us from forfeitures of mortgages and bonds." The [10] third and last is, that it is a vanity to conceive that there would be ordinary borrowing without profit; and it is impossible to conceive the number of inconveniences that will ensue, if borrowing be cramped; therefore to speak of the abolishing of usury is idle; all states have ever had it in one kind of rate or other: so as that opinion must be sent to Utopia.

To speak now of the reformation and reglement [11] of usury, how the discommodities of it may be best avoided, and the commodities retained. It ap- [12] pears, by the balance of commodities and discommodities of usury, two things are to be reconciled; the one, that the tooth of usury be grinded, that it bite not too much; the other, that there be left open a means to invite moneyed men to lend to the merchants, for the continuing and quickening of trade. This cannot [13] be done, except you introduce two several sorts of usury, a less and a greater; for if you reduce usury to one low rate, it will ease the common borrower, but the merchant will be to seek for money: and it is to be noted, that the trade of merchandize being the most lucrative, may bear usury at a good rate; but other contracts not so.

To serve both intentions, the way would be [14] briefly thus: that there be two rates of usury; the one free and general for all, the other under license only to certain persons, and in certain places of merchandizing. First, therefore, let usury in general be reduced to [15] five in the hundred, and let that rate be proclaimed to be free and current; and let the state shut itself out to take any penalty for the same; this will preserve borrowing from any general stop or dryness; this will ease infinite borrowers in the country; this will, in good

part, raise the price of land, because land purchased at sixteen years' purchase will yield six in the hundred, and somewhat more, whereas this rate of interest yields but five this by like reason will encourage and edge industrious and profitable improvements, because many will rather venture in that kind, than take five in the hundred, especially having been used to greater profit. [16] 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 [17] be brooked, in regard of certain suspicions. Let the state be answered, some small matter for the license, 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 [18] 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 hardly be able to colour other men's moneys in the country; so as the license of nine will not suck away the current rate of five; for no man will send his moneys far off, nor put them into unknown hands. [19] 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.

ESSAY XLVII.

BEAUTY.

VIRTUE is like a rich stone, best plain set; and [1] surely virtue is best in a body that is comely, though not of delicate features; and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect: neither is it almost seen, that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were rather busy not to err, than in labour to produce excellency; and therefore they prove accomplished, but not of great spirit; and study rather behaviour than virtue. But this holds not [2] always: for Augustus Cæsar, Titus Vespasianus, Philip le Belle of France, Edward the Fourth of England, Alcibiades of Athens, Ismael the Sophy of Persia, were all high and great spirits, and yet the most beautiful men of their times. In beauty, that of favour [3] is more than that of colour; and that of decent and gracious motion more than that of favour. That [4] is the best part of beauty which a picture cannot express; no, nor the first sight of the life. There [5] is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. A man cannot tell whether [6] Apelles or Albert Durer were the more trifler; whereof the one would make a personage by geometrical proportions; the other, by taking the best parts out of divers faces, to make one excellent. Such person- [7] ages, I think, would please nobody but the painter that made them not but that I think a painter may make a better face than ever was; but he must do it by a kind of felicity, (as a musician that maketh an excellent air

[8] in music,) and not by rule. A man shall see faces, that, if you examine them part by part, you shall [9] find never a good; and yet altogether do well. If it be true, that the principal part of beauty is in decent motion, certainly it is no marvel, though persons in years seem many times more amiable; "pulchrorum autumnus pulcher," for no youth can be comely but by pardon, and considering the youth as to make up the [10] comeliness. Beauty is as summer fruits, which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last; and, for the most part, it makes a dissolute youth, and an age a little out of countenance; but yet certainly again, if it light well, it maketh virtue shine, and vices blush.

ESSAY XLVIII.

DEFORMITY.

[8] 2

DEFORMED persons are commonly even with [1] nature; for as nature hath done ill by them, so do they by nature, being for the most part (as the Scripture saith) "void of natural affection;" and so they have their revenge of nature. Certainly there is a consent between the body and the mind, and where naturé erreth in the one, she ventureth in the other: 66 ubi peccat in unɔ, periclitatur in altero:" but because there is in man an election, touching the frame of his mind, and necessity in the frame of his body, the stars of natural inclination are sometimes obscured by the sun of discipline and virtue; therefore it is good to consider of deformity, not as a sign which is more deceivable, but as a cause which seldom faileth of the effect. Whosoever hath any thing fixed in his person that [3] doth induce contempt, hath also a perpetual spur in himself to rescue and deliver himself from scorn; therefore, all deformed persons are extreme bold; first, as in their own defence, as being exposed to scorn, but in process of time by a general habit. Also it stirreth [4] in them industry, and especially of this kind, to watch and observe the weakness of others, that they may have somewhat to repay. Again, in their superiors, it [5] quencheth jealousy towards them, as persons that they think they may at pleasure despise and it layeth their competitors and emulators asleep, as never believing they should be in possibility of advancement till they see them in possession: so that upon the matter, in