[De communione et conversatione Iudaeorum et Christianorum]

have anything except usury. If their excesses deviate, they are also to be punished pecuniarily, and they can be punished by pecuniary penalty, lest they report gain from their iniquity. Indeed, the Jew or any other usurer is to be punished with a greater penalty than another in a similar case, because the money which is taken from him is less recognized to belong to him. Indeed, another penalty can be added, lest this be seen to suffice for a penalty, because they are not permitted to possess money owed to others any longer. However, money taken from them in the name of penalty cannot be retained, just as neither can exactions, since they have nothing except usury; these come to be restored to those to whom the Jews were bound to restore. If these are hidden, then it should be done as said above. Thus, it also happens that possessions or gifts are received from them, not to be pocketed, but to be restored to the true possessors or to pious uses. And if the princes of the lands are damaged by this in many ways, because they cannot receive exactions from usurious moneys, the holy doctor referring to Thomas Aquinas says: let them blame this damage on themselves, because they arrive at this through their own negligence. Whence if they compelled the Jews to labor, as is done in Italy, and to earn for themselves, thus they would enjoy their goods as they do the goods of others lawfully. But now they permit them to be idle and to be enriched only from usury, and thus they defraud themselves in their own debts, even rents and taxes, as if they permitted their own subjects to live from nothing but robbery or theft. Then they are bound to restore whatever they exacted from them. But regarding the price of labor, whether it is lawful for one to receive this from usurious Jews: William answers, if the Jew has anything other than usury, it can be received from him. If, however, he has nothing but usury, then the receiver treats of avoiding his own damage; so, by taking it, he does not sin, just as one who is damaged by a thief or robber does not sin if he recovers his own damages, even if they had nothing but thefts, provided, however, that he does not receive the goods of others in the hope of [gain]. Vincentius, book 30 of the Speculum Historiale, chapter 53: in the time of Philip, there was a certain countess in the kingdom of France who, corrupted by gifts, handed over to the Jews a certain Christian upon whom she imposed false theft and homicide; they, moved by ancient hatred in the manner of the Jews, with hands bound behind his back, dragging him through the whole town, crowned with thorns, finally hung him on the gallows, which...