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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..919fb71 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53835 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53835) diff --git a/old/53835-8.txt b/old/53835-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d8202b6..0000000 --- a/old/53835-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13445 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Light Come, Light Go, by Ralph Nevill - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Light Come, Light Go - Gambling--Gamesters--Wagers--The Turf - -Author: Ralph Nevill - -Release Date: December 30, 2016 [EBook #53835] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIGHT COME, LIGHT GO *** - - - - -Produced by deaurider, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - -LIGHT COME, LIGHT GO - - - - -[Illustration] - - MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED - - LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA - MELBOURNE - - - THE MACMILLAN COMPANY - - NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO - ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO - - THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD - - TORONTO - -[Illustration: THE TRENTE-ET-QUARANTE OF THE PAST. - -From a scarce print by Darcis. - - _Frontispiece._] - - - - - LIGHT COME, LIGHT GO - - GAMBLING--GAMESTERS--WAGERS - - THE TURF - - BY - - RALPH NEVILL - - "D'un bout du monde - A l'autre bout, - Le Hasard seul fait tout." - - MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED - ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON - - 1909 - - - - -CONTENTS - - - I - - PAGE - - The gambling spirit inborn in mankind--Its various forms in - reality identical--Resemblance of gamblers to the alchemists - of old--Capriciousness of fortune--Importance of small advantages - at play--An extraordinary run at hazard--Napoleon - and Wellington little addicted to cards--Blücher's love of - gaming--He wins his son's money--Avaricious gamesters--Anecdotes - of the miser Elwes--Long sittings at the card-table--Modern - instance in London--Two nights and a day - at whist at the Roxburgh Club--Casanova's forty-two hour - duel at piquet--Anecdotes of Fox, the Duke of Devonshire, - Sir John Lade, Beau Nash, and others--Country houses lost - at play--"Up now deuce and then a trey"--The Canterbury - barber 1 - - - II - - The spirit of play in the eighteenth century--The Duke of - Buckingham's toast--Subscription-Houses, Slaughter-Houses, - and Hells--The staff of a gaming-house--Joseph - Atkinson and Bellasis--Raids on King's Place and Grafton - Mews--Methods employed by Bow Street officers--Speculative - insurance--Increase of gaming in London owing to - arrival of _émigrés_--Gambling amongst the prisoners of war--The - Duc de Nivernois and the clergyman--Faro and E.O.--Crusade - against West-End gamblers--The Duchess of - Devonshire and "Old Nick"--Mr. Lookup--Tiger Roche--Dick - England--Sad death of Mr. Damer--Plucking a pigeon 38 - - - III - - Former popularity of dice--The race game in Paris--Description - of hazard--Jack Mytton's success at it--Anecdotes--French - hazard--Major Baggs, a celebrated gamester of the - past--Anecdotes of his career--London gaming-houses--Ways - and methods of their proprietors--Ephraim Bond and - his henchman Burge--"The Athenæum"--West-End Hells--Crockford's--Opinion - of Mr. Crockford regarding play--The - Act of 1845--Betting-houses--Nefarious tactics of their - owners--Suppression in 1853 74 - - - IV - - Craze for eccentric wagers at end of eighteenth century--Lord - Cobham's insulting freak and its results--Betting and - gaming at White's--The Arms of the Club--The old betting-book - and its quaint wagers--Tragedies of play--White's to-day--£180,000 - lost at hazard at the Cocoa Tree--Brummell - as a gambler--Gaming at Brooks's--Anecdotes--General - Scott--Whist--Mr. Pratt--Wattier's Club--Scandal at - Graham's--Modern gambling clubs--The Park Club case in - 1884--Dangers of private play 103 - - - V - - Talleyrand whilst at cards announces the death of the Duc - d'Enghien--"The curse of Scotland"--Wilberforce at faro--Successful - gamblers--The Rev. Caleb Colton--Colonel - Panton--Dennis O'Kelly--Richard Rigby--Anecdotes--Strange - incidents at play--Aged gamesters--A duel with - death--General Wade and the poor officer--Anecdote of a - caprice of Fortune--Stock Exchange speculation--A man - who profited by tips 137 - - - VI - - Colonel Mellish--His early life and accomplishments--His - equipage--A great gambler--£40,000 at a throw!--Posting--Mellish's - racing career--His duel--In the Peninsula--Rural - retirement and death--Colonel John Mordaunt--His - youthful freaks--An ardent card-player--Becomes aide-de-camp - to the Nawab of Oude--Anecdotes--Death from a - duel--Zoffany in India and his picture of Mordaunt's - cock-fight--Anecdotes of cock-fighting 167 - - - VII - - Prevalence of wagering in the eighteenth century--Riding a - horse backwards--Lord Orford's eccentric bet--Travelling - piquet--The building of Bagatelle--Matches against time--"Old - Q." and his chaise match--Buck Whalley's journey - to Jerusalem--Buck English--Irish sportsmen--Jumping - the wall of Hyde Park in 1792--Undressing in the water--Colonel - Thornton--A cruel wager--Walking on stilts--A - wonderful leap--Eccentric wagers--Lloyd's walking match--Squire - Osbaldiston's ride--Captain Barclay--Jim Selby's - drive--Mr. Bulpett's remarkable feats 204 - - - VIII - - Gambling in Paris--Henry IV. and Sully--Cardinal Mazarin's - love of play--Louis XIV. attempts to suppress gaming--John - Law--Anecdotes--Institution of public tables in 1775--Biribi--Gambling - during the Revolution--Fouché--The - tables of the Palais Royal--The Galeries de Bois--Account - of gaming-rooms--Passe-dix and Craps--Frascati's and the - Salon des Étrangers--Anecdotes--Public gaming ended in - Paris--Last evenings of play--Decadence of the Palais - Royal--Its restaurants--Gaming in Paris at the present day 235 - - - IX - - Public gaming in Germany--Aix-la-Chapelle--An Italian gambler--The - King of Prussia's generosity--Baden-Baden--M. de - la Charme--A dishonest croupier--Wiesbaden--An eccentric - Countess--Closing of the tables in 1873--Last scenes--Arrival - of M. Blanc at Homburg--His attempt to defeat his - own tables--Anecdotes of Garcia--His miserable end--A - Spanish gambler at Ems--Roulette at Geneva and in - Heligoland--Gambling at Ostend--Baccarat at French - watering-places--"La Faucheuse" forbidden in France 282 - - - X - - The Principality of Monaco--Its vicissitudes--Early days - of the Casino--The old Prince and his scruples--Monte - Carlo in 1858 and 1864--Its development--Fashionable in the - 'eighties--Mr. Sam Lewis and Captain Carlton - Blythe--Anecdotes--Increase of visitors and present democratic - policy of administration--The _Cercle Privé_ and its short - life--The gaming-rooms and ways of their - frequenters--Anecdotes--Trente-et-quarante - and roulette--Why the cards have plain white backs--Jaggers' - successful spoliation of the bank--The croupiers and their - training--The staff of the Casino--The - _viatique_--Systems--The best of all 319 - - - XI - - Difficulty of making money on the Turf--Big - wins--Sporting tipsters and their methods--Jack - Dickinson--"Black Ascots"--Billy Pierse--Anecdotes--Lord - Glasgow--Lord George Bentinck--Lord Hastings--Heavy - betting of the past--Charles II. founder of the English - Turf--History of the latter--Anecdotes--Eclipse--Highflyer--The - founder of Tattersall's--Old time racing--Fox--Lord - Foley--Major Leeson--Councillor Lade--"Louse - Pigott"--Hambletonian and Diamond--Mrs. Thornton's - match--Beginnings of the French Turf--Lord Henry - Seymour--Longchamps--Mr. Mackenzie Grieves--Plaisanterie--Establishment - of the Pari Mutuel in 1891--How the large profits are - allocated--Conclusion 374 - - - INDEX 437 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - IN COLOUR - - FACE PAGE - - The Trente-et-Quarante of the Past. From a scarce Print - by Darcis _Frontispiece_ - - The Beautiful Duchess throwing a Main. By Rowlandson 60 - - La Bouillotte. From a scarce Print after Bosio 138 - - The Chaise Match 214 - - The Palmy Days of the Palais Royal. From a contemporary - Print 258 - - A Gaming-Table in the Palais Royal 262 - - Véry's in 1825 276 - - Plan of Roulette Table, as used at Monte Carlo 348 - - Betting. By Rowlandson 382 - - - IN BLACK AND WHITE - - The Spendthrift. From an Eighteenth-Century Print 26 - - A Raid on a London Gaming-House 44 - - Sharpers and Bucks in a Billiard Room 68 - - Light Come, Light Go 80 - - A Row in a Fashionable Hell 86 - - Count d'Orsay calling a Main at Crockford's 98 - - The Arms of White's _p._ 107 - - The Gambling-Room at Brooks's. From a Water-colour - Drawing in the possession of the Club 116 - - The Cock-Fight at Lucknow, with Key. Engraved by - R. Earlom, after Zoffany 194 - - Roulette in the Eighteenth Century 284 - - Facsimile Title-Page of "Guide du Spéculateur au Trente-Quarante - et à la Roulette" 298 - - Gambling at Homburg. Drawn by the late G.A. Sala 308 - - E.O. on a Country Race-course. By Rowlandson 398 - - Mrs. Thornton 416 - - - - -I - - The gambling spirit inborn in mankind--Its various forms in - reality identical--Resemblance of gamblers to the alchemists of - old--Capriciousness of fortune--Importance of small advantages at - play--An extraordinary run at hazard--Napoleon and Wellington little - addicted to cards--Blücher's love of gaming--He wins his son's - money--Avaricious gamesters--Anecdotes of the miser Elwes--Long - sittings at the card-table--Modern instance in London--Two nights and - a day at whist at the Roxburgh Club--Casanova's forty-two hour duel at - piquet--Anecdotes of Fox, the Duke of Devonshire, Sir John Lade, Beau - Nash, and others--Country houses lost at play--"Up now deuce and then - a trey"--The Canterbury barber. - - -The passion for speculation which, throughout all ages, has captivated -the great bulk of humanity, would seem to be an innate characteristic -of mankind. It assumes various forms and guises which often deceive -those over whom it exercises its sway, and becomes in numberless cases -a veritable obsession, causing its victims to devote the whole of their -time, thoughts, and money--sometimes even their lives--to its service. -Devotees of the simpler forms of gambling, such as are to be procured -at the card-table and on the race-course, are often looked down upon by -people who are themselves under the sway of other insidious, if more -reputable, modes of tempting fortune. For all speculation, whether -it be in pigs or wheat, stocks and shares, race-horses or cards, -is in essence the same--its main feature being merely the desire to -obtain "something for nothing," or in other words to acquire wealth -without work. Gambling, of no matter what kind, is thus a conscious and -deliberate departure from the general aim of civilised society, which -is to obtain proper value for its money. The gambler, on the other -hand, receives either a great deal more than he gives or nothing at all. - -All conditions of life being more or less disquieted either with the -cares of gaining or of keeping money, it is but natural that mankind -should be allured by the idea of discovering and utilising an easy -and quick road to riches. Alas, the prospect of speedy wealth, which -exercises such an irresistible fascination over certain natures, is in -the vast majority of cases nothing but a delusive mirage, as tempting -to covetous folly as the "philosopher's stone." Indeed, the votaries of -chance in a great measure resemble the alchemists of old, who were ever -seeking, but never found, a method of producing untold gold. - -So convinced were these searchers of the possibility of eventually -discovering the secret of manufacturing riches, that they laughed even -at successful gamblers, deeming them to be mere drudges and sluggards -on the golden road. There was a time, indeed, when students of what -Gibbon termed "the vain science of alchemy," were actually called -"multipliers," and their unbounded confidence naturally made a deep -impression upon the credulous ignorance of their age. So much so that -our Henry IV. appears to have become seriously alarmed at the prospect -of the country being flooded with precious metals manufactured by the -"multipliers," for a statute passed during his reign decrees that "none -from henceforth shall use to multiply gold or silver or use the craft -of multiplication, and if any the same do he shall incur the pain of -felony." His Majesty might just as well have issued an edict against -gamblers making use of a sure method of winning! - -One of the most remarkable things about gambling is that no one -ever seems to win--certainly the vast majority of those addicted to -play, even the most lucky, generally declare that on the whole they -have lost. A number of these, however, probably leave out of their -calculations the large amounts which they have spent whilst fortune was -in a generous mood; for gamblers when in luck are apt to fling their -money about very freely, and even when they are losing they do not as -a rule practise a rigid economy. This is not the case, of course, with -followers of methods and systems who take their gambling seriously; -these are often frugal men who, though quite callous about losing large -sums in the pursuit of their hobby, regard money spent on enjoyment or -luxuries as wasted. This is the type of gambler who racks his brains -with calculations, and takes immense trouble to obtain really sound -information about the chances of some race-horse, or of the rise or -fall of some stock. - -But even to such sober gamblers the result is usually disappointing. -All methods, systems, and combinations do little to assist gamblers to -win--the most they can effect is to put a limitation on their losses; -and as regards special information, those who are addicted to racing -know only too well how expensive it is to be acquainted with any one -in a position to give really good "tips." More than that, information -which emanates from owners, trainers, and jockeys would soon break the -Bank of England were that institution to decide to risk its capital on -such advice. Not that in many cases these men are not really anxious to -give their friends winners; but somehow or other the good thing hardly -ever comes off. It is indeed not at all unlikely that the race-goer who -knows no one connected with the Turf has a distinct advantage; for when -regular racing men possess reliable information as to a horse which -has been reserved for some coup, they are obviously not at liberty to -divulge its name, and consequently the "tips" they give are little more -than hints of vague possibilities. - -Although as a matter of fact the goddess of chance--not erroneously -called "fickle"!--is in the long run pitilessly severe upon her -votaries, one and all, there are times and occasions on which she seems -not indisposed to smile. To propitiate her is, therefore, the first -ambition of all gamblers, and in their efforts to attain this end many -of them exhibit an almost childish superstition. Yet we must remember -that the wisest of the Roman emperors kept a golden image of Fortune -in their private apartments, or carried it about them. They never sent -it to their successor till they were near expiring; and then it was -accompanied with this declaration--that in the whole course of their -achievements, they were more indebted to fortune than to any skill or -dexterity of their own. - -Always feminine, Fortune is to all appearances essentially wayward and -capricious. She requires to be constantly tended, silently expected, -and approached with due caution and prudence. Rough and refractory -behaviour scares her away; irritation at her eccentricities banishes -her altogether; whilst levity and ingratitude, when she is in a -beneficent mood, soon causes her to escape. Moderation is the only -chance of securing her constant presence. In short, fortune, or luck, -is a phenomenon, the ground and essence whereof is to a great degree -inexplicable. For the most part we know it only from its effects, and -can give no certain account either of its nature or of its mode of -action, and of the always increasing or diminishing greatness of it. To -the gambler fortune appears to be an occult power, the aid of which is -not infrequently invoked by means of various fanciful fetishes, which -for the moment acquire a real virtue, as being likely to propitiate the -invisible influence which presides over speculation. - -The movements of fortune have been well compared to those of the -sea, which for the most part seems to affect a serene and smiling -aspect, broken only by tranquil ripples. From time to time, however, -furious tempests and storms disturb its surface, calm being often -re-established as quickly and suddenly as it was originally broken. -Like the sea, Fortune would at heart appear to be inclined towards -tranquillity, though her fury, when roused, is inclined to conceal this -tendency. - -Whilst Fortune generally seems to distribute her favours in a somewhat -haphazard way, there is no doubt that those who study the so-called -laws of chance are the most likely to receive them. For although chance -is generally considered to be effect without design, this is not -strictly true. Throughout the universe of nature, indeed, all events -appear in the end to be governed by immutable laws which have existed -from the beginning of time, no matter what partial irregularities may -arise at certain periods. - -In any game, for instance, equality in play is likely to restore the -players in a series of events to the same state in which they began; -while inequality, however small, has a contrary effect, and the longer -the game be continued, the greater is likely to be the loss of the one -player and the gain of the other. As has been very soundly said, this -"more or less," in play, runs through all the ratios between equality -and infinite difference, or from an infinitely little difference till -it comes to an infinitely great one. The slightest of advantages, -whether arising from skill or chance, will as surely "materialise" -in the course of play as does the carefully calculated profit of a -commercial expert. - -An event either will happen or will not happen; this constitutes -a certainty. Some events are dependent, others independent. The -difference is very important. Independent events have no connection, -their happenings neither forwarding nor obstructing one another. -Choosing a card from each of two distinct packs includes two -independent events; for the taking of a card from the first pack does -not in any way affect the taking of a card from the second--the chances -of drawing, or of not drawing, any particular card from the second pack -being neither lessened nor increased. On the other hand, the taking of -a second card from a pack from which one has already been drawn is a -dependent event, as the composition of the pack has been altered by the -abstraction of one particular card. - -The surprising way in which an apparently small advantage operates may -be judged from the following example:--A and B agree to play for one -guinea a game until one hundred guineas are lost or won. A possesses -an advantage on each game amounting to 11 chances to 10 in his favour. -Mathematical analysis of this advantage proves that B would do well to -give A upwards of ninety-nine guineas to cancel the agreement. - -Further, many speculative events, which at first sight seem to -be advantageous to one side, are demonstrated by mathematical -investigation to be of an exactly contrary nature. A bets B thirty-two -guineas to one that an event does not happen, and also bets B thirty -guineas even that it does happen in twenty-nine trials. Besides this -A gives B one thousand guineas to play in this manner six hours a day -for a month. Here B would appear to have some advantage. Mathematical -investigation, however, proves that in reality the advantage of A is -so great that B ought not only to return the thousand guineas to A, -but give him, in addition, another ten thousand guineas to cancel the -agreement. - -Every game of chance presents two kinds of chances which are very -distinct--namely, those relating to the person interested (the -player) and those inherent in the combinations of the game. That is -to say, there is either "good luck" or "bad luck," which at different -times gives the player a "run" of good or bad fortune. But besides -this, there is the chance of the combinations of the game, which -are independent of the player and which are governed by the laws of -probability. Theoretically, chance is able to bring into any given game -all the possible combinations; but it is a curious fact that there are, -nevertheless, certain limits at which it seems to stop. A proof of this -is that a particular number at roulette does not turn up ten or a dozen -times in succession. In reality there would be nothing astounding about -such a run, but it is supposed never to have happened. On the other -hand, the numbers in one column at roulette have been known not to turn -up during seventeen successive coups. - -All the same, extraordinary runs do occur at all games. In 1813, a -well-known betting man of the name of Ogden laid one thousand guineas -to one guinea, that calling seven as the main, a player would not throw -that number ten times successively from the dice-box. Seven was thrown -nine times in direct sequence! Mr. Ogden then offered four hundred and -seventy guineas to be let off the bet, but the thrower refused. He took -the box again but threw only twice more--nine--so that Mr. Ogden just -saved his thousand guineas. - -In a game of chance, the oftener the same combination has occurred in -succession the nearer we are to the certainty that it will not recur at -the next coup. It would almost appear, in fact, as if there existed an -instant, prescribed by some unknown law, at which the chances become -mature, and after which they begin to tend again towards equalisation. -This is the secret of the pass and the counter-pass, and also of the -strange persistence which certain numbers at roulette sometimes show -in recurring--they are merely making up for lost time. At the end of a -year all the numbers on a roulette board would be found to have come up -about the same number of times--provided, of course, that the wheel is -kept in proper working order, a state of affairs which is assured at -Monaco by scrupulous daily inspection. - -The considerations set forth above apply more especially to games like -roulette and trente-et-quarante played at public tables, where all -players have an equal chance against the bank, and where the personal -element, which is so important in private play, is to a large extent -eliminated. It is at public tables that the real gambler finds his -best chance. There, whilst having a fair field and no favour, he may, -if lucky, win very large sums with the certainty of being immediately -paid; and he is not exposed to various unfavourable influences, which -tell against men of his disposition when gambling amongst acquaintances -and even friends. Wherever a number of careless, inattentive people -possessed of money chance to be assembled, a few wary, cool, and shrewd -men will be found, who know how to conceal real caution and design -under apparent inattention and gaiety of manner; who push their luck -when fortune smiles and refrain when she changes her disposition; and -who have calculated the chances and are thoroughly master of every game -where judgment is required. - -Occasionally men of this stamp have been known to have accumulated a -fortune, more often a respectable competency, at play. If they had -been interrogated as to the exact means by which they had made their -success, they would, had they been desirous of speaking the truth, have -replied in the words of the wife of the Maréchal d'Ancre, who, when -she was asked what charm she had made use of to fascinate the mind of -the queen, "The charm," she replied, "which superior abilities always -exercise over weaker minds." - -The minor forms of gambling, which serve to gratify the speculative -instincts of ordinary mortals, have generally possessed little -attraction for great men, whose minds would seem to have been occupied -by more ambitious, though perhaps in essence not less speculative, -designs. Napoleon, for example, was a very poor card-player, and from -all accounts never indulged in any serious gambling. The great Duke -of Wellington, though he was once accused of being much addicted to -playing hazard, would also seem to have entertained no particular -fondness for play. In the course of a letter which he wrote in 1823 to -a Mr. Adolphus, who had publicly referred to his supposed love of play, -the great Captain wrote "that never in the whole course of his life had -he ever won or lost £20 at any game, and that he had never played at -hazard or any game of chance in any public place or club, nor been for -some years at all at any such place." Nevertheless, the Duke became an -original member of Crockford's in 1827, though there is no record of -his ever having played there. - -Another great soldier, on the other hand, repeatedly lost large sums -at play. This was Blücher, who was inordinately fond of gambling. Much -to his disgust this passion was inherited by his son, who had often -to be rebuked by his father for his visits to the gaming-table, and -was given many a wholesome lecture upon his youth and inexperience, -and the consequent certainty of loss by coming in contact with older -and more practised gamblers. One morning, however, young Blücher -presented himself before his father, and exclaimed with an air of joy, -"Sir, you said I knew nothing about play, but here is proof that you -have undervalued my talents," pulling out at the same time a bag of -roubles which he had won the preceding night. "And I said the truth," -was the reply; "sit down there, and I'll convince you." The dice were -called for, and in a few minutes old Blücher won all his son's money; -whereupon, after pocketing the cash, he rose from the table observing, -"Now you see that I was right when I told you that you would never win." - -If, however, it would seem to be the case that few, if any, of the -world's very greatest minds have been addicted to gambling, it is no -less true that outside this select band all classes have been, and are, -equally subject to the passion. Nothing, indeed, is more extraordinary -than the fact that it has been observed to exercise the same -fascination on men of the most diverse characters and dispositions--on -rich and poor, educated and uneducated, young and old, learned and -ignorant. - -Moreover, unlike other passions, the love of gambling generally remains -unimpaired by age, and instances of people of advanced years expending -their few remaining energies at the card-table are not rare. There -is the story of the venerable old north-country lady whom a visitor -found looking very red-eyed and weary. "I fear you are suffering from -a bad cold?" he inquired, solicitously. "Eh, I'se gat na cauld," was -the reply; "some friends kem from Kendal on Tuesday that love a game -a whist dearly, and I'se bin carding the morn and e'en, the e'en an' -the morn, twa days." "Indeed, and what might you have won?" "Eh," she -replied, with considerable satisfaction, "it mun be a shilling." - -At first sight, also, one would think that avarice and passion for -play were absolutely incompatible; yet there are not a few striking -instances of the two vices being combined--by men to whom the spending -of a few shillings was agony, but who would risk thousands at cards -with comparative equanimity. Such an one was the celebrated Mr. Elwes, -who combined a passion for gambling with habits of the greatest penury. -He was originally a Mr. Meggot, the name of Elwes being assumed under -the terms of the will of his uncle. Sir Harvey Elwes. - -Sir Harvey was himself the perfect type of a miser. Timid, shy, and -diffident in the extreme, he kept his household, which consisted of -one man and two maid-servants, chiefly upon game from his own land -and fish from his own ponds; the cows which grazed before his door -furnished milk, cheese, and butter for the establishment; and what fuel -he burned his own woods supplied. As he had no acquaintances and no -books, the hoarding-up and the counting of his money was his greatest -delight. Next to that came partridge catching--or setting, as it was -then called--at which he was so great an adept that he was known to -take five hundred brace of birds in one season. What partridges were -not consumed by his household he turned out again, as he never gave -anything away. At all times he wore a black velvet cap much over his -face, a worn-out, full-dress suit of clothes, and an old great-coat, -with worsted stockings drawn up over his knees. He rode a thin -thoroughbred horse, and the horse and his rider looked as if a gust of -wind would have blown them away together. - -At the time Mr. Meggot succeeded to the name and fortune of his uncle -he was over forty, having for about fifteen years previously been -well-known in the most fashionable circles of the West End. He was a -gambler at heart, and only late in life did he succeed in obtaining any -mastery over his passion for play. His losses were great, but this was -mainly because while he himself always paid when he lost, his opponents -were not always so scrupulous, and it was notorious that the sums -owed to him in this way were very considerable. But he professed the -quixotic theory that "it was impossible to ask a gentleman for money"; -and to his honour, but financial disadvantage, he adhered strictly to -this rule throughout his life. - -The acquaintances which he had formed at Westminster School and at -Geneva, together with his own large fortune, all conspired to introduce -Mr. Elwes (then Mr. Meggot) into whatever society he best liked. -He was at once admitted a member of the club at Arthur's, and of -various other similar institutions; and as a proof of his notoriety -as a gambler, it may be mentioned that he, Lord Robert Bertie, and -some others, are noticed in a scene in _The Adventures of a Guinea_ -for the frequency of their midnight orgies. Few men, even on his own -acknowledgment, had played deeper than himself, or with such varying -success. He once played two days and a night without intermission; -and the room being a small one, the company were nearly up to their -knees in cards. He lost some thousands at that sitting. The Duke of -Northumberland was of the party--another man who never would quit the -gaming-table while any hope of winning remained. - -Even at this period, Mr. Elwes' passion for gaming was equalled by -his avarice, and in a curious manner he contrived to mingle small -attempts at saving with pursuits of the most unbounded dissipation. -After sitting up a whole night playing for thousands with the -most fashionable and profligate men of the time--in ornate and -brilliantly-lighted salons, with obsequious waiters attendant upon his -call--he would walk out about four in the morning, not towards his -home, but into Smithfield, to meet his own cattle, which were coming up -to market from Thaydon Hall, a farm of his in Essex. There would this -same man, forgetful of the scenes he had just left, stand in the cold -or rain, haggling with a carcass butcher for a shilling. Sometimes -when the cattle did not arrive at the hour he expected, he would walk -on in the mire to meet them; and more than once he actually trudged -the whole way to his farm, seventeen miles from London--a tedious walk -after sitting up the whole of the night at play! - -Though he never engaged personally upon the Turf, Mr. Elwes was in -the habit of making frequent excursions to Newmarket, and a kindness -which he once performed there is worthy of recollection. Lord Abingdon, -who was slightly known to Mr. Elwes, had made a match for £7000 which -it was supposed he would be obliged to forfeit from an inability -to produce the sum--though the odds were greatly in his favour. -Unsolicited, Mr. Elwes made him an offer of the money; he accepted it, -and won the engagement. - -On the day this match was to be run a clerical neighbour had agreed to -accompany Mr. Elwes to Newmarket. As was the latter's custom they set -out on their journey at seven in the morning, and, with the hope of a -substantial breakfast at Newmarket, the clergyman took no refreshment -before starting. They reached Newmarket about eleven, and Mr. Elwes -busied himself in inquiries and conversation till twelve, when the -match was decided in favour of Lord Abingdon. The divine then fully -expected that they should move off to the town for breakfast; but Elwes -still continued riding about on one business or another. Eventually -four o'clock arrived; and by this time his reverence had become so -impatient that he murmured something about the "keen air of Newmarket -heath" and the comforts of a good dinner. "Very true," replied Elwes, -"have some of this," offering him at the same time a piece of old, -crushed pancake from his great-coat pocket. He added that he had -brought it from his house at Marcham two months before, but "that it -was as good as new." The sequel of the story was that they did not -reach home till nine in the evening, when the clergyman was so tired -that he gave up all other refreshment for rest. On the other hand, -Elwes, who had hazarded seven thousand pounds in the morning, retired -happily to bed with the pleasing recollection of having saved three -shillings. - -In later life Mr. Elwes was elected to Parliament, where he -proved himself an independent country member and exhibited great -conscientiousness. During this time he had the greatest admiration for -Mr. Pitt, and was wont to declare that in all the statesman's words -there were "pounds, shillings, and pence." When he quitted Parliament, -he was, in the common phrase, "a fish out of water." He had for some -years been a member of a card-club, at the Mount Coffee-House, and it -was there that he consoled himself for the loss of his seat. The play -was moderate, and he enjoyed the fire and candles which were provided -at the expense of the Club; but fortune seemed resolved to force from -him that money which no power could persuade him to bestow. He still -retained his fondness for play, and imagined that he had no small skill -at piquet. It was his ill-luck on one occasion to meet a gentleman who -had the same idea of his own powers in this direction, and on much -better grounds; for after a contest of two days and a night, in which -Elwes continued with the perseverance which avarice will sometimes -inspire, he rose the loser of no less than three thousand pounds. The -debt was paid by a draft on Messrs. Hoare, which was duly honoured the -next morning. - -This is said to have been the last bout of gaming indulged in by -Mr. Elwes, and not long afterwards he retired to his country seat -at Stoke, remarking that "he had lost a great deal of money very -foolishly, but that a man grew wiser by time." After this no gleam of -pleasure or amusement broke through the gloom of a penurious life, -and his insatiable desire of saving became uniform and systematic. He -still rode about the country on an old brood mare (which was all he -had left); but then he rode her very economically, on the soft turf -adjoining the road, so as to avoid the cost of shoes. His household -expenses were reduced to a minimum, his few wants being attended to by -a man who became almost as celebrated as his master. This extraordinary -servant acted as butler, coachman, gardener, huntsman, groom, and -valet; and was, according to Mr. Elwes, "a d----d idle rascal" into the -bargain. - -Mr. Elwes died in 1789 and left an enormous fortune for that day, -about five hundred thousand pounds being divided between his two -natural sons. - -Mr. Elwes' record of having played piquet for two days and a night -(thirty-six successive hours) was a remarkable one, for the physical -strain involved by playing for such a long period is very considerable. -Yet the fascination of remaining at the gaming-table for a long stretch -of time frequently takes possession of those addicted to play. As a -rule it is not by any means caused solely by the consideration of the -stakes played for; it would rather seem that the players become mere -automatic gaming machines, the mechanism of which runs steadily on. -Several years ago a noticeable instance of this occurred in a London -Club, where, on a certain evening, a small party had been playing -écarté for fairly moderate stakes. The game began about eleven o'clock; -some three or four hours later only two players remained. As the time -went on, fine after fine was incurred by this couple, but still they -continued playing--until they passed the hour when expulsion was the -penalty exacted from any member still remaining in the Club-house. -They were still playing when morning broke, and though horrified and -sleepy-eyed waiters informed them that they could no longer continue, -their only answer was to stop the clock, an irritating reminder of -the fleeting hours. In this fashion they continued till one o'clock -the next afternoon, when, having realised that their escapade was a -serious one, they strolled through a crowd of outraged members into -the brilliant sunlight which, as if in irony, chanced that morning to -be flooding the street. It should be added that before leaving the -Club-house--for ever, as it turned out--the two culprits prudently -wrote out their resignations. The curious thing was that the stakes -during this sitting were by no means high, and the sums which changed -hands were consequently comparatively small. - -Rowlandson, the artist, who was a well-known figure at most of the -fashionable gaming-houses of his time, frequently played through a -night and the next day. On one occasion he remained at the hazard table -for thirty-six hours without a break, the only refreshment which he -took being brought to him in the gambling-room. Rowlandson, who was a -most honourable man, was generally unlucky, and lost several legacies -at play. His imperturbability was remarkable, and he never exhibited -the slightest emotion whether he won or lost. - -At the Roxburgh Club in St. James's Square--at the time when it was -kept by Raggett, the well-known proprietor of White's--Hervey Combe, -Tippoo Smith, Mr. Ward (a member of Parliament), and the distinguished -Indian General, Sir John Malcolm, once sat from Monday evening till -Wednesday morning at eleven o'clock, playing whist. Even then, they -would very likely have continued playing, had not Hervey Combe been -obliged to attend the funeral of one of his partners. Combe, who had -won thirty thousand pounds from Sir John Malcolm, jocularly told him -that he could have his revenge whenever he liked. "Thank you," replied -Sir John, "another sitting like this would oblige me to return to India -again!" - -In all probability, however, the longest duel at cards which ever -took place occurred in the eighteenth century at Sulzbach, where the -famous adventurer, Casanova, made the acquaintance of an officer, -d'Entragues by name, who was very fond of piquet. For four or five -days in succession the Venetian and this officer played after dinner. -At the end of that time, however, Casanova declined to play any more, -having come to the conclusion that his opponent made a regular practice -of rising from the table directly he had won ten or twelve louis. He -adhered to this resolution for a day or two, but d'Entragues became -quite importunate in offers to give him his revenge. - -"I do not care to play," was the reply of Casanova, given with some -effrontery. "We are not the same kind of gamblers. I play only for my -pleasure and because the game amuses me, whilst you play merely to win." - -"If I understand you rightly," was the retort, "this is deliberate -rudeness!" - -"I did not mean to be rude; but every time we have played you have left -me in the lurch at the end of an hour." - -"A proof of my solicitude for your pocket, for as you are a worse -player than I, you would have lost a great deal had we continued." - -"Possibly, but I don't believe it." - -Eventually it was agreed that they should resume their contest, but -that the player who was the first to rise from the piquet-table should -forfeit fifty louis to his opponent. The stakes were five louis a -hundred points, ready money only to be played for. - -The game began at three in the afternoon; at nine d'Entragues proposed -supper. Casanova said he was not hungry; whereupon his opponent -laughed, and the game was continued. The onlookers, who were fairly -numerous, went to supper, afterwards returning to remain till midnight, -when the players were left alone with a croupier who attended to the -accounts, the only utterances heard being those connected with the game. - -From six in the morning, when the visitors who were taking the Sulzbach -waters began to be about, the contest excited the greatest public -interest. Casanova was now losing a hundred louis, though his luck had -not been very bad. - -At nine o'clock a lady, Madame Saxe by name, to whom d'Entragues -was very devoted, arrived upon the scene and persuaded each of the -combatants to partake of a cup of chocolate. D'Entragues was the first -to consent to this; he believed that his opponent was near to giving in. - -"Let us agree," he proposed, "that whoever asks for food, leaves the -room for more than a quarter of an hour, or goes to sleep in his -chair, shall be deemed the loser." - -"I take you at your word," was Casanova's reply; "and shall be ready to -hold to any other irritating conditions you may suggest." - -The game proceeded. At twelve o'clock another meal was announced, -but both players still declared that they were not hungry; at four, -however, they took some soup. Towards supper-time the onlookers began -to think that matters were going too far. Madame Saxe then made a -suggestion that the stakes should be divided, but to this proposal -Casanova firmly declined to consent. At this moment d'Entragues -might have risen from the table a winner even after having paid -the forfeit, for besides being the better player luck had favoured -him. Nevertheless, his pride prevented him from abandoning what had -degenerated into a mere contest of endurance. His appearance had become -that of a corpse which had been disinterred, in striking contrast to -the still normal looks of Casanova, who, to the remonstrances of Madame -Saxe, replied that he would only give up the struggle by falling down -dead. - -The night wore on, and once more the players were left alone. By this -time d'Entragues was showing evident signs of complete exhaustion, -which was increased by an altercation about some trifling point -raised by Casanova with the express purpose of further weakening his -opponent's resistance. - -At nine o'clock next morning Madame Saxe arrived to find her lover -losing, and so dazed that he could hardly shuffle the cards, count, -or properly discard. Once more she appealed to Casanova, pointing out -to him that he could now rise a winner. In a tone of great gallantry -the latter replied that he would agree to abandon the struggle if the -forfeit were declared void, a condition to which d'Entragues declined -to assent. The latter, though very weak, showed considerable annoyance -at the manner in which Casanova had spoken to Madame Saxe, and declared -that for his part he should not leave the table till either he or his -opponent lay dead upon the floor. - -In due course of time soup was again brought to the players, but -d'Entragues, who was now in the last stage of weakness, fell down in -a dead faint almost immediately after the cup had been raised to his -lips, and in this condition he was carried away to bed. On the other -hand, Casanova, after having given half a dozen louis to the croupier -(who had been awake for forty-two consecutive hours), leisurely put -the gold he had won in his pockets, and strolled out to a chemist's -where he purchased a mild emetic. He then went to bed and slept lightly -for a few hours, getting up about three o'clock in the afternoon with -an excellent appetite. His opponent did not appear till the next -day, when, much to his credit, he told Casanova that he bore him no -ill-will, and was on the contrary grateful to him for a lesson which he -should remember all the days of his life. - -Casanova was not always as successful as this in his gambling -enterprises, which indeed occasionally involved him in unpleasant -situations; but like most adventurers of his type and age he was seldom -depressed by losses. He would appear to have generally dominated -other gamesters whom he met--a state of affairs which was probably -not unconnected with the Venetian's well-known truculence. Besides, -he was, as a rule, not over-burdened with money, a circumstance which -perhaps made him the more ready to engage in a contest. People who are -over-prosperous are not given to exhibiting any particular spirit in -such affairs. A gentleman, who had been fortunate at cards, was asked -to be a second in a duel, at a period when the seconds engaged as -heartily as the principals. "I am not," replied he, "the man for your -purpose at this time; but go and apply to a friend of mine from whom I -won a thousand guineas last night, and I warrant you he will fight like -any devil!" - -Though ready to resent any slight, and tenacious of keeping up a -reputation for being "cock of the walk" in the circles in which he -moved, Casanova was possessed of great self-control, and always made -a point of being urbane, even whilst sustaining a severe reverse--a -pleasing characteristic which, he declared, obtained him access to -much pleasant society. It was his constant practice to hold a bank -at the various resorts of the pleasure-loving world which he visited -during his adventurous career. At Aix in Savoy (which is still a -place in high favour with the votaries of chance owing to its two -Casinos), Casanova was once particularly successful. He himself, with -all a gambler's superstition, attributed his good fortune on this -occasion to the appearance of three Englishmen--one of them Fox (then -on the threshold of his career), who borrowed fifty louis of the great -adventurer, whom he had previously met at Geneva. - -From his earliest years Charles James Fox had been accustomed to -gambling, having been elected a member of Brooks's when but sixteen -years old. At that time the Club in question, now so decorous and -staid, was the head-quarters of the fashionable London gamester, -and the high-spirited youth fully availed himself of the excellent -opportunities for dissipating a fortune which were here at easy -command. On one occasion Fox sat playing at hazard for twenty-two -consecutive hours, with the result that he rose the loser of eleven -thousand pounds. At twenty-five he was a ruined man, his father having -paid for him one hundred and forty thousand pounds out of his own -property. - -[Illustration: _The SPENDTHRIFT_ - - Deaf to his aged Sire's advice, - And biggotted to Cards and Dice; - With many a horrid Oath and Curse, - He loudly wails his empty Purse. - -From an Eighteenth-Century Print.] - -Though a most unsuccessful gambler. Fox played whist and piquet -exceedingly well, it being generally agreed at Brooks's that he might -have made about four thousand a year at these games had he but confined -himself to them. His misfortunes arose from playing at games of chance, -particularly at faro, of which he was very fond. As a rule after -eating and drinking plentifully, he would repair to the faro table, -almost invariably rising a loser. Once indeed, and only once, he -won about eight thousand pounds in the course of a single evening; -part of this money he paid away to his creditors, and the remainder he -lost again almost immediately in the same manner. Mr. Boothby, also an -irreclaimable gamester and an intimate friend of Fox, speaking of the -latter said, "He was unquestionably a man of first-rate talents, but so -deficient in judgment as never to have succeeded in any object during -his whole life. He loved only three things: women, play, and politics. -Yet at no period did he ever form a creditable connection with a woman; -he lost his whole fortune at the gaming-table; and with the exception -of about eleven months he remained always in opposition." - -Before he attained his thirtieth year, Fox had completely dissipated -every shilling that he could either command or procure by the most -ruinous expedients. During his career he experienced, at times, many -of the severest privations attached to the vicissitudes which mark -a gamester's progress, and frequently lacked money to defray common -expenses of the most pressing nature. Topham Beauclerk--himself a -man of pleasure and of letters--who lived much in Fox's society at -that period of his life, used to say that no man could form an idea -of the extremities to which his friend had been driven in order to -raise money, after losing his last guinea at the faro table. For days -in succession he was reduced to such distress as to be under the -necessity of having recourse to the waiters of Brooks's Club to lend -him assistance--even sedan-chairmen, whom he was unable to pay, used to -clamour at his door. - -Notwithstanding the numerous petty claims which at times made Fox's -life unbearable, he could never resist high play, which seems to have -completely destroyed his judgment as to the value of money, and prided -himself upon the largeness of his stakes. The Duke of Devonshire, who, -much to his honour, made a point of never touching a card, went one day -out of curiosity to the Thatched House Club to see the gambling. After -some time, finding himself awkward at being the only person in the -rooms who was not participating in the play, he proposed a bet of fifty -pounds on the odd trick to Charles Fox. "You'll excuse me, my Lord -Duke," replied Charles, "I never play for pence." "I assure you, sir," -answered his Grace, "you do, as often as I play for fifty pounds." - -Fox, whilst a gambler of the most hopeless description, and extravagant -almost beyond words, had, as is well known, many good points. Amongst -them was hatred of meanness, which was an abomination of the worst sort -in his eyes. - -Finding himself on one occasion in considerable funds owing to a run of -luck at faro, he remembered an old gambling debt due to Sir John Lade, -familiarly known at that time as Sir John Jehu, and accordingly wrote, -desiring an appointment so that he might pay what he owed. When they -met, Charles produced the money, which Sir John no sooner saw, than -calling for a pen and ink, he very deliberately began to reckon up the -interest. - -"What are you doing now?" cried Charles. - -"Only calculating what the interest amounts to," replied the other. - -"Oh, indeed!" returned Fox with great coolness, at the same time -pocketing the cash, which he had already thrown upon the table. "Why, I -thought, Sir John, that my debt to you was a debt of honour; but as you -seem to view it in another light, and seriously mean to make a trading -debt of it, I must inform you that I make it an invariable rule to pay -my Jew creditors last. You must therefore wait a little longer for your -money, sir; and when I meet my money-lending Israelites for the payment -of principal and interest, I shall certainly think of Sir John Jehu, -and expect to have the honour of seeing him in the company of my worthy -friends from Duke's Place"--a locality which at that time swarmed with -usurers. - -Though Fox rather excelled at card games of skill, horse-racing was -his darling amusement, until, from prudential motives, he quitted the -Turf and all other forms of speculation. He played at games of chance -with indifference, and would throw for a thousand guineas with as much -sang-froid as he would twirl a teetotum for a shilling. But when his -horse ran he was all eagerness and anxiety, always placing himself -where the animal was to make its effort, or where the race was likely -to be most strongly contested. From this spot he would watch the early -part of the race with an immovable look, merely breathing quicker as -they accelerated their pace. But when the horses came opposite to him, -he rode in with them at full speed, whipping, spurring, and blowing, as -if he would have infused his whole soul into the courage, speed, and -perseverance of his favourite racer. The race being over, the fact that -he had won or lost seemed to be a matter of perfect indifference to -him, for he immediately began to discuss the next event, whether he had -a horse entered for it or not. - -The fact that Fox was often in the most dire financial straits through -his reckless gambling does not seem to have excited any extraordinary -astonishment amongst his contemporaries. The men of the eighteenth -century were quite accustomed to the vicissitudes connected with -gaming, which seems to have been viewed with the greatest leniency in -every way. - -The celebrated Beau Nash was sometimes in sore straits owing to a run -of ill luck at play, and on one occasion, at York, he lost all the -money he possessed. In these circumstances some of his companions -agreed to equip him with fifty guineas, upon condition that he should -stand at the great door of the Minster in a blanket as the people were -coming out of church; and to this proposal he readily agreed. The Dean -passing by unfortunately knew him. "What," cried the divine, "Mr. -Nash in masquerade?" "Only a Yorkshire penance, Mr. Dean, for keeping -bad company," said Nash, pointing to his companions. Some time after -this the Beau won a wager of still greater consequence by riding naked -through a village upon a cow, an escapade which was considered as a -harmless and natural frolic. - -In the year 1725, a giddy youth who had just resigned his fellowship -at Oxford, brought his whole fortune to Bath; and without the smallest -degree of skill in play, won a sufficient sum to make any ordinary -man happy. His desire of gain, however, being increased by his good -fortune, he plunged more deeply in the following October, and added -four thousand pounds to his former capital. Hearing of this, Beau Nash, -who was a good-natured man, one night invited him to supper, and told -him there would come a time when he would repent having left the calm -of a college life for the turbulent profession of a gamester. "You are -a stranger to me," said he, "but to convince you of the part I take in -your welfare, I'll give you fifty guineas to forfeit twenty every time -you lose two hundred at one sitting." The young gentleman refused this -offer, and was eventually ruined. - -This system of tying up was very usual. The Duke of Bedford, being -chagrined at losing a considerable sum, pressed Mr. Nash to tie him -up for the future from playing deep. With this view the Beau gave his -Grace one hundred guineas to forfeit ten thousand whenever he lost a -sum to the same amount at one sitting. The Duke, however, loved play -to distraction, and within a short time again lost eight thousand -guineas at hazard. As he was on the point of throwing for three -thousand more, Nash caught hold of the dice-box and entreated him to -reflect on the penalty he would incur should he loose. For that time -the Duke desisted, but so possessed was he by the love of play, that -shortly afterwards, having lost a considerable sum at Newmarket, he was -contented to pay the penalty. - -On another occasion Nash undertook to cure a young peer of the gambling -fever. Conscious of his own superior skill he determined to engage the -Earl in single play for a very considerable sum. His Lordship lost his -estate, and the title-deeds were put into the winner's possession; -finally his very equipage was deposited as the last stake, and he lost -that also. Nash, however, who showed himself to be the most generous -of gamesters, returned all, only stipulating that he should be paid -five thousand pounds whenever he should think proper to make the -demand. He never did anything of the kind during the nobleman's life; -but some time after his decease, Mr. Nash's affairs being on the wane, -he demanded the money of his Lordship's heirs, who honourably paid it -without hesitation. - -At the present day gambling is more or less confined to large towns, -but a different state of affairs prevailed in the eighteenth century, -when whole properties frequently changed hands at the card-table. The -owner of Warthall Hall, for instance, having lost all his money, in a -frenzy of excitement finally risked the whole of his estate upon a low -cut of the cards. He cut the deuce of diamonds, and in remembrance of -his good luck fixed a representation of the lucky card upon the front -of his house with the following inscription:-- - - Up now deuce and then a trey,[1] - Or Warthall's gone for ever and aye. - -Shelley Hall in Suffolk, the remains of which still exist, was lost at -play by Thomas Kerridge, the last squire, who died in 1743. According -to tradition, he gambled away the house room by room; and when all -the contents were gone and the house gutted, he pulled down certain -portions and gambled away the bricks. Blo' Norton Hall, Norfolk, is -also said to have been lost at play by its owner, Gawdy Brampton, -who, when he was finally ruined, committed suicide in an attic, -from which his ghost is still said to emerge and haunt an adjoining -staircase--perhaps because his widow married the man who had won his -money and the old Hall. - -Many of the small tradesmen in the country towns were eager devotees -of chance, and sharpers frequently reaped a rich harvest in provincial -centres. Indeed, the happy-go-lucky spirit of the eighteenth century -was very favourable to such gentry, who pillaged all ranks without -distinction. - -About 1780 there resided at Canterbury a barber who was famous for -the way in which he made natty one-curled hunting wigs, but who was -also much given to making bets and to boasting of his discernment and -judgment. Two blacklegs, coming to Canterbury for the races, heard -of this barber and immediately formed a plan to shave him in his own -way. To accomplish the business, they went to one of the principal -inns, where, ordering a capital supper, they sent for the perruquier -to bespeak wigs for themselves and their servants. The knight of the -strop readily and cheerfully attended; and, having taken the external -dimensions of the gentlemen's heads, whilst totally ignorant of the -schemes which lay within them, was about to depart, but was prevented -by a pressing invitation from his new customers to take supper with -them. He was of a convivial turn and fond of company, which in his own -opinion afforded opportunities of displaying his great sagacity in the -mysteries of betting; and for this reason he politely accepted the -invitation. - -After supper, a game of whist was suggested, but as the barber did not -feel himself so great an adept at this as at his favourite game of -"done and done," the proposal fell to the ground. As the guest of the -evening was a great politician, and his companions were well informed -of his manners and character, the conversation turned upon politics, -from that unaccountably veering round till wagers became the general -topic. Highly delighted at the introduction of a subject of which he -deemed himself a perfect master, the barber listened with the greatest -attention to the conversation, and eagerly offered several bets -himself. As his two companions appeared rather shy, and hinted that it -would not be safe to bet with a man who calculated matters so shrewdly -as generally to win, he became very anxious to get the better of men -whom he considered as "pigeons"--though, unluckily for him, they turned -out to be "rooks." - -After many propositions, they offered to bet him ten guineas that he -would not repeat one sentence, and that only, during the space of ten -minutes. Cunningly thinking that he had his men, the barber started -up and swore he could repeat any sentence for an hour. After having -blithely stepped home for a supply of cash, he returned, and a bet of -fifty guineas having been made, both stakes were deposited under a -hat on the table, the conditions being that the barber should without -intermission repeat the words "_There he goes_," for half an hour's -continuance. He accordingly took his station at the table, and, with -a watch before him to note the time, began his recital of _There he -goes_, _There he goes_, _There he goes_. - -When he had kept on in a steady and unalterable tone for a quarter of -an hour, one of the gentlemen, with a view to lead the barber from his -stated subject, lifted up the hat, counted out half the money, and -saying "D--n me if I don't go," put the cash in his pocket and walked -off. This circumstance, however, had no effect upon the barber. A few -minutes later the man who remained coolly pocketed the residue of the -money, and added, as the barber repeated the words _There he goes_, -"And d--n me if I don't follow him." The barber was now left alone with -his eyes riveted on the watch, anxious for the expiration of the short -time which still remained to elapse before his bet was won, but more -confident than ever. - -In the meantime, the departure of the two strangers without settling -the bill excited the notice of the landlord; he went into the room, -and the barber, looking him in the face, kept repeating _There he -goes_, "Yes, sir, I know it; they have both been gone some time; pray -are you to pay the bill?" No answer being given but _There he goes_, -the host immediately ran for the barber's wife and a doctor, supposing -him in a state of hopeless delirium. They arrived; his wife, taking -him round the neck, in vain endeavoured to make him deviate from his -purpose; the doctor, after feeling his pulse, pronounced him in a high -fever, and was getting ready his apparatus for opening a vein, when -the time expired, and the barber in a frenzy of excitement, jumped -upon the table and exclaimed, "Bravo, I have won fifty guineas of the -two gentlemen who are gone out!" The persons present now concluded, -beyond a doubt, that he had lost his senses; his wife screamed, and the -landlord called for assistance to have him secured. - -When matters were explained, however, the landlord had a horse -saddled, and rode in pursuit of the gentlemen, to remind them of their -forgetfulness. After riding about ten miles, he overtook them in a -lonely part of the road. Here he reminded them that they had not paid -their bill, upon which they presented pistols to his head, robbed him -of between twenty and thirty guineas, and advised him not to travel -again upon such a foolish errand, but to look better after his inn, and -tell the barber to be careful how he made his bets in future. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 1: A three.] - - - - -II - - The spirit of play in the eighteenth century--The Duke of Buckingham's - toast--Subscription-Houses, Slaughter-Houses, and Hells--The staff of - a gaming-house--Joseph Atkinson and Bellasis--Raids on King's Place - and Grafton Mews--Methods employed by Bow Street officers--Speculative - insurance--Increase of gaming in London owing to arrival of - _émigrés_--Gambling amongst the prisoners of war--The Duc de - Nivernois and the clergyman--Faro and E.O.--Crusade against West-End - gamblers--The Duchess of Devonshire and "Old Nick"--Mr. Lookup--Tiger - Roche--Dick England--Sad death of Mr. Damer--Plucking a pigeon. - - -During the last ten years of the reign of George II., "that destructive -fury, the spirit of play" wrought great havoc in London. Gaming was -declared to have become the business rather than the amusement of -persons of quality, who were accused (probably with considerable truth) -of being more concerned with speculation than with the proceedings of -Parliament. Estates were almost as frequently made over by whist and -hazard as by deeds and settlements, whilst the chariots of the nobility -might be said to roll upon four aces. As a means of settling disputes, -the wager was stated to have supplanted the sword, all differences of -opinion being adjusted by betting. - -In fashionable circles and at Court, gambling was especially prevalent. -In January 1753 it was recorded that "His Majesty played at St. -James's Palace on Twelfth Night for the benefit of the Groom-Porter." -All the members of the Royal Family present on this occasion appear to -have been winners, the Duke of Cumberland getting £3000. Amongst the -losers were the Duke of Grafton and the Lords Huntingdon, Holdernesse, -Ashburnham, and Hertford. The exact amount of benefit which accrued to -the Groom-Porter from the evening's play does not transpire. - -Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, had a house near the site of the -present Buckingham Palace, which went by his name. It was afterwards -purchased by John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, who, after obtaining -an additional grant of land from the Crown, rebuilt it in a magnificent -manner in 1703. During his residence here, the Duke was a constant -visitor at the then noted gaming-house in Marylebone, the place of -assemblage of all the infamous sharpers of the time. His Grace always -gave them a dinner at the conclusion of the season, and his parting -toast was, "May as many of us as remain unhanged next spring meet here -again." Quin related this story at Bath, within the hearing of Lord -Chesterfield, when his Lordship was surrounded by a crowd of worthies -of the same stamp. Lady Mary Wortley alludes to the amusement in this -line:-- - - Some Dukes at Marybone bowl time away. - -As the century waned, play became more and more popular in London. So -great indeed was the toleration accorded to gaming in the West End of -the town that what were virtually public tables may be said to have -existed. These were well-known under the names of Subscription-Houses, -Slaughter-Houses, and Hells, and were frequented by less aristocratic -gamesters than the Clubs, where whist, piquet, and other games were -played for large sums. At the houses not inaptly called Hells, hazard -was played every night, and faro on certain nights in each and every -week, nearly all the year round. These Hells were the resort of -gentlemen, merchants, tradesmen, clerks, and sharpers of all degrees -and conditions, very expensive dinners being given twice or thrice a -week to draw together a large company, who, if they meant to play, were -abundantly supplied with wines and liquors gratis. - -The advantage to the faro bank varied at different stages of the game: -the least advantage to the proprietor of the bank, and against the -punter, was about three and a half per cent and the greatest twenty-six -per cent. It is said that the annual expense of maintaining one of -these Hells exceeded £8000, which of course came out of the pockets of -its frequenters. - -Quite a large army of retainers were attached to every well-regulated -gaming-house. The first, and of the greatest importance, was the -commissioner, always a proprietor, who looked in at night, the week's -account being audited by him and two other proprietors. Then followed -the director, who superintended the rooms; the operator, who dealt -the cards at faro, or any other game; the croupier, who watched the -cards and gathered the money for the bank; a puff, handsomely paid to -decoy others to play; a clerk, who acted as a check upon the puff, -to see that he embezzled none of the money given him to play with; a -squib, who was a puff of meaner rank, and received but a low salary, -whilst learning to deal; a flasher, to swear how often the bank had -been stripped; a dunner, who went about to recover money lost at play; -a waiter, to fill out wine, snuff candles, and attend the gaming-room; -an attorney, the sharper the better; a captain, ready to fight any -gentleman who might be peevish at losing his money; an usher, to light -gentlemen up and downstairs, and give the porter the word; a porter, -who was generally a foot soldier; an orderly man, whose duty consisted -in walking up and down on the outside of the door to give notice to -the porter, and alarm the house at the approach of the constables; -a runner, employed to obtain intelligence of the justices' meeting. -Beside these, there were link-boys, coachmen, chairmen, drawers, and -others, who might bring information of danger, at half a guinea each -for every true alarm. Finally, there was a sort of affiliated irregular -force, the members of which--affidavitmen, ruffians, and bravoes--were -capable of becoming assassins upon occasion. - -A celebrated sporting resort at the end of the eighteenth century was -Mundy's Coffee-House, in Round Court, opposite York Buildings, in -the Strand, then kept by Sporting Medley (the owner of Bacchus and -some other horses of eminence upon the Turf). Here thousands were -nightly transferred over the hazard and card tables by O'Kelly, Stroud, -Tetherington, and a long list of adventurous followers. - -Another famous gaming-house was kept by a certain Joseph Atkinson and -his wife at No. 15 under the Piazza, in Covent Garden. Here they daily -gave elaborate dinners, cards of invitation being sent to the clerks -of merchants, bankers, and brokers in the city. Atkinson used to say -that he liked citizens--whom he called "flats"--better than any one -else, for when they had dined they played freely, and after they had -lost all their money they had credit to borrow more. It was his custom -to send any pigeons who had been completely plucked to some of their -solvent friends, who could generally be induced to arrange matters in a -satisfactory way. The game generally played here was E.O.,[2] a sort of -roulette. - -Keepers of gaming-houses in London were very liable to be black-mailed -by men whose principal means of livelihood was obtaining "hush money." -A certain class of individuals existed who for a specific amount -undertook to defend keepers of Hells against prosecutions. One of the -most notorious of these was Theophilus Bellasis, sometimes clerk and -sometimes client to a Bow Street attorney--John Shepherd by name--who -would, when it was likely to be profitable, act as prosecutor of -persons keeping gaming-houses. The magistrates at last realised the -collusion which existed between Bellasis and Shepherd, and refused to -move in cases where the two rogues were concerned. - -The houses, called by sharpers Slaughter-Houses, were those where -persons were employed by the proprietors to pretend to be playing at -hazard for large sums of money, with a view to inducing some unthinking -individual to join in the play. When the scheme succeeded, the pigeon, -by means of loaded dice and other fraudulent methods, was eventually -dispossessed of all his cash, and perhaps plunged into debt, for -which a bond was given, the embarrassments of which he felt for some -years after. If, however, he returned to play again with the hope -of regaining what in such company was past redemption, his ruin was -quickly and completely sealed. - -At one time, the parish officers of St. Ann's, Soho, set up a number -of lanterns and boards with the words "_Beware of bad houses_" painted -upon them, for the purpose of ridding the neighbourhood of dissolute -and abandoned women. In consequence of this having had the desired -effect, it was proposed to put up similarly-worded notices near the -Hells and Slaughter-Houses of St. James's, but the idea was never -carried into effect. - -Places where faro was played abounded about Pall Mall and St. James's -Street, and from time to time exciting scenes were witnessed when the -authorities decided upon making a raid. - -In 1799 considerable uproar was caused in Pall Mall by a raid upon Nos. -1 and 3 King's Place, which were attacked by what were facetiously -termed the "Bow Street troops" acting under a search warrant. These in -a very short time carried the place by storm, and took ten prisoners, -together with a great quantity of baggage, stores, which consisted -mainly of tables for rouge-et-noir and hazard; cards, dice, counters, -strong doors, bars and bolts. The attack began by a stratagem put -into execution by "General Rivett," who was in supreme command of the -attacking force. He sought to gain an entrance at the street door of -No. 1; but this having failed, and all attempts to force it having -proved ineffectual, one of the light troops mounted the counterscarp -of the area, and descended into the kitchen, while another scaled a -ladder affixed to a first floor of No. 3; and having each made good -their footing, opposition being then abandoned by the besieged who had -betaken themselves to flight, the attacking force without molestation -opened the gates and let in the main body, after which a general search -and pursuit ensued. Several gamblers retreated to the top of the houses -adjoining, whither they were followed and taken prisoners; one poor -devil, the supposed proprietor of No. 3, was smoked in a chimney, from -whence he was dragged down--a black example to all gamesters! Three -French _émigrés_ were among the captured, one of whom had his retreat -cut off just as he was issuing from a house in Pall Mall, through which -he had descended unobserved, and by which way some others escaped. -Mother Windsor and her nymphs, who were well-known residents in the -locality, were much alarmed by the operations; and the old lady, who -declared that the presence of gaming in the vicinity had long been -a scandal, vociferously applauded to the skies the vigilance of the -police in putting down such pests of society. - -[Illustration: A RAID ON A LONDON GAMING-HOUSE. - -From a Print in the possession of Messrs. Robson & Co., 23 Coventry -Street, W.] - -About the same time No. 13 Grafton Mews, Fitzroy Square, obtained an -unenviable reputation as being a veritable Temple of Fraud, an illegal -lottery insurance business being carried on there, which impoverished -the poorer class of people residing in the neighbourhood. The house -in question, which it was said had been specially built, was to all -appearance a square brick tower about fifty feet high--on three sides -it presented not the slightest sign of habitation; towards Grafton -Mews, however, it bore the usual semblance of a stable. - -To this place flocked grooms, valets, and all the silly fry of the -district, carrying with them as much money as they could scrape -together. Business was generally over by the afternoon, when the -proprietors, who never made their exit by the door, climbed up to the -top of the tower, and got through a hole in the roof--from which, by -a ladder, they descended to a slated roof of a back place about twenty -feet lower; they then crawled along about twenty feet of wall, and by -an aperture in another, like a gun-port, descended into a back yard, -and completed their cat-like line of march through a house in Hertford -Street. This, to the astonishment of the neighbours, was done regularly -every morning. - -The place having become a public scandal, Townshend, with several Bow -Street runners and four carpenters, went to Warren Street one morning, -three hackney coaches being posted at some distance from the scene of -action. - -On the arrival of the peace officers, the four proprietors of No. 13 -came out through the roof, and planted their ladder; but it gave way, -and they were obliged to jump upon the slated roof twenty feet below -them. By some marvellous chance, however, they escaped uninjured, the -slates only being broken. They then jumped upon an adjacent wall, and -flung their books into the garden of a gentleman's house. No. 17 Warren -Street, and followed themselves; their idea was to escape through his -back door, but the owner was fortunately at home, and resisted this -design. They then leaped the wall of the next house, Drover's, the -hairdresser, with their books, and in this house they were secured. One -of them fired a pistol at the officers, which fortunately did no harm. -The runners had cutlasses and axes, with which they made their way into -the house. - -The inhabitants of the district, it may be added, did not exhibit any -enthusiasm for the officers of the law--on the contrary, they showed -considerable displeasure against those who had come there to preserve -most of them from misery and ruin. The informer, never a popular -character, was a lean, cadaverous old woman. She accompanied the -swindlers in the first coach, with the hootings of the rabble in her -ears, and the whole cavalcade moved off the ground, escorted by a very -hostile crowd which accompanied it to Bow Street. Here the four men, -who had been arrested with so much difficulty, were sentenced to six -months' imprisonment each in the house of correction in Coldbath Fields. - -It would appear that previous to 1778 gaming was never conducted upon -the methodical system of partnership concerns, wherein considerable -capital was embarked. After that period, the vast licence allowed to -keepers of fraudulent E.O. tables, and the great length of time which -elapsed before they met with any check from the police, afforded -a number of dissolute and abandoned characters many excellent -opportunities of acquiring property, which was afterwards increased -in the low gaming-houses, by nefarious methods at Newmarket and other -fashionable places of resort, and in the lottery. At length, though -these individuals had started without any property, or any visible -means of lawful support, a sum of money, little short of one million -sterling, was said to have been acquired by a class originally (with -some few exceptions) of the lowest and most depraved description. -This enormous mass of wealth was employed as a great and an efficient -capital for carrying on various illegal establishments, particularly -gaming-houses, and houses for fraudulent insurances in the lottery. - -Part of this capital was even said to be utilised in subsidising -various faro banks kept by ladies of fashion, whilst a certain -proportion was also devoted to fraudulent insurance in the lotteries, -where the chances were calculated to yield about thirty per cent to the -gambling syndicate, most of the members of which maintained a number -of clerks, employed during the drawing of the lotteries, who conducted -the business, without risk, in counting-houses where no insurances were -taken, but to which books were carried, not only from the different -offices in every part of the town, but also from the "Morocco-men," who -went from door to door taking insurances, and enticing the poor and the -middle ranks to become adventurers. - -In calculating the chances upon the whole numbers in the wheels, and -the premiums which were paid, there was generally about £33:1:3 per -cent in favour of the lottery insurers: but when it is considered that -the people generally, from not being able to understand or recollect -high numbers, always fixed on low ones, the chance in favour of the -insurer was greatly increased, and the deluded poor plundered. - -In the early part of the eighteenth century, speculative insurance, -which could be effected upon anything, including lives, was a favourite -form of gambling in England. Any one's life could be insured, including -that of the King, and, to such an extent was this carried, that daily -quotations of the rates on the lives of eminent public personages were -issued by members of Garraway's and Lloyd's. The highest premium ever -paid is supposed to have been twenty-five per cent on the life of -George II., when he fought at Dettingen. On the fall of the leaders of -the Rebellion of 1745 very large sums changed hands; whilst a number of -insurance brokers were absolutely ruined owing to the escape of Lord -Nithsdale from the Tower--an exploit which this nobleman accomplished -by the aid of his devoted wife. As time went on these speculative -insurances became a public scandal, and they were finally made illegal -by the Gambling Act of 1774. - -At the time of the French Revolution hordes of _émigrés_ of all classes -took up their temporary or permanent residence in London, with the -result that over thirty gaming-places were, more or less, publicly -established in the Metropolis. Here, besides faro and hazard, the -foreign games of roulette and rouge-et-noir flourished, a regular -gradation of houses existing, suited to all ranks, from the man of -fashion to the pickpocket. - -The mania for gaming amongst the exiles was confined to no particular -class--high and low alike being affected by it. Nothing, for instance, -could exceed the rage for gambling which possessed the prisoners of war -at Dartmoor. About two hundred of them, including a number of Italians, -having lost all their clothes by gaming, were sent to the prison ships -in the Hamoaze, to be clothed anew, many more being left in rags. -These unfortunate men played even for their rations, living three or -four days on offal, cabbage-stalks, or, indeed, anything which chance -might throw in their way. They staked the clothes on their backs, and -even their bedding. It was the custom at Dartmoor for those who had -sported away the latter article to huddle very close together at night, -in order to keep each other warm. One out of the number was elected -boatswain for the time being, and at twelve o'clock at night would pipe -all hands to turn, an operation which, from their proximity to each -other, had to be simultaneous. At four o'clock in the morning the pipe -was heard again, and the reverse turn taken. - -Such of the _émigrés_ belonging to the upper classes as possessed -funds could easily indulge their passion for play in the fashionable -circles where many of them had made themselves popular during previous -and more pleasant visits to England. Many, like the Duc de Nivernois, -had intimate friends in high places. Before the Revolution he had -been Ambassador in England. This nobleman was well known for his love -of chess, which on one occasion led to a very pleasant incident. -Staying with Lord Townshend, the Duc, when out for a ride was obliged -by a heavy shower to seek shelter at a wayside house occupied by a -clergyman, who to a poor curacy added the care of a few scholars in the -neighbourhood. In all this might make his living about eighty pounds -a year, on which he had to maintain a wife and six children. When the -Duc rode up, the clergyman, not knowing his rank, begged him to come -in and dry himself, which he was glad to do, borrowing a pair of old -worsted stockings and slippers and warming himself by a good fire. -After some conversation the Duc observed an old chess-board hanging up, -and asked the clergyman whether he could play. The latter told him that -he could play pretty tolerably, but found it difficult in that part of -the country to get an antagonist. "I am your man," said the Duc. "With -all my heart," answered the clergyman, "and if you will stay and take -pot-luck, I will try if I cannot beat you." The day continuing rainy -the Duc accepted the proffered hospitality, and found his antagonist a -much better player than himself. Indeed, the clergyman won every game. -This, however, in no way annoyed the Duc, who was delighted to meet -with a man who could give him so much entertainment at his favourite -game. He accordingly inquired into the state of his host's family -affairs, and making a memorandum of his address, he thanked him and -rode away without revealing who he was. - -Some months elapsed and the clergyman never thought of the matter, when -one evening a footman rode up to the door and delivered the following -note--"The Duc de Nivernois presents his compliments to the Rev. Mr. -Bentinck, and as a remembrance of the good drubbing he received at -chess, begs that he will accept the living of X----, worth £400 per -annum, and that he will wait upon his Grace the Duke of Newcastle on -Friday next, to thank him for the same." The good clergyman was some -time before he could imagine this missive to be more than a jest, and -hesitated to obey the mandate; but as his wife insisted on his taking -the chance, he went up to town, where to his unspeakable satisfaction -he found that his nomination to the living had actually taken place. - -The habits of dissipation which had prevailed at Versailles in -some measure affected the English upper classes, many of whom were -thoroughly versed in the amusements so popular in France. - -For a time a positive rage for gaming seized fashionable London, and -a number of ladies kept what were practically public gaming-tables to -which any one with money could obtain comparatively easy admission. - -Faro is supposed to have been invented by a noble Venetian, who -gave it the name of _bassetta_; and for the evils resulting from it -he was banished his country. In 1674 Signor Justiniani, Ambassador -from Venice, introduced the game into France, where it was called -_bassette_. Some of the princes of the blood, many of the _noblesse_, -and several persons of the greatest fortune having been ruined by -it, a severe law was enacted by Louis XIV. against its play. To elude -this edict, it was disguised under the name of _pour et contre_, "for -and against"; and this occasioning new and severe prohibitions, it -was again changed to the name of _le pharaon_, in order to evade the -_arrêts_ of Parliament. From France this game soon found its way to -England, where it was first called basset, but in the fashionable -circles, where at that time it enjoyed a great vogue, it was invariably -known by the name of faro. - -Faro, pharo, or pharaoh, which was Fox's favourite game, was supposed -to be easy to learn, fair in its rules, and pleasant to play. Two packs -of cards were used, and any number of people could play, one pack -being for the players whilst the banker had another. Fifty-two cards -were spread out, and the players staked upon one or more which they -might fancy. The banker dealt out his pack to the right, which was for -himself, and to the left (called the _carte anglaise_) for the players, -who instead of their pack often used a "livret," specially adapted for -staking. The "livret" consisted of thirteen cards, with four others -called "figures." The "little figure" had a blue cross on each side, -and represented ace, deuce, and three. The "yellow figure"--yellow -on both sides--signified 4, 5, and 6. The "third figure" had a black -lozenge in the centre, and stood for 7, 8, and 9. The "great figure" -was a red card, and indicated knave, queen, and king. The banker won -all the money staked on any card corresponding with a card dealt by -him to the right, and had to pay double stakes on any card dealt to -the left which players had selected in their own pack. If he dealt two -equal cards (called a doublet) he won half of all the money staked -upon the card of that value, and on the last card of his pack, did the -players win, he only paid even money. In reality the chances were very -favourable to the holder of the bank. - -Complaints were very rife as to the way in which these faro parties -were conducted. An especial grievance was "card money," a small sum -paid by each visitor into a pool for every new pack of cards used. -This money was supposed to be a perquisite of the servants, though -malicious rumours declared that it never reached them. The advent of -French _émigrés_ after the French Revolution was also the cause of -considerable irritation, it being declared that many of the exiled -_noblesse_ completely monopolised some of the tables, round which they -formed a circle, and excluded English ladies and gentlemen from taking -part in the game. - -The losses of many of those who played at faro were so heavy and -constant that the banks contracted many bad debts; and in addition the -fashionable parties in time became full of little tricks and artifices -which were to the detriment of those holding the bank. Some of the -latter found it advisable to employ eight croupiers instead of the -four usually attached to each faro table, for the pigeons were all -flown and those who remained were little better than hawks. - -Faro, in the female circles of fashion, had given way to a more -specious and alluring game called lottery, which, instead of wheels, -consisted of two bags, from which prizes and blanks were drawn. The -holder of the bank derived an advantage of upwards of thirty per cent. - -About 1794 some of the ladies who gave gambling parties in St. James's -Square began to add roulette as an increased attraction to those fond -of gaming. It was remarked at the time that this was merely the old -game of E.O. under a different name. As a matter of fact the two are -somewhat alike, though roulette is a far more complicated and amusing -method of losing money. - -An E.O. table was circular in form and as a rule four feet in diameter. -The outside edge formed the counter on which the stakes were placed, -the letters E.O. being marked all round it. In the centre was a -stationary gallery in which the ball rolled, and an independent round -table moving by means of handles on an axis. The ball was started -in one direction and the table rotated in the other, there being -forty compartments of equal size, twenty marked E and twenty marked -O, the whole principle being that of roulette without a zero. This -very necessary adjunct to a successful bank, was in time furnished by -the adoption of "bar holes" into which two of the forty spaces were -converted, the practice being that the banker won all the bets on the -opposite letter whilst not paying over that into which the ball fell. -With such a proportion of two in forty, or five per cent in its favour, -the banks did very well. - -Gaming raged throughout Society at this time, and it was even declared -that young ladies were taught whist and casino at fashionable -boarding-schools, where their "winning ways" were cultivated in -this direction. One schoolmistress, it was averred, was in despair -at the dullness of her pupils, who were quite unable to grasp the -comparatively easy intricacies of faro. Gillray was quick to grasp -the opportunity which such a state of affairs afforded to his powers -of satire, and was pitiless in his caricatures of female gamblers. -"Faro's Daughters, or the Kenyonian Blow-up to Gamblers," published -in 1796, was one of the most striking of these. In this Lady Archer -and Mrs. Concannon were shown in the pillory, upbraiding one another. -Lord Kenyon had made some very scathing comments upon the vice of -gaming during a recent trial to recover fifteen pounds won at play on -a Sunday, and had declared that the highest society was setting the -worst example to the lowest, being under the impression that it was too -great for the law. He himself, he added, should the opportunity arise, -would see that any gamblers brought before him, whatever their rank or -station, should be severely dealt with if convicted, and though they -might be the first ladies in the land they should certainly exhibit -themselves in the pillory. - -Gambling in the West End of London amongst ladies had indeed become -a public scandal, and in due course the authorities found themselves -bound to take action. - -In 1797 a regular crusade was made against faro, and the Countess -of Buckinghamshire, Lady Elizabeth Luttrell, Mrs. Mary Sturt, Mr. -Concannon, and Mr. O'Burne, were charged at Marlborough Street with -having "played at a certain fraudulent and unlawful game called faro, -at the house of the Earl of Buckinghamshire, in St. James's Square." - -With them was also charged Henry Martindale, who had financed the -bank--the four or five people employed to run the table were each paid -half a guinea a night by him, tenpence out of which was deducted for -the use of the maids. - -A witness, Joseph Evatt by name, deposed that he had seen Lady -Buckinghamshire play every Monday and Friday, as regular as the days -came. Her ladyship, said he, used to continue _punting_ and betting, -paying and receiving, from night till morning. - -The lady's counsel, Mr. Onslow, endeavoured to invalidate this man's -testimony by showing that he was a terrible democrat, and disaffected -to His Majesty's person and government; and also by proving that he -wanted to palm an old suit of livery on his master, and to persuade -the tailor to charge for a new one, and give him part of the money. To -prove the first charge Mr. Onslow examined the witness Evatt himself, -and asked him if he had not declared that the Government was a bad one, -and that he should like to cut the King's head off? The magistrate, Mr. -Conant, would not suffer him to answer such a question. To prove the -latter, the foreman of Mr. Blackmore, a tailor, said that Evatt having -saved a suit of livery as good as new, wanted Mr. Blackmore to take it, -allow him four guineas, and send it home as a new suit. The magistrate -did not consider this such a notorious piece of fraud in a footman, as -to prevent his being believed on his oath. - -Joseph Burford swore to the fact of Lady Buckinghamshire playing -repeatedly. - -Mr. Onslow ended by saying that he trusted the magistrate would not, -upon the evidence of such men as Evatt and Burford, convict Lady -Buckinghamshire, and hold her up as an object for the finger of -democratic scorn to point at. - -Notwithstanding this defence, the lady was sentenced to pay a fine of -fifty pounds, as were Lady Elizabeth Luttrell, Mrs. Mary Sturt, and Mr. -O'Burne. The case against Mr. Concannon was quashed owing to his having -been described as Lucas Concannon instead of Lucius. - -Martindale was fined two hundred pounds, and in consequence of the -scandal produced by the whole affair was eventually made a bankrupt, -by which the ladies of the fashionable world were thrown into a state -of considerable alarm. Martindale it was who supplied the beautiful -Duchess of Devonshire, and many other dashing women of distinction, -with sums to support their gambling propensities. His assignees were -said to have claims on some of the first families of England to the -amount of £180,000, and the curious disclosures which were made -engrossed much attention in all the sporting circles. - -Many of the great ladies of that day lived only for pleasure, spending -enormous sums in dress, and also in carriages and horseflesh, it being -a point of honour amongst them to possess a superb turn-out. One lady, -well known for the splendour of her equipage at race meetings where she -cut a distinguished figure, once apologised to a friend for appearing -at Doncaster with a humble four-in-hand and four out-riders, saying -that her coachman wished to come with six horses as usual, but she -thought it right, in such hard times, to come "incog." - -The gambling ladies of that day came into contact with all sorts of -shady characters, many of whom were very unpolished diamonds. Such a -one was the man known as "Old Nick," whose principal revenue was drawn -from a hazard table where strangers were treated with a hospitality -which they generally had good cause to remember. - -Old Nick also had a considerable interest in a number of lottery -insurance offices, lent money, and gambled himself when able to get in -contact with any unplucked pigeon. Having once stripped a young man at -cards of about £100, with which he had been entrusted for the purpose -of paying a bill for the beautiful Duchess of Devonshire, her Grace -applied in person to the winner to refund the whole, or, at least, a -part of his booty. Old Nick's answer was: "Well, Madam, the best thing -you can do is to sit down with me at cards, and play for all you have -about you; after I win your smock, so far from refunding, I'll send you -home _bare_--to your Duke, my dear." - -One of his friends being under trial for a very serious charge and -having no defence left but his character, produced Old Nick in order to -vouch for his respectability. The latter's ready eloquence represented -him as the most amiable and innocent of the creation. The counsel for -the prosecution having smelt a rat, began to ply the witness with such -questions as he positively refused to answer. Being asked the reason, -he answered honestly for once in his life: "My business here was to -give the man a good character, and you, you flat, imagine that I'm come -to give him a bad one." - -[Illustration: THE BEAUTIFUL DUCHESS THROWING A MAIN. - -By Rowlandson.] - -In the early part of the year 1805 the West End was much excited by -a statement in a morning paper referring to the supposed discovery -by the Duke of Devonshire of immense losses at play, principally to -gamesters of her own sex, incurred by his lovely Duchess. Her Grace's -whole loss, chiefly at faro, was declared to amount to £176,000, -of which a private gentlewoman and bosom friend, Mrs. ---- was said -to have won no less than £30,000. The discovery was made to the Duke -one Sunday; the Duchess rushed into his library, and, in a flood of -tears, told him she was ruined in fame and reputation, if these claims -of honour were not instantly discharged. His Grace was thunderstruck -when he learned the extent of her requisition, and the names of the -friends who had contributed in so extraordinary a manner to such -extreme embarrassments. Having soothed her in the best manner he was -able, he sent for two confidential friends, imparted to them all the -circumstances, and asked them how he should act. Their answer was -promptly given--"Pay not one guinea of any such infamous demands!" -and this advice, it was supposed, would be strictly adhered to by the -Duke. Her Grace was said to have executed some bonds, to satisfy, for -a moment, these gambling claimants; but, of course, they could be of -no avail. Two gentlemen and five ladies formed the snug flock of rooks -that had so unmercifully stripped this female pigeon of distinction. - -A few days later, however, _The Morning Herald_, which was responsible -for the startling news, declared that the fiction of the female -gamblers of distinction in a house fitted up near St. James's Street -for their ruinous orgies, began to die away; for it had been discovered -that the supposed pigeoned Duchess, declared to have sacrificed half a -million sterling of her lord's fortune, had never gambled at any game -of chance, whilst her amiable companion, who was a pattern of domestic -propriety, instead of having helped to pluck her Grace, had never -played for a guinea in the course of her life. This denial was probably -inspired from influential quarters. - -The gambling ladies seem to have fallen into obscurity when the -nineteenth century began; the "faro dames," as they were called, found -their occupation gone. Their game, at which few of them had "cut with -honours," was up, and their "odd tricks" were no longer of any avail in -London. One of the most notorious, Mrs. Concannon, migrated to Paris, -where her house continued for some time to be the meeting-place of -those fond of deep play. - -Whist now began to be a good deal played at fashionable parties, but -in 1805 four-handed cribbage became the fashionable game in the West -End, and whist, during a temporary eclipse, as it declined in the West, -rose with increase of splendour in the East. At a city club the stakes -played for were ten pounds a game, and guineas were betted on the odd -trick. A select party of business men, well known on the city side of -Temple Bar, once played at whist from one Wednesday afternoon till the -next Friday night, and only left off then because two of the players -were unfortunately Jews. - -At another whist party, a lady who had not been accustomed to move -in quite as good society as the other guests, won a rubber of twenty -guineas. The gentleman who was her opponent pulled out his pocket-book -and tendered £21 in bank-notes.