cum salis grano on 8 May 2010  •  Link

see #3 for another side of writing bad checks
[John Milton for Paradise lost, making monies]

1. A professional penman; a scribe, copyist; a clerk, secretary, amanuensis. 1375
2. A notary

3. One who ‘received money to place out at interest, and who supplied those who wanted to raise money on security’ (Tomlins). Also money scrivener. Obs. exc. Hist.

1607 DEKKER & WEBSTER Northward Hoe! II. D2b, Here was a scriuener but euen now, to put my father in minde of a bond, that wilbe forfit this night.
1625 BACON Ess., Of Riches (Arb.) 237 The Scriueners and Broakers doe valew vnsound Men.
1637 Prynne Docum. (Camden) 77 To make inquiry into the breach of the statute, that noe scrivener shoull take above 5s brokadge in the £.
1677 A. YARRANTON Eng. Improv. 8 Let a Gentleman..come to a Money Scrivener, and desire Four thousand pounds to be lent him on all his Land.
a1700

2. money scrivening: the business of a money scrivener. Hist.

John Milton was one scrivener and made lots of dough loaning money.
http://books.google.com/books?id=…

Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English scriveiner, alteration of scrivein, from Anglo-French escrivein, from Vulgar Latin *scriban-, scriba, alteration of Latin scriba scribe
Date: 14th century

1 : a professional or public copyist or writer : scribe
2 : notary public

3 not noted in a modern dictionary.