The Moneylender and the Merchant

In a great city, a peddler lies prostrate in front of the moneylender. He owes the moneylender vast amounts of gold and silver, both of which he has exhausted in the pursuit of wealth. The merchant is a purveyor of luxuries. His endeavor has flourished in the past years, yet recently, he has found himself amiss of earnings. The wealth of the affluent has gone hiding for a war is impending. The common man has either joined the ranks or have retreated to the lesser provinces. 

He asks the moneylender for a consideration. 

"My good man, grant me an allowance; I shall pay you with greater interests."

The moneylender surprised the peddler with his reply.

"Come dine with me, we shall talk about our affair."

And so they went to the house of the hawker, which the moneylender is known to frequent; he was known to be a rich yet thrifty man. 

"Dear hawker, prepare for us two great pieces of veal; and serve us a good wine."

And as they sat, the moneylender asked, 

"Do you know how much your debt has grown?"

The merchant nodded.

"Then why have you persisted in borrowing; whereas your liabilities have increased in vast quantities?"

The merchant said in reply, 

"I have known these times. Profit is mine to reap, yet unfortunately, for some reason not known to me, things have changed. The wealthy no longer patronize my wares; I am left bereft of income. O please, have mercy on me, dear good man!"

The moneylender again asked,

"What has happened for the merchant who have extravagantly spent before to meet the boundaries of poverty now?"

The merchant replied again, 

"I have invested in a caravan to the Orient. I myself have worn one silk robe; the caravan promised to bring forth in their return a great quantity of silken dresses. My brother-in-law was a member of the said expedition. Yet in their return to our great city, they were barbarians. In favor of them, nothing valuable was taken; only rubbish clothes and wares were robbed of them."

The moneylender chuckled. The merchant continues,

"As they arrive in this city, a tenth portion of the silken dresses were immediately sold at a profit of two hundred percent above the costs we have spent on acquiring these goods. A fifth was kept for my family and posterity; that leaves eighty-five untouched for sale. Yet up to this day, nothing is bought in the streets, where the goods lie in search of buyers."

The moneylender replied,

"Debt is like fire; in a weak state, it is very controllable, yet very incapable of doing great feats. In a large state, it is harder to manage, yet can do wonders. Yet in both cases, it can either act to your aid, or you can be your slave. Debt is not a beast; it is an instrument for wealth, for those who have mastered its course. Do not fail to provide for misgivings; I have mastered debt for I was indebted too, before. Yet now, I am the debtor. This is known as conservatism."