WE are fallen into that dotage of the world, in which the worst thin [...]s do overtop the worthiest, Sence doth besot the understanding, drinke overcometh the brain, and the eye beguileth and mis-leadeth the sight; And therefore in tender commiseration of mankinde, I will endeavour to rectifie their Judgements in a Paradox, then which there hath none more intricate been discussed and canvased among the Stoicks in Zeno's Porch, that is, That it is better for a man to live in Debt, then otherwise: Ordiar ab ovo, I will begin from an Egge, that your con­coction may be the easier. In the whole course and frame of Nature, we see that no­thing is made for it self, but each hath a bond of duty, of use, or of service, by which it i [...], indebted to other; The Sunne by his [Page 2] splendor to enlighten all the world; by his warmth and heat, to cherish and comfort each living and vegitable creature. Yea, Man himself is so framed of God, that not onely his Countrey, his Parents, and his Frien [...]s claim a share in him, but he is also indebted to his Dog, and to his Ox, the one for hunting for his pleasure, the other for labouring for his profit, so that quic­quid babet genii ingenii moris amoris, the abili­ties of his spirit, the affections of his mind, he hath them for others as much as for him­self; nay, the more for others, by how much he desired to be the greater Lord over others. Let him but look into himself, and see how his constitutive parts are debters each to other; the soul doth qui [...]ken and give life to the body, the body like an Automaton, doth move and carry it self and the sou [...]; survey him in his parts, the eye seeth for the foot, the foot standeth for the hand, the hand toucheth for the mouth, the mouth tasteth for the stomack, the stomack eateth for the whole body, the body repayeth back again that nutriment which it hath received to all the parts, dis [...]harging the retriments b [...] the [Page 3] Port Esquiline; and all this in so comely an order, and by a Law so certain, and in so due a time, as if Nature had rather man should not have been at all, then not to be a Debter in every part of him; which hath made me resolve, That to whomsoever I mean to be a friend, I will strive to be in his debt: and what can I do lesse? for to him that doth me a good turn, I am bound to return him the greatest pleasure, which I can no way do, but by being in his debt; for what content­ment will it be unto him, when I shall repay him his own again? The Alchimist [...] who promise to themselves to turn Tin into Sil­ver, and Copper into Gold, how will they be transported out of themselves with joy, if they should but see a happy issue of their at­tempt? how much more a Creditor, when he shall recover a desperate debt? it is like the joy of a Father that receives his lost Child.

Again, he that is in de [...]t, hath this great privil [...]dge above other men, that his Credi­tors powre out [...] ear [...]y prayer [...] for him, the [...] wish that he may live, thrive, prosper, and g [...]ow rich, all for t [...]eir own advan­tage, they seem to be carefull for their [Page 4] debtors, that they may not lose their princi­pall with the interest, for their Money is their life; witnesse those Usurers of France, who when they heard that the price of Corn was fallen, went and hang'd them­selves for grief.

What a command doth the Debtor g in over his Creditors? he becometh in a man­ner their Land-Lord to whom they cap, crouch, and kneel, as if they did owe him all suits and services, and are as ambitious of their favours, as they who in Rome did can­vase the people for their voyces to attain the greatest offices: but here is their cunning, lau­dant ut laedant, they praise them that they may prey upon them. And therefore you brave Gallants & Spend-thrifts, who find by your wofull experience, that no whip gives a shrewder lash then the labells of a Bond or Obligation, with a Noverint universi, Skinner and Lacy, whensoever y [...]u fall into the Mer­cers Books, never take care or make consci­ence of paying your debts, for by that means you shall keep your Creditor in awe; and shall have him wonderfull courteous, officious, and obsequious towards you, and [Page 5] a great Mint-Master of fair words.

Without debt and loan, the fabrick of the world will be dis-joynted and fall assun­der into its first Chaos; the beauty of the Starrs, what would it be but vastnesse, and deformity, if the Sun did not lend them light? the earth would remain unfruitfull, if it did not borrow refreshing dews from the watery Signes and Planets; the summer is pleasant and promiseth great hopes of plenty, but it is, because it taketh up much up­on trust from the friendly and seasonable temperment of the Elements. And, to say the truth; there is nothing good or great in the world, but that it borroweth some thing from others to make it great, or lendeth to another to make it good, and therefore I marvell why Antiquity,1 Aerugo; who made Mildew, Feaver, 2 Febris. and Scurvig [...]asse Goddesses,3 Phoris. did not Matriculate Loan and Debt among the rest.

