Covetousness leads its victim to lie and cheat. With avarice as the most raping, unruly passion in his breast, man grabs and grasps, loots and usurps his neighbor's property. He breathes gold, dreams gold and lives for gold. He feeds his eyes on the ever-growing pile of gold. His one and only food is gold.
Age weakens passions and vices.
Invincible is avarice. Irreclaimable is the victim of avarice. He dies in the midst of his hoarded wealth and leaves it behind him. Avarice has been the ruling passion of kings and virile races. They have always regarded their weak neighbor's possessions as theirs and the whole world as theirs.