Well, I'm not sure "growth" as a concept was part of many people's understanding of the world during the 16th century. People noticed the peasants were becoming numerous, but that's about all. I think the rise of capitalism, the development of interest, and the capital accumulation, happened because of the rise of overseas trade, an activity that had always been financed by interest on capital.

I'll have to reread Braudel...

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères