Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. III, No. XVII, October 1851Various
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. III, No. XVII, October 1851
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
save my money in my own way; my parsimony enables me to bestow more
liberally on charity. With regard to benevolent donations, you may
always expect most from prudent people who keep their own accounts, and
who pay attention to trifles."
Audley was a celebrated miser of the time of the Stuarts; he amassed his
wealth during the reign of the first Charles, and flourished amazingly
under the protectorate of Cromwell. Audley was originally a clerk, with
only six shillings a week salary, and yet out of this scanty sum he
managed to save more than half. His dinner seldom cost him any thing,
for he generally made some excuse to dine with his master's clients;
and, as to his other meals, a crust of bread or a dry biscuit was
regarded as fare sufficient after an ample dinner. In one circumstance
he was somewhat different from other misers: he was clean, if not neat,
in his outward appearance. But he was thus scrupulous in his apparel
from principle; for Audley often asserted, that, to be thrifty, it was
necessary to pay some respect to such matters. He was remarkably
industrious, even when a young man. At an age when others were seeking
pleasure, he was busy in lending out, and increasing his early savings.
He was always ready to work when the usual hours of business were over,
and would willingly sit up the whole night to obtain some trifling
remuneration. He was never above soliciting trifles, and touching his
hat to his master's clients. So rigid was he in his economy, and so
usurious in his dealings, that in four years, during which time,
however, he had never received more than a salary of six or eight
shillings a week, he managed to save and amass five hundred pounds. The
salary of the remaining years of his apprenticeship he sold for sixty
pounds, and after a while, having made up six hundred pounds in all, he
lent the whole to a nobleman for an annuity of ninety-six pounds for
nineteen years, which annuity was secured upon property producing eight
hundred a year. The nobleman soon died, and his heir neglected to pay
the annuity. Audley had execution upon the property, and by legal
trickery, in which he was well versed, he managed to obtain, in the way
of fines and forfeitures, about four thousand pounds' profit upon his
original six hundred. His master being one of the clerks of the Compter,
Audley had many opportunities of practicing his disreputable cunning,
and of obtaining vast sums by deluding insolvent debtors, and in
deceiving their creditors. He would buy bad debts for a mere trifle, and
afterward compound with the poor insolvent. One instance of his avarice
and villainy is so curious, that we can not refrain from giving the
anecdote to our readers. A tradesman, named Miller, unfortunately got
into arrears with his merchant, whose name was White. Many fruitless
applications were made for the debt, and at last Miller was sued by the
merchant for the sum of two hundred pounds. He was unable to meet the
demand, and was declared insolvent.
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