[3] The fair gamester observed, with a -disdainful toss of her head: "In the great houses which I frequent, -sir, we always use gold." "That may be, madam," replied the gentleman, -"but in the little houses which I frequent we always use paper!" - -At this time adventurers abounded, many of whom profited by the -speculative tendencies of the age. A character of the first magnitude -in the annals of gaming, for instance, was a Mr. Lookup, who lived -towards the close of the eighteenth century. A Scotchman by birth, -a gamester by profession, he accumulated a considerable fortune by -methods of none too reputable a kind. - -Originally an apprentice to an apothecary in the north of England, he -acted in that profession as journeyman in the city of Bath. Soon after -the death of his master, he paid his addresses to his mistress, the -widow; and, having none of that bashful modesty about him which is -sometimes an obstacle to a man in such pursuits, and being a remarkably -tall stout man, with a tolerably good figure, he prevailed on the Bath -matron to favour him with her hand. - -From his infancy Lookup manifested a strong propensity for play, and -as he grew up became very expert at several games. Till his marriage, -however, he was hampered by lack of funds, which prevented him from -exercising his skill and judgment to much advantage. Finding himself -master of five hundred pounds brought to him by his wife, he soon shut -up shop, and turned his application from pharmacy to speculation. -He became a first-rate piquet and whist player, and soon mastered -various other games of chance and skill; in a short time, by incessant -industry, greatly increasing his capital. - -Lord Chesterfield and Mr. Lookup, for a long time, played constant -matches at piquet together, the former being something of an adept at -the game; but Mr. Lookup's superior skill at length prevailed, with the -result that very considerable gains passed into his pocket. - -Lord Chesterfield would also sometimes amuse himself at billiards with -Mr. Lookup, and upon one of these occasions the peer had the laugh -turned against him by the sharp tactics of his antagonist. Mr. Lookup -had met with an accident by which he was deprived of the sight of one -of his eyes, though to any cursory observer it appeared as perfect -as the other. Having beaten the peer playing evens, Lookup asked how -many his lordship would give him, if he put a patch upon one eye. -Lord Chesterfield agreed to give him five, upon which Lookup beat -him several times successively. At length his lordship, with some -petulance, exclaimed, "Lookup, I think you play as well with one eye -as two." "I don't wonder at it, my lord," replied Lookup, "for I have -seen only out of one for these ten years." With the money he won of -Lord Chesterfield he bought some houses at Bath, and jocularly named -them Chesterfield Row. - -After he had accumulated a considerable sum by play, Mr. Lookup went -to London, and, having buried his wife, married another widow with -a very large fortune. His plan of operations was now much enlarged; -and, though he played occasionally for his own amusement, or when -he met with what is termed a "good thing," he abandoned gaming as a -regular profession. He now struck out several schemes, some visionary -and others advantageous; among the former being a project for making -saltpetre. A foreigner having drawn up a specious plan, presented it -to Lookup, who, from his superficial knowledge of chemistry, thought -the scheme practicable. A considerable range of buildings was erected -for carrying on these works near Chelsea; salaries were appointed -for the directors and supervisors, and large sums expended to bring -this favourite scheme to perfection. So sanguine were Lookup's hopes -of success, that he persuaded a particular friend of his (Captain -Hamilton) to become a partner, with the result that the latter lost -many thousands. At length, tired with the fruitless expense and -repeated disappointments, he abandoned this project for others less -delusive. - -Mr. Lookup was concerned in many privateering ventures, several of -which proved successful; at any rate he was thought to be a substantial -gainer in these enterprises. At the close of the war he engaged in the -African trade, and had considerable dealings in that commerce to the -time of his decease. - -As he grew old, however, his darling passion would at times -predominate; and within a few weeks of his death he was known to sit up -whole nights playing for very considerable sums. It was even averred -that he died with a pack of cards in his hand, at his favourite game -of humbug or two-handed whist; on which Sam Foote jocularly observed, -"that Lookup was _humbugged_ out of the world at last." - -Some description of Mr. Lookup's favourite game, of which he is said to -have been the inventor, may not be out of place. Though now obsolete, -it was once very popular at the rooms in Bath, and in the West End of -London. - -Humbug may properly be called two-handed whist, as only two persons -play. The cards are shuffled and cut; the lowest deals out all the -cards, and turns up the last for the trump. Each player has now -twenty-six cards in his hand, and the object is to make as many tricks -as they can, all the laws of whist prevailing, the cards being of -the same value as when four play. But the honours do not reckon any -further than they prevail in making tricks by their superiority over -inferior cards; the tricks reckon from one to as many as are gained; -for instance, if one player has twenty tricks, and the other only six, -the first wins fourteen, and if they play a guinea a trick of course -wins fourteen guineas. The game finishes every deal, when the balance -is settled, and they then commence another game. As each player knows, -at first, all the cards his adversary has in his hand, it is common, -in order to sort them, to lay them with their faces up; but after they -have ranged them, and begun to play, they are as careful of concealing -their cards as they are at the common game of whist, it then depending -upon memory to know what cards have been played and what remain in -hand. As it is allowed only to turn up the last trick to see what has -been played, a revoke is punished with the same rigour at this game as -at whist; and the forfeiting three tricks is often worth more at humbug -than at the former game. - -The London of the past swarmed with sharpers of every description on -the look-out for rich young men. Billiard-rooms which are now quite -decorous resorts were favourite haunts of these gentry. - -The noted Captain Roche, known as Tiger Roche, was once at the Bedford -billiard-table, when it was extremely crowded. As he was knocking the -balls about with a cue. Major Williamson, who wanted to talk to him -about some business, desired him to leave off, as he monopolised the -table and hindered gentlemen from playing. "Gentlemen!" exclaimed Roche -with a sneer. "Why, Major, except you and I, and two or three more, -there is not a gentleman in the room: the rest are all low blacklegs." -On leaving the place the Major expressed some astonishment at his -companion's rudeness, and wondered that, out of so numerous a company, -it was not resented. "Oh, d--n the scoundrels, sir," said Roche; "there -was no fear of that, as there was not a thief in the room that did not -suppose himself one of the two or three gentlemen I mentioned." - -A particularly dangerous individual was the notorious Dick England, -an Irishman of obscure origin, who rose to comparative prosperity -through gaming and betting. A hard-headed man, England possessed great -control over his temper, which, however, when given a free run, could -be terrible. Having played at hazard one evening with a certain young -tradesman of his acquaintance, England lost some three or four score -pounds, for which he gave his draft upon Hankey, the banker. Having -persuaded his antagonist to give him his revenge, the luck turned, and -England not only won his money back, but as much more in addition. It -then being late, he desired to retire, and requested his antagonist to -pay in cash or to give a cheque upon his banker for the money which he -had lost. The tradesman resolutely refused to do either, on the plea -that he had been tricked, and that the money had not been fairly won. -England once more demanded the money, and when it was again refused, -he tripped up the young man's heels, rolled him up in the carpet, -and snatching a case-knife from the sideboard, cut off his long hair -close to the scalp. This violent action, coupled with the menacing -attitude of England still flourishing the knife, and uttering the most -deep-toned imprecations, had such an effect upon the young man in the -stillness of past three o'clock in the morning, that he arose, and with -the meekness of a lamb wrote a draft for the amount of his loss, took -his leave very civilly, wishing the Captain a good morning, and never -mentioned the circumstance again. - -[Illustration: SHARPERS AND BUCKS IN A BILLIARD ROOM.] - -Dick England was a constant frequenter of all places likely to afford -him pigeons worth plucking. At a tennis court he met the Honourable -Mr. Damer, who was in the habit of playing tennis for amusement and -exercise. One evil day, however, when no one was about, Mr. Damer -played a game with England, who was profuse in his admiration for his -opponent's skill. Though Mr. Damer knew England's reputation, and would -not have been seen at Ranelagh with him, or had him at his table for -a thousand pounds, he was not proof against the man's flattery, and -England soon became his habitual opponent at tennis. - -The latter, in league with other sharpers, soon sent to Paris for the -best tennis player in the world, who on his arrival was instructed -to lose unless given signals--the display of a certain coloured -handkerchief, the raising of a bat, and similar signs--should be made. - -England now proceeded to begin the stripping of his dupe by pretending -to back him for fifty or a hundred guineas a set, complaining bitterly -of his losses when unsuccessful. Mr. Damer meanwhile was losing three, -four, and sometimes five thousand guineas in a day; and with such blind -avidity did he pursue this destructive game, that he soon found himself -a loser of near forty thousand guineas. At last, he found it prudent to -resist the propensity to play with England and his band of sharpers, -some of whom were constantly at his house in Tilney Street, requesting -payment. Mr. Damer offered them post-obits, bonds, or in short the best -security he could then offer, his father, Lord Milton, afterwards Lord -Dorchester, being alive; no, they would have cash. Mr. Damer could not -find it; but, to his high sense of honour be it told, he threw himself -at his father's feet; the worthy parent weighed the matter well, and -sent his steward from Milton Abbey with power to pay every shilling, -though he knew his son had been cheated of every guinea. The steward, -however, arrived only in time to learn that his young master, having -sent for five girls and a blind fiddler, had blown out his brains after -a roystering carouse at a tavern in Covent Garden. According to Horace -Walpole it was Fox who, with infinite good nature, went to meet Mrs. -Damer on her way to town and prepared her for the dismal news. "Can," -says Walpole, "the walls of Almack's help moralizing when £5000 a year -in present and £22,000 in reversion are not sufficient for happiness -and cannot check a pistol!" - -England was very fertile in expedients in plucking his pigeons. On one -occasion, being with other blacklegs at Scarborough, and a rich dupe, -from whom a good deal was expected, refusing to play after dinner, the -party, having made the pigeon drunk and given the waiter five guineas -to answer any awkward questions which might be asked in the morning, -wrote out on slips of paper "D---- (the pigeon's name) owes me a -hundred guineas." "D---- owes me eighty guineas," and so on. England, -however, wrote "I owe D---- thirty guineas." - -The next morning England, meeting the guest of the night before on the -cliff, said to him: "Well, we were all very merry last night." "We were -indeed," replied the pigeon, "and I only hope I did not offend any one, -for I must confess that I drank a good deal more than usual." - -"You were in good spirits, my dear fellow," said England, "that was -all; and now, before I forget, let me pay you the thirty guineas I lost -to you last night--I am not very lucky at cards." - -D---- stared, and positively denied having played for a shilling; but -England assured him upon his honour that he had. He added that he had -paid hundreds to men who having drunk deep remembered nothing till he -had shown them his account. Mr. D---- thus fell into the trap laid -for him, and, being a novice, put the notes in his pocket, thinking -England the most upright man he had ever met. Shortly after, Mr. -England's friends presented their cards. Mr. D----, thunderstruck at -their demands, swore that he had never played with them, and indeed -that he did not know of his having played at all, until Captain -England, very much to his credit, had paid him thirty guineas, though -he himself did not remember any cards or dice having been in the room. -The leader of the band replied with great warmth, "Sir, it is the first -time my honour was ever doubted. Captain England, and the waiter, will -tell you I won a hundred guineas of you, though I was a great loser by -the night's play." - -The victim of the plot, however, fortunately for himself, met -some friends who were men of the world, and one of them having -cross-examined the waiter, and promised him another five guineas if -he spoke the truth, the latter at last admitted that England and his -companions were notorious blacklegs, and that Mr. D---- did not play -at all, or, if he did, it could not have been for five minutes, as the -rest of the party were constantly ringing and making punch in their own -way. - -On the advice of this friend D---- ended the matter by sending England -back his thirty guineas with five more to pay the cost of the supper; -and the blacklegs, finding that the affair was likely to do them no -good, left Scarborough the next morning. - -A young Kingston brewer, Rolles by name, having publicly insulted -England by calling him a blackleg at Ascot, the latter, who could -snuff a candle with a pistol ball, called him out and shot him, after -which he fled to the Continent, remarking: "Well, as I have shot a man -I must be after making myself scarce." As an outlaw living in Paris, -England continued to make money by play till the outbreak of the French -Revolution, which for a time rather injured the avocation of sharpers -in France. - -It is said, however, that he furnished the heads of our army with some -valuable intelligence in its celebrated campaign in Flanders; and that, -as a reward, his return to this country was facilitated, and an annuity -promised him. - -On his arrival in London, he was tried and acquitted of the murder of -Mr. Rolles. For the remainder of his life he appears to have completely -abandoned gambling, and to have lived a very quiet existence near -Leicester Square. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 2: Described at page 55.] - -[Footnote 3: £1 notes existed at this time.] - - - - -III - - Former popularity of dice--The race game in Paris--Description - of hazard--Jack Mytton's success at it--Anecdotes--French - hazard--Major Baggs, a celebrated gamester of the past--Anecdotes - of his career--London gaming-houses--Ways and methods of - their proprietors--Ephraim Bond and his henchman Burge--"The - Athenæum"--West-End Hells--Crockford's--Opinion of Mr. Crockford - regarding play--The Act of 1845--Betting-houses--Nefarious tactics of - their owners--Suppression in 1853. - - -The most popular gambling game of the eighteenth century, at which -great sums were lost and won, was "hazard," which emptied the pockets -of multitudes in the West End, and proved the ruin of many a country -squire fresh to the allurements of town. - -Before 1716 itinerant vendors usually carried dice with them, and -customers, even children, were encouraged to throw for fruit, nuts, or -sweets; and when the floors of the Middle Temple Hall were taken up -nearly a hundred sets of dice which had fallen through the chinks in -the flooring were found. Dice have been out of fashion for many years -in the modern world, though quite recently they have begun to enjoy -some slight popularity in France in connection with an elaborated -form of the race game which at one time was a favourite amusement in -English country houses. Two Clubs, the Racing Plomb Club and the Pur -Plomb Club, now exist in Paris, the members of which declare that the -movements of little leaden horses over a course, in accordance with -the throw of the dice, are more amusing and exciting than roulette -or baccarat. The little metal steeds used at this game are named -after prominent race-horses on the French Turf. The races, called -after events like the Grand Steeplechase and Grand Prix, are begun -with three or four dice, continued with two, and end with one, the -courses of Auteuil and Longchamps being realistically reproduced on -the race-boards. A leaden horse which wins a certain number of races -is accorded some advantage over the rest. For instance, a winner, -say of stakes amounting to one hundred francs, advances seven points -instead of six on the board when its owner throws a six, and so on in -proportion, whilst if it has won sixteen hundred points a throw of six -advances it eleven points. This racing game, which, however, is played -rather for amusement than mere gambling, was revived by M. Fernand -Vandéreux, who has brought it into popularity in Parisian literary and -artistic circles. - -Hazard, which is now practically obsolete, seems to have made an -irresistible appeal to the gaming instincts of former generations, and -the financial ravages for which it was responsible eventually provoked -such scandals that the game was rendered illegal in 1845. It was a -somewhat complicated form of gambling, and in these days, when so many -easy forms of speculation exist, would in all probability have died a -natural death even without the intervention of the law. - -The following is an account of the game as played some fifty years ago, -when it still enjoyed some popularity amongst racing men. - -The players assembled round a circular table, a space being reserved -for the "groom-porter" (the term applied to the croupier), who occupied -a somewhat elevated position, and whose duty it was to call the odds -and see that the game was played according to rule. Two dice were used -and the player who took the box placed as much money as he wished to -risk in the centre of the table, where it was covered with an equal -amount, either by some individual speculator, or by the contributions -of several. The player (technically called the "caster") then proceeded -to call a "main," that is to say, any number from 5 to 9; of these -he would mentally select the one which either chance or superstition -might suggest, call it aloud, then shake the box, and deliver the dice. -If he threw the exact number he called, he "nicked" it, as the term -went, and won; if he threw any other number (with a few exceptions, -which will be mentioned), he neither won nor lost. The number, -however, which he threw became his "chance," and if he could succeed -in repeating it before he threw what was his main, he won; if not, he -lost. In other words, having completely failed to throw his main in -the first instance, he should have lost, but did not in consequence -of the equitable interference of his newly-made acquaintance, which -constituted itself his chance. If a player threw two aces (commonly -called "crabs") he lost his stake. For example, suppose the caster -"set"--that is, placed on the table--a stake of £10, and it was covered -by an equal amount, and he then called 7 in as his main and threw 5; -the groom-porter would at once call out "5 to 7"--meaning that 5 was -the number to win and 7 the number to lose. The player then continued -throwing until the event was determined by the turning up of either the -main or the chance. Meanwhile, however, a most important feature in the -game came into operation--the laying and taking of the odds caused by -the relative proportions of the main and the chance. These, as has been -said, were calculated with mathematical nicety, never varied, and were -proclaimed by the groom-porter. In the instance given, as the caster -stood to win with 5 and to lose with 7, the odds were declared to be 3 -to 2 against him, inasmuch as there are three ways of throwing 7, and -only two of throwing 5. If a player should "throw out" once, the box -passed on to the next person on his left, who at once took up the play. -He could, however, "throw in" without interruption, and if he was able -to do this half a dozen times and back his luck, his gains would amount -to a large sum, sixty to one being the odds against it. - -The choice of a main was quite optional: many preferred 7 in because -they might make a coup at once by throwing that number, or by throwing -11, which is a "nick" to 7, but to 7 only. Many shrewd players, -however, preferred some other main, with the view of having a more -favourable chance to depend upon of winning both stake and odds. For -example, let us reverse the case given above, and suppose the caster -called 5 and threw 7; he would then have 7 as his chance to win odds of -3 to 2 in his favour. - -Such was the game of English hazard, at which large fortunes were -lost. Cheating could only be effected by the use of loaded dice, which -were called "dispatches," or by high and low dice having only certain -numbers. Sharpers often carried these and also "cramped" boxes to -make the dice fall in a particular way. So popular were dice with the -gamesters of old that one of them left an injunction in his will that -his bones should be made into dice and his skin into coverings for -dice-boxes. - -The round table on which English hazard was played had a deeply -bevelled edge, intended to prevent the dice from landing on the floor, -which rendered a throw void. If either of the dice, after having left -the box, should strike any object on the table, such as a man's elbow -or stick, except money, it was also no throw. Every player had the -right of "calling dice," even when the dice were being thrown. This, of -course, nullified the throw, another set being handed to the caster -by the groom-porter. Many a lucky coup was destroyed by some captious -player having exercised this privilege--with most irritating effects to -the disappointed caster on finding that he had "nicked" his main. When -one of the dice remained in the box after the other had been landed, -the caster might either throw it quickly, or gently coax it from the -box. If one die landed on the top of another, it was removed by the -groom-porter and declared a throw. Dice were known as the "ivories." - -At a Westminster election, the keeper of a notorious gambling-house -in St. Anne's parish, on being about to give his vote, was asked in -the usual way what his trade was; when after a little hesitation, he -replied, "I am an ivory turner." - -Many curious incidents occurred at hazard. On one occasion when two -gamesters had deposited a very large stake to be won by him who threw -the lowest throw with the dice, one of them, who had thrown three aces, -thought himself secure of success. - -"Wait for my throw," cried his opponent. - -He threw, and with such dexterity, that by lodging one of the dice on -the other, he showed only one ace on the uppermost of them. He was -allowed by the company to have won the stakes. - -It used to be said that at hazard, men under the influence of wine -were invariably more fortunate than those who played with cooler heads -or more collected judgments. Of this, perhaps the most remarkable -instance ever known was the notorious spendthrift and sportsman Jack -Mytton, of whom the Hell-keepers used to say, "there was no use playing -against the Squire when he was drunk." - -Mytton was indeed rather a formidable figure at the hazard-table, where -he was supposed to have won more than he lost. When heated with wine -and full of courage he was the dread of the proprietors of the minor -gambling-tables at country race meetings, whose banks he was given to -breaking in more ways than one--it being his practice to demolish all -their gambling apparatus if he observed the slightest suspicion of foul -play. At Warwick races in 1824, for instance, Mytton and some friends -not only smashed a rouge-et-noir table to atoms, but soundly thrashed -the proprietor and his gang. - -On another occasion he showed considerable presence of mind when -surprised by the Mayor of Chester during a raid on a hazard Hell one -Sunday. In the confusion which ensued the Squire of Halston, who was -a winner, deftly put his gains in his hat, which he quite coolly -placed upon his head, and walked out unnoticed. He was not so careful, -however, on one occasion after a great run of luck in London when, -having broken the banks of two well-known London Hells, he went off -with the money--a large sum in notes--to Doncaster. On his return from -the races in a post-chaise he set to work to count his winnings, the -windows of the carriage being open. He soon fell asleep, and when he -awoke, the night being far advanced, found that notes to the value of -several thousand pounds had been blown out of the window. Truly a case -of "light come, light go!" - -[Illustration: LIGHT COME, LIGHT GO.] - -When quite a young man Mytton had been subjected to plucking by many -a rook. As a subaltern of the 7th Hussars in the army of occupation -at Calais he borrowed £3000 of a banker at St. Omer one day and lost -half of it the next at a swindling E.O. table. However, he relieved -his feelings by demolishing the whole concern. About the same time he -lost no less than sixteen thousand napoleons to a certain Captain at -billiards, but Lord Uxbridge, who was Colonel of his regiment, having -reason to believe that the whole thing was a robbery, forbade him to -pay. - -There are now probably very few people in England who could conduct a -game of hazard, the rules of which are practically forgotten. The last -man who was thoroughly versed in the intricacies of the game is said -to have been a certain well-known bookmaker, Atkins by name, who, as -late as the 'seventies, used to keep a hazard-table going at Brighton -during the race week, where considerable sums of money were lost and -won. He also presided over a hazard-table at Bognor during the Goodwood -meeting. An associate of his, who was known as "Chanticleer" owing to -his vocal powers in calling the odds, afterwards proved very successful -in another walk of life, where he accumulated a considerable fortune. - -Some thirty-six years ago hazard used to be played at Doncaster during -the race week, an excellent account of the scenes which used to take -place there being given by Sir George Chetwynd in his _Recollections_. - -French hazard was less rough-and-ready than the English game. Every -stake that was "set" was covered by the bank, so that the player ran no -risk of losing a large amount, though, if successful, he could win but -a trifling one; on the other hand, the scale of odds was so altered as -to operate most prejudicially against the player. An equal rate of odds -between main and chance was never laid by the French "banker" as was -insisted on by the English groom-porter; while, again, "direct nicks" -alone were recognised by the former. Most extraordinary runs of luck -have occurred at hazard, a player having sometimes thrown five, seven, -and even eleven mains in a single hand. In cases of runs like this the -peculiar feature in the French game became valuable, the bank being -prepared to pay all winnings, while, generally speaking, a hand of six -or seven mains at English hazard would exhaust all the funds of the -players, and leave the caster in the position of "setting the table" -and finding the stakes totally unnoticed or only partially covered. - -To show what sums changed hands at hazard in the eighteenth century, -it may be mentioned that a celebrated gambler. Major Baggs by name, -once won £17,000 at hazard, by throwing in, as it is called, fourteen -successive mains. This Major Baggs was an extraordinary character -who went to the East Indies in 1780 on a gaming speculation; but -not finding it answer, he returned home overland, encountering many -adventures. At Cairo he narrowly avoided death by escaping in a Turkish -dress to Smyrna. A companion of his was seized, and sent prisoner to -Constantinople, where he was at length released by the interference -of Sir Robert Anstie, the English ambassador. Baggs once won £6000 of -a young gentleman at Spa, and immediately came to England to get the -money from the peer (Lord Onslow) who was the father of the young man. -Terms of accommodation were proposed by his lordship in presence of a -well-known banker whose respectability and consequence were well known. -The peer offered him a thousand guineas and a note for the remainder -at a distant period. Baggs, however, wanted the whole to be paid down, -and some altercation ensued, in the course of which the banker observed -that he thought his lordship had offered very handsome terms. "Sirrah," -said Baggs in a passion, "hold your tongue; the laws of commerce you -may be acquainted with, but the laws of honour you can know nothing -about." - -Major Baggs at one time in his life was worth more than £100,000. -He had fought eleven duels, and was allowed to be very skilful with -the sword. He was a man of a determined mind, great penetration, and -considerable literary culture; and when play was out of the case, -could be an agreeable, gentlemanlike, and instructive companion. He -was very generous to people whom he liked; and a certain naval lord, -highly respected, when in rather a distressed situation at Paris, found -a never-failing resource in the purse of the Major, who was open-handed -enough at times. For several years he lived at Paris in the greatest -splendour, and during a stay at Avignon, frequently gave splendid -suppers to the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland and their friends, -whom he followed to Naples, getting introduced to the King's private -parties, and winning £1500 of His Majesty. - -Major Baggs eventually fell a victim to gaming, dying of a chill -produced by a night passed in a round-house, having been locked up with -other frequenters of a gaming-house which was raided by the police. - -Numbers of such places existed in the London of that day, which were -the constant resort of those who, like the Major, found access to Clubs -somewhat difficult. - -From about 1780 to 1845 the West End was full of gambling-hells, -the most popular of which were generally in the parish of St. -James's, and St. George's, Hanover Square. Others also existed in St. -Martin's-in-the-Fields, Piccadilly, St James's Street, Pall Mall, -St. James's Square, Jermyn Street, Bury Street, Charles Street, King -Street, Duke Street, Bennett Street, and the neighbourhood of the -Quadrant. The games principally played, besides English and French -hazard, were rouge-et-noir, roulette, and une-deux-cinque. The -principal proprietors of these houses were Bond, Oldfield, Goodwin, -Bennet, Smith, Russell, Phillips, Rougeir, Burge, Carlos, Humphries, -Fielden, Taylor, Bird, Morgan, Kerby, Aldridge, Barnet, and many -others, amongst whom, of course, the celebrated Crockford stood forth -in almost regal splendour. - -Nevertheless there was a crusade against gambling and betting always -carried on by the section of the population which were known as the -"Methodists," some of whose preachers were very clever and apt. - -"Ah, my brethren," once said one of these, addressing a congregation -into which several sporting men had strolled, "why waste your lives -thinking so much of what you call 'flimsies.' These, my friends," -turning over the leaves of his Bible, "are God's bank-notes, and when -you carry them to heaven, he will cash them at sight!" - -Another preacher, whilst painting a vivid picture of the tortures which -awaited gamesters in a future life, declared that the apartments of -Satan were filled with cards and dice, and that Hoyle was the only book -in his library. Nevertheless, the denunciations of the "godly" effected -little, and though from time to time the authorities organised raids -upon the more scandalous resorts, gaming continued to flourish. - -As late as the early 'thirties of the last century, the West End of -London was full of Hells, a number of them in the Quadrant. Hazard -was the principal game played. The lowest gaming-houses were generally -located in obscure courts or other places not much exposed to public -observation. As a rule they were kept shut up as if unoccupied, or else -some appearance of a trade was carried on to prevent suspicion. It used -to be said that at one or two of these Hells individuals were kept on -the premises whose sole duty lay in being able to swallow the dice in -case of a raid by the authorities. Whether this was the case or not, it -is certain that there was usually some convenient receptacle contrived -in the shutters or elsewhere into which the implements of gaming could -be speedily thrown. A house containing a back room sufficiently large -to contain forty or fifty people, was the ideal of the proprietors -of such places. The man who acted as croupier was, as has been said, -known as the "groom-porter," an appellation dating from the eighteenth -century, when the Court was, on occasion, wont to gamble at the -Groom-Porter's in the Palace of St. James. - -The profits of the house were supposed to be derived from a tax levied -on successful players, any one winning three times running being -expected to pay a certain sum of money to the table or "cagnotte." -A player doing this was called a "box hand," the amount of his -contribution varying from a shilling to half a crown according to the -rules and standing of the house. - -[Illustration: A ROW IN A FASHIONABLE HELL.] - -The main profits of these Hells, however, were in the majority -of instances derived from shady practices, many of the proprietors -being in league with sharks of various kinds who preyed upon the more -credulous or foolish players. - -The least important gambling-houses were generally kept by retired -prize-fighters and bullies, who hectored their weaker clients out of -such sums as they might chance to win. - -In the higher class of Hells, silver counters, representing certain -fractions of a pound, were used; these were called pieces, and one of -them was the amount of the tax levied on a "box hand." - -When a gentleman first appeared at these Hells, the Hellites and the -players were curious to learn who and what he was, especially the -former, to calculate the rich or poor harvest to be reaped by him, -and they regulated their conduct accordingly. Should he be introduced -by a broken player, and lose a good sum, his introducer seized the -opportunity to borrow a few pounds of the Hellites. But if the -gentleman was successful, "a few pounds to give his kind friend a -chance" was not refused. If the visitor proved unlucky the Hellites -ventured, after he had lost hundreds, to lend him twenty or thirty -pounds, for which his cheque was demanded and given. Generally they not -only knew his name, but soon ascertained, by underhand inquiries at his -bankers, the extent of his account, his connections and resources. Upon -this knowledge, if his account was good, they would cash him cheques -to within a hundred pounds of the balance. Instances have been known, -after cheques have been cashed and paid in this way, to large amounts, -and the balance drawing to a close, that when a cheque for a small -amount has been wanted, cashed by the very same parties, it has been -refused, the Hellite actually telling the party, within a few pounds, -the amount he had left at his banker's. One gentleman was once told -within five pounds of what he had there. - -A number of Hells masqueraded as Clubs, and made some show of only -admitting regular members to the delights of play. - -The following prospectus, issued in the 'twenties of the last century, -is a fair sample of those used by the proprietors of gaming-houses -in London to attract clients. The house in question was under the -superintendence of Weare, who was murdered by Thurtell. - - A party of gentlemen, having formed the design of instituting a - Select Club, to be composed of those gentlemen only whose habits and - circumstances entitle them to an uncontrolled but proper indulgence - in the current amusements of the day, adopt this mode of submitting - the project to consideration, and of inviting those who may approve of - it, to an early concurrence and co-operation in the design. To attain - this object the more speedily, and render it worthy the attention - and support it lays claim to, it may be only necessary to mention - that the plan is founded on the basis of liberality, security, and - respectability, combining with the essential requisites of a select - and respectable association, peculiar advantages to the members - conceded by no similar institution in town. Further particulars may be - learned on personal application between the hours of twelve and two at - 55 Pall Mall. - -In 1831 a gaming-house called the Athenæum was a public scandal. This -gaming-hell was situated at the upper end of St. James's Street, on the -same side as White's. It was owned by three brothers named Bond, one of -whom only, Ephraim, was publicly recognised as the proprietor. - -This man Bond had had many vicissitudes. Once, when quite at the end of -his tether, a gentleman came into a house where he was looking on at -the play, and having no confidence in his own judgment or good fortune, -commissioned Bond to make his bets for him, and, being very successful, -the gentleman, who was a member of the House of Commons, presented him -with fifty pounds. This became the nucleus of his future fortune. - -After working his fifty pounds for some time in various advantageous -gaming speculations, he became a small partner in a Bury Street house -and subsequently in gaming-houses in Bennett Street, Pall Mall, and -Piccadilly, until, as before stated, he located all his machinery and -performers in the Athenæum, in St. James's Street, near Nos. 50 and 51. - -Burge, an individual closely connected with Bond, was another -well-known figure in the gambling world of those days. - -The "Subject," as this man was nicknamed, in consequence of his -wretched and cadaverous appearance, was born at Glastonbury, in -Somersetshire, where he was brought up a tailor. Shortly after the -termination of his apprenticeship he married, but finding business -not answer his expectations he removed to London, where he commenced -business in a little way, but in about two years became a bankrupt. -At this period of his life, when distressed in pocket and harassed in -mind, he was introduced into a shilling table hazard-house kept at that -time by the celebrated J.D. Kelly and George Smith in Lisle Street, -Leicester Square. - -From the very moment that the "Subject" first saw a hazard-table his -nature changed, and wife, children, home, and business were totally -obliterated from his mind. The few shillings which from time to time -he could scrape together from the charity of his own or his wife's -friends were all carried to the table, although at this time he was -still a perfect novice in all concerning play. He generally lost his -money soon after he entered a gaming-house, but even when penniless -he always remained until the table was broken up, generally some time -before midnight, when he would make his way to a miserable home, only -to sleep till the hour for witnessing play again arrived. This state -of restlessness and perturbation brought on a serious fit of illness, -whilst his wife was compelled to take in washing for the support of -the family, who lived amidst scenes of acute misery. Nothing, however, -diverted the "Subject" from the gaming-table; no sooner did he recover -and was able to crawl out than he was at hazard again, though many were -his quarrels with the table-keepers, who resented his presence in -their rooms, as he so rarely brought a shilling to play with. Nothing, -however, could overcome his infatuation, and had he been turned out for -good he would have lain down at the door, and listened to the sound of -the dice-box until he died of exposure to the weather. At length Smith, -a gaming-house proprietor who had removed to Oxendon Street, Coventry -Street, finding Burge determined, by some means or other, to be present -during play, installed him as a permanent official in his rooms, with -regular duties, the chief of which were to trim the lamps hanging over -the hazard-table and to hand a glass of gin to the man who threw in six -mains in succession, when he was allowed to say, "Remember the waiter, -your honour." Subsequently, the groom-porter being indisposed, the -"Subject" mounted the stool and called the main, continuing afterwards -sometimes to act alternately in each capacity until the proprietor took -the house in 71 Jermyn Street, when he got a rise in the world and was -made a regular groom-porter in a crown-house. - -The history of the so-called "Athenæum" run by Bond was curious. - -At the time when the real Athenæum in Pall Mall was being established -there was a swindler upon the town named William Earl. Although the -son of a respectable bookseller, who formerly resided in Albemarle -Street, Piccadilly, he committed some very flagrant acts of imposition -upon the public. Among many other schemes he conceived the plan -of pretending that he was the person deputed and authorised by the -gentlemen composing the members of the true Athenæum Club, to take -and fit up a house for their accommodation. The house in St. James's -Street being to let at the time, he (Earl) took it on the residue of a -lease having between two and three years to run, and, forthwith, when -in possession, got tradesmen to fit it up in the most superb manner -possible, making it a great favour to recommend them to so good a job, -the Athenæum management promising that all the money shares should -be paid down the moment the house was ready for the reception of the -members. The furniture, however, as fast as it was brought into the -house, disappeared, being taken away by Earl to dispose of for cash to -put into his own pocket, preparatory to a final retreat from the scene -of action. This being discovered before larger debts were contracted, -the creditors, who were already minus about £1400, convened a meeting, -at which, under a threat of a criminal prosecution, they compelled Earl -to assign the premises and everything else to three gentlemen, Messrs. -Baines, Vincent, and Laing, in trust for the benefit of the creditors. -These gentlemen, subsequently representing the case of the creditors -to the Lord Chamberlain, obtained a licence for music, the premises -being designated and inserted in the licence as known by the name of -the Athenæum; but this and a juggling speculation failing, it was at -length let to Ephraim Bond, Esq., at a rental of £50 per month. This -was in the early part of the year 1830, during which Earl was committed -to Newgate for swindling a jeweller in St. Paul's Churchyard out of a -gold chain and other property, being subsequently transported for the -term of seven years. The notoriety of these circumstances, and the -length of time Earl's name had been before the public, as being somehow -connected with the institution described as the Athenæum Club in St. -James's Street, led a vast number of thoughtless young men to visit -the house. Certain is it, that not a few joined the place under a full -impression that they were actually admitted into the real Athenæum -Club: and to this confusion of names did the new proprietor, in a very -large measure, owe the extraordinary run of play he had at his tables. -Among the persons who were employed at this house were Kelly, Peck, -Hancock, Mayne, and Thompson: the two latter were retained by Bond as -waiters, after having been placed in the house under the following -circumstances. Earl, as the spurious Athenæum progressed, advertised -for waiters; when these men applied, he represented in forcible -language the responsible nature of their situations, and the great -trust which would be reposed in them, informing one that all the linen -and glass would be placed in his hands, and the other that he would -have charge of plate to the value of some thousands. By these means he -induced one to deposit £150 and the other £100 as security before they -entered upon the service of the Club. Bond thought that the ill-usage -of these men gave them some claim upon the premises, and, therefore, -installed them into the office which they originally came to fill, that -is, as waiters. - -At many of the gambling-houses the waiters reaped a rich harvest by -lending money. At Crockford's one of these servants once received £500, -nominally as a Christmas-box, but really as a recognition of timely -financial assistance rendered to frequenters of the hazard-table; £100 -of this sum was given to him by a nobleman who had in one week won -£80,000 on a moderate sum which had been borrowed from the waiter in -question. - -About 1838 gaming-houses were kept open all day, the dice were scarcely -ever idle, day or night. All the week, all the year round, persons were -to be found in these places, losing their money, and up to 1844 there -were no less than twelve gaming-houses in St. James's and St. George's. -Before that the play was higher, but not so general. - -The increase of gambling-houses was said to be owing to the existence -of Crockford's. Such was the opinion of the Honourable Frederick Byng, -as given before the Committee of the House of Commons. He declared -"that the facility to gamble at Crockford's led to the establishment of -other gambling-houses fitted up in a superior style, and attractive to -gentlemen who never would have thought of going into them formerly." He -added that in his older days gambling was very high, but the amusement -of a very few. Mr. Byng also said he "could have named all the gamblers -in his early days at the clubs. No person coming into a room where -hazard was carried on would have been permitted to play for a small -sum, and therefore poor people left it alone." - -The gambling which was carried on in the private rooms of the wine and -oyster houses, about 1840, was of the same character as that which -had at the same time flourished in the vicinity of St James's. For -this reason the blackguards frequenting the former attained the most -profound knowledge of the art of robbing at the West-End Hells. They -visited the saloons every night, in order to pick up new acquaintances -amongst inexperienced youth. Well-dressed and polite, they carefully -scanned every visitor on the look-out for pigeons to pluck, and having -found one went soon to work to establish an acquaintance. Cards being -proposed, the leader of the band provided a room, play ensuing, -accompanied by the certainty of loss to the unfortunate guest. If the -invitation was rejected, the pigeon was attacked through a passion -of a different kind. The word being given to one of their female -friends, she threw herself in the quarry's way, and prevailed upon -him to accompany her to her house. In the morning the "gentleman," -who in vain had solicited him to play at the saloon the night before, -would call--as if to pay "a friendly visit." Cards would be again -proposed, the "lady" offering to be the partner of her friend in the -game. Numbers of young men were plundered by such schemes of thousands -of pounds; and a good deal of demoralisation prevailed amongst small -tradesmen and gentlemen's servants, numbers of whom frequented the low -gambling-houses. If one of these could scrape together two or three -hundred pounds he was able, with the assistance of the keeper of the -Hell, to lend it to needy losers at sixty per cent. - -A careful inspection was made of the visitor's appearance by a -gaming-house keeper's spies, his dress being strictly scrutinised. He -was obliged, before entering the saloon, to deposit his great-coat -and cane, or anything else which might facilitate the introduction of -some weapon; the value or elegance of these did not save him from the -humiliation of having it taken from him at the door. The assaults which -were sometimes made on the bankers led to such precautions. - -The blame for the great increase of gambling in the West End was -mostly attributed to Crockford, who presided over the most palatial -gaming-house ever run in England. - -William Crockford was the son of a small fishmonger who lived next door -to Temple Bar. After his father's death the young man soon abandoned -fish-selling for more exciting pursuits. He became a frequenter of the -sporting-houses then abundant in the neighbourhood of St. James's, went -racing, and, after setting up a successful hazard bank in Wattier's -old Club-house,[4] became connected with a gaming-house in King Street, -which, though it frequently got him into trouble with the authorities, -put a very large sum of money into his pocket. At King Street, -Crockford, together with his partner Gye, is said to have once won the -very large sum of £100,000 from five well-known men-about-town, amongst -whom were Lords Thanet and Granville and Mr. Ball Hughes. - -With the capital amassed in the manner described Crockford founded -the celebrated institution in St. James's Street which was sometimes -jokingly called "Fishmonger's Hall." - -It was opened at the end of the year 1827. There were about 1200 -members, exclusive of ambassadors and foreigners of distinction; the -annual subscription was £25. The Club-house was luxurious beyond -anything which had been known up to that time. The decorations alone, -it is said, cost £94,000, and a salary of £1200 a year was paid by -Crockford to his cook, M. Eustache Ude. - -The Club-house, which still exists in an altered form as the Devonshire -Club, was decorated and upholstered in the somewhat gaudy style popular -during the reign of George IV., the apartment known as the State -Drawing-room being particularly gorgeous and florid in its general -effect. - -The gaming-room was comparatively small. Here were card-tables at -which whist was occasionally played, whilst in the centre stood the -hazard-table, the real _raison d'être_ of the whole establishment. - -The expenses of running this gambling-club were large, the dice alone -costing some two thousand a year! Three new pairs at about a guinea -each pair were provided at the commencement of every evening's play, -and very often as many more were called for either by players or by -Crockford himself in order to change the luck. - -By the terms of his agreement Crockford was bound to put £5000 into -a bank every night whilst Parliament was sitting; as long as any of -this capital remained he was not allowed to end the play until an hour -previously appointed. - -During his first two seasons Crockford is said to have made about -£300,000; he may, indeed, be said to have extracted nearly all the -ready money from the pockets of the men of fashion of the day. So much -so was this the case, that when Crockford retired in 1840 it was said -that he resembled an Indian chief who retires from a hunting country -when there is not game enough left for his tribe. - -Mr. Crockford's private views as to the likelihood of any player at -hazard increasing his fortune were certainly interesting. Being one day -asked by a young man of his acquaintance what was the best main to call -at the game, he solemnly replied: "I'll tell you what it is, young man. -You may call mains at hazard till your hair grows out of your hat -and your toes grow out of your boots. My advice to you is not to call -any mains at all." - -[Illustration: COUNT D'ORSAY CALLING A MAIN AT CROCKFORD'S.] - -This, though undoubtedly sound, was a curious speech from a man who had -laid the foundation of a large fortune at the gaming-table, and had -himself successfully called all the mains under the sun. - -Whilst many were ruined at Crockford's, nobody appears to have made -much by the place except the proprietor, who, though latterly rather -unsuccessful in speculation, died a very rich man at the age of -sixty-nine in May 1844. - -In 1844 a Select Committee on gaming took a great deal of evidence, -Crockford himself being examined, though nothing was got out of him. -The result of all this was that on the 8th of August 1845 was passed an -Act to amend the law against games and wagers. The Act in question was -particularly aimed against hazard, which had undoubtedly done a good -deal of harm, lending itself as it did to much trickery and foul play. -Gaming-houses were now rigorously repressed, but it was not long before -gambling began to rage in another form, many betting-houses being -started. - -The first institution of this kind appears to have opened its doors -in 1847, the proprietors being Messrs. Drummond and Greville. About -1850, about four hundred of these houses (the vast majority not very -solvent), where regular lists of the prices were openly exhibited, -flourished, and an epidemic of gambling was declared to have attacked -even the poorest class, who were being offered facilities for risking -their hard-earned sixpences and shillings. The rise and fall of the -odds before any great race was eagerly watched by the keepers of the -betting-houses, and scenes of wild excitement occasionally occurred. -Many of the smaller betting-shops were simply traps for the unwary. -The stock-in-trade needed was merely a few flyblown racing prints -and some old ledgers. A room was soon hired, often in some derelict -tobacconist's shop, and business then commenced. Most of these places -existed in obscure and dirty thoroughfares; the neighbourhood of Drury -Lane being especially affected by those indulging in this nefarious -industry. Just before a big race meeting, such as the Derby or Ascot, -numbers of these betting shops would burst into bloom for a short -space of time. When the meetings ended, the crowd coming to get paid -would find the proprietor gone and the place in charge of a boy, who, -generally not at all disconcerted, would announce that his master -had gone out on "'tickler bizness," and would not be back till late -at night. His wife also had gone out of town for her health till the -winter. "Will he be back to-morrow?" would cry the crowd. "No, he won't -be here to-morrow 'cos it's Sunday, and he always goes to church on -Sunday," a favourite reply which made even the losers laugh. "Will he -be back on Monday, then?" "Monday," would say the boy, reflecting, "No, -I don't think he'll be here on Monday--he's going to a sale on Monday." -After further inquiries and replies of this sort the crowd would, -for the time being, reluctantly disperse, murmuring something about a -"sell" instead of a "sale," to return again time after time with the -same ill-success, till eventually, realising that they had been duped, -the bell-pull was torn out and the windows broken, the proprietor -meanwhile doing a flourishing business in some other locality. Various -subterfuges were employed by betting-shopkeepers to attract clients. -One of these places grandiloquently styled itself "The Tradesmen's -Moral Associative Betting Club." The circular issued by this beneficent -organisation set forth that a number of persons in business, realising -the robberies hourly inflicted upon the humbler portion of the sporting -public by persons bankrupt alike in character and property, had banded -themselves together to establish a club wherein their fellow tradesmen -and the speculator of a few shillings might invest their money with the -assured consciousness of meeting with fair and honourable treatment. In -all probability the clients of the Moral Associative Club found that, -like other institutions of the same sort, its idea was to receive the -money of all and close its career by paying none. - -A man named Dwyer, who kept a cigar shop and betting-house in St. -Martin's Lane in 1851, was in the habit of laying a point or two more -than the regular odds, and in consequence did the largest business of -any list man in London. He was considered to be absolutely safe. It -was his custom to pay the day following a big race, but when Miss -Nancy won the Chester Cup, his doors were found to be closed; and the -house being broken into by an enormous crowd of infuriated creditors, -everything valuable was discovered to have been removed. Dwyer, as a -matter of fact, had bolted with about £25,000 of the public's money. -The occurrence of scandals such as this naturally caused a considerable -outcry for the suppression of the betting-houses, which, it was -declared, were demoralising the public, who, even when they were not -swindled, were led into risking sums which they could not afford. A -Bill for checking the evil was eventually drafted, and in July 1853 was -passed an Act entitled "An Act for the Suppression of Betting-Houses," -which inflicted on any one keeping or assisting to keep any house, -office, room, or place for the purpose of betting, a penalty not -exceeding one hundred pounds, or imprisonment with or without hard -labour for any time not exceeding six calendar months. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 4: No. 81 Piccadilly.] - - - - -IV - - Craze for eccentric wagers at end of eighteenth century--Lord - Cobham's insulting freak and its results--Betting and gaming - at White's--The Arms of the Club--The old betting-book and its - quaint wagers--Tragedies of play--White's to-day--£180,000 lost - at hazard at the Cocoa Tree--Brummell as a gambler--Gaming at - Brooks's--Anecdotes--General Scott--Whist--Mr. Pratt--Wattier's - Club--Scandal at Graham's--Modern gambling clubs--The Park Club case - in 1884--Dangers of private play. - - -Towards the end of the eighteenth century a curious mania for making -eccentric wagers seized hold of the bucks of the day. Unlike many -another craze this was not imported from France, but had its rise -and progress entirely in England. During the last illness of Louis -XIV., Lord Stair laid a wager on his death, which rather astonished -the French, who did not approve of such a form of speculation. At a -subsequent period bets about the most trivial incidents became quite -common in the West End of London. Not infrequently some thoughtless -wager would lead to considerable trouble. - -Lord Cobham, for instance, once foolishly bet Mr. Nugent a guinea -that he would spit in Lord Bristol's hat without the latter, who -had a reputation for effeminacy, resenting it. The wager itself was -singularly lacking in refinement, and the moment chosen for carrying it -out was quite in keeping. - -Lord Bristol being one day at Lady Cobham's talking to some ladies, he -chanced to lean over a chair holding his hat behind him, into which -Lord Cobham deliberately spat, at the same time asking Mr. Nugent, -who was present, for his guinea; after which he began to make the -most profuse apologies to the victim of the outrage, who, remaining -apparently quite unmoved, merely asked if his host had any further -use for his hat, and then resumed his conversation, and every one -considered the incident at an end. Lord Bristol being to all outward -appearance absolutely unruffled. - -The next morning, however, both Lord Cobham and Mr. Nugent received -messages demanding satisfaction, to which they returned the most humble -answers. The incident, they declared, was all merely a foolish joke, -and they were quite ready to make all sorts of submissive apologies. - -Lord Bristol, however, would only assent to condone the insult if the -aggressors were ready to make a public apology in the Club-room at -White's, where he was prepared to receive it, and here, amidst a crowd -of members, Lord Cobham and Mr. Nugent publicly expressed their regret. - -As the eighteenth century waned. White's Club developed into a great -gambling centre; its members indeed professed a universal scepticism -and decided everything by a wager. There was nothing, however trivial -or ridiculous, which was not capable of producing a bet. Many pounds -were lost upon the colour of a coach-horse, the birth of a child, the -breaking off of a marriage, and even a change in the weather. - -A favourite mode of speculation was backing one man against another, -that is, betting that he would live the longest. People of all classes -were made the subjects of such bets. An actor was pitted against a -duke, an alderman against a bishop, a pimp against some member of -the privy council. Scarcely a remarkable person existed upon whose -life many thousand pounds did not depend. The various changes in the -health of any one who was the subject of heavy betting naturally gave -rise to many serious reflections in the minds of the people who had -wagered large sums on his life or death. Some would closely watch all -the stages of a total stranger's illness, more impatient for his death -than the undertaker who expected to have the care of his funeral; -others would be very solicitous about his recovery, and send every -hour to know how his health progressed, taking as great care of him -as any clergyman's wife who has no other fortune than the living of -her husband. Great consternation was caused by an unexpected demise. -Considerable odds were laid upon a man with the constitution of a -porter, who was pitted against an individual expected to die every -week. The porter, however, unexpectedly shot himself through the head, -and the knowing ones were taken in. - -The main supporters of gaming at White's at this time were George -Selwyn, Lord March, Fox, and Lord Carlisle. - -The latter was of a rather more serious disposition than the others, -and had a wife and children to whom he was devoted. Though at times a -high gambler himself, he wrote several letters to Selwyn, warning him -of the dangers of hazard. - -On one occasion Lord Carlisle won £13,000 from a peer, which he never -seems to have got, and again indulged in some disastrous play in 1776, -after which he wrote to George Selwyn to say that he had never lost -so much at five different sittings as on this occasion in one night. -A note by Selwyn in the letter puts the sum at £10,000. In after-life -Lord Carlisle entirely abandoned gaming, and settled down into an -exemplary country gentleman. - -Another constant player for high stakes at White's was Sir Everard -Fawkener, the writer's great-grandfather, who held an important office -in connection with the Post Office. He played cards very badly, and -George Selwyn used to say that playing with him was as bad as "robbing -the mail." - -In the hall of White's Club hangs a carved wooden copy of the whimsical -old coat of arms of the Club--the original painting of which is at -Arthur's. This was painted by Dick Edgecumbe after the design had been -concocted one wet day at Strawberry Hill by the painter, George Selwyn, -George (known as Gilly) Williams, and their host Horace Walpole, who -had the arms engraved. - -The original arms were as follows:-- - -"Vert (for a card-table); between three parolis, proper, on a chevron -sable, two rouleaux in saltire between two dice, proper. In a canton -sable, a ball (for election), argent. Supporters, an old knave of clubs -on the dexter, a young knave on the sinister side; both accoutred -proper. Crest, issuing out of an earl's coronet (Lord Darlington's) an -arm shaking a dice-box, all proper. Motto alluding to the crest '_Cogit -amor nummi_'.[5] The arms encircled with a claret bottle ticket by way -of order." - -[Illustration] - -The old betting-book at White's contains many curious entries, the -first of which dates from 1743. A number of the earliest wagers -are concerned with the probabilities of the birth of children to -well-known ladies of the day, the duration of life to be enjoyed by -certain individuals, and the like. - -On 21st March 1746, Mr. John Jeffries bets Mr. Dayrolle five guineas -that Lady Kildare has a child born alive before Lady Catherine -Petersham. A note is appended "miscarriages go for nothing." - -On the 8th of October in the same year Lord Montfort bets Mr. Greville -one hundred guineas that Mr. Nash is alive on the same day four years -to come. - -The Lord Montfort in question was a typical gamester of the time. In -the betting-book at White's no less than sixty wagers, amounting to -£5500, are recorded against his name. Most of these were about births, -marriages, and deaths. On sporting wagers, the nobleman in question -seems to have been content to risk only small sums. A true gambler, he -preferred to hazard his fortune, and, as it turned out, his life, on -the unforeseen. - -On the 4th of November 1754, is entered the following: "Lord Montfort -wagers Sir John Bland one hundred guineas that Mr. Nash outlives Mr. -Cibber." This refers to two very old men, Colley Cibber, the actor, and -Beau Nash, the "King of Bath." Below the entry in the betting-book, -written in another handwriting, is the significant note: "Both Lord M. -and Sir John Bland put an end to their own lives before the bet was -decided." - -The first of these tragedies took place on New Year's Day of 1755. -Lord Montfort's death and the circumstances of it attracted great -attention. He was considered one of the shrewdest men of his time, and, -as Walpole said, "would have betted any man in England against himself -for self-murder." Lord Montfort was of course eventually ruined--at -White's alone he lost a fortune at hazard. As a last resource, he -then eagerly applied (much to the surprise of the dilatory Duke of -Newcastle) for the Governorship of Virginia or the Royal hounds. He -got neither, and after spending the last evening of the year 1754 at -White's, where he sat up at whist till one o'clock, went home in a -strange mood, and shot himself next morning. - -A tragic fate likewise befell Sir John Bland, who dissipated his entire -fortune at hazard. At a single sitting he at one time lost as much as -£32,000, though he recovered a portion of it before play was ended. Sir -John shot himself on the road from Calais to Paris. - -Some of the wagers chronicled in the betting-book are decidedly vague, -the following for instance: "Mr. Talbot bets a certain gentleman a -certain sum that a certain event does not take place within a certain -time." - -During the Napoleonic era several bets were made as to the chances of -the Emperor getting back to Paris at the close of the Russian campaign, -about ten to one being wagered on such an event happening. - -A curious bet, dated February 14, 1813, is the following: "Lord -Alvanley bets Sir Joseph Copley five guineas that a certain Baronet -understood between them is very much embarrassed in his circumstances -in three years from the date hereof; if one of his bills is -dishonoured, or he is observed to borrow small change of the chairmen -or waiters, Sir Joseph is to be reckoned to lose." - -In 1797, hazard seems to have been allowed at White's, but it was -expressly laid down that no member should be permitted to keep a faro -bank. This rule was doubtless made to avoid the state of things which -had lately prevailed across the way at Brooks's. - -As time went on gambling became a thing of the past within the walls -of White's, and the survivors of a reckless era in its history -sobered down into grave and somewhat crotchety old men, who, from the -stronghold of an accustomed seat, eyed younger members with a freezing -gaze. When the question of smoking in the morning-room was raised -their indignation knew no bounds, and even infirm old members--fossils -who Alfred Montgomery declared had come from Kensal Green--tottered -into the Club to oppose it. So given were these relics of the past to -wrapping themselves in a cloak of exclusiveness that at one time the -Club came almost to a standstill. Within recent years, however, White's -has taken a new lease of life, and after an existence of one hundred -and seventy-three years is now in as flourishing a state as ever. The -Club-house has been enlarged and various alterations made--always, -let it be said, with due regard for the traditions of the past. -Unfortunately, in the course of time much connected with its former -history has disappeared--it does not, for instance, possess a set of -old gaming counters, which have a certain historic interest in these -more sober days. The Club is particularly anxious to acquire any relics -connected with its past, and also any representations of the Club-house -(at the present time under repair) as it existed before the alterations -of 1853, when a new façade replaced the old front. - -Lower down St. James's Street, on the other side of the road, another -Club, in old days notorious for high play, still exists. This is the -Cocoa Tree, where very large sums once changed hands. During the year -1780 no less than £180,000 was lost here in a single week. In the same -year Mr. O'Birne, an Irish gamester, won £100,000 at hazard of a young -Mr. Harvey of Chigwell, a midshipman, who, by his elder brother's -death, had suddenly come into a good estate. "You can never pay me," -said O'Birne. "I will sell my estate to do so," replied the young -man. "No," was the not ungenerous reply, "I will win ten thousand and -you shall throw for the odd ninety." The dice were cast and Harvey -won--still the evening cost him £10,000. - -After Waterloo there appears to have been a revival of gaming in the -West End, many officers returning to England with long arrears of pay -at their command. This wave of gaming ruined Brummell. At first he was -not particularly devoted to play, and had extraordinary luck when he -indulged in it. At one sitting at whist at White's he won £10,000 from -George Harley Drummond, the banker. It is said that this was the first -game Drummond ever played at a Club; it was probably his last, for it -led to his withdrawal from the banking business. But Brummell was not -a man of large property, and when later he began to play habitually, a -few reverses were sufficient to ruin a man of small means who matched -his fortune against the much longer purses of his friends. - -Brummell had no illusions as to the ultimate fate of a gambler, and -once tied himself up against play, receiving a ten-pound note from -Pemberton Mills on condition that he should forfeit a thousand if he -played again at White's for a month. Nevertheless, a fortnight later -he was playing again. His friend did not claim the thousand but merely -said: "Well, Brummell, you may at least give me back my ten pounds." -Playing at hazard one night with Alderman Combe, whom he playfully -called "Mash-tub" because he was a brewer, the Beau, having won a -considerable sum, said, pocketing the cash: "Thank you, Alderman; in -future I shall never drink any porter but yours." "I wish, sir," was -the reply, "that every blackguard in London would tell me the same." - -In the end Brummell went under, owing, he declared, with all the -superstition of a gambler, to the loss of a lucky sixpence with a hole -in it, which he had picked up in the small hours of the morning in -Berkeley Square. He gave it away, by mistake, to a cabman, and used to -say that he supposed "that rascal Rothschild, or some of his set, had -got hold of it." - -One of the greatest gamblers in the early part of the nineteenth -century was Lord Rivers, whose dashing play at Parisian tables had -earned for him the name of "Le Wellington des Joueurs." - -During a portion of his career this nobleman was said to have won -nearly a hundred thousand pounds by gambling. As a card-player he was -cool and skilful, whilst at the same time quick to seize the moment for -exchanging caution for dash. At times, however, he was careless--he -once lost £3400 at whist by not remembering that the seven of hearts -was still in. - -Crockford's eventually ruined him as it did many others--some it could -not ruin. Lord Sefton, for instance, is said to have lost no less than -£200,000 there. After his death the proprietor presented an acceptance -for £40,000 to his son, which was paid. At the beginning of the -nineteenth century young men-about-town were exposed to every sort of -dangerous temptation. - -In 1813 a youthful commoner, heir to large estates, was unpleasantly -initiated into the mysteries of fashionable play by losing nearly -£20,000 at hazard at a West-End Club, it being the first time he had -ever played. His single antagonist was a noble Lord of considerable -experience, who by mere chance held the box so luckily as to throw in -seven times successively. A remark being made upon so extraordinary -a run of the dice, his Lordship insisted upon having them cut up, to -manifest that his success had been perfectly honourable--and the bones, -on dissection, were found perfectly innocent. - -Gambling flourished at all the fashionable clubs. Brooks's in -particular was noted for unlimited gambling during the first forty -years of its existence. The prevalence of gambling there is shown by -one of the old rules, which prohibited "gaming in the 'eating-room' -except tossing up for reckonings." The penalty for a breach of this -regulation was paying the whole bill of the members present. - -Though a rule existed which forbade the members to stake upon credit, -it was more or less treated as a dead letter, Mr. Brooks being -generally ready to make any advance which the members might desire. The -result of such confidence in the solvency of his clientele appears to -have been disappointing, for after eight years Mr. Brooks withdrew from -the Mastership of the Club and died in very poor circumstances. All -things considered this was not surprising, for he was a man - - Who, nursed in clubs, disdains a vulgar trade, - Exults to trust, and blushes to be paid. - -During the gaming period losses and winnings amounting to five, ten, -or fifteen thousand pounds were not at all uncommon. Lord Stavordale, -before he was of age, having lost £11,000 one night, struck a good -run at hazard and got it all back. This, however, did not satisfy his -Lordship, who swore a great oath, saying, "Now if I had been playing -deep I might have won millions." - -One member, Mr Thynne, retired in disgust in March 1772. According to -a note written opposite his name in the Club books this was because he -had "won only £12,000 during the last two months, and that he may never -return is the ardent wish of members." - -At Brooks's, Charles James Fox found himself amidst the most congenial -facilities for ruin, and he did not let them pass. Fox, who joined -Brooks's when he was sixteen, once sat in the Club playing at -hazard for twenty-two hours in succession, when he lost £11,000. At -twenty-five he was a ruined man, though his father had paid £140,000 -for him out of his own property. In 1793 his friends raised £70,000 to -pay his debts and buy him an annuity--a proof of the affection this -curious character inspired. - -It was at Brooks's that Lord Robert Spencer is said at one stroke -to have recovered his considerable fortune lost at play. General -Fitzpatrick and Lord Robert, having both come to their last shilling, -contrived to raise a sufficient sum of money to keep a faro bank, which -proved an extraordinarily lucky one. Lord Robert's share was no less -than £100,000, with which he retired from the gambling-table for ever, -and never played again. - -Another well-known man of fashion lost at Brooks's £70,000 and -everything else which he possessed, including his carriage and horses, -which was his last stake. Charles Fox, who was present, and partook of -the spoils, moved that an annuity of £50 per annum should be settled -upon the unfortunate gentleman, to be paid out of the general fund, -which motion was agreed to _nem. con._, and a resolution was entered -into at the instance of the same gentleman, that every member who -should be completely ruined in that house should be allowed a similar -annuity out of the same fund, on condition that they are never to be -admitted as sporting members; as in that case the society would be -playing against their own money. - -The old betting-book at Brooks's is a most curious record. A certain -member, for instance, bets another five hundred guineas to ten that -none of the Cabinet will be beheaded within the following three years. -Another wagers fifty guineas that Mademoiselle Heinel will not dance at -the opera next year. The whole volume is most characteristic of an age -when all fashionable London lived in a vortex of speculation. - -[Illustration: THE GAMBLING-ROOM AT BROOKS'S. - -From a Water-colour Drawing in the possession of the Club.] - -Faro, quinze, and macao were the favourite games at Brooks's, but at -one time whist for high stakes came into great favour. Two of the best -players at this were a couple of characters known as Tippoo Smith -and "Neptune"--the latter an old gentleman who had gained his nickname -owing to his having once thrown himself into the sea under the false -impression that he could no longer keep his head above water. - -At Brooks's are preserved a number of relics of the old gambling days, -including the faro table at which Fox played. This has a portion -cut away, in order, it is said, to give room for his portly form. A -complete set of the old gaming counters--the highest inscribed 500 -guineas--is also here, whilst several prints and pictures (one of them -reproduced in these pages by the courtesy of the Committee) give a good -idea of a vanished day. - -Brooks's was much frequented by a famous whist-player, General Scott, -the father-in-law of George Canning and the Duke of Portland, who is -said to have won about £200,000 at the game, of which he was a past -master. - -The General, indeed, was a very shrewd man where all forms of -speculation were concerned, and once won a large wager at Newmarket -in the following way. Just as his horse was about to start for a -sweepstake, Mr. Panton called out to him, "General, I'll lay you a -thousand pounds your horse is neither first nor last." The General -accepted the bet and immediately gave directions to his rider; his -horse came in last, and he claimed the money. Mr. Panton objected to -payment, because the General had spoken to his rider; but the Jockey -Club held that the bet was laid not upon the chance of the place in -which the horse would come, if the rider was uninformed of it, but upon -the opinion, that he had not speed enough to be first, nor tractability -enough to be brought in last. - -Nevertheless, the General, like most gamblers, had his moments of -generosity. He was playing one evening with the Count d'Artois and the -Duc de Chartres, at Paris, when a petition was brought up from the -widow of a French officer, stating her various misfortunes, and praying -relief. A plate was handed round, and each put in one, two, or three -louis d'or, but when it was held to the General, who was going to throw -for a stake of five hundred louis d'or, he said, "Stop a moment, if you -please, sir: here goes for the widow!" The throw was successful, and he -instantly swept the whole into the plate, and sent it down to her. - -General Scott was an excellent whist-player, and lived in a -most careful manner, which gave him a great advantage over his -contemporaries, many of whom were reckless to a degree, tossing their -money about in all directions, and borrowing from any one when short of -cash. - -General Scott followed a regime which assisted him to keep all his -faculties in the very best condition for getting the most out of -his cards. His dinner usually consisted of a boiled chicken, washed -down with toast and water. His memory, coolness, and judgment were -remarkable. With players such as these, whist became almost a religious -function of a singularly profitable kind. - -At the present day, when whist has fallen from its ancient high estate, -and rendered practically obsolete owing to the popularity of bridge, it -is difficult to realise the place which the game held in the estimation -of many of our forefathers. - -At the beginning of the nineteenth century almost as large sums were -lost and won at whist as at the hazard-table, which was chiefly the -resort of those who, like Fox, complained that games of skill afforded -no excitement. - -Many who were not entirely devoted to high play found their only -relaxation in whist. Such a one was Lord Camden's brother, Mr. Edward -Pratt, connected with the East India Company, whose sole bond with -humanity is said to have lain in whist. - -By no means an avaricious man, Mr. Pratt spent little upon his personal -comfort, always living in the upper floor of a house owing to its -tranquillity, and regularly dining in a room by himself at a tavern -every day of the year, his only companion a solitary bottle of port. - -He was seldom heard to speak, but no circumstance, however urgent, -could prevail on him to break silence at whist, the favourite -amusement, or rather occupation of his life; and, at the conclusion of -each rubber, he could correctly call over the cards in the exact order -in which they were played, as well as the persons from whose hands -they fell, and enumerate various instances of error or dexterity in -his associates, with practical remarks. This extraordinary exertion -of the retentive powers was often doubted, and as often ascertained by -considerable wagers. - -Abstinence from speech, however, was the favourite, habitual, perhaps -the affected, pleasure of his life; to such a pitch did he carry -this eccentricity that he deliberately chose to forego many little -satisfactions and comforts, rather than be at the trouble to ask for -them. - -In his voyages to India, Mr. Pratt might have been compared to some -Eastern mystic, whose eyes and thoughts are immovably riveted by -inspiration, madness, or emptiness to the region of the navel. When on -voyages by sea it was his invariable custom to present the appearance -of one entirely engrossed by his own thoughts, which, it was opined -from his countenance, were of a peculiarly morose character. He often -doubled the Cape without having scarcely uttered a word. During one -voyage, when his ship had been detained by a long and troublesome -calm, the anxious and dispirited crew were at last revived by the -advent of the long-wished-for breeze. Amidst general excitement, a -miserably dressed seaman on the topmast being at last able to proclaim -the welcome tidings of land, Mr. Pratt alone struck a discordant note, -for whilst the officers and ship's company were congratulating each -other on the approaching joys of being on shore, though his features -were observed to alter and somewhat unbend, no sound escaped his lips. -"I knew you would enjoy the sight of land," at length said the first -officer. "I saw it an hour before the careless ragamuffin aloft," were -the first, the last, and the only words Mr. Pratt uttered during the -voyage. - -"A clear fire, a clean hearth, and the rigour of the game," was the -sole earthly aim of Mr. Pratt, as it was of the old lady who declared -that next to her devotions she loved a good game of whist. Players of -this sort were not lukewarm gamesters or half-and-half players who -have no objection to take a hand if one is wanted to make up a rubber; -affirming that they have no pleasure in winning, or that they like to -win one game and lose another. Keen antagonists, they never desired an -adversary who had slipped a wrong card, to take it up and play another. -They loved a thorough-paced partner and a determined enemy. They took -and gave no concessions; they hated favours, never made a revoke, or -passed it over in an adversary without exacting the utmost penalty. -They never introduced or connived at miscellaneous conversation during -the progress of a game, for, as they emphatically observed, cards were -cards. Whist was their business and duty--the thing which they had come -into the world to do--and they did it. - -In the early days of the nineteenth century a great deal of gambling -went on at Wattier's Club, No. 81 Piccadilly (now a private house), -which made a speciality of macao. This game is said to have been -introduced into England by French _émigrés_. - -Wattier's was kept by an old _maître d'hôtel_ of George IV., who, quite -a character in his way, prided himself upon the excellence of his -cuisine and wines. - -The life of Wattier's was a short and merry one, for it only lasted -some twelve years, being closed in 1819, when for a time it became a -sort of common gambling-house. Byron, Beau Brummell, and many other -men of fashion frequented the Club, and, occasionally, says tradition, -solaced themselves for their losses by throwing bottles of wine out of -the window into the yard of the house just across the way. - -Some sixteen years later there was a good deal of high play at whist -at Graham's Club, and a scandal occurred. Lord de Ros being charged -with unfair play by the _Satirist_ newspaper, against which he brought -an action for libel. Much curious evidence was given during the trial, -one witness admitting that he had won no less than £35,000 in fifteen -years at whist. Another--Captain Alexander--estimated his winnings -at about £1600 a year. Asked by Counsel how long he had played on a -certain occasion, he replied: "All night." "After a slight dinner I -suppose?" "As good a dinner as I can get." "A small boiled chicken and -a glass of lemonade perhaps?" The witness for some reason considered -this insulting and excitedly said: "I deny the lemonade altogether--I -never take lemonade"--a disavowal which plunged the court into -laughter. Considerable amusement was also created by another witness -who, being asked whether he had ever seen anything suspicious about the -prosecutor's play replied: "Yes." "What course did you take?" "I always -backed him," was the answer. - -In the end the peer, who was Premier Baron of England, lost his case. -He did not long survive the disgrace, and on his death in 1837 the -following line was suggested by Theodore Hook as an epitaph-- - - Here lies England's Premier Baron patiently awaiting the last trump. - -Towards the middle of the nineteenth century gambling in Clubs began to -decline, though, as is always the case, intermittent fits of private -gambling were frequent at the West End. In the late 'seventies and -early 'eighties, however, of the last century there was some revival of -gaming-clubs, or rather places called clubs. - -A considerable number of these, started merely for the purposes of -play, sprang up in the West End; and the proprietors in many cases -realised large sums by cashing the cheques of players, a certain -percentage being deducted from the amount of the sum, which was not -infrequently handed over in counters. A clever proprietor would, of -course, know how much any particular client was good for, and take care -to run few risks. Where play was high and the members rich a plentiful -harvest was reaped. - -The most fashionable Club of this sort was the Park Club, Park Place, -St James's, where, in 1884, there was a good deal of high play at -baccarat. The existence of what was virtually a gaming-club aroused -much comment, and, the matter reaching the ears of the authorities, it -was not long before action was taken. - -As considerable misapprehension exists as to how the English law views -gaming, some account of the proceedings which followed may not be out -of place. - -On the 17th of January 1884, Mr. St John Wontner attended at Bow -Street on behalf of Mr. Howard Vincent, the Director of the Criminal -Investigation Department, to apply for process against the Park Club, -Park Place, St. James's, under the provisions of the Gaming Acts. - -Mr. Wontner, referring to the section of the Act under which it was -proposed to proceed, said that the summons was applied for against the -proprietor, the secretary, the committee, and various members of this -Club, for keeping the premises as a common gambling-house, where they -habitually allowed baccarat to be played. - -Attention was called to the comments of the Press on gambling, and -it was said that various complaints had been made to the police, in -consequence of which an inspector was instructed to intimate to the -proprietors of various Clubs that the practice of playing games of -chance was illegal, and proceedings would be taken were it to be -continued. - -Play had been suspended at various Clubs, but in the ease of this -particular Club, Messrs. Lewis & Lewis, Solicitors, of Ely Place, -had communicated with the authorities to the effect that it was the -intention of those concerned to test the question, and expressed -willingness to answer any proceedings that might be instituted. - -On the 1st of February 1884, at Bow Street, before Sir J. Ingham, Jenks -(proprietor), Dalton (secretary), and certain members of this Club and -its committee appeared to a summons charging them with a contravention -of the Gaming Act. - -Mr. St. John Wontner prosecuted, Mr. Charles Russell, afterwards Lord -Russell of Killowen, and Mr. Poland, instructed by Mr. George Lewis, -defended. - -The charge against the defendants was that they were concerned in -keeping a common gaming-house, and permitting a game of chance to -be played called "baccarat." For the prosecution Mr. Wontner quoted -some rules of the game. He said that the regulation bank at this Club -was fixed at £50, an open bank at £1000. As a rule, the banks varied -from £25 to £300, but were often larger. Mr. Wontner quoted a printed -description of the game of baccarat, and submitted that it was purely -a game of chance of a dangerous character, at which excessive gambling -took place. Playing cards for amusement was not prohibited, but it was -contended that excessive gambling was punishable by law. - -Sir J. Ingham inquired as to the definition of the word "excessive." -Mr. Wontner submitted that the Legislature had defined excessive -gambling as criminal, while moderate gaming was not. So the proprietor -of a place where excessive gaming was allowed, and who received -the profits, was guilty of the offence at common law of keeping a -gaming-house, and habitual users of the house were also liable. - -An ordinary Club-house, where the profits went to the members, would be -equally a gaming-house if excessive and habitual play were allowed. - -Mr. Wontner quoted several decisions, and referred to various Acts -dealing with gaming, dating from the reign of Henry VIII., when all -games except archery were declared illegal. A subsequent Act repealed -that Act, as far as games of skill went, but the old enactment still -held as to games, and he contended that whether unlawful gaming went -on in a house, the proprietor of which admitted members on payment of -subscription, or whether it took place in an ordinary Club, the offence -was just the same. - -Inspector Swansen, of Scotland Yard, had had interviews with Jenks as -to particulars respecting the Club. Jenks told him the Club was open -in 1882, and he had bought the lease of the premises. He explained the -game of baccarat. After two o'clock the banks were put up to auction. -Each bank paid one per cent, and each player five shillings for -card-money up to 2 A.M. After that time, five shillings until 5 A.M., -when £1 an hour was charged, in order to make the game prohibitory. -The profits so derived went to the proprietor. One per cent was also -charged for cashing cheques. The rules of the Club prohibited the -introduction of any stranger to the card-room. The profits realised -were from the subscriptions and the card-money. The kitchen had been -a loss, and wine and cigars were sold at cost price. On a subsequent -occasion, Mr. Jenks told witness that members' cheques were cashed, -and one per cent was charged as an insurance against bad cheques. He -stated that he did not cash cheques beyond a reasonable amount, which -he estimated at £300. In cross-examination by Mr. Russell, witness -admitted that Jenks had given all information freely. The Club, of -which he was the proprietor, consisted of from 200 to 300 members, -comprising gentlemen well-known in society. - -The night steward of the Park Club was called, and gave evidence as -to the play in the card-room. Baccarat was not played there until -Mr. Jenks took possession of the Club. Play began about 4.30 in the -afternoon, and a break would be made about half-past seven for dinner, -after which play was resumed and kept up till two, three, four, and -sometimes eight o'clock in the morning. The average bank would be about -£100. - -After further evidence had been taken, and speeches made for and -against the defendants, Sir James Ingham, in giving his decision on -the summons, said that Jenks was substantially charged with keeping a -house for unlawful gaming, and the other gentlemen were substantially -charged with aiding and assisting him in doing so. The first question -to determine was why and for what purpose Jenks kept this house open. -Was it an ordinary Club at which gambling was casually introduced, or -was it substantially a gaming-house? The question could be answered -by the evidence, as the profits arising from the wines, spirits, and -tobacco were admitted to be trifling, while the profits from food -were absolutely nothing, the kitchen being carried on at a loss. -The subscriptions received from 250 members at six guineas per year -produced annually £1711, which was subjected to very large deductions -for rent, taxes, etc. It must be clear to everybody that as a Club -for social purposes, the business would not be worth the care and -attention which it would require. What was the case with respect to -gambling? Jenks received one per cent upon all banks, and contributions -from all players who stayed after certain hours. Without going into -particulars he calculated on consideration of the number of games that -would be played ordinarily in the course of an evening, that Jenks must -realise from £45 to £50 per night, and that his annual profits must be -£10,000 to £12,000, or perhaps many thousands more. Therefore, no one -could doubt that the house had been kept and used for the purpose of -gambling, for its character as a social Club was absolutely ancillary -to its business as a gambling-house. The statute, however, required -that there should not only be gambling, but gambling at an unlawful -game, and the main question was whether the game of baccarat was an -unlawful game. It must be admitted that although a great many games -had been prohibited by the Legislature, baccarat had not, and whether -it was unlawful or not, must depend on other considerations. Baccarat -appeared to be a game of chance, tempered by a certain amount of skill -and judgment. Many games of mixed chance and skill might be innocently -played. It was important to glance at the state of the old law. Sir J. -Ingham then quoted from Baker's abridgment on the subject of gaming for -recreation and common gaming-houses, "which promote cheating and other -corrupt practices, and incite to idleness and avariciousness persons -whose time might otherwise be employed to the general good of the -community." - -The principle to be extracted was that gaming productive of the above -evils ought to be considered unlawful, and he (Sir James) considered -that the game of baccarat was not "a game played for recreation, -whereby a person is fitted for the ordinary duties of life." A great -deal had been said upon the subject of large and excessive gambling, -and the argument had been advanced that games which would be large and -risky and excessive for a man who was in the position of a shop-keeper, -would be nothing, trifles infinitesimal, in the eyes of a man of large -property. Granted that was so, still there might be cases in which the -law could be easily applied, and he thought this was one. Referring -to the rules of the Park Club, which was to consist of noblemen, -members of the learned professions, officers of the Army and Navy, and -gentlemen, Sir James observed that a man at the game in question might -lose, with consistent bad luck, £1000 before dinner, and a considerable -sum in addition afterwards. Would there be any difficulty in saying -that that was large and excessive gambling in the case of members of -the learned professions, clergymen, bishops, great leading counsel -of the day, or even judges with the largest salaries, physicians, -and so forth? Gaming such as had been proved to exist would be large -and excessive for any of those classes of men, and still more so for -officers of the Army and Navy. He had no hesitation in saying, with -reference to the gentlemen composing the Club at Mr. Jenks's house, -that gaming had been large and excessive, and that it came within the -principle of the law laid down by Chief Justice Abbot in the case of -"King _v._ Rosier." But he considered the case did not stop there, and -proceeded to refer at great length to the Act of Queen Anne, limiting -gambling. - -In conclusion, the learned Magistrate held that all the parties, with -the exception of Mr. Dalton (secretary), had been guilty of gaming. He -fined Mr. Jenks £500, the members of the committee £500, and each of -the players £100. - -Notice of appeal was given. - -The appeal was brought on May 26 and 27, and in giving judgment, Sir -Henry Hawkins (afterwards Lord Brampton), after saying that the facts -were undisputed--there was no profit except on the gaming, though from -the admirable printed rules one might well conclude that the Club was -a sociable Club, where a gentleman might dine and have his rubber -at whist, whilst not on any account allowed to gamble. The rules in -question were, however, nightly disregarded, and looking at the nightly -doings, it was impossible for any man in his senses to doubt that the -house was really opened and kept for the purpose of gaming at the game -of baccarat as its main and principal object. - -He now had to consider the illegality of the gaming and not merely the -illegality of the game--the common law did not prohibit the playing at -cards and dice, which were not unlawful games, but the keeping of a -common gaming-house was at common law an indictable offence. - -Sir Henry Hawkins, after some comments on what constituted a -gaming-house, went on to say that in his judgment it was not necessary -for a gaming-house to be a public nuisance, which the Park Club was -not:--a common gaming-house being itself a nuisance, though the gaming -there was limited to the subscribers and members of the Club. The -keeper of such a house could always admit or exclude whom he chose, and -the committee elected whom they pleased, provided the list of members -did not exceed 500. It might be 5000 and yet still not be a public, but -a common gaming-house. - -As to unlawful games--no games had been in so many words declared by -name unlawful, though the Legislature intended to cover some games -which, being lawful in themselves, were only unlawful when played in -particular places or by particular persons. The Act of 1845 enacted -that a house is proved to be a common gaming-house which is kept for -playing any unlawful games and a bank is kept by one or more of the -players, exclusively of the others, or where the chances of any game -played are not alike favourable to all the players. - -He divided unlawful games into two classes: - -First, those absolutely forbidden by name, to the gaming at which a -penalty is attached. This class included "ace of hearts," "pharaoh or -faro," "basset," and "hazard," and any other game with a die or dice -except backgammon. - -Second, a number of games not altogether prohibited under penal -consequences, nor declared to be altogether illegal, but which, -nevertheless, have been declared unlawful by the Legislature, because -the keeping of houses for playing them, and the play in them therein by -anybody, were rendered illegal. - -The unlawful games of the Acts of Henry VIII. were "bowls," "quoits," -"dicing," "tennis," and "carding," most of which would seem to have -been games of mere skill. The Acts in question were all repealed by 8 -and 9 Vic. - -The present unlawful games, then, were "ace of hearts," "faro," -"basset," "hazard," "passage," "roulette," and every game of dice -except backgammon, and every game of cards which was not a game of -"mere skill." He was inclined to add any other game of "mere chance." - -The question was, did "baccarat" come within this category?--the -description of the game given by Mr. Russell satisfied him that it did. - -Baccarat was a game of cards--a game of chance--and though, as in most -other things, experience and judgment might make one player or banker -more successful than another, it would be a perversion of words to say -it was in any sense a game of mere skill. It was, therefore, in his -opinion an unlawful game within the meaning of the statute. - -It was said that it was a modern game--assuming it to be so, it was -just what the Legislature intended to include in the phraseology of one -unrepealed section of the law of Henry VIII., which mentioned "any new -unlawful game hereafter to be invented." - -With regard to excessive gaming since the repeal of the statutes of -Anne and George II., he did not think excessive gaming at any game -would in itself render the game unlawful, for excessive gaming _per se_ -was not any longer a legal offence. Nevertheless, though excessive -gaming was no longer _per se_ unlawful, the fact that it was habitually -carried on in a house kept for the purpose of gaming was a cogent piece -of evidence to be offered to a jury or other tribunal called on to -determine whether a house was a common gaming-house so as to make the -keeper of it liable to be indicted for a nuisance at common law. - -Seeing that Mr. Jenks was the occupier and kept the house open for -the purpose of gaming, at, amongst other games, baccarat, an unlawful -game within the meaning of the Statute, he was of opinion that he was -properly convicted. - -As to the four members of the committee, the only question was whether -these appellants had the care or management of the house--he thought -they had--they could not but have been cognisant of the rules and of -the true character of the Club. The second rule of the Club placed its -internal management in their hands--he thought there was abundance of -evidence to warrant their conviction. - -As to the three players, he found no evidence that they did more than -play at baccarat in the house, by which it might be that they somewhat -enhanced the profits, but they took no part in the management. Adding -to the profits was not a legal offence, as assistance in conducting the -establishment was--the conviction with respect to the three players -ought to be quashed. - -Mr. Justice Smith followed, and his summing up entirely coincided with -that of Sir Henry Hawkins. This lucid judgment is of considerable -interest as affecting games played in English Clubs, and did much to -clear up all ambiguity as to how far a Club might allow gambling. It -put an end to all open baccarat, though the game was shortly afterwards -played for a time at "The Field Club," near St. James's Street, an -establishment which much resembled the defunct Park Club in its -diversions, members, and methods, but the police soon interfered, and -with its demise Club gambling at games of chance has become a thing of -the past, except in the low dens of Soho, where faro intermittently -calls for the intervention of the authorities. Police raids upon bogus -Clubs mainly frequented by foreigners of a low class are often reported -in the newspapers. - -As regards respectable Clubs, a certain amount of bridge, usually for -very moderate stakes, is indulged in, but gambling for high stakes is -strongly discountenanced. Members inclined to indulge any tendencies -in this direction generally do so elsewhere than in a Club. From time -to time small Clubs in which there is some high play have sprung up -and had a brief existence. When bridge first began to capture London, -a bridge Club was started in the West End where very high stakes were -the rule. It lasted but a short time, owing chiefly to the fact that a -young and not very astute member lost a very large sum, which created -considerable scandal and broke up the Club. - -High bridge is now played in London mostly by wealthy people, well -able to take care of themselves. The outcry raised some time ago about -young girls being compelled to join in playing for large stakes is not -based upon any solid foundation of truth, for as a rule high players -are not fond of running the chance of drawing a novice as a partner. A -bad player spoils the game. - -Though there is practically no gambling in West-End Clubs, a good deal -of baccarat and poker is occasionally played in private houses, ladies -being not infrequently amongst the players, and here gaming assumes -its most undesirable form. Temper as well as money is generally lost, -whilst the winners are exposed to a by no means remote probability of -never being paid. Private gambling is especially dangerous to young -men, and without doubt a thousand times more harm is done by play of -this sort than by all the properly conducted public tables in the -world. