Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.
Ver. 16. Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven] And so thinkest to have a stake in store howsoever the dice chance to turn. For these merchants were very rich, and could furnish her with money, which is the sinews of war. Besides, they traded far and near; and so could give intelligence, and if need were, waylay and intercept the enemies' contributions, that it came not to them. But would you know, saith the prophet, how these merchants will serve you at your greatest need?
The cankerworm spoileth and fleeth away] q.d. They will serve themselves upon you and then leave you in the lurch, to make as good shift as you can. They are mere cankerworms, which first eat up all, and then haste away. These false friends, well, they may be the causes, but companions they will not be, of your calamity; like crows that flock to a dead carcass, not to defend it, but to devour it; and no sooner have they bared the bones but they are gone. Such false merchants as these hath this land been much pestered with from Rome in former ages. Matthew Paris telleth us of one Florentinus, the Pope's delegate here, in King John's reign, Ferentinus the wiser sort called him, for bearing away so much money; and of another named Otto, one of the Pope's merchants, or rather mice catchers (Muscipulatores), as he calleth them, who after three years' raking together of money, by most detestable arts, at last departing hence, to avoid a storm, he left not so much money in the whole kingdom as he either carried with him or sent to Rome before him. In the year 1235 there were spread through England certain Roman cankerworms, called Caursim (quasi capientes ursi, devouring bears, quoth Paris), who had entangled the king, nobles, and all others that had to deal with the court of Rome, in their cunning snares and usurious practices, under colour of supplying with money such as wanted present pay to the Pope. These were called the Pope's merchants, saith Speed.