The Sun.
London, England, 1819-03-26 00:00:00

ItY.

MR•
.Elyrrott----There appeared lately i.n Your
excellent Newspaper a Letter on
,Usury, and
which, it is presumed, every one of iefleCtion
sill approe of. A few wore ideas on the,Silbject,
it is to be hoped, will not be thought intrusive.
Suppose a Bill had been passed in 1796, to allow
the Lenders of Money to obtain► what interest
they pleased—the Usurers would soon have pos-
seesed all ihe uneutailed property of the kingdom,
and in eoosetplence oar exertions in war would
have been palsied: instead of which, we defied
all Europe, and ul:ionvely succeedtd in our ef-
forts to conquer for a Peace, which has blessed
the world. Having done so; will it be ptodent
(hiring this glorious Peace to Cripple ourselves
front going to war for the sake of usurers, "ho
have not a sense of feeling,
,save avarice alone ?
The following Lines are apposite to the subject; ;
they were written by the Author of VuLVTIQE-ts;
and have never been published :-".•

AVAHIC.

Men's minds I liken to aa•ague fit,
Which parches up the flesh with fer'roas heat; .
Or changing, numbs the blood with icy cold;
For as these feelings are .both.opposite,
So arc the vices that attack man'. mind.
Ambition fir'd Great A trx'AStinnt's breast,
Pride bore sway in that of CIeEopATILIy
NEito.s delight was blood and cruelty,
Whilst in LTLY<scs art anti cnnhing reign'd.
But one I knew that from his cradle bore
Of Avirice the mean and cursed stamp:
Keen was his eve, and ravenous his looks,
Which but too plainly spoke the mind within.
Oft times at school felt he correction's rod,
For dealing out with usury his store.
At eve, be join'd not in his fellows' sports,
Lot, sullen and reserv'd, stood all aloof,
His thoughts on nothing bent save avarice.

No sooner had his years proclann'd him man,
But, like a wolf.let loose oval the fold,
His greedy thoughts would rove on ail degrees;
The rich, the poor, alike became his prey ;
The orphan's teats reach not Iris flinty breast;
Nor can th' all melting tear of Charity
Moisten the hardness of his icy heart,
Or in his bosain sow one tender seed
Of thee, 0 gentlest Pity !
So burns his lamp of life, till wasted ant,
And stretch'd upon the chilling bed of death,
He looks around for help, but looks in vain,
Nu friend is there to south his agony,
Nought save his heap"d up gold arovuul
Pt esenting, to his soul so many bars
Against an everlasting seat above ;
%Vliilsttlie lean spectre at his elbow stands,
And grinning mocks the trio ore of his soul,
Shakes o'er his trembling breast the pointrd lance,
Which fat he gripes within Isis bony hand;
Then raising up his arm, he ghastly smiles,
And buries deep the point his breast.
Thus Avarice lities, by every One accurst,
And goes alpine(' to Isis mother (lust.

Suppose exorbitant Usury allowed, and a num-
ber or. young Office's of integrity, enterprize, and
abilities, procured a loan at 25 pt r cent. to loins a
Settlement;--that this should fail, as the 13u1ama
Establishment did ; and that the so; vivors, few
in number, %vete to return, and being responsible
tor the sum lent, and being unable to pay, what
mercy will be shewn them liy Usurers ?
of Usury, and vet y soon imprisonment for debt
will be commuted for corporal punishm.nt, with-
out respect of persons, and the noblest llake
might then be flog,:ed at the pillory. The legal
interest of money, five per cent., had therefore
best remain as it is. It Usury is once permitted,
there wonlil he a revolution of property, it not a
revolution in the hin;,:dom.
March 20, 16;9. AN ANTIDELUVII'N.