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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
