opposed by
the religious opinion of the time, especially among men of Puritan
tendencies. They seemed, indeed, to be partially justified by the fact
that the control of capital was used by the rich men of the time in
such a way as to cause great hardship. In 1552, therefore, the law of
1545 was repealed, and interest, except in the few forms in which it
had always been allowed, was again prohibited. But the tide soon
turned, and in 1571 interest up to ten per cent was again made lawful.
From that time forward the term usury was restricted to excessive
interest, and this alone was prohibited. Yet the practice of receiving
interest for the loan of money was still generally condemned by
writers on morals till quite the end of this period; though lawyers,
merchants, and popular opinion no longer disapproved of it if the rate
was moderate.

*47. Paternal Government.*--In many of the changes which have been
described in this chapter, the share which government took was one of
the most important influences. In some cases, as in the laws against
enclosures, against the migration of industry from the towns to the
rural districts, and against usury, the policy of King and Parliament
was not successful in resisting the strong economic forces which were
at work. In others, however, as in the oversight of industry, in the
confiscation of the property of the gilds devoted to religious uses,
in the settlement of the relations between employers and employees, in
the control of foreign commerce, the policy of the government really
decided what direction changes should take.

As has been seen in this chapter, after the accession of Henry VII
there was a constant extension of the sphere of government till it
came to pass laws upon and provide for and regulate almost all the
economic interests of the nation. This was a result, in the first
place, of the breaking down of those social institutions which had
been most permanent and stable in earlier periods. The manor system in
the country, landlord farming, the manor courts, labor dues, serfdom,
were passing rapidly away; the old type of gilds, city regulations,
trading at fairs, were no longer so general; it was no longer
foreigners who brought foreign goods to England to be sold, or bought
English goods for exportation. When these old Customs were changing or
passing away, the national government naturally took charge to prevent
the threatened confusion of the process of disintegration