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 5: The love of money compels.] - - - - -V - - Talleyrand whilst at cards announces the death of the Duc - d'Enghien--"The curse of Scotland"--Wilberforce at faro--Successful - gamblers--The Rev. Caleb Colton--Colonel Panton--Dennis - O'Kelly--Richard Rigby--Anecdotes--Strange incidents at - play--Aged gamesters--A duel with death--General Wade and the - poor officer--Anecdote of a caprice of Fortune--Stock Exchange - speculation--A man who profited by tips. - - -The history of card-playing is connected with many dramatic incidents. -If the story be true, one of the most striking of these was when -Talleyrand, who had been playing very late at "_la bouillotte_" with -the Duchesse de Luynes, suddenly laid down his cards, and in his cold, -impassive voice asked, "Has the Prince de Condé any other grandchildren -than the Duc d'Enghien?" Receiving an answer in the negative he calmly -said, "Then the house of Condé has come to an end." - -At that very moment the ill-fated Duc was being led out to be shot at -the château of Vincennes. - -A grim historical interest is also generally supposed to be connected -with the nine of diamonds, which is known as "the curse of Scotland," -the reason assigned being that the Duke of Cumberland wrote his -sanguinary orders on the back of such a card in 1746. Notwithstanding -this popular tradition, the nine of diamonds had been known as "the -curse of Scotland" as far back as thirty years before Culloden--perhaps -because a somewhat similar design formed the arms of Colonel Packer, -who was on the scaffold when Charles I. was executed. Another reason -given is that there were nine lozenges resembling diamonds in the arms -of the Earl of Stair who made the Union. - -Cards have at times attracted the most saintly persons. The first time -the philanthropic Wilberforce was at Brooks's he joined in playing -faro--according to his own account--from mere shyness. A friend of -his, very much surprised, called out to him, "What, Wilberforce, is -that you?" George Selwyn, who was keeping the bank, resented the -interference, and said in his most expressive tones, "Oh, sir, don't -interrupt Mr. Wilberforce, he could not be better employed." - -Oddly enough, one of the most remarkable instances of a really -successful gambler was an English clergyman, the Reverend Caleb Colton. -A man of considerable learning, he was originally a fellow of King's -College, Cambridge, and curate of Tiverton. In 1812 he created some -slight stir with two poems entitled "Hypocrisy" and "Napoleon." His -literary reputation was further enhanced in 1818, when the author -had become Vicar of Kew, by the publication of a volume of maxims -called _Lacon: or Many Things in Few Words_. This work, however, -was not absolutely original, being in a great measure founded upon -Lord Bacon's _Essays_, Burdon's _Materials for Thinking_, and the -well-known aphorisms of La Rochefoucauld. - -[Illustration: LA BOUILLOTTE. - -From a scarce print after Bosio.] - -About this time Mr. Colton began to speculate, and, having dabbled -rather recklessly in Spanish bonds, his affairs became involved. This -frightened the reverend gentleman, and, though there appears to have -been no pressing reason for taking such a step, he absconded. - -His affairs were subsequently put in order, after which Mr. Colton for -a time betook himself to America, eventually returning to Europe and -settling down in Paris. Here he took up his abode in the Palais Royal, -at that time the head-quarters of dissipation and amusement--surely the -queerest spot ever selected by an English clergyman for his abode. - -Colton now began to make an exhaustive study of the intricacies and -mysteries of the gaming-table, every facility for putting theory into -practice being at his very door. Unlike most searchers after infallible -methods of winning, he was completely successful, and in the course -of a year or two won over £25,000 by some method of staking, of which -no reliable record seems to exist. More wonderful still, the Reverend -Caleb kept his winnings, part of which he devoted to the purchase of -pictures. He was a cultivated man, and published an ode, which was -privately circulated, on the death of Lord Byron. - -The end of Mr. Colton was a tragic one, for in 1832 he blew out his -brains at the house of a friend living at Fontainebleau. The act in -question was, of course, attributed to the effect of gambling losses. A -thrilling story was told which described how the unfortunate clergyman, -after ruinous losses at Frascati's, had blown his brains out in the -forest of St. Germain, and, as always follows in such cases, an outcry -arose, demanding the suppression of the tables in the Palais Royal -and at Frascati's. Gambling, however, was in no way responsible for -Colton's end, the real cause of his suicide having been a disease -necessitating a painful operation, to which the successful gambler -preferred death. - -A very fortunate gamester was Colonel Panton, who in the early part -of the eighteenth century suddenly realised a considerable fortune by -keeping a gaming-house in Piccadilly. Though by nature a confirmed -gambler he then exhibited extraordinary common sense, and, having -invested his winnings in house property and land, entirely abandoned -the card-table and the dice-box. His name is still preserved in Panton -Street, Haymarket. - -Another sporting character who amassed a large fortune by gambling -and the Turf was Colonel Dennis O'Kelly,[6] the owner of the famous -race-horse Eclipse. - -The rank of Colonel which this Irishman was entitled to assume was -procured by him in a characteristically curious way. In 1760, when -the county of Middlesex was very backward in raising sufficient men -for its militia, a well-known Scotch adventurer, MacGregor by name, -whose family had suffered a good deal for the Stuarts in 1745, seeing -a good opportunity of making some money, set about raising a regiment -in Westminster which the Government promised to recognise as soon -as three-fourths of the commissions should be filled up. He found, -however, difficulty in obtaining officers and had to ransack the town -and hold out commissions to all sorts of people, amongst whom was -O'Kelly, who became an ensign, in due course of time rising to be -Lieutenant-Colonel. O'Kelly, though totally ignorant of discipline, is -said to have presented the most soldierly appearance of any officer in -the regiment. This was not saying much, for the third captain was a -tea-dealer, the fourth a tailor, and the fifth a boatswain's mate who -had bought an ale-house with prize-money and could just sign his name. -The most junior officer was a crippled creature of foreign extraction. - -When O'Kelly became a major, he is described as having put his regiment -through certain military evolutions to the entire satisfaction of the -King and his staff, whilst his Lieutenant-Colonelcy was celebrated by a -splendid entertainment which many of the aristocracy of Leicestershire -attended. O'Kelly was sometimes known as Count O'Kelly, a title which -was supposed to have been conferred upon him by his fellow-prisoners -during a sojourn in the "Fleet" when he was a young man. Here he met -Catherine Hayes, who lived as his faithful companion through life. -Though she was never married to him, her position was more or less -recognised, and O'Kelly left her an annuity which she continued to -enjoy till she died, in the second decade of the nineteenth century, at -the age of eighty-five. - -Among many racing successes O'Kelly won the Derby twice--in 1781 with -Young Eclipse by Eclipse, and three years later again with Sergeant by -Eclipse out of Aspasia. - -His racing colours were scarlet and black cap. - -Whilst there is no doubt but that O'Kelly was very lucky in much that -he undertook, his originality and penetration were largely responsible -for a success which, however, never gained him admission into -fashionable circles. - -Though a hospitable man of a certain genial humour, O'Kelly was not -very open-handed to dependents. In spite of his affluence he was -even mean enough to keep jockeys of the poorer class out of their -money, season after season, being sometimes even sued by them in -the law courts, and personally dunned on the race-course stands. In -such a place, on one disgraceful occasion, an old sportsman made -the Captain look extremely small by apostrophising him as a mean, -low-lived, waiter-bred skunk. In spite of these failings O'Kelly -achieved a certain popularity by the good dinners and excellent wines -which he provided at his house at Epsom, his dry and truly Irish -facetiousness affording the highest zest to those entertainments. At -his country house he would never allow any betting or gambling. A -constant subject of jest amongst his familiars was the tone in which -at dinner he used to say, "John, bring the aaples," meaning the pines, -and the whimsicality with which he would apostrophise his servant on -certain occasions. The latter having announced the non-arrival of -fish, "Begorra," said his master, "and if you can't get any fish, -bring herrings." O'Kelly was a gentlemanly and even graceful man -in behaviour, a strong contrast to his bear-like figure, dark and -saturnine visage, with the accompaniment of his rough striped coat and -old round hat. A quite peaceable man, though a true-bred Milesian, -O'Kelly never had the smallest appetite for fighting with any weapon -whatever. He was a great contrast in this respect to the bullying -Dick England, with whom he once became involved in a law-suit. He -was ambitious of honour and distinction, a proof of which was his -successful pretension to military rank. In the darling object of his -life, however, capricious fortune left him in the lurch; the Jockey -Club, whose action in this matter was generally approved, steadily -refusing to admit among them a parvenu, not, perhaps, of unequivocal -character. This O'Kelly, so much of a philosopher in other things, did -not possess philosophy enough to forgive, but, in revenge, never failed -to characterise the honourable body which refused to admit him by the -very hardest professional names which his wit and bitterness could -devise. - -Very much aggrieved at not being admitted into certain of the Clubs -at Newmarket and in London, which were frequented by aristocratic -sportsmen, he never lost an opportunity of retaliating on those whom he -deemed responsible for his exclusion. - -On one occasion, when making an arrangement to retain the services of -a certain jockey, he told him he had no objection to his riding for -any other person provided he had no horse running in the same race; -adding, however, that he would be prepared to double his terms provided -he would enter into an arrangement and bind himself under a penalty -never to ride for any of the black-legged fraternity. The consenting -jockey saying that he did not quite understand who the Captain meant -by the black-legged fraternity, the latter instantly replied with his -usual energy, "Oh, by ---, my dear, and I'll soon make you understand -who I mean by the black-legged fraternity:--there's the Duke of G., the -Duke of D., Lord A., Lord D., Lord G., Lord C., Lord F., the Right Hon. -A.B.C.D., and C.I.F., and all the set of thaves that belong to their -humbug societies and bug-a-boo Clubs, where they can meet and rob one -another without detection." - -This curious definition of the black-legged fraternity is a -sufficiently clear demonstration of how severely O'Kelly felt himself -affected by his rejection. He made a point of embracing every -opportunity of saying anything to excite the irascibility of the -sporting aristocracy, whilst shirking no difficulty or expense to -obtain that pre-eminence upon the Turf which he eventually enjoyed. -Dining at the stewards' ordinary at Burford races, in the year 1775, -Lord Robert Spencer in the chair, Lord Abingdon and many other noblemen -being present, matches and sweepstakes as usual, after dinner, were -proposed and entered into for the following year--amongst the rest, -one between Lord A. and Mr. Baily, of Rambridge, in Hampshire, for 300 -gs. h. ft., when the Captain was once or twice appealed to by Mr. B. -in adjusting the terms, and Lord A. happened to exclaim that he and -the gentleman on his side the table ran for honour, the Captain and -his friends for profit. The match was at length agreed upon in terms -not conformable to the Captain's opinion, and consequently, when he -was applied to by B. to stand half, he vociferously replied, "No, but -if the match had been made cross and jostle, as I proposed, I would -have not only stood all the money, but have brought a spalpeen from -Newmarket, no higher than a twopenny loaf, that should (by ---!) have -driven his Lordship's horse and jockey into the furzes, and have kept -him there for three weeks." - -His support of and attachment to Ascot was strikingly conspicuous. -During the races there he ran a horse each day for years, whilst his -presence and his pocket enlivened the hazard-table at night. - -Here it was that, seeing him turning over a quire of bank-notes, a -gentleman asked him what he was in want of, when he replied he was -looking for a little one. The inquirer said he could accommodate him, -and desired to know for what sum. Upon which he answered, a "fifty, or -something of that sort, just to set the caster." At this time it was -supposed he had seven or eight thousand pounds in his hand, but not -a note for less than a hundred. He always threw with great success, -and when he held the box, was seldom known to refuse throwing for any -sum that the company chose to set him; and when "out" was always as -liberal in setting the caster, and preventing a stagnation of trade -at the table. On the other hand, his large capital and good luck not -infrequently captured the last guinea of the bank. - -It was O'Kelly's usual custom to carry a great number of bank-notes -in his waistcoat pocket, wisped up together with the greatest -indifference. Playing at a hazard-table at Windsor during the races, as -a standing better (every chair being full), a strange hand was observed -by those on the opposite side of the table, furtively drawing two notes -out of his pocket. The alarm was given, and the hand as instantaneously -withdrawn, the notes being left more than half out of the pocket. The -company were eager for the offender to be taken before a magistrate, -and many attempted to secure him for that purpose, but the Captain -very philosophically seizing the thief by the collar, merely kicked -him downstairs with the exultant exclamation that "'twas a sufficient -punishment to be deprived of the pleasure of keeping company with -jontlemen." - -On one occasion, when at Newmarket, O'Kelly offered to bet a -considerable sum with a gentleman who knew nothing about the -redoubtable Irishman. The stranger, half suspecting that the challenge -came from one of the black-legged fraternity, begged to know what -security he would give for so large a sum, if he should lose, and -where his estates lay. "O! Begorra, my dear creature, I have the map -of them about me, and here it is, sure enough," said O'Kelly, pulling -out a pocket-book, and giving unequivocal proofs of his property, by -producing bank-notes far exceeding in value the amount of the wager. - -Besides having been owner of the equine wonder Eclipse, old O'Kelly -was in his last years the possessor of a wonderful parrot said to have -been purchased at Bristol, where it had been bred--the only parrot of -this kind ever born in England. This extraordinary bird died at a great -age in the early years of the nineteenth century. It was of moderate -size, chiefly green in colour, with some grey and red, and spoke with a -clear and distinct articulation, and with so little inferiority to the -female human voice divine, that when its tones were heard outside in -the street, people would dispute as to whether the voice was that of a -woman or a parrot. - -After O'Kelly's death it became the property of his nephew and heir, -Colonel Andrew O'Kelly, who lived in Half-Moon Street, which quiet -thoroughfare was very much enlivened by the performances of the parrot -at a window. When pressed to sing by passers-by, lively Poll would -swear and laugh at them, all the time spreading and fluttering its -wings in triumph. The bird's favours were divided between an old lady -and the Colonel, with both of whom it would converse on a variety of -topics. When the latter was returning home. Poll, if at the window, -would espy him across the street, upon which it would instantly clap -its wings, and set up an impatient squalling--"The Colonel! the -Colonel is coming! open the door!" If in a bad mood and asked to talk, -Poll would sometimes reply sullenly, "I'll see you damn'd first!" At -times, especially if not near the window, with the sash up below its -cage--which was the bird's favourite place--being asked, "How d'ye do -to-day, Poll?" the parrot would curtly answer, "Why, I don't know," -"Middling," or "What's that to you?" - -Colonel O'Kelly was very proud of his bird and had regular "parrot -concerts," on which occasions Half-Moon Street was filled with -carriages and an admiring crowd, to such a degree as to be scarcely -passable. Although solicited by many distinguished people, the Colonel -did not permit his parrot to leave his home and pay visits. So great -became the parrot's renown that his owner was once offered a very large -sum, by a well-known caterer of amusements, to allow Poll to appear in -public, the bird's life to be heavily insured. - -Colonel O'Kelly, it should be added, had profited by the good English -and French education which his uncle had bestowed upon him. He was -Lieutenant-Colonel in the Middlesex Militia, and pursued the Turf with -some spirit. - -Another gambler who achieved prosperity was Mr. Richard Rigby, who rose -to affluence owing to an incident on a race-course. - -Having at an early age inherited a comfortable fortune, young Mr. Rigby -proceeded to squander it whilst yet incapable of appreciating the value -of money. Gaming, racing, and other forms of getting into difficulties -occupied his time, with the result that most of his inheritance soon -passed into the hands of lawyers and money-lenders. He would probably -have sunk into a state of abject destitution had not the Turf, which -had so largely contributed to diminish his fortune, also been the means -of restoring him to opulence. - -The Duke of Bedford of that day had given great offence to the -gentlemen in the neighbourhood of Litchfield, by an improper and unfair -interference at their races; and as at the end of the eighteenth -century it was by no means safe or easy effectually to punish a man -fortified by rank, privilege, and wealth, they at last determined to -bestow on this illustrious offender manual correction. The overbearing -conduct of the Duke in some matter relating to the starting of their -horses, and their weights, in which he had no kind of right to -interfere, soon afforded the confederates an opportunity of executing -their purpose. He was in one moment separated from his attendants, -surrounded by the party, hustled and unmercifully horsewhipped by an -exasperated country attorney, with a keen sense of his wrongs and a -muscular arm. The lawyer persevered in this severe discipline without -being interrupted by his Grace's outcries and repeated declarations -that he was the Duke of Bedford, an assertion which Mr. Humphries, the -assailant, positively denied, adding that a peer of the realm would -never have conducted himself in so scandalous a manner. The matter -soon circulated over the course, and reaching Mr. Rigby's ear, the -latter with a generous, if perhaps calculated gallantry, burst through -the crowd, rescued the distressed noble, completely thrashed his -antagonist, and conveyed the Duke to a place of safety. - -The result of this affair was most fortunate for the spendthrift, who, -as a consequence, eventually amassed a huge fortune. - -The Russell family were very grateful for the singular service which -Mr. Rigby had rendered to the Duke, whose rescuer was loaded with -favours. These eventually culminated in his obtaining the most -lucrative office in the gift of the Crown, that of Paymaster-General; -the emoluments arising from which, during the American War, amounted -annually to £50,000. - -In 1782, on Lord North's retirement, Mr. Rigby lost his post, and -was also called upon to refund a large sum declared to be public -money which should have been accounted for. Under these circumstances -Rigby applied to Thomas Rumbold, who, originally a waiter at White's, -had risen to be Governor of Madras. Whilst fulfilling his duties in -St. James's Street, the latter had often advanced Rigby, who was a -desperate punter, small sums, and on this occasion his services were -once more sought. The ex-waiter had returned to England with immense -wealth, procured, it was declared, by very doubtful means. Public -indignation having been aroused, a bill to strip the Anglo-Indian of -his ill-gotten gains had been introduced in the House of Commons. - -Under these circumstances an arrangement was effected, which settled -his own difficulties and at the same time saved the fortune of his old -friend from White's. - -The latter advanced Rigby a large sum, which enabled him to adjust -matters regarding the missing money, whilst the bill of confiscation -was dropped, its introducer being an intimate friend of the former -Paymaster. - -Rigby's nephew and heir soon after married Rumbold's daughter, so all -ended happily owing, as it was said, to Rigby's former devotion to -hazard. - -Mr. Rigby appears to have been a generous man, as the following -anecdote shows. Being one evening at a hazard-table in Dublin he was -very successful; and having won a considerable sum, he was putting it -in his purse when a person behind said in a low voice to himself, "Had -I that sum, what a happy man should I be!" Mr. Rigby, without looking -back, put the purse over his shoulder, saying, "Take it, my friend, and -be happy." The stranger made no reply, but accepted it, and retired. -Every one present was astonished at Mr. Rigby's uncommon beneficence, -whilst he derived additional pleasure from being informed that the -person who had received the benefit was a half-pay officer in great -distress. Some years after, a gentleman waited upon him in his own -equipage, and being introduced to Mr. Rigby, acquainted him that he -came to acquit a debt that he had contracted with him in Dublin. Mr. -Rigby was greatly surprised at this declaration, as he was an entire -stranger. "Yes, sir," continued the visitor, "you assisted me with -above a hundred pounds at a time that I was in the utmost indigence, -without knowing or even seeing me"; and then related the affair at the -gaming-table. "With that money," continued the stranger, "I was enabled -to pay some debts and fit myself out for India, where I have been so -fortunate as to make an ample fortune." Mr. Rigby declined to take -the money, but, through the pressing solicitations of the gentleman, -accepted a valuable diamond ring. - -The strange incidents which arose at the old hazard-tables, frequented -as they were by all sorts and conditions of men, often produced strange -changes in men's lives. - -General Wade had so great a propensity to gaming, that he frequented -places of every description where play was going forward, without -considering the low company he met there. At one of these places, one -night, in the eagerness of his diversion, he pulled out an exceedingly -valuable gold snuff-box, richly set with diamonds, took a pinch, and -passed it round, keeping the dice-box four or five mains before he -was "out," when recollecting something of the circumstances, and not -perceiving the snuff-box, he swore vehemently no man should stir till -it was produced, and a general search should ensue. On his right sat a -person dressed as an officer, very shabby, who from time to time, with -great humility, had begged the honour of going a shilling with him, and -had by that means picked up four or five; on him the suspicion fell, -and it was proposed to search him first. Begging leave to be heard, he -said, "I know the General well; not he, nor all the powers upon earth, -shall subject me to a search while I have life to oppose it. I declare, -on the honour of a soldier, I know nothing of the snuff-box, and hope -that will satisfy all suspicions: follow me into the next room, where I -will defend that honour, or perish!" The eyes of all were now turned -on the General for an answer, who, clapping his hand eagerly down for -his sword, felt the snuff-box (supposed to have been lost, and put -there from habit) in a secret side-pocket of his breeches, made for -that purpose. The injustice of his suspicions greatly affected the -General, who naturally felt a good deal of compassion for his poor -fellow-soldier. Overcome with remorse, he at once left the room, having -said, "Sir, I here, with great reason, ask your pardon, and I hope to -find it granted by your breakfasting with me, and hereafter ranking -me among your friends." As may be easily supposed the invitation -was complied with, and when, after some conversation, the General -conjured the officer to say what could be the true reason that he -should object to being searched: "Why, General," was the answer, "being -upon half-pay, and friendless, I am obliged to husband every penny; -I had that day very little appetite, and as I could not eat what I -had paid for, nor afford to lose it, the leg and wing of a fowl were -then wrapped up in a piece of paper in my pocket; the thought of which -coming to light, appeared ten times more terrible than fighting every -one in the room." "Enough! my dear boy, you have said enough! Let us -dine together to-morrow; we must prevent your being subjected again to -such a dilemma." They met the next day, and the General then gave him a -captain's commission, together with a purse of guineas to enable him to -join his regiment. - -Whilst fortune as a rule seems to delight in favouring novices at -play, and is somewhat pitiless to those who have wooed her for years, -there have been certain old gamblers who, by making a study of some -particular game, have attained to such perfection in playing it as -seldom to lose. With some of these play endures as a dominant passion -after almost all the other faculties have become impaired. - -Not very many years ago a well-known figure in a certain Parisian Club, -existing mainly for the purposes of play, was an old gentleman who, -paralysed below the waist, was most afternoons carried upstairs in an -invalid chair, placed in a fauteuil, and propped up with cushions in -order that he might hold a bank at his favourite écarté, a game at -which he was an expert of the highest kind. - -Up to within a day or two of his death he continued to indulge in a -game which was practically his only link with the living world, his -faculties, though usually somewhat clouded, recovering all their old -vitality as far as concerned the purposes of the card-table. - -A case of much the same sort was described by Brillat Savarin, who, -in the country where he resided, knew an old guardsman who had served -under Louis XV. and Louis XVI. - -This aged individual, rather below than above the average of ordinary -men in general intelligence, possessed an extraordinary aptitude for -games--an expert at all the old ones, he would master any novelty in -this line after having played it once or twice. - -With the advent of old age he had become paralysed--two faculties -alone remaining unimpaired--that of digestion and that of play. Every -day for twenty years he had been in the habit of frequenting a house -where he was made welcome. Here he would sit in a semi-comatose -condition, hidden away in a corner, seemingly indifferent to anything -that was done or said. When, however, the card-table was drawn out, -he immediately revived, and having dragged himself to a seat, soon -demonstrated that his powers as a gamester were as brilliant as in the -long dead past when he was a dashing officer at Versailles. - -One day there came down into this part of France a Parisian banker who -was soon discovered to be a passionate votary of piquet, a game which -he declared himself ready to play with any one for very large stakes. -A council of war was held, and eventually it was decided that the old -guardsman should champion country against town, a war fund being raised -by general subscription, winnings or losings to be allocated according -to the size of the different shares. - -When the banker sat down to the card-table to find himself confronted -by a grim, gaunt, twisted figure, he at first believed himself the -victim of a joke, but when he saw this spectre take the cards, shuffle -and deal with the air of a professor, he began to divine that no -unworthy antagonist was pitted against him. This conclusion was -before long considerably strengthened, for the unfortunate Parisian -was outmatched in play to such an extent that he eventually retired -the loser of a very substantial sum. Before setting out for his return -journey to Paris, the banker in question, whilst thanking all he had -met for their hospitality, declared that there was only one thing he -had to deplore, which was having been so bold as to pit himself against -a corpse at cards. - -There is an awful story told of a gambler who refused to die, and who, -when _in extremis_, had the card-table drawn up to his bedside with -strong meats and drinks, and held the cards against Death himself; but -the grim tyrant held all the trumps, and soon snatched his prey. - -Utter absorption to extraneous influences brands gamblers as with a hot -iron, and so great is the fascination which play exercises over certain -natures, that there exist people who fully believe that there is only -one thing less pleasant than winning--which is to lose. The originator -of the maxim in question was Lieutenant-Colonel Aubrey, one of the -boldest and most adventurous men that England has ever known, who lived -on into the twentieth century. - -Piquet and hazard, particularly the former, were the games in which the -Colonel was known to excel, and on which he adventured greater sums -than any man living in his time. The Duke of York, George IV., Colonel -Fitzpatrick, Alderman Combe, and other distinguished personages were -his antagonists and associates at play, and he was always considered an -"honourable" man. - -The domination exercised by gambling sometimes amounts almost to -insanity, all sense of decency and proportion being lost. This was the -case with a certain English Colonel, who was so addicted to gambling, -that having one night lost all the money he could command, determined -to stake his wife's diamond ear-rings, and going straight home, asked -her to lend them to him. She took them from her ears, saying that she -knew for what purpose he wanted them, and that he was welcome. The -jewels in question proved lucky, and the Colonel won largely, gaining -back all that he had lost that night. In the warmth of his gratitude -to his wife, he, at her desire, took an oath that he would never more -play at any game with cards or dice. Some time afterwards he was found -in a hay-yard with a friend, drawing straws out of the hay-rick, and -betting upon which should be the longest! As might be expected, he -lived in alternate extravagance and distress, sometimes surrounded -with every sort of luxury, and sometimes in dire want of half a crown. -Nevertheless, he continued gambling all his life. Bewailing a run of -ill-luck to a serious friend one day, the soldier in question said, "Is -it not astonishing how I always lose?" "That's not what surprises me," -was the reply, "so much as where you get the money to pay." As a matter -of fact too many gamblers have taken much the same point of view as -was adopted by a certain Italian gamester who, after an intolerable run -of ill-luck, apostrophised Fortune, calling her a vixenish jade. - -"Thou mayest," said he, "indeed cause me to lose millions, but I defy -thy utmost power to make me pay them." - -In certain rare instances fortune seems to delight in suddenly -showering her gifts upon some one who is not a gambler. - -A remarkable exemplification of this occurred in Australia not so -many years ago, when what was probably the biggest stake ever played -for was lost and won. A curious feature of the game having been that -neither winner nor loser knew that they were playing for anything but -an insignificant stake. - -A young Englishman, who had gone out to Australia with a slender -capital, was one day standing at the door of his hut, wondering if -fortune would ever smile upon him, when two travel-stained men, having -much the appearance of tramps, appeared and, saying that they had come -a long way, begged that they might be allowed to rest for the night. -In accordance with the traditions of Colonial hospitality, the young -man at once proceeded to do all he could to make his rough-looking -guests comfortable, and in due course sat down with them to the best -dinner which his slender resources could provide. The meal over, -pipes were lit, and conversation (always limited in remote regions), -being exhausted, one of the men pulled out of his pocket an old -greasy-looking pack of cards and proposed a game. To make a long story -short the young man, who, it must be added, was no gambler, eventually -consented to hold a small bank at écarté against his two visitors. -He stipulated, however, that when either he or his opponents should -have chanced to lose such money as they had in their pockets, the game -should come to an end. For a time fortune wavered, but a sudden run in -favour of the host swept all the modest capital of his antagonists to -his side of the table. - -A discussion now ensued, the guests being anxious to continue the game, -declaring that any losings should be promptly remitted on their arrival -at the nearest town. The Englishman, however, was obdurate. "We agreed -to play for ready money only, and ready money it shall be," said he, -"your losses after all are trifling. We are all tired and had better -turn in." - -This was not at all to the taste of the losers, who argued and -entreated, with, however, complete lack of success, when suddenly one -of them said: "Bill, where's that bit of paper we got up country, -perhaps he'll play us for that." A well-thumbed document was then -produced which appeared to be the title to some plots of land up -country. The owners did not seem to attach any great importance to it, -for after some discussion it was eventually agreed that the document, -which the host considered a very flimsy security, should be estimated -as worth something like ten pounds; the game was resumed, and luck -continuing in the same direction, the Englishman went to bed with the -slip of paper in his pocket-book. The next morning the men proceeded on -their way, having, at the request of their host, given an address so -that, should any question arise as to the title of the land, they might -be referred to. - -About a week after this the Englishman, who had forgotten all about -the slip of paper, which he had sent, with some other securities, to -the bank, was once more standing in front of his hut, when a mounted -stranger appeared, and saying that he had come a long way, begged -for a night's entertainment and lodging. The new arrival, though -roughly-dressed, was a man who, it was easy to see, enjoyed the command -of a certain amount of money. He was, he declared, anxious to purchase -plots of land for which he professed himself ready to give a liberal -price. Particularly persistent in inquiring of his host if he knew of -any claims likely to be sold, he eventually elicited from him the story -of the bit of paper, over which he seemed to be very much amused. "I -expect," said he, "that it's worth nothing at all, but I've taken a -fancy to you and I daresay you won't be sorry to take a tenner for it." -The Englishman, however, said he would rather do nothing till he had -had another look at the paper in the bank. "Besides," he added, "I've a -fancy to keep it." - -"Well," replied the stranger, "that's queer. I'm a man of fancies too, -and though you may think me a flat, I'll give you another chance--£20 -for the paper!" - -This offer and yet others of £30, £40, and at last of £50, having met -with no better success than the first, the stranger eventually dropped -the subject, and the next morning rode off, apparently very much amused -at what he called the pigheadedness of his host. - -About ten days passed and once more the same horseman appeared, this -time in a more serious mood. A veritable craving for the little bit of -paper, he said, had seized him, and as the thing was positively getting -on his mind he had ridden out to say that, to end the matter and do -his young friend a good turn, he was ready to give £200 (which he had -brought in cash) for it. - -The Englishman now began to think that the document was really -valuable, and bluntly told his visitor that no offer whatever would be -accepted. - -His estimate was correct. The bit of paper, won in the Australian hut -from two wandering miners, eventually gave its possessor a fortune of -something not very far short of a million pounds, for, owing to the -title which it conveyed, he became the largest shareholder in one of -the richest mines in all Australia. The lucky winner is alive to-day, -and makes no secret of the origin of his wealth, which came to him as -if by the stroke of some magic wand. It is only fair to say that in due -course he provided handsomely for the two miners who had played with -him what was almost certainly the highest game of écarté on record. - -The would-be purchaser, it afterwards appeared, was a speculator in -mines, who, having by some means or other learnt the value of the piece -of paper, had traced it with the intention of thus acquiring a highly -valuable property. - -The modern English view of gambling is a sadly confused one, the -card-table and the race-course being bitterly denounced, whilst -speculation in stocks and shares is considered an entirely legitimate -method of attempting to make money. As a matter of fact, in a great -number of instances, this amounts to no more or less than backing a -stock to either rise or fall in value. Outside brokers exist, it is -even said, who do not always actually buy or sell any shares at all, -but simply, as it were, allow their clients to bet with them on a -selected stock rising or falling in price. These are to all purpose -and effect mere bookmakers, though, for some unknown reason, their -calling is not regarded with the same odium which British austerity is -generally ready to affix to members of the Ring. - -For those who are not versed in the intricacies of City matters -speculation almost invariably results in loss, the odds being about 99 -to 1 against the ordinary individual proving successful. - -Speculation on the Stock Exchange, gambling generally, and betting on -the Turf are exactly similar from the point of view of the moralist; -there is no difference between all three. - -During the recent debates upon the Budget a member stated in the -House of Commons that ninety per cent of the business of the London -Stock Exchange was of a gambling description, and represented only -purchases made with a view to a rise in prices. He wished to see such -transactions taxed. - -The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied that were this done it might -stop such transactions altogether. - -Another member--Mr. Markham--supported such a tax, adding that he did -not wish to appear in a false light, and would admit that he gambled -himself, and, like most fools, always lost money--a remark which -excited considerable merriment. - -Unimpeachable information about stocks and shares has ruined many a -man--nothing indeed is more fatal, as a rule, than so-called good tips -about the rise and fall of stocks, which, when originating from an -inspired quarter, are so much sought after by speculators. - -There have, of course, been instances where tips have made people a -fortune. - -A few years ago an author, who, though fairly successful, had made -no particular stir in the literary world, and whose books did not -seem likely to have had a very enormous sale, suddenly purchased a -nice estate in which was included a luxurious country house, where he -began to entertain. An old friend of his on a visit frankly expressed -himself surprised at this sudden accession of prosperity, and alone one -wet day with his host in the smoking-room bluntly asked: - -"However did you make so much money, surely not by your books?" - -"No," was the reply, "by speculating in the City." - -"An experience as rare as it was pleasant--I suppose you were given -some good tips." - -"Yes, not taking them was the secret of my success!" - -The host then proceeded to explain that, chancing to know a number -of men in the City who were in the best possible position to have -sound information as to the rise and fall of stocks and shares, the -thought one day struck him that he might profit by such opportunities. -Accordingly he let it be known that he had a certain amount of money -which it was his intention to try and increase by careful speculation. - -Tips poured in upon him--he was entreated to become a bear of this and -a bull of that--people appeared anxious to put him into all sorts of -ventures, and he became the recipient of much "exclusive" information. - -His idea of speculation, however, was original. Told to buy a certain -stock he invariably sold it; warned of a coming fall, he speculated -for a rise; in fact it became his practice to act in a manner exactly -contrary to that indicated by his many advisers, whom, meanwhile, he -kept in ignorance of what he was doing. - -By this curious and original method in a comparatively short time -he accumulated a comfortable fortune, and then decided to abandon -speculation and spend the rest of his days in prosperous ease. - -As this shrewd and fortunate speculator explained to his friend, human -nature must be reckoned with in all things, and in a vast number of -cases those who give tips are interested in the particular stocks which -they not unnaturally seek to bolster up--a really good thing does not -need much puffing. - -On the other hand, regular schemes to depress certain stocks are often -engineered in a most clever manner, adverse rumours being spread -as to a probable fall in order to facilitate large purchases at a -small figure; these having been made, the stock rises with startling -rapidity. The best maxim for speculators, not well versed in City -matters, is to take plenty of advice, and in the vast majority of cases -to operate in an exactly contrary way. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 6: An excellent account of this adventurer is given by that -gifted writer Mr. Theodore Andrea Cook, in _Eclipse and O'Kelly_, -published two years ago.] - - - - -VI - - Colonel Mellish--His early life and accomplishments--His - equipage--A great gambler--£40,000 at a throw!--Posting--Mellish's - racing career--His duel--In the Peninsula--Rural retirement - and death--Colonel John Mordaunt--His youthful freaks--An - ardent card-player--Becomes aide-de-camp to the Nawab of - Oude--Anecdotes--Death from a duel--Zoffany in India and his picture - of Mordaunt's cock-fight--Anecdotes of cock-fighting. - - -Amongst the sporting characters of the past who flung their fortunes to -the winds at the gaming-table or on the race-course there were not a -few who were possessed of considerable intelligence and charm. Such a -one was the handsome, gallant, and accomplished Colonel Mellish, beyond -all doubt the Admirable Crichton of his day. - -The son of Mr. Charles Mellish, of Blyth Hall, near Doncaster, a -gentleman devoted to antiquarian research and obviously of very -different disposition from his son, Henry Mellish was born in 1780, and -coming into his kingdom after a long minority, plunged at once with -infinite zest into every form of patrician dissipation. It has been -said that he was at Eton, but his name does not appear in the school -lists. At any rate, whatever his school, he seems to have distinguished -himself at it by a variety of escapades, which culminated in his -running away and flatly refusing to return. In his seventeenth year -he joined the 11th Light Dragoons, from which he exchanged into the -10th Hussars, the smartest light cavalry regiment of the day, with the -Prince of Wales for its colonel. There is a tradition that Mellish was -granted perpetual leave lest his extravagance should corrupt the young -officers; but his subsequent career proves that he must at least have -seen enough of soldiering to have learned his duty. After he had left -the 10th Hussars, his name appears in the army list as an officer of -the 87th Royal Irish Regiment, and also as a major of the Sicilian -Legion, in which many Englishmen held honorary commissions. At the same -time, his name figures in the list of Lieutenant-Colonels. Mellish was -no mere fashionable spendthrift. He was a man of many accomplishments. -Nature, indeed, seemed to have qualified him for taking the lead, and -to have given him a temperament so ardent, as made it almost impossible -for him ever "to come in second." - -He understood music, and could draw, and paint in oil colours. As a -companion he was always in high spirits, and talked with animation on -every subject; whilst his conversation, if not abounding in wit, was -ever full of interesting information founded on fact and experience. He -had a manner of telling and acting a story that was perfectly dramatic. -He was at home with all classes, and could talk with the gentleman and -associate with the farmer. - -In Mellish culminated all the best of these various qualities which -were considered the appanage of a patrician sportsman of his day. A -most expert whip, no man drove four-in-hand with more skill and with -less labour than he did; and to display that skill he often selected -very difficult horses to drive, satisfied if they were goers. As a -rider he was equally eminent: for years after his death his memory -lingered in many a hunt, where he had led all the light weights of -Leicestershire, Rutlandshire, and Yorkshire, when he was himself riding -fourteen stone. His was the art of making a horse do more than other -riders, and he accustomed them, like himself, "to go at everything." - -The following stanza, one of those in a famous hunting song composed -when Lord Darlington, afterwards Duke of Cleveland, hunted the -Badsworth country, commemorates the young sportsman, who was well-known -as a daring rider with these hounds:-- - - Behold Harry Mellish, as wild as the wind, - On Lancaster mounted, leave numbers behind; - But lately returned from democrat France, - Where, forgetting to bet, he's been learning to dance. - -A melancholy occurrence once gave him an opportunity of displaying, not -only his filial affection, but also his determination as a horseman. -Having heard the alarming intelligence of his mother's illness, he -mounted one of his barouche-horses to proceed to London, and actually -rode from Brighton to East Grinstead, a distance of twenty miles, in an -hour and twenty minutes; the strain of this feat was so severe that on -arrival at his destination the gallant horse which had carried him fell -dead. - -As a runner he was by no means to be despised. He beat Lord Frederick -Bentinck (renowned for fleetness of foot) in a running match on -Newmarket Heath. For everything connected with sport Colonel Mellish -possessed a natural aptitude, as was universally recognised. - -In appearance he was a big man, who even as a youth weighed some twelve -stone. Nearly six feet high and admirably proportioned, the pallor -of his complexion was rendered more noticeable by his black hair and -brilliant eyes. In dress he had a great fondness for light hues and -usually wore a white "boat hat,"[7] white trousers, and silk stockings -of the same colour. When he arrived on the course at Newmarket his -barouche, which he drove himself, was drawn by four beautiful white -horses, whilst two out-riders in crimson liveries, also mounted on -white steeds, preceded this brilliant turn-out. Behind rode another -groom leading a thoroughbred hack, whilst yet another waited at the -rubbing post with a spare horse in case of accidents. - -At that time he had thirty-eight race-horses in training, seventeen -coach-horses, twelve hunters, four chargers, and a number of ordinary -hacks. The expenses of his establishment were enormous. Besides these -he lost very large sums at the gaming-table, where he once staked -£40,000 at a single throw and lost it. At his own home he gambled away -vast sums, and a table was formerly preserved at Blyth on which its -former owner had once lost £40,000 to the Prince Regent. At one sitting -at a London Club--it is said at Brooks's, though Mellish's name does -not appear in the list of former members--he rose the loser of £97,000, -and was leaving the Club-house, when he met the Duke of Sussex, who, -hearing what had happened, persuaded him to return and try his luck -once more. This he did, and in two or three hours won £100,000 off the -Duke, who paid as much of this sum as he could, promising to settle -the rest by a life annuity of £4000. It would, however, seem somewhat -doubtful whether the entire debt was ever liquidated. - -As a matter of fact such large sums were often lost at hazard that it -was no infrequent thing for losers to compromise their debt by paying -an annuity to fortunate opponents. The impression that in old days all -gambling liabilities were scrupulously discharged on the spot is not -based upon any very solid foundation, and winners sometimes had the -greatest difficulty in getting their money. Under such circumstances -defaulters were occasionally posted. - -The expression "posting a man" for not having paid a debt of honour is -now more or less figurative, but, as recently as the beginning of the -nineteenth century, defaulters were publicly posted. - -In September 1824, for instance, all Brighton was surprised to find the -following placard posted up at Lucombe's Library and other places of -the same sort:-- - - BRIGHTON, _September 8, 1824_. - - Twice have I applied to the Earl of S. for the settlement of a bet, - and twice, having given him the offer of a reference, I was under - the necessity of requesting the satisfaction of a gentleman, which - he refused. As such, I post the Earl of S. as a man who constantly - refuses to pay his debts of honour, and a coward. - - W.T. - -The above placard is said to have been induced by the refusal of a -certain Peer to answer a demand of £2000, for which no satisfactory -claim could be produced. - -To guard against the possibility of a duel, warrants were issued -against the nobleman and Mr. W.T. by the local magistrates. The Earl -was easily found, and bound in a recognisance of the peace. Mr. W.T., -however, could not be discovered, it being declared that he feared -criminal proceedings being taken. - -Most of the gamblers of a century ago were men of careless disposition, -and Colonel Mellish in particular lived in such a whirl of excitement -and gambled in such tremendous sums that a few thousands more or less -were at this time very little to him. His life was devoted to frolics -of every kind. On one occasion after a ball at Doncaster, Mellish and -the Duke of Clarence sallied out for a lark and assisted in the arrest -of a man who had been fighting in the street. When the party reached -the prison, Mellish locked the Royal Duke in a cell and went off with -the key, which he delivered to his brother the Prince of Wales. The -Duke on his liberation took the joke very good-humouredly. - -It may be added that, like most born gamblers, Colonel Mellish lost -his money with the greatest coolness, ever accepting ill-luck with -imperturbable equanimity. The hazardous joys of racing were to him an -irresistible lure, and no more ardent supporter of the Turf than he -ever lived. His career as an owner of racers only extended over about -seven years, from 1801 to 1808, when financial difficulties obliged him -to abandon the sport to which he was devoted. The greatest financial -reverse he suffered was when Mr. Clifton's Fyldener won the St. Leger -in 1806. Over a million guineas are said to have changed hands over -this race, and Colonel Mellish lost an enormous sum. Nevertheless, as -a judge of racing there was no man held to be his equal. If indeed -judgment in such matters could preserve any one from ruin, then Mellish -should have kept his fortune. Endowed with mental qualities far above -those possessed by most sporting men, the owner of Blyth soon attained -a remarkable knowledge of the intricacies of the Turf, and the best -judges used to declare that they never knew a man who was better able -to gauge the powers, the qualities, and capabilities of the racer, as -well as the exact weights he could carry, and the precise distances he -could run. Unfortunately there was one side of the Turf life of his day -which he could not master, that was the rascality of those who took -care not to leave to accident the chances which made ultimate success -certain. - -Colonel Mellish was not only a most excellent judge of a race-horse, -but well acquainted with all the intricacies of managing a -racing-stable. He was universally admitted to be possessed of an -extraordinary capacity for making matches, and as a handicapper was -declared to be supreme. A careful investigation, however, of the old -Racing Calendars from 1805 to 1807 hardly confirms such an estimate of -the Colonel's abilities in this direction. In those three years he won -38 and received forfeit for 15 matches, losing 57 and paying forfeit -for 31; that is, he won £11,505 and lost £18,600 in stakes. In addition -to this he must, of course, have lost very large sums in bets. - -The most famous of all his matches was that between his Sancho and Lord -Darlington's Pavilion. There were really three matches. In the New -Claret Stakes at the Newmarket first Spring Meeting, 1805, Pavilion -beat Sancho and some other horses (6 to 4 Sancho, 7 to 1 Pavilion). -Mellish then challenged Lord Darlington, and a match was run in the -summer at Lewes--four miles for three thousand guineas, Buckle riding -Sancho and Chifney Pavilion. Sancho (the non-favourite, 2 to 1) won -easily. Another match was run over the same distance on the same course -for two thousand guineas, 6 to 4 on Sancho, who broke down badly. -Mellish on this occasion lost altogether five thousand guineas, though -at one moment before the race he had been offered twelve hundred to -have it off. A third match for two thousand guineas over a mile at -Brighton was made in the same year, but Sancho had to pay forfeit. -Colonel Mellish's colours were white with crimson sleeves. His trainer -was Bartle Atkinson, who from the time of entering his service in 1802, -till 1807, turned out what was probably a greater number of winners -than any other private trainer for one owner has ever done in the same -period of time. In 1804 and 1805 he won the St. Leger with Sancho and -Staveley, and trained many winners besides. In spite of all these -successes, racing proved most disastrous to the Colonel's fortune, and -like the vast majority of racing-men of this stamp, he left the Turf a -ruined man. In his palmy days it is said that he never opened his mouth -to make a bet under £500. - -He wanted to be everything at once, and as the saying went, he was "at -all in the ring"; till by deep play, by racing and expenses of every -kind, and in every place, he found it necessary to part with his -estate in order to satisfy the demands which obsessed him on all sides. - -Though the most popular of men, Colonel Mellish once had a serious -altercation with the Honourable Martin Hawke, and the result was a -duel, when the following conversation is said to have occurred--it -shows the light-hearted spirit of the combatants. - -_Mellish._ "Take care of yourself, Hawke, for by --- I shall hit you." - -_Hawke._ "I will, my lad, and let me recommend you to take care of your -own canister!" - -The seconds, on hearing this, agreed that they should not take aim, -but fire by signal, which was done. The Colonel missed, but Hawke's -shot took effect, by passing round the rim of his opponent's stomach, -and eventually penetrating his left arm; on which Mellish exclaimed, -"Hawke, you have winged me! Lend me your neckcloth to tie up the broken -pinion!" This was immediately complied with, and the arm being bound -up, they both returned in the same chaise, as good friends as ever! - -This duel was fought in 1807 in a field by the roadside, and originated -in a quarrel about the Yorkshire election, from which both duellists -were returning in their drags. - -Mellish would appear to have run a great risk of being killed, for -the Honourable Martin Hawke was a singularly gifted man and could do -incredible things with a pistol. Indeed his skill in that direction was -probably never equalled. His nerve and courage were of the highest -order. - -Mr. Hawke once fought a duel near Brussels with a certain Baron -Smieten. Whilst the seconds were measuring out the distance, he amused -himself by drawing a mail-coach with his stick on the bank of a sandy -ditch. One of the seconds, a guardsman, came up just as the finishing -touches were being put to the coachman's whip, and said "All's ready," -to which Hawke replied, "Just let me put the lash to this fellow's -whip." Having touched off this, he instantly proceeded to touch up his -antagonist, mentioning that as he had put him to so much trouble (they -fought over the frontiers) he must give him a touch, but would content -himself with spoiling his waltzing for a little; naming where and how -he would operate--and this he did to a hairbreadth. - -At one time the patron of all the superior pugilists, Colonel Mellish -first brought many of them into notice. He arranged the first battle -ever fought by the famous Tom Cribb, who was matched by the Colonel -against Nicholl, who beat him. Unfortunately for his gallant backer, -Cribb on this occasion entered the ring very drunk, and, of course, -fell an easy prey to an antagonist whom in future days the champion -of England would have beaten in ten minutes. Colonel Mellish likewise -made the match betwixt Gully and the Game Chicken; the former of whom -he caused to "give in," much against his inclination. The Colonel's -humanity on this occasion cost him a large sum, as he had backed Gully -heavily. Nevertheless, he insisted upon his yielding, the man being -reduced to such a state of weakness that his supporter was afraid of an -accidental blow proving fatal. - -At the time of the Peninsular campaign a regular crisis occurred -in Mellish's affairs, and Sir Rowland Ferguson appointed him his -aide-de-camp, and he went out to Spain. Previous to the battle of -Vimeiro, as the general officers were dining together, one of them -observed to Sir Rowland Ferguson that if the thing were not impossible, -he should have declared that an officer he had seen was a gentleman -whom he had left a week or two ago in the cockpit at York, with cocks -engaged in the main there--his name he had understood was Mr. Mellish. -"The very same man," returned Sir Rowland, "he is now my aide-de-camp, -and I think you will say, when you have the opportunity of knowing more -of him, a better officer will not be found," and this proved to be -the case. On many different occasions, indeed, the Duke of Wellington -declared that a better aide-de-camp than Mellish he had never observed. -The undaunted manner with which he encountered danger, the quickness -with which he rode, and the precision with which he delivered his -orders, never making any mistake in any moment of hurry or confusion, -were circumstances which excited much favourable comment from friend -and foe alike. - -After the battle of Busaco, Colonel Mellish was sent with a flag -of truce to the French head-quarters, on a message respecting some -prisoners. On his arrival at Leiria, Massena invited him to dinner, and -treated him with great attention and respect. - -After remaining some time with the army abroad, Colonel Mellish -returned home, and after that period engaged no more in military -duties. According to rumour his return was owing to the resumption of -his former habits of play, which the Duke of Wellington had forbidden; -but this is not certain. - -The Prince Regent, who was so often accused of forgetting those who -had served him, certainly did not justify this reproach in the case of -Colonel Mellish; for on his having obtained a small appointment abroad -in one of the conquered islands, the Prince made him his equerry, in -order to enable him to enjoy the emoluments of it whilst remaining at -home. - -In addition to this the uncles of the Colonel, who had undertaken the -management of his property when he was abroad, enabled him, by their -arrangements, to take up his abode at Hodsock Priory, where he had -occasionally lived before, and where at a comparatively early age he -ended his days. On his way to this farm he had to pass the magnificent -mansion and domain of Blyth, the seat of his ancestors and formerly his -own, which the vicissitudes of a Turf career had obliged him to sell. - -Colonel Mellish, however, accepted his lot with considerable -equanimity, and lived at his somewhat modest abode without any -mortifying regrets. Having married one of the daughters of the -Marchioness of Lansdowne,[8] who brought him a very handsome fortune, -his circumstances again became easy, and he was enabled to indulge in -those rural pursuits which appear early and late to have been congenial -to his disposition. He took to coursing and established a fine stud -of greyhounds. He also bred cattle with great success, winning many -prizes at northern cattle shows, and obtaining high prices for his -stock, and more fortunate than most men of his disposition and tastes, -ended his life in comfort and peace. His death, however, occurred -at a comparatively early age, for he fell a victim to dropsy in his -thirty-seventh year. - -Another gallant sporting man, though of quite another description, was -the Anglo-Indian Colonel John Mordaunt, a natural son of the Earl of -Peterborough. - -John Mordaunt, as a boy, was too wild to learn much at school, his -whole time being devoted to playing the truant; as he often said, -"one half of his days were spent in being flogged for the other -half." Devoted to cards from youth, he received many a castigation -in consequence. "You may shuffle, Mordaunt, but I can cut," was the -remark made to him by his schoolmaster on more than one occasion. - -In consequence of this unsatisfactory behaviour, when the boy left -school he was about as learned as when he first was sent there. His -guardians were very much annoyed at this and blamed his master, upon -which young Mordaunt very handsomely stepped forward to exculpate the -latter, whose attention he declared to have been unparalleled. Slipping -off his clothes, he exhibited the earnestness of the good man's -endeavours; humorously observing, that as nothing could be got into his -brains, his master had done his best to impress his instructions on the -opposite seat of learning. - -When the moment came for the youth to pass muster before the India -directors he could not be found, and it was nearly too late when he was -at last discovered playing marbles in Dean's Yard. No time, however, -was wasted in driving him up to Leadenhall Street, where, more bent on -frivolity than on answering the grave questions put by his examiners, -he was near being rejected as an idiot, when one of the quorum, who -understood such a disposition well and who probably wished to see John -appointed, asked him if he understood cribbage. In an instant young -Mordaunt's attention was thoroughly roused, his eyes glistened, and -regardless of every matter relative to his appointment, he pulled out a -pack of cards, so greasy as scarcely to be distinguished, and offered -"to play the gentleman _for any sum he chose_!" - -The youth now felt himself at home, and speedily convinced his -examiners that, however ignorant he might be of the classics, he was -a match for any of them at cards! He was passed, and despatched to -Portsmouth to embark on an Indiaman ready to sail with the first fair -wind; but as there seemed no likelihood of this for some days, the -person who had charge of him put him on board and returned to town. -Needless to say, Mordaunt at once got away to shore, where he played a -number of pranks before the ship eventually set sail. - -On arriving at Madras young Mordaunt was received with open arms by -all his countrymen; but General Sir John Clavering, who was then -Commander-in-Chief in India, and who was, accordingly, second on the -council at Calcutta, having promised to provide for him, Mordaunt went -on to Bengal, where he was appointed an honorary aide-de-camp to that -officer, still retaining his rank on the Madras establishment. In -consequence of this he was afterwards subjected to much ill-will. - -The young soldier unfortunately was quite uneducated, not being able -even to write an ordinary letter without making many mistakes. Study -was little to his taste, and he made scarcely any effort to remedy -this disadvantage or improve himself. Nevertheless, he excelled in -most things which he undertook entirely by natural intuition. His -ignorance of writing was the more remarkable as he spoke English with -an excellent diction and even refinement of phrase, though he could not -write two lines of it correctly. He spoke the Hindoo language fluently, -and was a tolerable Persian scholar. Mordaunt's weakness as a writer -was once strikingly demonstrated on an occasion where a friend, having -borrowed a horse from him for a day or two, wrote to ask if he might -keep it a little longer. The Colonel's reply was, "You may kip the hos -as long as you lick." - -Subjected to a good deal of chaff on account of this failing, which he -himself realised, Mordaunt was generally very good-tempered, though -quick with an answer when any one he did not care for attempted to -make him a butt. On one occasion a very worthy young gentleman of the -name of James P----, who was rather of the more silly order of beings, -thinking he could take the liberty of playing with, or rather upon him, -called out to Mordaunt, before a large party, desiring him to say what -was the Latin for a goose. The answer was brief. "I don't know the -_Latin_ for it, but the _English_ is _James P----_." - -It should be mentioned that the above question was put to Mordaunt in -consequence of his having, in a note sent to a person who had offended -him, required "an immediate _anser_ by the bearer." The gentleman -addressed, wishing to terminate the matter amicably, construed the word -literally, and sent a _goose_ by the bearer; stating also that he would -partake of it the next day. This, to a man of Mordaunt's disposition, -was the high road to reconciliation; though to nine persons in ten, -and especially to those labouring under such a desperate deficiency in -point of orthography, it would have appeared highly insulting! - -In addition to his almost complete ignorance of calligraphy, Colonel -Mordaunt knew absolutely nothing of the ordinary rules of arithmetic. -He kept no books, but all his accounts were done on scraps of paper in -such an eccentric manner that the figures were only intelligible to -himself. It was necessary for him at times to register large financial -transactions, and he had immense losses and gains to register in the -I.O.U. way. Yet even the most intricate cases never puzzled him; and, -at settling times, he was rarely, if ever, found to be in error. This -was one of the points in which he was apt to be peremptory; for no -sooner did he hear a claim stated, which did not tally with his own -peculiar mode of calculation, than he condemned it, in round terms, -and would scarcely hear the attempt to substantiate that which he so -decidedly denied. - -He was a man of most masterful disposition, very impatient of -contradiction, especially from his brother Harry, who was in India at -the same time. The latter possessed little social charm or originality, -but John always treated him with particular consideration. When, -however, Harry tried to oppose or argue with him, the Colonel would -soon check him with, "Hold your tongue, Harry, you are a puny little -fool, and fit for nothing but to be a lord." - -Excelling at most things which he attempted, Mordaunt was so much -master of his racket, and was so vigorous, that he would always wager -on hitting the line from the over-all, a distance of thirty yards, once -in three times. As a matter of fact he could beat most people with a -common round ruler. - -Card-playing, however, was the Colonel's particular passion. He was an -expert at most games, being besides acquainted with all the ordinary -tricks in the shuffling, cutting, and dealing way. The following is an -instance of his skill. On a certain occasion Mordaunt observed that one -of his adversaries at whist was remarkably fortunate in his own deals; -and, as he was rather a doubtful character, thought it needful to watch -him. When Mordaunt came to deal, he gave himself thirteen trumps! This -excited the curiosity of all, but particularly of the gentleman in -question, who was very pointed in his observations on the singularity -of the case. Mordaunt briefly said, "Sir, this was to show you that you -should not have all the fun to yourself," and rising from his seat, -left the blackleg to ruminate on the obvious necessity of quitting -India! Here, however, Mordaunt's goodness of heart showed itself, for -he obtained a promise from the whole party to keep the secret, provided -the offender instantly left the country; which he did by the first -conveyance. - -It was well known that the Colonel could arrange the cards according to -his pleasure, yet such was the universal opinion of his honour, that -no one hesitated to play with him, sober or otherwise, for their usual -stakes. His decision, in cases of differences, was generally accepted -as final, and many references were made to him, by letter, from very -distant places, regarding doubtful points connected with gaming. - -It may readily be supposed that Mordaunt was more ornamental than -useful in General Clavering's office; however, the latter could not -help esteeming him, and had he lived, would probably have effected -Mordaunt's removal from the Madras to the Bengal army. The Madras -officers never failed to comment, sometimes, indeed, in rather harsh -terms, upon the injustice of having on their rolls an officer who never -joined his regiment for nearly twenty years, and whose whole time was -passed in the lap of dissipation. - -Being on a party of pleasure to the northward, and near to Lucknow, -the capital of Oude, and the residence of the Nawab of Oude, Asoph ud -Doulah, the young soldier was naturally curious to see this potentate -and his Court. The free, open temper of Asoph pleased Mordaunt, whose -figure and manner made a great impression on his illustrious host, who -was devoted to most forms of gambling and sport. - -The Nawab in question was an original character. Being desirous of -becoming a highly efficient swordsman, he determined to get the best -practice possible and exercise his arm to some purpose. For some time -he used daily to order from his stables five horses and a couple of -bullocks, which he would cut down; the same fate befell five tigers, -the same number of bears, and two or three nylgaus. - -In a short time Mordaunt became such a favourite, that he was retained -by the Nawab at his Court, in the capacity of aide-de-camp, though he -never attended at the Palace except when in the mood to do so, or for -the purpose of shooting or gambling with its ruler. During this period -the various sarcastic attacks directed against Mordaunt, as an absentee -from his corps for so many years--amusing himself a good two thousand -miles away--were disregarded both by himself and by the supreme -Government, of which all the members were personally attached to the -Colonel. - -Mordaunt was now in the receipt of a handsome salary, and possessed -many distinguished privileges under the patronage of the Nawab, who -often used to refer Europeans to him on occasions requiring his advice; -this he not infrequently did when he needed an excuse for not complying -with some demand. - -Mordaunt's influence, it should be added, was generally used in a very -kindly manner. Old Zoffany, who had come out to India and resided at -Lucknow as Court Painter to the Nawab, once, in a humorous moment, -painted a full-length picture of that potentate in high caricature. -Zoffany lived at Colonel Martine's, whose house was frequented by -immense numbers of natives, a number of whom, when the Nawab wanted -money, took his jewels to the Colonel's to be pledged. The picture, -of course, was seen by some of these men, and it was not long before -the Nawab was informed of the joke. The latter, in the first moments -of irritation, was disposed to shorten the painter by a head, and to -dismiss the Colonel, who was his chief engineer, and had the charge -of his arsenal. He was, however, unwilling to do anything without his -"dear friend Mordaunt" to whom a message was despatched, requiring -his immediate attendance, on "matters of the utmost importance." -This being a very usual mode of summoning his favourite, who would -attend, or rather visit, only when it pleased himself. As a matter of -fact the message would probably have been disregarded, had not the -bearer stated that the Nawab was incensed against Martine and Zoffany. -Accordingly the Colonel betook himself to the Palace, where he found -the Nawab foaming with rage, and about to proceed with a host of -rabble attendants to the Colonel's. Mordaunt, however, having got the -story out of the Nawab as well as he could, argued him into a state of -calmness, sufficient to let his sinister purpose be suspended until the -next day, and retired as soon as he could prudently do so; he then, -as privately as possible, sent a note to Zoffany warning him of the -intended visit. - -The bold painter lost no time, and the laughable caricature was in a -few hours changed by his gifted hand into a superb portrait of a most -decorative kind, bearing far more resemblance to the Nawab than any -hitherto painted at regular sittings. Next day the potentate arrived, -his mind full of anxiety for the honour of his dignified person. He -was attended by Mordaunt, whose feelings for his friend's fate were -speedily dissipated, when, on entering the portrait-chamber, the -picture in question shone forth so superbly as to astonish and delight -the Nawab, who, beaming with pleasure, hurried the picture home, gave -Zoffany ten thousand rupees for it, and ordered the person who had -informed him of the supposed caricature to have his nose and ears cut -off. Mordaunt, however, again interposed, and was equally successful in -obtaining the poor fellow's pardon; and as the Nawab declined to keep -him as a servant, very generously made him one of his own pensioners. - -At another time, the barber who cut the Nawab's hair happened by a slip -to draw blood. This was considered an offence of the highest atrocity, -because at that time crowned heads throughout India became degraded -if one drop of their blood were spilt by a barber. A drawn sword was -always held above a barber performing his duty, to remind him of his -fate in case of the slightest incision. - -In consequence of this prejudice the barber had been condemned to be -baked to death in an oven, when Mordaunt applied for his pardon. He -could only obtain it conditionally, and certainly the condition was -both ludicrous and whimsical. Balloons were just invented when this -happened, and Colonel Martine being very ingenious, had made one which -had taken up a considerable weight for short distances. - -The Nawab changed suddenly from great wrath to a wild hilarity, which -continued so long as to alarm Mordaunt; who at last was relieved to -hear that instead of being baked, the barber was to mount in the -balloon, and to brush through the air according as chance might direct -him. - -In due course the balloon was sent up in front of the palace, and the -barber carried through the air more dead than alive at a prodigious -rate. The poor man, however, sustained no injury, the balloon finally -descending to earth some five miles from the city of Lucknow. - -Mordaunt never allowed the Nawab to treat him with the least disrespect -or with hauteur; indeed, such was the estimation in which he was held -by that prince, that, in all probability, the latter never showed any -sign of wishing to exert his authority. Mordaunt's independence is -shown by the following anecdote. The Nawab wanted some alterations -to be made in the howdah of his state elephant, and asked Mordaunt's -opinion as to the best mode of securing it; the latter very laconically -told the Nawab he understood nothing of the matter, he having been born -and bred a gentleman, but that probably his blacksmith (pointing to -Colonel Martine) could inform him how the howdah ought to be fastened. - -This sneer, no doubt, gratified Mordaunt, who, though extremely -intimate with Martine, and in the habit of addressing him by various -ludicrous but sarcastic nicknames, seemed not to relish that fondness -for money, and other doubtful practices, of which he was said to be -guilty. - -Lord Cornwallis was either unwilling to compel Mordaunt to return to -the Madras establishment, or was prevailed on by the Nawab to let him -remain on his staff. The Marquis, one day, seeing Mordaunt at his -levee, asked him if he did not long to join his regiment. "No, my -Lord," answered Mordaunt, "not in the least." "But," continued he, -"your services may perhaps be wanted." "Indeed, my Lord," rejoined -Mordaunt, "I cannot do you half the service there, that I can in -keeping the Nawab amused, while you ease him of his money." - -As a bon-vivant, as a master of the revels, or at the head of his own -table, few could give greater variety or more complete satisfaction -than Mordaunt. He had the best of wines, and spared no expense, though -he would take very little personal trouble in providing whatever was -choice or rare. He stood on little ceremony, especially at his own -house, and, at his friends', never allowed anything to incommode him -from a bashful reserve. Whatever was in his opinion wrong, he did not -hesitate to condemn. - -These observations were very quick, and generally not devoid of humour. -His old friend, Captain Waugh, dining with him one day, made such a -hole in a fine goose as to excite the attention of Mordaunt, who, -turning to his head servant, ordered aloud that whenever Captain Waugh -dined at his house, there should always be two geese on the table, one -for the Captain, the other for the company. - -Colonel Mordaunt was an excellent pistol shot, who could hit the -head of a small nail at fifteen yards. Nevertheless when he and a -friend engaged in a quarrel of a very serious nature with a third, -whom they had accused of some improper conduct at cards, he missed -his adversary, who, on the other hand, wounded both Mordaunt and his -friend desperately. This was not owing to agitation, but, as Mordaunt -expressed in very curious terms at the moment of missing, to the pistol -being too highly charged. - -The Colonel never entirely recovered from the effects of the pistol -shot which he had received in his breast, and though possessed of a -vigorous constitution, seemed to descend, as it were, down a precipice -into his grave. A very Rochester of his day, inordinately fond of -women, he seemed, when at length stricken down, to regret his condition -chiefly as depriving him of their society. For some time before this, -actuated by that mistaken pride which so often urges men who have -done wonders not to allow their decrease of vigour to be noticed or -suspected, he had attempted to continue his usual mode of life, and -neglecting the warnings given him by one or two serious attacks on his -liver, had thus hastened his approach to a most untimely end. - -He died in the fortieth year of his age, beloved and regretted by a -number of friends to whom his many genuine qualities were known. - -An especial reason for the influence enjoyed by Mordaunt over the Nawab -was the latter's intimate knowledge of everything connected with the -branch of barbarity known as cock-fighting. So devoted was the Prince -in question to this form of sport that he often neglected to attend to -important business with the residents at his Court in order to indulge -in a "main" with him whom he called his "dear friend Mordaunt." - -The well-known print representing Colonel Mordaunt's cock-fight depicts -a famous battle fought at Lucknow in 1786. Amongst the figures are -the Nawab, Colonel Mordaunt, and Colonel Martine, who founded the -Martine colleges at Lucknow, Calcutta, and Lyons, and Zoffany himself. -The picture, which was painted for Warren Hastings, was carefully -preserved in the Palace at Lucknow, but most unfortunately met with a -disastrous fate during the Mutiny, when with others of great value it -was destroyed. - -A water-colour drawing of "The Cock-fight" was, however, made -under the last King of Oude in 1853, by "Masawar Khan," a Court -miniature-painter, and other copies also exist. The mezzotint of this -picture, together with the scarce engraved key published in May 1794, -are here reproduced. - -Zoffany was a great favourite of Royalty. After the establishment of -his reputation in England, he passed many years of his life in India, -though in spite of the favour of the Nawab he does not seem to have -returned from Lucknow in very opulent circumstances, his industry not -having equalled either his reputation or his ability. An excessive -devotion to women, and to the Asiatic customs and luxuries, totally -precluded the execution of many works which would have brought this -painter prosperity. Many of his pictures, however, achieved great -popularity. This was especially the case with the "Water Cress Girl," -which is engraved. The model, it may not be generally known, was a girl -of about sixteen who had achieved a certain notoriety by having been -one of a group of nymphs, who ran from the fields of Paddington, to -their lodgings in the vicinity of St. Giles's, at noonday, unencumbered -with one single habiliment or rag, from head to foot. It was in the -summer season, and they had been bathing in a pond, when some wicked -wag bundled up and made off with the whole of their clothes. - -"The Cock-fight" was certainly one of the most successful works ever -executed by Zoffany; the portrait of Mordaunt in particular, according -to those who knew him, giving an excellent idea of his manly and -elegant appearance. - -[Illustration: THE COCK-FIGHT AT LUCKNOW. - -Engraved by R. Earlom, after Zoffany. - -From a Print in the possession of Messrs. Robson & Co., 23 Coventry -Street, W.] - -[Illustration: KEY TO THE COCK-FIGHT.] - -The Colonel is represented as in the act of handing a cock, which he -has backed heavily, in opposition to a bird belonging to the Nawab, who -is portrayed in a loose undress on the opposite side of the pit. - -Colonel Mordaunt's taste for cock-fighting had, of course, originally -been acquired in England, where this somewhat brutal sport would appear -to have been most popular towards the middle of the eighteenth century. -At that time it was no unusual circumstance to insert clauses in the -leases of farms and cottages, which ensured the right of walking a -certain number of game-cocks. As the century waned the cockpit began -rather to fall into disrepute, but about the years 1793-1794 a revival -occurred. Great patrons of cock-fighting were Lord Lonsdale (when -Sir James Lowther); the Duke of Northumberland, who fought regular -annual mains against Mr. Fenwick at Alnwick and Hexham, as did Lord -Mexborough with Sir P. Warburton and Mr. Halton at Manchester; the Duke -of Hamilton with Sir H.G. Liddell at Newcastle, and Lord Derby with Mr. -Wharton at Preston. - -Amongst other lovers of cock-fighting were Colonel Lowther, Mr. -Holford, Mr. Bullock, Captain Dennisthorpe, and Mr. George Onslow, -out-ranger[9] of Windsor Forest, who was known as "Cocking George." - -In 1793 the Cock Pit Royal, St. James's Park, was the scene of more -subscription matches than had occurred for some years before, an extra -battle, fought on the 13th of December between two red cocks belonging -to Colonel Lowther and Vauxhall Clarke for forty guineas, causing -particular excitement. Throughout this combat the odds were constantly -varying, till Colonel Lowther's cock was suddenly struck down dead at -a moment when odds of four and five to one were being laid upon his -opponent. - -One of the most horrible anecdotes connected with cock-fighting was -that of a certain Mr. Ardesoif, the son of a rich cheesemonger, who was -at one time well-known in the streets of London, it having been his -peculiar hobby to drive his phaeton through those thoroughfares which -were the most crowded with traffic. Mr. Ardesoif lived at Tottenham, -where he kept a number of game-cocks. One of these birds having refused -to fight, the cruel owner savagely had him roasted to death, whilst -entertaining his friends. The company, alarmed by the dreadful shrieks -of the poor victim, interfered, but were resisted by Ardesoif, who -threatened death to any who should oppose him; and in a storm of raging -and vindictive delirium, and uttering the most horrid imprecations, he -dropped down dead. - -A cockpit was a scene not easily matched. On a race or a prize-fight, -the betting is nearly finished when the sport begins; but the same -state of affairs did not prevail at a cock-fight, where no one backed -a cock till he had had a good look at him. In consequence of this all -the betting had to be done in a short time, and the noise and apparent -confusion of layers and backers were quite bewildering. The betting -changed with considerable rapidity--in many a battle the odds would -veer round from 100 to 1 on one cock, to 40 to 1 against the same. - -The issue of a cock-fight is never quite certain till a cock is -actually killed, an apparently moribund bird sometimes proving the -unexpected winner. - -A very striking instance of this once occurred at Mr. Loftus's cockpit -at Newcastle, where a gentleman, on a cock being pounded, betted ten -guineas to a crown, which he lost in nearly the space of a minute, as -the pounded cock, while his antagonist was pecking in triumph, rose, -and after a stroke or two, laid him dead. As luck would have it, while -the same gentleman was going from the cockpit to the race-course in his -carriage, accompanied by some other gentlemen, one of them observed -the absurdity of buying money so dear, to which the other replied, he -would bet the same on anything, if he thought he could win; the former -gentleman said he would take it. "Done," says the gentleman, "I will -bet £10 to a crown that my carriage does not break down on 'going or -returning from the race-course.'" The bet was accepted; and after -going about 100 yards farther, down came the carriage. And thus, in -the course of the same day, he lost his two bets of £10 to 5s. In the -course of this week's fighting, there were several guineas betted to -shillings, and lost, on the various battles. - -Cock-fights as a rule took place in the evening, seven having been the -usual hour appointed for the sport to commence. - -In the palmy days of cock-fighting there were several celebrated pits -in London, the chief of which, of course, was the Cock Pit Royal, which -had been much frequented by Charles II. and his courtiers. Another -well-known cockpit existed at Moss Alley, Bankside, Southwark, where -great battles were contested. At the New Pit, Hoxton, in January, 1794, -a number of spirited mains were fought, the gentlemen of Islington -having challenged the gentlemen of Hackney for five guineas a battle -and fifty guineas the odd battle. Hackney easily proved victorious. - -The Royal Cockpit in St. James's Park was taken down in 1810, never -again to be rebuilt. The Governors and Trustees of Christ's Hospital, -to whom the ground belonged, met on the spot, the very day the lease -expired; and, as might naturally be expected from the patrons of such -an institution, gave directions for the immediate demolition of the -building. - -A curious custom which was long ago sometimes enforced at cock-fights -prescribed that any one indulging in foul play or not paying his -bets should be put into a large basket and drawn up to the roof of -the cockpit. This was called being basketed. A man well-known to the -sporting world, being once in this predicament, and notwithstanding -that he had no money in his pocket and could not expect his bets to be -taken, had the fever of betting so strong upon him that in spite of -his situation in the basket, he could not help vociferating, as the -odds varied, "I'll lay six to four--two to one--five to two--three to -one--four to one--five to one--a guinea to a shilling--the long odds, -ten pounds to a crown," to the no small diversion of the auditors and -spectators, who, at length, commiserating his case and attributing -his imprudence to an insurmountable passion for play, shortened his -punishment; and when a gentleman present gave him a small sum he took -the long odds all the way through, went off with a hundred guineas in -his pocket, and from this source alone became a very distinguished -character on the Turf. - -In Hogarth's print of the cockpit, published in 1759, a shadow of -mysterious contour is thrown upon the floor of the pit, the origin of -which may be seen to be a gambler who, having been basketed for not -paying his debts, is vainly offering his watch as a pledge so that -he may be let down and allowed to take his place among the somewhat -ill-favoured crowd which is watching the battle. The principal -figure in this print represents a nobleman (Lord Bertie) who, though -stone-blind, was a zealous patron of cock-fighting, though it is -difficult to see how, under these unfavourable circumstances, the sport -could have had any attraction for him. - -The Preston race-meetings used to be a great rendezvous for -cock-fighters. Lord Derby long held a distinguished place among the -patrons of the sod, and was reckoned one of the best judges of a cock -in England. The excellent walks which his Lordship owned on his own -estates, and the number of cocks he bred, ensured him a plentiful -supply of fine young birds; consequently his birds never had a feather -wrong; this, joined to their true blood, which made them show fight to -the last, and the skill of Paul Potter, his feeder, caused Lord Derby -to be the winner of many a Preston main. - -The following is a specimen of a challenge to a cock match:-- - - -CHALLENGE - - The gentlemen of Windsor Forest having lost their annual opponent (who - is gone to reside in Somersetshire), wish to show thirty-one in the - main for five guineas a battle, and twenty the odds. Adding 10 byes at - two guineas a battle for two days' play, to fight at Wokingham, Berks, - between the present day and Whitsuntide. Any acceptance of the terms - may be made through the medium of this communication, which shall be - instantly acceded to and the necessary regulations made in proper form. - - C.W.T. & M. - - _February 22nd, 1794._ - -Though cock-fighting is now forbidden by law in England, a certain -amount of it still goes on in secret, whilst the sport flourishes -openly in the North of France and in Spain. - -In former days there were regular families of cock-feeders or trainers. -The greatest authority on cock-fighting is said to have been Joe -Gilliver, who fought cocks for George III. and George IV. in the Royal -Cockpit at Windsor. He it was who fought the famous main at Lincoln -in 1815. On the occasion there were seven battles for five thousand -guineas the main and a thousand guineas a battle. Five battles were won -by Gilliver's birds. - -The great-nephew of old Joe Gilliver still lives--the last of the -cock-fighters--at Cockspur, Polesworth. Over sixty years ago this -veteran[10] fought and won a main against Lord Berkeley in Battersea -fields, and within the last two decades he vindicated the honour of -the English game-cock at Lille, where some birds he took over proved -victorious--a particularly fine cock after a successful battle leaping -upon the body of its conquered opponent and emitting a series of lusty -crows. - -Game-cocks are extraordinarily bold birds, and records exist of their -having even attacked men. A gentleman, for instance, passing down Park -Street was once surprised to find something fluttering about his head, -and turning round, received the spur of a game-cock in his cheek. He -beat off his antagonist, who, however, instantly returned to the -charge, and wounded him again in the shoulder. Another gentleman, -passing by at the same time, was also attacked by this feathered -desperado. - -A game-cock bred by Mr. Hunt of Compton Pauncefoot, Somerset, in -1814, displayed extraordinary courage when three years old. A fox -having seized a hen, her cries drew the attention of the cock, who, -discovering the fox in the act of carrying off his prey, flew at -reynard, and at one blow killed him on the spot, and saved the life of -the hen. In 1820 this cock fought a gallant battle at Epsom Races, and -won at high odds against him. - -The high spirit of the game-cock was once strikingly manifested in a -naval action. - -By some mistake or other a particularly fine bird was sold with a -number of other fowls to Captain Berkeley of the _Marlborough_, 74, for -his sea-stock. The purchase was made previous to the departure of the -British fleet that sailed under the gallant Lord Howe, in the month -of May 1794, about which time the cock was deposited in the coops on -board, for the purpose of being brought to table. On the glorious 1st -of June, the fate of the above ship, the intrepid bravery of whose crew -led her into the hottest scene of action, hung in the balance. The -enemy's shot had destroyed all the convenience made on her poop for -keeping the live stock, and the fowls were flying about in different -parts of the ship. Some time after the engagement had commenced, all -her masts were shot away by the board, and smoke, hurry, and alarm were -general. When the main-mast went, broken off about eight feet from the -deck, the cock immediately flew to the stump, where he began to flutter -his wings, and to crow with all the exultation so commonly observed in -a conquering bird; a circumstance so singular in its nature, that the -tars who were viewing it conceived a noble resolution from the example, -and actually maintained the same sense of triumph as did the cock, -until victory and glory crowned the gallant contest. - -The spirit of the noble bird became the subject of much observation -when the ship arrived in the Hamoaze, and many curious spectators came -from different parts of the country to see the feathered hero who had -so proudly vindicated the conquering spirit of Old England. - -Some time after a silver medal was struck by the orders of Admiral -Berkeley; it was hung upon the neck of the old game-cock, who in the -parks and around the princely halls of Goodwood passed the remainder of -his downy days in honoured ease. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 7: He is described in contemporary sporting records as -wearing this, though the author has been unable to discover exactly -what a "boat hat" was. The French still make use of a similar -expression, calling a particular kind of straw hat a "_canotier_."] - -[Footnote 8: This lady's first husband had been Sir Duke Giffard, and -Mrs. Mellish was one of several daughters she had by him. The writer -is indebted to Mr. Henry Mellish of Hodsock Priory for this and other -interesting details of his ancestor's career.] - -[Footnote 9: The outrangership of Windsor Forest was originally -instituted for the protection of the deer between Windsor Park and the -river Wey, but in 1641 it was decided that no part of Surrey except -Guildford Park (afterwards granted away) belonged to the Forest, and -the post became a sinecure, keeping a salary of £500 a year. About the -time of the American War, however, when votes were valuable, this was -increased to £900.] - -[Footnote 10: An interesting interview with William Gilliver appeared -in _Fry's Magazine_ for March 1909.] - - - - -VII - - Prevalence of wagering in the eighteenth century--Riding a horse - backwards--Lord Orford's eccentric bet--Travelling piquet--The - building of Bagatelle--Matches against time--"Old Q." and his chaise - match--Buck Whalley's journey to Jerusalem--Buck English--Irish - sportsmen--Jumping the wall of Hyde Park in 1792--Undressing in the - water--Colonel Thornton--A cruel wager--Walking on stilts--A wonderful - leap--Eccentric wagers--Lloyd's walking match--Squire Osbaldiston's - ride--Captain Barclay--Jim Selby's drive--Mr. Bulpett's remarkable - feats. - - -In the eighteenth century the bloods of the day bet on anything and -everything. A well-known spendthrift, for instance, made a practice -of backing one raindrop to roll down a window quicker than another--a -practice which gave rise to the following lines:-- - - The bucks had dined, and deep in council sat, - Their wine was brilliant, but their wit grew flat: - Up starts his Lordship, to the window flies, - And lo! "A race!--a race!" in rapture cries; - "Where?" quoth Sir John. "Why, see the drops of rain - Start from the summit of the crystal pane-- - A thousand pounds! which drop with nimblest force, - Performs its current down the slippery course!" - The bets were fix'd--in dire suspense they wait - For vict'ry pendent on the nod of fate. - Now down the sash, unconscious of the prize, - The bubbles roll--like pearls from Chloe's eyes, - But ah! the glittering charms of life are short! - How oft two jostling steeds have spoiled the sport. - Lo! thus attraction, by coercive laws, - Th' approaching drops into one bubble draws-- - Each curs'd his fate, that thus their project cross'd; - How hard their lot, who neither won nor lost! - -Besides the huge sums which were lost at games (in 1793, £22,000 -changed hands in a single day between two players at some -billiard-rooms in St. James's Street), a great deal of money was -frittered away in matches of an eccentric kind. - -In 1722, for instance, a number of young men subscribed for a piece -of plate, which was run for in Tyburn Road by six asses, ridden by -chimney-sweepers. Two boys rode two asses on Hampstead Heath for a -wooden spoon, attended by above five hundred persons on horse-back. -Women running for Holland smocks was not uncommon; and a match was even -projected for a race between women, to be dressed in hooped petticoats. -Considerable sums of money are said to have changed hands over these -events, whilst a wager of £1000 depended on a match between the Earl of -Lichfield and Mr. Gage that the latter's chaise and pair should outrun -the Earl's chariot and four. The ground was from Tyburn to Hayes, and -Mr. Gage lost through some accident. - -In 1735, Count de Buckeburg, a well-known German author, on a visit to -England, laid a considerable wager, that he would ride a horse from -London to Edinburgh backwards, that is, with the horse's head turned -towards Edinburgh, and the Count's face towards London; and in this -manner he actually rode the journey in less than four days. - -At the end of the eighteenth century an officer trotted fifteen miles -from Chelmsford to Dunmow in one hour and nine minutes with his face to -the tail. - -The eccentric wager made by George, Lord Orford, an ancestor of the -present writer, is well known. The latter, in 1740, bet another -nobleman a large sum that a drove of geese would beat an equal number -of turkeys in a race from Norwich to London. The event proved the -justness of his Lordship's expectations, for the geese kept on the road -with a steady pace, but the turkeys, as every evening approached, flew -to roost in the trees adjoining the road, from which the drivers found -it very difficult to dislodge them. In consequence of this, the geese -arrived at their destination two days before the turkeys. - -This nobleman, who, by his eccentricities, had acquired the name of the -mad Lord Orford, trained three red deer to draw him in a light phaeton, -and in this uncommon equipage he frequently made excursions to some -distance, in Norfolk and Suffolk, till a singular adventure taught him -the danger of the practice. - -One morning in winter, when the scent lay well on the ground, he was -taking one of his common drives towards Newmarket; his way was over the -heath. It happened that a pack of hounds, being out for a chase, took -scent of the deer, opened and followed in full cry. The deer caught the -death sound, took the alarm, and set off at full speed. It was in vain -his Lordship endeavoured to pull them in; fear of death was greater -than fear of their lord, and they dashed off towards Newmarket, a place -they were well accustomed to. The dogs were at their heels, but the -deer were sufficiently in advance to reach the inn they were accustomed -to put up at, when they dashed into the yard, with their terrified lord -close at their heels, and the hounds not far behind them; the ostlers, -however, exerted themselves to get the gates fastened before the hounds -came up, when the whipper-in called them off. - -In 1758, Miss Pond, daughter of the compiler and publisher of _Ponds -Racing Calendar_, wagered a thousand guineas that she would ride a -thousand miles in a thousand hours. This feat she accomplished (it is -said on one horse) by the 3rd of May, having begun in April. A few -weeks later Mr. Pond rode the same horse in two-thirds of the time. - -Even the most trivial things were utilised for losing or winning money. - -A Yorkshire sportsman won a considerable bet on the extreme extent -to which a pound of cotton could be drawn in a thread by one of the -Manchester spinning jennies; the loser betted that it would not reach -two miles in length; but, upon measurement, it was found to exceed -twenty-three. - -A young man of the name of Drayton undertook for a considerable sum -to pull in a pound weight at the distance of a mile, that is, the -weight had to be attached to a string a mile in length, and Drayton to -stand still and pull it to himself. The time allowed for this singular -performance was two hours and a half. The odds were against him, but he -won his wager. - -A printer at Chester for a wager picked up 100 stones each a yard -apart, returning every time with them to a basket at one end of the -line, in 44-1/2 minutes, it having been betted that he would not -complete his task within 47 minutes. - -So great was the love of betting amongst sporting men that when they -were on a journey they would wager as to what they might meet with -next. This method of gambling was afterwards made into a regular game -which was called "Travelling Piquet." This was defined as a mode of -amusing themselves, practised by two persons riding in a carriage, each -reckoning towards his game the persons, or animals, that passed by on -the side next them, according to the following estimation:-- - - A parson riding on a grey horse Game - An old woman under a hedge do. - A cat looking out of a window 60 - A man, woman, and child in a buggy 40 - A man riding with a woman behind him 30 - A flock of sheep 20 - A flock of geese 10 - A post-chaise 5 - A horseman 2 - A man or woman walking 1 - -Death itself was not infrequently made the subject of a wager. Just -before two unfortunate men, hung at the Old Bailey, were _dropped off_, -a young nobleman present betted a hundred guineas to twenty "that the -shorter of the two would give the last kick!" The wager was taken, and -he won; for the other died almost instantly, whilst the shorter man was -convulsed for nearly six minutes. - -So great was the mania for wagers at this epoch, that even the clergy -were affected by the prevailing craze. A young divine, in the vicinity -of Edinburgh, declared himself ready to undertake for a wager of a -hundred guineas to read six chapters from the Bible every hour for six -weeks. The betting was ten to one against him. - -In France matters were much the same as in England. - -The Duc de Chartres, the Duc de Lauzun, and the Marquis de FitzJames -once competed in a foot-race from Paris to Versailles for two hundred -livres; this was won by the Marquis de FitzJames. - -The Duc de Chartres bet a considerable sum with the Comte de Genlis -that the latter would not go from Paris to Fontainebleau and back -before he (the Duc de Chartres) had pricked 500,000 pinholes in a piece -of paper. The Comte de Genlis was the winner by several hours. - -The wager of the Comte d'Artois as to the building of Bagatelle is -historical. He bet Marie Antoinette 100,000 livres that he would erect -a palace on a certain site in the Bois de Boulogne in six weeks. - -Nine hundred workmen were employed night and day, whilst patrols of the -Swiss Guard seized any building materials which might be of use on the -roads in the vicinity--these, it must, however, be added, were paid -for. At the end of the six weeks the Comte d'Artois entertained Marie -Antoinette at a splendid fête in the completed house. - -Matches against time were common. In 1745 Mr. Cooper Thornhill rode -three times between Stilton and Shoreditch--two hundred and thirteen -miles--in eleven hours and thirty-four minutes on fourteen different -horses. Six years later, Captain Shafto won £16,000 by winning a wager -that he would cover fifty miles in two hours. He was allowed as many -horses as he pleased. - -Not a few of these matches against time were carried out under most -whimsical conditions. - -On 22nd August 1774, for instance, Anthony Thorpe, a journeyman baker, -at the Artillery Ground, ran a mile tied up in a sack, in eleven -minutes and a half. - -In 1773 a London to York match was run, the winner, a mare, taking -forty hours and thirty-five minutes to complete the journey. - -A sensational match of a more sporting description was the ride of -George IV., when Prince of Wales, to Brighton and back, a journey of -one hundred and twelve miles, which the Royal sportsman is said to -have performed on one horse in ten hours. - -A wonderful ride was that performed in 1786 by a featherweight jockey -at Newmarket, who rode one horse twenty-three miles in two or three -minutes under the hour. - -The Duke of Queensberry ("Old Q.") was at one time fond of sporting -matches, in which he generally came off victorious, for he was a -shrewd man. In 1789, during the Newmarket October Meeting, he and Sir -John Lade, mounted on a brace of mules, rode from the Ditch in for -£1000. This ludicrous race, which was very anxiously and obstinately -contested, terminated in favour of the Duke. - -Mr. Thomas Dale was also the hero of a donkey match at Newmarket, where -he rode one hundred miles in twenty-two hours and a half on an ass; -£100 to £10 was laid against this being done within twenty-four hours. - -Old Q., when Earl of March, for a wager, sent a letter fifty miles -within an hour by hand, which was cleverly effected by the missive in -question being enclosed in a cricket ball and thrown from one to the -other by twenty-four expert cricketers. - -On another occasion Old Q. made a bet of a thousand guineas that he -would produce a man who would eat more at a meal than any one Sir John -Lade could find. The bet being accepted, the time was appointed, but -his Grace, not being able to attend the exhibition, wrote to his agent -to know what success, and accordingly received the following note:-- - - - MY LORD,--I have not time to state particulars, but merely to acquaint - your Grace that your man beat his antagonist by a _pig and apple-pye_. - - (Signed) J.P. - -A curious wager which led to litigation was one between Old Q., when -Lord March, and Mr. William Pigot. The latter and Mr. Codrington -being together at Newmarket, it was proposed to run their fathers -against each other. Mr. Pigot's father was upwards of seventy, and -Mr. Codrington's father little more than fifty. The chances were -calculated, and Mr. Codrington, thinking them disadvantageous to him, -declined the bet, whereupon Lord March agreed to stand in his place, -and mutual notes were interchanged. Mr. Pigot's note was:-- - - I promise to pay to the Earl of March 500 guineas if my father dies - before Sir William Codrington. - - WILLIAM PIGOT. - -The Earl's was:-- - - I promise to pay to Mr. Pigot 1600 guineas in case Sir William - Codrington does not survive Mr. Pigot's father. - - MARCH. - -The fact was that Mr. Pigot's father was then actually dead, but that -was wholly unknown to the parties. - -It was contended on the part of Mr. Pigot, that, as he could not -possibly win, he ought not to lose, and it was compared to a ship -insurance. If the policy upon a ship had not the words "lost or not -lost" inserted, and the ship should be actually lost at the time of -making that policy, it would be void. - -For the plaintiff it was argued that the contract was good, because the -fact being wholly unknown to the parties, it could not influence either. - -The wager was held to be good, and the plaintiff obtained a verdict of -£500, the amount of his wager. - -The most important match made by the "evergreen votary of Venus," as -Old Q. was called, was in 1750, when, as Lord March, he bet Count -O'Taafe, an Irish gentleman notorious for eccentricity, one thousand -guineas that a carriage with four wheels could be devised capable of -being drawn at not less than nineteen miles within an hour. - -Wright of Long Acre exhausted all the resources of his craft to -diminish weight and friction; the harness was made of silk combined -with leather. Four thoroughbreds, with two clever light-weight grooms, -were selected, and several trials, causing the death of some horses, -were run. On August 29, 1750, the match came off over a course of -a mile at Newcastle, many thousands of pounds being wagered on the -result, which was favourable to Lord March, the carriage being drawn -over the appointed distance well within the hour. Three of the four -horses which drew the machine had won plates. The leaders carried about -eight stone each, the wheelers about seven, and the chaise, with a boy -in it, about twenty-four. The time was 53 minutes 27 seconds. - -The print (here reproduced) was published in 1788 by J. Rodger, after -the original painting by Seymour, which is now, I believe, in the -possession of Lord Rosebery. - -Large sums were laid upon very trivial and useless performances, and a -certain number of individuals, well-known for their physical strength, -used to undertake to carry out all sorts of queer tasks. - -In 1789 a man called Shadbolt, a respectable innkeeper at Ware, called -Goliath on account of his great muscular powers, undertook, for a -considerable wager, to run and push his cart from Ware to Shoreditch -Church (a distance of twenty-one miles) in ten hours, which he easily -performed within the space of six hours and a few seconds, without -the least appearance of fatigue. Great sums were won and lost on the -occasion. - -All sorts of curious wagers were laid in Ireland. The celebrated Buck -Whalley, for instance, once jumped over a carrier's cart on horse-back -for a bet. This he did from an upper story of a house, quantities of -straw being laid on the other side of the cart. - -Thomas Whalley, known as Jerusalem Whalley, owing to the journey -which he made for a wager to Jerusalem, was the son of a gentleman of -very considerable property in the north of Ireland. His father, when -advanced in years, married a lady much younger than himself, and -left her a widow with seven children. - -[Illustration: THE CHAISE MATCH.] - -Thomas Whalley was the eldest son of this family, and had a property -of £10,000 per annum left him by his father. At the age of sixteen he -was sent to Paris to learn the French language and perfect himself -in dancing, fencing, and other elegant accomplishments. The tutor -selected to accompany him was not able or desirous of checking young -Whalley's extravagance. The latter purchased horses and hounds, took a -house in Paris, and another in the country, each of which was open for -the reception of his friends. His finances, ample as they were, were -found inadequate to the support of his extraordinary expenses, and, -with the hope of supplying his deficiencies, he had recourse to the -gaming-tables, which only increased his embarrassments. In one night -he lost upwards of £14,000. The bill which he drew upon his banker, La -Touche, in Dublin, for this sum was sent back protested, and it became -necessary for him to quit Paris. On his return to England, however, his -creditors (or rather the people who had swindled him out of this money) -were glad to compound for half the sum. - -Whalley then went back to Ireland and took a house in Dublin, where he -lived in the most expensive manner, but quickly tiring of rural life -decided to return to the Continent. While he was still hesitating as to -his exact place of destination, some friends, with whom he was dining, -and who had heard that he was intending to go abroad, made inquiry of -him whither he was going. He hastily answered: "To Jerusalem." Upon -this, certain that he had no such intention, they offered to wager -him any sum he did not reach that city. As a result of this, in spite -of the fact that he originally had not the faintest idea of such an -expedition, he was so much stimulated by the offers made him that he -accepted bets to the amount of £15,000, and at once made preparations -for his journey. A few days later he set out, and having accomplished -what was then an adventurous journey, eventually returned to Dublin -within the appointed time, and in due course claimed and received -from his astonished antagonists the reward of his most unexpected -performance. - -After staying some time in Dublin, Whalley again went to Paris, and was -witness to the very interesting scenes which occurred in the early part -of the Revolution in France. He remained in Paris till after the return -of the King from Varennes; and, when it became no longer safe for a -subject of the King of Great Britain to remain in France, he returned -to Ireland. - -Being of a very active disposition, Whalley made constant trips to -England, where he frequented the gaming-houses in London, Newmarket, -and Brighton, and soon dissipated a large part of his remaining -fortune. He then retired to the Isle of Man, where he employed himself -in cultivating and improving an estate he possessed there, and in -educating his children. He at the same time drew up memoirs of his own -life, which were discovered a few years ago and published under the -title of _Memoirs of Buck Whalley_. - -Another sporting character well known in Ireland was the celebrated -Buck English, who spent the latter part of his life in litigious -turmoil, and was a man who experienced infinite vicissitudes of -fortune. Born to a large estate, the earlier part of his life was spent -in scenes of the most unbounded dissipation; but these were curtailed -when he got into the hands of a litigious attorney, who, for years, -kept him out of his property. Mr. English was tried for his life, -for the murder of Mr. Powell, and was with difficulty acquitted, and -escaped narrowly from being torn to pieces by the mob in Cork. Previous -to this, he threw a waiter out of a window, and desired him to be -"charged in the bill!" In his career, he fought two duels with swords, -in the streets of Dublin; was a Member of Parliament, and an excellent -speaker; was thrown into a loathsome prison for debt, where his -constitution was totally destroyed. He died almost immediately after -his liberation, just as he recovered his fortune. - -In October 1791, at the Curragh Meeting in Ireland, Mr. Wilde, a -sporting gentleman, made bets to the amount of two thousand guineas, -to ride against time, viz., one hundred and twenty-seven English miles -in