ESSA } r S CIVIL AND .MORAL. 



instrumcnti:m bonitati qua?ri.&quot; Hearken also to Solomon, and beware 

 of hasty gathering of riches : &quot; Qui festinat ad divitias, non erit insons.&quot; 

 The poets feign, that when Plutus, which is riches, is sent from 

 Jupiter, he limps, and goes slowly ; but when he is sent from Pluto, he 

 runs, and is swift of foot : meaning, that riches gotten by good means 

 and just labour, pace slowly ; but when they come by the death of 

 others, as by the course of inheritance, testaments, and the like, they 

 come tumbling upon a man. But it might be applied likewise to Pluto, 

 taking him for the devil. For when riches come from the devil, as by 

 fraud, and oppression, and unjust means, they come upon speed. The 

 ways to enrich are many, and most of them foul. Parsimony is one of 

 the best, and yet is not innocent : for it withholdeth men from works 

 of lil&amp;gt;erality and charity. The improvement of the ground is the most 

 natural obtaining of riches ; for it is our great mother s blessing, the 

 earth s ; but it is slow. And yet, where men of great wealth do stoop 

 to husbandry, it multiplieth riches exceedingly. I knew a nobleman in 

 England that had the greatest audits of any man in my time : a great 

 gr.ixier, a great sheep-master, a great timber-man, a great collier, a 

 gieat corn-master, a great lead-man ; and so of iron, and a number of 

 the like points of husbandry : so as the cart.h seemed a sea to him, in 

 respect of the perpetual importation. It was truly observed by one, 

 that himself came very hardly to a little riches, and very easily to great 

 riches. For when a man s stock is come to that, that he can expect 

 the prime of markets, and overcome those bargains, which for their 

 greatness are few men s money, and be partner in the industries of 

 young men, he cannot but increase mainly. The gains of ordinary 

 trades and vocations are honest, and furthered by two things, chiefly, 

 by diligence, and by a good name for good and fair dealing. Hut the 

 gains of bargains arc of a more doubtful nature, when men should wait 

 upon other s necessity ; broke by servants and instruments to draw 

 them on ; put off others cunningly that would be better chapmen, and 

 the like practices, which arc crafty and naught. As for the chopping 

 of bargains, when a man bif^s, not to hold, but to sell over again, that 

 commonly grindcth double, both upon the seller, and upon the buyer. 

 Sharings do greatly enrich, if the hands be well chosen that are 

 trusted. Usury is the certaincst means of gain, though one of the 

 worst, as that whereby a man doth eat his bread &quot; in sudori vultus 

 alicni ;&quot; and besides, cloth plough upon Sundays. Hut yet certain 

 though it be, it hath flows ; for that the scriveners and brokers do 

 value unsound men, to serve their own turn. The fortune in being the 

 6rst in an invention, or in a privilege, doth cause sometimes a wonder 

 ful overgrowth in riches ; as it was with the First sugar-man in the 

 Canaries. Therefore, if a man can play the true logician, to have as 

 well judgment as invention, he may do great matters, especially if the 

 times be fit. He that resteth upon gains certain, shall hardly grow to 

 great riches. And he that puts all upon adventures, doth oftentimes 

 break, and come to poverty : it is good therefore to guard adventures 

 with certainties that may escape losses. Monopolies, and co-cmption 

 of wares for resale, where trey arc not restrained, are great means to 



