The Massachusetts Spy, And Worcester County Advertiser

Avarice.—Monsieur Foscue, one of the farmers general of the province of Languedoc, who had amassed considerable wealth by grinding the faces of the poor within his province, and every other means, however low, base, or cruel, by which he rendered himself universally hated, was one day ordered by the government to raise a considerable sum; upon which, as an excuse for not complying with the demand, he pleaded extreme poverty; but fearing lest some of the inhabitants of Languedoc should give information to the contrary, lest his house should be searched, he resolved on hiding his treasure in such a manner, as to escape the most strict examination. He dug a kind of cave in his wine cellar, which he made so large and deep, that he used to go down to it with a ladder; at the entrance of it was a door, with a spring lock on it, which, on shutting, would fasten of itself.

At length Monsieur Foscue was missing; diligent search was made after him in every place; the ponds were drawn, and every method which human imagination could suggest was taken for finding him, but all in vain. In a short time after, his house was sold, and the purchaser, beginning either to rebuild it, or make some alterations in it, the workmen discovered a door in the cellar, with a key in the lock, which he ordered to be opened, and on going down they found Mons. F. lying dead on the ground, with a candlestick near him, but no candle in it, which he had ate; and on searching farther, they found the vast wealth that he had amassed. It is supposed, that when Monsieur Foscue went into the cave, the door, by some accident, shut after him, and being out of the call of any person, he perished for want of food. Thus did this miser die, in the midst of his treasure, to the scandal of himself, and the prejudice of the State.