nine hours. On the 6th of October he started in a valley, near the -Curragh course, where two miles were measured in a circular direction; -each time he encompassed the course it was regularly marked. During the -interval of changing horses, he refreshed himself with a mouthful of -brandy and water, and was no more than six hours and twenty-one minutes -in completing the one hundred and twenty-seven miles; of course he had -two hours and thirty-nine minutes to spare. - -Mr. Wilde had no more than ten horses, but they were all thoroughbreds -from the stud of Mr. Daly. - -Whilst on horse-back, without allowing anything for changing of horses, -he rode at the rate of twenty miles an hour for six hours. He was so -little fatigued with this extraordinary performance, that he was at the -Turf Club-house in Kildare the same evening. - -The Right Honourable Thomas Conolly also rode for a wager of five -hundred guineas on the Curragh. He was allowed two hours to ride forty -miles with any ten hunters of his own. He with ease rode forty-two -miles in an hour and forty-four minutes on eight hunters. - -At this time much money was wagered both in Ireland and England upon -the leaping powers of the horse, and occasionally the methods employed -were none too honourable. - -A young sportsman, for instance, having boasted of the powers of a -recently purchased hunter which he offered to back at jumping against -any horse in the world, a friend ridiculed the idea, and said he had -a blind hunter that should leap over what the other would not. A wager -to no inconsiderable amount was the consequence, and day and place -appointed. The time having arrived, both parties appeared on the ground -with their nags; when laying down a straw at some distance, the friend -put his horse forward, and at the word "over" the blind hunter made a -famous leap; while neither whip nor spur could induce the other to rise -at all. - -A very sporting bet was decided in the most fashionable part of London -in 1792. On the 24th of February in that year was accomplished the -feat of leaping over the high wall of Hyde Park from Park Lane. A bet -of five hundred guineas was reported to have been laid between a Royal -personage and Mr. Bingham, that the latter's Irish-bred brown mare -should leap over the wall of Hyde Park, opposite Grosvenor Place, which -wall was six feet and a half high on the inside, and eight on the out. -Mr. Bingham having sold his mare to Mr. Jones, the bet, of course, -became void. Mr. Jones offered bets to any amount that the mare should -do it, but his offers were not accepted. Mr. Bingham, to show the -possibility of its being done, led his beautiful bay horse, Deserter, -to the same place, who performed this standing leap twice without -any difficulty, except that, in returning, his hind feet brushed the -bricks off the top of the wall. As the height from which he was to -descend into the road was so considerable, he was received on a bed -of long dung. The Duke of York, Prince William of Gloucester, the Earl -of Derby, and a number of the nobility joined the vast concourse of -impatient spectators, who were pretty well tired out before the jumping -began. - -Another remarkable feat was the leap over a dinner-table with dishes, -decanters, and lighted candelabra, performed by Mr. Manning, a sporting -farmer, on a barebacked steed in the Rochester Room at the White Hart -Inn, at Aylesbury, during the steeplechases in 1851. - -Wagers entailing considerable risk and endurance were popular in the -past. Two gentlemen at a coffee-house near Temple Bar once made an -extraordinary bet of this nature. One of them was to jump into seven -feet of water, with his clothes on, and to entirely undress himself in -the water, which he did within the appointed time. - -The present writer, when an undergraduate at Cambridge, witnessed a -somewhat similar exploit performed in the Cam on a particularly cold -winter's day. - -On this occasion, however, the undergraduate, a man of herculean frame, -who had wagered that he would undress in the water, was allowed to -cancel his bet after he had discarded everything but one sock. As he -appeared to be much exhausted, all bets were declared off by mutual -consent. The layer of the wager was in a terrible state on leaving the -water, but entirely recovered the next day. - -Those fond of shooting frequently wagered on their powers as shots. - -In 1800 the celebrated Colonel Thornton made a bet that he killed 400 -head of game at 400 shots. The result was, he bagged 417 head of game -(consisting of partridges, pheasants, hares, snipes, and woodcocks) at -411 shots. Amongst these were a black wild duck and a white pheasant -cock; and at the last point he killed a brace of cock pheasants, one -with each barrel. On the leg of the last killed (an amazing fine bird) -was found a ring, proving that he had been taken by Colonel Thornton -when hawking, and turned loose again in 1792. - -Colonel Thornton could not bear to hear that any one had outdone him -at anything. On one occasion a foreigner was boasting of the sporting -powers of the Comte d'Artois, afterwards Charles X., and asserted that -the Prince in question was, without doubt, considered the greatest shot -in Europe. On hearing this the Colonel looked highly offended, when the -foreign sportsman added, "except Colonel _Tornton_" (thus pronounced), -"who is acknowledged to be the longest shot in the world." There was a -great deal of bitter-sweet in this, but the Colonel wisely interpreted -the phrase in a sense complimentary to himself. - -Colonel Thornton, though his name has come down to us as a great -sporting character, was not by any means universally popular in his own -day. Notwithstanding that he was of quite respectable descent, and had -inherited a comfortable fortune, he was never on familiar terms with -the aristocratic sportsmen of his age, with whom it was his darling -passion to be able to associate. A well-known member of the Jockey -Club, when the Colonel's name was mentioned, once said: "Oh! Thornton, -never let us hear that fellow named; we don't know him." - -The Colonel provoked much ridicule by his overwhelming ambition to -excel everybody in everything--a notable instance of which was his -taking Thornville Royal, a palatial house of which his family and -suite could only occupy one corner, his means being inadequate to keep -up the house and domain in proper style. Incapable of restraining an -innate tendency to exaggeration, Colonel Thornton was known to many as -"Lying Thornton," a nickname which was in some degree justified by the -palpably mendacious accounts of his exploits, which his craving for -notoriety prompted him to disseminate. His conceit was gigantic. He -once actually sent an apology for not being present at a Royal Levee, -which absurd conduct caused a great personage many a hearty laugh. - -The Colonel's extravagance, and the lawsuits in which he indulged, -often reduced him to great straits for ready money. Nevertheless, -he was always possessed of considerable property. Colonel Thornton -undoubtedly deserves to be remembered as a sportsman, though his -reputation as such would have been greater had he not sought to excel -all men in bodily activity and physical exertion, as well as eclipse -them in the extent and variety of land and water sports, which was -naturally an impossible feat. - -Much given to litigation in life. Colonel Thornton gave the lawyers -employment even after his death. By his will he bequeathed all his -remaining property to an illegitimate daughter by Priscilla Druins, -leaving his wife, Mrs. Thornton, nothing, and his son by her only £100. -The will was disputed by the lawyers both in France and England. In -the English Courts it was decided that the Colonel had never ceased to -be a British subject, and that, therefore, the will must be valid. The -French Court, passing a contrary judgment, decreed that the Colonel had -petitioned in 1817, and obtained a complete naturalisation; that his -real domicile being therefore in France, the will must be decided by -its laws; and that the property having been willed to a child born in -adultery, and otherwise contrary to the laws of France, the will was -null and void; and they adjudged accordingly, with costs in favour of -Mrs. Thornton, the lawful wife. The Colonel's real property appeared to -be very little. He inhabited the Château de Chambord only as a tenant, -but he had purchased the domain of Pont le Roi, and the vendors sued -the Colonel's legatees for the purchase money. - -At the dawn of the nineteenth century long-distance matches continued -to be in vogue. The distance between Burton, on the Humber, and -Bishopsgate, in the City of London, one hundred and seventy-two miles, -was covered in something like eight hours and a half by a sportsman in -1802, who had bet that, with the fourteen horses allowed him, he would -accomplish the journey in ten hours. - -In April 1806 a very singular bet, or agreement, was made at Brighton -between Lieutenant-General Lennox and Henry Hunter, Esq. The former, -after some remarks on the prevalent winds at Brighton, proposed to give -to the latter, during the space of twenty-eight days, whenever the wind -blew from the south-west, one guinea per diem, provided the other would -forfeit to him the same sum, during the same period, every day that -the wind should blow from the north-east, which proposal was instantly -accepted. For the ensuing thirteen days the wind lay mostly in the -south-west quarter, upon which Mr. Hunter remarked that, in spite -of south-west gales not being to every one's taste, this was merely -another proof of the old adage that "It is an ill wind that blows -nobody good." - -In 1807, Captain Bennet, of the Loyal Ongar Hundred Volunteers, engaged -to trundle a hoop from Whitechapel Church to Ongar, in Essex, in three -hours and a half, a distance of twenty-two miles, for the wager of one -hundred guineas. - -He started on Saturday morning, November 21, precisely at six o'clock, -with the wind very much in his favour, and the odds about two to one -against him. Notwithstanding the early hour, the singularity of the -match brought together a numerous assemblage. The hoop used by Captain -Bennet on the occasion was heavier than those trundled by boys in -general, and was selected by him conformably to the terms of the wager. -The first ten miles Captain Bennet performed in one hour and twenty -minutes, which changed the odds considerably in his favour. - -He accomplished the whole distance considerably within the given time, -as the Ongar coachman met him only five miles and a half from Ongar, -when he had a full hour in hand. - -A cruel wager was the following, made in December of the same year, -when a Mr. Arnold, a sporting man who resided at Pentonville, bet Mr. -Mawbey, a factor of the Fulham Road, twenty guineas that the former did -not produce a dog, which should be thrown over Westminster Bridge at -dark, and find its way home again in six hours, as proposed by Arnold. -The inhuman experiment was tried in the evening, when a spaniel bitch, -the property of a groom in Tottenham Court Road, was produced and -thrown over from the centre of the bridge. The dog arrived at the house -of her master in two hours after the experiment had been made. - -Little consideration was shown for animals in those days. - -On a Saturday evening in August 1808, a crowd of people assembled at -Hyde Park Corner to watch the start of a pony which was, for a stake -of five hundred guineas, matched to start with the Exeter Mail and be -in Exeter first, with or without a rider. A man leading the pony was -at liberty to take a fresh post-horse whenever he liked. The backer of -the pony won the match, for though the odds were against it, the game -little animal arrived at Exeter in very good condition, forty-five -minutes before the Mail reached that city. Several thousands of pounds -were wagered on the result. - -It should be added that the pony drank ale during the journey, and -several pints of port in addition. - -The distance from London to Exeter is about one hundred and -seventy-four miles. - -In 1809 a very extraordinary wager was decided upon the road between -Cambridge and Huntingdon. A gentleman of the former place had betted -a considerable sum of money that he would go, a yard from the ground, -upon stilts, the distance of twelve miles, within the space of four -hours and a half: no stoppage was to be allowed, except merely the -time taken up in exchanging one pair of stilts for another, and even -then his feet were not to touch the ground. He started at the second -milestone from Cambridge in the Huntingdon Road, to go six miles -out and six miles in; the first he performed in one hour and fifty -minutes, and did the distance back in two hours and three minutes, so -that he went the whole in three hours and fifty-three minutes, having -thirty-seven minutes to spare within the time allowed him. - -In the winter of 1810-1811 a bet of £500 was made by the Duke of -Richmond, then Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, with Sir Edward Crofton -(who afterwards committed suicide), that the latter should not produce -a horse who would leap, in fair Irish sporting style (which allows -just touching with the hind feet), a wall seven feet high. Sir Edward -brought forward a cocktail horse, called Turnip, being got by Turnip, a -thoroughbred son of old Pot8o's (a horse imported, like the celebrated -Diamond, into Ireland by Colonel Hyde), out of a common Irish mare. - -On the day appointed, a gate was removed from its place in a very high -park wall, near the Phoenix Park, and, men and stones being ready, was -built up to the required and specified height, in the presence of his -Grace. While this was being expeditiously accomplished by men used to -building up such fences. Turnip was kept walking about, by a common -groom in jacket and cap. When all was ready, and the signal given, over -he went, but had so little run that the Duke, thinking the rider was -going to turn him round and give him a race at it, turned his head at -the moment, and did not see the leap; to reassure him, however, the -horse was put over it again. He was a slow horse, and died afterwards -from the effects of a severe run with the Kildare hounds in an open -country, where, though the fences would in England be reckoned severe, -they were nothing to the walls of Roscommon and Galway. - -About 1811 there appears to have been a recrudescence of the craze for -eccentric wagers. A good deal of interest was excited in January of -that year by the strange performance of a soldier in the Guards, who -had betted two guineas that he would mark a cross on every tree in St. -James's Park, that was within his reach, in an hour and ten minutes. He -started at ten o'clock in the morning from the first tree in Birdcage -Walk, and completed his task in three minutes less than the time -allowed him. A great number of bets depended upon the result. - -In the same year a French cook, in the employ of Lord Gwydir, wagered -a considerable sum in the neighbourhood of Lincoln, that he could -roll a round piece of wood like a trencher from Grimsthorpe to Bourn, -a distance of nearly four miles, church-steeple road, at one hundred -starts. The bet having been accepted, the Frenchman had a groove formed -round the edge of the wood, and, with the aid of a piece of cord, he -accomplished his task in ninety-nine starts. - -In the same year an ostler of the Dragoon Inn, at Harrowgate, -undertook, for a wager of one guinea, to drag a heavy phaeton three -times round the race-course there, being nearly four miles, in six -hours. He started at six in the evening, and at fifteen minutes to nine -he had performed his singular task. - -In 1812 Scrope Davis, then a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, -betted five thousand guineas that he would swim from Eaglehurst, the -seat of Lord Cavan, near Southampton Water, to the Isle of Wight. This -feat, however, he did not attempt, as he received seven hundred and -fifty guineas forfeit from the sporting gentleman with whom he made the -wager. - -Scrope Davis was a particularly cultivated man, who for a time -frequented the gaming-table with considerable success. Eventually, -however, like the great majority of gamblers, he found himself with -little to live upon except his Cambridge fellowship. He retired to -Paris and bore his altered fortunes with the greatest philosophy, -whilst occupying himself in writing a diary which has unfortunately -disappeared. - -In 1813 another literary man of sporting tendencies--a Mr. Thacker, -who had been an assistant master at Rugby--undertook at Lincoln, for a -wager of £5, to make two thousand pens in ten hours; this he performed -nearly two hours within the time. It was stipulated that they should -be well made; and a person was appointed umpire who examined every pen -as he made it. The pens were afterwards sold by auction at the Green -Dragon, where the bet had been decided. - -In 1814 a somewhat novel wager was decided in a tavern in the City. - -Two gentlemen undertook to drink against one another, one to drink -wine, and the other water, glass for glass, and he that gave in was to -be the loser. They drank the contents of a bottle and a half each, -but the wine-drinker was triumphant. The unfortunate water-drinker was -afterwards taken ill, being confined to his bed with an attack of the -gout. - -In February 1815 a journeyman baker performed a wonderful feat of -winning a bet of fifty pounds to ten laid him by a gentleman that he -would not stand upon one leg for twelve hours. A square piece of carpet -was nailed in the centre of the room, and the time fixed was three -o'clock in the afternoon, when the baker made his appearance without -shoes, coat, or hat, and proceeded to take up his position upon his -right leg. After standing eight hours and a half, before a great number -of people, the gentleman, seeing the agony which the baker appeared to -be in, offered him one-half of the wager to relinquish the bet; but, to -the great astonishment of the spectators, the man refused, saying he -would have the whole, or at least try for it; the perspiration was then -running off him like rain, but he still persisted, when the bets were -fifty to one against him. Nevertheless he performed what was in its way -a wonderful feat, remaining on the one leg three minutes longer than -the stipulated time, when he was put into a chair, and carried home. - -In May of the same year, a novel bet of £500 was laid in a coffee-room -in Bond Street. The wager in question stipulated that a gentleman -should go from London to Dover, and back, in any mode he chose, while -another made a million of dots with a pen and ink upon a sheet of -writing-paper. - -In 1826, Lloyd, the celebrated pedestrian, started, on Monday the 19th -March, at eight in the morning, to perform thirty miles _backwards_ -in nine successive hours, including stoppages, at Bagshot, Surrey. He -went on during the morning at the rate of four miles an hour, although -the ground was much against him, and finished his task with apparent -ease fourteen minutes within the time. He immediately mounted a friends -horse, and proceeded to Hartford Bridge, where he took up his quarters -for the night, and walked on to Odiham the next morning (Tuesday), -where he undertook to walk twenty miles backwards in five hours and a -half, which, with the advantage of a good road, he again accomplished -seven minutes and a half within his time. - -The same year a gentleman made a bet that he would cause all the -bells of a well-frequented tavern in Glasgow to ring at the same -period without touching one of them, or even leaving the room. This -he accomplished by turning the stop-cock of the main gas-pipe, and -involving the whole inmates in instant darkness. In a short period -the clangor of bells rang from every room and box in the house, which -gained him his bet amidst the general laughter and applause even of the -losers. - -As the nineteenth century crept on, life grew more strenuous, and -the eccentric wagers, once so popular, went out of fashion; sporting -matches, however, were occasionally made. - -In 1831, Squire Osbaldiston, of historic sporting memory, when -forty-four years old and over eleven stone in weight, won a thousand -guineas by riding two hundred miles in eight hours and thirty-nine -minutes, the conditions of the wager stipulating that he should go the -distance in ten hours. No less than twenty-eight horses were utilised -in this historic match. - -At 3.15 A.M., July 13, 1809, at Newmarket, Captain Barclay, the famous -pedestrian, successfully ended a walk of a thousand miles in a thousand -successive hours at the rate of a mile in each and every hour. This -great walker had three-quarters of an hour to spare and completed his -task with great ease, 100 to 1 being offered upon him on the last -morning of his walk. About £100,000 depended upon this match, of which -£16,000 was won by Barclay himself. - -Seventeen years later Captain Polhill easily accomplished the task of -walking, driving, and riding fifty miles in twenty-four consecutive -hours, the whole distance of a hundred and fifty being negotiated with -five hours to spare. - -Jim Selby's coaching feat of driving to Brighton and back in eight -hours is still fresh in the memory of many. A thousand pounds to -five hundred was laid at the Ascot meeting of 1888 against such a -performance. Selby started from the White Horse Cellar, Piccadilly, -at 10 in the morning of July 13, and reached the Old Ship at Brighton -at 1.56. Immediately starting on the return journey, he arrived at the -White Horse Cellars at 5.50, and thus won the bet by ten minutes. In -the same year an extraordinary sporting feat was performed by a friend -of the writer, Mr. Charles Bulpett (thirty-seven years old at the -time), who took £500 to £200 that he would ride a mile, run a mile, and -walk a mile--three miles in all--within sixteen minutes and a half. -This he was successful in doing, the exact time occupied being sixteen -minutes and seven seconds. It should be added that the extraordinary -athletic powers displayed on this occasion were greatly enhanced by the -fact that Mr. Bulpett was suffering from a game leg. - -The same gentleman also won another sporting match of an original kind. -Dining one evening at the Ship at Greenwich (formerly a great resort -and the scene of an annual ministerial fish dinner) with some friends, -the subject of swimming came under discussion, and in the course of -the conversation some one, pointing across the river, spoke of the -difficulty of swimming the Thames at this spot in ordinary clothes. - -"I will," said Mr. Bulpett, "lay you £100 to £25 that I do it." The bet -was taken and the next day, according to the terms of the wager, Mr. -Bulpett entered the water at the Ship dressed in a frock coat, top hat, -with a cane in his hand. A boat with his friends in it followed his -progress. He reached the opposite shore with the greatest ease, though -he was carried a mile and a quarter down by the tide, and when he got -there offered to lay the same bet that he would then and there swim -back to the other shore, but there were no takers. Had the wager been -repeated, there is little doubt but that another £25 would have found -its way into the pockets of this redoubtable athlete. - -A feat of a somewhat similar kind to Mr. Bulpett's was performed in -1891 by Mr. J.B. Radcliffe, who within the space of fifteen minutes -rowed, swam, ran, cycled, and rode a horse the distance of a quarter -of a mile, successfully covering the mile and a half in the appointed -time. - - - - -VIII - - Gambling in Paris--Henry IV. and Sully--Cardinal Mazarin's - love of play--Louis XIV. attempts to suppress gaming--John - Law--Anecdotes--Institution of public tables in 1775--Biribi--Gambling - during the Revolution--Fouché--The tables of the Palais Royal--The - Galeries de Bois--Account of gaming-rooms--Passe-dix and - Craps--Frascati's and the Salon des Étrangers--Anecdotes--Public - gaming ended in Paris--Last evenings of play--Decadence of the Palais - Royal--Its restaurants--Gaming in Paris at the present day. - - -There has always been much gambling in Paris, and up to the middle of -the last century that city was the stronghold of public gaming, the -Goddess of Chance wielding absolute sway in the Palais Royal, where -licensed gaming-tables existed. - -The toleration of public gaming in Paris dated as far back as the reign -of Henri IV. In 1617 there were forty-seven "Brelans" frequented by -any one who cared to play, each of which paid a daily tribute of one -pistole to the Lieutenant Civil, who held an office in a great measure -corresponding with that of the modern Prefect of Police. Henri IV. -himself was much addicted to gaming, and the celebrated Sully attempted -to reform him. The King in question having once lost an immense sum of -money at play, Sully let his royal master send to him for it several -times without taking any notice; at last, however, he brought it and -spread the coins before him upon a table. The King fixed his eyes -upon the vast sum--said to have been enough to have bought Amiens from -the Spaniards--and at last cried out to Sully, "I am corrected, I will -never again lose my money at gaming while I live." - -The gaming-resorts of old Paris were filled with people whose -reputations for probity were generally a good deal more than doubtful. -In one of the best of these _tripots_ a gentleman, whose turn to hold -the hand had come, delayed the game by insisting on searching for a few -pieces of gold which he had dropped on the floor. The other players, -eager to pursue their game, remonstrated with him saying, "You know -we are all honest people here." "I know that," was the reply, "honest -people, one of whom gets hung every week when the law is in a mood to -do its duty." - -Scandals of the most disgraceful kind were of constant occurrence, -and in consequence of the numerous quarrels relating to unpaid -wagers, Francis the First once proposed to create a special court of -jurisdiction to deal with such cases. A list of judges and officials -was even drawn up, but the scheme was never actually put into execution. - -Whilst the ordinary folk flocked to more or less obscure gaming-houses, -the _noblesse_ in the seventeenth century were great patrons of the -tennis-court known as the "Tripot de la Sphère," in the Marais. A -considerable amount of etiquette prevailed, and not a few careers were -wrecked owing to the overbearing demeanour of some of the great nobles. - -Cardinal Mazarin, however, introduced games of chance at the Court of -Louis XIV. in 1648, and having initiated the King and the Queen Regent -into the pleasures of the gaming-table, as an indirect consequence -caused the decadence of tennis, mail (pall mall), and billiards. - -Games involving strength, skill, and exercise became neglected, and the -population somewhat demoralised. - -Gaming spread from the Court to Paris, and from thence to provincial -towns, in many cases producing a very disastrous effect. - -Louis the Fourteenth was fond of backgammon, at which one day he had -a doubtful throw. A dispute arose, and the surrounding courtiers all -remained silent. The Count de Gramont happened to come in at that -instant. "Decide the matter," said the King to him. "Sire," said the -Count, "your Majesty is in the wrong." "How," replied the King, "can -you thus decide without knowing the question?" "Because," said the -Count, "had the matter been doubtful, all these gentlemen present would -have given it for your Majesty." - -Cardinal Mazarin himself was generally ready to bet about anything. -He was driving in the country one day with a certain Count, when the -latter proposed that they should wager on the number of sheep they -should pass in the fields on each side of the road, one taking the -right and the other the left side. The Cardinal was a heavy loser -over this, as, much to his surprise, both going and returning the side -selected by his companion simply swarmed with sheep, whilst very few -were to be seen on the other. - -As a matter of fact, as he afterwards genially hinted, the Count -had taken measures not to lose his bet, but the Cardinal, who was -good-natured in such matters, bore him no ill-will. - -Another great ecclesiastic who was equally good-humoured about losses -at play was the Cardinal d'Este, who, one day entertaining at dinner a -brother prince of the Church, the Cardinal de Medici, played with him -afterwards, and quite carelessly allowed the latter to win a stake of -some ten thousand crowns, because, as he told an onlooker, he did not -wish his guest to go away in a bad humour, or feel that he had been -made to pay for his dinner. - -Hoca was a very popular game about this time. Certain Italians who had -come into France in the train of Cardinal Mazarin contrived to obtain -a concession from the King which enabled them to establish places -in which this game might be played, and as they took care always to -keep the bank themselves, they soon began to attract unfavourable -notice owing to the large sums which fell into their maw. The game -in question was prodigiously favourable to the bank, the players -having only twenty-eight chances against thirty. In consequence of the -public scandal which resulted, the Parliament of Paris stepped in and -threatened severe punishment against these men, whilst it was made -punishable by death to play hoca at all. Nevertheless, it continued to -be in high favour at the Court, where many were ruined by gambling. - -In 1691, Louis XIV. determined to put a stop to the evil, and issued -an order that no one should engage at faro, basset, and other games -of chance on any consideration; every offender was to be fined 1000 -livres, and the person at whose house any such game was played incurred -a penalty of 6000 livres for each offence. Gamblers were also to be -imprisoned for six months. The order in question, however, appears to -have effected nothing, for some years later the same prince published -a still severer edict, by which he forbade, on pain of death, any -gaming in the French cavalry, and sentenced every commanding officer or -governor who should presume to set up a hazard-table to be cashiered, -and all concerned to be immediately and rigorously imprisoned. - -About the commencement of the Regency all Paris went mad over gaming; -many of the houses of the great nobles were virtually _tripots_, -special lights outside announcing this to passers-by. Horace Walpole -declared that at least a hundred and fifty people of the highest -quality lived on the play which took place in their houses, which any -one wishing to gamble could enter at all hours. At the mansion of the -Duc de Gevres persons desirous of taking the bank paid about twelve -guineas a night. Such proceedings were deemed to be no disgrace to the -nobles. - -Soon the gambling fever assumed a far more dangerous form than cards -or dice, owing to the wild speculation brought into fashion by Law. -This man, who was born in 1688, was the son of a lawyer at Edinburgh. -Coming up to London he fell in love with the sister of a peer, who, -disapproving of such a marriage with an adventurer, challenged Law, -and fell in the duel. Law immediately escaped into Holland, and was -tried, convicted, and outlawed in England. Perhaps it was in Holland he -acquired that turn of mind which revels in immense calculations; anyhow -he became an adept in the mysteries of exchanges and re-exchanges. From -thence he proceeded to Venice and other cities, studying the nature of -their banks. In 1709 he was at Paris, avid as ever of speculation. - -At the close of the reign of Louis XIV., the French finances were -in great disorder; and Law, having obtained an audience of that -monarch, had almost convinced the bankrupt king of the feasibility -of his speculative projects. He had offered to pay the national debt -by establishing a company, whose paper was to be received with all -possible confidence, and who were to make immense profits by their -commercial transactions. The minister, Desmarest, however, took alarm -and, to get rid of Law, threatened him, by one of his emissaries, -with the Bastille. Law quitted Paris, and became a wanderer through -Italy. He then addressed himself to the King of Sardinia, who refused -the adventurer's assistance, curtly declaring that he was not powerful -enough to ruin himself! - -At the death of Louis XIV., the Duke of Orleans was Regent. Law saw his -chance and ventured again to Paris, where he found the Regent docile -enough. The latter, indeed, was placed in a most trying situation: -the finances were all confusion, and no one appeared competent to -settle them. At first the Regent listened somewhat reluctantly to Law, -doubtful as to what consequences must follow such colossal schemes as -those in which the adventurer dealt. Matters, however, going from bad -to worse, the numerical quack was called in to relieve, by his powerful -remedy, the disorder which no one else would even attempt to cure. - -Law commenced with most brilliant prospects. He established his bank, -was chosen director of the East India Company, and soon gave his scheme -that vital credit which produced real specie. In that distracted time, -every one buried or otherwise concealed his valuables; but, when -the spells of Law began to operate, every coffer was opened, while -the proprietors of many estates seemed to prefer his paper to the -possession of their lands. All Europe appeared delighted; Law acquired -millions in a morning; whilst the Regent, thoroughly duped, felicitated -himself on his possession of so great an alchemist. - -Law was honoured with nobility, and created Comte de Tankerville; -as for marquisates, he purchased them at his will. Edinburgh, his -native city, humbly presented him with her freedom, in which appears -these remarkable expressions:--"The Corporation of Edinburgh presents -its freedom to John Law, Count of Tankerville, etc., etc., etc., a -most accomplished gentleman; the first of all bankers in Europe; the -fortunate inventor of sources of commerce in all parts of the remote -world; and who has deserved so well of his nation." From a Scotchman -(says Voltaire) he became, by naturalisation, a Frenchman; from a -Protestant, a Catholic; from an adventurer, a Prince; and from a -banker, a minister of state. - -Law's novel system of finance was perhaps most aptly defined by a -dissipated and spendthrift member of the French _noblesse_, the Marquis -de Cavillac, who, much to the Scotchman's disgust, bluntly accused him -of plagiarising from his own methods, which, as he added, consisted in -drawing and giving bills which would certainly never be met. - -Meanwhile a veritable rage for speculation prevailed. Fortunes were -made in a month, and stock-jobbing was carried on even in the narrowest -alleys of Paris. Singular anecdotes are recorded of this time. A -coachman gave warning to his master, who begged at least that he would -provide him with another as good as himself. "Very well," was the -reply, "I have hired two this morning; take your choice, and I will -have the other." A footman set up his chariot; but, going to it, got up -behind, where from force of habit he remained till reminded by his own -servant of the mistake. An old beggar, who had a remarkable hunch on -his back, haunted the Rue Quincampoix, which was the crowded resort of -all stock-jobbers; here he acquired a good fortune by lending out his -hunch for five minutes at a time as a desk. - -Law himself was adored; the proudest courtiers were humble reptiles -before this mighty man; dukes and duchesses patiently waited in his -ante-chamber; and Mrs. Law, a haughty beauty, when a duchess was -announced, exclaimed, "Still more duchesses! There is no animal so -tiresome as a duchess!" - -The Court ladies never left Law alone. One morning, when he was -surrounded by a body of _grandes dames_, he was going to retire. They -inquired the reason, which was of such a kind as should have silenced -them; but on the contrary, they said, "Oh! if it is nothing but that, -let them bring here a _chaise percée_ for Mr. Law." When the young -king was at play, and the stakes were too high even for his Majesty, -he refused to cover them all; young Law (the son of the adventurer) -cried out, "If his Majesty will not cover, I will." The King's governor -frowned on the boy of millions, who, perceiving his error, threw -himself at the king's feet. - -The infatuation ran through all classes, and even the French Academy -solicited for the honour of Law becoming their associate--this -Scotchman was the only speculator they ever admitted into their body. - -The evil hour, however, at last arrived; the immense machine became -so complicated that even the head of Law began to turn with its rapid -revolutions. In 1719 he created credit; but in May 1720, uncounted -millions disappeared in air. Nothing was seen but paper and bankruptcy -everywhere. Law was considered as the sole origin of the public -misfortune, no one blaming his own credulity. The mob broke his -carriages, destroyed his houses, and tried to find the arithmetician -in order to tear him to pieces. He escaped from Paris in disguise, -and long wandered in Europe incognito. After some years, he found -a hiding-place in Venice, where he lived, poor, obscure, yet still -calculating. Montesquieu, who saw him there, said: "He is still the -same man; his mind ever busied in financial schemes; his head is full -of figures, of agios, and of banks. His fortune is very small, yet he -loves to game high." Indeed, of all his more than princely revenues, he -only saved, as a wreck, a large white diamond, which, when he had no -money, he used to pawn. - -Voltaire saw his widow at Brussels. She was then as humiliated, as -miserable, and as obscure, as she had been triumphant and haughty at -Paris. - -After the collapse of Law's schemes the stream of gaming returned to -its ordinary channels, and high play continued as formerly to be -the pastime of the _noblesse_, some of whom kept more or less public -gaming-tables. - -Not, however, till 1775 were public gaming-tables, somewhat resembling -those still flourishing at Monaco, licensed in Paris. In that year -Sartines, the celebrated "Lieutenant of Police," began to authorise -regular "maisons de jeu," the profits of which were in principle -supposed to be devoted to the foundation of hospitals, but in reality -failed to reach their destined goal of philanthropy. The most popular -game played was called "la belle." Certain privileged ladies, it may be -added, were accorded permission to preside at the twelve gaming-tables -of Paris twice a week. The bankers gave these attractive sorceresses -six louis at each sitting, and paid all other expenses. A third day -in the seven was set aside for the benefit of the police, who, once -every week, ungallantly pocketed the six golden pieces of each of the -presiding goddesses, most of whom were battered baronesses and ruined -marchionesses, who had petitioned for the somewhat dubious honour of -presiding at these _tripots_. Amongst them were Madame de Thouvenère, -la Baronne de Gancière, and la Marquise de Sainte Doubeuville. The -ladies were generally represented by deputies of the fair sex, who -received a fair share of the wages of iniquity. The directors of -the gaming-houses in question were as a rule the valets of grand -seigneurs, the best known being a man called Gombaud, who acted as -cashier-general. The success of the authorised "houses" led to the -establishment of rival and clandestine _tripots_. The most celebrated -of these private pandemoniums, which were practically "Hells," were -kept by Madame de Selle, Rue Montmartre; la Comtesse Champeiron, Rue -de Cléry; and Madame de Fonteneille. Rue de l'Arsenal. It was at -the last-named place that Sartines, who often visited such places -as a private individual for his own pleasure, narrowly escaped the -blow of a poniard, on being recognised by a ruined gambler. A good -deal of crime and misery was declared to arise from the existence of -these gaming-houses, and at length, in 1781, after many suicides and -bankruptcies innumerable, they were temporarily prohibited. The main -cause, however, was that the brother of a favourite mistress of a -pet courtier, after ruining himself and robbing a friend in order to -obtain funds with which to play, had put an end to his existence, by -blowing out his brains, at a gaming-house kept by Madame de la Serre, -Place des Victoires. After this the demon of gaming took refuge at the -Court, where shady financiers and well-dressed scoundrels carried on -a very lucrative traffic almost under the nose of His Most Christian -Majesty. The privileged hôtels of the ambassadors, where the police had -no control, became also the _sanctum sanctorum_ of the vampires of that -period. In addition to this, after a short lapse of time, the original -Golgothas were re-licensed, the game called "biribi" displacing "la -belle," and becoming the popular road to ruin of the day. - -Biribi is now probably quite obsolete. It was played upon a table which -contained seventy numbers, to which there were corresponding numbers -enclosed in a bag. - -These the banker drew out one by one, the player whose money was on -the corresponding number on the table being paid a sum equivalent to -sixty-four times his stake. As at roulette, there were a great number -of other chances--_pair_ and _impair_, _noir_ and _rouge_, _du petit et -du grand côté_, _la bordure du tableau_, _les terminaisons_, and the -like. - -There were nine columns of numbers, each of which contained eight, -with the exception of the middle column, which was the banker's; this -consisted of six numbers only, which were considered zeroes. - -Unattractive as this game must appear to a more sophisticated -generation, biribi became a regular craze. - -About this time another epidemic of domestic horrors and public -crimes caused the Hells to be denounced to Parliament, which cited -the redoubtable lieutenant of police, Sartines, to its bar, and after -a good deal of gesticulation and ultra-moral oratory--most of it -from those members of the Parliament who themselves kept privileged -receptacles of gaming--it was decided that the high court of peers -should be convoked, in order that they might deal severely with -those minor ruffians, who, in contravention of the laws, carried -on clandestine play. The patrician moralists shortly after issued -a decree, sanctioned by Royalty, that the bankers of unauthorised -gaming-houses should be liable to the _carcan_ (pillory), branding with -a hot iron, and the _fout_ (flogging). - -After this the licensed Hells carried on their golden commerce in -full security, but not entirely without competition, in spite of the -aforesaid pains and penalties which were in several cases enforced. A -curious and characteristic consequence of such a state of affairs was -the use to which certain diplomatic representatives put their mansions, -making good, or rather bad, use of the immunity from interference which -their office of Envoy conferred. M. le Chevalier Zeno, the Venetian -Ambassador, turned his house into a regular casino, admitting any one -into it who would play. For those of the lowest degree a particular -room was reserved, known to its habitués as "l'enfer." Remonstrances -and representations from the authorities were powerless to effect -the cessation of what became a public scandal, the Venetian Embassy -continuing to be little but a gambling-hell, till the departure of the -Ambassador in question. - -Three other Ministers also maintained establishments of a similar kind. -These were the Prussian Envoy, who resided in the Rue de Choiseul, -the Envoy of Hesse-Cassel, whose house was in the Rue Poissonnière, -and the Ambassador of Sweden, whose gambling establishment was on the -Place du Louvre, at a house bearing the inscription "Écuries de M. -l'Ambassadeur de Suède." The somewhat singular methods employed by the -enterprising Diplomats in question were very freely commented upon in a -report issued by the "Lieutenant de Police" in February 1781, nothing, -however, being done to check the scandal. On the contrary, certain -members of the _noblesse_, being struck with the pecuniary advantages -to be reaped from keeping a gaming-house, followed the example of -the Ambassadors, M. le Marquis and M. le Comte de Genlis presiding -over establishments of this kind in the Place Vendôme and in the Rue -Bergère. It became no uncommon thing for Chevaliers de St. Louis to -act as bankers or croupiers. Owing to the decoration they wore they -were not subject to the same jurisdiction as ordinary mortals, besides -which, many of them were excellent swordsmen. This naturally gave -them a great advantage in the case of any protest on the part of the -players against the methods employed by the bank, a circumstance which -eventually led to a royal prohibition of further gaming enterprises -being undertaken by Chevaliers of this Order. - -As the stormy days of '89 approached, gambling became more and more -prevalent, and during the Revolution, notwithstanding the Spartan -austerity which it was declared was to be a characteristic of the new -era, gaming was freely tolerated by the authorities. Later, when Fouché -assumed the office of Minister of Police, the privilege of keeping -gambling-houses was let out as openly and as publicly as the King's -Ministers had farmed out the duties upon salt, tobacco, or wine to the -"fermiers généraux" of the revenue. Cards of address to gambling-houses -were distributed in all parts of France in the same manner as circulars -in London. The sum of money which this system of toleration brought -into Fouché's pocket reached upwards of ten thousand pounds per month. -The Prefect at Lyons, Vermignac, learnt, to his cost, how dangerous -it was to meddle with this _lawful_ income of Citizen Fouché; for, -having ordered the suppression of all gambling-houses in that city, -Fouché represented him in such a light to Bonaparte that he lost the -honourable place of Prefect, and was sent, in disgrace, as Minister to -Switzerland, a situation no Prefect's secretary would by choice accept, -on account of the unsettled state of that country, and the disagreeable -and difficult part a French Minister had at that time to perform there. - -Besides what the farmers of the gambling-houses paid to Fouché every -month, they were obliged to hire and pay 120,000 persons employed in -their houses at Paris, and in the provinces, as croupiers, from half a -crown to half a guinea a day; most of these 120,000 persons were also -supposed to be spies for Fouché. - -In 1789, Thiroux de Crosne, Lieutenant de Police, estimated that there -were fifty-three houses in Paris where illegal games were played; other -authorities of that time gave figures far in excess of this. _Tripots_ -existed in the Rue Notre Dame des Victoires, Rue des Petits Pères, -Place des Petits Pères, and Rue de Cléry. No. 35 Rue Traversière, Saint -Honoré, No. 18 Rue de Richelieu, and No. 10 Rue Vivienne were all -well-known gaming places. - -In the Palais Royal, however, thirty-one different establishments -were ready to allure the votaries of fortune. At No. 33 a man named -Dumoulin, who had been a lackey in the service of the Dubarry, acted -as croupier; No. 50 was known as the rendezvous of Royalists; No. -113 enjoyed a bad reputation as being the cause of a great number of -suicides; No. 36 was very decorously conducted, no woman being allowed -to enter its doors, whilst non-alcoholic refreshments and a light beer -were alone provided in order that the players should run no risk of -exciting themselves. - -In order to further safeguard their clients, the proprietors of No. -36 maintained a regular armed guard who effectually prevented the -incursion of undesirable characters. - -There existed at this period a regular gang of black-mailers, who, -headed by a ruffian named Venternière, made a practice of entering -gaming places and extorting money from the executive under the threat -of creating such a disturbance as to cause the tables to be suppressed. -The gang in question were, however, thoroughly routed in November 1793 -when making a determined incursion into No. 36. They were very roughly -handled, their leader being laid senseless upon the pavement. - -A celebrated Parisian gamester at the time of the Revolution was -Monsieur de Monville, who was a great deal in the company of the Duc -d'Orléans--a Prince whose passion for play was notorious. Whilst the -projected arrest of the Duc was being debated in the Convention, this -gentleman was engaged in a particularly spirited gambling duel with -the regicide Philippe Égalité; the players indeed were so absorbed in -their game as to cause dinner to be served on the very table at which -they were playing. At this moment Merlin de Douai burst into the room -with the announcement of the impeachment of the Duc, who, horror-struck -at such news, deplored the ingratitude of his accusers, after the many -proofs of patriotism which he had given. Then turning to Monville he -cried, "What do you think of such an infamy, Monville?" The latter, -whilst leisurely squeezing a lemon over his sole, said in the calmest -manner in the world, "It is certainly horrible. Monseigneur, but -what did you expect? The rascals have got all they could out of your -Highness, who is now of no more use; consequently they are going to -treat you as I do this lemon." He then, in the most elegant manner -in the world, threw the remains of the fruit in question into the -fire-place, remarking the while, "One must never forget. Monseigneur, -that a sole should be eaten quite hot." - -M. de Monville was a great frequenter of the gambling-rooms over which -presided the beautiful Madame de St. Amaranthe, whose tragic fate on -the scaffold excited so much pity. The _tripot_ over which she cast -her smiles was at No. 50 in the Palais Royal, which has been mentioned -before, and was the most luxurious in Paris. It was said, indeed, that -it resembled nothing so much as Versailles in the days before the -Revolution, and here many Royalist conspirators were wont to assemble. -Denunciations of what was described as a reactionary stronghold were -being constantly received by the Committee of Public Safety, and the -popularity of the presiding goddess of this shrine of chance with the -Royalists eventually led to her execution. - -The Revolutionary authorities saw reaction in everything, even in -playing-cards, and in 1792 they arrived at the conclusion that the -kings were but antiquated symbols of tyranny, and attempted to -substitute a card called the "pouvoir exécutif" in their place. Players -using these new-fashioned cards, instead of speaking of the king of -hearts or clubs, were obliged to say the "pouvoir exécutif" of hearts -and so on. Citizens Dajouré and Jaume, however, improved upon this, -and invented a new sort of pack in which the king became "le génie," -the queen "liberty," the knave "equality," and the ace "law." Hearts, -clubs, spades, and diamonds were changed into peace, war, art, and -commerce. The cards in question, it may be added, made no successful -appeal to gamblers, who continued to prefer the sort still in general -use. They were, however, extremely prettily designed, and are now -reckoned amongst the artistic curiosities produced by the Revolution. - -During our war with France some French prisoners at Deal were once -rather amusingly rebuked for their anti-monarchical tendencies by a -private of the West Essex Militia, which regiment was then quartered at -Deal. The man in question had been begged by the prisoners to procure -them a pack of cards, which he did when off his duty; but before -he delivered the cards, picked out the four kings. The Frenchmen, -discovering the deficiency, said the pack was imperfect, having no -kings in it. "Why," replied the soldier, "_if you can fight without a -king, surely you can play without one_!" - -The Palais Royal, called during the Revolution the Palais Égalité, soon -became the most famous gambling-resort in the world--to-day it is but -a pathetic shadow of its former self. Built in imitation of the Piazza -San Marco at Venice by Cardinal Richelieu and bequeathed by him to -Louis XIII., the palace in question was in course of time given by the -Roi Soleil to his brother and thus became the property of the Orléans -family. Fantastically extravagant and crippled by debts, Philippe -Égalité first conceived the idea of putting the noble building raised -by the great Cardinal to a commercial use, continuing to obtain a very -large sum by letting out suitable parts as shops, gaming-houses, and -restaurants, some of them of a rather questionable nature. - -The Palais Royal, before it contained shops and gaming-tables, had -been the resort of all that was most aristocratic in Paris. Walks and -flower-beds abounded, whilst on the southern side was an alley of -ancient chestnut trees of great antiquity, the destruction of which -provoked much indignation and sorrow. - -The transformation of the historic palace and grounds into a bazaar -effected a great change in the habits of the Parisians, who, without -distinction of rank or class, flocked to the spot which, since the -stately days of Anne of Austria, had been the evening promenade of good -society alone. - -Louis XVI. is said, after hearing of his cousin's decision in this -matter, to have remarked: "I suppose we shall now only see the Duc -d'Orléans on Sundays--he has become a shop-man!" - -The Prince in question, however, cared little about this as long as he -was able to procure the large sums necessary for his wildly extravagant -mode of living. The centre of Parisian activity, the Palais Royal was -the incarnation of Paris in the eyes of all pleasure-loving Europe, -the famous Galeries de Bois becoming the resort of all the profligate -frivolity of a somewhat unbridled age. - -The old gardens, sad and deserted to-day, have witnessed some strange -scenes in their time. Here it was that one summer's day Camille -Desmoulins uttered those burning words which heralded the approach of -the Revolution. - -It was on the Palais Royal that Philippe Égalité let his eyes linger as -the tumbrel bore him through a hooting mob, past the splendid old home -which he had once inhabited, to where the guillotine awaited him in the -Place de la Révolution--now the Place de la Concorde. From the windows -of that self-same Palais Royal, in July 1830, did the son of Égalité -look hopefully yet half-fearfully expectant on another mob, yelling and -triumphant, which, after storming the Louvre and sacking the Tuileries, -came screeching the Marseillaise, roaring "Vive la Charte!" "Vive la -République!" "Vive Lafayette!" and most portentous of all for him, -"Vive Louis Philippe!" The last cry won the day; and Louis Philippe, -Duke of Orleans, went forth from the Palais Royal to become the Citizen -King. - -Many queer characters haunted the galleries of the Palais Royal. As -late as the early years of the reign of Louis Philippe there could -on most days be seen there an aged individual who was pointed out as -"Valois Collier." He had been the husband of the infamous Jeanne de St. -Remy, "Comtesse" de la Motte, who was wont to boast (mayhap with some -probability of truth) that a strain of the royal blood of the Valois -ran in her veins. - -On the side of the Galerie d'Orléans were the famous Galeries de Bois, -the resort of all lovers of careless gaiety during the Directory, -the Consulate, the First Empire, and the Restoration. In 1815 these -galleries were nicknamed, owing to the extensive Muscovite patronage -which they enjoyed, "Le Camp des Tartares." - -The Palais Royal in its palmy days was the centre of luxury--an -emporium of every alluring delight. While its brilliantly-lit piazzas -were viewed with real or pretended horror by the austere, it was a -very Mecca to the pleasure-seekers of the world. In England the place -was often called "the Devil's Drawing-room," it being said that here a -debauchee could run the whole course of his career with the greatest -facility and ease. - -On the first floor were cafés where his spirits could be raised to -any requisite pitch; on the second, gaming-rooms where he could lose -his money, and salons devoted to facile love--both, not unusually, -ante-chambers to the pawnbrokers who resided above; whilst, if at the -end of his tether and determined to end his troubles, he could repair -to some of the shops on the ground floor, where daggers and pistols -were very conveniently sold at reduced prices--every facility being -thus provided for enjoying all the pleasures of life under one roof. - -Besides the licensed gaming-tables there were also many forms of -unsanctioned dissipation in divers subterranean chambers. A number of -billiard-rooms, each containing two or three tables, provided further -opportunities for passing the time. Women were everywhere, and from -about midday till three o'clock in the morning, the galleries of the -Palais Royal were thronged by crowds of gaily-attired nymphs ready to -lend their aid in charming the dream of life. In the days of the Terror -they absolutely dominated the whole place. It was an epoch when many -knew that the guillotine was being made ready to receive them, and -for this reason were seized with a veritable frenzy to snatch as much -enjoyment as possible. - -The close connection which at that time existed between illicit passion -and death was well typified in the personality of one of the most -popular sirens. Mademoiselle Dubois, known as "la fille Chevalier," who -was a reigning favourite of the gardens. The girl in question possessed -no great beauty, her chief attraction being that her father was the -executioner at Dijon, who had sent numbers of people into the other -world. - -[Illustration: THE PALMY DAYS OF THE PALAIS ROYAL. - -From a contemporary print.] - -The gaming-rooms were on the southern side of the Palais Royal. -To enter them you ascended a staircase and opened the door of an -ante-chamber, where several hundred hats, sticks, and great-coats, -carefully ticketed, were arranged, under the charge of two or three old -men, who received either one or two sous from every owner for the -safe delivery of his precious deposit. No dogs were admitted into these -sacred apartments, nor anything which was likely to disturb the deep -attention and holy quiet which pervaded them! From this ante-chamber -opened a folding-door, which led to a large, well-lighted room, in the -centre of which was a table surrounded, at a moderate estimate, by two -hundred and fifty or three hundred persons anxiously inspecting a game. -The salons in the various establishments opened one into another, and -in some there were as many as six rooms which contained tables. - -At one time a curious condition was imposed upon the proprietors of the -gaming-tables. They were obliged to furnish every one who entered their -rooms with as much table-beer as they chose to call for. Waiters were -therefore perpetually running backwards and forwards with overflowing -tumblers of this refreshing beverage--six or seven crowded on a tray. - -On the restoration of the Bourbons, public play in Paris continued to -flourish with unabated vigour. - -There were in 1818: - - 7 Tables of Trente-et-un. - 9 " Roulette. - 1 " Passe-dix. - 1 " Craps. - 1 " Hazard. - 1 " Biribi. - -- - 20 - -These twenty tables were divided into nine houses, four of which were -situated in the Palais Royal. - -To serve the seven tables of trente-et-un there were: - - Francs. - 28 Dealers, at 550 francs a month, making 15,400 - 28 Croupiers, at 380 " " 10,640 - 42 Assistants, at 200 " " 8,400 - -For the nine roulette tables and one passe-dix: - - 80 Dealers, at 275 francs a month 22,000 - 60 Assistants, at 150 " " 9,000 - -For the service of the craps, biribi, and hazard: - - 12 Dealers, at 300 francs a month 3,600 - 12 Inspectors, at 120 " " 1,440 - 10 Aids, at 100 " " 1,000 - 6 Chefs de Partie at the principal houses, at 700 - francs a month 4,200 - 3 Chefs de Partie for the Roulettes, at 500 francs - a month 1,500 - 20 Secret Inspectors, at 200 francs a month 4,000 - 1 Inspector-General at 1,000 - 130 Waiters, at 75 francs a month 9,750 - _Cards every month_ cost 1,500 - Beer and refreshments 3,000 - Lights 5,500 - The refreshments for the grand saloon, including - two dinners every week, cost 12,000 - -------- - The total expenses every month thus amounted to 113,930 - -The amount produced by the gaming-houses of Paris in 1823 was given as -follows:-- - - Francs. Francs. - - Rough Revenue 15,000,000 - - Expenses: upkeep of gaming-houses, - pay of croupiers and - the like 1,000,000 - Annual tax to Government 5,000,000 - Fifteen per cent for the poor 500,000 - --------- - 6,500,000 - ----------- - Total profits of proprietors 8,500,000 - -The scale of payment received by the croupiers and employés would seem -to have somewhat closely approximated to that in vogue at Monte Carlo -to-day. Every establishment employed the services of a functionary -called _l'homme de force_, whose duties seem to have exactly -corresponded with those of the less picturesquely named "chucker-out" -of to-day. - -The lowest stake permitted at trente-et-quarante was five francs--in -certain rooms gold only was allowed--a lower limit of two francs being -imposed at roulette. In this respect, matters were much the same as at -German gaming-tables, which began to be put an end to after the war of -1866. The regulation now prevailing at Monte Carlo, which prescribes -twenty francs at trente-et-quarante and five francs at roulette, is -a very salutary one, preventing as it does a certain class of player -from risking small sums which he can ill afford to lose. During the -existence of the Paris gaming-tables there was at times a good deal -of agitation in favour of raising the limit at roulette, the lowness -of which was said to be responsible for widespread ruin amongst the -working-classes. Occasionally, however, fortune was kind towards some -of her humble worshippers. A cook employed at a Paris restaurant -happened one day to stroll into the gaming-rooms established at No. 113 -in the Palais Royal. He had no money, so amused himself looking at the -people and eating oranges, a number of which he had brought with him. -The rooms were hot, and a thirsty player offered to give the man six -sous for one of the oranges, which the cook accepted. He then proceeded -to throw the six sous on the biribi table, where he won six francs, -which were increased to two hundred at roulette. At trente-et-quarante -he was even more lucky, and after playing with the greatest success for -some time found himself with a profit of some five hundred thousand -francs. His master, the restaurant-keeper, who was a wise man, with -some difficulty persuaded him to invest these large winnings in sound -securities, whilst pointing out the folly of any further gambling. The -cook never played again, and ended his days in affluence. He is said -to have been the only man of this class who ever made a fortune at the -Parisian gambling-tables. - -Numbers of people who frequented the gaming-houses of the Palais -Royal came there when they were already ruined, and, losing the small -sums which still remained to them, afterwards created disturbance and -scandal. - -[Illustration: A GAMING TABLE IN THE PALAIS ROYAL.] - -A case of this sort which attracted a good deal of attention was -that of an English half-pay colonel, who, having lost all his money at -one of the Palais Royal Hells, determined to kill himself and every -one in the place besides. With this object in view he smuggled into -the place a canister full of explosive powder, which he put under the -table and furtively set alight. Though players and croupiers were very -unpleasantly astonished at the result, no one was hurt except the -Colonel, who was very roughly handled and was thrown into prison, from -which he was after a time sent over to England as a madman. - -Amongst the games played were two which are now quite forgotten; these -were passe-dix and craps. - -Passe-dix is said to be the most ancient of all games of chance. -According to tradition it was at this game that the soldiers played for -the garments of Christ after the crucifixion. - -There is one banker and any amount of players, each one of whom holds -the box in turn. When a point under ten is thrown all the players -lose their stake. If, however, a point above ten is thrown the banker -pays double on all stakes. At private play every player banks in his -turn, but in the Palais Royal the bank was, of course, held for the -proprietors of the gaming-rooms. - -The game of creps or craps mentioned in the list of tolerated games is -now obsolete as a medium for any serious gambling in Europe. Curiously -enough, however, it still survives in another continent, being even -at the present day a favourite game in mining camps in Alaska, where -it is well known in the gaming-saloons which are almost inevitable -accompaniments of such settlements. The game would appear to consist of -a board, something like an enlarged and glorified backgammon board, on -which are emblazoned an anchor and five other emblems. The banker, when -the money has been staked on these emblems, shakes out six dice, each -of which bears on its facets devices corresponding with the designs on -the board, the players being paid in proportion to the number of dice -showing the figure they have selected. The boards used in Alaska are -said to have been copied from similar ones brought by French emigrants -to California during the famous gold fever in the 'forties. In some -cases the identical boards exported from France are said to be still in -use. - -The bankers at craps claim that the odds are perfectly even as between -the bank and the players, a statement which, however, would not resist -the test of serious mathematical investigation. - -The farmer-general of all the metropolitan houses of play at this -time was Monsieur Benazet, Colonel of the Garde Nationale of Neuilly. -M. Benazet, after the Revolution of 1830, was decorated by Louis -Philippe with the cross of the Légion d'honneur, on account of his -loyalty. Besides the officials who have been enumerated, there was a -horde of attached spies, providers, pickers-up, and hangers-on, paid -for doing the "dirty work" of the houses, both in and out of doors. -The name, rank in life, presumed fortune, habitation, and habits of -each gaming-house guest were registered; and, if they became regular -customers, a sobriquet, or nickname, was given to each. By this means -the constant players were, in a certain degree, known to the police. -The salaried satellites of the _maisons de jeu_, when they entered upon -their office, were peremptorily told that "it was their duty to regard -every man who played at the tables as an enemy." - -Three of the gaming-houses catered almost entirely for players of -means, Frascati's and the Salon des Étrangers being well-known to all -the gamblers of Europe. No. 154 in the Palais Royal, it should be -mentioned, was also a favourite resort of high gamblers during the -occupation of Paris by the Allies. Marshal Blücher lost very large sums -there. - -This rough old soldier was a most irascible player, and when he lost -(which was more often than not) he would rap out volleys of German -oaths whilst glaring at the croupiers. He usually played very high, -and would grumble at the limit of 10,000 francs imposed as a maximum; -so great was the sensation that he created, that any table at which he -might be playing was always uncomfortably crowded. - -In 1814 the stakes on the tables of the French gaming-houses consisted -of the coins of all nations, it being not uncommon to see French -napoléons and louis d'or, English guineas and crowns, Dutch ducats, -Spanish doubloons, Russian roubles, as well as the various moneys of -Prussia, Italy, and Germany, on the tables at the same moment. Notes -were somewhat rare, though occasionally some daring gamester would -stake a French one for a large amount. - -The Salon and Frascati's were situated close together at that extremity -of the Rue Richelieu which opens into the Boulevards; they both -presented a highly aristocratic exterior, and both professed to be -aristocratically exclusive and to admit no person without a suitable -and satisfactory introduction. From this rule, however, Frascati's in -its latter days departed; and the Cerberus who guarded the portals of -that pandemonium very, very seldom refused admittance to any one whose -exterior afforded evidence that he possessed any material wherewithal -to feed (it were too much to say, satisfy) the devouring appetites of -the bank. - -Frascati's opened rather later than the other gaming-houses, its -portals being only thrown open at one in the afternoon. - -The Salon des Étrangers, also a favourite resort of Marshal Blücher, -was frequented chiefly by that class who could afford to frequent -gaming-houses, the ambassadors of foreign potentates frequently -presiding at its sumptuous and magnificent entertainments. - -The opening of these houses took place with nearly as great regularity -as that of any bureau in Paris. - -A well-known figure at the Salon was an old gentleman whose existence -was bound up with that of this gaming-house. He had been completely -ruined by play, and the proprietors of the Salon allowed him a pension -to support him in his miserable senility--just sufficient to supply -him with a wretched lodging, bread, and a change of raiment once in -every three or four years! In addition to this he was allowed a supper -(which was his dinner) at the gaming-house. Thither, at about eleven -o'clock at night, he went. Till supper-time (two) he amused himself in -watching the games and calculating the various chances, although he was -destitute of the means of playing a single coup. At four he returned to -his lodging, retired to bed, and lay till between nine and ten on the -following night. A cup of coffee was then brought to him; and, having -dressed himself, at the usual hour he again proceeded to the Salon. -This had been his round of life for several years; and during all that -time (except on a few mornings about midsummer) he had not beheld the -sun! - -Another constant frequenter of the Salon des Étrangers during the -occupation of Paris by the Allies in 1814 was a Mr. Fox, a popular -Secretary of the British Embassy, who was notorious for his easy-going -disposition. Though usually most unfortunate at play, he once had an -extraordinary run of luck, when having taken up the dice-box, he threw -eleven successful throws, broke the bank, and took home some sixty -thousand francs as winnings. All of this he spent in buying presents -for ladies, which he declared was the only way to prevent the rascals -at the Salon from getting back their money. - -At the same gambling-place Lord Thanet lost enormous sums, whilst a -young Irishman, Mr. Gough by name, was totally ruined there, and in -consequence blew out his brains. - -On the green cloth of the Salon des Étrangers also melted away the -fortune of Sir Francis Vincent, who, having dissipated the whole of -a fine property at play, entirely disappeared from the gay world. -Frascati's--a more amusing resort--was in its palmy days regularly -haunted by an aged gentleman well dowered with means, who was daily -carried by his servant to the rouge-et-noir table. There he sat playing -from three o'clock until five, at which hour, precisely, the servant -returned and carried him (for he had entirely lost the use of his legs) -back to his carriage. He was a man of large fortune, and the stakes he -played were not considerable; yet he was elated by every lucky coup, -and at every reverse he gnashed his teeth and struck the table in rage. -No sooner, however, had the moment for his departure arrived, than he -regained his equanimity, utterly regardless as to whether he had been a -winner, or a loser, by the proceedings. "I have outlived all modes of -excitement," said he, "save that of gaming: it is that that takes the -fastest hold on the mind and retains it the longest; my blood, but for -this occasional agitation, would stagnate in my veins--I should die." - -Ten fêtes were given during the year at Frascati's, the sole -gaming-place to which, after 1818, women were allowed admittance. - -The disinclination of the Parisian authorities to throw open the public -gaming-rooms to women was founded upon very substantial grounds, for -at the beginning of the nineteenth century, great scandals had arisen -owing to ladies becoming desperate after unsuccessful play. In 1804, -for instance, a young and beautiful Hanoverian Countess, who had lost -50,000 livres, planned and executed the robbery of a fine coronet of -emeralds, which she contrived to purloin at a ball given by the owner, -Madame Demidoff. The youth, beauty, and high rank of the thief caused a -great agitation in favour of her being pardoned, but Napoleon, who was -never moved by mere sentimental considerations, refused to annul the -sentence which had been passed upon her. - -When they take to gambling, Frenchwomen become passionate devotees of -play, as may be verified at any casino in France when baccarat and -petits chevaux are in full swing. Very often they become so fascinated -by the spirit of speculation that they can think of nothing else. An -instance of this was the lady who, confessing to her priest, owned she -was desperately fond of gambling. - -The confessor, after pointing out the evils of such a passion, -advanced several arguments against play, amongst which a principal one -was the great loss of time which it must inevitably occasion. - -"Ah," said the lady, "that's just what vexes me--so much time lost in -shuffling the cards!" - -Besides the licensed gaming-houses there were at this time a number of -"maisons de bouillotte," which, though unlicensed, were more or less -under the surveillance of the police. Here a good deal of play went on -practically unchecked, an added attraction being the female society of -no very rigorous morality which frequented such resorts. The favourite -game played in these bouillottes was not the "bouillotte" from which -they took their name, but écarté, in some ways a modification of the -old French game of "la triomphe." Écarté in its present form would seem -to have been first played in the early part of the nineteenth century -in Paris, whence it made its way to England about 1820. - -Whilst such places, together with Frascati's and the Salon des -Étrangers, were the resort of the fashionable world, humbler gamblers -betook themselves to half a dozen houses which were frequented by all -classes of the population, the most popular being Nos. 9, 129, and -113 in the Palais Royal. Play began at twelve in the morning, except -on Sundays and holidays, when one was the hour fixed; on certain -Saints' Days and at Christmas all the gambling houses were compelled -by law to close at midnight, except the Salon des Étrangers and No. 9 -in the Palais Royal, two of those curious exceptions for which the -authorities in France have always had (and still have) a liking, being -made in their favour. - -On January 21, the day on which the unfortunate Louis XVI. had been -guillotined, a special regulation forbade any play at all. In 1819, -however, no notice was taken of this, which led to a great outcry; and -the following year the gambling-houses did shut their doors on the day -in question, but the keepers demanded a rebate on the sum paid to the -Government as compensation for their loss of profits. - -The evil days of the Palais Royal as a pleasure-resort began about -the time of the Revolution of 1830, when it became evident that a -determined effort was going to be made to alter the character of the -place entirely. In 1831, stringent measures were adopted with regard to -the class of persons allowed to frequent the galleries, the amusements -permitted being exposed to a rigorous censorship, whilst every effort -was made to efface the traditions of light-hearted frivolity and -licence which had hung about the old place since the days of the -Revolution. - -Numbers of the tradesmen who owned shops in the Palais Royal had called -for these measures. They were imbued with the somewhat pharisaical -respectability which is so often the appanage of their class, and -entertained the totally fallacious idea that the purification of -the gardens would cause a greater number of visitors from abroad to -frequent and make purchases at their shops. It soon became evident -that the fate of the gaming-tables was sealed, a great outcry being -raised against the toleration of what was characterised as a public -scandal, and was denounced as such in the Press. English opinion -particularly was said to be bitterly hostile to the tables, and the -deluded tradesmen of Paris entertained an idea that the doubtful -pleasures of the Palais Royal prevented much foreign money from pouring -into their pockets. - -Finally in 1836, chiefly owing to the efforts of a Mr. Delessert, it -was decided that the gaming-houses of Paris should be closed two years -from that date, and on the 1st of January 1838 the Palais Royal ceased -to offer any attractions appealing to the gambler. - -At the time when the agitation for the suppression of public gaming -in Paris was going on, a good deal of abuse was heaped upon the -proprietors of the tables, who were denounced as vampires sucking the -blood of the poor. One of them, M. Borsant by name, was exempted from -censure, being noted for many favourable traits not often to be met -with in those drawing their revenue from gaming. This gentleman once -actually restored 17,000 francs lost by a young man to his astonished -parents. The actual date of the cessation of public play in Paris was -Sunday, December 31, 1837. So numerous had the visitors been during the -last few weeks preceding this date, that an additional police force -had been found necessary for the maintenance of order. In consequence -of the excitement, the manufacturers and tradesmen of Paris had come -to a general agreement not to pay their workmen's wages before twelve -o'clock on Sunday night, lest the money might be carried to swell the -last day's receipts of the great joint-stock company to which all the -Parisian gaming-houses belonged. - -On the last evening, which was a Sunday, the rooms at Frascati's were -so thronged that there was scarcely a possibility of stirring in them. -The tables were overladen with money. At ten o'clock such was the crowd -inside that it was found necessary to shut the street doors. - -Placards stuck up in all the rooms warned the gamblers that the play -would not be suffered to extend a single minute beyond midnight, which -was the hour specified by the law. The Salon or Cercle des Étrangers, -still the most fashionable of the gambling-houses, which usually was -opened only at eleven at night and closed at three or four in the -morning, opened on Sunday evening at nine o'clock, a notification to -such effect having been sent round to the habitual frequenters of -the place. On Saturday and Sunday all the gambling-houses of Paris, -especially No. 154 of the Palais Royal and Frascati's, were immensely -crowded. Several dramatic incidents occurred. A workman destroyed -himself on quitting No. 113, and two young men who had lost large sums -disappeared entirely. - -In accordance with the edict previously announced, the game ceased -exactly at midnight. The gambling during the last days of the tables -had been very high, and crowds flocked to witness the end. Disturbances -were anticipated, and the municipal guards were in consequence posted -in considerable force about the various rooms. At Frascati's an immense -crowd of visitors assembled, but they dispersed peaceably, after -encountering the shouts and hisses of the mob that had collected in the -Rue de Richelieu outside to witness their final exit from that historic -haunt of pleasure. A dramatic incident occurred, one unhappy wretch -shooting himself as the doors closed for ever. He had lost heavily, and -was in despair at the prospect of being unable to retrieve his losses. - -In 1838 a case came on for trial before the Court of Assizes, Paris, -which excited a good deal of interest. The prisoner, a clerk to a -merchant, had gambled on several occasions, and had lost at Frascati's -and the gaming-houses licensed by Government upwards of 100,000 francs, -the property of his employer. In the course of the trial, Benazet, the -lessee of these establishments, stated that in the course of a year -there was thrown on the tables of the gaming-houses comprised in his -licence 800,000,000 francs (£32,000,000): that, independently of the -annual sum paid to Government for the licence (which was 6,000,000 -francs or £240,000), the clear profit on the tables during the last -year of their life, 1837, was no less a sum than 1,900,000 francs -(£76,000), but that three-fourths of this sum was paid over to the -city of Paris; the other fourth (£19,000) was his proportion of the -gain. M. Benazet eventually declared that he would refund his part -of the sum lost by the prosecutor's clerk if the city of Paris would -equally pay back the three-fourths of it which had passed to its -credit. The average number of gamblers admitted to those houses had -been three thousand a day, another thousand having been denied entrance. - -From the moment that the tables were suppressed, the prosperity of -the shops in the former Palace of Cardinal Mazarin began to wane. As -the years rolled on, visitors became fewer and fewer, till the place -assumed the forlorn aspect which it wears to-day, when even the tourist -scarcely deigns to visit its deserted galleries. - -At the time of the Revolution there had been a number of first-class -restaurants in the Palais Royal. The café kept by Méot, for instance, -enjoyed a great reputation for its cellar. Here could be procured -twenty-two sorts of red wine, twenty-seven of white, and sixteen -different kinds of liqueurs, most of which had come from the cellars -of the _noblesse_. Méot's was essentially a Royalist restaurant, -and contained little rooms where aristocratic clients could dine in -luxurious privacy. - -Beauvilliers, once cook to the Prince de Condé, also kept a restaurant -much frequented by adherents of the old régime, and here Rivarol -Champcenetz and others used, while dining, to compose articles for the -famous Royalist sheet--_Les Actes des Apôtres_. - -A well-situated restaurant was Véry's, which paid no less than 196,275 -livres a year as rent for No. 83. Véry's was founded in 1790: here it -was that Danton gave dinners to his friends, and pointed out to them -"that their turn had come to taste the delights of life; and enjoy the -sumptuous mansions, exquisite dishes, rare fabrics, and beautiful women -which were the legitimate spoils of the victors." This restaurant was -much frequented by foreigners, with whom it had a great reputation; -every Englishman of means who visited Paris made a point of dining -there once or twice. - -At No. 73 was the restaurant Venua, where the Girondins used to -dine at ten francs a head. Robespierre also used to frequent its -gaily-decorated saloons, and men alive in the middle of the last -century well remembered the sinister profile and sky-blue coat of the -"sea-green incorruptible" reflected in the mirrors which adorned this -café. - -A badly-lit, ill-appointed restaurant was that kept by Fevrier; -nevertheless, its democratic lack of luxury attracted austere patriots. - -Lepelletier de St. Fargeau, dining here on the 20th of January 1793, at -five o'clock in the afternoon, was accosted by a young man who stabbed -him to death as one who had voted for the execution of Louis XVI. - -[Illustration: VERY'S IN 1825.] - -As Paris gradually recovered from the fever of the Revolution, many -other first-class restaurants were established in the Palais Royal, -several of which survived up to our own time. - -All of these have now long disappeared from the spot which was once a -shrine for the gastronomers of Europe. To-day the very name of Véfour -is forgotten. Les Trois Frères Provençaux, the Café Corazza, and other -resorts, once famous for their cuisine, have long ceased to make any -appeal to the modern gourmet, whilst even the less pretentious cafés, -which, in the early days of the third Republic, offered the passing -traveller a sumptuous dinner for two or three francs, have almost, -without exception, closed their doors. - -From time to time schemes have been mooted which were to galvanise the -Palais Royal into some semblance of life; the latest of these is a plan -to pierce a street, or rather a drive, right through it, by which means -the place would become a thoroughfare and regain its lost vitality. - -Sad and mournful as the old gardens are to-day, it is not altogether -without the bounds of possibility that they will in the future once -again become the resort of the wealthy pleasure-seekers of the world. - -The fine shops which formerly abounded beneath the colonnades are -memories of the past, all the great shopkeepers having migrated from -what has become a little city of the dead. A number of the shopkeepers -in the Palais Royal lived to regret bitterly the rigorous measures for -which they had once so vehemently called, and there is no doubt that -the unfortunate commercial results which followed, once it had ceased -to be a pleasure-resort, made a deep and lasting impression upon the -mind of the Parisian tradesman, who to-day thoroughly realises that -visitors to Paris are attracted by some amusement of a speculative kind. - -The Parisian shop-keeper would probably welcome the revival of public -gaming-tables for he is a warm supporter of French racing, where the -betting is legalised and carried on by the State, well knowing the -commercial benefits which indirectly accrue to the city of Paris. - -During the Second Empire, Doctor Louis Véron, ex-dealer in quack -medicines, ex-manager of the Grand Opéra, and ex-proprietor of the -_Constitutionnel_ newspaper, offered an enormous royalty to Government -for the privilege of establishing a gambling-house in Paris. The -Emperor Napoleon III., however, declined to consider the proposal. - -At the present day, though no public tables exist, there are ample -facilities for play in Paris, and baccarat flourishes in many a Club to -which admission is not difficult. The great evil of the gaming-houses -of the Palais Royal was that they especially appealed to a class which -could not afford to lose their hard-earned money--the poor being lured -to ruin. Such a state of affairs is non-existent in modern Paris, where -gambling, as far as possible, is limited to those able to afford to -indulge in it. - -A Frenchman cares little for Clubs without play, and many a _Cercle_ -draws its principal support from the cagnotte at baccarat; this amounts -to about ten per cent on the sum put into the bank, which goes to the -highest bidder up to five hundred louis, when, if there are two or -three competitors, they draw lots for it. The percentage in question, -however, varies as the bank increases, and is not levied after a -certain amount of renewals. - -In former years the management of some of these gambling-clubs was -somewhat lax, and occasionally undesirable characters entered the -rooms and passed themselves off as members. At a certain well-known -resort, which formerly flourished not far from the Place de l'Opéra, -high gambling was the order of the day just before dinner. One fine -afternoon there was as usual somewhat spirited bidding for the bank, -which was eventually secured for some four hundred louis by a very -distinguished-looking man whose face was new to the usual frequenters -of the place. The individual in question, taking the banker's seat, -the cards having been shuffled and cut, produced no money but merely -told the croupier opposite, "Il y a quatre cents louis en banque," upon -which that official, with all the dignity of his race, tapped a piece -of red cardboard and repeated, "Quatre cents louis à la carte." - -The stakes were made and the cards dealt--neuf on the right, huit on -the left--both sides won. "Caissier," cried the banker to the official -who exchanged money for counters and vice versa at the desk, "donnez -dix mille francs." The result of this was, however, unsatisfactory, -for the caissier most politely explained that he had no authority to -advance money to members, and certainly not to members whom he did not -know. "Well," said the banker, "if that is the case I must go and get -my pocket-book from my coat; it will be the matter of an instant." -This optimistic forecast, however, was hardly justified by subsequent -events, for the banker never returned, and eventually the expectant -and anxious players became so enraged that the management of the Club -thought it best to pay them their winnings. The banker, it afterwards -transpired, had been a notorious sharper. - -It was at a Club of the same sort, where the membership was rather -mixed, that a certain English nobleman, finding that his pocket-book, -containing several thousand francs, had been taken out of his coat -hanging in the hall, did not hesitate to tell the committee that it -must have been purloined either by the waiters or the members, and -received the reply, "We can answer for the _waiters_!" - -Not very far from Paris, at the Casino of Enghein, much baccarat is -played, which has rendered the resort in question very popular, so much -so indeed that the criminals known as "apaches" have begun to haunt the -road from Paris. Not very long ago a band of these pests contrived to -stop a motor, one of them lying down in the road in front of it, and -the rest attempting to rob the occupants when the car was pulled up. -The miscreants were on the point of wrenching a valuable pearl necklace -from a lady's neck when another car arrived and put the assailants to -flight. - -About a couple of years ago roulette was played--practically without -let or hindrance--at St. Germain. No wheel, however, was employed, -its place being supplied by a dial on which by an ingenious device -the winning number and colour appeared on a croupier firing a sort of -rifle. The result was the same as at ordinary roulette, and just as in -the old-fashioned form of the game most people lost their money. This -resort, it should be added, was eventually closed by the authorities, -who were aroused by the great increase of gaming in Paris owing to the -introduction of baccarat with one tableau. This will be dealt with at -the end of the next chapter. - - - - -IX - - Public gaming in Germany--Aix-la-Chapelle--An Italian gambler--The - King of Prussia's generosity--Baden-Baden--M. de la Charme--A - dishonest croupier--Wiesbaden--An eccentric Countess--Closing - of the tables in 1873--Last scenes--Arrival of M. Blanc at - Homburg--His attempt to defeat his own tables--Anecdotes of - Garcia--His miserable end--A Spanish gambler at Ems--Roulette at - Geneva and in Heligoland--Gambling at Ostend--Baccarat at French - watering-places--"La Faucheuse" forbidden in France. - - -In former times a great deal of public gaming was carried on at -Aix-la-Chapelle, where the alluring rattle of the dice-box was to be -heard from morning till night. Here there were fixed hours for play, -one bank opening as another shut--biribi, hazard, faro, and vingt-et-un -being the favourite games. The chief banker paid a thousand louis per -annum for his licence during the season; and it was said that his -profit in general exceeded four thousand, and sometimes double that -sum. There were two gaming-houses a mile or two from the town, and -each gambling-house, each room, nay, each part of a room, had its -fashionable hours. From the commencement of play to the conclusion -(that is, from ten in the morning to two or three the next morning), -only two hours were allotted for meals. - -In 1792 a little Italian created a considerable sensation at this -gaming-resort, to which he had come as an adventurer, with a few louis -d'or in his pocket, determined to try the favour of fortune. His first -attempt was at hazard, where he played crown stakes, which, as fortune -smiled on him, were increased to half a guinea, guinea, and so on to -bank-notes. In the space of twenty-four hours he had stripped the bank -of upwards of four thousand pounds; and the next morning, resuming his -operations, broke the bank entirely, his winnings amounting to more -than nine thousand pounds. One would have imagined that a poor needy -adventurer, who most probably had never seen a twentieth part of such a -sum before, would at once have pocketed his winnings and returned (in -his own mind a prince) to his native country. Content, however, was a -stranger to his mind, and the accession of one sum only brought with it -anxiety for a greater. He continued to be successful; and for several -days the bankers ceased to play, so completely had he reduced them -to their last stake. When a fresh supply of cash did at last arrive -the little adventurer recommenced operations--for a few hours with -his usual success. The luck, however, at last changed, and from being -the possessor of ten thousand pounds he left the bank reduced to his -very last louis. He next proceeded to negotiate a loan of about thirty -pounds, and returned to the tables, much to the discomfort of the -bankers, who, from the success that attended his play, had conceived no -small dread of him. His usual run of good luck attended him, and from -being master of only thirty pounds, he left the table with more than -ten thousand. He remembered a resolution he had formed in his fit of -poverty, went to an inn, ordered a carriage, and packed up his baggage. -In the interim, however, one of the directors of the bank, learning -his intention, set off to interview him, resolved to use all the -rhetoric he was master of to persuade him to relinquish his design. His -arguments were too specious not to destroy the resolution of the poor -Italian, whose fortitude vanished in a moment, and instead of making -for his native country he returned to the gaming-table, where, in a -very few hours, he was stripped of every _soldo_ he had in the world, -and left to reflect on the diversity of fortune which he had known in -the space of so short a time. The moment he got back to his lodgings he -sold the greater part of his clothes, and by this means raised a few -louis which he took to his old haunts, where he now cut a sorry figure. - -[Illustration: ROULETTE IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.] - -A considerable sensation was once caused at the principal faro-table -at Aix-la-Chapelle by the success of a plainly-dressed stranger, who, -after playing in modest stakes for some time, suddenly challenged the -bank for the whole of its capital, carelessly tossing his pocket-book -to the banker, that the latter might not question his ability to pay in -case he lost. The banker, surprised at the boldness of the adventurer, -and no less so at his ordinary appearance, at first hesitated to -accept the challenge; but on opening the book and seeing bills to a -prodigious amount, and on the stranger sternly and repeatedly insisting -on his complying with the laws of the game, with much reluctance he -shuffled the cards in preparation for the great event. Excitement ran -high, and all eyes were soon attentively riveted upon the trembling -hands of the affrighted banker, who, while the gambler sat unruffled -and unconcerned, turned up the card which decided his own ruin and the -other's success. - -The bank was broken, and the triumphant stranger, with perfect coolness -and serenity of features, turned to a person who stood at his elbow, to -whom he gave orders to take charge of the money. "Heavens," exclaimed -an infirm old officer in the Austrian service, who had sat next the -winner at the table, "if I had the twentieth part of your success this -night I should be the happiest man in the universe." "If thou wouldst -be this happy man," replied the stranger briskly, "then thou shalt have -it"; and, without waiting for a reply, disappeared from the room. Some -little time afterwards the entrance of a servant astonished the company -with the extraordinary generosity of the stranger as with his peculiar -good fortune, by presenting the Austrian officer with the twentieth -part of the faro bank. "Take this, sir," said the servant, "my master -requires no answer"; and he suddenly left him without exchanging -another word. - -The next morning all Aix-la-Chapelle was agog with the news that the -lucky and generous stranger was no less a personage than the King of -Prussia. - -In more recent times Aix-la-Chapelle appeared only destined to end its -gambling days as a trap for incautious travellers, many of whom, in -consequence, never saw the Rhine, and returned to England with very -misty ideas about Germany. - -About 1840 several other German pleasure-resorts began to include -gambling amongst the attractions offered to visitors. After the closing -of the Parisian gaming-houses the proprietors, who found the business -much too profitable to be tamely resigned, turned their gaze beyond -the Rhine, where a fair field for their exertions in the pursuit of -a livelihood presented itself. After many weary negotiations with -the several governments, a syndicate of bankers, with M. Chabert at -their head, simultaneously opened their establishments at Baden-Baden, -Wiesbaden, and Ems. It was a very hard contest between the Regents -and the Frenchmen before the terms were finally settled, and the -latter expended much money and many promises in getting a footing. But -they eventually succeeded, and a few years saw their efforts richly -rewarded. As they had a monopoly, they could do pretty much as they -pleased, and made very stringent and profitable regulations relative -to the _refait_ and other methods of gaining a pull. On the retirement -of M. Chabert with an immense fortune, the company was dissolved, -and M. Benazet became ostensibly sole proprietor of the rooms at -Baden-Baden. The terms to which he had to subscribe were sufficient -to frighten any one less enterprising than the general of an army of -croupiers; he was compelled to expend 150,000 florins in decorating -the rooms and embellishing the walks round the town; and an annual sum -of 50,000 florins was furthermore demanded for permission to keep the -establishment open for six months in the year. - -At Baden-Baden a well-known figure for many years was the old -ex-Elector of Hesse, who made his money by selling his soldiers to -England at so much a head, like cattle, during the American War. The -Prince in question was easily to be recognised by the gold-headed and -coroneted rake he always had in his hand. A constant player, he was a -most profitable customer to the bank. Eventually, however, the superior -attractions of Homburg led him away. The Revolution of 1848 frightened -or angered him to death. - -At Baden the bank at roulette had two zeroes, an enormous advantage, -which rendered the certainty of success in the long run, which the bank -must of course possess, almost ridiculously easy. Nauheim, on the other -hand, was modestly content to claim only a quarter of the _refait_ at -trente-et-quarante, a good deal less than that taken by the present -Monte Carlo tables. The keen competition of its rivals, Wiesbaden and -Homburg, was the cause of this generosity. - -In the late 'sixties a gaming hero, M. Edgar de la Charme, created -a great sensation at Baden, where, for a number of days together, he -never left the gaming-room without carrying off a profit which usually -did not fall far short of a thousand pounds in English money. - -At the end of several days of almost unparalleled good fortune, M. de -la Charme, reflecting that there must be an end even to the greatest -run of luck, packed his portmanteau, paid his bill, and strolled down -to the railway station, accompanied by some of his friends. There, -however, he found the wicket closed, there being still three-quarter's -of an hour before the departure of the train. "Well," he exclaimed, "I -will go and play my parting game," and, taking a carriage, drove back -to the Kursaal, though his friends made every effort to prevent him. -Arrived at the Casino, he sat down at the trente-et-quarante, where -in twenty minutes he broke the bank again. He then left, but, while -getting into his cab, caught sight of the inspector of the tables -walking to and fro under the arcades, and said to him in a tone of -exquisite politeness, "I could not think of going away without leaving -you my P.P.C." - -The society at Baden was said to be as mixed as that frequenting the -Paris boulevards. There was indeed a good deal of Parisian Bohemianism -about this charming spot, which, since the closing of the tables, -has been forced to rely upon its proximity to the Black Forest and -other natural attractions--poor substitutes to the gambler for the -whirl of the roulette wheel and the chanting of the croupier at -trente-et-quarante. - -The rooms which re-echoed to these exciting, if none too reputable -sounds, to-day seem somehow to present a rather sad and almost wistful -appearance. Surely, "if aught inanimate e'er grieves," the Kurhaus -must sigh for the vanished days of the Second Empire, and for the gay, -careless folk who thronged its halls, now so decorous and staid. - -Old gamblers used to say that the croupiers at Baden were recruited -from the same families who had held the rake in the gambling-rooms -of the Palais Royal. Certain veterans were even pointed out as being -survivors of the great days of Frascati's and the Salon. - -Baden made no pretence to any particular exclusiveness. Here all men -and women were equal, people sitting down cheek by jowl with any one -at trente-et-quarante or roulette, a practice not much in favour at -aristocratic Ems, where the fashionable lounger was more given to -tossing down his stake carelessly as he or she strolled through the -rooms. - -Though the croupiers at Baden-Baden were generally above suspicion, the -bank was swindled by its employés on more than one occasion. A notable -instance was that of an official who was discovered to have carried on -a system of plunder for a long time with security. He used to slip a -louis d'or into his snuff-box whenever it came to his turn to preside -over the money department; he was found out by another employé asking -him casually for a pinch of snuff, and seeing the money gleam in the -gaslight. - -On the whole the croupiers at Baden were admirable, sometimes -preserving their self-control under the most trying circumstances. On -one occasion when a young Englishman, of high repute and bearing an -honourable name, vented his rage at losing by breaking a rake over the -head of the croupier, the latter merely turned round and beckoned to -the attendant gendarme to remove his assailant and the pieces of the -rake, and then went on with his parrot-like "_rouge gagne, couleur -perd_." - -The croupiers in general seemed to unite the stoicism of the American -Indian with the politeness of the Frenchman of the _ancien régime_. -Impassive under all circumstances they seemed to fear neither God nor -man; for when a shock of the earthquake of 1847 was felt at Wiesbaden, -though all the company fled in terror, they remained grimly at their -posts, preferring to go down to their patron saints with their -rouleaux, as an evidence of their fidelity to their employer. It is not -unlikely that they regarded the earthquake as a preconcerted scheme to -rob the bank! - -The public buildings of Wiesbaden were charming, especially the -Kursaal, with its open "Platz," its colonnades and magnificent -ball-room, its "salons de jeu," reading-rooms, restaurant, and charming -gardens behind. Here were lakes, fountains, running streams, which -made it as pretty a place as any of its kind on the banks of the Rhine. - -Towards the last days of the gambling at Wiesbaden the majority of the -players belonged to the middle and lower middle classes, leavened by a -very few celebrities and persons of genuine distinction. The general -run of visitors, indeed, was by no means remarkable for birth, wealth, -or respectability, and it used at that time to be said that all the -aged, broken-down courtesans of Paris, Vienna, and Berlin had agreed to -make Wiesbaden their autumn rendezvous. - -One of the well-known eccentric notabilities of Wiesbaden at that time -was a certain Countess--an aged patrician of immense fortune, whose -very existence seemed bound up with that of the tables. She used daily -to be wheeled to her place in the "temple of chance," where she usually -played for eight or nine hours with wonderful spirit and perseverance. -A suite of eight domestics were in attendance upon her, and when she -won, which was not often, she invariably presented each member of her -retinue with--twopence! This was done, she would naively declare, "not -from a feeling of generosity, but in order to propitiate Fortune." On -the other hand, when she lost, none of them, save the man who wheeled -her home and who received a donation of six kreuzers, got anything at -all but hard words. Unlike her contemporary, a once lovely Russian -Ambassadress, she did not curse the croupiers loudly for her bad luck, -but, being very far advanced in years and of a tender disposition, -would shed tears over her misfortunes, resting her chin on the edge of -the table. This old lady was very intimate with one or two antediluvian -diplomatists and warriors, whom she used to entertain with constant -lamentations over her fatal passion for play, interspersed with bits -of moss-grown scandal, disinterred from the social ruins of a bygone -age. Radetzky, Paul Eszterhazy, Wrangel, and Blücher had been friends -of her youth; and, to judge from her appearance, no one would have been -surprised to hear that she had attended the Jeu du Roi in the galleries -of Versailles, or played whist with Maria Theresa. - -Wiesbaden boasted a financier from Amsterdam, who usually played on -credit--that is to say, he pocketed his winnings, but, if he lost, -borrowed money of the banker, squaring his account, which was generally -a heavy one, at the end of the week. Another well-known character was -an English baronet, who always brought a lozenge-box with him. When -this was filled with gold he would leave the rooms. He seldom had to -remain long, for he possessed his own luck, and that of some one else -into the bargain. - -Wiesbaden, like the other German gaming-places, was made virtuous by -compulsion rather than choice. When Nassau was annexed by the astute -Bismarck, the law which abolished legal gambling affected this place as -it did Homburg, Ems, and other Spas. It should, however, be added that -its provisions showed a scrupulous regard for vested interests. - -As the fateful 1st of January 1873--the day on which all public gaming -throughout the German Empire was to cease--approached, there was -considerable excitement, not only amongst the usual frequenters of -the tables, but also amongst the general population of the place, who -fully realised the financial benefits which had accrued to them through -roulette and trente-et-quarante, the impending prohibition of which -they deplored. - -At midnight on the 31st December 1872, after a hundred years of -existence, the Kursaal clock at Wiesbaden sounded the close of play. -There was considerable disorder in the rooms on the last night, the -place being converted into a bear-garden. During the last week the -rooms got so enormously thronged that the administration found it -necessary to admit only by tickets. 