Essayes of certaine paradoxes

THAT IT IS GOOD to be in DEBT.

WEE are fallen into that dotage of the World, in which, the worst things doe ouertop the worthiest, sence doth besot the vnderstan∣ding, drinke ouercommeth the braine, and the eye beguyleth and misleadeth the sight. And therefore in tender commiseration of mankinde, I will endeuour to rec∣tifie their iudgement in a Paradox, then which there hath none more intricate, been discussed and can∣uassed among the Stoiks in Zenos porch, that is, That it is better for a man to liue in debt, then otherwise.

Ordiar ab ouo, I will begin from the egge, that your concoxion may be the easier. In the whole course and frame of Nature, we see that nothing is made for it selfe, but each hath a bond of duty, of vse or of seruice, by which it is indebted to other. The sunne by his splendor to lighten all the world; by his warmth and heate, to cherish and comfort each li∣uing and vegetable thing. Yea, man himselfe is so framed of God, that not onely his Countrey, his Parents and his friends claime a share in him, but he is also indebted to his dogge, and to his Oxe, to

teach the one to hunt for his pleasure, the other to labour for his profit: so that quicquid habet genij, in∣genij, moris, amoris, the abilities of his spirit, the affections of his mind, he hath them for others, as∣much as for himselfe; nay the more for others, by how much hee desireth to be the greater Lord ouer others. Let him but looke into himselfe, and see how his constitutiue parts are debters each to other, the soule doth quicken and giue life to the body, the body like an Automaton, doth moue and carry it selfe and the soule. Suruey him in his parts, the eye see∣eth for the foote, the foote standeth for the hand, the hand toucheth for the mouth, the mouth tasteth for the stomacke, the stomacke eateth for the whole body, the body repayeth backe againe that nutri∣ment which it hath receiued, to al the parts, dischar∣ging the retriments by the Port-Esquiline; and all this in so comely an order, and by a Law so certaine, and in so due a time, as if Nature had rather man should not haue been at all, then not to be a debter in euery part of him; which hath made me resolue, that to whomsoeuer I meane to bee a friend, I will striue to be in his debt: and what can I do lesse? for to him that doth mee a good turne, I am bound to returne him the greatest pleasure; which I can no way do, but by being in his debt: for what content∣ment will it be vnto him, when I shall repay him his owne againe? The Alchymists, who promise to themselues to turne Tin into siluer, and Copper in∣to gold, how will they bee transported out of them∣selues with ioy, if they should but see a happy issue of their attempt? How much more a Creditor, when hee shall recouer a desperate debt? It is like

the ioy of a Father that receiues his lost Child.

Againe, he that is in debt, hath this great priui∣ledge aboue other men, that his Creditors powre out hearty prayers for him, they wish that hee may liue, and thriue and prosper, and grow rich, and all for their owne aduantage. They seeme to be care∣full for their debtors, that they may not lose their principall with the interest, for their money is their life, witnesse those Vsurers of France, who, when they heard that the price of Corne was fallen, went and hanged themselues for griefe.

What a command doth the debtor gaine ouer his Creditors? He becommeth in a manner their Land∣lord, to whom they cap, crouch, and kneele, as if they did owe him all suits and seruices, and are as ambitious of their fauours, as they who in Rome did canuas the people for their voices to attaine the greatest offices: but here is their cunning: Laudant vt Leadant, they praise them, that they may prey v∣pon. And therefore, you braue gallants and spend∣thrifts, who find by your wofull experience, that no whip giues a shrweder lash then the label of a Bond or Obligation, with a Nouerint vniuersi Skinner and Lacy. Whensoeuer you fall into the Mercers books, neuer take care, or make conscience of paying your debts, for by that meanes you shall keepe your Cre∣ditor in awe, and shall haue him wonderfull courte∣ous and officious, and obsequious towards you, and a great mint-master of faire words.

Without debt and loane the Fabricke of the world will be disioynted and fall asunder into its first Chaos. The beauty of the Starres, what would it be but vast∣nesse and deformity, if the Sunne did not lend them

light? The earth would remaine vnfruitfull, if shee did not borrow refreshing dewes from the watery Signes and Planets. The Summer is pleasant, and promiseth great hopes of plenty, but it is, because it taketh vp much vpon trust, from the friendly and sea∣sonable temperment of the Elements. And to say the truth, there is nothing good or great in the world, but that it borroweth something from others to make it great, or lendeth to another to make it good. And therefore I maruaile why Antiquity, who made Mildew,* 1.1 Feauer, and Scuruinesse god∣desses, did not matriculate loane and debt among the rest.* 1.2* 1.3

The Elements who are linked together by a league of association, and by their symbolizing qua∣lities, doe barter and truck, borrow and lend one to another, as being the Bursse, and Royall-Exchange of nature: they are by this traffique and intercourse, the very life and nourishmēt of all sublunary bodies, and therefore are called Elimenta quasi alimenta, whose happy concord & coniunction hath brought forth those, whom the World for the good done to mankind, hath esteemed gods, as Bacchus the great Vintner, Ceres the Meale-mother, Flora the Tutty-maker, Vertumus and Pomona Costard-mongers.

Now, if euery man would render and repay in full waight, that which by due debt he oweth and hath borrowed from others, Saturnes golden age would returne againe, in which there was no diffe∣rence of metals, but gold and siluer were all one Oare, and made the yelke of the earth, Natures great Egge, neither did Meum and Tuum bound out, and apportionate Lands and Lordships, by

meare stones, and diuersity of Tenures of sockage and focadge; since when, Qui habet terras, habet guer∣ras, and the King of heauens peace hath been dis∣turbd amongst men: but then all things were all mens, as necessitie did allot and award, who was then the onely iudge and arbitrator, competently al∣lowing to euery man, that which he stood in need of.

