them, that if money haue bene lent any manne without writyng, vppon credite
of his woorde: if the borrower deny it, he should be put to his othe, to
the whiche the creditour muste stande. For thei so muche estiemed an othe,
that thei thoughte no man so wicked, as wilfully to abuse it. And again,
because he that was noted to sweare very often, lost vtterly his credite,
and name: many menne affirme, that for the regard of their honesties, it
happened very seldome, that any man came to his othe. Their Lawe maker
also, iudging that vertue was the engendrer of credite, thought it good by
good ordres to accustome men to good liuyng and honestie, vpon feare to
sieme vnworthie of all reputacion. He thought it also to be against
conscience, that he that without an othe had borowed, should not nowe for
his own, be beleued with an othe. The forfect for non paiment of the lone,
mought not bee aboue the double of the somme that was borowed. And paiement
was made onely of the goodes of the borower, the body was not arrestable.
For the Lawemaker thought it conueniente, that onely the gooddes should bee
subdite to the debte, and the bodies (whose seruice was required bothe in
peace and in warre) subiecte to the citie. It was not thoughte to bee
Iustice, that the manne of warre, whiche hasardeth his bodie for the
sauftie of his countrie, should for an enterest of lone, bee throwen into
prisone. The whiche lawe, Solon siemeth to haue translated to the
Athenienses, vndre the name of the lawe Sisarea, decreyng that the body of
no citezein, should for any maner of enterest be emprisoned.

[Footnote: It may interest readers to see how much the knowledge of Africa
had extended in 150 years. Cluverius, in his "Introductio in Geographiam."
1659, says:--

_Summa Africa descriptio_.

Asia exiguo Isthmo annectitur maxima Orbis terrarum peninsula Africa, tria