1872 was a splendid financial year, -for, after paying all the enormous expenses (5000 florins a day), -including the yearly tax of 200,000 florins to the Prussian Government, -the shareholders received interest on their capital at the rate of -107 per cent per annum. A number of the eighty or ninety croupiers -were retained by M. Blanc for service at Monaco, whilst the rest it is -believed went into trade. - -On the last night an immense throng gathered in the rooms, eagerly -crowding round the tables. The play, however, was unusually dull, and -on the green cloth, which had usually been liberally sprinkled with -gold, only a few spare florins were to be seen. The croupiers did -their best to dispel the depression which hung over the gamesters; -and as the final moment approached, shouted louder and louder, adding -to their usual formula, "Faites vos jeux, Messieurs," the words "le -troisième dernier!"--the third last chance; "le deuxième dernier!"--the -second last; and finally "le dernier!" which seemed to sound like a -death-knell. Their appeals had little effect, the moment being of -such solemnity as to stifle all emotion and paralyse every movement. -Here and there some small stake was noiselessly placed on the table -by some timid and unfamiliar hand, but the audacious spirit of the -real gambler was for the moment lulled to rest, and no one seemed -eager to try a last serious struggle with the goddess of chance. The -closing of the gaming-tables was a veritable convulsion of nature as -regards Wiesbaden. On the 1st of January 1873 there was universal -confusion in hotel and lodging-house, and the streets were thronged -with departing travellers and overladen porters, while the railway -stations were blocked with eager applicants for tickets. With a haste -bordering on indecency the old gambling-saloons were taken possession -of by the municipal authorities, and stripped of their furniture; -windows and doors being thrown open to the air, and the halls, formerly -devoted to chance, handed over to a host of painters, white-washers, -and scrubbers. The green tables, which had caused so many emotions, -were thrown out, and cast into heaps, preliminary to being carted -away as old furniture. The results to the town were disastrous. Many -of the hotels fell into bankruptcy and were forced to close their -windows--their doors they might have left open, for there were no -guests to enter them. - -The shopkeepers, more especially the jewellers, who generally were -pawnbrokers too, and all dealers in articles of luxury, were also great -losers by the change. - -The joint-stock company, which had owned the tables, dissolved, -after having divided a large amount of surplus. The shareholders had -indeed no cause for complaint, yet one of the two directors took the -dissolution so much to heart that he soon after drank himself to death. - -A few days after the cessation of play hardly a gambler remained in the -place. - -One exception, however, there was, who for some years was pointed out -as a rare specimen of an extinct race by the few officials of the rooms -who had been retained as door-keepers and the like in the building from -which all life had fled. - -Still clad in the torn, somewhat shabby livery of more prosperous days -when "Trinkgeld" was abundant, these men would describe to visitors -how this Englishman, a man bearing an historic name, had created a -sensation at the tables, where he had been notorious for his ill-luck. -To all appearance entirely ruined, he had suddenly been left some -twenty thousand pounds, which had soon followed the rest of his fortune -into the coffers of the bank. Reduced to his last florin, fortune for a -moment had seemed to relent, and he had left the rooms with about seven -thousand pounds in his pocket. Having deposited this at his banker's, -he had then declared his intention of never playing again--in less than -a week the sum had been withdrawn and lost. - -His friends, now believing him to be incorrigible, settled upon him -a small allowance, which was paid quarterly, and with unfailing -regularity found its way to the green cloth. - -Seemingly stunned by the closing of the rooms, this Englishman -lingered on for some years, mournfully marching about the spot which -had engulfed his fortune, the loss of which, however, caused him less -concern than being deprived of the means wherewith to gratify the -passion that had dominated his life. - -All the gambling companies had to pay large sums in return for -the privileges which they enjoyed, but still they progressed most -successfully till they were frightened from their propriety by Monsieur -Blanc. This gentleman, after struggling against immense opposition on -the part of the Frankfort merchants, who were naturally alarmed at -the danger to which their _commis_ and cash-boxes would be exposed -by the proximity of a gambling-table, obtained a concession from the -Elector of Hesse to establish a bank at Homburg-von-der-Höhe. Play was -soon in full swing, with the additional attractions of being open -all the year round, and of having only a _trente-et-un après_ (known -as the _refait_) for the players to contend against. Some time after, -Wilhelmsbad was opened as a rival to Homburg, with no _après_ at all; -and the above mentioned, with the addition of Ems, Aix-la-Chapelle, and -Cöthen, formed the principal establishments where "strangers were taken -in and done for" throughout Germany. - -Wilhelmsbad scarcely attracted the outside world at all, being -frequented almost exclusively by Germans. Wildungen might have been -called a child left out in the cold; the accommodation was indifferent, -and the place itself cheerless and devoid of charm, besides which it -was not so easy to get at. Modestly conscious of its slender claims -to consideration, the authorities presiding over the tables allowed a -minimum stake of 10 groschen (1 franc 25 cents), and only enforced a -tax of a quarter of the _refait_ at trente-et-quarante and a quarter -of the zero at roulette, a state of affairs which should have been far -from unfavourable to the players. - -As a matter of fact, public gaming, whatever may be said against it, -left those places where it formerly flourished in a high state of -prosperity--the Kursaals and gardens of German health-resorts, such -as Homburg and Baden-Baden, owed their inception entirely to gaming, -whilst several other insignificant places were converted into agreeable -pleasure-resorts by the influence of trente-et-quarante and roulette. - -In spite of the doubtful morality of the enterprise carried on by -the proprietors of the tables they certainly metamorphosed several -miserable German townlets into cities of palaces. They planted the -gardens; they imported the orange trees; they laid out the parks; -enclosed the hunting-grounds; and, as it were, boarded, lodged, washed, -and taxed the inhabitants. Homburg, for instance, was entirely the -creation of M. Blanc. - -The story of the commencement of the immense fortune accumulated by M. -Blanc is curious. - -One fine day in 1842 the two brothers Blanc, who were temporarily -disgusted with France owing to a daring and unsuccessful speculation -connected with the old semaphore telegraph (which electricity rendered -obsolete), arrived at Frankfort. - -Their stock-in-trade consisted of a few thousand francs, a roulette -wheel, and an ancient croupier, a veteran of Frascati's who knew -everything worth knowing about gambling and cards. - -The purpose of this visit was to convince the authorities of Frankfort -that their city would derive great benefit from affording facilities -for public play, but with this, however, they were not disposed to -agree. In consequence of its cool reception, the little party then -wended its way to the obscure village of Homburg, where the elder of -the two brothers, after some negotiations, obtained permission to set -the roulette wheel going in one of the rooms of the principal inn. - -[Illustration: - - GUIDE - DU SPÉCULATEUR - au - TRENTE-QUARANTE - et - A LA ROULETTE - avec la manière de faire - EN SIX MOIS PLUS DE =50= CAPITAUX. - - - 1er Capital. 1,400 Florins. (3,000 Francs.) - - Par un ancien notaire. - - - HOMBOURG-ÈS-MONTS. 1856. - LOUIS SCHICK, IMPRIMEUR-ÉDITEUR. - -As at Monte Carlo to-day, infallible "guides" to success at the tables -were to be obtained in the Homburg book-shops. The above is a facsimile -of the title-page of one of the most curious of these booklets.] - -The next year an exclusive concession was granted to the Blancs to -establish games of hazard within the dominions of the Landgraf. They -agreed to build a Kursaal, lay out public gardens, and pay about -40,000 florins (something over four thousand a year) to the Landgraf. -A company was formed, and soon the fashionable world flocked to -Homburg--ostensibly to drink the waters, but, in reality, to lose their -money at trente-et-quarante and roulette. - -The general policy pursued by M. Blanc at Homburg was very similar to -that afterwards adopted at Monte Carlo, which is still in its essential -features followed by the present administration. - -The hours allotted to play were from eleven in the morning to eleven at -night, which was also the case at Monaco up till quite recent years. - -The proceedings at Homburg before play began, that is to say, the -counting of money and other preparations for the day's campaign, were -also much the same as at Monte Carlo, though the actual opening of -the rooms for play was more dramatic. As the clock struck eleven the -strains of martial music were heard and the doors of the "salons" were -thrown wide open, admitting a stream of people, amongst whom were many -officers, a note of colour being struck by their uniforms, which were -principally white or green. - -In the early days of Homburg, owing to an extraordinary rainfall, a -flood of water once made its way into the gaming-rooms and caused the -players to beat a precipitate retreat. A fat old German Princess, -however, who was devoted to play, was too heavy to get out in time, -and had to be hoisted up on to one of the roulette tables, where she -placidly remained till matters were put right and the play had resumed -its normal course. - -In the Kursaal were the Café Olympique, private rooms for parties, and, -most important of all, a big saloon and two smaller ones. Here from -eleven in the forenoon to eleven at night, Sundays not excepted, all -the year round, people from every part of the world came to throw their -gold and silver upon the tables. - -As a town Homburg was practically created by the Kursaal. The -hotel-keepers and tradesmen lived by it as well as the Landgraf, whose -main source of revenue was derived from it. This sovereign, of course, -was practically sold to the Kursaal, the Board of Directors being the -real rulers of Hesse-Homburg. The prosperity which the advent of M. -Blanc had brought to his dominions cheered the declining years of this -Prince, who was the oldest reigning sovereign in Europe at the time of -his death, which occurred on the 24th of March 1866. He had attained -the great age of eighty-three when he expired in the arms of two -weeping widowed women--one his niece, the Princess Reuss, the other his -aged sister, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. This -event caused a temporary cessation of play, which had been continuous -since the 17th of August 1843. - -The insidious fascination connected with gambling was once strikingly -exemplified at Homburg. The story, though a well-known one, will bear -repetition. - -M. Blanc had been pondering what to give his wife on her birthday, when -a peculiarly attractive parasol caught his eye as he was strolling -amongst the shops; so he went in and inquired the price, which was -twenty marks. The founder of the great gaming establishment was a -careful man, and it seemed to him that to pay so much for a parasol -was extravagant. Nevertheless, he ordered it to be put aside for him, -saying that he would call and pay for it later. - -On his way to the Casino the thought suddenly struck him: "To win -twenty marks in the rooms is quite easy--numbers of people do it, -but they don't stop; which is the reason I make so much money. Why -shouldn't I win the price of this parasol--make my twenty marks and -walk out?" - -Walking up to a trente-et-quarante table and unobtrusively stationing -himself behind a group of players, M. Blanc furtively slipped twenty -marks on the red--black won. Forty marks on the red--black again won. -Eighty marks on the black--red won. He now became excited and, the -money he had in his pocket being exhausted, edged towards an astonished -_chef de partie_, to whom he was, of course, well-known, and instructed -him to place one hundred and sixty marks on red. The croupier dealt -the cards, and announced that red had lost. By this time every one -had realised that M. Blanc was staking against his own tables, and the -whole room flocked to see such an extraordinary sight. The croupiers -concluded that their chief had gone mad, for he stood looking fixedly -at the cards, entirely absorbed in the effort to recover his losses and -win the price of the parasol. To make a long story short, he continued -to stake till he had lost about £1000, when of a sudden he realised the -situation and rushed out of the rooms. He was, of course, considerably -chaffed about this exploit, which was said to have been the only -occasion on which he had been known to play. For many a long day -afterwards, he used regretfully to say: "That was the dearest parasol I -ever bought in my life." - -M. Blanc, who was more assailed than any other banker, was once nearly -made the victim of a stratagem, which might have entailed serious -results. A scoundrel contrived to get into the "Konversationhaus" by -night, and blocked up all the low numbers in the roulette machine -in such a manner that the ball, on falling in, must inevitably leap -out again. On the next day he and his accomplices played and netted -a large sum by backing the high numbers. They carried on the game -for two or three days, but were fortunately overheard by a detective -while quarrelling about the division of their plunder in the gardens -behind the establishment. They were arrested and the money recovered. -A very dangerous design was also formed against M. Blanc by one of -his croupiers, who, being discontented with his lot, determined to -make his fortune at one _coup_. The plan he contrived was this. He -procured a pack of prearranged cards, which he concealed in his hat, -and when it came to his turn to deal he intended to drop the bank -cards into his _chapeau_ and cleverly substitute the others; but this -artfully-concocted scheme was upset by one of his confederates who -considered that he might make a better and safer thing of it by telling -M. Blanc beforehand. - -A great attack was once made by a Belgian syndicate upon the tables at -Homburg, and for a time had some appearance of ultimate success. In the -end, however, M. Blanc emerged triumphant from the contest, which is -mentioned by Thackeray in the _Kickleburys on the Rhine_. - -It was at Homburg that the celebrated Garcia once created an enormous -sensation by asking the bank to double the limit of 12,000 francs. -According to one account a meeting of the Directors was hastily -summoned by M. Blanc, who was in favour of letting Garcia have his way; -but it was finally decided that no alteration should be made. Another -version is that M. Blanc consented to double the limit if Garcia would -play sitting down and not standing up, the veteran banker's opinion -being that any one standing up was much more likely to depart with -winnings than a player seated at the table. Garcia accordingly sat -down, and though at first very unlucky, eventually rose a winner. - -Garcia is said to have come to Germany with two thousand francs--his -whole fortune--in search of employment. Whilst at Frankfort he -determined to go and try his luck at the Homburg tables, and -being fortunate enough to get on several runs of his favourite -colour--red--he won about £20,000 in three weeks. An Englishman, it is -said, was so convinced that the runs on red must end, that he watched -for what he deemed a propitious moment and began staking maximums -on black against Garcia, with the result that in a few days he left -Homburg without a penny. - -Garcia continued to play on after his rival's defeat, and though at -one moment he was reduced to a capital of six thousand francs, he -retrieved his fortunes by a run of fourteen reds, and eventually left -Homburg with some £50,000--some say more. He now declared that he was -determined never to play again; but this resolution was soon broken, -for within a couple of years he was trying to break the bank at Baden. -Black turned up too often for him, however, and he lost heavily. - -He then thought he would try Homburg again, and was there eventually -reduced to beggary after a few months' play. This gambler subsequently -figured in a most unsavoury card scandal which took place in Paris in -February 1863 at the house of Madame Julia Barucci. This lady, who -was young and attractive, was always surrounded by a large circle of -admirers, and the party which she gave to celebrate her first evening -in a new abode was therefore particularly animated, about thirty -guests being present, amongst whom was Signor Calzado, the well-known -manager of a Paris theatre. Calzado, it should be said, was disliked -by the party generally--Garcia alone being on terms of intimacy with -him--not only because he was a gamester, but probably because he had -the reputation of being a card-sharper, which he was, and a very bold -and original one too. (Calzado once went to Havana and bought up every -pack of cards in the place, having previously freighted a vessel -with marked playing-cards, which arrived just in time to supply the -dealers, whose stocks were completely exhausted. With the cards he had -prepared and imported, Calzado played incessantly, and for high stakes, -being, as an inevitable result, a constant and heavy winner.) The most -popular guest was Signor Miranda, Gentleman of the Queen of Spain's -household, a constant and honourable gamester, well-known as being -capable of losing large sums. He came with about 100,000 francs in his -pocket. As soon as possible Garcia arranged a rouge-et-noir table, -at which his countrymen, Calzado and Miranda, took their places, the -latter soon winning 30,000 francs. After supper baccarat was proposed; -whereupon Garcia absented himself from the room for half an hour under -the pretext of wishing to smoke a cigar in the air. Retiring into a -private chamber, he disposed about his person several packs of cards -which he had brought with him, and then returning to the gaming-table -began to play for high stakes. His success was extraordinary, and in a -short time he won 140,000 francs, chiefly from Signor Miranda. Calzado, -who followed Garcia's lead, also won a large sum. The extraordinary -good luck of Garcia, and the marvellous character of the cards which -he held, aroused the astonishment of the players as well as the -suspicions of those looking on, and it was at length perceived that -some of the cards in Garcia's hand were of a different design from that -of the packs provided by the hostess. He was charged with foul play; -whereupon, somewhat confused, he admitted having introduced cards of -his own, though stoutly maintaining that he had played fairly, and -had brought certain packs from his club merely because they always -proved lucky cards to him, which in this instance was certainly true. -He offered as a matter of courtesy and as a favour, being, as he said, -desirous of avoiding a scandal, to refund his winnings, if the whole -affair were hushed up. At the same time he produced the sum of 50,000 -francs; but those whom he had cheated were not to be tricked into -accepting a third part of their losses in place of the whole, and an -extraordinary scene followed. Seeing that his position was desperate, -and fearful lest he should be forcibly despoiled of his ill-gotten -winnings, Garcia tried to escape. Finding the door bolted, he rushed -all over the house, finally hiding himself in a corner of an obscure -room, from which he was chased by his amazed pursuers, who seized him -and roughly stripped him of all the money in his possession. It was now -the turn of Calzado, who was then asked to display the contents of his -pockets, or suffer himself to be searched. He refused to do either, but -stealthily allowed a roll of bank-notes, to the value of 16,000 francs, -to slip down his trousers and fall on the floor. The roll was picked -up and handed to him, but he denied all knowledge of it. Eventually -the brother cheats were permitted to leave the house, but after their -departure it was reckoned that, in spite of everything, they had -carried with them at least 40,000 francs. - -Garcia and Calzado were both tried for swindling. The former appeared -in person; Calzado, however, had fled. Both were convicted of -malpractices, Garcia being sentenced to five years' and Calzado to -thirteen months' imprisonment, in addition to fines of 3000 francs -each. They were also ordered to pay jointly 31,000 francs to Miranda. -The hostess, Madame Barucci, escaped punishment, but was placed under -strict police supervision, lest she should again allow prohibited games -to be played in her house. Garcia died in great misery about 1881. - -In 1872 the gambling-establishment at Homburg became a thing of -the past. A great number of the townspeople of that resort were -shareholders, and all, more or less, derived some profit direct or -indirect from the play. During the war between Austria and Prussia -they began to be somewhat perturbed, and on their annexation to the -latter country, they hoped against hope that Bismarck, whatever he -might do with kings, would leave what to them was far more important -than dynasties and kingdoms--the bank--alone. - -In 1867, however, the blow fell, and the directors of the -gambling-rooms, summoned to appear before the Governor, were informed -that all play was to cease in 1872. - -It should be added that an arrangement of a not unfair kind protected -the interests of the shareholders. - -[Illustration: GAMBLING AT HOMBURG. - -Drawn by the late G.A. Sala. (_Impasse_ should of course be _Impair_.)] - -During these last days of play at Homburg a great crowd had been coming -in, but still the tables were not inconveniently crowded, and people -were able to stake their money with ease though without comfort. There -was, however, a good deal of pilfering and snatching of money, which -had always been rather a feature at this resort, shrill-tongued harpies -being apt to pounce on the couple of five-franc pieces just won by any -simple Englishman ignorant of the German tongue. As the end approached -the usual high play still prevailed, but the administration was a -good deal disturbed by the advent of workmen, shopmen, and others, -a very different class of people from their aristocratic clients of -the summer season. These new visitors were sturdy, brutal customers, -who became frenzied if they lost a florin, and seemed not unlikely -to revenge themselves by some lawless raid. This very unlucrative -crowd continued to increase, and it became known that on the last -two days the forces would be recruited by yet larger bands. The -administration, wisely reckoning that the result might be a general -riot organised for purposes of plunder, took measures to avert such a -crowning catastrophe. On the Sunday, then, while numbers of speculative -individuals at Frankfort and other towns were arranging for one grand -final expedition, and were looking forward to being in at the death, -it was determined to end play for ever suddenly and without notice. -Before five o'clock this had been done, much to the indignant surprise -of the new arrivals, and the rage and fury of the less scrupulous. -This, perhaps, was no undignified end; and Homburg, from a gambling -point of view, may be said to have "died game." The administration -maintained its honeyed, courteous phrases to the last, and on the -Monday stuck little proclamations all over the walls, to the effect -that the "Administration begged to inform _la société_ that there would -be no play on the 30th and 31st inst. Signed: The Kurhaus Direction." -Nevertheless on the back sheet of the Belgian papers was a huge -advertisement proclaiming to all whom it concerned that there would be -play to the last day of the month. Such an oversight was scarcely fair -to the friends and admirers of the tables, some of whom travelled from -a great distance to bid a final adieu to the Halls of Chance. - -The appearance of the gambling-house on the day after the cessation -of play was indescribable, resembling a badly-set scene by daylight. -Numbers of charwomen and men-servants hung about in groups; officials, -like those of a bankrupt hotel, went about with keys; chairs were piled -on the long gaming-tables by irreverent hands; everything looked as -though there was going to be a sale by auction. The ball-room, however, -still had its chairs all set out in order, as if company were expected, -whilst the orchestra played in the gardens, which already presented a -neglected air. Even the theatre looked shabby, though behind the frame -of wire network was to be read the announcement of the last--the very -last in all truth--appearance of the "Diva Patti" in _La Sonnambula_. - -Ems was another gambling resort. This was essentially a rendezvous -of all the pleasure-loving aristocracy and fashionable financiers of -the day--unlike Wiesbaden and Homburg, which were rather the chosen -battle-fields of well-known and seasoned gamblers. - -A Spaniard at Ems made a very comfortable living by a method of playing -he had invented. He placed three louis d'or on the manque, which -contains all the numbers to eighteen, and two louis on the last series -of twelve; that is, from twenty-four to thirty-six. Thus he had only -six numbers and two zeroes against him. If manque gained, he won three -louis and lost two; if a number in the last twelve came up, he won four -and lost three; but a continuation of zeroes would have ruined his -calculation. Russians in particular were very fond of Ems. Many played -very high, and a good deal of private gambling was done there on the -quiet. - -At Geneva in the 'sixties trente-et-quarante was somewhat furtively -played in a _Cercle des Étrangers_. Roulette, however, was not allowed. -The authorities perhaps feared that the noise of the little ball flying -round on its course to a numbered compartment might awaken Calvin from -the quiet of his tomb. - -There was once what was practically a regular gaming-house on English -soil. This was in the 'fifties, when mild roulette was played on -the island of Heligoland. A miniature roulette-table there was much -frequented by joyous Israelites and English officers from the mainland. -In 1856, however, an outraged English tourist wrote a furious letter -to _The Times_, complaining of such horrors existing under the British -flag. He denounced the scandalous desecration of the English name, and -so forth; and in consequence the Governor issued an edict against the -roulette. Play, however, on a diminutive scale continued there some -time longer. - -The closing of the gaming-tables in Germany was the cause of many -rumours as to the future of gambling enterprise. The Valley of -Andorra in the Pyrenees was said to have been selected by some French -speculators as the scene of their operations for the ensuing year, a -well-known financier being declared to have obtained a monopoly of -theatres, hotels, casinos, railways, and almost everything else that -this valley lacked and might be supposed to want. There was also a -rumour that efforts were being made to start tables at St. Moritz, in -Switzerland, very tempting offers having been made to the authorities. - -These anticipations were not, however, realised, and Monte Carlo -remains the only regular public gaming-place in Europe, though -intermittent public gambling has been tolerated at certain Belgian -pleasure-resorts, notably at Ostend. Two or three years ago public -gaming was altogether prohibited there, but it now appears to flourish -much as before. It is almost superfluous to add that when it was -announced that the Belgian authorities had determined to suppress -all public play there was much enthusiastic congratulation from this -country. The usual time-worn phrases as to the demoralising effects -of gambling were unctuously presented to a public whose conscience, -it was declared, had too long been outraged by the proximity of -such a dangerous temptation; and the Belgians were told that they -might anticipate reaping a golden harvest as the result of the -high-principled attitude which had been adopted, for the English -would now be able to visit their pleasure-resorts without fear of -contamination. - -A large number of the Ostend shopkeepers really believed that the -suppression of play would bring more foreign money into their pockets; -but they soon realised their mistake, for when the visitors from -across the channel found that there was no chance of enlivening their -stay at Ostend (a resort of few natural attractions) with a little -flutter, they beat a precipitate retreat, and the prosperity of the -town began to suffer severely. - -Eventually, as the result of serious protest from the local shopkeepers -and others who saw ruin staring them in the face, a species of -compromise has been adopted; and baccarat with one tableau (of which -more anon) is now allowed in the _Cercle_, election to which is not -very difficult. - -A short time ago roulette without a zero was here held out as a great -attraction to visitors. As a matter of fact this game was only played -for a limited number of hours every day, and these were precisely those -when visitors would in the ordinary course of events be taking their -meals. The game was merely kept going as a lure to the more profitable -baccarat, the authorities being well aware that roulette without a zero -is unlikely to prove a great source of profit to the bank. - -Experience teaches that for some reason not very clearly understood -single tableau baccarat would seem to be particularly favourable to -the banker. So great, indeed, has been the havoc wrought by this -game that the French have given it the name of "La Faucheuse,"--"the -mowing-machine"! - -Those who cried out so loudly for the suppression of the -trente-et-quarante at Ostend have, like so many well-meaning people, -done little but harm, for the suppressed trente-et-quarante was a far -less dangerous game. Trente-et-quarante, it should be added, is played -at St. Sebastian, where up to the present year there was also roulette. - -At French watering-places gaming flourishes as merrily as ever during -the season. At Trouville, Biarritz, and Aix-les-Bains the game of -baccarat forms one of the chief attractions. There is a good deal of -high play at Trouville at the time of the races. During the present -year one player alone--a very rich gambler fond of high stakes--lost no -less than a million francs. No inconsiderable portion of this sum must -have gone in the percentage which the French Government now levies upon -banks at baccarat. During the last year there was also a great deal of -play at Nice, where the game in question was as popular as the classic -roulette and trente-et-quarante of Monaco. - -It is almost impossible to conceive how the vast majority of French -summer pleasure-resorts would contrive to exist were baccarat and -petits chevaux to be suppressed, for a certain portion of the large -profit derived from play is devoted to the upkeep of the Casinos, which -furnish visitors with excellent entertainment. It is, indeed, owing -directly and indirectly to the toleration of play that the French -_plages_ are proving such formidable rivals to the miserably dull -English seaside resorts, which offer so little to visitors who are -fond of a little exciting amusement. - -In 1907 the French Government promulgated a new code of regulations -to be enforced at Casinos, all of which were closed for two or three -days throughout France--an operation which, of course, evoked a mass of -hypocritical and totally inaccurate comment in England. - -France was congratulated upon her determination to stop every form of -that gambling which had for so many years shocked English visitors, -who would, of course, warmly welcome the stern measures about to be -enforced, and flock across the Channel in largely increased numbers as -a result. - -As a matter of fact, the Casinos were closed merely to emphasise the -fact that the Government intended to see that the new regulations which -they imposed, amongst which was one regulating a tax upon baccarat -banks, should be respected. - -The very rumour that it was proposed permanently to prohibit gambling -terrified the local authorities, a large number of whom at once went up -to Paris to ascertain whether there was any foundation of truth in such -an idea, which to many a watering-place would mean nothing less than -ruin. - -They were, however, soon reassured, for in the end only one small and -insignificant Casino was permanently closed. - -By the decree of June 21, 1907, certain games of chance are permitted -at watering-places and health-resorts which have been officially -recognised as such by the Minister of the Interior, on the -representation of the Municipal Council and the Prefect. These are -baccarat, écarté, and the game of petits chevaux and its varieties. A -tax of fifteen per cent is levied on the sum produced by the cagnotte -at écarté and baccarat. - -Counters, which were formerly used at Casinos to represent money, were -entirely prohibited, a prohibition which, however, does not apply -to Clubs. The reason for this was that players were apt to obtain -considerable advances from the _caisse_ in baccarat-rooms, a state of -affairs not so likely to happen when ready money alone may be staked. -Playing in cash is also generally of a more careful kind than play in -counters, which for the time being seem nothing at all. A player, of -course, has a far greater chance at baccarat than at petits chevaux, -where the percentage is very unfavourable to him, one horse out of the -nine being the bank's. - -According to the new law, fifteen per cent is now levied on the gross -winnings of the bank at this game every day; should the bank lose it is -allowed to deduct the sum lost from its winnings the next day. - -The sum produced by this tax of fifteen per cent is to be devoted to -charity, and to various other objects of public utility and affecting -the public health. - -When this decree was first issued, chemin-de-fer baccarat was not -included amongst the list of tolerated games, the French authorities -being still horror-struck with the recollection of the single tableau -baccarat, called "La Faucheuse" (the game which, thanks to Puritan -effort, is played at Ostend), which had provoked such gross scandals -in Paris. It was, however, subsequently legalised by a special decree -which was promulgated in the _Journal Officiel_ of the 18th August -1907, and is taxed at the same rate as other tolerated games. - -The main cause of the French Government moving in the matter of -gambling at all had been the large increase of so-called gambling clubs -in Paris entirely devoted to single tableau baccarat, from which an -enormous harvest of gold had been gathered by those holding the banks. -It was said that no less than 126 new establishments of this kind had -sprung up in Paris, a state of affairs calculated to make the dead -proprietors of the long-suppressed and very strictly regulated tables -in the old Palais Royal turn in their graves. Many of these Clubs were -frequented by women, and it was rumoured that many of the brightest -stars of the French _demi-monde_ had lost almost everything they had. -Paris began to be seriously alarmed. Drastic measures were adopted; -the foreign proprietors of the gaming-places expelled from France; "La -Faucheuse" forbidden throughout the country; and gambling generally -placed upon the strictly regulated footing which has been described. -The results of the very sensible action of the French Government appear -to be highly satisfactory, for since the promulgation of the decree -regulating play no scandals have occurred, whilst it is anticipated -that in the course of time a sum well over two million pounds a year -will be available for objects of public utility. - -Surely the wise regulation of what appears to be an irradicable evil is -far more salutary, alike from a financial and a moral point of view, -than the unthinking policy of drastic suppression, which, as experience -teaches, has ever been powerless to extirpate gambling. - - - - -X - - The Principality of Monaco--Its vicissitudes--Early days of the - Casino--The old Prince and his scruples--Monte Carlo in 1858 and - 1864--Its development--Fashionable in the 'eighties--Mr. Sam - Lewis and Captain Carlton Blythe--Anecdotes--Increase of visitors - and present democratic policy of administration--The _Cercle - Privé_ and its short life--The gaming-rooms and ways of their - frequenters--Anecdotes--Trente-et-quarante and roulette--Why the - cards have plain white backs--Jaggers' successful spoliation of the - bank--The croupiers and their training--The staff of the Casino--The - _viatique_--Systems--The best of all. - - -Many years before the tables at the German resorts were closed by the -Prussian Government, M. Blanc was quietly seeking for a suitable spot -where his roulette wheels might whirl free from interference and his -croupiers deal in unmolested peace. - -Gaming-house proprietors seem in one respect to resemble the monks -of old, for almost invariably their establishments have been pitched -amidst attractive surroundings commanding lovely views. Thoroughly -imbued with this tradition, M. Blanc eventually selected the little -Principality of Monaco as being a suitable spot to afford his industry -a peaceful and alluring haven. After certain negotiations with the -reigning Prince Charles Albert, he obtained the required concession, -and a Casino (in its earliest days called the "Elysium Alberti") was -erected upon the rocky ground known as the Plateau des Spelugues, -which, adversaries of gaming will rejoice to learn, means in Monagasque -patois "the plain of the robbers." - -The ruling family of Monaco, the Grimaldis, had been exposed to -many vicissitudes. During the French Revolution their people rose -in rebellion and plundered the Palace, which afterwards served as -a military hospital during Napoleon's Italian campaign, and later -on became the Dépôt de Mendicité for the Department of the Alpes -Maritimes. In 1841, however, Florestan I., the reigning Prince, -repaired the home of his ancestors, which was thoroughly restored by -Charles Albert after the advent of M. Blanc. - -In the turbulent past the Princes of Monaco at times experienced -considerable difficulty in holding their own, and often had to defend -their rugged old rock against piratical raids, besides occasionally -having to cope with internal troubles, the last of which occurred in -1847, when the Monagasque bitterly resented taxation. The cannon given -by Louis XIV. to the Grimaldi of his day may still be seen near the -palace. These are fine specimens of the founder's craft, and bear the -grim motto "Ultima ratio regum," amidst much ornate decoration. - -The armed force which the Princes maintained was much improved in -uniform and equipment when M. Blanc brought prosperity to Monaco. Even -up to quite recent years there existed a smart little army of something -under a hundred men, in all probability the best dressed and least -offensive troops in all Europe. Their rifle practice, it was always -said, was indifferent, owing to the fact that they could not fire -inland, because the boundaries of the Principality were so limited; but -whatever may have been their efficiency or non-efficiency as a fighting -force, their light-blue uniforms--with old-world aiguillette, neat -shako, and picturesque cape--were highly ornamental features, which -struck a pleasant note of colour in the streets of the Condamine or -about the grounds and terraces of the Casino. - -This little army is now but a memory, for within the last decade the -reigning Prince, who is a warm advocate of International Arbitration, -realising, it is said, that the maintenance of a standing army was -inconsistent with his well-known love of peace, abolished the last -relic of military strength left to the Grimaldis. Such sentries as -are still required are at present furnished by the gendarmerie, whose -dainty cocked hat--most military and attractive of head-dresses--was at -the same time superseded by an abominable cloth-covered helmet, which -for unalloyed ugliness would easily carry off the prize against all -competitors. Thus does it constantly happen in the modern world that, -whilst there is much prating about art, cultivation, and taste, the -very people who should do their best to preserve every distinctive and -decorative reminder of a more artistic past are foremost in the work of -obliteration. - -Old Monaco consisted of a few unattractive streets and a somewhat -dilapidated Palace, in which lived the blind old Prince who granted the -concession for the tables to M. Blanc, and by so doing converted his -poverty-stricken realm into the most prosperous State in the world. - -At first, the Prince was somewhat troubled by conscientious scruples -as to tolerating gaming, but these were appeased by the large sums -which were rendered available for religious purposes and the building -of churches--the Church of St. Dévote, which stands in the ravine, for -instance, is said to have been erected from funds received in exchange -for permission to increase the number of roulette tables, whilst the -beautiful little cathedral on the Palace rock would never have been -built had not M. Blanc made his descent upon the Principality. - -Much abuse has been lavished on the Prince for granting the concession, -but it seems a doubtful question whether he did not do more good than -harm when he signed it. Certainly his own people of Monaco (who, except -on one day in the year--the Prince's birthday,--are not allowed to -enter the Casino) gained very largely thereby. - -To them the establishment of the Casino has brought lasting prosperity, -whilst it has indirectly benefited the whole Riviera, now so popular -as a pleasure-resort. On the other hand, a number of people, no -doubt, have been ruined at Monte Carlo, but such as these--gamblers -at heart--would most probably in any case have lost their fortune in -other forms of speculation. It should also be realised that the number -of those who have actually been ruined by the Casino is extremely -small--as a rule those who lose their last penny at the tables are -individuals who, already at their last gasp owing to a long series of -gambling reverses, come to Monte Carlo with such funds as they can -scrape together in order to indulge in one last desperate plunge. - -The old Prince was a kindly man at heart, and did not like to think -of visitors losing more money than they had actually brought with -them. For this reason he forbade the establishment of any Bank in the -Principality, and as a natural consequence, numbers of waiters, who -carried on a brisk business in money-lending, made nice little fortunes. - -In later years Smith's Bank was established on French territory; -this was afterwards absorbed into the Crédit Lyonnais, which (the -prohibition having been revoked) is now quite a prominent feature of -Monte Carlo. - -At the time when M. Blanc made his peaceful conquest of Monaco the -place was sparsely populated and miserably poor. The contrast indeed -between the Monaco of fifty years ago and the Monte Carlo of to-day is -striking in the extreme. - -The following description of the Principality at that time was given to -the writer by one who has seen every phase of its development. - -In 1858 this gentleman and his wife, being on their honeymoon in -France, drove from Marseilles to Cannes, then also quite a small place. -A report had recently reached the latter place that the celebrated M. -Blanc had started gaming-tables at Monaco, and accordingly the Duc de -Vallombrosa, who owned the finest château at Cannes, invited several -of the English visitors to go over to the Principality on his yacht, -and in due course the party climbed up to the rock, on which stands the -Palace. - -After making inquiries they found the gaming-tables--two roulette and -one trente-et-quarante--which were installed in a very unpretentious -barnlike edifice somewhere near the spot where the Cathedral is now. - -The arrival of manifestly well-to-do visitors created quite a sensation -amongst a somewhat limited crowd, mostly composed of Italian tourists -who were indulging in a little mild play. M. Blanc, it should be -added, had merely started these tables as a preliminary step, being -at that time engaged in negotiations with the reigning Prince as to -the erection of a more serious gambling establishment in the latter's -dominions. - -After playing a stake or two the party made their way down to the -little town in the Condamine, where, finding that donkeys could be -hired, they determined to picnic out of doors. Accordingly, taking the -requisite materials with them, they made their way by a bridle path -(which more or less followed the present road) to the plateau, on which -the present palatial Casino stands to-day. - -Monte Carlo (the place was then unnamed) was almost a bare rock covered -with rough grass, and here and there a few stunted pine and olive -trees, most of the latter of immense age. A few tumble-down hovels were -sparsely scattered here and there on the mountain side, in which lived -a miserably poor peasantry; the whole spot was as different from the -Monte Carlo of to-day as it is possible to conceive. - -Just about where is now the ornamental plot in front of the doors of -the Casino, the party collected some dry bits of sticks, boiled their -kettle, cooked an omelette and drank their tea, whilst they revelled in -the lovely view, which remains to-day almost the sole feature which the -hand of man has been powerless to change. - -Almost the last of the few survivors of this expedition also described -to the present writer the marvellous alteration which he found on his -next visit to the Principality some six years later. The first Casino -had then been built by M. Blanc, and a small Hôtel de Paris stood -where the gigantic modern one stands to-day. M. Blanc, in addition to -presiding over the rooms, was in supreme command of the hotel, which -was managed on the most liberal principles, bills being never sent in -unless they were asked for. Since those days the hotel has been much -enlarged and altered. It is now being entirely rebuilt on a palatial -scale. - -When visitors of any standing whatever were about to depart, M. Blanc -himself would be present to wish them good-bye, and also to inquire -whether they might not like a thousand francs for the expenses of their -journey, adding that this could be refunded on their next visit, or -sent him at their convenience. - -In 1864, except the hotel, there were scarcely any houses in Monte -Carlo itself, and most of the visitors had to live on the other side -of the Bay in the old town. As the journey from Nice by road took -four hours, an abominable and, it was said, unseaworthy, small white -steamer, the _Palmaria_ (probably the best that could be got), had -been chartered by M. Blanc to convey visitors from Nice. This vessel -anchored beneath the Castle rock, where its passengers were landed in -boats, being met by four-horse omnibuses which plied gratis between the -rock and the Casino. - -The _Palmaria_ made two journeys from Nice a day. If the weather was -calm and nothing went wrong, the passage took something like an hour -and a quarter. It was a curious sight to see visitors landing in the -highest spirits for a flutter, most of them to return in the evening to -Nice, weary and sea-sick, without a penny to take a cab to their hotel. - -In the early days of Monte Carlo there were two zeroes, and the -inevitable result was that the _Palmaria's_ evening cargo was usually -largely composed of what were facetiously called "empty bottles." - -The crowd which thronged to the tables was of a heterogeneous -description and not at all smart. There were a number of enterprising -damsels in pork-pie hats and a considerable sprinkling of raffish -Englishmen, looking as if they had seen better days and were likely to -see worse. - -Monte Carlo, though a tiny place, already bore evidences of its future -expansion. An air of prosperity pervaded it, and the inhabitants -had lost the air of hopeless poverty which was formerly such a -characteristic of the Principality of Monaco. - -In the early days of the Casino not much was heard of its existence, -the truth being that M. Blanc, after his experiences at Homburg, -feared lest European public opinion might demand the abolition of -the tables were their existence to be too prominently thrust before -it. In consequence of this as little attention as possible was drawn -to the gambling which, if alluded to in the Press at all, was merely -mentioned as one of the minor attractions. Knowing the sensitiveness -of M. Blanc with regard to publicity, unscrupulous journalists traded -upon it, demanding bribes to keep silence, whilst ephemeral newspapers, -containing sensational accounts of suicides of ruined gamblers, were -published solely in order to extort blackmail. - -As time went on, however, Monte Carlo began to be regarded as an -established institution, and many visitors took to coming there year -after year. - -The development of the Riviera as a pleasure-resort steadily proceeded, -and at the present time the coast from Genoa to Marseilles is an -almost unbroken line of pleasure-resorts filled with villas, not a few -veritable palaces, all of which owe their existence to the advent of -M. Blanc with his roulette and trente-et-quarante. Abuse gambling as -you may, it has in this instance beyond all question brought wealth -and prosperity to the inhabitants--not to the rich, for there were no -rich--but to the people of the soil, born and bred along this beautiful -coast-line lapped by the azure waters of the Mediterranean. - -It was after M. Blanc's death in the early 'seventies that the Casino -was first enlarged, and the theatre built by M. Garnier. From time to -time further additions have been made--an entirely new gambling-room -was added only a few years ago, and at the present moment another is -being built. - -Monte Carlo itself, which even in the 'eighties was quite a little -place, has now become a regular town with streets stretching up along -the mountain side almost up to the gigantic hotel, which is now such a -conspicuous feature of the Principality. - -The earthquake of 1887, though it ruined the season of that year, was -probably beneficial to the prosperity of Monte Carlo, for it brought -the name of the place prominently before the public eye. Shortly after -that date the vast crowds which now throng to the place began to make -their appearance, and Monaco quite changed its character. New hotels -were opened and numbers of houses built, whilst Monte Carlo quite -lost its air of reposeful peace and became a sort of cosmopolitan -pleasure-town swarming with excursionists. Before this the Casino used -to shut at eleven, after which hour every one went to bed, there being -no night cafés to go to such as exist to-day. - -From about 1882 to 1890 was perhaps the best day of the Principality -from a social point of view, for at that time it was the resort of a -number of the most distinguished and fashionable people in Europe. All -the sporting characters of the day made a point of paying a yearly -visit to Monte Carlo--most of them are gone now, including Mr Sam -Lewis, who always played in maximums with varying success. - -Another well-known figure was Captain Carlton Blythe, who is still -alive. He was very successful at trente-et-quarante, where his -operations were conducted in a most methodical manner. It was his -practice to stake only when sequences were the order of the day. By -means of men told off to watch the tables, he was kept informed of -this, being sometimes sent for even when not in the Casino. His stakes -were high, generally about two thousand francs, which, if won, were -increased to six thousand, the next being a maximum (12,000 francs), -which was left on till the termination of the run. At times this cheery -devotee of coaching was extraordinarily lucky; it is said that he once -won as much as £10,000 during a deal. - -I believe, however, that in the end this system, like so many others, -broke down. - -The authorities of the Casino were then rather more particular than -at present as to the costume of visitors, and in many cases refused -to grant cards of admission to people of the most indisputable -respectability on account of their dress not being in conformity with -the regulations which they laid down. - -On one occasion, indeed, the late Lord and Lady Salisbury, who lived -close by at Beaulieu, having been seized with a fancy to look into the -rooms, presented themselves at the entrance, where cards of entrée are -issued either for the day or longer periods. - -They were both dressed in thoroughly country clothes which the official -in command viewed with no kindly eye, as his offhand manner showed. -When, however, the visitors, in accordance with the regulations, gave -their names, he was convulsed with laughter, and at once told the -distinguished couple to go about their business and not try their jokes -upon him. - -The Prime Minister and his wife, who were rather amused at the -incident, accordingly retired. Some time afterwards the matter reached -the ears of the Administration, who, as a sort of compensation, sent -a box at the theatre, but no very profound apology was made. The great -gambling monopoly is no respecter of persons, and in the Casino, as on -the Turf, complete equality prevails. - -In the same year, 1892, a curious incident occurred at a -trente-et-quarante table. An individual having staked a maximum on -the black, red won. He immediately snatched up his (or rather the -bank's) notes from the table and ejaculating, "_C'est la dot de ma -fille_," strode out of the rooms before any one quite realised what had -happened. For some reason or other he was not followed and got clear -away. - -Many rich Englishmen annually found at Monte Carlo relaxation and rest -from lives of arduous work in the city; some of these regarded play -much as sportsmen do shooting, hunting, or yachting. - -One of these, now dead, said to the writer: "I have regularly taken -a villa here for years, and with hardly an exception have lost the -sum which I set apart for gaming every year; but I do not regret it. -The amount of amusement which I have obtained has been well worth the -money. I might, it is true, have kept a yacht which I should have -hated, or taken a shooting which would have been little to my taste. I -might, in fact, have spent the money in various ways which would have -thoroughly bored me--on the whole I am well content." - -Another well-known high player, who from time to time has lost large -sums at Monte Carlo, once declared that he considered the money well -invested. "Many a large landowner," said he, "is not as lucky as I have -been, for he is obliged to spend a large sum every year on the upkeep -of his estate for which he obtains nothing in return. I, at least, have -had a great deal of amusement." - -To this it may be objected that the money which goes into the coffers -of the Casino benefits no one--but this is not strictly true, for the -shares are held by all sorts of people, who draw their profits in the -same way as from any industrial enterprise. - -In the 'eighties there were many less hotels than at present and not -a great number of villas, whilst the Café de Paris, which has since -been rebuilt in an enlarged form, was about the only restaurant apart -from the dining-rooms in the hotels. The Gallery, now filled with -shops, which is such a favourite morning resort, had not yet come into -existence, and except the admirable band in the Casino (which gave two -performances a day, free) there was little music in Monte Carlo--a spot -which now rings from morning till late at night with the strains of -Tzigane bands. - -After the tables were closed--at eleven--there were no amusements at -all, and, instead of sitting up half the night, every one went to -bed--contentedly or discontentedly, as they had won or lost. - -The gambling-rooms were much quieter in those days, the flocks of -German excursionists having not yet arrived. Many of these visitors, -as a rule somewhat undesirable from a decorative point of view, are -divided up into little coteries or bands, each of which elects a leader -who is entrusted with such funds as the party is desirous of risking at -the tables, where the leader alone stakes for all, winnings or losings -being divided in proportionate shares. - -Of late years the crowds round the gambling-tables have increased to -such an extent that except in the early morning or during dinner-time -it is impossible to make certain of obtaining a seat. Formerly two or -three old men of solemn aspect were always to be found sitting at the -trente-et-quarante marking down the run of the game, and on a louis -being unostentatiously slipped into their hand they would at once yield -up their seat. Of late years, however, they are no longer to be seen, -the Administration having banished them from the Casino, much to the -discomfort of habitual players desirous of risking substantial sums -under comfortable conditions. In old days far more attention was paid -in a great many other small ways to visitors who had the appearance of -belonging to the upper strata of society. To these the croupiers and -other officials made a point of being especially obliging and polite. - -The authorities of the Casino, however, seem now to have decided on -a more democratic policy, no favour being shown to any one. From a -financial point of view this is probably not unsound, a vast number of -small players, who drop a certain amount of five-franc pieces and then -depart to make way for others, being probably more profitable to the -bank than a few heavy gamblers, some of whom may hit it very severely. - -It is more than likely that scarcely one in fifty of the individuals -who sit with a pile of silver beside the roulette wheel goes away a -winner, whereas amongst the high gamblers at trente-et-quarante success -is not so rare as is usually supposed. The proof of what has been -stated was furnished by the brief existence of the "Cercle Privé"--a -new gaming-room which for a short time was highly appreciated by -frequenters of Monte Carlo some seven or eight years ago. - -The "Cercle Privé" was open only at night in a room upstairs, and men -alone enjoyed the privilege of being allowed to play there. There were -four tables, three trente-et-quarante and one roulette, a small bar -where refreshments could be obtained, smoking was permitted, and the -tables, which did not commence operations till the ones downstairs had -closed, were kept going very late. - -From the point of view of players this innovation was highly -successful; for, owing to the comparatively small number of persons -who frequented the "Cercle Privé," greater comfort prevailed than -downstairs, whilst the conditions in general were far more conducive to -calculated and calm speculation. - -A large proportion of the frequenters were well known to one another, -and the whole thing somewhat resembled a club, the members of which -were leagued together against the bank. - -Runs, intermittencies, and other tendencies of chance at certain tables -could be carefully noted; occasionally there would be no play at all at -one table, the whole crowd staking on a run at another; as the room was -small, anything of the sort soon reached the ears of every one. Play as -a rule was high, and the players, for the most part, were well used to -gambling. The results to the bank were most disastrous. On a certain -evening it lost more than had ever before been lost in one day by the -Casino, and at the end of the year the accounts of the "Cercle Privé" -proved anything but an agreeable study for the officials supervising -the finances of the great gambling monopoly. - -The next year it was closed, and there has since been no inclination -on the part of the authorities to repeat what was to them a very -unprofitable speculation. - -Amongst various causes which in this instance operated to the detriment -of the bank was the difficulty, generally amounting to impossibility, -of players obtaining a further supply of money when what they had in -their pockets had run out. At such a late hour, when the Bank was -closed and the _caisse_ of most hotels shut up, no matter how rich a -man might be, he could not obtain any considerable amount of cash. -Consequently, should he lose what he had brought with him, he was -reduced to playing with such modest sums as could be borrowed from -friends, who naturally could not be expected to make any substantial -advance, as any moment they themselves might be in a similar -predicament. - -The bank, on the other hand, was equipped with ample funds, and its -loss--unlike those of the players, which, after a certain point, -were limited by necessity--often extended into a very large figure; -consequently, when it was in good luck, it only won a comparatively -moderate amount, and when in bad lost very heavily. - -Another reason for the ill-success of the bank was that the -policy pursued in the large rooms downstairs had in the case of -the "Cercle Privé" been exactly reversed. In the former there -have always been many more roulette tables than tables devoted to -trente-et-quarante--upstairs there was only one roulette table as a -counter-attraction to the three devoted to the rival game. - -Trente-et-quarante is mathematically one of the most favourable of -games at which a gambler can play, the percentage against him produced -by the _refait_ being only 1·28 per cent. - -Roulette, on the other hand, is, owing to the zero, highly advantageous -to the banker. - -The bank's percentage on all-round play at the tables is more than -one-seventy-fourth of all the figures staked; the actual winnings of -the bank being about one-sixtieth part of all the money actually placed -on the board. At the present time the bank's winnings (gross) are, -roughly, £1,200,000 per annum. - -A large proportion of the gains of the Monte Carlo bank is derived from -small players who enter the rooms with the deliberate intention of -either making a certain sum or losing what they have in their pockets; -these form, as it were, the rank and file of the gambling army which -is constantly being decimated by the Casino, and the almost total -absence of such an element in the room upstairs reduced the play to a -duel between the bank and a number of persons, the majority of whom -were, more or less, capitalists and who, as often as not, went home -immediately after bringing off one big and successful coup. - -The gaming-rooms in the Casino at Monte Carlo have often been described -as a hot-bed of vice and debauchery, the tables surrounded by a -seething crowd of excited figures whose countenances betray the intense -emotions which the vitiating effects of play arouse. "Cries of triumph, -imprecations, moans and sobs are heard on every side." In certain -highly coloured accounts, suicide is spoken of as being an ordinary -occurrence, the crowd making way without comment for the passage of the -corpse of some unfortunate gambler who, at the end of his tether, has -blown out his brains. - -All this is purely fanciful, and conveys no idea whatever of the real -state of affairs prevailing in the rooms, where calm and good order -invariably reign. There exists, indeed, an almost religious hush in the -halls of this great Temple of Chance. After dinner, and towards the -time of close of play, the scene, it is true, becomes more animated, -but, as a rule, the only sounds heard are those connected with the -games played. What conversation there is is almost exclusively devoted -to short comments on such matters as the lack or abundance of runs on -one particular colour, the persistent recurrence of certain numbers, -the amount of winnings or losings of some well-known player, or the -like; people rarely speak, when at the table, of their own vicissitudes -in the battle with chance. - -The real gamblers, that is to say, those to whom speculation is the -very breath of life, speak least of all, their whole mind being -concentrated upon the system or method of staking which it is generally -their practice to adopt. They sit with unmoved faces, which appear -neither elated by victory nor depressed by defeat. - -A well-known Monte Carlo type--more abundant perhaps in the past -than to-day--is the _beau joueur_, the man who plays to the gallery -and, let it be added, pays handsomely for his performance. Certain -and inevitable ruin is the fate of these individuals, who sacrifice -themselves to the spirit of vanity. As a rule, the winnings or losings -of such people are a great subject of conversation and discussion -amongst the frequenters of the tables--they are said to have either won -or lost enormous sums--to be at the end of their tether, or to have an -enormous fortune behind them. Their fame, however, is of no enduring -kind, being at best a nine days' wonder. They are soon forgotten, and -their departure, leaving only too often their money in the vaults of -the Casino, and an unpaid bill at their hotel, excites not even passing -comment from the crowd of spectators whose approving gaze and fleeting -admiration has been so dearly bought. - -Some old players remain watching the game for a considerable space -of time without risking a stake at all, till the moment arrives when -either superstition or calculation prompts them to take the first steps -in the campaign. Many of these come provided with memorandum books -filled with column after column of figures, records of past runs on -colours, and recurring sequences of numbers carefully inscribed as a -guide to fathoming the capricious movements of fortune. - -Others bring queer little mechanical contrivances, which are -manipulated in a manner to show the correspondence between certain -chances; whilst yet another section quite frankly display all sorts of -fetishes, to some of which they attach a quite serious importance. A -piece of the rope which has been used by a hangman is a fetish reputed -to be an almost certain passport to good luck. The experience of the -present writer with a grim relic of this kind did not, however, give -any support to such a belief. As a great favour he was once given a -small hempen souvenir by a friend, and armed with the precious talisman -he betook himself to a trente-et-quarante table, where a good seat -was secured. From the very first, however, it was evident that the -gruesome charm was not exercising its occult influence in a direction -favourable to its new, and perhaps somewhat sceptical, possessor. When -runs were sought for, alternates appeared, and vice versa. _Refaits_ -were dealt with unnatural frequency; in fact, disaster followed -disaster in an unbroken sequence, with the result that the little -bit of rope was all that the player had in his pocket as he somewhat -disconsolately strode out of the rooms, rather inclined to wish that -the hempen relic had been utilised for its original purpose around the -neck of its donor. - -Gamblers are generally most superstitious folk and swayed by all sorts -of whimsical ideas. - -Years ago an old lady used to give the authorities a good deal of -trouble by repeatedly bringing a small portion of ham into the rooms, -and, whilst at play, cutting off slices and eating them. For some -reason or other she had the fixed idea that, in her case, ham-eating -propitiated fortune. - -The rules of the Casino naturally forbid any proceeding of such a -kind in the rooms, and whenever the ham was produced the _chef de -partie_ was obliged to point this out. The old lady in question, who -was a well-known character, was, however, very rich, and, being a -constant and high player, any drastic action would naturally have been -disadvantageous to the best interests of the bank. Some compromise was, -therefore, eventually arranged, by which the amount of ham consumed was -so infinitesimal as to pass almost unnoticed by the general public. - -Certain players attach considerable importance to the numbers inscribed -upon the check handed to them by the attendants who look after cloaks -and sticks. Now and then, as must of necessity happen in the ordinary -course of events, an individual succeeds in winning a good stake by -backing a number at roulette corresponding with that on his wooden -ticket; more often, however, he fails, and then proceeds to work out -all sorts of combinations of numbers, adding, subtracting and dividing, -as the fancy seizes him. - -The number of the sleeping-berth which has carried the visitor from -Paris is also often chosen, as is that of his bedroom in the hotel. The -date of a birthday, the sum total of the numbers on a watch, or of the -figures on a coin, the number of cigarettes left in a case, or of coins -in the pocket, and other similar trifles are all noted with intense -interest by a certain class of player, eager for any clue which they -believe may assist them in their struggle to achieve success. - -It used, at one time, to be said at Monte Carlo that the clergyman -of the English Church there never gave out any hymns under number -thirty-six, as he had discovered that some of his congregation had -made a practice of carefully noting down the numbers with a view to -backing them at roulette. Most players, even the least superstitious, -have some special lucky number of their own, which they make a point of -following. Occasionally it turns up two or three times in succession, -which, of course, further confirms them in constantly backing it, and, -more often than not, losing far more than they have won. - -The present writer's experiences in this direction have not been of an -encouraging nature. - -Some years ago, being on his way to the Principality, he was much -struck by the curiously persistent way in which the number 13 -confronted him throughout the journey. His room at Paris was 13; the -number of his sleeping-berth in the train to Monaco was 13; and finally -he was put into room No. 13 at the Hôtel de Paris on the day of his -arrival, the 13th day of the month. All this, to any one with a vestige -of superstition, looked as if 13 was a number well worth backing, and -accordingly the writer hastened to the rooms, eager to see whether -the tip would come off. As a matter of fact the only thing which did -come off was the end of his finger, which in his haste to get to the -Casino he slammed in his bedroom door. After having been attended to -by a surgeon he finally obtained a place at roulette and steadily -backed number 13, which, to his intense disgust, appeared rather less -frequently than the other numbers. The same unsatisfactory state of -affairs prevailed throughout his stay, which on that occasion was a -prolonged and unpleasant one. - -The curious influence which the advent of certain persons, or the -occurrence of trivial incidents, appears to exert in matters of luck is -well known to all gamblers. Many of them generally regard a number of -trifles with feelings of considerable apprehension at the gaming-table, -entertaining the most extraordinary likes and dislikes for various -people and things, and cherishing queer fancies at which, in ordinary -life, they would be the first to scoff. All this, of course, is akin to -the superstition of the savage, a queer atavistic reminder of civilised -man's humble descent. - -Though the principles of roulette and trente-et-quarante are known to -many, it may not be out of place to give brief descriptions of these -games as played at Monte Carlo. - -Before play begins the money is set out at one end of the table. The -gold, after being weighed in scales, is placed in rouleaux, and the -bank notes ranged according to their value. Everything is verified by -an inspector, who taps each row with a rake and signs his name to a -statement on paper. - -At trente-et-quarante the minimum stake is a louis, the maximum 12,000 -francs (£400), and the capital with which each table begins play £6000. -"Breaking the bank" merely means that the money at a particular table -is exhausted, and that play has to be suspended while more money is -being procured. - -Trente-et-quarante is a game of four even chances--_rouge_ and _noir_, -_couleur gagne_ and _couleur perd_. It is played with six packs of -cards, which, having been shuffled, are cut by one of the players. -There is often a good deal of competition for this ceremony, the cut -being by request reserved for some keen player. As a rule, however, -others give way when any one who seems in luck--especially a lady of -attractive appearance--steps forward to cut the cards. - -After every one has staked and "_rien ne va plus_" has been called, the -croupier deals the first card face upwards, and continues dealing until -the cards turned up exceed thirty pips in number, when he must announce -the numbers from "trente-et-un" to "quarante." This top line of cards -is black, and when it is less in number than the one which is dealt -beneath black wins. - -Another line underneath is then dealt for _rouge_. When the two lines -are equal in the number of pips--say thirty-six each--the dealer -announces an _après_; thirty-one is the _refait_ when all stakes are -_en prison_. When, however, a _refait_ has been dealt, a player may -withdraw half his stake if he chooses, or move his money over from the -red "prison" to the black "prison." In the case of another _refait_, -the money is removed into another space, which is called the second -prison. The odds against a _refait_ turning up are usually reckoned as -63 to 1. The bank is said, however, to expect it twice in three deals, -and there are generally from twenty-nine to thirty-two coups in each -deal. By paying one per cent players may insure their stake. A large -white counter is placed by the croupier on or near the money insured, -which is unaffected by the _refait_. There are high players, however, -who consider it bad policy to insure, and prefer to run the risk of 31 -being dealt in both lines. - -As a matter of fact, from a mathematical point of view, thirty-one is -the number which the cards are most likely to make, as any one can -easily prove for himself; the combinations formed by the numbers of -the pips on the cards being more adapted to produce thirty-one than -anything else. It is for this reason, no doubt, that the number in -question was chosen for the _refait_, when the game first came into -vogue. - -At trente-et-quarante, besides the even chances of _rouge_ and _noir_, -there are also the even chances of _couleur gagne_ and _couleur perd_. - -The first card dealt determines _couleur_. If, for instance, it is -red and _rouge_ (the bottom line) wins--_couleur gagne_--the croupier -says, "_rouge gagne et la couleur_"; if it is black and _rouge_ -wins--_couleur perd_--the croupier says, "_rouge gagne, couleur perd_." - -The prison, of course, applies to _couleur_ just as it does to _rouge_ -and _noir_. - -At certain stated intervals, in the presence of a _sous-directeur_ or -_chef de partie_, the used packs of cards from trente-et-quarante are -carried to a furnace in sealed sacks and scrupulously burnt. - -A good many years ago the backs of the cards used at trente-et-quarante -were plain white; at the present time, however, a slight design, the -pattern of which varies daily, is upon them. - -The reason for the change was said to be that the plain backs once -facilitated a fraud, which cost the authorities of the Casino many -thousands of francs. The story is a curious one. - -One morning, as trente-et-quarante was pursuing its usual somewhat -monotonous progress, a player with a large pile of money before -him, seated next the croupier dealing, entered into an altercation -with a neighbour about some stake, in the course of which, owing -to violent gesticulations, a whole heap of coins was swept to the -ground. Considerable confusion arose, which naturally necessitated -the interference of the _chef de partie_ (who supervises the game). -The attention of everybody, both officials and players, was drawn to -the spot where the dispute was taking place; the owner of the fallen -treasure loudly declaiming against rough, bullying swindlers being -allowed to enter the rooms at all. However, after much chatter, the -money having been all found, peace was restored and the game proceeded -on its ordinary course. - -It was very soon evident that a number of very high players were that -morning seated round the table, for quantities of notes and gold -began to make their appearance. What was more remarkable was that -all the high players seemed to be inspired with the same excellent -idea, for every one of them invariably backed the winning chances. So -extraordinary was their luck that, after the bank had lost a good deal -of money, one of the high officials, who had been watching the game, -announced that for the time being further play would be suspended at -that particular table, as there was reason to believe that the cards -had been tampered with. This naturally provoked a storm of protest, and -in the confusion which ensued, the high players slipped unobtrusively -away, their pockets well stuffed with the money they had extracted from -the bank. - -An hour or two later an attempt was made by the authorities to -trace them, but, curiously enough, not one was to be found in the -Principality. They had all crossed the French frontier and had -dispersed in various directions. The cards were afterwards carefully -counted and examined, and a thorough investigation of that morning's -play is said to have proved beyond all doubt that the whole affair had -been a cleverly hatched plot against the bank. - -The two men who had quarrelled at the table were professional -swindlers, and had carefully rehearsed the disturbance, in order to -divert attention from the dealer, who remained apparently quite unmoved -whilst the _chef de partie_ and other officials were inquiring into -the dispute. During this time an accomplice on the other side of this -croupier had taken advantage of the general turmoil to slip a portion -of a prepared pack into the man's hand. This was furtively exchanged by -him for a certain number which he was holding ready to deal. Of these -the accomplice relieved him. The high players were all swindlers, well -aware how the cards had been arranged. The croupier, heavily bribed, -was a rare exception, for, as a rule, Monte Carlo croupiers are above -all suspicion. His share in the swindle was detected and he appeared in -the Halls of Chance no more. - -As was perfectly obvious, a robbery of this kind was greatly -facilitated by the plain white backs of the cards in daily use. It was -therefore decided that in future every morning a new design should be -produced for the backs of these cards, which, known only to a special -department, would effectually prevent any chance of prepared packets -being interpolated with the packs issued by the authorities. - -At roulette as at trente-et-quarante the money is publicly counted out -and verified by an inspector before play begins. - -The roulette wheels are balanced in the presence of the public, and one -of the blue-coated _garçons de salle_ goes from table to table with a -spirit-level, which is placed upon the rosewood rim of the cylinder, -a _chef de table_ verifying the accurate adjustment of the wheel by -seeing that the air bubble is exactly in the centre. - -The maximum stakes allowed on the different chances at roulette are:-- - - Francs. - On one number 180 - On two numbers (_à cheval_) 360 - On three numbers transversal 560 - Four numbers (_en carré_) 750 - On 0, 1, 2, 3 750 - On six numbers transversal 1200 - On one dozen 3000 - On one column 3000 - On all the even chances 6000 - -[Illustration: PLAN OF ROULETTE TABLE AS USED AT MONTE CARLO - -METHODS OF STAKING - - 1. On one number (3). - - 2. On two numbers (8 and 9); this is called "à cheval." - - 3. On three numbers (10, 11, 12); this is called "transversale." - - 4. On a "carré," or square, of 4 numbers (20, 21, 23, 24). - - 5. On a transversale of 6 numbers (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30). - - 6. On an even chance (Black). - - 7. On two even chances (Black and Pair). - - 8. On a dozen (1st dozen). - - 9. On a column (last column). - - Maximum stake, 10,000 francs; minimum, 5 francs. Zero sweeps all - stakes except even chances, which go into "prison" till next coup, - when they are either released or taken.] - -The amount with which play is begun each day is 80,000 francs, or £3200. - -Each roulette table has two boards, on which players may stake, the -roulette wheel (a cylinder let into the table) lying between the two. -The numbers of the roulette are arranged irregularly, though reds and -blacks alternate. Zero, which is not counted as a colour, lies between -32 red and 15 black. There are in all thirty-seven little compartments -which receive the ball--eighteen red, eighteen black, and zero. The -accurate odds, therefore, are 36 to 1 against any particular division; -nevertheless the bank only pays 35 to 1, which causes its profit to -amount to 1 in 37, nearly 2·865 per cent. - -The lowest stake allowed at roulette is five francs, the highest 10,000 -francs, known as a maximum. - -The two sides of the roulette table are duplicates of one another, -each of them being divided something like a chess-board into three -columns of squares, which amount to thirty-six; the numbers advance -arithmetically from right to left, and consequently there are twelve -lines down, so as to complete a rectangle; as 1, therefore, stands at -the head, 4 stands immediately under it, and so on. At the bottom lie -three squares marked 12 p, 12 m, 12 d, that is, first, middle, and last -dozen. Three large spaces on each side of the numbers are for red and -black; even and odd; _manque_ and _passe_, that is, the numbers in the -first and second half respectively from 1 to 18, and from 19 to 36 -inclusive. At the top of each board is zero, which sweeps all stakes, -except those on the even chances, into the coffers of the bank. - -The stakes having been made a croupier says: "_Le jeu est fait, rien -ne va plus_." The wheel is set in motion. At the same time a croupier -sends the ball flying round the cylinder, the roulette wheel bearing -the numbers being made to revolve in an opposite direction. The ball -eventually falls on to the wheel, and as the latter slackens its -speed, enters a compartment, the number of which is announced thus: -"_Dix-sept, rouge, impair et manque_." - -When zero is announced all the money on the table is annexed by the -bank with the exception of that staked upon the even chances red or -black, odd or even, _passe_ or _manque_--the sums on these are moved to -the edge of the board, being _en prison_ till the next coup, when they -are taken or released according to the colour and chance which wins. - -The odds laid by the bank work out as follows:-- - -Stakes placed on any number or on zero are paid at the rate of 35 to -1--a player on the numbers is therefore taking 35 to 1 about a 36 to -1 chance, which must be to his prejudice in the long-run--on any four -numbers 8 to 1, on any six numbers 5 to 1. Red or black, odd or even, -_passe_ (the numbers after 18) or _manque_ (the numbers before 18) are -even-money chances. The dozens and columns are 2 to 1 chances. - -Stakes are often placed _à cheval_, that is to say, on two adjoining -numbers, which together are paid at the rate of 17 to 1. The red -numbers and the blacks are unequally divided in the columns. The centre -column contains eight black and only four reds; the first column has -six reds and six blacks; while in the last column there are eight reds -and four blacks. - -Professor Karl Pearson, when making an exhaustive study of the laws of -chance, drew up a series of elaborate tables, with the intention of -comparing the results of a number of spins of the roulette wheel with -those produced by drawing numbers from a hat and tossing with coins. - -The conclusion at which he arrived was that, whilst the colours -followed the laws of chance as they are generally understood, the other -even chances, _passe_ and _manque_, _pair_ and _impair_, exhibited such -capriciousness in their recurrence as could not have been expected -had roulette been played continuously through the whole period of -geological time. - -The roulette wheels of Monte Carlo are perfectly honest machines. The -cylinder of each is sheet copper, carefully balanced and strengthened -by bands of metal. It revolves in its bed on a vertical pivot of steel, -the top of which has a cup-like hollow, into which oil is poured. A -mechanic, whose business it is to clean and prepare the wheels every -morning, pours oil also into the gun-metal socket which forms the -centre of the wheel, and it is then dropped into its place upon the -pivot. - -The great care which is taken by the authorities to ensure the absolute -accuracy of their roulette wheels is based upon very sufficient -grounds, for a slight defect in one of those machines once cost them a -large sum. - -Amongst the frequenters of the rooms at Monte Carlo there is always a -large number of astute and none too scrupulous individuals quick to -note any little circumstance likely to be of advantage to themselves. -For this reason some slight tendency of the roulette wheel to stop in -such a way as to cause a certain group of numbers to have an advantage -over the rest is very quickly noticed and advantage taken of it. - -A mechanic from Yorkshire, Jaggers by name, once cost the Casino -some two million francs. Well aware of the difficulty of maintaining -a nicely adjusted machine in a perfectly stable condition, Jaggers -engaged six assistants, whom he posted at different tables to note -the numbers at roulette all day long, whilst he himself undertook -to make an elaborate analysis of the results. After a month's play -peculiarities were clearly to be discovered in the appearance of the -numbers at each of the tables quite out of consonance with the law of -average, some numbers turning up more, some less. Having ascertained -this fact Jaggers and his men began to play on the numbers which kept -ahead of the rest, and won some hundred and forty thousand pounds. -The authorities then realised that all was not right, and changed the -roulette wheels from one table to another for every day's play, with -the result that the bank recovered £40,000. Jaggers, however, was not -yet defeated, for by searching observations he discovered minute marks -on most of the six wheels, which enabled him to follow them from table -to table--a mere scratch was enough. - -In a short time he and his assistants knew what numbers would be most -likely to recur at certain tables, and the £40,000 which the bank had -regained was soon won back. - -The authorities controlling the play now began to take a serious view -of the situation, and in consequence consulted the manufacturer of the -roulette wheels in Paris with a view to constructing cylinders capable -of baffling Jaggers and his gang. A new set of wheels were constructed -with interchangeable partitions, so that the position of the various -receptacles to receive the ball might be changed every evening, when -practically a new wheel would be produced, the receptacle which had -served for one number on any certain day being utilised for another on -the other side the next. - -By these means Jaggers was eventually defeated. He was astute enough to -perceive that the advantages which he had so cleverly utilised for his -own profit no longer existed and, after having lost back some portion -of his gains, retired from Monte Carlo some £80,000 to the good. - -In order to obviate all chance of anything of this kind happening -again, the roulette wheels are carefully examined and tested every day, -the most thorough precautions being taken to ensure conditions of the -fairest kind. - -Whatever objections may be urged against the gambling-rooms as an -institution, no accusation of unfairness can be raised against the way -in which play is conducted at Monte Carlo. In this respect scrupulous -and undeviating honesty is the absolute rule. - -A croupier, like a poet, is said to be born, not made. Many of those -employed at Monte Carlo, according to current report, are descendants -of those who raked in the money of the Allies (and especially of the -English officers) in the old gambling-rooms of the Palais Royal in 1814. - -A large section belong to great croupier families, members of which -dealt the cards and plied the rake in the "conversation houses" and -Kursaals of Baden, Homburg, Ems, and other German Spas which have been -described. There is something rather stately about these men, most of -whom have a peculiar look of detachment not lacking in dignity. - -Solemn, courteous, suave, and unmoved, they appear little affected by -the monotony which must of necessity attach to their calling. They are, -it is said, excellent husbands and fathers, of simple tastes, their -chief amusement being playing cards for very modest stakes amongst -themselves--for they are a class apart. - -A School of Croupiers exists, at which applicants are trained. - -The course of instruction in question is located in the Club-room of -the Tir aux Pigeons and the Salle d'Escrime. Here during the six summer -months are tables exactly like those in the public rooms above, each -pupil in turn taking the _rôle_ of croupier, whilst others, personating -players, stake money all over the table. The novice croupier learns to -calculate and pay out winning stakes with sham money, consisting of -metal discs and dummy bank-notes. - -It takes at least six months to produce a finished croupier. - -A roulette croupier receives two hundred and fifty francs a month; -whilst dealers at trente-et-quarante are paid three hundred francs. -The working-day is six hours, in two spells of three hours each; each -man being for three days in succession at one table. Every table is -controlled by six croupiers, a seventh being held in reserve as a -relief. - -At the tables the suavity of manner and impartiality of croupiers in -settling disputes is generally above all praise. The difficulties -with which a croupier has to contend are sometimes disturbing in the -extreme, but his decision is final and, as the players know, admits of -no appeal. - -Though the tables are surrounded by a mob of persons avid of gain, -yet there are times when winning stakes remain unclaimed for several -_coups_. When this is observed by the croupiers, the money is set -aside for a certain time, after which it goes to swell the funds of -the bank. Odd though it may appear, people very often depart leaving -winnings behind them on the table--a curious case of this once came -under the writer's observation. - -A lady, who was leaving Monte Carlo, had been sitting all the morning -at the roulette, trying with little success to get on a run, and at -last left the rooms to go to lunch with the writer, who afterwards, -having escorted her to the hotel to prepare for her journey, strolled -again into the Casino. - -Just within the door he was accosted by an excited and voluble -Englishwoman, who explained that the lady (whom she had observed with -the writer) had left two louis on the red when she rose from her chair. -Red had won twice, and the attention of the croupiers had been drawn to -the unclaimed eight louis, for which the speaker had then assumed the -responsibility, saying she was to play them for a lady who had gone out -of the rooms. She had then proceeded to play up the eight louis till -they had become sixty-four, when, at her request, the whole sum was -taken off the table. The _chef de partie_ meanwhile declared that the -bank would not part with the money till the owner of the original two -louis returned. - -After waiting for some time, the woman (who frankly said that she hoped -to receive a share of the money for having played it up) became much -perturbed at not knowing where to find the only owner whom the bank -would recognise, and the advent of the writer, to whom she explained -the whole thing, was therefore most opportune. The lady when told that -sixty-four louis was waiting for her was naturally much pleased, and -on drawing the sum on her way to the station, very cheerfully gave the -woman a third of what had been won. - -Of late years the annual profits of the Casino at Monte Carlo have -worked out at about a million, £4000 a day, it is said, flowing into -the coffers of the bank during the season. The disbursements, however, -are very heavy, amounting literally to hundreds of thousands of pounds. -Amongst these must be reckoned £9000 for clergy and schools, £6000 -for charity, and £20,000 for police. The arrangement, which was some -years ago renewed with the reigning Prince, naturally absorbs a very -large sum of money; but, when everything has been paid out, the annual -profits do not fall far short of £500,000, the shareholders, even in -bad years, receiving something like thirty per cent. - -The Casino employs about two thousand officials and _employés_; -the general management being carried on by a _directeur-général_, -who receives 100,000 francs a year, and three _directeurs_. Three -_sous-directeurs_, under whom are the _chefs de table_ and the -croupiers, have to superintend the gaming-rooms, in which eighteen -inspectors walk about the rooms quietly and continually, keeping -watchful eyes on _employés_ and players. These inspectors are known -only to the initiated, and have the appearance of being ordinary -onlookers, fond of watching the play. Amongst other duties these men -keep an eye upon the people staking, in order to detect any habitual -snatchers of other people's money, and also to report on any one who -may apply for the _viatique_. - -The _viatique_, or sum of money doled out to unsuccessful gamblers -by the Casino, consists of the price of a second-class ticket to the -applicant's home, together with some small additional funds to enable -him to proceed on his journey. - -The dole in question was in the earlier days of Monte Carlo generally -granted without much demur, but at the present time a successful -applicant has to comply with some very unpleasant formalities. - -To obtain the _viatique_, the presumably penniless gamester must -present himself at a special office, just off a corner of the central -gaming-room, and there he must take an oath that he has lost over -£300. Inquiries are then made as to whether the applicant has really -lost a large sum at play, which is easily discovered by the evidence -of the inspectors and officials presiding at the tables. If these -inquiries corroborate the story told, he is handed the money, for which -he signs a receipt; and until the advance is repaid, the recipient -is not allowed to pass the doors which separate the atrium from the -gaming-rooms. As a matter of fact, I believe those who have received -the _viatique_ are now photographed so as to be identified by the -door-keepers. - -There have been instances of unsuccessful system players, who, after -obtaining the _viatique_, have remained at Monte Carlo, constantly -vaunting the virtues of their peculiar method of play, indulgence in -which has shut them off from the tables. - -Whilst the enormous majority of those who frequent Monte Carlo lose, as -the princely dividends of the Casino show, certain is it that a number -of persons continue to eke out a living by very moderate and careful -play. Living in humble lodgings or cheap hotels in the Condamine are -many who make it the business of their lives to win one louis, or even -ten francs, every day, sitting for hours perhaps in the accomplishment -of the task. - -Some of these are ruined gamblers, who, being reduced to a modest -competency owing to their ruling passion, have more or less learnt -wisdom and are content to wait for long periods of time without staking -at all, whilst quick to grasp the advantage which can be taken from a -well-marked run. Old women, with queer handbags and bundles of what -resemble washing-books, abound at the roulette tables, some of them -being exceedingly shrewd and in a small way not unsuccessful players. - -When a woman really grasps the spirit of play she is undoubtedly far -cleverer than a man, who more often than not regards the gambling as a -personal combat between himself and the bank, which he thinks of rather -as a living thing than the ruthless inanimate machine which, in sober -fact, it is. - -The majority of women, however, are quite hopeless as gamblers, merely -frittering their money away, often quite ignorant of the odds, chances, -and general procedure of either trente-et-quarante or roulette, at -which their favourite method of staking is to try and back winning -numbers. - -The methods and systems employed by habitual frequenters of the rooms -are of every possible description, some being devised to win but a -louis, and others to secure a princely fortune. - -The numbers at roulette are very profitable to the bank, for no system -or method, no matter how carefully devised (except the one employed by -Jaggers), has ever assisted any one to back a winning number or set of -numbers. All this is mere chance, and no calculations as to previous -numbers and the like are of the least assistance. Every _coup_ that is -played is an absolutely new _coup_, and quite unaffected by anything -that has gone before. There is really no reason why one number should -not keep turning up during the whole of one day's play except the fact -that such a thing has never been known to happen. It appears certain -that the general tendency of chances is to equalise themselves at -the end of a certain period, but as the player of necessity cannot -possibly tell whether any given chance is on the up or down grade, such -knowledge is of no assistance whatever to him. - -A certain number is observed not to have turned up for a considerable -length of time, and the conclusion is formed that an increasing stake -upon it must in the end prove a good investment. More often than not -the very contrary is the case, for there have been whole days at Monte -Carlo during which a number at one table has scarcely appeared at all. -On the other hand, if a record of every _coup_ at this table had been -kept, the recurrence of every number would, in the course of time, be -found to be practically the same. Complicated systems have often been -devised, the main principle of which was covering a large proportion -of the numbers, only a few, supposed by deduction to be unlikely to -turn up, being left untouched. Disaster has invariably followed even -a moderate run on such numbers, which, of course, occurs in the end, -completely draining the players' pockets. - -The even chances, without doubt, afford a player the greatest -likelihood of success. - -Staking a louis every time on both black and red, or any other even -chance, leaving on any winnings in the hope of catching a run, is -occasionally not a bad plan. The trouble of staking on both chances -can be modified by calculation, though it is somewhat apt to lead to -confusion. - -A great number of players spend their whole time trying to strike a -run at trente-et-quarante--this generally occurs when they are absent -from their favourite table. The third _coup_ would seem to be the most -dangerous: for this reason, when a colour has run twice it is better -to withdraw some portion of the sum staked, and then the remainder may -be left to double up. - -The practice of staking on the dozens at roulette is generally very -attractive to those fresh to the tables, who like the idea of landing a -two to one chance. The same type of player is, as a rule, at one time -or another, fascinated by that system (or rather method of staking) -which consists in backing two dozens, that is, laying two to one -against the bank. Most of such players, however, soon discover how -disastrous this may prove, and it should be realised that it is by no -means an unusual occurrence for a dozen not to appear for ten or twelve -_coups_--seventeen, I believe, is the record number of non-appearances. -The great objection, however, to backing two dozens is zero, which -sweeps everything but the even chances. - -Another method of play is to stake against the recurrence of any number -of even chances in an identical order. - -Ten _coups_ at trente-et-quarante, for instance, having resulted thus: - - Red - Red - Red - Black - Red - Black - Black - Red - Red - Black, - -the player plays black, black, black, red, and so on in an exactly -opposite sense, increasing his stake till successful. As a matter of -fact it is not very usual for any given number of _coups_ to recur in -exactly the same succession, and played with discretion this system -occasionally yields fair results. - -Another simple method is to stake red, black, alternately, doubling up -till the winning colour is caught. This has the advantage of ensuring -profit from a run, but a directly opposite series of alternate reds and -blacks must, of course, prove ruinous in the extreme. - -The martingale, which is merely going "double or quits," is the -simplest of all systems. There are two martingales, the small and the -great. In the small martingale the aim is to get back all previous -losses in one _coup_, and to leave you a winner of one unit at the -finish. - -The progression is as follows: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, -1024. If you played this system at a roulette table with a unit of five -francs, it takes eleven consecutive losses to defeat you, and one loss -less at the trente-et-quarante table, where the minimum stake is 20 -francs. - -You may go on playing this martingale for weeks at a time without -encountering an adverse run of sufficient magnitude to enable the bank -to capture your stake. The only thing you have to fear is a run of 12 -against you; you can only double up eleven times, and your last stake -will be 5120 francs. Runs of 12, however, are rare. - -The great martingale aims at getting back all the previous losses and -winning one unit for every _coup_ played. The progression is 1, 3, 7, -15, 31, 63, 127, 255, 511, 1023, and the player is defeated by ten -consecutive losses at roulette, and nine at trente-et-quarante. - -When playing the little martingale the player has to double his stake -every time he loses, in order to recover his losses and be one unit -to the good. Whereas, in the great martingale he not only doubles his -stake but adds one unit to each _coup_, and only stands one chance in -1024 of losing at each _coup_, that is, of encountering an adverse run -of ten. - -A popular system is that known as the Labouchere system. Its main -principle is to keep scratching out the top and bottom figures whenever -you win, till no figures are left, and always to put down your loss -when you lose, which, added to the topmost number, forms the next stake. - -Before beginning to play write down on a card 1, 2, 3, in this order:-- - - 1 - 2 - 3 - -Your object is to win six units, and you always stake the sum total of -the top and bottom figures--1 + 3 = 4. If you win, you strike out the 3 -and the 1:-- - - =1= - 2 - =3= - -Your next stake will now be 2. If you win again, your task is over, for -you have won your six units. Suppose, however, as alas! most frequently -happens, that you lose your first stake 1 + 3, you must add the figure -4 at the bottom of your score thus:-- - - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - -Your next stake will now be 1 + 4 = 5. We will then say that you win, -in which case cross out the 1 and the 4, making your score:-- - - =1= - 2 - 3 - =4= - -The next stake would be 2 + 3. You lose, and your score stands:-- - - =1= - 2 - 3 - =4= - 5 - -The next stake would be 2 + 5. You win, and you cross out 2 and 5:-- - - =1= - =2= - 3 - =4= - =5= - -The next stake would be 3, and if you win you cross out 3, and have -won the six units that you started out to win. - -Not infrequently this system, after very nearly proving successful (one -number only being left), goes entirely wrong and runs into very big -figures, and in such a case the player is very lucky if he succeeds in -regaining his losses and winning the six units originally sought for. -More often than not he finds himself obliged to desist through lack of -capital. - -The writer's own experience of this system, which he has thoroughly -tested on several occasions at Monte Carlo, was that very frequently -the six units would be won several times in succession with -comparatively slight difficulty--at times, indeed, it appeared almost -ridiculously easy to win. In the end, however, there invariably came a -day when a very contrary state of affairs prevailed, and the money won -returned, with interest, to the bank. - -It should be added that before the writer embarked upon his efforts to -defeat the bank at Monte Carlo by means of this system, he gave it a -thorough trial by dealing out the required number of packs of cards at -trente-et-quarante, and noting the results of the various _coups_. In -almost every case the system proved completely successful, as systems -generally do when they are not being played for money. - -An exception to this was Lord Rosslyn's defeat by Sir Hiram Maxim, when -the former's system, played for sham money, was beaten at the 3080th -_coup_. Nevertheless the system in question is not a particularly bad -one, were it not that it requires a considerable capital. Ten thousand -units or more are essential, with £16,000 on the basis of a one-louis -unit. - -If fortune should favour the player, the profit would be from five to -six hundred louis a day. - -The principle of this system is to increase the stakes by one unit -every time, without ever decreasing, until all previous losses are -wiped out and one louis as well is gained for every _coup_ played. - -Two exceptions to this rule, however, exist. The first stake is always -"one," but if you lose this, instead of your next stake being two, it -is three; after that it should be four, five, six, seven, eight, etc., -until your task is accomplished. The game is finished when you can wipe -out all minus quantities from your score sheet and bring the result to -+1. Suppose, therefore, your score sheet shows you to be -3, and your -stake in the ordinary way ought to be 7; instead of staking 7 you would -only stake 4, in order to arrive at the result of +1 if you win. In the -event of your losing the stake of 4, your next stake will be 8, just -as if you had staked 7 in the ordinary course of the game the previous -_coup_. If you lose the 8, you would continue with 9, 10, 11, and so on. - -If you win two or three stakes of 1 at the commencement, they are -considered as definite gains, and put away quite apart from your -capital. - -In the event of your losing the first two stakes of 1 and 3, your -position is:-- - - First loss -1 - Second loss -3 - -- - Total loss -4 - -The object of the system being to win a unit per _coup_ as well as to -recover any loss, in order to keep a clear record of the amount you -require to win, it is best to add one unit to your losses after every -_coup_. - -Supposing that the game is begun with four losing and three winning -_coups_, it will be scored as follows:-- - - First loss 1 to which add 1 more. - 1 - -- - Total -2 - - Second stake -3 and lose. - -- - Lost -5 to which add 1 more. - 1 - -- - Total -6 - - Third stake -4 and lose. - -- - Lost -10 to which add 1 more. - 1 - -- - Total -11 - - Fourth stake -5 and lose. - -- - Lost -16 to which add 1 more. - 1 - -- - Total -17 - - Fifth stake +6 and win. - Lost -11 to which add 1 more. - 1 - -- - Total -12 - - Sixth stake +7 and win. - -- - Lost -5 to which add 1 more. - 1 - -- - Total -6 - - Seventh stake 7 and win. - -- - Result +1 - - - Result.