it be objected that this doth in a sort authorize usury, 

 which before was in some places but permissive ; the answer 

 is, that it is better to mitigate usury by declaration, than to 

 suffer it to rage by connivance. 



XLII 

 OF YOUTH AND AGE 



A MAN that is young in years may be old in hours, if he 

 have lost no time. But that happeneth rarely. Generally, 

 youth is like the first cogitations, not so wise as the second. 

 For there is a youth in thoughts, as well as in ages. And 

 yet the invention of young men is more lively than that of 



