[1] The covetous man pines in plenty, like Tantalus, up to the
chin.--_Adams,_ 1693.
I doubt not many covetous men take a great deal of pleasure
in ruminating upon their wealth, and in recounting what
they have; but they have a great deal of tormenting care
and fear about it; and if they had not, it is very hard to
understand where the reasonable pleasure and happiness lies
of having things to no end. It is, at the best, like that
of some foolish birds, which, they say, take pleasure in
stealing money, that they may hide it; as if it were worth
the while for men to take pains to dig silver out of the
earth, for no other purpose but to melt it down and stamp
it, and bury it there again.--_Tillotson,_ 1630-1694.
[2] What can be more miserable, than for a man to toil and
labour his whole life, and to have no power to enjoy any
fruit of his labours? to bear like an ass a golden burden
all the day, and, without any further use of it, at night,
to have it taken away, reserving nothing to himself but a
galled conscience?--_Downame,_ 1644.