GKIMALBI. 



ought to be purfued in any way and at any price, and 

 that no means were di {graceful but fuch as did not fuc- 

 ceed. He that has a great ftore of money, he ufed to 

 fay, has but few flings of confcience. 



We may readily fuppofe, that a man of fuch max- 

 ims had formed a fettled plan to become rich. Ac * 

 cordingly he began very early to labour at the edifice of 

 his fortune, and even in his youth he merited the appella- 

 tion of an old mifer. With the talent of acquiring 

 riches, he united the far more extraordinary art of 

 keeping them. He lived quite alone. He had neither 

 dog nor cat in the houfe ; becaufe he mull have found 

 them in victuals. Neither did he keep a fervant ; to 

 fpare himfelf the neceffity of paying wages. Moreover, 

 he was in continual fear of being robbed ; and theft was 

 in his eftimation a crime of blacker dye than parri- 

 cide. He was' univerfally the object of hatred and 

 contempt ; but when he felt himfelf infulted or abufed i 

 he went ftraitway home, call a look at his dear ftrong 

 box, and was comforted. 



The frugality of his meals, and the poverty of his 

 drefs, were no deception to the public on the true 

 ftate of his circumftances, as is ufually the cafe with 

 mifers. The cloak of artifice under which they think 

 to conceal their affluence, frequently ferves but to 

 fwell it in the eyes of other men, and their avarice is 

 crnly a fign hung out to invite the thief to enter.. 



One evening when he had fupped in comgany, (it 

 may be eafily imagined that it was not at home,) he. 

 was returning to his houfe very late and alone. Some 

 one that had watched his fteps, fell upon him with the 

 intention to murder him. Grimaldi felt himfelf ftabbed 



with 



