中世纪英国基督徒的借贷活动

Christian Money-lending Activities in Medieval England

在中世纪英国,犹太人不是唯一的借贷者。外国商人和英国本土基督徒从12世纪起就已参与借贷活动,到13世纪中期,意大利商人和银行、英国本土商人与英国王室官员成为主要借贷力量。这些基督徒借贷者的人数及其借贷规模均超过了同时期的犹太借贷者,他们的借贷活动在一定程度上不仅满足了英国国内对资金的需求,而且推动了英国货币经济的发展,繁荣了英国国内贸易,进而促进了英国社会阶层的演变与分化。

In Medieval England, the Jews were not the only money-lending group. Foreign merchants and English Christians took part in money-lending activities since the 12 th century. By the mid-13 th century, Italian merchants and banks, English merchants and royal clerks became the main moneylending power. The number of these Christian moneylenders and their money-lending scale had surpassed those of the Jews. Their money-lending activities, to some extent, not only met the domestic need of money, but also propelled the development of English monetary economy, made English trade into prosperity and thus accelerated the evolution and stratification of English social classes.