“Qui coacervat divitias usuris et fœnore, liberali in pauperes congregat eas.”
“He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. unjust: Heb. by increase”
“He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.”
“He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.”
“He that augmenteth his substance by interest and increase, Gathereth it for him that hath pity on the poor.”
Poor. It seldom happens that the unjust leave their riches to their children, chap. xiii. 22., and Job xxvii. 16.
See here, 1. How hard-hearted poor people frequently are to one another, not only not doing such good offices as they might do one to another, but imposing upon and over-reaching one another. Those who know by experience the miseries of poverty should be compassionate to those who suffer the like, but they are inexcusably barbarous if they be injurious to them. 2. How imperious and griping those commonly are who, being indigent and necessitous, get into power. If a prince prefer a poor man, he forgets that ever he was poor, and none shall be so oppressive to the poor as he, nor squeeze them so cruelly. The hungry leech and the dry sponge suck most. Set a beggar on horseback, and he will ride without mercy. He is like a sweeping rain, which washes away the corn in the ground, and lays and beats out that which has grown, so that it leaves no food. Princes therefore ought not to put those into places of trust who are poor, and in debt, and behind-hand in the world, nor any who make it their main business to enrich themselves.