The New Hampshire Gazette

As the following is a Character very prevalent amongst us, I hope the describing a few of its pernicious tendencies will in some degree abate its rapid progress; the inserting of which will much oblige

Your constant reader.

LIBERALITAS.

The MISER.

VILE wretch! who sacrifices all to wealth,
His honour, conscience, and his future health.
His heart is always with his glittering ore,
And heaven born charity can charm no more:
The tender thoughts which human bosoms fill,
In him are chang'd to cruel, base and ill.
Conjugal and paternal love give way
To love of gold, which bears the only sway.
The thoughts of getting more distract his breast,
And care of keeping it allows no rest;
Distrust and fear possess by turns his mind,
Expert in fraud, to ev'ry virtue blind:
To get more pelf no ways to him are foul,
He cares not if for gold he damns his soul.
His hapless children curse the fatal day,
When nature gave to him a father's sway.
Distressing all he knows, himself distress'd,
An evil conscience wracks his guilty breast;
Afraid to touch his basely gotten store,
Spends nothing, but is always scraping more.
In midst of all his plenty always wants;
Famine his roof with meagre aspect haunts.
So avaritious Midas fables say,
Amidst his royal dainties pin'd away.
Strange! that the bowels of the generous earth
Should bring such a destructive metal forth.
What mischiefs has it done in every land!
Made virtue suffer, and made vice command.
But stranger still! man's Soul with reason grac'd,
By sordid love of wealth should be debas'd.