Page:Remarkable history of the miser of Berkshire- John Elwes, Esq..pdf/17

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Mr. Elwes denied himſelf every thing, except the common neceſſaries of life; and, indeed, it might have been admitted doubtful, whether or not, if his maners, his fiſh ponds, and grounds in his own hands, had not furniſhed a ſubſiſtance, where he had not anything actually to buy, he would not, rather than have bought any thing, have ſtarved!

He one day dined upon the remaining part of a moor hen, which had been brought out of the river by a rat! At another time, he eat an undigeſted part of a pike, which a larger one had ſwallowed, but had not finiſhed, and which was taken in this ſtate in a net! At the time this laſt circumſtance happened, he diſcovered a ſtrange kind of ſatisfaction; for he ſaid to Captain Topham, who happened to be preſent, Aye! this is killing two birds with one ſtone! Mr. Elwed at this time, was perhaps worth nearly 800,000l. and at this period he had not made his Will, of courſe, was not ſaving from any ſentiment of affection for any perſon. His thoughts unceaſingly ran upon money! money! money! and he ſaw now no one but whom he imagined was deceiving and defrauding him!

As, in the day, he would not allow himſelf any fire, he went to bed as ſoon as day cloſed, to ſave candle; and had begun to deny himſelf even the pleaſures of ſleeping in ſheets In ſhort, he had now nearly brought to a climax the moral of his whole life, the perfect vanity of wealth, without uſing it.

On removing from Stoke, he went to his farmhouſe at Thaydon-Hall; a ſcene of more ruin and