With what dearenesse haue both gods and good men countenanced and graced debtors? To whom Diana the great goddesse of Ephesus, granted her Temple for a Sanctuarie, to keepe them out of Bagwell: Pigeon-houses. Or if they were caught, Solon by a solemne Law inacted, would not haue their bodies to be fettered or manacled amongst malefactors, but that they should enioy their liberty throughout all the Parkes and Purlues of the prison, or to speake more mildly, of their restraint & indurance: For the Prison is built Purgatory-wise, after the Architec∣ture of Rome, with a Limbus and Tullianum. The dungeon is the Deuils pinfold and the very suburbs of Hell, where varlets, roarers, and stilettostabbers are let downe, as the proper food that stuffes that great greedy maw. The next roome is the Lollard of trunck-hosed famulists and separatists, who after they haue been rowelled in the neck, to cure them of the Megrim of the head, they are by the gentle flame of this Stoue, and the heate of their owne zeale, made to sweat out their contumary and other pec∣cant humors. The vpper skirt and stage of this building, is the Garret of expencefull wasters, game∣sters and vnthrifty debtors, where though they liue robbed of their liberty, as they rifled others of their

money. Yet is it their great happinesse, that being glutted, as it were, with an Apolausticke voluptary life, they haue an easie ouverture made to the con∣templatiue and practick life of Vertue. Who euer liued more like a Souc'd-gurn-head amongst men, then Diogenes the Cynick, barrelling himselfe vp in his tubbe like a Kegge of Sturgion? Yet was the happinesse of his contented life enuied of the grea∣test Monarchs, who hauing made their throats the through-face and the cullenders of meats & drinkes, found an ouergorged belly, to be Wits clog, Rea∣sons sepulcher, Lusts Arsenall, the Magazin of lewd practices, and the Nurserie of all vices: all which prouocations are defalted by Debts wants and indi∣gency.

And lastly, the Lumbards, Vsurers, and Scriue∣ners, who are the Bedles of Beggars, and are ac∣counted the Tetters vpon the body politike of the Common-weale, who turne the Calends and new Moones, and the Festiuall dayes of quarter-gaudies, into the Octanes of disaster and Doomes-day rec∣konings, when any of these come to Heauen, there is a wonderment amongst the Angels, and they cry out with S^r. Gurman of Alfarache, fruta nueua, fruta nueua, heere is a new kind of fruit start vp, a Pumpa∣radise vpon a crab-stocke, Lumbards and Scriueners are become the Popes cannonized and beatified saints.

Farewell then, Vlpianus, Modestinus, and other pettifoggers of the Law, Sollicitours, and mole∣sters of causes, who account being in debt a kind of bondage and seruitude. I pittie Senecaes weakenesse, who blushed to borrow; miserum verbum et dimisso

vultu proferendum, Rogo:* 1.4 That Poet Laureat, for-faited his wreath of Bayes and Iuie twine, who made his praiers to his purse to keep him out of debt, in this manner.

To you my Purse, and to none other Wight Complaine I, for you be my Lady deere: I am sorry now that you be light, For certes yée now make me heauie chéere, Mée were as lefe layd vpon a Béere. For which vnto your mercie thus I cry, Be heauy againe, or else mote I dye.

Now vouchsafe this day, or it be night, That I of you the blisfull sound may heere, Or see your colour, like the Sunne bright. That of yellownesse had neuer Pere, Ye be my life, ye be my hearts flere; Queene of comfort and of good company, Be heauy againe, or else mote I dye.

Now Purse, that art to me my liues light And sauiour as downe in this World here, Out of this Towne helpe me by your might, Sith that you will not be my Treasure, For I am shaue as neere as any frere: But I pray vnto your curtesie, Be heauy againe, or else mote I die.

Yet wellfare the Prodigall vnthrift, who is magis promus quam condus, and serues at the Buttry-hatch, whatsoeuer is in his Binn or his Barrell, and there∣fore could neuer indure the complaint of his Purse, who thus bemoan'd her selfe vnto him.

Materia infoelix, detracta cadauere; forma, tam varia, vt nec ego me mihi nosse queam.

Haud melius fatum, nam pendeo more latronis, ingenium sic me fueris habere putant. Si dederis seruo; seruatum reddo petenti non nisi at auriculis tracta referre volo.

A skinne flayed off, yeelds my materialls, my forme is various, where my selfe I loose, My doome's a fellons death and funerals, for at a Belt I am hanged by a nooze. I doe not filch for mine owne thrift and gaine, but what you giue, I closely keepe and beare, And when you aske, I it restore againe, yet not, except you plucke me by the eare.

For the Al-te-mael, and foote of the reckoning, this is the summa summarum: Debemur morti nos nostra{que}. So that whilst I liue, I must resolue to liue in debt, in debt to God, for my being; in debt to CHRIST, for my well-being; in debt to Gods sanctifying Spirit, for my new-being: And I will e∣uer be ready to pawne my life for my Countries li∣berty, I will owe obedience to my Parents, Faith and Loyaltie to my Prince: And when I shall pay my great debt vnto Nature, I will render my spirit into the hands of God; bequeath my body to be deposed in the lap and bosome of the earth, and cry, Domine, dimitte de∣bita mea.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. AErugo.
• * 1.2

  2. Febris.
• * 1.3

  3. Psora.
• * 1.4

  Th. Ocleue. in. Chaucer.