The Elements who are linked together by a league of Association, and by their sym­bolizing qualities, do barter and truck, bor­row and lend one to another, as being the Burse and Royall-Exchange of Nature, they are by this traffique and intercourse the [Page 6] very life and nourishment of all sublunary bodies, and therefore are called Elimenta, quasi Alimenta, whose happy concord and conjunction hath brought forth those, whom the world for the good done to man­kinde, hath esteemed Gods, as Bacchus the great Vintner, Ceres the Meal-mother, Flora the Tutty-maker, Vertumus and Pomona Costard mongers.

Now if every man would render and repay in full weight, that which by due debt he oweth, and hath borrowed from others, Saturns golden age would return again, in which there was no difference of Mettalls, but Gold and Silver were all one Oare, and made the yelk of the earth, Natures great E [...]g; neither did Meum & Tuum bound out, and apportionate Lands and Lordships, by Mear-stones, and diversity of tenures of socadge and focadge; since when, qui habet terras, habet guerras, and the King of hea­vens peace hath been disturbed amongst men: but then all things were all mens, as necessity did allot and award, who was then the onely Judge and Arbitrator, competent­ly allowing to every man, that which he stood in need of.

[Page 7]With what dearnesse have both Gods and good men countenanced and gra [...]ed debtors? to whom Diana the great God­desse of Ephesus, granted her Temple for a Sanctuary, to keep them out of Pagwell Pi­geon Houses, or if they were caught, Solon, by a sollemn law infacted, would not have their bodies to be fettered or manicled amongst Malefactors, but that they should enjoy their liberty throughout all the Parks and Purlues of the Prison, or, to speak more mildly, of their restraint and indurance; for the Prison is built Purgatory-wise, after the architecture of Rome with a Limbus and Tul­lianum; The Dungeon is the Devills pin­fold and the very suburbs of hell, where Varlets, Roarers, and stiletto-stabbers are let down, as the proper food that stuffs that greedy Ma [...]; the next Room is the Lollard of Trunck-hosed Famelists and Separatists, who after they have been rowelled in the neck, to cure them of the Megrim of the head, they are by the gentle flame of this [...]ove, and the heat of their own zeal, made to sweat our their contumacy and other peccant humours; the upper skirt and stage [Page 8] of this building, is the Garret of expencefull Wasters, Gamesters, and unthrifty Debtors, where though they live 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 Aplaustick vo­luntary life, they have an easie overture made to the contemplative and practick life of vertue: Who ever lived more like a souc'd Gurn-head amongst men, then Diogenes the Cynick, barrelling himself up in his Tub like a Kegg of Sturgion? yet was the happinesse of his contented life envyed of the greatest Monarchs, who having made their throats the through-fare and the Cullenders of meats and drinks, found an over-gorged Belly to be Wits clog, Reasons Sepulcher, Lusts-Arsenall, the Magazin of lewd practi­ses, and the Nursery of all Vices: all which provocations are defaulted by debts, wants, and indigency.

And lastly, the Lumbards, Usurers, and Scriveners, who are the Bedles of begga [...]s, and are accounted the Tetters upon the bo­dy politique of the Common-weale, who turn the Kalends and new M [...]ons, and the [Page 9] festivall dayes of quarter gaudies, into the octaves of disaster, & Dooms-dayes-reckon­ings; when any of these come to heaven, there is a wonderment amongst the Angells, and they cry out with Sir Guzman of Alfa­rache, fruta nueva, fruta nueva; here is a new kinde of fruit start up, a Pum-paradice upon a Crab-stock, Lumbards and Scriveners are become the Popes cannonized and beatified Saints.

Farwell then, Vlpianus, Modestinus and other Pettifoggers of the Law, Sollicitors and molesters of causes, who account being in debt a kinde of bondage and fervitude. I pitty Seneca's weaknesse, who blushed to borrow, Miserum verbum, & dimisso vultu proferendum, rogo: That Poet Laureat for­feited his wreath of Bayes and Ivy-twine, who made his prayers to his Purse, to keep him out of debt, in this manner.

[Page 12]Yet welfare the prodigall unthrift who is Magis promus quam condus, and serves at the Buttery hatch, whatsoever is in his Bin or his Barrell, and therefore could never endure the complaint of his Purse, who thus bemoan'd her self unto him.

For the Al-te-maell, and foot of the reckoning, this is the summa summarum, debe­mur morti nos nostra (que) so that whil'st I live, I must resolve to live in debt, in debt to God for my Being, in debt to Christ for my Well [Page 14] being; in debt to Gods sanctifying spirit, for my New being, and I will ever be ready to pawn my life for my Countreys liberty; I will owe obedience to my parents, faith and loyalty to my Prince, and when I shall pay my great debt unto Nature, I will ren­der my spirit into the hands of God, be­queath my Body to be deposed in the lap and bosom of the earth, and cry Domine De­mitte debita mea.