--_Coups_ played, 7; _coups_ lost, 4; units won, 20. _Coups_ - won, 3; units lost, 13. Total won, 7. - -The last stake, it will be observed, is only 7 instead of 8. This is -because you only require to arrive at a result of +1. Had 8 been staked -in the ordinary course and won, you would have won a unit more than you -needed, but would have taken some unnecessary risk. - -Those desirous of giving various systems a trial should not omit to -study the method of staking set forth in Mr. Victor Bethell's lively -little book, _Ten Days at Monte Carlo_. A merit of this system is that -it only seeks to win a certain moderate amount every day, and does not -allure the player with hopes of immense and impossible gain. - -Most systems as a rule prove successful for a short time, and while -this happy state of affairs prevails, the player, not unnaturally, -congratulates himself upon having discovered an infallible method of -overcoming the wiles of chance. Sooner or later, alas, comes the day -when his laborious calculations prove quite powerless to defeat the -bank, and clearly demonstrate that the success, which at one time -seemed so certain and easy, was merely the result of having hit upon a -vein of good luck. - -In all probability the best method of staking is the following, which -was once carried out for some two months with complete success. The -method in question was successfully worked by a gentleman (known to the -present writer), who owing to the illness of a relative, was obliged to -remain at Monte Carlo for a rather lengthy period of time. He was, it -must be understood, very well off, and by no means a gambler. His plan -was this: every day he put a hundred-franc note in his pocket, which he -changed into five-franc bits in the Casino. With these twenty coins he -commenced to play. His stake was usually but one or two of these coins -at first, though sometimes he would lose his whole capital in a few -moments trying to back winning numbers. - -If successful, any notes he might receive were put in his pocket-book -not to be used for play. It was no uncommon thing for him to leave the -Casino with a profit of a thousand francs. - -On the other hand, it would often occur that for a number of days in -succession he would lose his hundred francs without hardly having won -a stake at all. In the long run, however, he was a very considerable -sum to the good, a comparatively small number of winning days having -far more than compensated him for the large number of those on which -the hundred francs had been speedily lost. Under no circumstances did -he ever risk more than a hundred francs in one day. It was, of course, -the system of putting all paper money in the pocket which caused this -method to succeed. It should be added that when the hundred francs had -rolled up into twenty or thirty louis at roulette the player often -tried his luck with them at trente-et-quarante. The essential advantage -of this method of staking is the limit imposed upon loss; under no -circumstances can more than one hundred francs a day be lost, whilst -when in luck a very large sum may be won. - -The method described above is not a bad one for any one who is making -a prolonged stay at Monte Carlo, and is not desperately anxious to -indulge in serious gambling; a better course to be adopted by those who -are, is to decide exactly how much they are prepared to lose, take the -whole of sum in question into the rooms one morning, divide it into -a certain number of stakes, and with these play a limited number of -_coups_ on the even chances. If successful, repeat this operation the -next day with the winnings alone, and so on until a fairly substantial -sum has been amassed, when the wisest course is to cease all further -gambling for that visit. - -It must never be forgotten that the fewer _coups_ which are played the -more chance there is of winning. - -Long sittings at the trente-et-quarante or roulette table are -absolutely certain to end in loss, besides being inexpressibly tedious, -trying to the eyes, and destructive to health. - -A man who plays a great part of the day and all the evening after -dinner must certainly end by being a loser; whereas he who merely plays -for a few minutes at a time has a very fair chance of ending up a -winner, always provided, of course, that the fates are propitious. - -In the long run nothing is to be gained by making a toil of gaming, the -only justifiable defence of which is that in moderation it affords a -good deal of pleasurable though generally costly excitement. - -There are good methods of staking and bad methods; but there is not, -and, so far as can be foreseen, never will be, a thoroughly reliable -system. The best is that which minimises loss, acting as a check in the -case of an unfavourable run. All complicated mathematical calculations -undertaken with a view to defeating the bank are vain, for none of -them take into consideration that most important and mysterious -factor--_luck_--which so often seems to shun serious gamblers. - -"If I were resolved to win," said a lover of systems, "I should go very -soberly with a hundred napoleons, and be content with winning one." -"That would never do," was the reply of a player well versed in the -fallacies of gamesters' calculations. "Better go, after a good dinner, -with one napoleon, resolved to win a hundred." - - - - -XI - - Difficulty of making money on the Turf--Big wins--Sporting - tipsters and their methods--Jack Dickinson--"Black - Ascots"--Billy Pierse--Anecdotes--Lord Glasgow--Lord - George Bentinck--Lord Hastings--Heavy betting of the - past--Charles II. founder of the English Turf--History of - the latter--Anecdotes--Eclipse--Highflyer--The founder - of Tattersall's--Old time racing--Fox--Lord Foley--Major - Leeson--Councillor Lade--"Louse Pigott"--Hambletonian and - Diamond--Mrs. Thornton match--Beginnings of the French - Turf--Lord Henry Seymour--Longchamps--Mr. Mackenzie - Grieves--Plaisanterie--Establishment of the Pari Mutuel in 1891--How - the large profits are allocated--Conclusion. - - -In the course of some remarks on racing made by Lord Rosebery at the -131st dinner of the Gimcrack Club he said:-- - -"I don't think any one need pursue the Turf with the idea of gain." - -This statement, though a discouraging one for sportsmen, is nothing -more than the plain, unvarnished truth, as any one who cares to look -into the matter can find out for himself. A quicker and more convincing -method, open to those with plenty of funds, is to own race-horses. - -The Turf, as a means of making money, is indeed not to be considered -seriously. Certain bookmakers, of course, have made, and do still make -fortunes, but bookmaking cannot properly be called going on the Turf. - -Owners have also existed who, for a time, have reaped a rich harvest by -the success of their horses. Over Hermit's Derby Mr. Chaplin is said -to have landed an enormous stake, something between a hundred and a -hundred and twenty thousand--he never received the whole of the amount -which he won. Mr. John Hammond was also at times very successful in -winning large sums. He is said to have cleared over £70,000 by the -victory of Herminius in the Ascot stakes of 1888. This horse he had -bought for two hundred and forty guineas! A singularly lucky owner was -Mr. James Merry, who is supposed to have cleared over £80,000 when -Thormanby won the Derby. Another big win was that of Mr. Naylor, who is -supposed to have won £100,000 over Macaroni for the Derby of 1863. - -Nevertheless, from a financial point of view betting on horse-races is -almost without exception disastrous, and, whether they know too much -or know too little, men who systematically indulge in it to any great -extent stand an excellent chance of being left with empty pockets. - -As for the general public, a number of whom are more or less given -to risking an occasional bet, their chance of winning is absolutely -infinitesimal. An individual who bets throughout the year is indeed -very lucky if he loses only two-thirds of the money he has risked--as -a rule he does far worse than this. The sporting papers, on which -many rely, are of course genuinely anxious to assist their readers -to find winners, but do not pretend to be infallible guides. Sporting -journalists themselves, who should be in an excellent position -to obtain reliable information, are not infrequently peculiarly -unsuccessful in their own bets; probably few end the year on the -winning side. The most expensive guides of all are, of course, the -advertising tipsters, some of whom make quite large sums by issuing -thoroughly unreliable vaticinations to a touchingly confiding -clientele. Some time ago one of these men very cleverly took advantage -of a newspaper competition, when a prize had been offered by a sporting -paper for naming the most popular tipster of the day. Purchasing some -thousands of coupons he put his own name on them, of course varying -the writing to prevent suspicion. As a result of these tactics he was -eventually adjudged to be the prize tipster, and, though the scheme -cost him a good deal of money, it eventually brought considerable grist -to his mill. - -The circulars and letters issued by these prophets are generally -admirably calculated to increase the number of their followers. - -Not infrequently they adopt a high-flown style. One for instance, moved -by purely philanthropic motives, declares that "when he casts his -practised eye on the broad surface of struggling humanity and witnesses -the slow and enduring perseverance or impetuous rush of the many to -grapple with a cloud, he is seized with an intense desire to hold up -the lamp of light to all." Another adopts a bluffer style and writes:-- - - DEAR SIR--DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. Let me entreat you not to miss - to-morrow's GOLDEN PADDOCK WIRE; it will be honestly worth a £10 note. - - My RELATION connected with a certain WELL-KNOWN STABLE says, "Frank, - my boy, get your money on at once; this is another 20 to 1 chance." A - GOLD MINE is before us--miss this and you will miss a pile of GOLD and - silver. - - OWNER and TRAINER HAVE planked their money down; both will travel with - the GRAND ANIMAL (the name of which I will forward for 5s.) to-morrow - by special train. - - Send a postal order and secure the name of the smartest three-year-old - that ever came under the starters' orders or romped past the judge's - box lengths ahead of all the favourites, winning clients and myself - many HUNDREDS OF POUNDS. - -Yet another offers infallible information if clients will merely put a -small portion of their stake on for him. As some of the horses he gives -must win he probably does fairly well. Whilst most of such tipsters are -but sorry guides, some are undoubtedly honest men and try to do their -best for their clients. - -Such a one was Old Jack Dickinson, a thoroughly honest sporting -tipster, who will be remembered by all race-goers of some years ago. -This well-known character, who was a fine sprint runner in his day, -bore a quite unblemished reputation, though a backer of horses and a -professional vendor of tips. Old Jack was a regular church-goer in -his own parish, where his death caused genuine sorrow. Though in his -capacity as a Turf tipster he was at times compelled to issue his -circulars on Sunday, this he did not like, and by way of salving his -conscience in the matter he is said to have made a practice of devoting -all the money he received from the Sunday information to church -purposes, it being put into the collection box. - -On the Turf, exclusive of betting men, jockeys, and trainers, there -are three classes--men of large fortune, with well and old-established -studs, fixtures as it were; sporting men of moderate fortune, who -confine themselves to four or five horses at a time, and run merely in -their own part of the world; and lastly, men of small or no fortune, -who run for profit more than amusement. It is the conduct of many of -this last class which has at times been injurious to the Turf. - -The sporting owner, who has to pay large trainers' bills and meet the -other inevitable charges incident to the sport of which he aspires to -be a pillar, cannot reasonably hope to make a profit on his racing; -even the sharp betting man is in many cases out of pocket at the end of -a year. Expenses, such as travelling, hotel bills, and the like, amount -to a considerable sum, and for this reason every supporter of the Turf -is greatly handicapped before he even makes a bet. - -Layers as well as backers have large disbursements which they cannot -avoid--as a matter of fact the vast majority of bookmakers who have -died rich men have made their fortunes through commercial enterprises, -though, of course, the moderate capital originally invested was made in -the Ring. To acquire any considerable sum in this manner is by no means -an easy thing. Much is heard about successful bookmakers; little of -those who fail and disappear. - -If betting can ever be made profitable, it must be carried on in a most -systematic and restrained manner. A few points in the odds make the -difference often of some thousands; and it will require a man's whole -time and attention to take advantage of any turn in the market. - -A young man who goes racing with the idea of making money is of -necessity quickly disillusioned in the most unpleasant of ways. If he -knows no racing men he is, of course, hopelessly at sea; but should he -have means of obtaining really good information, his fate is generally -even more deplorable, for some untoward incident almost invariably -happens when a big _coup_ is on and the good thing goes down. - -Not a few, in despair at continual losses, make up their minds to wait -for "absolute certainties," and lay heavy odds on some horse which it -would seem cannot possibly be beaten, a method which usually proves -very expensive in the end. - -Of all meetings Ascot seems most fatal to gamblers of this description. -A particularly disastrous meeting was that of 1879. In the Vase, -Silvio, 9 to 4 on, fell before Isonomy; Peter, 5 to 2 on for the Fern -Hill Stakes, was beaten by Douranee; Victor Chief, 7 to 4 on, was -fourth to Philippine for the Seventeenth New Biennial; Valentino second -for the Maiden Plate at 5 to 4 on; Silvio, 6 to 4 on, was beaten in the -Hardwicke; and Aventurier, 2 to 1, was defeated by Royal for the Plate -of one hundred sovereigns, which concluded this woeful meeting. - -Another "Black Ascot" was that of 1882. 8 to 1 was laid on Geheimniss, -which could only obtain second place in the Fernhill Stakes; 9 to 2 on -St. Marguerite, third in the Coronation Stakes; 11 to 8 on Rookery, -second in the New Stakes; and 9 to 4 on Foxhall, second in the -Alexandra Plate. An appalling series of disasters for the unfortunate -backer! - -Layers of odds on again suffered at Ascot in 1894, when 5 to 1 was laid -on Delphos for the All Aged Stakes, and 5 to 1 on La Flèche for the -Hardwicke on the Friday. The odds in each case were upset, both being -second. - -At Ascot this year backers as usual did not fare particularly well, for -notable upsets occurred in the Coventry Stakes, won by the Admiration -colt at 20 to 1, and in the All Aged Stakes, in which 100 to 15 was -laid on Hallaton which succumbed to his only rival Hillside. - -When everything is said and done, there can be no doubt that the -individual who starts out, either as bookmaker or backer, with the idea -that he is going to make a fortune must, as an old racing character -(Billy Pierse, whose father fought at Culloden) used to say, "want it -here." - -This expression was very popular with "T' au'd un" or the "Governor," -as Billy was commonly designated on the Yorkshire courses. Once at -Doncaster, when Sir John Byng had to decide a dispute as to jostling to -the prejudice of a horse trained by "T' au'd un," the latter insisted -that Sir John could not distinguish between a race and a charge of -cavalry, and that he could by no earthly explanation be made to -comprehend in what a "jostle" in racing consisted. So cantankerous was -Billy on the subject that he accosted an old gentleman, whose erudition -he held in high esteem, in the following manner: "Tell me, sir, wasn't -this Sir J. Byng's father or grandfather hanged?" "No, Mr. Pierse," -was the reply, "not hanged; probably you allude to the Admiral, who -was shot." "I thowt," rejoined Billy, "it was sommat o' t' sowort, an' -it's much of a muchness between hanging and shooting; but I'll uphoud -ye that this Sir John Byng will never do for the Turf--he may be well -enough for a General, but he'll never do for the Turf! He wants it -here, sir," added Billy, putting his finger in a most expressive manner -on his forehead, "he wants it here!" - -The maxims of "T' au'd un" were held in great respect, and the Duke of -Cleveland, for whom he won several races on Haphazard, used frequently -to ask the old man (who had had his last mount in the St. Leger of -1819) to Raby. Concerning these visits Billy used to say, "I never -forgot that I was Billy Pierse--I was useful or I wouldn't have been -theer." This was to some extent true, for the Duke had a high opinion -of his judgment in Turf matters. A favourite saying of Old Billy, and -one which afforded him much comfort, was, "I've done as many as have -done me." Nevertheless he was straight enough, according to the Turf -ethics of his day. - -Within the last twenty-five years there have been many changes in -connection with Turf speculation. Ante-post betting, for instance, is -now practically obsolete, whilst starting price betting, unknown in old -days, has come into vogue; and, finally, the huge wagers formerly quite -common have become things of the past, a state of affairs which would -be little to the taste of men of the type of the fifth Lord Glasgow -did they still exist. This nobleman's love of wagering enormous sums -excited attention even in an age when high gambling was not generally -viewed with anything like the severity which prevails to-day, when -Stock Exchange speculation is the favourite mode of attaining complete -and speedy impecuniosity. - -The evening before the Derby of 1843 Lord Glasgow, then Lord Kelburne, -was at Crockford's, when Lord George Bentinck inquired if any one would -lay him three to one against his horse, Gaper. Lord Kelburne said he -should be delighted. - -[Illustration: - - (THE PRINCE REGENT.) (COLONEL O'KELLY.) - - BETTING. - - By Rowlandson.] - -"Remember," said Lord George, "I'm not after a small bet." - -"Well," rejoined Lord Kelburne, "I suppose £90,000 to £30,000 will suit -you." - -This staggered the owner of Gaper, who was obliged to admit that he had -never dreamt of taking such a large bet. - -Lord Kelburne was rather annoyed. "I thought you wanted to do it 'to -money,'" said he sharply; "however, I see I was wrong." - -As early as 1823 this sporting peer had created a sensation at the -Star Inn at Doncaster, by offering to lay 25 to 1 in hundreds against -Brutandorf for the St. Leger, afterwards repeating the offer in -thousands. - -On the St. Leger of 1824 Jerry won him some £17,000, but three years -later he lost £27,000, Mr. Gully's much-fancied Derby winner, Mameluke, -being beaten by Matilda. The victory of this filly, which was very -popular with the Yorkshire crowd, is commemorated at Stapleton Park, -near Pontefract--where her owner, the Hon. E. Petre, lived--by a -chiming clock placed over the stables, known as the "Matilda clock," -which is appropriately surmounted by a "race-horse weathercock." - -Lord George Bentinck is said to have won no less than £100,000 by -betting in one year (1845), but his racing expenses amounted to an -enormous sum. He won £12,000 by the victory of Cotherstone in the -Derby, and it is said would have profited to the extent of some -£135,000 had Gaper proved the winner of that classic race. His -successes as an owner, though considerable, hardly compensated him -for the immense amount of time, thought, and money which he expended -upon racing matters. Crucifix, it is true, won the Two Thousand, the -One Thousand, and the Oaks in 1840, but Lord George never won the -Derby, though if he had not parted with his stud in 1846 he would in -all probability have done so, for Mr. Mostyn in his purchase acquired -Surplice, who became the winner in 1848. The victory much agitated his -former owner when he heard of it. - -Sir Joseph Hawley was a very heavy better in his time, though at -the end of his Turf career he began a crusade against the evils of -plunging--nevertheless, not very long before, he had taken £40,000 to -£600 about each of the fillies he had entered for the Derby. - -The enormous bets made by the ill-timed Marquis of Hastings are -notorious. Now and then he hit the Ring very hard--when Lecturer -won the Cesarewitch, for instance, he was a gainer of no less than -£75,000--and his Turf winnings in stakes were also considerable for two -or three years. In 1864 they amounted to £10,000, in 1866 to £12,000, -and in 1867 to over £30,000. Hermit's Derby, however, in the same year -is said to have cost him £140,000; and even had Marksman, who was -second, won, he would have lost £120,000. - -This spendthrift nobleman was anything but shrewd as a plunger. He had -made his book so badly that, though he stood to lose heavily, he would -only have profited to the extent of a few thousands had Vauban, which -was his best horse, been first past the post. In 1868 the Marquis, -a broken-down, ruined man, passed to his grave at the early age of -twenty-six. - -There was very heavy betting in the old days. Davies, the celebrated -bookmaker, for instance, more than once made a Derby book amounting to -£100,000. As a matter of fact he is said to have generally lost money -over the Derby and Oaks, and won it over the St. Leger. When Daniel -O'Rourke won the Derby he lost about £50,000 (some say almost double -this sum), having laid a great deal of money at 100 to 1. Catherine -Hayes also hit him hard, and over West Australian he lost £48,000, of -which £30,000 went to the owner, Mr. Bowes. In his latter years Davies -rather avoided ante-post betting, especially on the Derby. The victory -of Teddington in 1851 took something not far short of £90,000 out of -his pockets, one cheque alone sent out by him to Mr. Greville being for -£15,000. The Derby in question was very costly to the Ring in general, -which lost something like £150,000. The most considerable sum, however, -ever won by the great racing public of small means was when Voltigeur -won the St. Leger in 1850. The excitement during the deciding heat with -Russborough was probably the greatest ever seen on any race-course; -and on the evening of the following day, when he won the Doncaster Cup, -beating the Flying Dutchman, many of the Yorkshiremen caroused all -night. As one of them said, "Who'd go to bed when Voltigeur's won the -St. Leger and the Cup?" - -Whilst racing possesses some claim to be considered a serious sport -owing to the undoubted improvement which it has effected in the breed -of horses, its most ardent supporters have been men of pleasure. The -founder of the English Turf, indeed, was the "Merry Monarch," though -there had been horse-racing for bells long before his time. - -Charles the Second did everything he could to improve horsemanship -in England. He it was who induced a celebrated French riding master, -Foubert by name, to come over and settle in England. This Frenchman set -up a riding academy near what is now Regent Street. His name is still -perpetuated by "Foubert's Passage." - -Charles, who knew a good deal about most things, possessed, it is -said, much knowledge of horses, and was himself an experienced and -able rider. He became a great supporter of the Turf, gave many prizes -to be run for, and delighted in witnessing races. When he resided at -Windsor the horses ran on Datchet-mead; but the most distinguished spot -for these spectacles was Newmarket, a place which was first chosen on -account of the firmness of the ground. - -Remains of the house in which Charles lived at what became the -head-quarters of the Turf still exist. It was originally purchased by -the "Merry Monarch" from an Irish Peer, Lord Thomond. - -Here it was that Nell Gwynne is supposed to have held her infant out of -the window as Charles passed down the Palace Gardens to his stables, -and apostrophised him to the effect that if the child was not made a -Duke upon the spot she would drop it. - -When the King went to see this palace, as it was called, which he had -caused to be built at Newmarket, he thought the rooms too low; but the -architect, Sir Christopher Wren, who was of small stature, did not -agree. Walking through the rooms he looked up at the King and said, -"Please your Majesty, I think they are high enough." The King squatted -down to Sir Christopher's height, and creeping about in that posture, -cried, "Aye, Sir Christopher, I think they are high enough." - -During his visits to the little town Charles usually spent the morning -in coursing or playing tennis, repairing to the Heath about three to -witness racing, it being the custom for the King and his retinue of -courtiers and ladies to ride alongside or after the contending steeds, -which on their arrival at the winning post were saluted with the blare -of trumpets and the beating of drums. Most of the races in Charles' day -would appear to have consisted of matches to decide wagers previously -laid. - -The Whip which is annually run for at Newmarket has sometimes been said -to be the identical one which Charles II. (not George II.) was in the -habit of riding with, and which he presented to some nobleman, whose -arms it bears, as being the owner of the best horse in England. - -The whip itself is of very antique appearance, and by no means "a -splendid trophy." The handle, which is very heavy, is of silver, with -a ring at the end of it for a wristband, which is made of the mane of -Eclipse. - -During this reign the Turf became a popular and aristocratic -institution. The Merry Monarch even condescended to ride himself, and -rode a match at Newmarket in 1671, on which occasion his horse Woodcock -was beaten. - -Charles kept and entered horses in his own name, and by his attention -and generosity added importance and lustre to the institution over -which he presided. Bells, the ancient reward of swiftness, were now no -longer given; a silver bowl or cup of the value of one hundred guineas -succeeded the tinkling prize. On this royal gift the exploits of the -successful horse, together with his pedigree, were usually engraven to -publish and perpetuate his fame. - -James the Second is reputed to have been a good horseman, but his reign -was too short and troublesome to permit him to indulge his inclinations -as regards horses. He was a lover of hunting, and ever preferred -English mounts, several of which he had always in his stables after he -became an exile in France. - -When William the Third ascended the throne, he not only added to the -plates given at different places in the kingdom, but made every attempt -at improving horsemanship. Though he was a monarch of considerable -austerity, this king once matched a horse of his own for a stake of two -thousand guineas. - -Queen Anne continued the bounty of her predecessors, with the addition -of several plates. Her Consort, George, Prince of Denmark, is said to -have taken infinite delight in horse-racing, and to have obtained from -the Queen the grant of several plates allotted to different places. - -Towards the beginning of the eighteenth century a statute of Queen Anne -was enacted with a view to the restriction of betting. Very great sums -of money changed hands owing to a match run at Newmarket between the -gentlemen of the South and those of the North. It is almost superfluous -to add that the proverbial shrewdness of the Northerner was fully -demonstrated on this occasion. - -Queen Anne herself was, however, a supporter of the Turf, running -horses in her own name in matches at Newmarket and York. - -Towards the close of the reign of George the First he discontinued the -plates, and in lieu of each gave the sum of one hundred guineas. - -In the middle of the eighteenth century the Turf had fallen into some -disrepute, but the Duke of Cumberland did much to revive the glories -which had somewhat languished since the days of Charles II. He it was -who first instituted the race meeting at Ascot. - -The Duke was a born gambler, and used when out hunting to play at -hazard with Lord Sandwich, throwing a main on every green hill and -under every green tree whenever the hounds checked. - -Though cheery enough in the hunting field, he was anything but -tender-hearted when pursuing his avocation as a soldier; indeed his -severity at times became cruelty, which gained for him the nickname of -"the Butcher." - -The day after the decisive battle of Culloden, in the year 1745, the -General, or as he was popularly styled, Duke William, was riding over -the scene of battle in company with his officers, among whom was -Colonel Wolfe, afterwards the hero of Quebec, then a young man. Among -the dead and dying stretched on the stricken field, one was so far -recovered as to be able to sit upright. Looking at the poor wretch, -the Duke said to the young Colonel by his side; "Wolfe, shoot me that -rebel." Wolfe glared back at his prince and commander, and, with a -flushed countenance which showed his indignation, replied: "Your Royal -Highness, I am a soldier, not an executioner." The Duke turned his back -upon Wolfe and did not utter another word. - -If, however, the Duke, as the saying went, was a "very devil in his -boots," he was all right out of them and good-natured enough when -racing. Being at a Newmarket meeting just before the horses started, he -missed his pocket-book, containing some bank-notes. When the knowing -ones came about him and offered several bets, he said he had lost his -money already and could not afford to venture any more that day. The -horse which the Duke had intended to back was beaten, so he consoled -himself, as he said, with the thought that the loss of his pocket-book -only anticipated the evil, as if he had betted, he would have paid away -as much to the worthies of the Turf. The race, however, was no sooner -finished than a veteran half-pay officer presented His Royal Highness -with his pocket-book, saying he had found it near the stand, but had -not an opportunity of approaching him before. To this the Duke most -generously replied; "I am glad it has fallen into such good hands--keep -it. Had it not been for this accident, it would have been by this time -among the blacklegs and thieves of Newmarket." - -In 1764 the Duke of Cumberland matched his famous horse, King Herod, -against the Duke of Grafton's Antinous for £1000 over the Beacon Course -at Newmarket. This contest excited intense interest, and more than -£100,000 is said to have changed hands over the victory of Herod, who -won by what was then called half a neck. In the annals of the Turf, -however, Duke William is best remembered on account of the fact that he -bred the greatest horse of all time, "Eclipse." - -This animal, whose wonderful powers as a racer have won him -unparalleled fame, was got by Marske (a son of Squirt) out of Spiletta, -a bay mare foaled in 1749 by Regulus, a son of the Godolphin Arabian. -Eclipse was foaled in 1764, during the great eclipse of that year. -When, at the death of the Duke, His Royal Highness's stud was brought -to the hammer, Eclipse was purchased as a colt by Mr. Wildman (who -appears to have had some insight into his value), under very curious -circumstances. Mr. Wildman, who had, it was reported, been put into -possession of the extraordinary promise evinced by a particular -chestnut colt when a yearling, adopted the following questionable -measures in order to make sure of him. When he arrived at the place of -sale, he produced his watch and insisted that the auction had commenced -before the hour which had been announced in the advertisements, and -that the lots should be put up again. In order, however, to prevent a -dispute, it was agreed by the auctioneer and company that Mr. Wildman -should have his choice of any particular lot. By these means, it is -generally believed, he became possessed of Eclipse at the moderate -price of seventy or seventy-five guineas. Eclipse did not appear upon -the Turf till he was five years old, and so invincibly bad was his -temper that it was for some time uncertain whether he would not be -raced as a gelding. It is by mere accident, indeed, that the most -celebrated of English stallions was preserved to adorn the Calendar -with the glories of his descendants. In the neighbourhood of Epsom -Downs there lived a man of the name of Ellerton, who, however, was -better known by the sobriquet of Hilton, and who united the occupations -of poacher and rough-rider. To him, after all else had signally failed, -Eclipse was handed over as an incorrigible, and he had recourse to the -kill-or-cure system. He was at him day and night, frequently bringing -him home at daybreak, after a poaching excursion, with a load of -hares strung across his back. Twelve months of this regimen brought -him sufficiently to his senses to fit him to be brought to the post, -and once there, he ran because it was his pleasure to do so. Still -he never could be raced like any other horse. Fitzpatrick, who rode -him in almost all his races, never dared to hold him, or do more than -sit quiet in his saddle. All through his Turf career his temper was -wretched, and very seriously interfered with his value as a racer. -His extraordinary superiority was also so palpable that latterly no -odds could be got about him save by stratagems. One of these was very -clever. For a race in which there were several horses engaged, when -O'Kelly failed in getting any money on no-matter-what odds, he took -them to a large amount that he placed every horse in it! This he did by -naming Eclipse first and all the others nowhere, winning by his horse -distancing the field. In 1769, Wildman and O'Kelly were joint-owners -of Eclipse, the latter, however, soon after becoming the sole owner -at the price of 1750 guineas. At a late period of his life, when -an offer to purchase him was made to O'Kelly, these were the terms -demanded--£20,000 down, an annuity of £500 for his (O'Kelly's) life, -and the right of having three mares every year stinted to him as long -as he lived. - -This "horse of horses" was short in the forehand, and high in the hips, -which gave elasticity to his speed. Upon dissection the muscles were -found to be of unparalleled size--a proof of the intimate relation -between muscular power and extraordinary swiftness. No horse of his day -would appear to have had the shadow of a chance against him. - -Eclipse died February 26th, 1789, aged twenty-five, at Cannons, in -Middlesex, to which place he had been removed from Epsom about six -months previously, in a machine, constructed for the purpose, drawn by -two horses, and attended by a confidential groom. When his owner, old -O'Kelly, died at his house in Piccadilly on December 28th, 1787, he -bequeathed Eclipse and Dungannon to his brother Philip. - -Another famous horse was Highflyer, which received his name from -having been foaled in a paddock, in which were a number of highflyer -walnut trees. He was named by Lord Bolingbroke at a large dinner-party -at Sir Charles Bunbury's. The horse in question was the cause of -considerable jealousy between Colonel O'Kelly, the owner of Eclipse, -and Mr. Tattersall, the founder of the celebrated institution at Hyde -Park Corner, whose prosperity was greatly increased by the purchase -of Highflyer. "The Hammer and Highflyer" indeed became a favourite -toast of the day. Both owners felt the necessity of crossing by the -blood of their respective stallions, but each was afraid of increasing -the celebrity of the other's horse thereby. The two men were widely -different in character. Colonel O'Kelly (of whom an account has already -been given) piqued himself upon being descended from the first race -of Milesian kings, although he had served for the greatest part of -his life some of the humblest offices. It was his boast that he bred -and ran his horses for fame. He certainly sacrificed many thousands -of pounds in aspiring to the glory of being the Jehu of the day. Mr. -Tattersall bred for profit. The former never sold anything before he -had trained and ran it at Newmarket; the latter never trained anything, -with the exception of one mare early in life, which was of no note. -The Irishman matched everything--the Lancashire man sold everything. -The one was hasty and impetuous in betting upon the descendants of -Eclipse. The other was cautious, and left it to those who had bought -them to risk their money upon the progeny of Highflyer. In a word, they -resembled each other in nothing, except, it was wickedly said, their -total ignorance of horses and extreme good fortune. Mr. Tattersall in -the decline of life was more than usually anxious that his son should -persevere in keeping stallions and breeding race-horses. O'Kelly -directed by his will that all his stud should be sold as soon as -possible after his death. Mr. Tattersall's son and heir sold the whole -stud after his death. O'Kelly's nephew and executor was obliged to sell -under the direction of the will, but he bought most of the horses for -his own use. He was a cultivated man, and had been well brought up by -his uncle. - -Mr. Tattersall used to say that there was no part of Colonel O'Kelly's -conduct which he wished he had imitated except that in giving an -excellent education to his heir. - -Mr. Tattersall was a very economical man. When Highflyer died, many -suggestions were made that the horse should be skinned and stuffed, -as had been done by Colonel O'Kelly in the case of Eclipse. Mr. -Tattersall, however, replied that he did not see the use of stuffing -him with hay after he was dead, as he could no longer cover; he had -stuffed him full enough with hay and corn when he was alive and -producing money. Mr. Tattersall had very practical ideas about such -things, and when inspecting his cattle whilst they were fattening, was -often overheard to say, "Eat away, my good creature! eat away, and get -fat soon. The butcher is waiting for you, and I want money." - -Mr. Tattersall's prosperous career arose in a great measure from -a successful speculation in Scotland. Having heard that a Scotch -nobleman's stud was to be sold there, he applied to a friend to go his -halves in the purchase. "If you will find money, for I have none," said -he, "I will find skill, and you shall have a good thing." The sum was -deposited, and he went to the sale, partly by coach and partly on foot, -buying nearly all the horses for a trifle. Upon his return, he sold -a few at York for more money than the whole of them had cost, making -several hundred pounds out of the rest from purchasers at Newmarket and -in London. Mr. Tattersall used often to say this was the first money -he ever possessed above a few pounds. Having thus acquired a little -capital, he soon increased it by similar means, and also, of course, by -his business at Hyde Park Corner. - -At that time, though sales of horses by auction were occasionally held, -there was no regular repository or fixed sales at stated periods, -the lack of which was much felt in the sporting world. Perceiving -that a golden opportunity lay ready to hand, Mr. Tattersall, who was -well-known to the gentlemen of the Turf and to the horse-dealers, -offered his services as an auctioneer, and solicited their patronage. -Lord Grosvenor warmly espoused his cause, and built for him the -extensive premises at Hyde Park Corner, where Mr. Tattersall died. His -success was astonishingly rapid. He soon enlarged the premises and -built stands for carriages, which were sold by private contract; as -well as kennels for hounds and other dogs, which were sold by auction. -He converted a part of his house into a tavern and coffee-house, and -fitted up two of the most elegant rooms in London for the use of the -Jockey Club, who held their meetings there for some years. He allotted -another apartment to the use of betting men. This was supported by -an annual subscription of a guinea from each member, and was called -the betting-room. Here prominent Turfites assembled every sale-day to -lay wagers on the events of future races, and here they met to pay -and receive the money won and lost at what were called country races, -in contradistinction to the races at Newmarket. His sales were not -confined to Hyde Park Corner; he constantly attended the Newmarket -meetings and the races at York, where he had considerable employment, -and thereby kept up his connection with the jockeys in different parts -of the kingdom, who sent their horses to him from all the various -districts. - -Racing as carried on in the eighteenth century was on a very different -scale from that of the present day. Our ancestors were contented with -very small stakes and but few races in a day. - -In 1755 there were but three meetings at Newmarket, which gave fifteen -racing days. Thirteen stakes were run for, the gross amount of which -was £1255. There were twenty heats. - -Besides the stakes there were twenty-nine matches, which made the daily -average of races something over three. - -[Illustration: E.O. ON A COUNTRY RACE-COURSE. - -By Rowlandson.] - -In those days noblemen and gentlemen met to enjoy each other's society -and test the merits of their horses rather than for purposes of -gain, the stakes being, from a pecuniary view, a matter of comparative -indifference. - -At the small country meetings the racing was spread over a greater -space of time than at present; all of them lasted three days and many -a week. Dinners and balls were the order of the day, the race meeting -being an event which was looked forward to throughout the year. - -A number of the more aristocratic spectators were mounted, and followed -the horses as they ran. So great, indeed, became the disorder caused at -race meetings by this riding with and after the horses during racing, -that the Chief Magistrate of one provincial town (who, it should be -added, had Irish blood in his veins) caused a placard to be posted up -just before the races, intimating "that no _gentleman_ would be allowed -to ride on the course, _except the horses_ that were to run." - -Racing was formerly a very rough-and-ready affair, and much was -tolerated on a race-course which would be sternly dealt with to-day. -Gambling-booths and E.O. tables were easily to be found, whilst little -order was maintained on the course. At Tavistock Races in 1815, a -sailor with one arm, who had just been paid off, exhibited his skill in -horsemanship, to the no small annoyance of everybody, till at length, -checking his Bucephalus at full gallop, he was thrown with great -violence, by which his right leg was dreadfully fractured. - -Cocked-hat races and other eccentric contests were not infrequent -features at race meetings. At Hereford races in 1822 a race between -three velocipedes, commonly called hobby-horses, created much mirth. -They were ridden by three men, dressed in scarlet, yellow, and white -jackets. Much skill was displayed, and every exertion used, with the -result that white won, scarlet and yellow being both upset, and the -riders each receiving a hearty bump, to the great diversion of all the -spectators. - -The Turf of former days eased the aristocracy of a good deal of -money, and many a fine estate changed hands owing to the vicissitudes -of racing. Fox of course lost very large sums. He used to declare -after the defeat of his horses that they had as much bottom as other -people's, but that they were such slow, good animals that they never -went fast enough to tire themselves! Occasionally, however, he was -lucky. In April 1772 he won nearly £16,000--the greater part of which -was the result of bets against the celebrated Pincher, who lost the -match by only half-a-neck, two to one having been laid on him. At the -Spring meeting in 1789 Fox is also said to have won about £50,000; and -at the October meeting next year he realised £4000 by the sale of two -of his horses--Seagull and Chanticleer. In 1788 Fox and the Duke of -Bedford won eight thousand guineas between them at the Newmarket Spring -meeting. Fox and Lord Barrymore had a match for a large sum; this was -given as a dead heat, and the bets were off. - -On taking office in 1783, Fox sold his horses, and erased his name -from several of the Clubs of which he was a member. In a short -time, however, he again purchased a stud, and in October attended -the Newmarket meeting, when a King's messenger appeared amongst the -sportsmen on the Heath in quest of the Minister, for whom he bore -despatches. The messenger, as was usual on these occasions, wore his -badge of office, the greyhound, and his arrival created quite a stir on -the course. - -In 1790, Fox's horse, Seagull, won the Oatlands Stakes at Ascot of one -hundred guineas (nineteen subscribers), beating the Prince of Wales's -Escape, Serpent, and several of the very best horses of that year. -The Prince was much mortified at this, and immediately matched Magpie -against the winner, two miles, for five hundred guineas. This match, on -which immense sums were depending, was, four days later, won with ease -by Seagull. At this time Lord Foley and Mr. Fox raced together. - -Lord Foley died in 1793; he entered upon the Turf with a clear £18,000 -a year, and some £100,000 in ready money--he left it without ready -money, with an encumbered estate, and with a constitution injured by -cares and anxieties which embittered the end of his life. - -Many other patricians were practically ruined on the Turf at about -the same time, some by continuous ill-luck, but more owing to the -machinations of the many doubtful characters who were experts at what -was then known as "throwing the bull over the bridge"--a cant phrase -formerly used by frequenters of the race-course to indicate a sporting -swindle. - -The phrase in question, it may be added, had its origin in the cruel -pastime of bull-baiting. When such an orgy of cruelty was over, and -the militia of hell which had witnessed it surfeited with blood, the -carcass of the bull was dragged to a bridge, over which his quivering -remains were thrown into the water beneath! - -Many were the queer freaks and fancies of the great pillars of the Turf -of the past. Sir Charles Bunbury, for instance, who trained his horses -privately under his own eye, made the lads who groomed them wear his -colours whilst at their task, in order to accustom the animals to the -racing jackets and prevent all chance of nervousness in public. His -horses were never allowed to be sweated or tried on a Good Friday, on -account of an accident which had on one of these anniversaries happened -to a couple of his racers, who had both fallen and broken their backs, -each jockey having got a fractured thigh. - -All this, however, has been written of time after time; indeed, the -fascinating story of the Turf has found many admirable chroniclers. -Nevertheless, these have hardly touched upon some of the more obscure -figures, who seem to have escaped notice. - -Such a one was Major Leeson, a well-known sporting character at the -close of the eighteenth century, who may be taken as typical of the -sharp racing man of humble origin, and who, having by astuteness -attained a certain prosperity, was eventually reduced to beggary by -the allurements of gambling. An Irishman of obscure birth, Mr. Leeson -originally obtained his commission through the patronage of a Scottish -nobleman, by whose munificence he was sent to school at Hampstead, -and afterwards to the French military academy of Angers. Whilst at -this seminary he fought a duel with a well-known baronet, and both -combatants displayed great courage. Leeson was soon after appointed a -lieutenant in a regiment of foot, in which he conducted himself as a -soldier and a gentleman. - -During his military career, Leeson was especially popular with his men, -whose liking for their young officer almost amounted to adoration, -owing to his ardent championship of their interests. While they were -quartered in a country town, one of the sergeants, a sober, steady man, -was wantonly attacked by a blacksmith, who was the terror of the place. -The sergeant defended himself with great spirit as long as he was -able, but was obliged, after a hard contest, to yield to his athletic -antagonist. This intelligence reached Mr. Leeson's ears the next -morning, and without delay he set out in pursuit of the victor, whom he -found boasting of the triumph he had gained over the "lobster," as he -called the sergeant. The very expression kindled Leeson's indignation -into such a flame, that he aimed a blow at the fellow's temple, which -was warded off and returned with such force that Leeson lay for some -minutes extended on the ground. Leeson, however, renewed the attack; -and his onslaughts were made with such rapidity and success, that the -son of Vulcan was eventually stretched senseless on the ground. In -order to complete the triumph, Leeson placed him in a wheel-barrow; -and in this situation he was wheeled through all the town amidst the -acclamations of the populace. Soon after this, Mr. Leeson exchanged his -lieutenancy for a cornetcy of dragoons. - -He now began to be attracted by the seductions of gaming and the Turf, -both of which exercised a fascination over his mind which he was unable -to resist. Fortune was kind, and an almost uninterrupted series of -success led him to Newmarket, where his evil genius, in the name of -good luck, converted him in a short time into a professional gambler. -At one time he had a complete stud at Newmarket; and his famous horse -Buffer carried off all the capital plates for three years and upwards, -though once beaten at Egham, when 15 to 1 was laid on it. Major -Leeson's discernment in racing matters soon became generally remarked, -and he was consulted by all the sharpest frequenters of the Turf on -critical occasions. - -In later years, however, Major Leeson experienced the ill-fortune which -is too often the lot of gamblers. A long run of ill-luck preyed upon -his spirits, soured his temper, and drove him to that last resource -of an enfeebled mind--the brandy bottle. As he could not shine in -his wonted splendour, he sought the most obscure public-houses in -the purlieus of St. Giles, where he used to pass whole nights in the -company of his countrymen of the lowest class. Overwhelmed by debt and -worn-out body and soul, he was constantly pursued by the terrors of the -law, and alternately imprisoned by his own fears or confined in the -King's Bench, till, a broken and miserable man, he welcomed death as a -friend come to relieve him of an almost insupportable load. - -An eccentric supporter of the Turf, who died in 1799, was Councillor -Lade. It was his highest ambition to be thought a distinguished member -of the sporting world; but in this, as in the more contracted circle of -private life, he was not destined to cut a conspicuous figure, being by -nature much better calculated for an obscure place in the background. -During the last twenty years of his life he kept a miserable lot of -spindle-shanked brood mares, colts, and fillies at Cannon Park, between -Kingsclere and Overton in Hampshire--a place which, owing to its -barrenness, was quite unsuited for breeding horses. - -His successes on the Turf were insignificant. During the last twelve -years of his life he hardly ever brought less than six, seven, or -eight horses annually to the post for country plates (never till the -last two or three years presuming to sport his name at Newmarket); -nevertheless, few of them, if any, ever realised his expectations, -or paid one-third of the expenses in the way of breeding, breaking, -training, running, or sale. Councillor Lade's almost constant sequence -of disappointments originated in one single cause strikingly palpable -to every eye but his own, which was their breeder's parsimony. His -mares were in a wretched and deplorable state of emaciation during the -whole time of bearing their foals, whilst a systematic starvation of -both dams and offspring when foals, and a miserable sustenance barely -enough to support life when weaned, totally nullified his chances of -success upon the Turf. - -It was no uncommon thing to see the Councillor's favourite brood mare, -Laetitia, and many others with their foals, in the fertile months of -May and June, upon the side of a barren, burnt-up hill, with barely -pasture sufficient to keep even the dam in existence, without even -a possibility of affording half the nutriment necessary for the -unfortunate foal. Owing to these highly injudicious and cruel methods, -his stud, even when of superior blood, was always inferior in bone and -strength to its rivals, there being in it never more than one horse in -every eight or ten with constitutional stamina sufficient to bear the -training necessary before going to the post. - -When after his death the Councillor's wretched stud were on their way -to be sold by auction they excited universal pity from the humane in -the towns and villages through which they passed. Many of the horses -sold for the trifling sum of two or three guineas each, owing to the -wretched condition of the poor animals. Councillor Lade, in his Turf -transactions as elsewhere, was so consistently parsimonious even to -those whom it would have been good policy to conciliate that every -man's hand was against him, even that of his own servants. - -One of his manias was to run his horses as much as possible at race -meetings near his home, in order to avoid the expenses of travelling. - -The years 1797 and 1798 were the most prosperous of his Turf career. -Seven of his horses went to the post for twenty-four plates and purses, -of which Truss, Will, and Grey Pilot won seven fifties--two at Ascot, -two at Abingdon, and one each at Reading, Winchester, and Stockbridge. - -Councillor Lade was in himself a singular and unsociable man, seldom -seen in company, upon the race-course or elsewhere. Cynically cold -and innately parsimonious, few cared to sojourn beneath what might be -justly termed, in more senses than one, a habitation without a roof. -Hospitality was alien to the spirit of Cannon Park, and the building -itself was one entire mass of chilling frigidity which betokened -a total lack of good cheer. The owner was constantly involved in -pecuniary disputes and lawsuits with his dependents, in which he was -usually worsted. - -It was not infrequently his practice to drive his curricle and greys -without a servant the fifty-seven miles to Cannon Park, not even taking -them once out of the harness; a handful of hay, and two or three -quarts of water at Salt Hill, and Spratley's, the Bear, at Reading, -in addition to the turnpikes, constituted the entire expense of the -journey, it being an irrevocable opinion of his that servants on the -road were more troublesome and expensive than their masters. - -The Councillor was married to a lady of excellent family, who, owing -to mental trouble, lived in seclusion. This, however, did not trouble -him much, for he took care to make up for the lack of a wife's society -by a profusion of female friends, who enlivened his elegant house in -Pall Mall, his rural cottage near Turnham Green, and even his unadorned -inhospitable mansion at Cannon Park. - -Another unpleasant Turf character about this date was "Louse Pigott," -a man of good Shropshire family. The slovenly manner of dressing and -general unkempt appearance of this gentleman had obtained for him his -unsavoury nickname. He had originally been possessed of some wealth, -but going racing soon lost practically his whole fortune. Devoid -of means, and prompted apparently by the same spirit which induces -unsuccessful modern gamblers at Monte Carlo to apply to the authorities -for a sum sufficient to enable them to leave the Principality -of Monaco, Mr. Pigott conceived the original idea of making -representations to the Jockey Club, with a view to receiving pecuniary -aid. Needless to say his petition was treated with a complete lack of -consideration which, it was said, so enraged him that in revenge he -wrote the libellous work called _The Jockey Club_, a volume of short -but scandalous biographies of persons well known in the sporting -world. Though Pigott appears to have escaped punishment for this, the -publishers, Messrs. Ridgway & Symonds, were incarcerated in Newgate. - -"Louse Pigott" appears to have been an eccentric character in many -ways, for one September evening in 1793 he got into great trouble at -the London Coffee-House, Ludgate Hill, where, sitting with a friend, -Dr. William Hodgson, he became very vociferous in giving toasts of -a disloyal kind, finally loudly proposing success to the "French -Republic." This was immediately resented by a gentleman present, who, -rising to his feet, proposed "The King," a toast which was drunk with -cheers by all present except Pigott and his companion, who made use -of such improper expressions that peace officers were sent for, who -removed the apostles of revolution to the lock-up. - -The next morning they were charged with drinking "the French -Republic and the overthrow of the present system of Government and -all Governments of Europe except the French; likewise of speaking -disrespectfully of the King, the Duke of York, Lord Mayor, and other -persons in high authority. They had," it was deposed, "called the -Prince of Hesse a swine-dealer, and Ministers in general robbers and -highwaymen." Finally, when being conveyed to the cells, they had -shouted from the coach windows, "The French Republic, and Liberty while -you live." - -Being unable to find bail, the two prisoners were sent back to prison, -to remain there till tried at the ensuing Old Bailey Sessions. The -bill preferred against Pigott, however, was eventually thrown out -and he was discharged. The general comment upon his release was that -"he who is born to be hanged will never be drowned," and vice versa. -His companion, Dr. Hodgson, was less fortunate, and received some -punishment for the advanced sentiments which he had uttered. - -Probably the shrewdest nobleman who ever went racing was the eccentric -but highly astute "Old Q." At the time when he owned race-horses he -was generally hand-in-hand with his jockey, Dick Goodison, with whom -he had a perfect understanding. During a lengthy connection with the -Turf, "Old Q." never displayed the least want of philosophy upon the -unexpected result of a race. As a matter of fact he never entered into -an engagement but where there was a great probability of his becoming -the winner. In all emergencies his Grace preserved an invariable -equanimity, and his cool serenity never forsook him, even in moments -of the greatest surprise or disappointment. A singular proof of this -occurred at Newmarket just as the horses were about to start for a -sweepstakes. His Grace was engaged in a betting conversation with -various members of the Jockey Club, when one of his lads, who was -going to ride (in consequence of his light weight), tactlessly called -him aside, asked him, too soon and too loud, How he was to ride that -day? Perfectly convinced this had been overheard, his Grace, with -well-affected surprise, exclaimed, "Why, take the lead and keep it to -be sure! How the devil would you ride?" - -Matches were a great feature of the period, and very large sums -were staked. An historic match was that between Sir Harry Vane's -Hambletonian and Mr. Cookson's Diamond for three thousand guineas, run -over the Beacon Course during the Newmarket Craven meeting of 1799. -Hambletonian, who was ridden by Buckle, carried eight stone three -pounds, and Diamond, ridden by Dennis Fitzpatrick (Deny), eight stone; -the betting was five to four on Hambletonian. - -Though both gallant steeds have now long since mouldered into dust, -together with the gay company of sportsmen who assembled to see them -run, the memory of their desperate neck-and-neck struggle over that -terrible last half-mile is not forgotten, and will ever shine amongst -the chronicles of equine fame as the most sporting and gamely contested -match of all time. - -Hambletonian, a bright bay and a grandson of Eclipse, was a wonderful -horse. He was only once beaten, at the York August meeting 1797, when -he ran against Deserter and Spread Eagle, and took it into his head to -bolt out of the course and leap a ditch. - -Diamond, a beautiful brown bay, smaller than Hambletonian, was got by -Highflyer. He was the more compact horse of the two. - -Hambletonian being a Yorkshire bred horse, the Yorkshiremen backed -him for prodigious sums, whilst Diamond was strongly supported by the -Newmarket people, the horse being well-known in the neighbourhood. - -Every bed in Newmarket (which could not hold a tenth of the visitors) -was occupied, whilst Cambridge and all the towns and villages within -twelve or fifteen miles were also thronged with people. Stabling was -not to be had, and no chaise or horse could be procured on any of the -roads, all having been engaged three weeks before. - -The weather was most auspicious, and the general scene on the Heath -highly interesting and attractive. All the gentlemen of the Turf, as -the phrase ran, from the neighbouring counties were collected on the -course, and many of the nobility of England, which was then a real and -powerful nobility, including the Duchess of Gordon, were assembled to -see the race. - -At the start the horses kept tolerably close, Hambletonian retaining -the lead till the last half-mile, when Diamond got abreast of him. -The two horses then raced home in a most desperate manner, the nose -of one or the other being alternately in front till Hambletonian won -in the last stride. Both horses were terribly whipped and spurred, -particularly Hambletonian. The four miles one furlong and one hundred -and thirty-eight yards were covered in about eight minutes and a half. - -Every one declared that this match was the most exciting ever known, -and it was acknowledged even by the losers (who were described as being -as much pleased as losers could be) to have been thoroughly fairly -contested, each jockey having made the best of his horse. - -As soon as the race was over, Sir Harry Vane Tempest, who, besides the -stakes, had won about three thousand guineas, declared on the course -that Hambletonian should be taken out of training the next morning, -and in future he would ride him only as a hack. Sir Harry afterwards -travelled to town in a post-chaise and four, and arrived at the Cocoa -Tree at half-past eleven at night. The news of his victory, however, -was already known, Mr. Hall, of Moorfields, who had three horses on the -road, having got to town between nine and ten. - -A bronze penny token of fine medallic design--now very -scarce--commemorates this famous match. An inscription is on one side -and a picture of the race on the other. - -Mr. Cookson, the owner of Diamond, did not lose any enormous sum over -the race. He was well-known for his shrewdness, and in one year, 1798, -is said to have realised nearly £60,000 by the victories of Ambrosia -and Diamond. - -Hambletonian became the sire of over a hundred and forty winners. - -Another match between Diamond and Mr. R. Heathcote's Warter strongly -excited the sporting world, which was much puzzled how to bet. Warter -having beat Diamond in the Oatland stakes of 1800, the latter was to -receive seven pounds in the projected race. This, according to the -knowing ones, was an advantage of the utmost importance, and Diamond -became a strong favourite, his backers flattering themselves with the -opinion that one of Warter's legs would fail him in running, and that -consequently they were on the right side. Till about a fortnight before -the meeting betting was equal; six to four was then betted in favour of -Diamond, and was at first very cautiously accepted. - -So highly was the gambling mania roused that, till a late hour on -the Saturday night previous to the meeting, all the sporting houses -near St. James's, and even more to the eastward, were crowded with -betting-men of every description. The bolder sort dashed at the odds, -whilst others more cautiously hedged, and all waited the event with the -most anxious expectation. - -The whole of Sunday the Newmarket road was crowded with carriages and -cattle of every description, from the dashing curricle to the humble -buggy, and from the pampered hunter to the spavined hack. - -When every mouth was opening to bet, and expectation was on tiptoe, it -was declared in the Coffee-room, that Warter, by reason of a kick, had -declared forfeit, and the famous match was off. - -Another match, which excited enormous interest at the beginning of -the nineteenth century, was that between Mrs. Thornton, wife of the -celebrated Colonel Thornton of Thornville Royal (now Studley Royal, the -seat of Lord Ripon), and a gentleman well known in sporting circles, -Mr. Flint by name. This was run at York in 1804, and is memorable -as being the only race chronicled in the _Racing Calendar_ in which -a woman's name is mentioned. The entry, dated August 25, 1804, runs -thus:-- - - Mr. Flint's Brown Thornville by Volunteer out of Abigail, aged, rode - by the owner, beat Colonel Thornton's ch. h. Vinagrillio, aged, rode - by Mrs. Thornton, four miles, five hundred guineas. - -The weights were catch weights, and before the race five and six to -four were laid upon the lady, which increased during the early portion -of the race to seven to four and two to one, it seeming likely during -the first three miles that Mrs. Thornton would secure an easy triumph. -During the final mile, however, things entirely changed, and the -victory of Mr. Flint appearing certain, odds were laid upon him. Over -two hundred thousand pounds, it is said, were lost and won over this -race, which excited a vast amount of interest. The lady's horse, it may -be added, was a very old one. - -Mrs. Thornton's dress was a leopard-coloured body with blue sleeves, -the rest buff, and blue cap. Mr. Flint rode in white. The race was run -in nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds. In the published account of the -race it is stated that "No words can express the disappointment felt -at the defeat of Mrs. Thornton, the spirit she displayed and the good -humour with which she has borne her loss having greatly diminished the -joy of many of the winners." - -The fortunate individuals in question seem, however, to have been under -some misapprehension as to the lady's equanimity under defeat, as she -subsequently sent an angry letter to the _York Herald_ complaining that -she had been treated with scant courtesy. - -Though the lady signed herself Alicia Thornton she seems to have had no -legitimate claim to the name--she was a Miss Meynell, and her sister -was by way of being the wife of Mr. Flint. The race engendered much -ill-feeling between the two couples. - -The year after the race on the Knavesmire a fracas occurred between -Colonel Thornton and Mr. Flint, the latter being very indignant at not -having received £1000 of the £1500 wagered by the gallant Colonel on -his wife's success. Mr. Flint vigorously applied a new horsewhip to -the soldier's shoulders. The aggressor was taken into custody, Colonel -Thornton afterwards making an application in the Court of King's -Bench for leave to file a criminal information against Flint, who (he -deposed) had challenged him to fight a duel, and horse-whipped -him on the race-ground at York. The Colonel maintained that the bet -of £1000 was a mere nominal thing, intended to attract people to -the race-course, and that it was understood that only £500 of the -£1500 should be paid. The case was eventually dismissed, the Colonel -apparently sticking to his £1000. - -[Illustration: _Mrs Thornton._ - -_Pub. Feb 1, 1805, by J. Wheble, Warwicksquare._] - -In after-life Flint became miserably poor, and eked out a living as a -manager of a horse bazaar at York. He eventually committed suicide by -taking a dose of prussic acid. - -At the York August meeting in the following year Mrs. Thornton rode -another match against Buckle, the celebrated jockey. Mrs. Thornton, -in the highest spirits, appeared dressed for the contest in a purple -cap and waistcoat, long nankeen-coloured skirts, purple shoes, and -embroidered stockings. Buckle was dressed in a blue cap, with blue -bodied jacket, and white sleeves. Mrs. Thornton carried 9 st. 6 lb., -Mr Buckle 13 st. 6 lb. At half-past three they started. Mrs. Thornton -took the lead, which she kept for some time; Buckle then exercised -his jockeyship, and took the lead, which he retained for only a few -lengths, when Mrs. Thornton won her race by half a neck. On this -occasion Mrs. Thornton rode Louisa, by Pegasus, out of Nelly; and -Buckle rode Allegro, by Pegasus, out of Allegranti's dam. - -As the English Turf began to rise in importance some attempt was made -to introduce racing into France. As early as the reign of Louis XV. a -number of the French nobility had frequented Newmarket. The well-known -sportsman, Hugo Meynell, much resented this, and grimly declared that -he wished the peace was all over and England comfortably at war again. -A particularly unpopular visitor was the Comte de Lauraguais, who -purchased the celebrated race-horse, Gimcrack, took him over to France, -and for a big bet ran him twenty-two and a half miles, it is said, -within an hour. - -At the end of the eighteenth century Philippe Égalité raced at -Newmarket, where he seems to have created an unfavourable impression. -Though he entered a good many horses, he was not particularly -successful as an owner. In France the sporting exploits of this Prince -and of the Comte d'Artois excited a good deal of indignation. They were -declared to be the associates of grooms, and to enter into scandalous -combinations in the races which they organised, whilst treating the -onlookers with the most ineffable contempt and savage ferocity. It -would certainly appear that at times they used their whips on the -spectators as well as on their horses; and not only encouraged the -officers to maltreat the crowd, but employed such grossness of speech, -and offensive oaths, as showed that these Princes were not unskilled -in the language of the vilest part of the nation. High betting was -general, and noblemen turned jockeys and rode their own racers. When -the Comte de Lauraguais appeared at Court, after a long absence, the -King coldly inquired where he had been for so long. "In England," the -Count replied. "What did you do there?" "I learnt there, please your -Majesty, to think." "Of horses," retorted the King. - -The early days of the French Turf were unedifying. In a match between -the Duc de Lauzun and M. de Fénelon the latter fell from his horse, -broke his arm, and lost his wager. The same gentleman betted with -another nobleman as to which of them could reach Versailles and return -to Paris the quicker in a single-horse chaise. The horse of the first -died at Sèvres, and the other expired in the stable at Paris, a few -hours after his return. - -Frivolous courtiers, not satisfied with exercising their inhumanity -on their horses, exposed themselves to the derision of Paris by -other kinds of races. The Duc de Chartres, the Duc de Lauzun, and -the Marquis FitzJames once betted five hundred louis who could first -reach Versailles on foot. Lauzun gave up the foot-race about half -way; Chartres about two-thirds; FitzJames arrived in an exhausted -state, and was saluted as conqueror by the Comte d'Artois. The hero in -question was near expiring in the arms of victory and had to be put -to bed. Blood-letting was resorted to, and though he won his wager he -contracted asthma. - -Marie Antoinette, not satisfied with foot and horse racing, instituted -contests of speed in which donkeys were bestridden, the successful -jockey being rewarded with three hundred livres and a golden thistle. - -During the first Empire, Napoleon, probably with an eye to the horsing -of his cavalry, decreed that there should be races, and races of a sort -there were, chiefly in the Department of the Orne and at a hippodrome -at Le Pin, the seat of a Government stud established by Colbert in the -days of the Roi Soleil. - -After the restoration of the Bourbons, racing was intermittently -carried on at Vincennes, at Fontainebleau, in the Champs de Mars, -and at Satory-Versailles, which were the chief places of racing near -Paris. The ground at both was detestable. At Satory-Versailles, in -wet weather, the course was so deep in mud that the horses could -hardly move. At the Champs de Mars the ground was often "so hard as to -endanger the strongest legs," and "when the horses galloped the jockeys -were liable to be blinded by a cloud of dust and small pebbles." As a -matter of fact the races were more often than not won by the mounted -gendarmes, who rode with the horses from start to finish. - -In the early days of the French Turf the fields were, of course, -small, and so was the value of the prizes. For this reason, in order -to eke out a fair number of races with very few horses, the practice -of running races in "heats" was grossly abused. In 1840, Madame -de Giraudin wrote: "The races on Sunday were favoured with superb -weather, and the extraordinary sight was seen of nine horses running -together--nine live horses, nine rivals--a rare spectacle in the -Champs de Mars. Generally one horse runs all alone, contending against -no opponent, and always coming in first. But this does not signify; it -excites the admiration of those who love sport, and especially of the -philosophers among them; it is so noble to strive against and overcome -oneself!" - -The foundation of the French Turf as we see it to-day dates back to -1833, when the French Jockey Club was founded. - -Before this there had existed in the Rue Blanche an English Jockey -and Pigeon Shooting Club founded by a Mr. Thomas Bryon, who acted -as secretary. In 1830, of the eighteen members, four were English, -including that very original character. Lord Henry Seymour, and in -course of time he took a leading part in originating a Members' Club, -which should resemble the English Jockey Club, and should be lodged in -a luxurious Club-house. - -The twelve founders of the French Jockey Club were soon joined by a -large number of sportsmen, among whom were the novelist, Eugène Sue, -Lord Yarmouth, and Mr. John Bowes, who passed most of his life in -Paris. The latter gentleman won the Derby four times. On the first -occasion, in 1835, when Mundig beat Ascot (which belonged to the -writer's grandfather, Lord Orford) by a head, Mr. Bowes was still an -undergraduate at Cambridge--in subsequent years he won it again with -Cotherstone, Daniell O'Rourke, and West Australian. - -The French Jockey Club, at its institution, consisted of Royal -Princes, noblemen, ordinary men of property, all persons of -considerable influence interested in horse-breeding and in the -improvement of the breed of horses by means of horse-racing and the -"selection of the fittest." Most of them were good horsemen, who rode -their own horses on occasion. M. de Normandie, for instance, was -the winner of an improvised race which took place at Chantilly in -1833 between himself, Prince Lobanoff, Viscount de Hédouville, and -others. This is said to have suggested the idea of forming the present -beautiful race-course there. This gentleman, who must be ranked as one -of the fathers of the French Turf, frequently acted in the earliest -days of the French Jockey Club as steward, judge, and starter; and -though he does not appear to have introduced any famous strain of blood -into the studs of his country, greatly contributed to establish French -racing on its present prosperous footing. - -M. de Normandie is said to have won the first regular steeplechase ever -run in France on English principles. This took place in 1830, near St. -Germain, and in December 1908 a gentleman was still living who was -supposed to have taken part in it. - -This was Mr. Albert Ricardo, J.P., who spent his early days in Paris. A -great supporter of sport, Mr. Ricardo, who died on the last day but one -of the year, had won the Cambridgeshire with The Widow as far back as -1847. He had also been a keen cricketer in his youth, and was one of -the two first members of the I Zingari. - -There was steeplechasing at the Croix de Bernay as early as 1832, and -at La Marche some little time later. - -The Auteuil steeplechase course, which is now the head-quarters of the -sport in France, was not inaugurated till after the war of 1870. - -Through the influence of the Duc d'Orléans, the son of Louis Philippe, -who was killed in a carriage accident in 1842, the French Jockey Club -obtained leave to hold regular meetings in the Champs de Mars; and he -it also was who, in 1834, arranged the creation of the race-course at -Chantilly, which, till Longchamps was started in 1856-57, was without -doubt the best course in France. At Chantilly was run the first French -Derby (Prix du Jockey Club) in 1836, and the first French Oaks (Prix de -Diane) in 1843. - -The stables of the Duc at Chantilly were presided over by an English -trainer, George Edwards, and his principal jockey was Edgar Pavis. In -1840 his English-bred horse, Beggarman, won the Goodwood Cup. Besides -this the Duc d'Orléans won a number of French races. As a matter of -fact, racing in France, from 1834 to 1842, was more or less of a duel -between the Prince in question and Lord Henry Seymour. - -The latter extraordinary personage was born in Paris in 1805, and is -believed never to have set foot in England. Lord Henry Seymour was -said to be related on his mother's side to "Old Q." or George Selwyn, -or both, and from either or both of them he probably inherited some -of his numberless eccentricities as well as his taste for the Turf. -He was a well-known figure in Paris and its neighbourhood, for it was -his constant practice to drive about in a carriage with four horses, -postilions, and out-riders. After _Mardi Gras_, he would sit with other -congenial spirits at the window of the noted "Vendanges de Bourgogne," -watching the _descente de la Courtille_ (the return from the ball) in -the early morning, when he would scatter heated pieces of gold among -the crowd of returning "maskers." Lord Henry is said to have been the -original of the eccentric character described by Balzac, who delighted -in furtively administering drastic medicines to his dearest friends, -the very unpleasant effects of which afforded him intense amusement. He -delighted also in giving away cigars with something explosive inserted -at the end, afterwards watching the effect of a light applied by the -unsuspecting smoker. He died in Paris in 1859. - -In 1856 the French Turf entered upon a new and important era, a promise -being obtained from the Government and the municipality of Paris -that a race-course should be included in the projected plan for the -transformation of the Bois de Boulogne. In the Longchamps meadows, on -the borders of the Seine, an expanse of level and unencumbered ground -was allotted to the Société d'Encouragement, and by an arrangement -with the municipality of Paris, the Société became lessees of the -race-course for fifty years, undertaking to pay an annual rent, as -well as to build stands, which, at the expiration of the lease in -1906, should become the property of the city. The old stands, which -during the last three years have been replaced by magnificent new ones, -were erected by the architects of the city of Paris, at an expense of -420,000 francs (£16,800), and subsequent expenses brought the amount up -to 1,284,981 francs (about £51,395). The race-course was opened on the -last Sunday in April 1857, and the first Grand Prix was run in 1862, -when the Ranger won. - -The moving spirit in the institution of this race, now the richest -in the world, is said to have been the Emperor Napoleon the Third, -represented by the Duc de Morny, the creator of Deauville. The first -Grand Prix was worth £4000 and an _objet d'art_; the amount of the -stakes for the same race in 1909 was some £16,000. - -When the Grand Prix was first inaugurated, many vigorous protests were -made in England against the race being run on a Sunday, but by these -the French declined to be swayed. As a matter of fact, notwithstanding -Anglo-Saxon plaints at the iniquity of Sunday racing, the beautiful -courses at Longchamps and Auteuil are very popular with visitors from -across the Channel on many a fine Sabbath day, when Englishmen, known -for their stern and unflinching moral rectitude, are not infrequent -spectators on such occasions. One of these, a public man, notorious -for his advocacy of every form of puritanical restriction, whilst -exhibiting some confusion at being recognised by a friend, could only -make the defence: "Well, after all, it doesn't matter, as I am not -betting." In all probability, however, he, like other visitors, had -backed his fancy! - -An important share in the laying-out of Longchamps race-course was -taken by the late Mr. Mackenzie Grieves, who, originally an officer -in the Blues, took up his residence in Paris, became a member of the -French Jockey Club and played a prominent part in the organisation of -French racing. Mr. Mackenzie Grieves, whose memory is preserved by an -important race to which his name has been given, was personally known -to the writer, who retains pleasant recollections of his great charm -and dignified appearance, both of which were highly characteristic of -one of the last of the fine old school. He was a most graceful rider -and a master of the _haute école_. - -Though racing in France was naturally suspended during the war, it -was once more in full swing in 1872, when the Grand Prix was won by -Cremorne. In consequence of the downfall of the second Empire a number -of the important races were renamed. The Prix de l'Impératrice, for -instance, became the Prix Rainbow; the Prix du Prince Impérial the -Prix Royal Oak. The Prix Gladiateur, one of the oldest French prizes, -has under its various names strikingly reflected the vicissitudes of -French politics. Originally it was the Prix Royal, then Prix National, -then Grand Prix de l'Empereur, till, with the rise of the third -Republic, it was called after the famous race-horse. - -In 1885 there was great jubilation amongst French sportsmen at -the victories of Plaisanterie, which won both the Cesarewitch and -Cambridgeshire, as well as twelve out of thirteen events in France. - -The appearance of the daughter of Wellingtonia and Poetess in the -Cesarewitch was said at the time to be owing to two bookmakers, T. -Wilde and Jack Moore, who made it worth the while of the filly's owners -(M.H. Bony and Mr. T. Carter) to start her, guaranteeing them 33 to -1, though they themselves had only got 20 to 1 in England. Wilde, -it was declared, brought back to France after the race nearly five -million francs (£200,000), won by backing Plaisanterie, of which Jack -Moore paid out some 600,000 (£24,000) in five-franc, ten-franc, and -twenty-franc pieces to French backers who had been on the good thing. - -In common with the rest of the fraternity, these two very sporting -layers have now long disappeared from the French race-course. -Bookmaking in France practically ceased to exist with the introduction -of the Pari Mutuel in 1891. - -Previous to that time bookmakers had pitches provided for them some -way behind the stands, where they were allowed to exhibit lists of -the horses running in the various races, against which were chalked -the odds, the variations in which were thus easily shown. The whole -thing was most decorously conducted, and the system worked fairly well. -Nevertheless, from time to time, rumours were rife as to an intended -suppression of the bookmakers by the French authorities, and at last -in 1891 they were definitely bidden to cease plying their business. -The new decree was rigorously enforced, crowds of police in uniform -and plain clothes being present on the Parisian race-courses, and -any one found openly making a bet was ruthlessly arrested--a perfect -reign of terror, indeed, prevailed amongst betting-men, and very great -dissatisfaction ensued amongst habitual frequenters of the French -Turf. On several occasions, notably one Sunday at Auteuil (when the -writer was present), a large force of military were on the ground, -regiments of cavalry being in reserve outside the race-course. Feeling -ran very high, and the races were run amidst hoots, yells, and other -demonstrations of indignation, some of which most unjustly took the -form of missiles hurled at the jockeys. The cabmen and proprietors -of the char-à-bancs who drive the public to the various race-courses -around Paris, the keepers of the small restaurants along the various -lines of route, loudly complained that the new era of restriction which -had dawned would completely ruin them. The saddest people of all, -however, were very naturally the bookmakers, most of them English, -who for many years had made a living on the French race-courses, -for, whilst the public generally were more or less certain that some -new method of betting would be devised, they fully realised that the -suppression of their business was no mere outburst of outraged morality -on the part of the Government, but a well thought-out scheme for -appropriating their spoils and diverting them to public purposes. The -golden days were gone, and ruin stared them in the face. - -In a very short time public indignation was allayed by the announcement -that French racing was not, as it had been averred, about to be stamped -out by the high-handed brutality of those at the head of the State. -Betting would be allowed, but only through the medium of the Pari -Mutuel or Totalisator, which would be established on a legal basis on -every race-course in France; and after the passing of the law, which -definitely laid down the manner in which speculation on the French Turf -was in future to be conducted, the beautiful courses round Paris were -once more thronged by crowds of relieved race-goers. - -The law in question, passed on 2nd June 1891, expressly prohibited any -form of betting on race-courses except through the medium of the Pari -Mutuel, and strictly defined the conditions on which the latter was to -be worked. For a few years after this law came into operation a certain -toleration was extended to a few of the principal bookmakers, who still -continued to make bets in an unobtrusive way, but of late years the -authorities, considering that such a state of affairs tends to decrease -the receipts drawn from the Totalisator, have become exceedingly stern -in repressing any attempts at such a form of speculation. - -The percentage levied on the sums staked at the Pari Mutuel is now -eight per cent for the race-courses round Paris and that at Deauville, -and ten per cent for race-courses in the provinces. Of this sum the -five great Parisian racing associations and that of Deauville are -allotted four per cent, the rest being applied to charitable and -other public purposes. A different scale applies to the provincial -race-courses, where the receipts are naturally not so remunerative. - -The official figures issued on 7th June 1909, show that £160,000,000 -has been staked by the public by means of the Pari Mutuel since its -institution in 1891. During the last eighteen years no less than -£4,000,000, produced by the percentage levied on this sum, has been -applied to public purposes; besides this, various charities and the -Racing Societies have profited to an enormous extent. - -To-day, owing to the large sums which are available from this source, -there is to all intents and purposes no poor-rate in France--the Pari -Mutuel takes its place. - -As regards the racing itself, it is shown by the official statistics to -be in a more flourishing condition than ever before. - -In 1891 there existed in France 253 Racing Societies, which held 526 -meetings; on the 31st of December 1904 an official statement showed -that 396 societies held 906 meetings. During this period more than -twenty-nine millions of francs, considerably more than a million -pounds sterling, produced by the percentage levied on the Pari Mutuel, -had been devoted to racing prizes and the general encouragement of -horse-breeding in France. Since the institution of the Totalisator the -race-courses and stands have been much improved, funds being abundant. - -As a means of speculation for the casual visitor to a race-course -the Pari Mutuel is a most convenient form of betting. An excellent -organisation exists on every French race-course for enabling those -desirous of backing any horse to do so by taking their ticket at one of -the many bureaux, above which are inscribed the amount which any ticket -represents. - -Separate betting bureaux exist for ladies in the special stands which -are on some courses set aside for them, and everything is done to -render the public thoroughly comfortable. - -A list of the horses running is clearly displayed, and there is when -possible place betting. On some race-courses the field can be backed, -which, in the event of an outsider winning, is not unprofitable. The -lowest sum for which a ticket is issued is five francs, the highest -five hundred francs. There is, of course, no limit to the number -of tickets which any one who wishes to do so may take. Should a -backer not be desirous of changing a winning ticket into cash upon -the race-course he can keep it till his return to Paris, where, on -presenting it at a Central Office at certain fixed hours (defined -on the ticket), he receives his money without any inconvenience. In -justice, however, to the French race-course authorities it should be -added that, considering the huge amount of money carried by those going -racing in France, robberies are extremely rare. - -Admission to the "pesage," the best and most expensive enclosure, -is only 20 francs for a man, 10 francs for a woman. There is also a -cheaper stand, and admission to the course costs a franc. - -Though a certain number of heavy betters complain of the lack of -bookmakers, the general public appears satisfied. - -On the Grand Prix day of the present year, when the race was for -the first time won by a French jockey, £185,326 passed through the -Pari Mutuel at Longchamps, out of the percentage levied on which the -poor received no less than £3700. Whatever may be urged against the -Totalisator in France, it is bound to benefit a certain number of -people, which is a good deal more than can be said for any other form -of betting, gambling, or speculation. - - * * * * * - -Those who in the pages of this book have wandered through the -gaming-houses of Europe, and have briefly surveyed the careers of most -of the chief gamblers of the past, will, it is hoped, do the writer the -justice to admit that he has in no wise sought to minimise the grave -evils which are the almost inevitable result of worshipping the goddess -of Chance. - -Nothing, indeed, is more striking than the almost universal ruin which -has ever overtaken the vast majority of gamblers, except the complete -failure which has invariably attended all attempts to stamp out this -vice by means of coercive measures. - -The futile and ineffectual results which, during the last two hundred -years, have invariably followed all drastic repression, are clearly -demonstrated by hard facts; at the present time speculation, gambling, -and betting all flourish as they never flourished before. - -In open combat, the strong arm of the law is resistless; but there is -no possibility of its ultimate triumph or power of eradicating the -desire of gaming from the human mind; and more especially in a country -where speculation on the Stock Exchange is regarded with the greatest -tolerance by those who denounce the race-course and the card-table. - -The anathemas of well-meaning and unworldly ecclesiastics, the plaints -of zealous philanthropists, the strident declamations of social -reformers, who call for legislative measures of drastic restriction, -can only cause the philosophic student of human nature to deplore that -so much well-meaning effort should be devoted to such a futile end. - -In sober fact the gambling mania is one for which no specific remedy -exists--it is possessed by those who are well aware of its dangers, and -realise that in the ordinary course of events it must prove ultimately -destructive. Repress it in one direction and it reappears--more often -than not worse than ever--in another. - -It is impossible to dragoon human nature into virtue. The leopard -cannot change its spots, or the Ethiopian his skin. Man with his -craving for strong emotions will assuredly find means of gratifying -them, and it is mere hypocritical rubbish to assume that in the future -milk and water is to be the elixir of life. - -The well-meaning altruist, who looks with contempt on the frivolous -occupations which appear to amuse a great part of mankind, should -remember that they, on the other hand, are equally at a loss to account -for the pleasure which he derives from the more elevated pursuits in -which their lower mental capacities forbid them to indulge. - -As a matter of fact the strongest motive with all mankind, after the -more sordid necessities are provided for, is excitement. For this -reason gambling will continue--even should all card-playing be declared -illegal and all race-courses ploughed up. - -Repugnant as the idea may be to the Anglo-Saxon mind, regulation, not -repression, is without doubt the best possible method of mitigating -the evils of speculation; and, moreover, such a system possesses the -undeniable advantage of diverting no inconsiderable portion of the -money so often recklessly risked into channels of undoubted public -benefit. - -The time is not yet when English public opinion is prepared to face -facts as they are; but though it may be at some far distant day, -that time must come, when a wiser and more enlightened legislature, -profiting by the experience of the past, will at last realise that the -vice of gambling cannot be extirpated by violent means. Reluctantly, -but certainly, it will endeavour to palliate the worst features of -gambling by taking care that those who indulge in it shall do so under -the fairest conditions, whilst at the same time paying a toll to be -applied for the good of the community at large. - -Such is the inevitable and only solution of a social problem which from -any other direction it is absolutely hopeless to approach. - - - - -INDEX - - - Abingdon, Lord, befriended by Mr. Elwes, 16; - and O'Kelly, 145 - - Adolphus, Mr., and Duke of Wellington, 11 - - Aix-la-Chapelle, gaming at, 282; - an Italian's adventures at, 282-4; - a royal gambler at, 284-6 - - Alvanley, Lord, 110 - - Ambassadors use their mansions as gaming-houses, 248-9 - - Ancre, Maréchal d', the wife of, 10 - - Anne, Queen, supporter of the Turf, 389 - - Annuities, paid by Brooks's, 116; - paid by gamblers as compromise, 171 - - Antoinette, Marie, 209, 419 - - Archer, Lady, 56 - - Ardesoif, Mr., roasts a game-cock to death, 196; - his just reward, 196 - - Arlington, Earl of, 39 - - Arnold, Mr., his cruel wager, 225 - - Arthur's, Mr. Elwes a member of, 15 - - Artois, Comte d', his bet with Marie Antoinette, 209, 210; - his conduct on the Turf, 418 - - Ashburnham, Lord, 39 - - Ass and chimney-sweep race, 205 - - "Athenæum," a notorious gaming-house, 89; - confused with real Athenæum Club, 93 - - Atkins, a bookmaker, last authority on hazard, 81 - - Atkinson, Bartle, a famous trainer, 175 - - Atkinson, Joseph, 42 - - Aubrey, Lieut.-Col., his maxim, 157; - his distinguished antagonists and associates, 157 - - Australian story, an, 159-63 - - Author, a lucky, and his method of speculation, 164-6 - - Avarice combined with passion for play, 13 - - - Baccarat, decision _re_, 129, 130; - single tableau, 313, 317, 318 - - "Bad houses, beware of," 43 - - Baden, ex-Elector of Hesse gambles at, 287; - M. de la Charme at, 287, 288; - society at, 288, 289; - croupiers at, 289, 290 - - Bagatelle, the building of, 209, 210 - - Baggs, Major, his luck at hazard, 82; - his adventures abroad, 83; - and Lord Onslow, 83; - a skilful swordsman, and man of culture, 83; - his generosity, 84; - wins from the King, 84; - falls a victim to gaming, 84 - - Baily, Mr., of Rambridge, 145 - - Barber, the Canterbury, 34-37; - an Indian, as balloonist, 190 - - Barclay, Captain, pedestrian, 232 - - Barucci, Madame Julia, a card scandal at the house of, 304-7 - - Basketing, 199 - - Basset, 53 - - Bassette, 52 - - Bathing adventure, a, 194 - - Beauclerk, Topham, 27 - - Bedford, Duke of, and Nash, 31, 32; - horsewhipped, 150 - - Bellasis, Theophilus, 42 - - Benazet, M., farmer-general of gaming-houses, 264; - proprietor of rooms at Baden-Baden, 286, 287 - - Bennet, Captain, trundles a hoop, 224, 225 - - Bentinck, Lord Frederick, beat by Col. Mellish in a foot-race, 170 - - Bentinck, Lord George, and Lord Kelburne, 382, 383; - his large winnings, 383, 384 - - Bentinck, Rev. Mr., and the Duc de Nivernois, 51, 52 - - Berkeley, Captain, and his game-cock, 202, 203 - - Bertie, Lord Robert, 15 - - Betting-houses started, 99, 100; - fraudulent proceedings illustrated, 100; - suppressed, 102 - - Billiards, a one-eyed player, 64 - - Bingham, Mr., his horse leaps Hyde Park wall, 219 - - Biribi, method of play, 247 - - Blackmail, keepers of gaming-houses subject to, 42; - at the Palais Royal, 251, 252 - - Blanc, M., starts gambling-tables at Homburg, 298; - plays for a parasol, 301, 302; - victim of a stratagem, 302; - a croupier's scheme, 303; - and Garcia, 303, 304; - opens a Casino at Monaco, 319 - - Bland, Sir John, 108; - squanders his fortune and shoots himself, 109 - - Blind cock-fight enthusiast (Lord Bertie), 199, 200 - - Blind horse wins a leaping contest, 219 - - Blo' Norton Hall, 33 - - Blücher, Marshal, fond of gambling, 11; - passion inherited by his son, 11; - wins his son's money, 12; - at the Palais Royal, 265 - - Blythe, Captain Carlton, a frequenter of Monte Carlo, 329; - his method of play, 329 - - Boarding-schools, gaming taught at, 56 - - Bond, Ephraim, 89; - takes over "Athenæum," 92, 93 - - Boothby, Mr., his opinion of Fox, 27 - - Borsant, M., a generous gaming-house proprietor, 272; - revelations, 274 - - Bouillotte, 270 - - Bow Street troops, 44 - - Bowes, Mr. John, four times Derby winner, 421 - - Brampton, Gawdy, 33 - - Brelans, 235 - - Bridge, 135, 136 - - Bristol, Lord, turns the tables on Lord Cobham and Mr. Nugent, 104 - - Brooks, Mr., ready to make advances, 114; - dies poor, 114 - - Brooks's, unlimited gambling at, 114; - Fox's large losses at, 115; - annuities granted to ruined members, 116; - the betting-book at, 116; - favourite games at, 116; - relics preserved at, 117 - - Brummell, Beau, plays heavily, 112; - his promise to the brewer, 112; - his superstition, 113 - - Buckeburg, Count de, rides his horse backwards from London to - Edinburgh, 205 - - Buckingham, Duke of, 39; - Quin's story of the, 39 - - Buckingham Palace, 39 - - Buckinghamshire, Earl and Countess of, 57, 58 - - Bullock, Mr., 195 - - Bulpett, Mr. Charles, his remarkable feats, 233, 234 - - Bunbury, Sir Charles, 402 - - Burge, known as "the Subject," 89; - his passion for the gaming-table, 90, 91 - - Byng, Hon. Frederick, on gambling, 94, 95 - - Byng, Sir John, his dispute with "T' au'd un," 381 - - Byron, Lord, a frequenter of Wattier's, 122 - - - Calzado, Signor, cheats at cards, 305-7; - sentenced to imprisonment, 307 - - Canterbury barber, the, 34-37 - - Card-money, 54 - - Carlisle, Lord, 105; - a high gambler, but warns Selwyn, 106 - - Carriage race, a, 213 - - Casanova, his card duel with d'Entragues, 21-24; - his meeting with Fox, 26 - - Cavillac, Marquis de, accuses Law of plagiarism, 242 - - Chabert, M., opens houses at Baden-Baden, Wiesbaden, and Ems, 286 - - Champeiron, la Comtesse, 246 - - Chance, the laws of, 6; - in roulette, 9; - public tables offer best, 10; - tradesmen devotees of, 33 - - Chaplin, Mr., his fortunate Derby, 375 - - Charles II., founder of the English Turf, 386; - an experienced rider, 386; - his house at Newmarket, 386; - Nell Gwynne's threat, 387; - his witty answer to Sir Christopher Wren, 387; - his amusements at Newmarket, 387, 388; - his generosity, 388 - - Charme, M. de la, at Baden, 288 - - Chartres, Duc de, 209, 419 - - Cheating, methods of, 78 - - Chesterfield, Lord, 39 - - Chesterfield Row, 65 - - Chetwynd, Sir George, his _Recollections_, 82 - - Cibber, Colley, 108 - - Clarke, Vauxhall, his cock-fighting match with Col. Lowther, 196 - - Clavering, Sir John, appoints Mordaunt his aide-de-camp, 182 - - Clergyman, a betting, 209 - - Cleveland, Duke of, and Billy Pierse, 381, 382 - - Cobham, Lord, makes a vulgar bet, 103; - forced to make public apology, 104 - - Cock-fighting in England, 195; - some great patrons, 195; - a famous battle at the Cock Pit Royal, 196; - a cruel monster, 196; - betting, 197; - unexpected winners, 197; - celebrated London cockpits, 198; - Royal Cockpit taken down, 198; - punishment for foul play, 199; - a specimen challenge, 200; - present-day fights, 200; - famous trainers, 201; - the last of the cock-fighters, 201; - courageous birds, 201-3 - - Cocoa Tree, big stakes at the, 111 - - Codrington, Mr., 212 - - Colonel, the English, and his wife's ear-rings, 158 - - Colton, Rev. Caleb, a successful gambler, 138; - his publications, 138; - his affairs become involved and he decamps, 139; - settles down at Palais Royal, 139; - studies gambling, 139; - commits suicide, 140 - - Combe, Alderman, 112 - - Combe, Hervey, 20, 21 - - Concannon, Mrs., 56, 62; - Mr., 57, 58 - - Conolly, Rt. Hon. Thomas, 218 - - Cook, a fortunate, 262 - - Cookson, Mr., owner of Diamond, 413 - - Copley, Sir Joseph, 110 - - Cornwallis, Lord, and Mordaunt, 191 - - "Corpse" card-player and the Parisian banker, 156, 157 - - Countess, an eccentric, 291, 292 - - Court, gambling at, 38 - - Craps or Creps, an old French game, 263; - survives in America, 264 - - Cribb, Tom, pugilist, his fight with Nicholl, 177 - - Cribbage, a fashionable game, 62 - - Cricket ball, a letter sent by, 211 - - Crockford, William, 96; - wins large sum, 97; - founds his famous Club, 97; - profits made by, 98; - his views on gaming, 98 - - Crockford's, Duke of Wellington becomes member of, 11; - large tips to waiters, 94; - blamed for increase of gambling-houses, 94; - magnificence of, 97; - expense of running, 98; - heavy losses at, 113 - - Crofton, Sir Edward, high leap at Phoenix Park, 227 - - Croupiers, stoicism of, 290; - at Monte Carlo, 354, 355; - a school of, 354, 355 - - Cumberland, Duke of, 39, 137; - institutes Ascot Meeting, 390; - a born gambler, 390; - his cruelty, 390; - good-natured when racing, 391; - a fortunate loss, 391; - match with Duke - of Grafton, 391; - his horse Eclipse, 391 - - "Curse of Scotland," origin of the name, 137, 138 - - - Dale, Thomas, rides a donkey-race, 211 - - Damer, Mr., makes the acquaintance of Dick England, 69; - ruined at tennis, 70; - his tragic end, 70 - - Darlington, Lord, 107, 169; - a match with Col. Mellish, 174, 175 - - Dartmoor, gambling at, 50 - - Davies, a bookmaker, his betting, 385 - - Davis, Scrope, 228, 229 - - Dayrolle, Mr., 108 - - Death, as a subject for wagers, 105, 209; - a duel with, 157 - - Decency, sense of, lost by gamblers, 158 - - Deer, used in place of carriage-horses, 206 - - Delessert, M., the means of closing Parisian gaming-houses, 272 - - Demidoff, Madame, robbed by a countess, 269 - - Dennisthorpe, Mr., 195 - - Derby, Lord, a patron of cock-fighting, 195, 200 - - Desmarest, French minister, 240 - - Desmoulins, Camille, 256 - - "Devil's Drawing-room," the, 257 - - Devonshire, Duchess of, 59; - and "Old Nick," 60; - scandal about, 60-62 - - Devonshire, Duke of, and Fox, 28 - - Devonshire Club, formerly Crockford's, 97 - - Dickinson, old Jack, an honest tipster, 377, 378 - - "Dispatches," 78 - - Dorchester, Lord, 70 - - Doulah, Asoph ud, Nawab of Oude, his sword practice, 187; - his barber's aerial punishment, 190; - his love of cock-fighting, 193 - - Drummond and Greville, Messrs., open a betting-house, 99 - - Dwyer, cigar-shop and betting-house keeper, 101; - bolts with large sum, 102 - - - Earl, William, 91; - his "Athenæum" swindle, 92; - transported, 93 - - Eclipse, the greatest horse of all time, 391-4 - - Edgecumbe, Dick, 106 - - Égalité, Philippe, a royal shop-man, 255; - a follower of the Turf, 418 - - Elwes, Mr., 13; - succeeds to a fortune, 14; - a gambler at heart, 14; - quixotic, 14; - a member of Arthur's, 15; - plays for two days and nights, 15; - his avarice, 15, 16; - and Lord Abingdon, 16; - and the clergyman, 16, 17; - elected to Parliament, 17; - his admiration for Pitt, 17; - his last bout, 18 - - Elwes, Sir Harvey, a miser, 13 - - _Émigrés_, 45; - passion for gaming among, 49 _et seq._; - a cause of irritation, 54 - - Ems, a gambling resort, 310; - a Spaniard's method at, 310; - Russians at, 311 - - England, Dick, and the young tradesman, 68, 69; - and Mr. Damer, 69-72; - shoots Rolles, a young brewer, 73; - flies to the Continent, 73; - ends his days in London, 73 - - English, Buck, tried for murder, 217; - member of Parliament, 217; - his death, 217 - - English view of gambling, 163; - and Sunday racing, 425, 426 - - Entragues, d', and Casanova, 21-24 - - E.O., fraudulent, 47; - method of play, 55 - - Estates lost at play, 33 - - Este, Cardinal d', and the Cardinal de Medici, 238 - - "Excessive" gambling, definition of, 126 - - Execution, betting at an, 209 - - Exeter Mail beaten by a pony, 226 - - Existence, a strange, 267 - - - Faro, invented by a Venetian, 52; - introduced into France, 52; - prohibited in France, 53; - finds its way to England, 53; - Fox's favourite game, 53; - method of play, 53; - crusade against, 57 - - Fawkener, Sir Everard, 106 - - Female assistants to sharpers, 95 - - Fénelon, M. de, his match with Duc de Lauzun, 419 - - Fenwick, Mr., 195 - - Ferguson, Sir Rowland, his opinion of Col. Mellish, 178 - - Field Club, The, 135 - - Fishmonger's Hall, 97 - - FitzJames, Marquis de, 209, 419 - - Fitzpatrick, General, 115 - - Flint, Mr., his race with Mr. Thornton, 415, 416; - assaults Col. Thornton, 416, 417; - commits suicide, 417 - - Foley, Lord, 401 - - Fonteneille, Madame de, 246 - - Foote, Sam, 66 - - Fortune, image of, kept by Roman emperors, 5; - aid of, invoked by fetishes, 5; - sometimes favours non-gamblers, 159 - - Foubert, a celebrated French riding-master, 386 - - Fouché, gaming-houses licensed by, 250; - punishes interference, 250 - - Fox, Charles James, and Casanova, 26; - a member of Brooks's, 26; - White's, 105; - unsuccessful gambler, 26; - and Duke of Devonshire, 28; - and Sir John Lade, 28, 29; - borrows from waiters at Brooks's, 28; - fond of horse-racing, 29, 400, 401; - ruined at twenty-five, 115 - - Frascati's, a noted gaming-house, 266; - an inveterate player at, 268; - fêtes at, 269; - dramatic incident at closing of, 274 - - French Jockey Club, 421 _et seq._ - - - Galeries de Bois, 257 - - Game-cock, gentleman attacked by, 201; - fox killed by, 202; - in a naval action, 202, 203; - awarded a medal, 203 - - Games, unlawful, 132, 133 - - Gaming-houses, suppressed, 99; - officials, 40, 41 - - Gaming-tables kept by ladies, 48, 52, 245 - - Gancière, la Baronne de, 245 - - Garcia, his winnings at Homburg, 304; - a card scandal, 304-7; - sentenced to imprisonment, 307; - his death, 307 - - Geese and turkey race, 206 - - Geneva, gambling at, 311 - - Genlis, Comte de, 209 - - George I. and the Turf, 389; - George II. gambles, 39; - George IV. rides to Brighton and back, 210, 211 - - George, Prince of Denmark, and horse-racing, 389 - - Germany, gaming in, 282 _et seq._ - - Gevres, Duc de, 239 - - Gilliver, Joe, fights cocks for Georges III. and IV., 201; - his great-nephew's success, 201 - - Gillray, his caricatures of female gamblers, 56 - - Giraudin, Madame de, 420 - - Glasgow, Lord, his love of enormous wagers, 382, 383 - - Grafton, Duke of, 39 - - Grafton Mews, No. 13, 45 - - Graham's Club, 122 - - Gramont, Count de, his shrewd decision, 237 - - Granville, Lord, 97 - - Greville, Mr., 108, 385 - - Grieves, Mr. Mackenzie, 426 - - Groom-porter, the, 39, 86 - - Grosvenor, Lord, and Tattersall, 397 - - Gully and the Game Chicken, match between, 177 - - Gwynne, Nell, 387 - - - Halton, Mr., 195 - - Hambletonian v. Diamond, a great race, 411-13 - - Hamilton, Captain, 65 - - Hamilton, Duke of, 195 - - Hammond, Mr. John, his successes on the Turf, 373 - - Harvey, Mr., a midshipman gambler, 111 - - Hastings, Marquis of, his large bets, 384; - ruined, and early death, 385 - - Hawke, Hon. Martin, fights Col. - Mellish, 176; - a marvellous pistol shot, 176; - duel with Baron Smieten, 177; - patron of pugilists, 177 - - Hawkins, Sir Henry, his decision in Park Club appeal, 131 _et seq._ - - Hawley, Sir Joseph, a heavy better, 384 - - Hazard, a popular game, 74; - made illegal, 75; - method of play, 76-78; - privilege of players, 78, 79; - a lucky throw, 79; - drunk men best players, 79; - rules now forgotten, 81; - French hazard, 82; - runs of luck, 82 - - Heligoland, gaming-house on island of, 311 - - Hells, 40, 86 _et seq._; - defenders of, 42; - West-End, 84; - principal proprietors of, 85; - source of profits, 86, 87; - a prospectus, 88; - precautions with visitors, 96 - - Henri IX. addicted to gaming, 235 - - Hertford, Lord, 39 - - Hesse, ex-Elector of, 287 - - Highflyer, a famous horse, 394-6 - - Hoca, brought to France by Italians, 238; - play punishable by death, 239 - - Hodgson, Dr. William, 409-10 - - Hodsock Priory, 179 - - Holdernesse, Lord, 39 - - Holford, Mr., 195 - - Homburg, gaming at, started by brothers Blanc, 298; - hours of play, etc., 299; - a flood at, 299; - the Kursaal, 300; - the Landgraf, 300; - Garcia at, 303 _et seq._; - scenes at close of Kursaal, 307-10 - - Hook, Theodore, his epitaph on Lord de Ros, 123 - - Hughes, Mr. Ball, 97 - - Humbug, method of play, 66, 67 - - Humphries, Mr., horsewhips Duke of Bedford, 150 - - Hunter, Henry, 224 - - Huntingdon, Lord, 39 - - - Ingham, Sir J., his decision _re_ baccarat, 129, 130 - - Insurance, fraudulent, 48; - speculative, made illegal, 49 - - Invalids, gambling, 155 - - "Ivories," 79 - - - James II., a lover of field sports, 388 - - Jeffries, Mr. John, 108 - - Jehu, Sir John, 28 - - Justiniani introduces faro into France, 52 - - - Kelly, J.D., 90 - - Kenyon, Lord, scathing remarks by, 56 - - Kerridge, Thomas, 33 - - Kildare, Lady, 108 - - King's Place, a raid in, 44 - - - La Belle, a popular French game, 245 - - Lade, Councillor, an eccentric supporter of the Turf, 405; - his meanness, 406-8 - - Lade, Sir John, taught a lesson by Fox, 28, 29; - bets with "Old Q.," 211 - - Ladies of fashion, keep faro-banks, 48; - gaming-tables, 52; - on trial, 57 _et seq._; - extravagances of, 59 - - "La Faucheuse," 313; - played at Ostend, 317; - forbidden in France, 317, 318 - - La fille Chevalier, 258 - - Lansdowne, Marchioness of, 180 - - Lauzun, Duc de, 209, 419 - - Law, John, kills a peer in a duel and escapes to Holland, 240; - outlawed, 240; - studies finance, 240; - interview with Louis XIV., 240; - threatened by Desmarest, 240; - trusted by Duke of Orleans, 241; - puts schemes in operation, 241; - created Comte de Tankerville, 242; - presented with freedom of Edinburgh, 242; - anecdotes, 242, 243; - his downfall, 244 - - Leaping wagers, 218, 219, 220, 227 - - Leeson, Major, 403; - vanquishes the blacksmith, 404; - his Turf career, 404, 405 - - Lennox, Lieut.