Avarice is generally the last passion of those lives of which the first part has been squandered in pleasure, and the second devoted to ambition. He that sinks under the fatigue of getting wealth, lulls his age with the milder business of saving it.

Summary

This quote suggests that avarice, or extreme greed for wealth, often becomes the predominant desire for individuals who have wasted their early years pursuing pleasure and their later years consumed by ambition. When a person becomes exhausted from the pursuit of acquiring wealth, they find solace in the less strenuous task of preserving their accumulated riches in their old age. Essentially, avarice becomes a way for individuals to pacify themselves after a lifetime of indulgence and ambition.

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