Methinks God has punish'd the avaritious as he often punishes sinners, in their own way, in their very sin itself: the thirst of gain was their crime, that thirst continued became their punishment and ruin. As for the few who have the good fortune to remain with half of what they imagined they had (among whom is your humble servant), I would have them sensible of their felicity, and convinced of the truth of old Hesiod's maxim, who, after half his estate was swallowed by the Directors of those days, resolv'd, that half to be more than the whole.

In his letter to Atterbury Bishop of Rochester. Sept. 23. 1720.