-General, 224 - - "Le Wellington des Joueurs," 113 - - Lewis, Mr. George, 125 - - Lewis, Mr. Sam, a frequenter of Monte Carlo, 329 - - Liddell, Sir H.G., 195 - - Lloyd, pedestrian, runs a race backwards, 231 - - Loftus, Mr., cockpit owner, 197 - - Long sittings, 19, 20, 21-24, 62, 115 - - Lonsdale, Lord, 196 - - Lookup, Mr., 63; - and Lord Chesterfield, 64; - becomes saltpetre manufacturer, 65; - privateering ventures, 66; - dies at his favourite game, 66 - - Losers ready to fight, 25 - - "Lottery," a game favoured by ladies, 55 - - Louis XIV., 237; - issues edict against play, 239 - - "Louse Pigott," an unpleasant Turf character, 408; - charged with disloyalty, 409, 410 - - Lowther, Colonel, 195; - at Cock Pit Royal, 196 - - Luttrell, Lady Elizabeth, 57, 58 - - Luynes, Duchesse de, and Talleyrand, 137 - - - Macao, introduced by French _émigrés_, 121 - - MacGregor and his militia regiment, 141 - - Maisons de bouillotte, 270; - de jeu, 245 - - Malcolm, Sir John, 20, 21 - - Manning, Mr., his novel leap, 220 - - March, Lord, 105 - - Martindale, Henry, 57-59 - - Martine, Colonel, engineer to Asoph ud Doulah, 188 - - Massena entertains Col. Mellish, 179 - - Mazarin, Cardinal, introduces games of chance, 237; - always ready to bet, 237 - - Medici, Cardinal de, 238 - - Medley, Sporting, 42 - - Meggot, Mr., 13, 14 - - Mellish, Mr. Charles, 167 - - Mellish, Colonel Henry, his boyhood, 167; - enters army, 168; - his accomplishments, 168-70; - appearance and mode of dress, 170; - his horses, 170, 171; - his big stakes, 171; - and the Turf, 173-5; - sells his estate, 176; - Duke of Wellington's compliment, 178; - befriended by Prince Regent, 179; - settles at Hodsock Priory and marries, 180; - his early death, 180 - - Methodists, 85 - - Methods, 4 - - Merry, Mr. James, 375 - - Mexborough, Lord, 195 - - Mills, Pemberton, ties up Brummell, 112 - - Milton, Lord, 70 - - Miranda, Signor, cheated by Garcia and Calzado, 305, 306 - - Monaco, 9; - gambling at, 319 _et seq._; - the Grimaldis, 320; - the army, 321; - improvements due to M. Blanc, 322; - Casino brings prosperity, 322; - old Prince's consideration, 323; - a visit to, fifty years ago, 324, 325 - - Monte Carlo, in 1864, 326; - early frequenters, 327; - development of, 328, 329; - patrons, 329 _et seq._; - regulations as to dress, 330; - hotels, restaurants, etc. in the 'eighties, 332; - the "Cercle Privé," 334, 335; - the bank, its gains and losses, 335-7; - mistaken ideas about the gaming-rooms, 337, 338; - systems of old players, 339; - superstitions, 339-43; - trente-et-quarante, 343-5; - a successful swindle at, 346-8; - roulette, 348-52; - the croupiers, 354, 355; - annual profits, 357; - the Casino employés, 357, 358; - the _viatique_, 358, 359; - playing for a living, 359; - systems of play, 360-73 - - Montfort, Lord, 108, 109 - - Monville, M. de, 252 - - Moral Betting Club, circulars issued by a, 101 - - Mordaunt, Colonel John, devoted to cards from youth, 180, 181; - leaves for India, 182; - ignorance of writing, 182, 183; - Hindoo and Persian scholar, 183; - his method of calculation, 184; - meets with Asoph ud Doulah, 186; - aide-de-camp to the Nawab, 187; - saves Zoffany's head, 188; - his hospitality, 191; - excellent pistol shot, 192; - wounded in a duel, 192; - his love of cock-fighting, 195; - his early death, 193 - - Morny, Duc de, 425 - - Morocco-men, 48 - - Mount Coffee-House, Mr. Elwes a member of, 17 - - "Multipliers," 1, 2; - statute against, 2 - - Mundy's Coffee-House, 41 - - Mytton, Jack, played best when drunk, 80; - punishes foul play, 80; - presence of mind, 80; - often plucked when young, 81 - - - Napoleon, a poor card-player, 11; - encourages horse-racing, 420 - - Napoleon III. and the institution of the Grand Prix, 425 - - Nash, Beau, does penance, 30, 31; - rides upon a cow, 31; - his advice to a giddy youth, 31; - and Duke of Bedford, 31, 32; - and the young peer, 32; - a bet on the life of, 108 - - Naylor, Mr., his big win at the Derby, 375 - - "Neptune," 117 - - Newcastle, Duke of, 52 - - Nivernois, Duc de, 50; - and the Rev. Mr. Bentinck, 51, 52 - - Normandie, M. de, 422 - - North-country gambler, a, 12, 13 - - Northumberland, Duke of, 15; - patron of cock-fighting, 195 - - Nugent, Mr., 103, 104 - - - O'Birne, Mr., his generous offer, 111 - - O'Burne, Mr., 57, 58 - - Ogden, Mr., 9 - - O'Kelly, Colonel Andrew, and his uncle's parrot, 148, 149 - - O'Kelly, Colonel Dennis, 42; - his military rank, 141; - sometimes known as Count, 141; - and Catherine Hayes, 142; - his racing successes, 142; - hospitable, yet mean, 142; - a true-bred Milesian, 143; - not a fighting-man, 143; - and the Jockey Club, 143; - the black-legged fraternity, 144; - and the sporting aristocracy, 145; - his attachment for Ascot, 145; - his small note, 146; - and the pickpocket, 146, 147; - the map of his estates, 147; - his wonderful parrot, 147; - becomes owner of Eclipse, 393 - - "Old Nick," 59; - and the Duchess of Devonshire, 60; - vouches for a friend's respectability, 60 - - One leg, twelve hours' stand on, 230 - - Onslow, Lord, and Major Baggs, 83 - - Onslow, Mr. George (Cocking George), out-ranger of Windsor Forest, 195 - - Orford, Lord, his geese and turkey race, 206; - drives deer in place of horses in his phaeton, 206; - chased by hounds, 207 - - Orléans, Duc d', anecdote of, 252 - - Orleans, Duke of, Regent, 241; - duped by Law, 241 - - Osbaldiston, Squire, 232 - - Ostend, gambling at, 312; - single tableau baccarat at, 313 - - Oyster-houses, gambling in, 95 - - - Packer, Colonel, 138 - - Palais Royal, tripots in, 251, 253; - Venternière and his black-mailers, 251, 252; - its history, 254-6; - queer characters, 256; - "the Devil's Drawing-room," 257; - facilities for dissipation, 258; - the gaming-rooms, 258 _et seq._; - the stakes, 261; - a fortunate cook, 262; - the mad colonel, 263; - passe-dix and craps, 263; - famous gaming-houses, 265; - Marshal Blücher games at, 265; - falls on evil days, 271; - the end of gaming at, 272-4; - present condition of, 275; - schemes to revivify, 277 - - Panton, Colonel, 140 - - Panton, Mr., 117 - - Paper, a lucky bit of, 160-2 - - Parasol, an expensive, 301, 302 - - Pari Mutuel, the, 427-32 - - Paris, gambling in, 235 _et seq._; - present-day, 278-81; - anecdotes, 279-81 - - Park Club, high play at baccarat at, 124; - proceedings against, 124 _et seq._; - rules of, 126, 127; - proprietor and committee fined, 130 - - Parrot, a wonderful, 147-9 - - Passe-dix, method of play, 263 - - Pearson, Prof. Karl, his roulette experiments, 351 - - Peterborough, Earl of, 180 - - Petersham, Lady Catherine, 108 - - Pharo, or pharaoh, 53 - - _Pharaon, le_, 53 - - Philosopher's stone, 2 - - Piazza, Covent Garden, 42 - - Pierse, Billy ("T' au'd un"), his idea of making a fortune on the - Turf, 381; - his opinion of Sir John Byng, 381; - on friendly terms with Duke of Cleveland, 381, 382 - - Pigot, Mr. William, and "Old Q.," 212 - - Poland, Mr., 125 - - Polhill, Captain, 232 - - Pond, Miss, rides a thousand miles, 207 - - Pond, Mr., publisher of _Racing Calendar_, 207 - - "Posting," 172 - - Potter, Paul, game-cock feeder to Lord Derby, 200 - - _Pour et contre_, 53 - - Pratt, Mr. Edward, 119; - his wonderful memory, 119; - silence a hobby, 120; - whist his sole earthly aim, 121 - - Prisoners of war, gambling among, 50; - strange sleeping conditions, 50; - an amusing rebuke, 254 - - Private gambling, evils of, 136 - - Prussia, King of, gambles at Aix-la-Chapelle, 284; - his generosity, 285 - - Public tables offer best chance, 10 - - Pur Plomb Club, 75 - - - Queensberry, Duke of ("Old Q."), rides a mule race, 211; - sends letter by cricket ball, 211; - an eating contest, bet with Mr. William Pigot, 212; - and Count O'Taafe, 213; - his shrewdness, 410; - his presence of mind, 411 - - - Racing games, 75 - - Racing Plomb Club, 75 - - Radcliffe, Mr. J.B., 234 - - Raggett, 20 - - Raids, 44, 46 - - Raindrop race, the, 204 - - Rebuke, an amusing, 254 - - Regent, Prince, wins large sum from Mellish, 171; - befriends him, 179 - - Restaurants in Palais Royal: - Méot's, 275; - Beauvilliers', Rivarol Champcenetz at, 275; - Véry's, Danton at, 276; - Venua, frequented by Girondins and Robespierre, 276; - Fevrier's, a tragedy at, 276; - Véfour's, 277; - "Les Trois Frères Provençaux," 277; - Café Corazza, 277 - - Revolution, gambling during the, 249 _et seq._ - - Revolutionary playing-cards, 253, 254 - - Ricardo, Mr. Albert, 422, 423 - - Richmond, Duke of, 227 - - Rigby, Mr. Richard, squanders his fortune, 149; - rescues Duke of Bedford, 150; - appointed Paymaster-General, 151; - loses his post, and in difficulties, 151; - assisted by Thomas Rumbold, 151; - his kindness to a stranger, 152 - - Rivers, Lord, a dashing player, 113 - - "Rivett, General," 44 - - Riviera, prosperity of, due to M. Blanc, 328 - - Robespierre, 276 - - Roche, Captain, 67 - - Rolles, a brewer, shot by England, 73 - - Ros, Lord de, and the _Satirist_ newspaper, 122; - amusing evidence at trial, 122; - dies in disgrace, 123 - - Rosebery, Lord, on chances of the Turf, 374 - - Rosslyn, Lord, his system, 366-9 - - Roulette, chances of, 9; - method of play, 348-51; - Prof. Karl Pearson's experiments, 351; - a new form of, 281 - - Rowlandson, 20 - - Roxburgh Club, 20 - - Royal edict against play, 239 - - Rumbold, Thomas, waiter at White's and Governor of Madras, 151 - - Runs, extraordinary, 9, 82 - - Russell, Mr. Charles, 125 - - - Sack race, a, 210 - - St. Amaranthe, Madame de, keeps a luxurious tripot, 253 - - St. Ann's parish officers' warning, 43 - - St. Fargeau, Lepelletier de, murder of, 276 - - St. Germain, a new form of roulette at, 281 - - St. James's Palace, 38 - - St. Louis, Chevaliers of, as croupiers, 249 - - Sainte Doubeuville, la Marquise de, 245 - - Salisbury, Lord and Lady, their amusing experience at Monte - Carlo, 330, 331 - - Salon des Étrangers, a favourite resort of Marshal Blücher, 266; - a pensioner, 267; - a run of luck, 267; - heavy losers, 268 - - Sandwich, Lord, plays hazard with Duke of Cumberland, 390 - - Sartines, Lieutenant of Police, authorises gaming in Paris, 245; - his narrow escape of assassination, 246 - - Saxe, Madame, 22-24 - - Scott, General, a famous whist player, 117; - his cute bet, 117; - his generosity, 118; - a careful liver, 118 - - Seaside resorts, French, gambling at, 314 _et seq._; - Casino regulations, 315-17 - - Sefton, Lord, a heavy loser, 113 - - Selby, Jim, a coaching feat, 232, 233 - - Selle, Madame de, 246 - - Selwyn, George, 105, 106, 138 - - Sermons against gambling, 85 - - Serre, Madame de la, 246 - - Servants demoralised by gambling-houses, 96 - - Seymour, Lord Henry, 421-4 - - Shafto, Captain, 210 - - Shelley Hall, 33 - - Shepherd, John, 43 - - Shooting wagers, 221 - - Slaughter-houses, 40, 43 - - Smith, Mr. Justice, 134 - - Smith, Tippoo, 20, 117 - - Speculation, passion for, 1, 2; - in France, 240 _et seq._ - - Spencer, Lord Robert, 115, 145 - - Spirit of play in eighteenth century, 38 - - Sporting Medley, 42 - - Stair, Lord, offends the French, 103 - - Stavordale, Lord, 115 - - Stilts, a journey on, 226 - - Stock Exchange, gambling on, 163-6 - - Stroud, 42 - - Sturt, Mrs. Mary, 57, 58 - - Subscription-houses, 40 - - Sue, Eugène, 421 - - Sully, rebukes Henri IV., 235, 236 - - Sulzbach, 21 - - Sussex, Duke of, a heavy loser to Col. Mellish, 171 - - Systems at Monte Carlo, 360-73; - the martingale, 363, 364; - the Labouchere, 364; - Lord Rosslyn's, 366-9; - a sensible method of play, 370, 371; - none thoroughly reliable, 372, 373 - - - Talbot, Mr., 109 - - Talleyrand announces the death of the Duc d'Enghien, 137 - - Tattersall, Mr., purchases Highflyer, 395; - compared with O'Kelly, 395, 396; - his shrewdness, 396, 397; - befriended by Lord Grosvenor, 397; - his business, 397, 398 - - Tempest, Sir Harry Vane, 413 - - Tetherington, 42 - - Thacker, Mr., wins penmaking contest, 229 - - Thanet, Lord, 97; - at the Salon, 268 - - Thatched House Club, 28 - - "There he goes," 35 - - Thornhill, Mr. Cooper, 210 - - Thornton, Colonel, 415, 416, 417; - a shooting wager, 221; - a bitter-sweet compliment, 221; - unpopular, 222; - known as Lying Thornton, 222; - his conceit, 222; - his will disputed in England and France, 223 - - Thornton, Mrs., her race with Mr. Flint, 415; - contest with Buckle, the jockey, 417 - - Thouvenère, Madame de, 245 - - Throw, a marvellous, 114 - - Thynne, Mr., a disgusted gambler, 115 - - Tips, 4 - - Townshend, 46, 50 - - Tradesmen, devotees of chance, 33 - - "Travelling Piquet," 208 - - Trente-et-quarante, 10; - method of play, 343-5 - - Tripots, 236, 239, 251; - ladies preside at, 245; - clandestine keepers of, 246; - temporarily prohibited, 246; - edict against unlicensed, 248; - a luxurious tripot, 253 - - Turf, the, difficulty of making money on, 374 _et seq._; - some great wins, 375; - sporting journalists and tipsters, 376; - philanthropic tipsters' circulars, 376, 377; - an honest tipster, 377, 378; - three classes of racing-men, 378; - bookmakers and their chances of profit, 378, 379; - betting must be systematic, 379; - Ascot unfortunate for backers, 379, 380; - recent changes in method of speculation, 382; - Charles II. founder of the English Turf, 386; - the Whip run for at Newmarket, 388; - royal supporters of, 386-9; - Duke of Cumberland patron of, 390; - early race meetings, 398 _et seq._; - eccentric races, 400; - matches, 411-7 - - Turf, the French, 417 _et seq._; - Hugh Meynell, 418; - Comte de Lauraguais, 418, 419; - Philippe Égalité, 418; - Comte d'Artois, 418; - unedifying races, 419; - Jockey Club founded, 421; - steeplechasing, 423; - the Duc d'Orléans, 423; - enters on a new era, 424; - the Grand Prix, 425; - Plaisanterie, 427; - T. Wilde and Jack Moore, 427; - Pari Mutuel, 427-32 - - Tying-up, 31, 32 - - - Ude, M. Eustache, cook at Crockford's, 97 - - Uxbridge, Lord, 81 - - - "Valois Collier," 256 - - Vandéreux, M. Fernand, 75 - - Venternière, blackmailer, 251, 252 - - Véron, Doctor Louis, 278 - - Vincent, Sir Francis, 268 - - Voltaire and John Law, 242 - - - Wade, General, and the poor officer, 153, 154 - - Wager, a vague, 109; - a curious, 110 - - Wagers, eccentric, 103 _et seq._, 108, 116, 197, 204-14, 220, - 224-31, 233 - - Walpole, Horace, on Mr. Damer's death, 70; - and White's coat of arms, 106; - on Parisian gaming-houses, 239 - - Warburton, Sir P., 195 - - Ward, Mr., 20 - - Warthall Hall, 33 - - Waterloo, revival of gaming after, 111, 112 - - Wattier's Club, a gambling resort, 121; - its proprietor, 122; - frequented by Byron and Beau Brummell, 122 - - Waugh, Captain, and the goose, 192 - - Weare, 88 - - Wellington, not a player, 11; - a member of Crockford's, 11; - and Mr. Adolphus, 11 - - Whalley, Thomas (Jerusalem Whalley), jumps a carrier's cart, 214; - his extravagance, 215; - Jerusalem and back, 216; - publishes _Memoirs_, 217 - - Wharton, Mr., 195 - - Whist, a serious affair, 118, 119, 121 - - White's Club, becomes a gambling centre, 104; - main supporters of, 105; - coat of arms, 106, 107; - old betting-book, 107 _et seq._; - hazard allowed, but faro barred, 110; - gambling given up, 110; - fossilised members, 110; - present condition, 111 - - Wiesbaden, croupiers at, 290; - the Kursaal, 290; - players at, 291; - an eccentric countess at, 291, 292; - two strange players, 292; - close of tables at, 293; - effects of the closing on the town, 295; - the last of the gamblers, 295, 296 - - Wilberforce, caught playing faro, 138 - - Wilde, Mr., his remarkable ride, 217, 218 - - Will, a gamester's, 78 - - William III., a patron of racing, 389 - - Williams, George, 106 - - Williamson, Major, 67 - - Wind, a bet about the, 224 - - Windsor, Mother, 45 - - Windsor Forest, outrangership of, 195 _n._ - - Wine _v._ water, 229, 230 - - Wolfe, Colonel, his answer to Duke of Cumberland, 390 - - Women and freak races, 205; - as gamesters, 269, 359, 360 - - Wontner, Mr. St. John, and Park Club, 124 - - Wortley, Lady Mary, 39 - - Wren, Sir Christopher, and Charles II., 387 - - Wright of Long Acre, 213 - - - Yarmouth, Lord, 421 - - - Zeno, M. le Chevalier, Venetian ambassador, 248 - - Zoffany, court painter to Nawab of Oude, 187; - paints caricature of the Nawab, 187; - his narrow escape, 188, 189; - a favourite of royalty, 194; - his pictures, 194 - - -THE END - -_Printed by_ R. & R. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Light Come, Light Go - Gambling--Gamesters--Wagers--The Turf - -Author: Ralph Nevill - -Release Date: December 30, 2016 [EBook #53835] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIGHT COME, LIGHT GO *** - - - - -Produced by deaurider, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - - - - -<p class="ph2">LIGHT COME, LIGHT GO</p> - - - - - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb01.jpg" alt="cover" /> -<a id="illusb01" name="illusb01"></a> -</p> - - -<p class="ph5"> -MACMILLAN AND CO., <span class="smcap">Limited</span></p> -<p class="ph6">LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA<br /> -MELBOURNE</p> - -<p class="ph5">THE MACMILLAN COMPANY</p> - -<p class="ph6">NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO<br /> -ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO</p> - -<p class="ph5">THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, <span class="smcap">Ltd</span></p> - -<p class="ph6">TORONTO</p> - - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusc01.jpg" alt="frontispiece" /> -<a id="illusc01" name="illusc01"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">The Trente-et-Quarante of the Past.</span><br /> - -From a scarce print by Darcis.<br /> - - -<i>Frontispiece.</i> -</p> - - - - - -<p class="ph1" style="margin-top: 5em;"> -LIGHT COME, LIGHT GO</p> - -<p class="ph3">GAMBLING—GAMESTERS—WAGERS<br /> -THE TURF</p> - -<p class="ph5" style="margin-top: 3em;">BY</p> - -<p class="ph3" style="margin-bottom: 3em;">RALPH NEVILL</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 43%;" ><small>D'un bout du monde<br /> -A l'autre bout,<br /> -Le Hasard seul fait tout."</small></p> - -<p class="ph6" style="margin-top: 5em;">MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED<br /> -ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON<br /> -<br /> -1909</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CONTENTS</p> - - - -<table summary="toc" width="85%"> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2" class= "large"><a href="#I">I</a> -</td> -<td align="right"><small>PAGE</small> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">The gambling spirit inborn in mankind—Its various forms in -reality identical—Resemblance of gamblers to the alchemists -of old—Capriciousness of fortune—Importance of small advantages -at play—An extraordinary run at hazard—Napoleon -and Wellington little addicted to cards—Blücher's love of -gaming—He wins his son's money—Avaricious gamesters—Anecdotes -of the miser Elwes—Long sittings at the card-table—Modern -instance in London—Two nights and a day -at whist at the Roxburgh Club—Casanova's forty-two hour -duel at piquet—Anecdotes of Fox, the Duke of Devonshire, -Sir John Lade, Beau Nash, and others—Country houses lost -at play—"Up now deuce and then a trey"—The Canterbury -barber</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1">1</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" class= "large" colspan="2"><a href="#II">II</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">The spirit of play in the eighteenth century—The Duke of -Buckingham's toast—Subscription-Houses, Slaughter-Houses, -and Hells—The staff of a gaming-house—Joseph -Atkinson and Bellasis—Raids on King's Place and Grafton -Mews—Methods employed by Bow Street officers—Speculative -insurance—Increase of gaming in London owing to -arrival of <i>émigrés</i>—Gambling amongst the prisoners of war—The -Duc de Nivernois and the clergyman—Faro and E.O.—Crusade -against West-End gamblers—The Duchess of -Devonshire and "Old Nick"—Mr. Lookup—Tiger Roche—Dick -England—Sad death of Mr. Damer—Plucking a pigeon -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_38">38</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2" class= "large"><a href="#III">III</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span> -Former popularity of dice—The race game in Paris—Description -of hazard—Jack Mytton's success at it—Anecdotes—French -hazard—Major Baggs, a celebrated gamester of the -past—Anecdotes of his career—London gaming-houses—Ways -and methods of their proprietors—Ephraim Bond and -his henchman Burge—"The Athenæum"—West-End Hells—Crockford's—Opinion -of Mr. Crockford regarding play—The -Act of 1845—Betting-houses—Nefarious tactics of their -owners—Suppression in 1853 -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_74">74</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2" class= "large"><a href="#IV">IV</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">Craze for eccentric wagers at end of eighteenth century—Lord -Cobham's insulting freak and its results—Betting and -gaming at White's—The Arms of the Club—The old betting-book -and its quaint wagers—Tragedies of play—White's to-day—£180,000 -lost at hazard at the Cocoa Tree—Brummell -as a gambler—Gaming at Brooks's—Anecdotes—General -Scott—Whist—Mr. Pratt—Wattier's Club—Scandal at -Graham's—Modern gambling clubs—The Park Club case in -1884—Dangers of private play -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_103">103</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2" class= "large"><a href="#V">V</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">Talleyrand whilst at cards announces the death of the Duc -d'Enghien—"The curse of Scotland"—Wilberforce at faro—Successful -gamblers—The Rev. Caleb Colton—Colonel -Panton—Dennis O'Kelly—Richard Rigby—Anecdotes—Strange -incidents at play—Aged gamesters—A duel with -death—General Wade and the poor officer—Anecdote of a -caprice of Fortune—Stock Exchange speculation—A man -who profited by tips -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_137">137</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2" class= "large"><a href="#VI">VI</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">Colonel Mellish—His early life and accomplishments—His -equipage—A great gambler—£40,000 at a throw!—Posting—Mellish's -racing career—His duel—In the Peninsula—Rural -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span>retirement and death—Colonel John Mordaunt—His -youthful freaks—An ardent card-player—Becomes aide-de-camp -to the Nawab of Oude—Anecdotes—Death from a -duel—Zoffany in India and his picture of Mordaunt's -cock-fight—Anecdotes of cock-fighting -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_167">167</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2" class= "large"><a href="#VII">VII</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">Prevalence of wagering in the eighteenth century—Riding a -horse backwards—Lord Orford's eccentric bet—Travelling -piquet—The building of Bagatelle—Matches against time—"Old -Q." and his chaise match—Buck Whalley's journey -to Jerusalem—Buck English—Irish sportsmen—Jumping -the wall of Hyde Park in 1792—Undressing in the water—Colonel -Thornton—A cruel wager—Walking on stilts—A -wonderful leap—Eccentric wagers—Lloyd's walking match—Squire -Osbaldiston's ride—Captain Barclay—Jim Selby's -drive—Mr. Bulpett's remarkable feats -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_204">204</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2" class= "large"><a href="#VIII">VIII</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">Gambling in Paris—Henry IV. and Sully—Cardinal Mazarin's -love of play—Louis XIV. attempts to suppress gaming—John -Law—Anecdotes—Institution of public tables in 1775—Biribi—Gambling -during the Revolution—Fouché—The -tables of the Palais Royal—The Galeries de Bois—Account -of gaming-rooms—Passe-dix and Craps—Frascati's and the -Salon des Étrangers—Anecdotes—Public gaming ended in -Paris—Last evenings of play—Decadence of the Palais -Royal—Its restaurants—Gaming in Paris at the present day -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_235">235</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2" class= "large"><a href="#IX">IX</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">Public gaming in Germany—Aix-la-Chapelle—An Italian gambler—The -King of Prussia's generosity—Baden-Baden—M. de -la Charme—A dishonest croupier—Wiesbaden—An eccentric -Countess—Closing of the tables in 1873—Last scenes—Arrival -of M. Blanc at Homburg—His attempt to defeat his -own tables—Anecdotes of Garcia—His miserable end—A -Spanish gambler at Ems—Roulette at Geneva and in -Heligoland—Gambling at Ostend—Baccarat at French -watering-places—"La Faucheuse" forbidden in France -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_282">282</a> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2" class= "large"><a href="#X">X</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">The Principality of Monaco—Its vicissitudes—Early days -of the Casino—The old Prince and his scruples—Monte -Carlo in 1858 and 1864—Its development—Fashionable in the -'eighties—Mr. Sam Lewis and Captain Carlton -Blythe—Anecdotes—Increase of visitors and present democratic -policy of administration—The <i>Cercle Privé</i> and its short -life—The gaming-rooms and ways of their -frequenters—Anecdotes—Trente-et-quarante -and roulette—Why the cards have plain white backs—Jaggers' -successful spoliation of the bank—The croupiers and their -training—The staff of the Casino—The -<i>viatique</i>—Systems—The best of all -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_319">319</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2" class= "large"><a href="#XI">XI</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang">Difficulty of making money on the Turf—Big -wins—Sporting tipsters and their methods—Jack -Dickinson—"Black Ascots"—Billy Pierse—Anecdotes—Lord -Glasgow—Lord George Bentinck—Lord Hastings—Heavy -betting of the past—Charles II. founder of the English -Turf—History of the latter—Anecdotes—Eclipse—Highflyer—The -founder of Tattersall's—Old time racing—Fox—Lord -Foley—Major Leeson—Councillor Lade—"Louse -Pigott"—Hambletonian and Diamond—Mrs. Thornton's -match—Beginnings of the French Turf—Lord Henry -Seymour—Longchamps—Mr. Mackenzie Grieves—Plaisanterie—Establishment -of the Pari Mutuel in 1891—How the large profits are -allocated—Conclusion -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_374">374</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><small><a href="#INDEX">INDEX</a></small> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><p class="hang"> -</p> -</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_437">437</a> -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - - - - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">ILLUSTRATIONS</p> - -<table summary="illustrations" width="90%"> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2">IN COLOUR -</td> -<td align="right"> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right"><small>FACE PAGE</small> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusc01">The Trente-et-Quarante of the Past. From a scarce Print -by Darcis</a> -</td> -<td align="right"><i>Frontispiece</i> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td ><a href="#illusc02">The Beautiful Duchess throwing a Main. By Rowlandson</a> -</td> -<td align="right">60 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td ><a href="#illusc03">La Bouillotte. From a scarce Print after Bosio</a> -</td> -<td align="right">138 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusc04">The Chaise Match</a> -</td> -<td align="right">214 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusc05">The Palmy Days of the Palais Royal. From a contemporary -Print</a> -</td> -<td align="right">258 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusc06">A Gaming-Table in the Palais Royal</a> -</td> -<td align="right">262 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusc09">Véry's in 1825</a> -</td> -<td align="right">276 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusc07">Plan of Roulette Table, as used at Monte Carlo</a> -</td> -<td align="right">348 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusc08">Betting. By Rowlandson</a> -</td> -<td align="right">382 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="2">IN BLACK AND WHITE -</td> -<td align="right"> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb02">The Spendthrift. From an Eighteenth-Century Print</a> -</td> -<td align="right">26 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb03">A Raid on a London Gaming-House</a> -</td> -<td align="right">44 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb04">Sharpers and Bucks in a Billiard Room</a> -</td> -<td align="right">68 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb05">Light Come, Light Go</a> -</td> -<td align="right">80 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb06">A Row in a Fashionable Hell</a> -</td> -<td align="right">86 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb07">Count d'Orsay calling a Main at Crockford's</a> -</td> -<td align="right">98 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb08">The Arms of White's</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right">107 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb09">The Gambling-Room at Brooks's. From a Water-colour -Drawing in the possession of the Club</a> -</td> -<td align="right">116 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb10">The Cock-Fight at Lucknow, with Key. Engraved by -R. Earlom, after Zoffany</a> -</td> -<td align="right">194 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb12">Roulette in the Eighteenth Century</a> -</td> -<td align="right">284 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb13">Facsimile Title-Page of "Guide du Spéculateur au Trente-Quarante -et à la Roulette"</a> -</td> -<td align="right">298 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb14">Gambling at Homburg. Drawn by the late G.A. Sala</a> -</td> -<td align="right">308 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb15">E.O. on a Country Race-course. By Rowlandson</a> -</td> -<td align="right">398 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#illusb16">Mrs. Thornton</a> -</td> -<td align="right">416 -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - - - - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="I" id="I">I</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">The gambling spirit inborn in mankind—Its various forms in -reality identical—Resemblance of gamblers to the alchemists of -old—Capriciousness of fortune—Importance of small advantages at -play—An extraordinary run at hazard—Napoleon and Wellington little -addicted to cards—Blücher's love of gaming—He wins his son's -money—Avaricious gamesters—Anecdotes of the miser Elwes—Long -sittings at the card-table—Modern instance in London—Two nights and -a day at whist at the Roxburgh Club—Casanova's forty-two hour duel at -piquet—Anecdotes of Fox, the Duke of Devonshire, Sir John Lade, Beau -Nash, and others—Country houses lost at play—"Up now deuce and then -a trey"—The Canterbury barber.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>The passion for speculation which, throughout all ages, has captivated -the great bulk of humanity, would seem to be an innate characteristic -of mankind. It assumes various forms and guises which often deceive -those over whom it exercises its sway, and becomes in numberless cases -a veritable obsession, causing its victims to devote the whole of their -time, thoughts, and money—sometimes even their lives—to its service. -Devotees of the simpler forms of gambling, such as are to be procured -at the card-table and on the race-course, are often looked down upon by -people who are themselves under the sway of other insidious, if more -reputable, modes of tempting fortune. For all speculation, whether -it be in pigs or wheat,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> stocks and shares, race-horses or cards, -is in essence the same—its main feature being merely the desire to -obtain "something for nothing," or in other words to acquire wealth -without work. Gambling, of no matter what kind, is thus a conscious and -deliberate departure from the general aim of civilised society, which -is to obtain proper value for its money. The gambler, on the other -hand, receives either a great deal more than he gives or nothing at all.</p> - -<p>All conditions of life being more or less disquieted either with the -cares of gaining or of keeping money, it is but natural that mankind -should be allured by the idea of discovering and utilising an easy -and quick road to riches. Alas, the prospect of speedy wealth, which -exercises such an irresistible fascination over certain natures, is in -the vast majority of cases nothing but a delusive mirage, as tempting -to covetous folly as the "philosopher's stone." Indeed, the votaries of -chance in a great measure resemble the alchemists of old, who were ever -seeking, but never found, a method of producing untold gold.</p> - -<p>So convinced were these searchers of the possibility of eventually -discovering the secret of manufacturing riches, that they laughed even -at successful gamblers, deeming them to be mere drudges and sluggards -on the golden road. There was a time, indeed, when students of what -Gibbon termed "the vain science of alchemy," were actually called -"multipliers," and their unbounded confidence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> naturally made a deep -impression upon the credulous ignorance of their age. So much so that -our Henry IV. appears to have become seriously alarmed at the prospect -of the country being flooded with precious metals manufactured by the -"multipliers," for a statute passed during his reign decrees that "none -from henceforth shall use to multiply gold or silver or use the craft -of multiplication, and if any the same do he shall incur the pain of -felony." His Majesty might just as well have issued an edict against -gamblers making use of a sure method of winning!</p> - -<p>One of the most remarkable things about gambling is that no one -ever seems to win—certainly the vast majority of those addicted to -play, even the most lucky, generally declare that on the whole they -have lost. A number of these, however, probably leave out of their -calculations the large amounts which they have spent whilst fortune was -in a generous mood; for gamblers when in luck are apt to fling their -money about very freely, and even when they are losing they do not as -a rule practise a rigid economy. This is not the case, of course, with -followers of methods and systems who take their gambling seriously; -these are often frugal men who, though quite callous about losing large -sums in the pursuit of their hobby, regard money spent on enjoyment or -luxuries as wasted. This is the type of gambler who racks his brains -with calculations, and takes immense trouble to obtain really sound -information<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> about the chances of some race-horse, or of the rise or -fall of some stock.</p> - -<p>But even to such sober gamblers the result is usually disappointing. -All methods, systems, and combinations do little to assist gamblers to -win—the most they can effect is to put a limitation on their losses; -and as regards special information, those who are addicted to racing -know only too well how expensive it is to be acquainted with any one -in a position to give really good "tips." More than that, information -which emanates from owners, trainers, and jockeys would soon break the -Bank of England were that institution to decide to risk its capital on -such advice. Not that in many cases these men are not really anxious to -give their friends winners; but somehow or other the good thing hardly -ever comes off. It is indeed not at all unlikely that the race-goer who -knows no one connected with the Turf has a distinct advantage; for when -regular racing men possess reliable information as to a horse which -has been reserved for some coup, they are obviously not at liberty to -divulge its name, and consequently the "tips" they give are little more -than hints of vague possibilities.</p> - -<p>Although as a matter of fact the goddess of chance—not erroneously -called "fickle"!—is in the long run pitilessly severe upon her -votaries, one and all, there are times and occasions on which she seems -not indisposed to smile. To propitiate her is, therefore, the first -ambition of all gamblers, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> in their efforts to attain this end many -of them exhibit an almost childish superstition. Yet we must remember -that the wisest of the Roman emperors kept a golden image of Fortune -in their private apartments, or carried it about them. They never sent -it to their successor till they were near expiring; and then it was -accompanied with this declaration—that in the whole course of their -achievements, they were more indebted to fortune than to any skill or -dexterity of their own.</p> - -<p>Always feminine, Fortune is to all appearances essentially wayward and -capricious. She requires to be constantly tended, silently expected, -and approached with due caution and prudence. Rough and refractory -behaviour scares her away; irritation at her eccentricities banishes -her altogether; whilst levity and ingratitude, when she is in a -beneficent mood, soon causes her to escape. Moderation is the only -chance of securing her constant presence. In short, fortune, or luck, -is a phenomenon, the ground and essence whereof is to a great degree -inexplicable. For the most part we know it only from its effects, and -can give no certain account either of its nature or of its mode of -action, and of the always increasing or diminishing greatness of it. To -the gambler fortune appears to be an occult power, the aid of which is -not infrequently invoked by means of various fanciful fetishes, which -for the moment acquire a real virtue, as being likely to propitiate the -invisible influence which presides over speculation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> - -<p>The movements of fortune have been well compared to those of the -sea, which for the most part seems to affect a serene and smiling -aspect, broken only by tranquil ripples. From time to time, however, -furious tempests and storms disturb its surface, calm being often -re-established as quickly and suddenly as it was originally broken. -Like the sea, Fortune would at heart appear to be inclined towards -tranquillity, though her fury, when roused, is inclined to conceal this -tendency.</p> - -<p>Whilst Fortune generally seems to distribute her favours in a somewhat -haphazard way, there is no doubt that those who study the so-called -laws of chance are the most likely to receive them. For although chance -is generally considered to be effect without design, this is not -strictly true. Throughout the universe of nature, indeed, all events -appear in the end to be governed by immutable laws which have existed -from the beginning of time, no matter what partial irregularities may -arise at certain periods.</p> - -<p>In any game, for instance, equality in play is likely to restore the -players in a series of events to the same state in which they began; -while inequality, however small, has a contrary effect, and the longer -the game be continued, the greater is likely to be the loss of the one -player and the gain of the other. As has been very soundly said, this -"more or less," in play, runs through all the ratios between equality -and infinite difference, or from an infinitely little difference till -it comes to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> an infinitely great one. The slightest of advantages, -whether arising from skill or chance, will as surely "materialise" -in the course of play as does the carefully calculated profit of a -commercial expert.</p> - -<p>An event either will happen or will not happen; this constitutes -a certainty. Some events are dependent, others independent. The -difference is very important. Independent events have no connection, -their happenings neither forwarding nor obstructing one another. -Choosing a card from each of two distinct packs includes two -independent events; for the taking of a card from the first pack does -not in any way affect the taking of a card from the second—the chances -of drawing, or of not drawing, any particular card from the second pack -being neither lessened nor increased. On the other hand, the taking of -a second card from a pack from which one has already been drawn is a -dependent event, as the composition of the pack has been altered by the -abstraction of one particular card.</p> - -<p>The surprising way in which an apparently small advantage operates may -be judged from the following example:—A and B agree to play for one -guinea a game until one hundred guineas are lost or won. A possesses -an advantage on each game amounting to 11 chances to 10 in his favour. -Mathematical analysis of this advantage proves that B would do well to -give A upwards of ninety-nine guineas to cancel the agreement.</p> - -<p>Further, many speculative events, which at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> first sight seem to -be advantageous to one side, are demonstrated by mathematical -investigation to be of an exactly contrary nature. A bets B thirty-two -guineas to one that an event does not happen, and also bets B thirty -guineas even that it does happen in twenty-nine trials. Besides this -A gives B one thousand guineas to play in this manner six hours a day -for a month. Here B would appear to have some advantage. Mathematical -investigation, however, proves that in reality the advantage of A is -so great that B ought not only to return the thousand guineas to A, -but give him, in addition, another ten thousand guineas to cancel the -agreement.</p> - -<p>Every game of chance presents two kinds of chances which are very -distinct—namely, those relating to the person interested (the -player) and those inherent in the combinations of the game. That is -to say, there is either "good luck" or "bad luck," which at different -times gives the player a "run" of good or bad fortune. But besides -this, there is the chance of the combinations of the game, which -are independent of the player and which are governed by the laws of -probability. Theoretically, chance is able to bring into any given game -all the possible combinations; but it is a curious fact that there are, -nevertheless, certain limits at which it seems to stop. A proof of this -is that a particular number at roulette does not turn up ten or a dozen -times in succession. In reality there would be nothing astounding about -such a run, but it is supposed never to have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> happened. On the other -hand, the numbers in one column at roulette have been known not to turn -up during seventeen successive coups.</p> - -<p>All the same, extraordinary runs do occur at all games. In 1813, a -well-known betting man of the name of Ogden laid one thousand guineas -to one guinea, that calling seven as the main, a player would not throw -that number ten times successively from the dice-box. Seven was thrown -nine times in direct sequence! Mr. Ogden then offered four hundred and -seventy guineas to be let off the bet, but the thrower refused. He took -the box again but threw only twice more—nine—so that Mr. Ogden just -saved his thousand guineas.</p> - -<p>In a game of chance, the oftener the same combination has occurred in -succession the nearer we are to the certainty that it will not recur at -the next coup. It would almost appear, in fact, as if there existed an -instant, prescribed by some unknown law, at which the chances become -mature, and after which they begin to tend again towards equalisation. -This is the secret of the pass and the counter-pass, and also of the -strange persistence which certain numbers at roulette sometimes show -in recurring—they are merely making up for lost time. At the end of a -year all the numbers on a roulette board would be found to have come up -about the same number of times—provided, of course, that the wheel is -kept in proper working order, a state of affairs which is assured at -Monaco by scrupulous daily inspection.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> - -<p>The considerations set forth above apply more especially to games like -roulette and trente-et-quarante played at public tables, where all -players have an equal chance against the bank, and where the personal -element, which is so important in private play, is to a large extent -eliminated. It is at public tables that the real gambler finds his -best chance. There, whilst having a fair field and no favour, he may, -if lucky, win very large sums with the certainty of being immediately -paid; and he is not exposed to various unfavourable influences, which -tell against men of his disposition when gambling amongst acquaintances -and even friends. Wherever a number of careless, inattentive people -possessed of money chance to be assembled, a few wary, cool, and shrewd -men will be found, who know how to conceal real caution and design -under apparent inattention and gaiety of manner; who push their luck -when fortune smiles and refrain when she changes her disposition; and -who have calculated the chances and are thoroughly master of every game -where judgment is required.</p> - -<p>Occasionally men of this stamp have been known to have accumulated a -fortune, more often a respectable competency, at play. If they had -been interrogated as to the exact means by which they had made their -success, they would, had they been desirous of speaking the truth, have -replied in the words of the wife of the Maréchal d'Ancre, who, when -she was asked what charm she had made use of to fascinate the mind of -the queen, "The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> charm," she replied, "which superior abilities always -exercise over weaker minds."</p> - -<p>The minor forms of gambling, which serve to gratify the speculative -instincts of ordinary mortals, have generally possessed little -attraction for great men, whose minds would seem to have been occupied -by more ambitious, though perhaps in essence not less speculative, -designs. Napoleon, for example, was a very poor card-player, and from -all accounts never indulged in any serious gambling. The great Duke -of Wellington, though he was once accused of being much addicted to -playing hazard, would also seem to have entertained no particular -fondness for play. In the course of a letter which he wrote in 1823 to -a Mr. Adolphus, who had publicly referred to his supposed love of play, -the great Captain wrote "that never in the whole course of his life had -he ever won or lost £20 at any game, and that he had never played at -hazard or any game of chance in any public place or club, nor been for -some years at all at any such place." Nevertheless, the Duke became an -original member of Crockford's in 1827, though there is no record of -his ever having played there.</p> - -<p>Another great soldier, on the other hand, repeatedly lost large sums -at play. This was Blücher, who was inordinately fond of gambling. Much -to his disgust this passion was inherited by his son, who had often -to be rebuked by his father for his visits to the gaming-table, and -was given many a wholesome lecture upon his youth and inexperi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>ence, -and the consequent certainty of loss by coming in contact with older -and more practised gamblers. One morning, however, young Blücher -presented himself before his father, and exclaimed with an air of joy, -"Sir, you said I knew nothing about play, but here is proof that you -have undervalued my talents," pulling out at the same time a bag of -roubles which he had won the preceding night. "And I said the truth," -was the reply; "sit down there, and I'll convince you." The dice were -called for, and in a few minutes old Blücher won all his son's money; -whereupon, after pocketing the cash, he rose from the table observing, -"Now you see that I was right when I told you that you would never win."</p> - -<p>If, however, it would seem to be the case that few, if any, of the -world's very greatest minds have been addicted to gambling, it is no -less true that outside this select band all classes have been, and are, -equally subject to the passion. Nothing, indeed, is more extraordinary -than the fact that it has been observed to exercise the same -fascination on men of the most diverse characters and dispositions—on -rich and poor, educated and uneducated, young and old, learned and -ignorant.</p> - -<p>Moreover, unlike other passions, the love of gambling generally remains -unimpaired by age, and instances of people of advanced years expending -their few remaining energies at the card-table are not rare. There -is the story of the venerable old north-country lady whom a visitor -found looking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> very red-eyed and weary. "I fear you are suffering from -a bad cold?" he inquired, solicitously. "Eh, I'se gat na cauld," was -the reply; "some friends kem from Kendal on Tuesday that love a game -a whist dearly, and I'se bin carding the morn and e'en, the e'en an' -the morn, twa days." "Indeed, and what might you have won?" "Eh," she -replied, with considerable satisfaction, "it mun be a shilling."</p> - -<p>At first sight, also, one would think that avarice and passion for -play were absolutely incompatible; yet there are not a few striking -instances of the two vices being combined—by men to whom the spending -of a few shillings was agony, but who would risk thousands at cards -with comparative equanimity. Such an one was the celebrated Mr. Elwes, -who combined a passion for gambling with habits of the greatest penury. -He was originally a Mr. Meggot, the name of Elwes being assumed under -the terms of the will of his uncle. Sir Harvey Elwes.</p> - -<p>Sir Harvey was himself the perfect type of a miser. Timid, shy, and -diffident in the extreme, he kept his household, which consisted of -one man and two maid-servants, chiefly upon game from his own land -and fish from his own ponds; the cows which grazed before his door -furnished milk, cheese, and butter for the establishment; and what fuel -he burned his own woods supplied. As he had no acquaintances and no -books, the hoarding-up and the counting of his money was his greatest -delight.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> Next to that came partridge catching—or setting, as it was -then called—at which he was so great an adept that he was known to -take five hundred brace of birds in one season. What partridges were -not consumed by his household he turned out again, as he never gave -anything away. At all times he wore a black velvet cap much over his -face, a worn-out, full-dress suit of clothes, and an old great-coat, -with worsted stockings drawn up over his knees. He rode a thin -thoroughbred horse, and the horse and his rider looked as if a gust of -wind would have blown them away together.</p> - -<p>At the time Mr. Meggot succeeded to the name and fortune of his uncle -he was over forty, having for about fifteen years previously been -well-known in the most fashionable circles of the West End. He was a -gambler at heart, and only late in life did he succeed in obtaining any -mastery over his passion for play. His losses were great, but this was -mainly because while he himself always paid when he lost, his opponents -were not always so scrupulous, and it was notorious that the sums -owed to him in this way were very considerable. But he professed the -quixotic theory that "it was impossible to ask a gentleman for money"; -and to his honour, but financial disadvantage, he adhered strictly to -this rule throughout his life.</p> - -<p>The acquaintances which he had formed at Westminster School and at -Geneva, together with his own large fortune, all conspired to introduce -Mr. Elwes (then Mr. Meggot) into whatever society<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> he best liked. -He was at once admitted a member of the club at Arthur's, and of -various other similar institutions; and as a proof of his notoriety -as a gambler, it may be mentioned that he, Lord Robert Bertie, and -some others, are noticed in a scene in <i>The Adventures of a Guinea</i> -for the frequency of their midnight orgies. Few men, even on his own -acknowledgment, had played deeper than himself, or with such varying -success. He once played two days and a night without intermission; -and the room being a small one, the company were nearly up to their -knees in cards. He lost some thousands at that sitting. The Duke of -Northumberland was of the party—another man who never would quit the -gaming-table while any hope of winning remained.</p> - -<p>Even at this period, Mr. Elwes' passion for gaming was equalled by -his avarice, and in a curious manner he contrived to mingle small -attempts at saving with pursuits of the most unbounded dissipation. -After sitting up a whole night playing for thousands with the -most fashionable and profligate men of the time—in ornate and -brilliantly-lighted salons, with obsequious waiters attendant upon his -call—he would walk out about four in the morning, not towards his -home, but into Smithfield, to meet his own cattle, which were coming up -to market from Thaydon Hall, a farm of his in Essex. There would this -same man, forgetful of the scenes he had just left, stand in the cold -or rain, haggling with a carcass butcher for a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> shilling. Sometimes -when the cattle did not arrive at the hour he expected, he would walk -on in the mire to meet them; and more than once he actually trudged -the whole way to his farm, seventeen miles from London—a tedious walk -after sitting up the whole of the night at play!</p> - -<p>Though he never engaged personally upon the Turf, Mr. Elwes was in -the habit of making frequent excursions to Newmarket, and a kindness -which he once performed there is worthy of recollection. Lord Abingdon, -who was slightly known to Mr. Elwes, had made a match for £7000 which -it was supposed he would be obliged to forfeit from an inability -to produce the sum—though the odds were greatly in his favour. -Unsolicited, Mr. Elwes made him an offer of the money; he accepted it, -and won the engagement.</p> - -<p>On the day this match was to be run a clerical neighbour had agreed to -accompany Mr. Elwes to Newmarket. As was the latter's custom they set -out on their journey at seven in the morning, and, with the hope of a -substantial breakfast at Newmarket, the clergyman took no refreshment -before starting. They reached Newmarket about eleven, and Mr. Elwes -busied himself in inquiries and conversation till twelve, when the -match was decided in favour of Lord Abingdon. The divine then fully -expected that they should move off to the town for breakfast; but Elwes -still continued riding about on one business or another. Eventually -four o'clock arrived; and by this time his reverence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> had become so -impatient that he murmured something about the "keen air of Newmarket -heath" and the comforts of a good dinner. "Very true," replied Elwes, -"have some of this," offering him at the same time a piece of old, -crushed pancake from his great-coat pocket. He added that he had -brought it from his house at Marcham two months before, but "that it -was as good as new." The sequel of the story was that they did not -reach home till nine in the evening, when the clergyman was so tired -that he gave up all other refreshment for rest. On the other hand, -Elwes, who had hazarded seven thousand pounds in the morning, retired -happily to bed with the pleasing recollection of having saved three -shillings.</p> - -<p>In later life Mr. Elwes was elected to Parliament, where he -proved himself an independent country member and exhibited great -conscientiousness. During this time he had the greatest admiration for -Mr. Pitt, and was wont to declare that in all the statesman's words -there were "pounds, shillings, and pence." When he quitted Parliament, -he was, in the common phrase, "a fish out of water." He had for some -years been a member of a card-club, at the Mount Coffee-House, and it -was there that he consoled himself for the loss of his seat. The play -was moderate, and he enjoyed the fire and candles which were provided -at the expense of the Club; but fortune seemed resolved to force from -him that money which no power could persuade him to bestow. He still<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> -retained his fondness for play, and imagined that he had no small skill -at piquet. It was his ill-luck on one occasion to meet a gentleman who -had the same idea of his own powers in this direction, and on much -better grounds; for after a contest of two days and a night, in which -Elwes continued with the perseverance which avarice will sometimes -inspire, he rose the loser of no less than three thousand pounds. The -debt was paid by a draft on Messrs. Hoare, which was duly honoured the -next morning.</p> - -<p>This is said to have been the last bout of gaming indulged in by -Mr. Elwes, and not long afterwards he retired to his country seat -at Stoke, remarking that "he had lost a great deal of money very -foolishly, but that a man grew wiser by time." After this no gleam of -pleasure or amusement broke through the gloom of a penurious life, -and his insatiable desire of saving became uniform and systematic. He -still rode about the country on an old brood mare (which was all he -had left); but then he rode her very economically, on the soft turf -adjoining the road, so as to avoid the cost of shoes. His household -expenses were reduced to a minimum, his few wants being attended to by -a man who became almost as celebrated as his master. This extraordinary -servant acted as butler, coachman, gardener, huntsman, groom, and -valet; and was, according to Mr. Elwes, "a d——d idle rascal" into the -bargain.</p> - -<p>Mr. Elwes died in 1789 and left an enormous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> fortune for that day, -about five hundred thousand pounds being divided between his two -natural sons.</p> - -<p>Mr. Elwes' record of having played piquet for two days and a night -(thirty-six successive hours) was a remarkable one, for the physical -strain involved by playing for such a long period is very considerable. -Yet the fascination of remaining at the gaming-table for a long stretch -of time frequently takes possession of those addicted to play. As a -rule it is not by any means caused solely by the consideration of the -stakes played for; it would rather seem that the players become mere -automatic gaming machines, the mechanism of which runs steadily on. -Several years ago a noticeable instance of this occurred in a London -Club, where, on a certain evening, a small party had been playing -écarté for fairly moderate stakes. The game began about eleven o'clock; -some three or four hours later only two players remained. As the time -went on, fine after fine was incurred by this couple, but still they -continued playing—until they passed the hour when expulsion was the -penalty exacted from any member still remaining in the Club-house. -They were still playing when morning broke, and though horrified and -sleepy-eyed waiters informed them that they could no longer continue, -their only answer was to stop the clock, an irritating reminder of -the fleeting hours. In this fashion they continued till one o'clock -the next afternoon, when, having realised<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> that their escapade was a -serious one, they strolled through a crowd of outraged members into -the brilliant sunlight which, as if in irony, chanced that morning to -be flooding the street. It should be added that before leaving the -Club-house—for ever, as it turned out—the two culprits prudently -wrote out their resignations. The curious thing was that the stakes -during this sitting were by no means high, and the sums which changed -hands were consequently comparatively small.</p> - -<p>Rowlandson, the artist, who was a well-known figure at most of the -fashionable gaming-houses of his time, frequently played through a -night and the next day. On one occasion he remained at the hazard table -for thirty-six hours without a break, the only refreshment which he -took being brought to him in the gambling-room. Rowlandson, who was a -most honourable man, was generally unlucky, and lost several legacies -at play. His imperturbability was remarkable, and he never exhibited -the slightest emotion whether he won or lost.</p> - -<p>At the Roxburgh Club in St. James's Square—at the time when it was -kept by Raggett, the well-known proprietor of White's—Hervey Combe, -Tippoo Smith, Mr. Ward (a member of Parliament), and the distinguished -Indian General, Sir John Malcolm, once sat from Monday evening till -Wednesday morning at eleven o'clock, playing whist. Even then, they -would very likely have continued playing, had not Hervey Combe been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> -obliged to attend the funeral of one of his partners. Combe, who had -won thirty thousand pounds from Sir John Malcolm, jocularly told him -that he could have his revenge whenever he liked. "Thank you," replied -Sir John, "another sitting like this would oblige me to return to India -again!"</p> - -<p>In all probability, however, the longest duel at cards which ever -took place occurred in the eighteenth century at Sulzbach, where the -famous adventurer, Casanova, made the acquaintance of an officer, -d'Entragues by name, who was very fond of piquet. For four or five -days in succession the Venetian and this officer played after dinner. -At the end of that time, however, Casanova declined to play any more, -having come to the conclusion that his opponent made a regular practice -of rising from the table directly he had won ten or twelve louis. He -adhered to this resolution for a day or two, but d'Entragues became -quite importunate in offers to give him his revenge.</p> - -<p>"I do not care to play," was the reply of Casanova, given with some -effrontery. "We are not the same kind of gamblers. I play only for my -pleasure and because the game amuses me, whilst you play merely to win."</p> - -<p>"If I understand you rightly," was the retort, "this is deliberate -rudeness!"</p> - -<p>"I did not mean to be rude; but every time we have played you have left -me in the lurch at the end of an hour."</p> - -<p>"A proof of my solicitude for your pocket, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> as you are a worse -player than I, you would have lost a great deal had we continued."</p> - -<p>"Possibly, but I don't believe it."</p> - -<p>Eventually it was agreed that they should resume their contest, but -that the player who was the first to rise from the piquet-table should -forfeit fifty louis to his opponent. The stakes were five louis a -hundred points, ready money only to be played for.</p> - -<p>The game began at three in the afternoon; at nine d'Entragues proposed -supper. Casanova said he was not hungry; whereupon his opponent -laughed, and the game was continued. The onlookers, who were fairly -numerous, went to supper, afterwards returning to remain till midnight, -when the players were left alone with a croupier who attended to the -accounts, the only utterances heard being those connected with the game.</p> - -<p>From six in the morning, when the visitors who were taking the Sulzbach -waters began to be about, the contest excited the greatest public -interest. Casanova was now losing a hundred louis, though his luck had -not been very bad.</p> - -<p>At nine o'clock a lady, Madame Saxe by name, to whom d'Entragues -was very devoted, arrived upon the scene and persuaded each of the -combatants to partake of a cup of chocolate. D'Entragues was the first -to consent to this; he believed that his opponent was near to giving in.</p> - -<p>"Let us agree," he proposed, "that whoever asks for food, leaves the -room for more than a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> quarter of an hour, or goes to sleep in his -chair, shall be deemed the loser."</p> - -<p>"I take you at your word," was Casanova's reply; "and shall be ready to -hold to any other irritating conditions you may suggest."</p> - -<p>The game proceeded. At twelve o'clock another meal was announced, -but both players still declared that they were not hungry; at four, -however, they took some soup. Towards supper-time the onlookers began -to think that matters were going too far. Madame Saxe then made a -suggestion that the stakes should be divided, but to this proposal -Casanova firmly declined to consent. At this moment d'Entragues -might have risen from the table a winner even after having paid -the forfeit, for besides being the better player luck had favoured -him. Nevertheless, his pride prevented him from abandoning what had -degenerated into a mere contest of endurance. His appearance had become -that of a corpse which had been disinterred, in striking contrast to -the still normal looks of Casanova, who, to the remonstrances of Madame -Saxe, replied that he would only give up the struggle by falling down -dead.</p> - -<p>The night wore on, and once more the players were left alone. By this -time d'Entragues was showing evident signs of complete exhaustion, -which was increased by an altercation about some trifling point -raised by Casanova with the express purpose of further weakening his -opponent's resistance.</p> - -<p>At nine o'clock next morning Madame Saxe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> arrived to find her lover -losing, and so dazed that he could hardly shuffle the cards, count, -or properly discard. Once more she appealed to Casanova, pointing out -to him that he could now rise a winner. In a tone of great gallantry -the latter replied that he would agree to abandon the struggle if the -forfeit were declared void, a condition to which d'Entragues declined -to assent. The latter, though very weak, showed considerable annoyance -at the manner in which Casanova had spoken to Madame Saxe, and declared -that for his part he should not leave the table till either he or his -opponent lay dead upon the floor.</p> - -<p>In due course of time soup was again brought to the players, but -d'Entragues, who was now in the last stage of weakness, fell down in -a dead faint almost immediately after the cup had been raised to his -lips, and in this condition he was carried away to bed. On the other -hand, Casanova, after having given half a dozen louis to the croupier -(who had been awake for forty-two consecutive hours), leisurely put -the gold he had won in his pockets, and strolled out to a chemist's -where he purchased a mild emetic. He then went to bed and slept lightly -for a few hours, getting up about three o'clock in the afternoon with -an excellent appetite. His opponent did not appear till the next -day, when, much to his credit, he told Casanova that he bore him no -ill-will, and was on the contrary grateful to him for a lesson which he -should remember all the days of his life.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p> - -<p>Casanova was not always as successful as this in his gambling -enterprises, which indeed occasionally involved him in unpleasant -situations; but like most adventurers of his type and age he was seldom -depressed by losses. He would appear to have generally dominated -other gamesters whom he met—a state of affairs which was probably -not unconnected with the Venetian's well-known truculence. Besides, -he was, as a rule, not over-burdened with money, a circumstance which -perhaps made him the more ready to engage in a contest. People who are -over-prosperous are not given to exhibiting any particular spirit in -such affairs. A gentleman, who had been fortunate at cards, was asked -to be a second in a duel, at a period when the seconds engaged as -heartily as the principals. "I am not," replied he, "the man for your -purpose at this time; but go and apply to a friend of mine from whom I -won a thousand guineas last night, and I warrant you he will fight like -any devil!"</p> - -<p>Though ready to resent any slight, and tenacious of keeping up a -reputation for being "cock of the walk" in the circles in which he -moved, Casanova was possessed of great self-control, and always made -a point of being urbane, even whilst sustaining a severe reverse—a -pleasing characteristic which, he declared, obtained him access to -much pleasant society. It was his constant practice to hold a bank -at the various resorts of the pleasure-loving world which he visited -during his adventurous career. At Aix in Savoy (which is still a -place in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> high favour with the votaries of chance owing to its two -Casinos), Casanova was once particularly successful. He himself, with -all a gambler's superstition, attributed his good fortune on this -occasion to the appearance of three Englishmen—one of them Fox (then -on the threshold of his career), who borrowed fifty louis of the great -adventurer, whom he had previously met at Geneva.</p> - -<p>From his earliest years Charles James Fox had been accustomed to -gambling, having been elected a member of Brooks's when but sixteen -years old. At that time the Club in question, now so decorous and -staid, was the head-quarters of the fashionable London gamester, -and the high-spirited youth fully availed himself of the excellent -opportunities for dissipating a fortune which were here at easy -command. On one occasion Fox sat playing at hazard for twenty-two -consecutive hours, with the result that he rose the loser of eleven -thousand pounds. At twenty-five he was a ruined man, his father having -paid for him one hundred and forty thousand pounds out of his own -property.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb02.jpg" alt="spendthrift" /> -<a id="illusb02" name="illusb02"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> -<i>The <span class="smcap">Spendthrift</span></i></p> - -<p style="margin-left:40%;"> -Deaf to his aged Sire's advice,<br /> -And biggotted to Cards and Dice;<br /> -With many a horrid Oath and Curse,<br /> -He loudly wails his empty Purse.<br /> -</p> -<p style="margin-left:40%;"> -From an Eighteenth-Century Print.</p> - -<p>Though a most unsuccessful gambler. Fox played whist and piquet -exceedingly well, it being generally agreed at Brooks's that he might -have made about four thousand a year at these games had he but confined -himself to them. His misfortunes arose from playing at games of chance, -particularly at faro, of which he was very fond. As a rule after -eating and drinking plentifully, he would repair to the faro table, -almost invariably<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> rising a loser. Once indeed, and only once, he -won about eight thousand pounds in the course of a single evening; -part of this money he paid away to his creditors, and the remainder he -lost again almost immediately in the same manner. Mr. Boothby, also an -irreclaimable gamester and an intimate friend of Fox, speaking of the -latter said, "He was unquestionably a man of first-rate talents, but so -deficient in judgment as never to have succeeded in any object during -his whole life. He loved only three things: women, play, and politics. -Yet at no period did he ever form a creditable connection with a woman; -he lost his whole fortune at the gaming-table; and with the exception -of about eleven months he remained always in opposition."</p> - -<p>Before he attained his thirtieth year, Fox had completely dissipated -every shilling that he could either command or procure by the most -ruinous expedients. During his career he experienced, at times, many -of the severest privations attached to the vicissitudes which mark -a gamester's progress, and frequently lacked money to defray common -expenses of the most pressing nature. Topham Beauclerk—himself a -man of pleasure and of letters—who lived much in Fox's society at -that period of his life, used to say that no man could form an idea -of the extremities to which his friend had been driven in order to -raise money, after losing his last guinea at the faro table. For days -in succession he was reduced to such distress as to be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> under the -necessity of having recourse to the waiters of Brooks's Club to lend -him assistance—even sedan-chairmen, whom he was unable to pay, used to -clamour at his door.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the numerous petty claims which at times made Fox's -life unbearable, he could never resist high play, which seems to have -completely destroyed his judgment as to the value of money, and prided -himself upon the largeness of his stakes. The Duke of Devonshire, who, -much to his honour, made a point of never touching a card, went one day -out of curiosity to the Thatched House Club to see the gambling. After -some time, finding himself awkward at being the only person in the -rooms who was not participating in the play, he proposed a bet of fifty -pounds on the odd trick to Charles Fox. "You'll excuse me, my Lord -Duke," replied Charles, "I never play for pence." "I assure you, sir," -answered his Grace, "you do, as often as I play for fifty pounds."</p> - -<p>Fox, whilst a gambler of the most hopeless description, and extravagant -almost beyond words, had, as is well known, many good points. Amongst -them was hatred of meanness, which was an abomination of the worst sort -in his eyes.</p> - -<p>Finding himself on one occasion in considerable funds owing to a run of -luck at faro, he remembered an old gambling debt due to Sir John Lade, -familiarly known at that time as Sir John Jehu, and accordingly wrote, -desiring an appointment so that he might pay what he owed. When they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> -met, Charles produced the money, which Sir John no sooner saw, than -calling for a pen and ink, he very deliberately began to reckon up the -interest.</p> - -<p>"What are you doing now?" cried Charles.</p> - -<p>"Only calculating what the interest amounts to," replied the other.</p> - -<p>"Oh, indeed!" returned Fox with great coolness, at the same time -pocketing the cash, which he had already thrown upon the table. "Why, I -thought, Sir John, that my debt to you was a debt of honour; but as you -seem to view it in another light, and seriously mean to make a trading -debt of it, I must inform you that I make it an invariable rule to pay -my Jew creditors last. You must therefore wait a little longer for your -money, sir; and when I meet my money-lending Israelites for the payment -of principal and interest, I shall certainly think of Sir John Jehu, -and expect to have the honour of seeing him in the company of my worthy -friends from Duke's Place"—a locality which at that time swarmed with -usurers.</p> - -<p>Though Fox rather excelled at card games of skill, horse-racing was -his darling amusement, until, from prudential motives, he quitted the -Turf and all other forms of speculation. He played at games of chance -with indifference, and would throw for a thousand guineas with as much -sang-froid as he would twirl a teetotum for a shilling. But when his -horse ran he was all eagerness and anxiety, always placing himself -where the animal was to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> make its effort, or where the race was likely -to be most strongly contested. From this spot he would watch the early -part of the race with an immovable look, merely breathing quicker as -they accelerated their pace. But when the horses came opposite to him, -he rode in with them at full speed, whipping, spurring, and blowing, as -if he would have infused his whole soul into the courage, speed, and -perseverance of his favourite racer. The race being over, the fact that -he had won or lost seemed to be a matter of perfect indifference to -him, for he immediately began to discuss the next event, whether he had -a horse entered for it or not.</p> - -<p>The fact that Fox was often in the most dire financial straits through -his reckless gambling does not seem to have excited any extraordinary -astonishment amongst his contemporaries. The men of the eighteenth -century were quite accustomed to the vicissitudes connected with -gaming, which seems to have been viewed with the greatest leniency in -every way.</p> - -<p>The celebrated Beau Nash was sometimes in sore straits owing to a run -of ill luck at play, and on one occasion, at York, he lost all the -money he possessed. In these circumstances some of his companions -agreed to equip him with fifty guineas, upon condition that he should -stand at the great door of the Minster in a blanket as the people were -coming out of church; and to this proposal he readily agreed. The Dean -passing by unfortunately knew him. "What," cried the divine, "Mr. -Nash<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> in masquerade?" "Only a Yorkshire penance, Mr. Dean, for keeping -bad company," said Nash, pointing to his companions. Some time after -this the Beau won a wager of still greater consequence by riding naked -through a village upon a cow, an escapade which was considered as a -harmless and natural frolic.</p> - -<p>In the year 1725, a giddy youth who had just resigned his fellowship -at Oxford, brought his whole fortune to Bath; and without the smallest -degree of skill in play, won a sufficient sum to make any ordinary -man happy. His desire of gain, however, being increased by his good -fortune, he plunged more deeply in the following October, and added -four thousand pounds to his former capital. Hearing of this, Beau Nash, -who was a good-natured man, one night invited him to supper, and told -him there would come a time when he would repent having left the calm -of a college life for the turbulent profession of a gamester. "You are -a stranger to me," said he, "but to convince you of the part I take in -your welfare, I'll give you fifty guineas to forfeit twenty every time -you lose two hundred at one sitting." The young gentleman refused this -offer, and was eventually ruined.</p> - -<p>This system of tying up was very usual. The Duke of Bedford, being -chagrined at losing a considerable sum, pressed Mr. Nash to tie him -up for the future from playing deep. With this view the Beau gave his -Grace one hundred guineas to forfeit ten thousand whenever he lost a -sum to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> same amount at one sitting. The Duke, however, loved play -to distraction, and within a short time again lost eight thousand -guineas at hazard. As he was on the point of throwing for three -thousand more, Nash caught hold of the dice-box and entreated him to -reflect on the penalty he would incur should he loose. For that time -the Duke desisted, but so possessed was he by the love of play, that -shortly afterwards, having lost a considerable sum at Newmarket, he was -contented to pay the penalty.</p> - -<p>On another occasion Nash undertook to cure a young peer of the gambling -fever. Conscious of his own superior skill he determined to engage the -Earl in single play for a very considerable sum. His Lordship lost his -estate, and the title-deeds were put into the winner's possession; -finally his very equipage was deposited as the last stake, and he lost -that also. Nash, however, who showed himself to be the most generous -of gamesters, returned all, only stipulating that he should be paid -five thousand pounds whenever he should think proper to make the -demand. He never did anything of the kind during the nobleman's life; -but some time after his decease, Mr. Nash's affairs being on the wane, -he demanded the money of his Lordship's heirs, who honourably paid it -without hesitation.</p> - -<p>At the present day gambling is more or less confined to large towns, -but a different state of affairs prevailed in the eighteenth century, -when whole properties frequently changed hands at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> card-table. The -owner of Warthall Hall, for instance, having lost all his money, in a -frenzy of excitement finally risked the whole of his estate upon a low -cut of the cards. He cut the deuce of diamonds, and in remembrance of -his good luck fixed a representation of the lucky card upon the front -of his house with the following inscription:—</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 35%;"> -Up now deuce and then a trey,<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a><br /> -Or Warthall's gone for ever and aye. -</p> - -<p>Shelley Hall in Suffolk, the remains of which still exist, was lost at -play by Thomas Kerridge, the last squire, who died in 1743. According -to tradition, he gambled away the house room by room; and when all -the contents were gone and the house gutted, he pulled down certain -portions and gambled away the bricks. Blo' Norton Hall, Norfolk, is -also said to have been lost at play by its owner, Gawdy Brampton, -who, when he was finally ruined, committed suicide in an attic, -from which his ghost is still said to emerge and haunt an adjoining -staircase—perhaps because his widow married the man who had won his -money and the old Hall.</p> - -<p>Many of the small tradesmen in the country towns were eager devotees -of chance, and sharpers frequently reaped a rich harvest in provincial -centres. Indeed, the happy-go-lucky spirit of the eighteenth century -was very favourable to such gentry, who pillaged all ranks without -distinction.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> - -<p>About 1780 there resided at Canterbury a barber who was famous for -the way in which he made natty one-curled hunting wigs, but who was -also much given to making bets and to boasting of his discernment and -judgment. Two blacklegs, coming to Canterbury for the races, heard -of this barber and immediately formed a plan to shave him in his own -way. To accomplish the business, they went to one of the principal -inns, where, ordering a capital supper, they sent for the perruquier -to bespeak wigs for themselves and their servants. The knight of the -strop readily and cheerfully attended; and, having taken the external -dimensions of the gentlemen's heads, whilst totally ignorant of the -schemes which lay within them, was about to depart, but was prevented -by a pressing invitation from his new customers to take supper with -them. He was of a convivial turn and fond of company, which in his own -opinion afforded opportunities of displaying his great sagacity in the -mysteries of betting; and for this reason he politely accepted the -invitation.</p> - -<p>After supper, a game of whist was suggested, but as the barber did not -feel himself so great an adept at this as at his favourite game of -"done and done," the proposal fell to the ground. As the guest of the -evening was a great politician, and his companions were well informed -of his manners and character, the conversation turned upon politics, -from that unaccountably veering round till wagers became the general -topic. Highly delighted at the introduction of a subject of which he -deemed him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>self a perfect master, the barber listened with the greatest -attention to the conversation, and eagerly offered several bets -himself. As his two companions appeared rather shy, and hinted that it -would not be safe to bet with a man who calculated matters so shrewdly -as generally to win, he became very anxious to get the better of men -whom he considered as "pigeons"—though, unluckily for him, they turned -out to be "rooks."</p> - -<p>After many propositions, they offered to bet him ten guineas that he -would not repeat one sentence, and that only, during the space of ten -minutes. Cunningly thinking that he had his men, the barber started -up and swore he could repeat any sentence for an hour. After having -blithely stepped home for a supply of cash, he returned, and a bet of -fifty guineas having been made, both stakes were deposited under a -hat on the table, the conditions being that the barber should without -intermission repeat the words "<i>There he goes</i>," for half an hour's -continuance. He accordingly took his station at the table, and, with -a watch before him to note the time, began his recital of <i>There he -goes</i>, <i>There he goes</i>, <i>There he goes</i>.</p> - -<p>When he had kept on in a steady and unalterable tone for a quarter of -an hour, one of the gentlemen, with a view to lead the barber from his -stated subject, lifted up the hat, counted out half the money, and -saying "D—n me if I don't go," put the cash in his pocket and walked -off. This circumstance, however, had no effect upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> the barber. A few -minutes later the man who remained coolly pocketed the residue of the -money, and added, as the barber repeated the words <i>There he goes</i>, -"And d—n me if I don't follow him." The barber was now left alone with -his eyes riveted on the watch, anxious for the expiration of the short -time which still remained to elapse before his bet was won, but more -confident than ever.</p> - -<p>In the meantime, the departure of the two strangers without settling -the bill excited the notice of the landlord; he went into the room, -and the barber, looking him in the face, kept repeating <i>There he -goes</i>, "Yes, sir, I know it; they have both been gone some time; pray -are you to pay the bill?" No answer being given but <i>There he goes</i>, -the host immediately ran for the barber's wife and a doctor, supposing -him in a state of hopeless delirium. They arrived; his wife, taking -him round the neck, in vain endeavoured to make him deviate from his -purpose; the doctor, after feeling his pulse, pronounced him in a high -fever, and was getting ready his apparatus for opening a vein, when -the time expired, and the barber in a frenzy of excitement, jumped -upon the table and exclaimed, "Bravo, I have won fifty guineas of the -two gentlemen who are gone out!" The persons present now concluded, -beyond a doubt, that he had lost his senses; his wife screamed, and the -landlord called for assistance to have him secured.</p> - -<p>When matters were explained, however, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> landlord had a horse -saddled, and rode in pursuit of the gentlemen, to remind them of their -forgetfulness. After riding about ten miles, he overtook them in a -lonely part of the road. Here he reminded them that they had not paid -their bill, upon which they presented pistols to his head, robbed him -of between twenty and thirty guineas, and advised him not to travel -again upon such a foolish errand, but to look better after his inn, and -tell the barber to be careful how he made his bets in future.</p> - - - - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> A three.</p></div></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="II" id="II">II</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span>The spirit of play in the eighteenth century—The Duke of Buckingham's -toast—Subscription-Houses, Slaughter-Houses, and Hells—The staff of -a gaming-house—Joseph Atkinson and Bellasis—Raids on King's Place -and Grafton Mews—Methods employed by Bow Street officers—Speculative -insurance—Increase of gaming in London owing to arrival of -<i>émigrés</i>—Gambling amongst the prisoners of war—The Duc de -Nivernois and the clergyman—Faro and E.O.—Crusade against West-End -gamblers—The Duchess of Devonshire and "Old Nick"—Mr. Lookup—Tiger -Roche—Dick England—Sad death of Mr. Damer—Plucking a pigeon.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>During the last ten years of the reign of George II., "that destructive -fury, the spirit of play" wrought great havoc in London. Gaming was -declared to have become the business rather than the amusement of -persons of quality, who were accused (probably with considerable truth) -of being more concerned with speculation than with the proceedings of -Parliament. Estates were almost as frequently made over by whist and -hazard as by deeds and settlements, whilst the chariots of the nobility -might be said to roll upon four aces. As a means of settling disputes, -the wager was stated to have supplanted the sword, all differences of -opinion being adjusted by betting.</p> - -<p>In fashionable circles and at Court, gambling was especially prevalent. -In January 1753 it was recorded that "His Majesty played at St. -James's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> Palace on Twelfth Night for the benefit of the Groom-Porter." -All the members of the Royal Family present on this occasion appear to -have been winners, the Duke of Cumberland getting £3000. Amongst the -losers were the Duke of Grafton and the Lords Huntingdon, Holdernesse, -Ashburnham, and Hertford. The exact amount of benefit which accrued to -the Groom-Porter from the evening's play does not transpire.</p> - -<p>Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, had a house near the site of the -present Buckingham Palace, which went by his name. It was afterwards -purchased by John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, who, after obtaining -an additional grant of land from the Crown, rebuilt it in a magnificent -manner in 1703. During his residence here, the Duke was a constant -visitor at the then noted gaming-house in Marylebone, the place of -assemblage of all the infamous sharpers of the time. His Grace always -gave them a dinner at the conclusion of the season, and his parting -toast was, "May as many of us as remain unhanged next spring meet here -again." Quin related this story at Bath, within the hearing of Lord -Chesterfield, when his Lordship was surrounded by a crowd of worthies -of the same stamp. Lady Mary Wortley alludes to the amusement in this -line:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="center">Some Dukes at Marybone bowl time away.</p></blockquote> - -<p>As the century waned, play became more and more popular in London. So -great indeed was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> the toleration accorded to gaming in the West End of -the town that what were virtually public tables may be said to have -existed. These were well-known under the names of Subscription-Houses, -Slaughter-Houses, and Hells, and were frequented by less aristocratic -gamesters than the Clubs, where whist, piquet, and other games were -played for large sums. At the houses not inaptly called Hells, hazard -was played every night, and faro on certain nights in each and every -week, nearly all the year round. These Hells were the resort of -gentlemen, merchants, tradesmen, clerks, and sharpers of all degrees -and conditions, very expensive dinners being given twice or thrice a -week to draw together a large company, who, if they meant to play, were -abundantly supplied with wines and liquors gratis.</p> - -<p>The advantage to the faro bank varied at different stages of the game: -the least advantage to the proprietor of the bank, and against the -punter, was about three and a half per cent and the greatest twenty-six -per cent. It is said that the annual expense of maintaining one of -these Hells exceeded £8000, which of course came out of the pockets of -its frequenters.</p> - -<p>Quite a large army of retainers were attached to every well-regulated -gaming-house. The first, and of the greatest importance, was the -commissioner, always a proprietor, who looked in at night, the week's -account being audited by him and two other proprietors. Then followed -the director, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> superintended the rooms; the operator, who dealt -the cards at faro, or any other game; the croupier, who watched the -cards and gathered the money for the bank; a puff, handsomely paid to -decoy others to play; a clerk, who acted as a check upon the puff, -to see that he embezzled none of the money given him to play with; a -squib, who was a puff of meaner rank, and received but a low salary, -whilst learning to deal; a flasher, to swear how often the bank had -been stripped; a dunner, who went about to recover money lost at play; -a waiter, to fill out wine, snuff candles, and attend the gaming-room; -an attorney, the sharper the better; a captain, ready to fight any -gentleman who might be peevish at losing his money; an usher, to light -gentlemen up and downstairs, and give the porter the word; a porter, -who was generally a foot soldier; an orderly man, whose duty consisted -in walking up and down on the outside of the door to give notice to -the porter, and alarm the house at the approach of the constables; -a runner, employed to obtain intelligence of the justices' meeting. -Beside these, there were link-boys, coachmen, chairmen, drawers, and -others, who might bring information of danger, at half a guinea each -for every true alarm. Finally, there was a sort of affiliated irregular -force, the members of which—affidavitmen, ruffians, and bravoes—were -capable of becoming assassins upon occasion.</p> - -<p>A celebrated sporting resort at the end of the eighteenth century was -Mundy's Coffee-House, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> Round Court, opposite York Buildings, in -the Strand, then kept by Sporting Medley (the owner of Bacchus and -some other horses of eminence upon the Turf). Here thousands were -nightly transferred over the hazard and card tables by O'Kelly, Stroud, -Tetherington, and a long list of adventurous followers.</p> - -<p>Another famous gaming-house was kept by a certain Joseph Atkinson and -his wife at No. 15 under the Piazza, in Covent Garden. Here they daily -gave elaborate dinners, cards of invitation being sent to the clerks -of merchants, bankers, and brokers in the city. Atkinson used to say -that he liked citizens—whom he called "flats"—better than any one -else, for when they had dined they played freely, and after they had -lost all their money they had credit to borrow more. It was his custom -to send any pigeons who had been completely plucked to some of their -solvent friends, who could generally be induced to arrange matters in a -satisfactory way. The game generally played here was E.O.,<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> a sort of -roulette.</p> - -<p>Keepers of gaming-houses in London were very liable to be black-mailed -by men whose principal means of livelihood was obtaining "hush money." -A certain class of individuals existed who for a specific amount -undertook to defend keepers of Hells against prosecutions. One of the -most notorious of these was Theophilus Bellasis, sometimes clerk and -sometimes client to a Bow Street<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> attorney—John Shepherd by name—who -would, when it was likely to be profitable, act as prosecutor of -persons keeping gaming-houses. The magistrates at last realised the -collusion which existed between Bellasis and Shepherd, and refused to -move in cases where the two rogues were concerned.</p> - -<p>The houses, called by sharpers Slaughter-Houses, were those where -persons were employed by the proprietors to pretend to be playing at -hazard for large sums of money, with a view to inducing some unthinking -individual to join in the play. When the scheme succeeded, the pigeon, -by means of loaded dice and other fraudulent methods, was eventually -dispossessed of all his cash, and perhaps plunged into debt, for -which a bond was given, the embarrassments of which he felt for some -years after. If, however, he returned to play again with the hope -of regaining what in such company was past redemption, his ruin was -quickly and completely sealed.</p> - -<p>At one time, the parish officers of St. Ann's, Soho, set up a number -of lanterns and boards with the words "<i>Beware of bad houses</i>" painted -upon them, for the purpose of ridding the neighbourhood of dissolute -and abandoned women. In consequence of this having had the desired -effect, it was proposed to put up similarly-worded notices near the -Hells and Slaughter-Houses of St. James's, but the idea was never -carried into effect.</p> - -<p>Places where faro was played abounded about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> Pall Mall and St. James's -Street, and from time to time exciting scenes were witnessed when the -authorities decided upon making a raid.</p> - -<p>In 1799 considerable uproar was caused in Pall Mall by a raid upon Nos. -1 and 3 King's Place, which were attacked by what were facetiously -termed the "Bow Street troops" acting under a search warrant. These in -a very short time carried the place by storm, and took ten prisoners, -together with a great quantity of baggage, stores, which consisted -mainly of tables for rouge-et-noir and hazard; cards, dice, counters, -strong doors, bars and bolts. The attack began by a stratagem put -into execution by "General Rivett," who was in supreme command of the -attacking force. He sought to gain an entrance at the street door of -No. 1; but this having failed, and all attempts to force it having -proved ineffectual, one of the light troops mounted the counterscarp -of the area, and descended into the kitchen, while another scaled a -ladder affixed to a first floor of No. 3; and having each made good -their footing, opposition being then abandoned by the besieged who had -betaken themselves to flight, the attacking force without molestation -opened the gates and let in the main body, after which a general search -and pursuit ensued. Several gamblers retreated to the top of the houses -adjoining, whither they were followed and taken prisoners; one poor -devil, the supposed proprietor of No. 3, was smoked in a chimney, from -whence he was dragged down—a black<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> example to all gamesters! Three -French <i>émigrés</i> were among the captured, one of whom had his retreat -cut off just as he was issuing from a house in Pall Mall, through which -he had descended unobserved, and by which way some others escaped. -Mother Windsor and her nymphs, who were well-known residents in the -locality, were much alarmed by the operations; and the old lady, who -declared that the presence of gaming in the vicinity had long been -a scandal, vociferously applauded to the skies the vigilance of the -police in putting down such pests of society.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb03.jpg" alt="raid" /> -<a id="illusb03" name="illusb03"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"><span class="smcap">A Raid on a London Gaming-House.</span><br /> - -From a Print in the possession of Messrs. Robson & Co., 23 Coventry -Street, W.</p> - -<p>About the same time No. 13 Grafton Mews, Fitzroy Square, obtained an -unenviable reputation as being a veritable Temple of Fraud, an illegal -lottery insurance business being carried on there, which impoverished -the poorer class of people residing in the neighbourhood. The house -in question, which it was said had been specially built, was to all -appearance a square brick tower about fifty feet high—on three sides -it presented not the slightest sign of habitation; towards Grafton -Mews, however, it bore the usual semblance of a stable.</p> - -<p>To this place flocked grooms, valets, and all the silly fry of the -district, carrying with them as much money as they could scrape -together. Business was generally over by the afternoon, when the -proprietors, who never made their exit by the door, climbed up to the -top of the tower, and got through a hole in the roof—from which,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> by -a ladder, they descended to a slated roof of a back place about twenty -feet lower; they then crawled along about twenty feet of wall, and by -an aperture in another, like a gun-port, descended into a back yard, -and completed their cat-like line of march through a house in Hertford -Street. This, to the astonishment of the neighbours, was done regularly -every morning.</p> - -<p>The place having become a public scandal, Townshend, with several Bow -Street runners and four carpenters, went to Warren Street one morning, -three hackney coaches being posted at some distance from the scene of -action.</p> - -<p>On the arrival of the peace officers, the four proprietors of No. 13 -came out through the roof, and planted their ladder; but it gave way, -and they were obliged to jump upon the slated roof twenty feet below -them. By some marvellous chance, however, they escaped uninjured, the -slates only being broken. They then jumped upon an adjacent wall, and -flung their books into the garden of a gentleman's house. No. 17 Warren -Street, and followed themselves; their idea was to escape through his -back door, but the owner was fortunately at home, and resisted this -design. They then leaped the wall of the next house, Drover's, the -hairdresser, with their books, and in this house they were secured. One -of them fired a pistol at the officers, which fortunately did no harm. -The runners had cutlasses and axes, with which they made their way into -the house.