Here’s a Figure of the Folly, and the Mischief of Vain Desires, and an
Immoderate Love of Riches. Covetousness is enough to make the Master of
the World as Poor as He that has just Nothing; for a Man may be brought
to a Morsel of Bread, by Griping, as well as by Profusion. ’Tis a Madness
for a Body that has enough already, to Hazzard All for the Getting of
More, and then upon the Miscarriage to leave himself Nothing. This was
the Woman’s Case and Fault here. In Few Words, there’s a Just _Medium_
betwixt Eating too much, and too Little; and this Dame had Undoubtedly
Hit upon’t, when the Matter was so Order’d, that the Hen brought her
Every Day an Egg. But when she came to Enlarge the Hens Allowance for
her own Profit, Upon an Opinion that more Corn would Produce more Eggs,
her Avarice Misled her into a Disappointment, which was both a Judgment
upon the Sin in the Loss of what she had before, and an Error in the very
Point of Manage, and Good Huswiv’ry; for Repletion Obstructs the most
Necessary Offices of Nature.