Anno quinto et sexto Eduardi Sexti Actes made in the session of this present parlament, holden vpo[n] prorogacion at Westminster, the. xxiii. daie of Ianuarie, in the fiueth yere of the reigne of our moste drad souereigne Lorde, Edward the. VI. by the grace of God, kyng of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande, defendour of the faith, and of the Churche of Englande and Irelande, in yearth [sic] the supreme hed: and there continued and kept to the. xv. daie of Aprill, in the vi. yere of the reigne of our saied souereigne lorde, as foloweth

¶ The .xx. Chapiter. ❧ An Acte against Vsurie.

WHERE in the .xxxvij. yere of the reigne of the late Kyng of famous memorie Kyng Henry the eight, father to our Souereigne Lorde the Kyng, that no we is, amongest other Actes, and Statutes then made, it was enacted by aucthoritie of Par∣lament, that no person, or persons, at any tyme af∣tre the last day of Ianuary in thesaid .xxxvij. yere, shoulde haue, receiue, accept, or take in lucre, or gaines, for the lone, forbearyng, or geuing day of paiment of any somme of monie, for one whole yere, aboue the somme of x. ł. in the C. and so aftre that rate, and not aboue, of, and for a more, or

lesse some, or for a longer, or shorter tyme, vpon the paines and forfeic∣tures, in thesaide acte mencioned and conteined. The whiche acte was not ment, or entended for the maitenaunce, and allowaunce of vsurie as diuers persones, blinded with inordinate loue of theymselues, haue and yet do mistake thesame, but rather was made & intended, against all sortes, & kyndes of vsury, as a thyng vnlawfull, as by the title and preamble of thesaide acte, it doeth plainly appere And yet neuertheles thesame was by thesaid acte permitted, for thauoidyng of a more euel and inconuenience, that before that time was vsed & exercised. But for asmuche, as vsurie, is by the word of God, vtterly prohibited, as a vice most odious and detestable, as in diuers places of the holye scripture, it is euident to be sene, whiche thyng by no godly teachynges and per∣swasions can sinke into the hartes of diuers gredye, vncharitable, and couetous persones of thys realme, nor yet by any terrible threatnyn∣ges, of Goddes wrathe, and vengeaunce, that iustly hangeth ouer this realme, for the great and open vsury, therein dayly vsed and practised, they wil forsake suche filthy gaine, and lucre, oneles some temporal pu∣nishement be prouided and ordeined in that behalfe. For reformation whereof, be it enacted by thaucthoritie of this present parlament, that from the first day of May, whiche shalbe in the yere of our Lorde God M. D. Lit. thesaide acte and statute, concernyng onely vsurye, lucre, or gaines, of, or for the lone, forbearyng, or geuing daies of any somme, or sommes of money, be vtterly abrogated, voyde, and repealed.

And furthermore be it enacted by thaucthoritie aforesaid, that from and after thesaide firste day of Maie next commyng, no person, or per∣sons of what estate degre, qualitie, or condicion soeuer he, or thei be, by any corrupt, colourable, or deceiptful conueighaunce, sleight, or engine, or by any way, or meane, shal lend, geue, set out, deliuer, or forbeare a∣ny sōme, or sōmes of money, to any person or persones, or to any corpo∣ration, or body politique, to, or for, any maner of vsurie, encrease, lucre, gain, or interest, to be had receiued, or hoped for, ouer & aboue the sōme or sōmes so lent, geuen, sette oute, deliuered, or forborne, vpon paine of forfeiture the value, aswel of the sōme, or sōmes so lent, geuen, set out, deliuered, or forborne, as also of the vsurie, encrease, lucre, gaine, or in∣terest therof. And also vpon paine of imprisonment of the body, or bo∣dies, of euery such offendour, or offendours, and also to make fine, and raundsome, at the kynges wil and pleasure. The moitie of whiche for∣feicture of thesaid value shalbe to the king, and the other moitie to the party that wil sue for thesame in any of the kynges courtes of recorde, by action of debt, bil, plaint, or information, wherin no wager of lawe, essome, or protection, shalbe allowed, or admitted.