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p> - -<p>The inhabitants of the district, it may be added, did not exhibit any -enthusiasm for the officers of the law—on the contrary, they showed -considerable displeasure against those who had come there to preserve -most of them from misery and ruin. The informer, never a popular -character, was a lean, cadaverous old woman. She accompanied the -swindlers in the first coach, with the hootings of the rabble in her -ears, and the whole cavalcade moved off the ground, escorted by a very -hostile crowd which accompanied it to Bow Street. Here the four men, -who had been arrested with so much difficulty, were sentenced to six -months' imprisonment each in the house of correction in Coldbath Fields.</p> - -<p>It would appear that previous to 1778 gaming was never conducted upon -the methodical system of partnership concerns, wherein considerable -capital was embarked. After that period, the vast licence allowed to -keepers of fraudulent E.O. tables, and the great length of time which -elapsed before they met with any check from the police, afforded -a number of dissolute and abandoned characters many excellent -opportunities of acquiring property, which was afterwards increased -in the low gaming-houses, by nefarious methods at Newmarket and other -fashionable places of resort, and in the lottery. At length, though -these individuals had started without any property, or any visible -means of lawful support, a sum of money, little short of one million -sterling, was said to have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> acquired by a class originally (with -some few exceptions) of the lowest and most depraved description. -This enormous mass of wealth was employed as a great and an efficient -capital for carrying on various illegal establishments, particularly -gaming-houses, and houses for fraudulent insurances in the lottery.</p> - -<p>Part of this capital was even said to be utilised in subsidising -various faro banks kept by ladies of fashion, whilst a certain -proportion was also devoted to fraudulent insurance in the lotteries, -where the chances were calculated to yield about thirty per cent to the -gambling syndicate, most of the members of which maintained a number -of clerks, employed during the drawing of the lotteries, who conducted -the business, without risk, in counting-houses where no insurances were -taken, but to which books were carried, not only from the different -offices in every part of the town, but also from the "Morocco-men," who -went from door to door taking insurances, and enticing the poor and the -middle ranks to become adventurers.</p> - -<p>In calculating the chances upon the whole numbers in the wheels, and -the premiums which were paid, there was generally about £33:1:3 per -cent in favour of the lottery insurers: but when it is considered that -the people generally, from not being able to understand or recollect -high numbers, always fixed on low ones, the chance in favour of the -insurer was greatly increased, and the deluded poor plundered.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p> - -<p>In the early part of the eighteenth century, speculative insurance, -which could be effected upon anything, including lives, was a favourite -form of gambling in England. Any one's life could be insured, including -that of the King, and, to such an extent was this carried, that daily -quotations of the rates on the lives of eminent public personages were -issued by members of Garraway's and Lloyd's. The highest premium ever -paid is supposed to have been twenty-five per cent on the life of -George II., when he fought at Dettingen. On the fall of the leaders of -the Rebellion of 1745 very large sums changed hands; whilst a number of -insurance brokers were absolutely ruined owing to the escape of Lord -Nithsdale from the Tower—an exploit which this nobleman accomplished -by the aid of his devoted wife. As time went on these speculative -insurances became a public scandal, and they were finally made illegal -by the Gambling Act of 1774.</p> - -<p>At the time of the French Revolution hordes of <i>émigrés</i> of all classes -took up their temporary or permanent residence in London, with the -result that over thirty gaming-places were, more or less, publicly -established in the Metropolis. Here, besides faro and hazard, the -foreign games of roulette and rouge-et-noir flourished, a regular -gradation of houses existing, suited to all ranks, from the man of -fashion to the pickpocket.</p> - -<p>The mania for gaming amongst the exiles was confined to no particular -class—high and low alike<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> being affected by it. Nothing, for instance, -could exceed the rage for gambling which possessed the prisoners of war -at Dartmoor. About two hundred of them, including a number of Italians, -having lost all their clothes by gaming, were sent to the prison ships -in the Hamoaze, to be clothed anew, many more being left in rags. -These unfortunate men played even for their rations, living three or -four days on offal, cabbage-stalks, or, indeed, anything which chance -might throw in their way. They staked the clothes on their backs, and -even their bedding. It was the custom at Dartmoor for those who had -sported away the latter article to huddle very close together at night, -in order to keep each other warm. One out of the number was elected -boatswain for the time being, and at twelve o'clock at night would pipe -all hands to turn, an operation which, from their proximity to each -other, had to be simultaneous. At four o'clock in the morning the pipe -was heard again, and the reverse turn taken.</p> - -<p>Such of the <i>émigrés</i> belonging to the upper classes as possessed -funds could easily indulge their passion for play in the fashionable -circles where many of them had made themselves popular during previous -and more pleasant visits to England. Many, like the Duc de Nivernois, -had intimate friends in high places. Before the Revolution he had -been Ambassador in England. This nobleman was well known for his love -of chess, which on one occasion led to a very pleasant incident. -Staying with Lord Townshend, the Duc, when out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> for a ride was obliged -by a heavy shower to seek shelter at a wayside house occupied by a -clergyman, who to a poor curacy added the care of a few scholars in the -neighbourhood. In all this might make his living about eighty pounds -a year, on which he had to maintain a wife and six children. When the -Duc rode up, the clergyman, not knowing his rank, begged him to come -in and dry himself, which he was glad to do, borrowing a pair of old -worsted stockings and slippers and warming himself by a good fire. -After some conversation the Duc observed an old chess-board hanging up, -and asked the clergyman whether he could play. The latter told him that -he could play pretty tolerably, but found it difficult in that part of -the country to get an antagonist. "I am your man," said the Duc. "With -all my heart," answered the clergyman, "and if you will stay and take -pot-luck, I will try if I cannot beat you." The day continuing rainy -the Duc accepted the proffered hospitality, and found his antagonist a -much better player than himself. Indeed, the clergyman won every game. -This, however, in no way annoyed the Duc, who was delighted to meet -with a man who could give him so much entertainment at his favourite -game. He accordingly inquired into the state of his host's family -affairs, and making a memorandum of his address, he thanked him and -rode away without revealing who he was.</p> - -<p>Some months elapsed and the clergyman never thought of the matter, when -one evening a foot<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span>man rode up to the door and delivered the following -note—"The Duc de Nivernois presents his compliments to the Rev. Mr. -Bentinck, and as a remembrance of the good drubbing he received at -chess, begs that he will accept the living of X——, worth £400 per -annum, and that he will wait upon his Grace the Duke of Newcastle on -Friday next, to thank him for the same." The good clergyman was some -time before he could imagine this missive to be more than a jest, and -hesitated to obey the mandate; but as his wife insisted on his taking -the chance, he went up to town, where to his unspeakable satisfaction -he found that his nomination to the living had actually taken place.</p> - -<p>The habits of dissipation which had prevailed at Versailles in -some measure affected the English upper classes, many of whom were -thoroughly versed in the amusements so popular in France.</p> - -<p>For a time a positive rage for gaming seized fashionable London, and -a number of ladies kept what were practically public gaming-tables to -which any one with money could obtain comparatively easy admission.</p> - -<p>Faro is supposed to have been invented by a noble Venetian, who -gave it the name of <i>bassetta</i>; and for the evils resulting from it -he was banished his country. In 1674 Signor Justiniani, Ambassador -from Venice, introduced the game into France, where it was called -<i>bassette</i>. Some of the princes of the blood, many of the <i>noblesse</i>, -and several persons of the greatest fortune having<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> been ruined by -it, a severe law was enacted by Louis XIV. against its play. To elude -this edict, it was disguised under the name of <i>pour et contre</i>, "for -and against"; and this occasioning new and severe prohibitions, it -was again changed to the name of <i>le pharaon</i>, in order to evade the -<i>arrêts</i> of Parliament. From France this game soon found its way to -England, where it was first called basset, but in the fashionable -circles, where at that time it enjoyed a great vogue, it was invariably -known by the name of faro.</p> - -<p>Faro, pharo, or pharaoh, which was Fox's favourite game, was supposed -to be easy to learn, fair in its rules, and pleasant to play. Two packs -of cards were used, and any number of people could play, one pack -being for the players whilst the banker had another. Fifty-two cards -were spread out, and the players staked upon one or more which they -might fancy. The banker dealt out his pack to the right, which was for -himself, and to the left (called the <i>carte anglaise</i>) for the players, -who instead of their pack often used a "livret," specially adapted for -staking. The "livret" consisted of thirteen cards, with four others -called "figures." The "little figure" had a blue cross on each side, -and represented ace, deuce, and three. The "yellow figure"—yellow -on both sides—signified 4, 5, and 6. The "third figure" had a black -lozenge in the centre, and stood for 7, 8, and 9. The "great figure" -was a red card, and indicated knave, queen, and king.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> The banker won -all the money staked on any card corresponding with a card dealt by -him to the right, and had to pay double stakes on any card dealt to -the left which players had selected in their own pack. If he dealt two -equal cards (called a doublet) he won half of all the money staked -upon the card of that value, and on the last card of his pack, did the -players win, he only paid even money. In reality the chances were very -favourable to the holder of the bank.</p> - -<p>Complaints were very rife as to the way in which these faro parties -were conducted. An especial grievance was "card money," a small sum -paid by each visitor into a pool for every new pack of cards used. -This money was supposed to be a perquisite of the servants, though -malicious rumours declared that it never reached them. The advent of -French <i>émigrés</i> after the French Revolution was also the cause of -considerable irritation, it being declared that many of the exiled -<i>noblesse</i> completely monopolised some of the tables, round which they -formed a circle, and excluded English ladies and gentlemen from taking -part in the game.</p> - -<p>The losses of many of those who played at faro were so heavy and -constant that the banks contracted many bad debts; and in addition the -fashionable parties in time became full of little tricks and artifices -which were to the detriment of those holding the bank. Some of the -latter found it advisable to employ eight croupiers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> instead of the -four usually attached to each faro table, for the pigeons were all -flown and those who remained were little better than hawks.</p> - -<p>Faro, in the female circles of fashion, had given way to a more -specious and alluring game called lottery, which, instead of wheels, -consisted of two bags, from which prizes and blanks were drawn. The -holder of the bank derived an advantage of upwards of thirty per cent.</p> - -<p>About 1794 some of the ladies who gave gambling parties in St. James's -Square began to add roulette as an increased attraction to those fond -of gaming. It was remarked at the time that this was merely the old -game of E.O. under a different name. As a matter of fact the two are -somewhat alike, though roulette is a far more complicated and amusing -method of losing money.</p> - -<p>An E.O. table was circular in form and as a rule four feet in diameter. -The outside edge formed the counter on which the stakes were placed, -the letters E.O. being marked all round it. In the centre was a -stationary gallery in which the ball rolled, and an independent round -table moving by means of handles on an axis. The ball was started -in one direction and the table rotated in the other, there being -forty compartments of equal size, twenty marked E and twenty marked -O, the whole principle being that of roulette without a zero. This -very necessary adjunct to a successful bank, was in time furnished by -the adoption of "bar holes" into which two of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> forty spaces were -converted, the practice being that the banker won all the bets on the -opposite letter whilst not paying over that into which the ball fell. -With such a proportion of two in forty, or five per cent in its favour, -the banks did very well.</p> - -<p>Gaming raged throughout Society at this time, and it was even declared -that young ladies were taught whist and casino at fashionable -boarding-schools, where their "winning ways" were cultivated in -this direction. One schoolmistress, it was averred, was in despair -at the dullness of her pupils, who were quite unable to grasp the -comparatively easy intricacies of faro. Gillray was quick to grasp -the opportunity which such a state of affairs afforded to his powers -of satire, and was pitiless in his caricatures of female gamblers. -"Faro's Daughters, or the Kenyonian Blow-up to Gamblers," published -in 1796, was one of the most striking of these. In this Lady Archer -and Mrs. Concannon were shown in the pillory, upbraiding one another. -Lord Kenyon had made some very scathing comments upon the vice of -gaming during a recent trial to recover fifteen pounds won at play on -a Sunday, and had declared that the highest society was setting the -worst example to the lowest, being under the impression that it was too -great for the law. He himself, he added, should the opportunity arise, -would see that any gamblers brought before him, whatever their rank or -station, should be severely dealt with if<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> convicted, and though they -might be the first ladies in the land they should certainly exhibit -themselves in the pillory.</p> - -<p>Gambling in the West End of London amongst ladies had indeed become -a public scandal, and in due course the authorities found themselves -bound to take action.</p> - -<p>In 1797 a regular crusade was made against faro, and the Countess -of Buckinghamshire, Lady Elizabeth Luttrell, Mrs. Mary Sturt, Mr. -Concannon, and Mr. O'Burne, were charged at Marlborough Street with -having "played at a certain fraudulent and unlawful game called faro, -at the house of the Earl of Buckinghamshire, in St. James's Square."</p> - -<p>With them was also charged Henry Martindale, who had financed the -bank—the four or five people employed to run the table were each paid -half a guinea a night by him, tenpence out of which was deducted for -the use of the maids.</p> - -<p>A witness, Joseph Evatt by name, deposed that he had seen Lady -Buckinghamshire play every Monday and Friday, as regular as the days -came. Her ladyship, said he, used to continue <i>punting</i> and betting, -paying and receiving, from night till morning.</p> - -<p>The lady's counsel, Mr. Onslow, endeavoured to invalidate this man's -testimony by showing that he was a terrible democrat, and disaffected -to His Majesty's person and government; and also by proving that he -wanted to palm an old suit of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> livery on his master, and to persuade -the tailor to charge for a new one, and give him part of the money. To -prove the first charge Mr. Onslow examined the witness Evatt himself, -and asked him if he had not declared that the Government was a bad one, -and that he should like to cut the King's head off? The magistrate, Mr. -Conant, would not suffer him to answer such a question. To prove the -latter, the foreman of Mr. Blackmore, a tailor, said that Evatt having -saved a suit of livery as good as new, wanted Mr. Blackmore to take it, -allow him four guineas, and send it home as a new suit. The magistrate -did not consider this such a notorious piece of fraud in a footman, as -to prevent his being believed on his oath.</p> - -<p>Joseph Burford swore to the fact of Lady Buckinghamshire playing -repeatedly.</p> - -<p>Mr. Onslow ended by saying that he trusted the magistrate would not, -upon the evidence of such men as Evatt and Burford, convict Lady -Buckinghamshire, and hold her up as an object for the finger of -democratic scorn to point at.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding this defence, the lady was sentenced to pay a fine of -fifty pounds, as were Lady Elizabeth Luttrell, Mrs. Mary Sturt, and Mr. -O'Burne. The case against Mr. Concannon was quashed owing to his having -been described as Lucas Concannon instead of Lucius.</p> - -<p>Martindale was fined two hundred pounds, and in consequence of the -scandal produced by the whole affair was eventually made a bankrupt,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> -by which the ladies of the fashionable world were thrown into a state -of considerable alarm. Martindale it was who supplied the beautiful -Duchess of Devonshire, and many other dashing women of distinction, -with sums to support their gambling propensities. His assignees were -said to have claims on some of the first families of England to the -amount of £180,000, and the curious disclosures which were made -engrossed much attention in all the sporting circles.</p> - -<p>Many of the great ladies of that day lived only for pleasure, spending -enormous sums in dress, and also in carriages and horseflesh, it being -a point of honour amongst them to possess a superb turn-out. One lady, -well known for the splendour of her equipage at race meetings where she -cut a distinguished figure, once apologised to a friend for appearing -at Doncaster with a humble four-in-hand and four out-riders, saying -that her coachman wished to come with six horses as usual, but she -thought it right, in such hard times, to come "incog."</p> - -<p>The gambling ladies of that day came into contact with all sorts of -shady characters, many of whom were very unpolished diamonds. Such a -one was the man known as "Old Nick," whose principal revenue was drawn -from a hazard table where strangers were treated with a hospitality -which they generally had good cause to remember.</p> - -<p>Old Nick also had a considerable interest in a number of lottery -insurance offices, lent money, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> gambled himself when able to get in -contact with any unplucked pigeon. Having once stripped a young man at -cards of about £100, with which he had been entrusted for the purpose -of paying a bill for the beautiful Duchess of Devonshire, her Grace -applied in person to the winner to refund the whole, or, at least, a -part of his booty. Old Nick's answer was: "Well, Madam, the best thing -you can do is to sit down with me at cards, and play for all you have -about you; after I win your smock, so far from refunding, I'll send you -home <i>bare</i>—to your Duke, my dear."</p> - -<p>One of his friends being under trial for a very serious charge and -having no defence left but his character, produced Old Nick in order to -vouch for his respectability. The latter's ready eloquence represented -him as the most amiable and innocent of the creation. The counsel for -the prosecution having smelt a rat, began to ply the witness with such -questions as he positively refused to answer. Being asked the reason, -he answered honestly for once in his life: "My business here was to -give the man a good character, and you, you flat, imagine that I'm come -to give him a bad one."</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusc02.jpg" alt="duchess" /> -<a id="illusc02" name="illusc02"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">The beautiful Duchess throwing a Main.</span><br /> - -By Rowlandson.</p> - -<p>In the early part of the year 1805 the West End was much excited by -a statement in a morning paper referring to the supposed discovery -by the Duke of Devonshire of immense losses at play, principally to -gamesters of her own sex, incurred by his lovely Duchess. Her Grace's -whole loss, chiefly at faro, was declared to amount to £176,000,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> -of which a private gentlewoman and bosom friend, Mrs. —— was said -to have won no less than £30,000. The discovery was made to the Duke -one Sunday; the Duchess rushed into his library, and, in a flood of -tears, told him she was ruined in fame and reputation, if these claims -of honour were not instantly discharged. His Grace was thunderstruck -when he learned the extent of her requisition, and the names of the -friends who had contributed in so extraordinary a manner to such -extreme embarrassments. Having soothed her in the best manner he was -able, he sent for two confidential friends, imparted to them all the -circumstances, and asked them how he should act. Their answer was -promptly given—"Pay not one guinea of any such infamous demands!" -and this advice, it was supposed, would be strictly adhered to by the -Duke. Her Grace was said to have executed some bonds, to satisfy, for -a moment, these gambling claimants; but, of course, they could be of -no avail. Two gentlemen and five ladies formed the snug flock of rooks -that had so unmercifully stripped this female pigeon of distinction.</p> - -<p>A few days later, however, <i>The Morning Herald</i>, which was responsible -for the startling news, declared that the fiction of the female -gamblers of distinction in a house fitted up near St. James's Street -for their ruinous orgies, began to die away; for it had been discovered -that the supposed pigeoned Duchess, declared to have sacri<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span>ficed half a -million sterling of her lord's fortune, had never gambled at any game -of chance, whilst her amiable companion, who was a pattern of domestic -propriety, instead of having helped to pluck her Grace, had never -played for a guinea in the course of her life. This denial was probably -inspired from influential quarters.</p> - -<p>The gambling ladies seem to have fallen into obscurity when the -nineteenth century began; the "faro dames," as they were called, found -their occupation gone. Their game, at which few of them had "cut with -honours," was up, and their "odd tricks" were no longer of any avail in -London. One of the most notorious, Mrs. Concannon, migrated to Paris, -where her house continued for some time to be the meeting-place of -those fond of deep play.</p> - -<p>Whist now began to be a good deal played at fashionable parties, but -in 1805 four-handed cribbage became the fashionable game in the West -End, and whist, during a temporary eclipse, as it declined in the West, -rose with increase of splendour in the East. At a city club the stakes -played for were ten pounds a game, and guineas were betted on the odd -trick. A select party of business men, well known on the city side of -Temple Bar, once played at whist from one Wednesday afternoon till the -next Friday night, and only left off then because two of the players -were unfortunately Jews.</p> - -<p>At another whist party, a lady who had not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> been accustomed to move -in quite as good society as the other guests, won a rubber of twenty -guineas. The gentleman who was her opponent pulled out his pocket-book -and tendered £21 in bank-notes.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> The fair gamester observed, with a -disdainful toss of her head: "In the great houses which I frequent, -sir, we always use gold." "That may be, madam," replied the gentleman, -"but in the little houses which I frequent we always use paper!"</p> - -<p>At this time adventurers abounded, many of whom profited by the -speculative tendencies of the age. A character of the first magnitude -in the annals of gaming, for instance, was a Mr. Lookup, who lived -towards the close of the eighteenth century. A Scotchman by birth, -a gamester by profession, he accumulated a considerable fortune by -methods of none too reputable a kind.</p> - -<p>Originally an apprentice to an apothecary in the north of England, he -acted in that profession as journeyman in the city of Bath. Soon after -the death of his master, he paid his addresses to his mistress, the -widow; and, having none of that bashful modesty about him which is -sometimes an obstacle to a man in such pursuits, and being a remarkably -tall stout man, with a tolerably good figure, he prevailed on the Bath -matron to favour him with her hand.</p> - -<p>From his infancy Lookup manifested a strong propensity for play, and -as he grew up became<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> very expert at several games. Till his marriage, -however, he was hampered by lack of funds, which prevented him from -exercising his skill and judgment to much advantage. Finding himself -master of five hundred pounds brought to him by his wife, he soon shut -up shop, and turned his application from pharmacy to speculation. -He became a first-rate piquet and whist player, and soon mastered -various other games of chance and skill; in a short time, by incessant -industry, greatly increasing his capital.</p> - -<p>Lord Chesterfield and Mr. Lookup, for a long time, played constant -matches at piquet together, the former being something of an adept at -the game; but Mr. Lookup's superior skill at length prevailed, with the -result that very considerable gains passed into his pocket.</p> - -<p>Lord Chesterfield would also sometimes amuse himself at billiards with -Mr. Lookup, and upon one of these occasions the peer had the laugh -turned against him by the sharp tactics of his antagonist. Mr. Lookup -had met with an accident by which he was deprived of the sight of one -of his eyes, though to any cursory observer it appeared as perfect -as the other. Having beaten the peer playing evens, Lookup asked how -many his lordship would give him, if he put a patch upon one eye. -Lord Chesterfield agreed to give him five, upon which Lookup beat -him several times successively. At length his lordship, with some -petulance, exclaimed, "Lookup, I think you play<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> as well with one eye -as two." "I don't wonder at it, my lord," replied Lookup, "for I have -seen only out of one for these ten years." With the money he won of -Lord Chesterfield he bought some houses at Bath, and jocularly named -them Chesterfield Row.</p> - -<p>After he had accumulated a considerable sum by play, Mr. Lookup went -to London, and, having buried his wife, married another widow with -a very large fortune. His plan of operations was now much enlarged; -and, though he played occasionally for his own amusement, or when -he met with what is termed a "good thing," he abandoned gaming as a -regular profession. He now struck out several schemes, some visionary -and others advantageous; among the former being a project for making -saltpetre. A foreigner having drawn up a specious plan, presented it -to Lookup, who, from his superficial knowledge of chemistry, thought -the scheme practicable. A considerable range of buildings was erected -for carrying on these works near Chelsea; salaries were appointed -for the directors and supervisors, and large sums expended to bring -this favourite scheme to perfection. So sanguine were Lookup's hopes -of success, that he persuaded a particular friend of his (Captain -Hamilton) to become a partner, with the result that the latter lost -many thousands. At length, tired with the fruitless expense and -repeated disappointments, he abandoned this project for others less -delusive.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p> - -<p>Mr. Lookup was concerned in many privateering ventures, several of -which proved successful; at any rate he was thought to be a substantial -gainer in these enterprises. At the close of the war he engaged in the -African trade, and had considerable dealings in that commerce to the -time of his decease.</p> - -<p>As he grew old, however, his darling passion would at times -predominate; and within a few weeks of his death he was known to sit up -whole nights playing for very considerable sums. It was even averred -that he died with a pack of cards in his hand, at his favourite game -of humbug or two-handed whist; on which Sam Foote jocularly observed, -"that Lookup was <i>humbugged</i> out of the world at last."</p> - -<p>Some description of Mr. Lookup's favourite game, of which he is said to -have been the inventor, may not be out of place. Though now obsolete, -it was once very popular at the rooms in Bath, and in the West End of -London.</p> - -<p>Humbug may properly be called two-handed whist, as only two persons -play. The cards are shuffled and cut; the lowest deals out all the -cards, and turns up the last for the trump. Each player has now -twenty-six cards in his hand, and the object is to make as many tricks -as they can, all the laws of whist prevailing, the cards being of -the same value as when four play. But the honours do not reckon any -further than they prevail in making tricks by their superiority over -inferior cards; the tricks reckon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> from one to as many as are gained; -for instance, if one player has twenty tricks, and the other only six, -the first wins fourteen, and if they play a guinea a trick of course -wins fourteen guineas. The game finishes every deal, when the balance -is settled, and they then commence another game. As each player knows, -at first, all the cards his adversary has in his hand, it is common, -in order to sort them, to lay them with their faces up; but after they -have ranged them, and begun to play, they are as careful of concealing -their cards as they are at the common game of whist, it then depending -upon memory to know what cards have been played and what remain in -hand. As it is allowed only to turn up the last trick to see what has -been played, a revoke is punished with the same rigour at this game as -at whist; and the forfeiting three tricks is often worth more at humbug -than at the former game.</p> - -<p>The London of the past swarmed with sharpers of every description on -the look-out for rich young men. Billiard-rooms which are now quite -decorous resorts were favourite haunts of these gentry.</p> - -<p>The noted Captain Roche, known as Tiger Roche, was once at the Bedford -billiard-table, when it was extremely crowded. As he was knocking the -balls about with a cue. Major Williamson, who wanted to talk to him -about some business, desired him to leave off, as he monopolised the -table and hindered gentlemen from playing. "Gentlemen!" exclaimed Roche -with a sneer. "Why, Major,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> except you and I, and two or three more, -there is not a gentleman in the room: the rest are all low blacklegs." -On leaving the place the Major expressed some astonishment at his -companion's rudeness, and wondered that, out of so numerous a company, -it was not resented. "Oh, d—n the scoundrels, sir," said Roche; "there -was no fear of that, as there was not a thief in the room that did not -suppose himself one of the two or three gentlemen I mentioned."</p> - -<p>A particularly dangerous individual was the notorious Dick England, -an Irishman of obscure origin, who rose to comparative prosperity -through gaming and betting. A hard-headed man, England possessed great -control over his temper, which, however, when given a free run, could -be terrible. Having played at hazard one evening with a certain young -tradesman of his acquaintance, England lost some three or four score -pounds, for which he gave his draft upon Hankey, the banker. Having -persuaded his antagonist to give him his revenge, the luck turned, and -England not only won his money back, but as much more in addition. It -then being late, he desired to retire, and requested his antagonist to -pay in cash or to give a cheque upon his banker for the money which he -had lost. The tradesman resolutely refused to do either, on the plea -that he had been tricked, and that the money had not been fairly won. -England once more demanded the money, and when it was again refused, -he tripped up the young man's heels, rolled him up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> in the carpet, -and snatching a case-knife from the sideboard, cut off his long hair -close to the scalp. This violent action, coupled with the menacing -attitude of England still flourishing the knife, and uttering the most -deep-toned imprecations, had such an effect upon the young man in the -stillness of past three o'clock in the morning, that he arose, and with -the meekness of a lamb wrote a draft for the amount of his loss, took -his leave very civilly, wishing the Captain a good morning, and never -mentioned the circumstance again.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb04.jpg" alt="billard room" /> -<a id="illusb04" name="illusb04"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">Sharpers and Bucks in a Billiard Room.</span></p> - -<p>Dick England was a constant frequenter of all places likely to afford -him pigeons worth plucking. At a tennis court he met the Honourable -Mr. Damer, who was in the habit of playing tennis for amusement and -exercise. One evil day, however, when no one was about, Mr. Damer -played a game with England, who was profuse in his admiration for his -opponent's skill. Though Mr. Damer knew England's reputation, and would -not have been seen at Ranelagh with him, or had him at his table for -a thousand pounds, he was not proof against the man's flattery, and -England soon became his habitual opponent at tennis.</p> - -<p>The latter, in league with other sharpers, soon sent to Paris for the -best tennis player in the world, who on his arrival was instructed -to lose unless given signals—the display of a certain coloured -handkerchief, the raising of a bat, and similar signs—should be made.</p> - -<p>England now proceeded to begin the stripping<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> of his dupe by pretending -to back him for fifty or a hundred guineas a set, complaining bitterly -of his losses when unsuccessful. Mr. Damer meanwhile was losing three, -four, and sometimes five thousand guineas in a day; and with such blind -avidity did he pursue this destructive game, that he soon found himself -a loser of near forty thousand guineas. At last, he found it prudent to -resist the propensity to play with England and his band of sharpers, -some of whom were constantly at his house in Tilney Street, requesting -payment. Mr. Damer offered them post-obits, bonds, or in short the best -security he could then offer, his father, Lord Milton, afterwards Lord -Dorchester, being alive; no, they would have cash. Mr. Damer could not -find it; but, to his high sense of honour be it told, he threw himself -at his father's feet; the worthy parent weighed the matter well, and -sent his steward from Milton Abbey with power to pay every shilling, -though he knew his son had been cheated of every guinea. The steward, -however, arrived only in time to learn that his young master, having -sent for five girls and a blind fiddler, had blown out his brains after -a roystering carouse at a tavern in Covent Garden. According to Horace -Walpole it was Fox who, with infinite good nature, went to meet Mrs. -Damer on her way to town and prepared her for the dismal news. "Can," -says Walpole, "the walls of Almack's help moralizing when £5000 a year -in present and £22,000 in reversion are not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> sufficient for happiness -and cannot check a pistol!"</p> - -<p>England was very fertile in expedients in plucking his pigeons. On one -occasion, being with other blacklegs at Scarborough, and a rich dupe, -from whom a good deal was expected, refusing to play after dinner, the -party, having made the pigeon drunk and given the waiter five guineas -to answer any awkward questions which might be asked in the morning, -wrote out on slips of paper "D—— (the pigeon's name) owes me a -hundred guineas." "D—— owes me eighty guineas," and so on. England, -however, wrote "I owe D—— thirty guineas."</p> - -<p>The next morning England, meeting the guest of the night before on the -cliff, said to him: "Well, we were all very merry last night." "We were -indeed," replied the pigeon, "and I only hope I did not offend any one, -for I must confess that I drank a good deal more than usual."</p> - -<p>"You were in good spirits, my dear fellow," said England, "that was -all; and now, before I forget, let me pay you the thirty guineas I lost -to you last night—I am not very lucky at cards."</p> - -<p>D—— stared, and positively denied having played for a shilling; but -England assured him upon his honour that he had. He added that he had -paid hundreds to men who having drunk deep remembered nothing till he -had shown them his account. Mr. D—— thus fell into the trap laid -for him, and, being a novice, put the notes in his pocket,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> thinking -England the most upright man he had ever met. Shortly after, Mr. -England's friends presented their cards. Mr. D——, thunderstruck at -their demands, swore that he had never played with them, and indeed -that he did not know of his having played at all, until Captain -England, very much to his credit, had paid him thirty guineas, though -he himself did not remember any cards or dice having been in the room. -The leader of the band replied with great warmth, "Sir, it is the first -time my honour was ever doubted. Captain England, and the waiter, will -tell you I won a hundred guineas of you, though I was a great loser by -the night's play."</p> - -<p>The victim of the plot, however, fortunately for himself, met -some friends who were men of the world, and one of them having -cross-examined the waiter, and promised him another five guineas if -he spoke the truth, the latter at last admitted that England and his -companions were notorious blacklegs, and that Mr. D—— did not play -at all, or, if he did, it could not have been for five minutes, as the -rest of the party were constantly ringing and making punch in their own -way.</p> - -<p>On the advice of this friend D—— ended the matter by sending England -back his thirty guineas with five more to pay the cost of the supper; -and the blacklegs, finding that the affair was likely to do them no -good, left Scarborough the next morning.</p> - -<p>A young Kingston brewer, Rolles by name,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> having publicly insulted -England by calling him a blackleg at Ascot, the latter, who could -snuff a candle with a pistol ball, called him out and shot him, after -which he fled to the Continent, remarking: "Well, as I have shot a man -I must be after making myself scarce." As an outlaw living in Paris, -England continued to make money by play till the outbreak of the French -Revolution, which for a time rather injured the avocation of sharpers -in France.</p> - -<p>It is said, however, that he furnished the heads of our army with some -valuable intelligence in its celebrated campaign in Flanders; and that, -as a reward, his return to this country was facilitated, and an annuity -promised him.</p> - -<p>On his arrival in London, he was tried and acquitted of the murder of -Mr. Rolles. For the remainder of his life he appears to have completely -abandoned gambling, and to have lived a very quiet existence near -Leicester Square.</p> - - - - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Described at page 55.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> £1 notes existed at this time.</p></div></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph2"><a name="III" id="III">III</a></p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p> -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">Former popularity of dice—The race game in Paris—Description -of hazard—Jack Mytton's success at it—Anecdotes—French -hazard—Major Baggs, a celebrated gamester of the past—Anecdotes -of his career—London gaming-houses—Ways and methods of -their proprietors—Ephraim Bond and his henchman Burge—"The -Athenæum"—West-End Hells—Crockford's—Opinion of Mr. Crockford -regarding play—The Act of 1845—Betting-houses—Nefarious tactics of -their owners—Suppression in 1853.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>The most popular gambling game of the eighteenth century, at which -great sums were lost and won, was "hazard," which emptied the pockets -of multitudes in the West End, and proved the ruin of many a country -squire fresh to the allurements of town.</p> - -<p>Before 1716 itinerant vendors usually carried dice with them, and -customers, even children, were encouraged to throw for fruit, nuts, or -sweets; and when the floors of the Middle Temple Hall were taken up -nearly a hundred sets of dice which had fallen through the chinks in -the flooring were found. Dice have been out of fashion for many years -in the modern world, though quite recently they have begun to enjoy -some slight popularity in France in connection with an elaborated -form of the race game which at one time was a favourite amusement in -English country houses. Two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> Clubs, the Racing Plomb Club and the Pur -Plomb Club, now exist in Paris, the members of which declare that the -movements of little leaden horses over a course, in accordance with -the throw of the dice, are more amusing and exciting than roulette -or baccarat. The little metal steeds used at this game are named -after prominent race-horses on the French Turf. The races, called -after events like the Grand Steeplechase and Grand Prix, are begun -with three or four dice, continued with two, and end with one, the -courses of Auteuil and Longchamps being realistically reproduced on -the race-boards. A leaden horse which wins a certain number of races -is accorded some advantage over the rest. For instance, a winner, -say of stakes amounting to one hundred francs, advances seven points -instead of six on the board when its owner throws a six, and so on in -proportion, whilst if it has won sixteen hundred points a throw of six -advances it eleven points. This racing game, which, however, is played -rather for amusement than mere gambling, was revived by M. Fernand -Vandéreux, who has brought it into popularity in Parisian literary and -artistic circles.</p> - -<p>Hazard, which is now practically obsolete, seems to have made an -irresistible appeal to the gaming instincts of former generations, and -the financial ravages for which it was responsible eventually provoked -such scandals that the game was rendered illegal in 1845. It was a -somewhat complicated form of gambling, and in these days, when so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> many -easy forms of speculation exist, would in all probability have died a -natural death even without the intervention of the law.</p> - -<p>The following is an account of the game as played some fifty years ago, -when it still enjoyed some popularity amongst racing men.</p> - -<p>The players assembled round a circular table, a space being reserved -for the "groom-porter" (the term applied to the croupier), who occupied -a somewhat elevated position, and whose duty it was to call the odds -and see that the game was played according to rule. Two dice were used -and the player who took the box placed as much money as he wished to -risk in the centre of the table, where it was covered with an equal -amount, either by some individual speculator, or by the contributions -of several. The player (technically called the "caster") then proceeded -to call a "main," that is to say, any number from 5 to 9; of these -he would mentally select the one which either chance or superstition -might suggest, call it aloud, then shake the box, and deliver the dice. -If he threw the exact number he called, he "nicked" it, as the term -went, and won; if he threw any other number (with a few exceptions, -which will be mentioned), he neither won nor lost. The number, -however, which he threw became his "chance," and if he could succeed -in repeating it before he threw what was his main, he won; if not, he -lost. In other words, having completely failed to throw his main in -the first instance, he should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> have lost, but did not in consequence -of the equitable interference of his newly-made acquaintance, which -constituted itself his chance. If a player threw two aces (commonly -called "crabs") he lost his stake. For example, suppose the caster -"set"—that is, placed on the table—a stake of £10, and it was covered -by an equal amount, and he then called 7 in as his main and threw 5; -the groom-porter would at once call out "5 to 7"—meaning that 5 was -the number to win and 7 the number to lose. The player then continued -throwing until the event was determined by the turning up of either the -main or the chance. Meanwhile, however, a most important feature in the -game came into operation—the laying and taking of the odds caused by -the relative proportions of the main and the chance. These, as has been -said, were calculated with mathematical nicety, never varied, and were -proclaimed by the groom-porter. In the instance given, as the caster -stood to win with 5 and to lose with 7, the odds were declared to be 3 -to 2 against him, inasmuch as there are three ways of throwing 7, and -only two of throwing 5. If a player should "throw out" once, the box -passed on to the next person on his left, who at once took up the play. -He could, however, "throw in" without interruption, and if he was able -to do this half a dozen times and back his luck, his gains would amount -to a large sum, sixty to one being the odds against it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span></p> - -<p>The choice of a main was quite optional: many preferred 7 in because -they might make a coup at once by throwing that number, or by throwing -11, which is a "nick" to 7, but to 7 only. Many shrewd players, -however, preferred some other main, with the view of having a more -favourable chance to depend upon of winning both stake and odds. For -example, let us reverse the case given above, and suppose the caster -called 5 and threw 7; he would then have 7 as his chance to win odds of -3 to 2 in his favour.</p> - -<p>Such was the game of English hazard, at which large fortunes were -lost. Cheating could only be effected by the use of loaded dice, which -were called "dispatches," or by high and low dice having only certain -numbers. Sharpers often carried these and also "cramped" boxes to -make the dice fall in a particular way. So popular were dice with the -gamesters of old that one of them left an injunction in his will that -his bones should be made into dice and his skin into coverings for -dice-boxes.</p> - -<p>The round table on which English hazard was played had a deeply -bevelled edge, intended to prevent the dice from landing on the floor, -which rendered a throw void. If either of the dice, after having left -the box, should strike any object on the table, such as a man's elbow -or stick, except money, it was also no throw. Every player had the -right of "calling dice," even when the dice were being thrown. This, of -course, nullified the throw,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> another set being handed to the caster -by the groom-porter. Many a lucky coup was destroyed by some captious -player having exercised this privilege—with most irritating effects to -the disappointed caster on finding that he had "nicked" his main. When -one of the dice remained in the box after the other had been landed, -the caster might either throw it quickly, or gently coax it from the -box. If one die landed on the top of another, it was removed by the -groom-porter and declared a throw. Dice were known as the "ivories."</p> - -<p>At a Westminster election, the keeper of a notorious gambling-house -in St. Anne's parish, on being about to give his vote, was asked in -the usual way what his trade was; when after a little hesitation, he -replied, "I am an ivory turner."</p> - -<p>Many curious incidents occurred at hazard. On one occasion when two -gamesters had deposited a very large stake to be won by him who threw -the lowest throw with the dice, one of them, who had thrown three aces, -thought himself secure of success.</p> - -<p>"Wait for my throw," cried his opponent.</p> - -<p>He threw, and with such dexterity, that by lodging one of the dice on -the other, he showed only one ace on the uppermost of them. He was -allowed by the company to have won the stakes.</p> - -<p>It used to be said that at hazard, men under the influence of wine -were invariably more fortunate than those who played with cooler heads -or more collected judgments. Of this, perhaps the most<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> remarkable -instance ever known was the notorious spendthrift and sportsman Jack -Mytton, of whom the Hell-keepers used to say, "there was no use playing -against the Squire when he was drunk."</p> - -<p>Mytton was indeed rather a formidable figure at the hazard-table, where -he was supposed to have won more than he lost. When heated with wine -and full of courage he was the dread of the proprietors of the minor -gambling-tables at country race meetings, whose banks he was given to -breaking in more ways than one—it being his practice to demolish all -their gambling apparatus if he observed the slightest suspicion of foul -play. At Warwick races in 1824, for instance, Mytton and some friends -not only smashed a rouge-et-noir table to atoms, but soundly thrashed -the proprietor and his gang.</p> - -<p>On another occasion he showed considerable presence of mind when -surprised by the Mayor of Chester during a raid on a hazard Hell one -Sunday. In the confusion which ensued the Squire of Halston, who was -a winner, deftly put his gains in his hat, which he quite coolly -placed upon his head, and walked out unnoticed. He was not so careful, -however, on one occasion after a great run of luck in London when, -having broken the banks of two well-known London Hells, he went off -with the money—a large sum in notes—to Doncaster. On his return from -the races in a post-chaise he set to work to count his winnings, the -windows of the carriage being open. He soon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> fell asleep, and when he -awoke, the night being far advanced, found that notes to the value of -several thousand pounds had been blown out of the window. Truly a case -of "light come, light go!"</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb05.jpg" alt="light come" /> -<a id="illusb05" name="illusb05"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">Light Come, Light Go.</span></p> - -<p>When quite a young man Mytton had been subjected to plucking by many -a rook. As a subaltern of the 7th Hussars in the army of occupation -at Calais he borrowed £3000 of a banker at St. Omer one day and lost -half of it the next at a swindling E.O. table. However, he relieved -his feelings by demolishing the whole concern. About the same time he -lost no less than sixteen thousand napoleons to a certain Captain at -billiards, but Lord Uxbridge, who was Colonel of his regiment, having -reason to believe that the whole thing was a robbery, forbade him to -pay.</p> - -<p>There are now probably very few people in England who could conduct a -game of hazard, the rules of which are practically forgotten. The last -man who was thoroughly versed in the intricacies of the game is said -to have been a certain well-known bookmaker, Atkins by name, who, as -late as the 'seventies, used to keep a hazard-table going at Brighton -during the race week, where considerable sums of money were lost and -won. He also presided over a hazard-table at Bognor during the Goodwood -meeting. An associate of his, who was known as "Chanticleer" owing to -his vocal powers in calling the odds, afterwards proved very successful -in another walk of life, where he accumulated a considerable fortune.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span></p> - -<p>Some thirty-six years ago hazard used to be played at Doncaster during -the race week, an excellent account of the scenes which used to take -place there being given by Sir George Chetwynd in his <i>Recollections</i>.</p> - -<p>French hazard was less rough-and-ready than the English game. Every -stake that was "set" was covered by the bank, so that the player ran no -risk of losing a large amount, though, if successful, he could win but -a trifling one; on the other hand, the scale of odds was so altered as -to operate most prejudicially against the player. An equal rate of odds -between main and chance was never laid by the French "banker" as was -insisted on by the English groom-porter; while, again, "direct nicks" -alone were recognised by the former. Most extraordinary runs of luck -have occurred at hazard, a player having sometimes thrown five, seven, -and even eleven mains in a single hand. In cases of runs like this the -peculiar feature in the French game became valuable, the bank being -prepared to pay all winnings, while, generally speaking, a hand of six -or seven mains at English hazard would exhaust all the funds of the -players, and leave the caster in the position of "setting the table" -and finding the stakes totally unnoticed or only partially covered.</p> - -<p>To show what sums changed hands at hazard in the eighteenth century, -it may be mentioned that a celebrated gambler. Major Baggs by name, -once won £17,000 at hazard, by throwing in, as it is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> called, fourteen -successive mains. This Major Baggs was an extraordinary character -who went to the East Indies in 1780 on a gaming speculation; but -not finding it answer, he returned home overland, encountering many -adventures. At Cairo he narrowly avoided death by escaping in a Turkish -dress to Smyrna. A companion of his was seized, and sent prisoner to -Constantinople, where he was at length released by the interference -of Sir Robert Anstie, the English ambassador. Baggs once won £6000 of -a young gentleman at Spa, and immediately came to England to get the -money from the peer (Lord Onslow) who was the father of the young man. -Terms of accommodation were proposed by his lordship in presence of a -well-known banker whose respectability and consequence were well known. -The peer offered him a thousand guineas and a note for the remainder -at a distant period. Baggs, however, wanted the whole to be paid down, -and some altercation ensued, in the course of which the banker observed -that he thought his lordship had offered very handsome terms. "Sirrah," -said Baggs in a passion, "hold your tongue; the laws of commerce you -may be acquainted with, but the laws of honour you can know nothing -about."</p> - -<p>Major Baggs at one time in his life was worth more than £100,000. -He had fought eleven duels, and was allowed to be very skilful with -the sword. He was a man of a determined mind, great penetration, and -considerable literary culture;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> and when play was out of the case, -could be an agreeable, gentlemanlike, and instructive companion. He -was very generous to people whom he liked; and a certain naval lord, -highly respected, when in rather a distressed situation at Paris, found -a never-failing resource in the purse of the Major, who was open-handed -enough at times. For several years he lived at Paris in the greatest -splendour, and during a stay at Avignon, frequently gave splendid -suppers to the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland and their friends, -whom he followed to Naples, getting introduced to the King's private -parties, and winning £1500 of His Majesty.</p> - -<p>Major Baggs eventually fell a victim to gaming, dying of a chill -produced by a night passed in a round-house, having been locked up with -other frequenters of a gaming-house which was raided by the police.</p> - -<p>Numbers of such places existed in the London of that day, which were -the constant resort of those who, like the Major, found access to Clubs -somewhat difficult.</p> - -<p>From about 1780 to 1845 the West End was full of gambling-hells, -the most popular of which were generally in the parish of St. -James's, and St. George's, Hanover Square. Others also existed in St. -Martin's-in-the-Fields, Piccadilly, St James's Street, Pall Mall, -St. James's Square, Jermyn Street, Bury Street, Charles Street, King -Street, Duke Street, Bennett Street, and the neighbourhood of the -Quadrant. The games principally played, be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span>sides English and French -hazard, were rouge-et-noir, roulette, and une-deux-cinque. The -principal proprietors of these houses were Bond, Oldfield, Goodwin, -Bennet, Smith, Russell, Phillips, Rougeir, Burge, Carlos, Humphries, -Fielden, Taylor, Bird, Morgan, Kerby, Aldridge, Barnet, and many -others, amongst whom, of course, the celebrated Crockford stood forth -in almost regal splendour.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless there was a crusade against gambling and betting always -carried on by the section of the population which were known as the -"Methodists," some of whose preachers were very clever and apt.</p> - -<p>"Ah, my brethren," once said one of these, addressing a congregation -into which several sporting men had strolled, "why waste your lives -thinking so much of what you call 'flimsies.' These, my friends," -turning over the leaves of his Bible, "are God's bank-notes, and when -you carry them to heaven, he will cash them at sight!"</p> - -<p>Another preacher, whilst painting a vivid picture of the tortures which -awaited gamesters in a future life, declared that the apartments of -Satan were filled with cards and dice, and that Hoyle was the only book -in his library. Nevertheless, the denunciations of the "godly" effected -little, and though from time to time the authorities organised raids -upon the more scandalous resorts, gaming continued to flourish.</p> - -<p>As late as the early 'thirties of the last century, the West End of -London was full of Hells, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> number of them in the Quadrant. Hazard -was the principal game played. The lowest gaming-houses were generally -located in obscure courts or other places not much exposed to public -observation. As a rule they were kept shut up as if unoccupied, or else -some appearance of a trade was carried on to prevent suspicion. It used -to be said that at one or two of these Hells individuals were kept on -the premises whose sole duty lay in being able to swallow the dice in -case of a raid by the authorities. Whether this was the case or not, it -is certain that there was usually some convenient receptacle contrived -in the shutters or elsewhere into which the implements of gaming could -be speedily thrown. A house containing a back room sufficiently large -to contain forty or fifty people, was the ideal of the proprietors -of such places. The man who acted as croupier was, as has been said, -known as the "groom-porter," an appellation dating from the eighteenth -century, when the Court was, on occasion, wont to gamble at the -Groom-Porter's in the Palace of St. James.</p> - -<p>The profits of the house were supposed to be derived from a tax levied -on successful players, any one winning three times running being -expected to pay a certain sum of money to the table or "cagnotte." -A player doing this was called a "box hand," the amount of his -contribution varying from a shilling to half a crown according to the -rules and standing of the house.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb06.jpg" alt="hell" /> -<a id="illusb06" name="illusb06"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">A Row in a Fashionable Hell.</span></p> - -<p>The main profits of these Hells, however, were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> in the majority -of instances derived from shady practices, many of the proprietors -being in league with sharks of various kinds who preyed upon the more -credulous or foolish players.</p> - -<p>The least important gambling-houses were generally kept by retired -prize-fighters and bullies, who hectored their weaker clients out of -such sums as they might chance to win.</p> - -<p>In the higher class of Hells, silver counters, representing certain -fractions of a pound, were used; these were called pieces, and one of -them was the amount of the tax levied on a "box hand."</p> - -<p>When a gentleman first appeared at these Hells, the Hellites and the -players were curious to learn who and what he was, especially the -former, to calculate the rich or poor harvest to be reaped by him, -and they regulated their conduct accordingly. Should he be introduced -by a broken player, and lose a good sum, his introducer seized the -opportunity to borrow a few pounds of the Hellites. But if the -gentleman was successful, "a few pounds to give his kind friend a -chance" was not refused. If the visitor proved unlucky the Hellites -ventured, after he had lost hundreds, to lend him twenty or thirty -pounds, for which his cheque was demanded and given. Generally they not -only knew his name, but soon ascertained, by underhand inquiries at his -bankers, the extent of his account, his connections and resources. Upon -this knowledge, if his account was good, they would cash him cheques -to within a hundred pounds of the balance. Instances<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> have been known, -after cheques have been cashed and paid in this way, to large amounts, -and the balance drawing to a close, that when a cheque for a small -amount has been wanted, cashed by the very same parties, it has been -refused, the Hellite actually telling the party, within a few pounds, -the amount he had left at his banker's. One gentleman was once told -within five pounds of what he had there.</p> - -<p>A number of Hells masqueraded as Clubs, and made some show of only -admitting regular members to the delights of play.</p> - -<p>The following prospectus, issued in the 'twenties of the last century, -is a fair sample of those used by the proprietors of gaming-houses -in London to attract clients. The house in question was under the -superintendence of Weare, who was murdered by Thurtell.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>A party of gentlemen, having formed the design of instituting a -Select Club, to be composed of those gentlemen only whose habits and -circumstances entitle them to an uncontrolled but proper indulgence -in the current amusements of the day, adopt this mode of submitting -the project to consideration, and of inviting those who may approve of -it, to an early concurrence and co-operation in the design. To attain -this object the more speedily, and render it worthy the attention -and support it lays claim to, it may be only necessary to mention -that the plan is founded on the basis of liberality, security, and -respectability, combining with the essential requisites of a select -and respectable association, peculiar advantages to the members -conceded by no similar institution in town. Further particulars may be -learned on personal application between the hours of twelve and two at -55 Pall Mall.</p></blockquote> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p> - -<p>In 1831 a gaming-house called the Athenæum was a public scandal. This -gaming-hell was situated at the upper end of St. James's Street, on the -same side as White's. It was owned by three brothers named Bond, one of -whom only, Ephraim, was publicly recognised as the proprietor.</p> - -<p>This man Bond had had many vicissitudes. Once, when quite at the end of -his tether, a gentleman came into a house where he was looking on at -the play, and having no confidence in his own judgment or good fortune, -commissioned Bond to make his bets for him, and, being very successful, -the gentleman, who was a member of the House of Commons, presented him -with fifty pounds. This became the nucleus of his future fortune.</p> - -<p>After working his fifty pounds for some time in various advantageous -gaming speculations, he became a small partner in a Bury Street house -and subsequently in gaming-houses in Bennett Street, Pall Mall, and -Piccadilly, until, as before stated, he located all his machinery and -performers in the Athenæum, in St. James's Street, near Nos. 50 and 51.</p> - -<p>Burge, an individual closely connected with Bond, was another -well-known figure in the gambling world of those days.</p> - -<p>The "Subject," as this man was nicknamed, in consequence of his -wretched and cadaverous appearance, was born at Glastonbury, in -Somersetshire, where he was brought up a tailor. Shortly after the -termination of his apprenticeship he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> married, but finding business -not answer his expectations he removed to London, where he commenced -business in a little way, but in about two years became a bankrupt. -At this period of his life, when distressed in pocket and harassed in -mind, he was introduced into a shilling table hazard-house kept at that -time by the celebrated J.D. Kelly and George Smith in Lisle Street, -Leicester Square.</p> - -<p>From the very moment that the "Subject" first saw a hazard-table his -nature changed, and wife, children, home, and business were totally -obliterated from his mind. The few shillings which from time to time -he could scrape together from the charity of his own or his wife's -friends were all carried to the table, although at this time he was -still a perfect novice in all concerning play. He generally lost his -money soon after he entered a gaming-house, but even when penniless -he always remained until the table was broken up, generally some time -before midnight, when he would make his way to a miserable home, only -to sleep till the hour for witnessing play again arrived. This state -of restlessness and perturbation brought on a serious fit of illness, -whilst his wife was compelled to take in washing for the support of -the family, who lived amidst scenes of acute misery. Nothing, however, -diverted the "Subject" from the gaming-table; no sooner did he recover -and was able to crawl out than he was at hazard again, though many were -his quarrels with the table-keepers, who resented his presence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> in -their rooms, as he so rarely brought a shilling to play with. Nothing, -however, could overcome his infatuation, and had he been turned out for -good he would have lain down at the door, and listened to the sound of -the dice-box until he died of exposure to the weather. At length Smith, -a gaming-house proprietor who had removed to Oxendon Street, Coventry -Street, finding Burge determined, by some means or other, to be present -during play, installed him as a permanent official in his rooms, with -regular duties, the chief of which were to trim the lamps hanging over -the hazard-table and to hand a glass of gin to the man who threw in six -mains in succession, when he was allowed to say, "Remember the waiter, -your honour." Subsequently, the groom-porter being indisposed, the -"Subject" mounted the stool and called the main, continuing afterwards -sometimes to act alternately in each capacity until the proprietor took -the house in 71 Jermyn Street, when he got a rise in the world and was -made a regular groom-porter in a crown-house.</p> - -<p>The history of the so-called "Athenæum" run by Bond was curious.</p> - -<p>At the time when the real Athenæum in Pall Mall was being established -there was a swindler upon the town named William Earl. Although the -son of a respectable bookseller, who formerly resided in Albemarle -Street, Piccadilly, he committed some very flagrant acts of imposition -upon the public. Among many other schemes he con<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span>ceived the plan -of pretending that he was the person deputed and authorised by the -gentlemen composing the members of the true Athenæum Club, to take -and fit up a house for their accommodation. The house in St. James's -Street being to let at the time, he (Earl) took it on the residue of a -lease having between two and three years to run, and, forthwith, when -in possession, got tradesmen to fit it up in the most superb manner -possible, making it a great favour to recommend them to so good a job, -the Athenæum management promising that all the money shares should -be paid down the moment the house was ready for the reception of the -members. The furniture, however, as fast as it was brought into the -house, disappeared, being taken away by Earl to dispose of for cash to -put into his own pocket, preparatory to a final retreat from the scene -of action. This being discovered before larger debts were contracted, -the creditors, who were already minus about £1400, convened a meeting, -at which, under a threat of a criminal prosecution, they compelled Earl -to assign the premises and everything else to three gentlemen, Messrs. -Baines, Vincent, and Laing, in trust for the benefit of the creditors. -These gentlemen, subsequently representing the case of the creditors -to the Lord Chamberlain, obtained a licence for music, the premises -being designated and inserted in the licence as known by the name of -the Athenæum; but this and a juggling speculation failing, it was at -length let to Ephraim Bond, Esq.,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> at a rental of £50 per month. This -was in the early part of the year 1830, during which Earl was committed -to Newgate for swindling a jeweller in St. Paul's Churchyard out of a -gold chain and other property, being subsequently transported for the -term of seven years. The notoriety of these circumstances, and the -length of time Earl's name had been before the public, as being somehow -connected with the institution described as the Athenæum Club in St. -James's Street, led a vast number of thoughtless young men to visit -the house. Certain is it, that not a few joined the place under a full -impression that they were actually admitted into the real Athenæum -Club: and to this confusion of names did the new proprietor, in a very -large measure, owe the extraordinary run of play he had at his tables. -Among the persons who were employed at this house were Kelly, Peck, -Hancock, Mayne, and Thompson: the two latter were retained by Bond as -waiters, after having been placed in the house under the following -circumstances. Earl, as the spurious Athenæum progressed, advertised -for waiters; when these men applied, he represented in forcible -language the responsible nature of their situations, and the great -trust which would be reposed in them, informing one that all the linen -and glass would be placed in his hands, and the other that he would -have charge of plate to the value of some thousands. By these means he -induced one to deposit £150 and the other £100 as security<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> before they -entered upon the service of the Club. Bond thought that the ill-usage -of these men gave them some claim upon the premises, and, therefore, -installed them into the office which they originally came to fill, that -is, as waiters.</p> - -<p>At many of the gambling-houses the waiters reaped a rich harvest by -lending money. At Crockford's one of these servants once received £500, -nominally as a Christmas-box, but really as a recognition of timely -financial assistance rendered to frequenters of the hazard-table; £100 -of this sum was given to him by a nobleman who had in one week won -£80,000 on a moderate sum which had been borrowed from the waiter in -question.</p> - -<p>About 1838 gaming-houses were kept open all day, the dice were scarcely -ever idle, day or night. All the week, all the year round, persons were -to be found in these places, losing their money, and up to 1844 there -were no less than twelve gaming-houses in St. James's and St. George's. -Before that the play was higher, but not so general.</p> - -<p>The increase of gambling-houses was said to be owing to the existence -of Crockford's. Such was the opinion of the Honourable Frederick Byng, -as given before the Committee of the House of Commons. He declared -"that the facility to gamble at Crockford's led to the establishment of -other gambling-houses fitted up in a superior style, and attractive to -gentlemen who never would have thought of going into them formerly." He -added<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> that in his older days gambling was very high, but the amusement -of a very few. Mr. Byng also said he "could have named all the gamblers -in his early days at the clubs. No person coming into a room where -hazard was carried on would have been permitted to play for a small -sum, and therefore poor people left it alone."</p> - -<p>The gambling which was carried on in the private rooms of the wine and -oyster houses, about 1840, was of the same character as that which -had at the same time flourished in the vicinity of St James's. For -this reason the blackguards frequenting the former attained the most -profound knowledge of the art of robbing at the West-End Hells. They -visited the saloons every night, in order to pick up new acquaintances -amongst inexperienced youth. Well-dressed and polite, they carefully -scanned every visitor on the look-out for pigeons to pluck, and having -found one went soon to work to establish an acquaintance. Cards being -proposed, the leader of the band provided a room, play ensuing, -accompanied by the certainty of loss to the unfortunate guest. If the -invitation was rejected, the pigeon was attacked through a passion -of a different kind. The word being given to one of their female -friends, she threw herself in the quarry's way, and prevailed upon -him to accompany her to her house. In the morning the "gentleman," -who in vain had solicited him to play at the saloon the night before, -would call—as if to pay "a friendly visit." Cards would be again<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> -proposed, the "lady" offering to be the partner of her friend in the -game. Numbers of young men were plundered by such schemes of thousands -of pounds; and a good deal of demoralisation prevailed amongst small -tradesmen and gentlemen's servants, numbers of whom frequented the low -gambling-houses. If one of these could scrape together two or three -hundred pounds he was able, with the assistance of the keeper of the -Hell, to lend it to needy losers at sixty per cent.</p> - -<p>A careful inspection was made of the visitor's appearance by a -gaming-house keeper's spies, his dress being strictly scrutinised. He -was obliged, before entering the saloon, to deposit his great-coat -and cane, or anything else which might facilitate the introduction of -some weapon; the value or elegance of these did not save him from the -humiliation of having it taken from him at the door. The assaults which -were sometimes made on the bankers led to such precautions.</p> - -<p>The blame for the great increase of gambling in the West End was -mostly attributed to Crockford, who presided over the most palatial -gaming-house ever run in England.</p> - -<p>William Crockford was the son of a small fishmonger who lived next door -to Temple Bar. After his father's death the young man soon abandoned -fish-selling for more exciting pursuits. He became a frequenter of the -sporting-houses then abundant in the neighbourhood of St. James's, went -racing, and, after setting up a successful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> hazard bank in Wattier's -old Club-house,<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> became connected with a gaming-house in King Street, -which, though it frequently got him into trouble with the authorities, -put a very large sum of money into his pocket. At King Street, -Crockford, together with his partner Gye, is said to have once won the -very large sum of £100,000 from five well-known men-about-town, amongst -whom were Lords Thanet and Granville and Mr. Ball Hughes.</p> - -<p>With the capital amassed in the manner described Crockford founded -the celebrated institution in St. James's Street which was sometimes -jokingly called "Fishmonger's Hall."</p> - -<p>It was opened at the end of the year 1827. There were about 1200 -members, exclusive of ambassadors and foreigners of distinction; the -annual subscription was £25. The Club-house was luxurious beyond -anything which had been known up to that time. The decorations alone, -it is said, cost £94,000, and a salary of £1200 a year was paid by -Crockford to his cook, M. Eustache Ude.</p> - -<p>The Club-house, which still exists in an altered form as the Devonshire -Club, was decorated and upholstered in the somewhat gaudy style popular -during the reign of George IV., the apartment known as the State -Drawing-room being particularly gorgeous and florid in its general -effect.</p> - -<p>The gaming-room was comparatively small. Here were card-tables at -which whist was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> occasionally played, whilst in the centre stood the -hazard-table, the real <i>raison d'être</i> of the whole establishment.</p> - -<p>The expenses of running this gambling-club were large, the dice alone -costing some two thousand a year! Three new pairs at about a guinea -each pair were provided at the commencement of every evening's play, -and very often as many more were called for either by players or by -Crockford himself in order to change the luck.</p> - -<p>By the terms of his agreement Crockford was bound to put £5000 into -a bank every night whilst Parliament was sitting; as long as any of -this capital remained he was not allowed to end the play until an hour -previously appointed.</p> - -<p>During his first two seasons Crockford is said to have made about -£300,000; he may, indeed, be said to have extracted nearly all the -ready money from the pockets of the men of fashion of the day. So much -so was this the case, that when Crockford retired in 1840 it was said -that he resembled an Indian chief who retires from a hunting country -when there is not game enough left for his tribe.</p> - -<p>Mr. Crockford's private views as to the likelihood of any player at -hazard increasing his fortune were certainly interesting. Being one day -asked by a young man of his acquaintance what was the best main to call -at the game, he solemnly replied: "I'll tell you what it is, young man. -You may call mains at hazard till your hair grows out of your<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> hat -and your toes grow out of your boots. My advice to you is not to call -any mains at all."</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb07.jpg" alt="main" /> -<a id="illusb07" name="illusb07"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">Count d'Orsay calling a Main at Crockford's.</span></p> - -<p>This, though undoubtedly sound, was a curious speech from a man who had -laid the foundation of a large fortune at the gaming-table, and had -himself successfully called all the mains under the sun.</p> - -<p>Whilst many were ruined at Crockford's, nobody appears to have made -much by the place except the proprietor, who, though latterly rather -unsuccessful in speculation, died a very rich man at the age of -sixty-nine in May 1844.</p> - -<p>In 1844 a Select Committee on gaming took a great deal of evidence, -Crockford himself being examined, though nothing was got out of him. -The result of all this was that on the 8th of August 1845 was passed an -Act to amend the law against games and wagers. The Act in question was -particularly aimed against hazard, which had undoubtedly done a good -deal of harm, lending itself as it did to much trickery and foul play. -Gaming-houses were now rigorously repressed, but it was not long before -gambling began to rage in another form, many betting-houses being -started.</p> - -<p>The first institution of this kind appears to have opened its doors -in 1847, the proprietors being Messrs. Drummond and Greville. About -1850, about four hundred of these houses (the vast majority not very -solvent), where regular lists of the prices were openly exhibited, -flourished, and an epidemic of gambling was declared to have attacked -even the poorest class, who were being offered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> facilities for risking -their hard-earned sixpences and shillings. The rise and fall of the -odds before any great race was eagerly watched by the keepers of the -betting-houses, and scenes of wild excitement occasionally occurred. -Many of the smaller betting-shops were simply traps for the unwary. -The stock-in-trade needed was merely a few flyblown racing prints -and some old ledgers. A room was soon hired, often in some derelict -tobacconist's shop, and business then commenced. Most of these places -existed in obscure and dirty thoroughfares; the neighbourhood of Drury -Lane being especially affected by those indulging in this nefarious -industry. Just before a big race meeting, such as the Derby or Ascot, -numbers of these betting shops would burst into bloom for a short -space of time. When the meetings ended, the crowd coming to get paid -would find the proprietor gone and the place in charge of a boy, who, -generally not at all disconcerted, would announce that his master -had gone out on "'tickler bizness," and would not be back till late -at night. His wife also had gone out of town for her health till the -winter. "Will he be back to-morrow?" would cry the crowd. "No, he won't -be here to-morrow 'cos it's Sunday, and he always goes to church on -Sunday," a favourite reply which made even the losers laugh. "Will he -be back on Monday, then?" "Monday," would say the boy, reflecting, "No, -I don't think he'll be here on Monday—he's going to a sale on Monday." -After further inquiries and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> replies of this sort the crowd would, -for the time being, reluctantly disperse, murmuring something about a -"sell" instead of a "sale," to return again time after time with the -same ill-success, till eventually, realising that they had been duped, -the bell-pull was torn out and the windows broken, the proprietor -meanwhile doing a flourishing business in some other locality. Various -subterfuges were employed by betting-shopkeepers to attract clients. -One of these places grandiloquently styled itself "The Tradesmen's -Moral Associative Betting Club." The circular issued by this beneficent -organisation set forth that a number of persons in business, realising -the robberies hourly inflicted upon the humbler portion of the sporting -public by persons bankrupt alike in character and property, had banded -themselves together to establish a club wherein their fellow tradesmen -and the speculator of a few shillings might invest their money with the -assured consciousness of meeting with fair and honourable treatment. In -all probability the clients of the Moral Associative Club found that, -like other institutions of the same sort, its idea was to receive the -money of all and close its career by paying none.</p> - -<p>A man named Dwyer, who kept a cigar shop and betting-house in St. -Martin's Lane in 1851, was in the habit of laying a point or two more -than the regular odds, and in consequence did the largest business of -any list man in London. He was considered to be absolutely safe. It -was his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> custom to pay the day following a big race, but when Miss -Nancy won the Chester Cup, his doors were found to be closed; and the -house being broken into by an enormous crowd of infuriated creditors, -everything valuable was discovered to have been removed. Dwyer, as a -matter of fact, had bolted with about £25,000 of the public's money. -The occurrence of scandals such as this naturally caused a considerable -outcry for the suppression of the betting-houses, which, it was -declared, were demoralising the public, who, even when they were not -swindled, were led into risking sums which they could not afford. A -Bill for checking the evil was eventually drafted, and in July 1853 was -passed an Act entitled "An Act for the Suppression of Betting-Houses," -which inflicted on any one keeping or assisting to keep any house, -office, room, or place for the purpose of betting, a penalty not -exceeding one hundred pounds, or imprisonment with or without hard -labour for any time not exceeding six calendar months.</p> - - - - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> No. 81 Piccadilly.</p></div></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph2"><a name="IV" id="IV">IV</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span>Craze for eccentric wagers at end of eighteenth century—Lord -Cobham's insulting freak and its results—Betting and gaming -at White's—The Arms of the Club—The old betting-book and its -quaint wagers—Tragedies of play—White's to-day—£180,000 lost -at hazard at the Cocoa Tree—Brummell as a gambler—Gaming at -Brooks's—Anecdotes—General Scott—Whist—Mr. Pratt—Wattier's -Club—Scandal at Graham's—Modern gambling clubs—The Park Club case -in 1884—Dangers of private play.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>Towards the end of the eighteenth century a curious mania for making -eccentric wagers seized hold of the bucks of the day. Unlike many -another craze this was not imported from France, but had its rise -and progress entirely in England. During the last illness of Louis -XIV., Lord Stair laid a wager on his death, which rather astonished -the French, who did not approve of such a form of speculation. At a -subsequent period bets about the most trivial incidents became quite -common in the West End of London. Not infrequently some thoughtless -wager would lead to considerable trouble.</p> - -<p>Lord Cobham, for instance, once foolishly bet Mr. Nugent a guinea -that he would spit in Lord Bristol's hat without the latter, who -had a reputation for effeminacy, resenting it. The wager itself was -singularly lacking in refinement, and the moment chosen for carrying it -out was quite in keeping.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p> - -<p>Lord Bristol being one day at Lady Cobham's talking to some ladies, he -chanced to lean over a chair holding his hat behind him, into which -Lord Cobham deliberately spat, at the same time asking Mr. Nugent, -who was present, for his guinea; after which he began to make the -most profuse apologies to the victim of the outrage, who, remaining -apparently quite unmoved, merely asked if his host had any further -use for his hat, and then resumed his conversation, and every one -considered the incident at an end. Lord Bristol being to all outward -appearance absolutely unruffled.</p> - -<p>The next morning, however, both Lord Cobham and Mr. Nugent received -messages demanding satisfaction, to which they returned the most humble -answers. The incident, they declared, was all merely a foolish joke, -and they were quite ready to make all sorts of submissive apologies.</p> - -<p>Lord Bristol, however, would only assent to condone the insult if the -aggressors were ready to make a public apology in the Club-room at -White's, where he was prepared to receive it, and here, amidst a crowd -of members, Lord Cobham and Mr. Nugent publicly expressed their regret.</p> - -<p>As the eighteenth century waned. White's Club developed into a great -gambling centre; its members indeed professed a universal scepticism -and decided everything by a wager. There was nothing, however trivial -or ridiculous, which was not capable of producing a bet. Many pounds -were lost upon the colour of a coach-horse, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> birth of a child, the -breaking off of a marriage, and even a change in the weather.</p> - -<p>A favourite mode of speculation was backing one man against another, -that is, betting that he would live the longest. People of all classes -were made the subjects of such bets. An actor was pitted against a -duke, an alderman against a bishop, a pimp against some member of -the privy council. Scarcely a remarkable person existed upon whose -life many thousand pounds did not depend. The various changes in the -health of any one who was the subject of heavy betting naturally gave -rise to many serious reflections in the minds of the people who had -wagered large sums on his life or death. Some would closely watch all -the stages of a total stranger's illness, more impatient for his death -than the undertaker who expected to have the care of his funeral; -others would be very solicitous about his recovery, and send every -hour to know how his health progressed, taking as great care of him -as any clergyman's wife who has no other fortune than the living of -her husband. Great consternation was caused by an unexpected demise. -Considerable odds were laid upon a man with the constitution of a -porter, who was pitted against an individual expected to die every -week. The porter, however, unexpectedly shot himself through the head, -and the knowing ones were taken in.</p> - -<p>The main supporters of gaming at White's at this time were George -Selwyn, Lord March, Fox, and Lord Carlisle.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span></p> - -<p>The latter was of a rather more serious disposition than the others, -and had a wife and children to whom he was devoted. Though at times a -high gambler himself, he wrote several letters to Selwyn, warning him -of the dangers of hazard.</p> - -<p>On one occasion Lord Carlisle won £13,000 from a peer, which he never -seems to have got, and again indulged in some disastrous play in 1776, -after which he wrote to George Selwyn to say that he had never lost -so much at five different sittings as on this occasion in one night. -A note by Selwyn in the letter puts the sum at £10,000. In after-life -Lord Carlisle entirely abandoned gaming, and settled down into an -exemplary country gentleman.</p> - -<p>Another constant player for high stakes at White's was Sir Everard -Fawkener, the writer's great-grandfather, who held an important office -in connection with the Post Office. He played cards very badly, and -George Selwyn used to say that playing with him was as bad as "robbing -the mail."</p> - -<p>In the hall of White's Club hangs a carved wooden copy of the whimsical -old coat of arms of the Club—the original painting of which is at -Arthur's. This was painted by Dick Edgecumbe after the design had been -concocted one wet day at Strawberry Hill by the painter, George Selwyn, -George (known as Gilly) Williams, and their host Horace Walpole, who -had the arms engraved.</p> - -<p>The original arms were as follows:—</p> - -<p>"Vert (for a card-table); between three parolis,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> proper, on a chevron -sable, two rouleaux in saltire between two dice, proper. In a canton -sable, a ball (for election), argent. Supporters, an old knave of clubs -on the dexter, a young knave on the sinister side; both accoutred -proper. Crest, issuing out of an earl's coronet (Lord Darlington's) an -arm shaking a dice-box, all proper. Motto alluding to the crest '<i>Cogit -amor nummi</i>'.<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> The arms encircled with a claret bottle ticket by way -of order."</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb08.jpg" alt="arms" /> -<a id="illusb08" name="illusb08"></a> -</p> - - - -<p>The old betting-book at White's contains many curious entries, the -first of which dates from 1743. A number of the earliest wagers -are concerned with the probabilities of the birth of children to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> -well-known ladies of the day, the duration of life to be enjoyed by -certain individuals, and the like.</p> - -<p>On 21st March 1746, Mr. John Jeffries bets Mr. Dayrolle five guineas -that Lady Kildare has a child born alive before Lady Catherine -Petersham. A note is appended "miscarriages go for nothing."</p> - -<p>On the 8th of October in the same year Lord Montfort bets Mr. Greville -one hundred guineas that Mr. Nash is alive on the same day four years -to come.</p> - -<p>The Lord Montfort in question was a typical gamester of the time. In -the betting-book at White's no less than sixty wagers, amounting to -£5500, are recorded against his name. Most of these were about births, -marriages, and deaths. On sporting wagers, the nobleman in question -seems to have been content to risk only small sums. A true gambler, he -preferred to hazard his fortune, and, as it turned out, his life, on -the unforeseen.</p> - -<p>On the 4th of November 1754, is entered the following: "Lord Montfort -wagers Sir John Bland one hundred guineas that Mr. Nash outlives Mr. -Cibber." This refers to two very old men, Colley Cibber, the actor, and -Beau Nash, the "King of Bath." Below the entry in the betting-book, -written in another handwriting, is the significant note: "Both Lord M. -and Sir John Bland put an end to their own lives before the bet was -decided."</p> - -<p>The first of these tragedies took place on New<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> Year's Day of 1755. -Lord Montfort's death and the circumstances of it attracted great -attention. He was considered one of the shrewdest men of his time, and, -as Walpole said, "would have betted any man in England against himself -for self-murder." Lord Montfort was of course eventually ruined—at -White's alone he lost a fortune at hazard. As a last resource, he -then eagerly applied (much to the surprise of the dilatory Duke of -Newcastle) for the Governorship of Virginia or the Royal hounds. He -got neither, and after spending the last evening of the year 1754 at -White's, where he sat up at whist till one o'clock, went home in a -strange mood, and shot himself next morning.</p> - -<p>A tragic fate likewise befell Sir John Bland, who dissipated his entire -fortune at hazard. At a single sitting he at one time lost as much as -£32,000, though he recovered a portion of it before play was ended. Sir -John shot himself on the road from Calais to Paris.</p> - -<p>Some of the wagers chronicled in the betting-book are decidedly vague, -the following for instance: "Mr. Talbot bets a certain gentleman a -certain sum that a certain event does not take place within a certain -time."</p> - -<p>During the Napoleonic era several bets were made as to the chances of -the Emperor getting back to Paris at the close of the Russian campaign, -about ten to one being wagered on such an event happening.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> - -<p>A curious bet, dated February 14, 1813, is the following: "Lord -Alvanley bets Sir Joseph Copley five guineas that a certain Baronet -understood between them is very much embarrassed in his circumstances -in three years from the date hereof; if one of his bills is -dishonoured, or he is observed to borrow small change of the chairmen -or waiters, Sir Joseph is to be reckoned to lose."</p> - -<p>In 1797, hazard seems to have been allowed at White's, but it was -expressly laid down that no member should be permitted to keep a faro -bank. This rule was doubtless made to avoid the state of things which -had lately prevailed across the way at Brooks's.</p> - -<p>As time went on gambling became a thing of the past within the walls -of White's, and the survivors of a reckless era in its history -sobered down into grave and somewhat crotchety old men, who, from the -stronghold of an accustomed seat, eyed younger members with a freezing -gaze. When the question of smoking in the morning-room was raised -their indignation knew no bounds, and even infirm old members—fossils -who Alfred Montgomery declared had come from Kensal Green—tottered -into the Club to oppose it. So given were these relics of the past to -wrapping themselves in a cloak of exclusiveness that at one time the -Club came almost to a standstill. Within recent years, however, White's -has taken a new lease of life, and after an existence of one hundred<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> -and seventy-three years is now in as flourishing a state as ever. The -Club-house has been enlarged and various alterations made—always, -let it be said, with due regard for the traditions of the past. -Unfortunately, in the course of time much connected with its former -history has disappeared—it does not, for instance, possess a set of -old gaming counters, which have a certain historic interest in these -more sober days. The Club is particularly anxious to acquire any relics -connected with its past, and also any representations of the Club-house -(at the present time under repair) as it existed before the alterations -of 1853, when a new façade replaced the old front.</p> - -<p>Lower down St. James's Street, on the other side of the road, another -Club, in old days notorious for high play, still exists. This is the -Cocoa Tree, where very large sums once changed hands. During the year -1780 no less than £180,000 was lost here in a single week. In the same -year Mr. O'Birne, an Irish gamester, won £100,000 at hazard of a young -Mr. Harvey of Chigwell, a midshipman, who, by his elder brother's -death, had suddenly come into a good estate. "You can never pay me," -said O'Birne. "I will sell my estate to do so," replied the young -man. "No," was the not ungenerous reply, "I will win ten thousand and -you shall throw for the odd ninety." The dice were cast and Harvey -won—still the evening cost him £10,000.</p> - -<p>After Waterloo there appears to have been a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> revival of gaming in the -West End, many officers returning to England with long arrears of pay -at their command. This wave of gaming ruined Brummell. At first he was -not particularly devoted to play, and had extraordinary luck when he -indulged in it. At one sitting at whist at White's he won £10,000 from -George Harley Drummond, the banker. It is said that this was the first -game Drummond ever played at a Club; it was probably his last, for it -led to his withdrawal from the banking business. But Brummell was not -a man of large property, and when later he began to play habitually, a -few reverses were sufficient to ruin a man of small means who matched -his fortune against the much longer purses of his friends.</p> - -<p>Brummell had no illusions as to the ultimate fate of a gambler, and -once tied himself up against play, receiving a ten-pound note from -Pemberton Mills on condition that he should forfeit a thousand if he -played again at White's for a month. Nevertheless, a fortnight later -he was playing again. His friend did not claim the thousand but merely -said: "Well, Brummell, you may at least give me back my ten pounds." -Playing at hazard one night with Alderman Combe, whom he playfully -called "Mash-tub" because he was a brewer, the Beau, having won a -considerable sum, said, pocketing the cash: "Thank you, Alderman; in -future I shall never drink any porter but yours." "I wish, sir," was -the reply, "that every blackguard in London would tell me the same."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> - -<p>In the end Brummell went under, owing, he declared, with all the -superstition of a gambler, to the loss of a lucky sixpence with a hole -in it, which he had picked up in the small hours of the morning in -Berkeley Square. He gave it away, by mistake, to a cabman, and used to -say that he supposed "that rascal Rothschild, or some of his set, had -got hold of it."</p> - -<p>One of the greatest gamblers in the early part of the nineteenth -century was Lord Rivers, whose dashing play at Parisian tables had -earned for him the name of "Le Wellington des Joueurs."</p> - -<p>During a portion of his career this nobleman was said to have won -nearly a hundred thousand pounds by gambling. As a card-player he was -cool and skilful, whilst at the same time quick to seize the moment for -exchanging caution for dash. At times, however, he was careless—he -once lost £3400 at whist by not remembering that the seven of hearts -was still in.</p> - -<p>Crockford's eventually ruined him as it did many others—some it could -not ruin. Lord Sefton, for instance, is said to have lost no less than -£200,000 there. After his death the proprietor presented an acceptance -for £40,000 to his son, which was paid. At the beginning of the -nineteenth century young men-about-town were exposed to every sort of -dangerous temptation.</p> - -<p>In 1813 a youthful commoner, heir to large estates, was unpleasantly -initiated into the mysteries of fashionable play by losing nearly -£20,000 at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> hazard at a West-End Club, it being the first time he had -ever played. His single antagonist was a noble Lord of considerable -experience, who by mere chance held the box so luckily as to throw in -seven times successively. A remark being made upon so extraordinary -a run of the dice, his Lordship insisted upon having them cut up, to -manifest that his success had been perfectly honourable—and the bones, -on dissection, were found perfectly innocent.</p> - -<p>Gambling flourished at all the fashionable clubs. Brooks's in -particular was noted for unlimited gambling during the first forty -years of its existence. The prevalence of gambling there is shown by -one of the old rules, which prohibited "gaming in the 'eating-room' -except tossing up for reckonings." The penalty for a breach of this -regulation was paying the whole bill of the members present.</p> - -<p>Though a rule existed which forbade the members to stake upon credit, -it was more or less treated as a dead letter, Mr. Brooks being -generally ready to make any advance which the members might desire. The -result of such confidence in the solvency of his clientele appears to -have been disappointing, for after eight years Mr. Brooks withdrew from -the Mastership of the Club and died in very poor circumstances. All -things considered this was not surprising, for he was a man</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 35%;"> -Who, nursed in clubs, disdains a vulgar trade,<br /> -Exults to trust, and blushes to be paid. -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p> - -<p>During the gaming period losses and winnings amounting to five, ten, -or fifteen thousand pounds were not at all uncommon. Lord Stavordale, -before he was of age, having lost £11,000 one night, struck a good -run at hazard and got it all back. This, however, did not satisfy his -Lordship, who swore a great oath, saying, "Now if I had been playing -deep I might have won millions."</p> - -<p>One member, Mr Thynne, retired in disgust in March 1772. According to -a note written opposite his name in the Club books this was because he -had "won only £12,000 during the last two months, and that he may never -return is the ardent wish of members."</p> - -<p>At Brooks's, Charles James Fox found himself amidst the most congenial -facilities for ruin, and he did not let them pass. Fox, who joined -Brooks's when he was sixteen, once sat in the Club playing at -hazard for twenty-two hours in succession, when he lost £11,000. At -twenty-five he was a ruined man, though his father had paid £140,000 -for him out of his own property. In 1793 his friends raised £70,000 to -pay his debts and buy him an annuity—a proof of the affection this -curious character inspired.</p> - -<p>It was at Brooks's that Lord Robert Spencer is said at one stroke -to have recovered his considerable fortune lost at play. General -Fitzpatrick and Lord Robert, having both come to their last shilling, -contrived to raise a sufficient sum of money to keep a faro bank, which -proved an extra<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span>ordinarily lucky one. Lord Robert's share was no less -than £100,000, with which he retired from the gambling-table for ever, -and never played again.</p> - -<p>Another well-known man of fashion lost at Brooks's £70,000 and -everything else which he possessed, including his carriage and horses, -which was his last stake. Charles Fox, who was present, and partook of -the spoils, moved that an annuity of £50 per annum should be settled -upon the unfortunate gentleman, to be paid out of the general fund, -which motion was agreed to <i>nem. con.</i>, and a resolution was entered -into at the instance of the same gentleman, that every member who -should be completely ruined in that house should be allowed a similar -annuity out of the same fund, on condition that they are never to be -admitted as sporting members; as in that case the society would be -playing against their own money.</p> - -<p>The old betting-book at Brooks's is a most curious record. A certain -member, for instance, bets another five hundred guineas to ten that -none of the Cabinet will be beheaded within the following three years. -Another wagers fifty guineas that Mademoiselle Heinel will not dance at -the opera next year. The whole volume is most characteristic of an age -when all fashionable London lived in a vortex of speculation.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb09.jpg" alt="room" /> -<a id="illusb09" name="illusb09"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">The Gambling-Room at Brooks's.</span><br /> - -From a Water-colour Drawing in the possession of the Club.</p> - -<p>Faro, quinze, and macao were the favourite games at Brooks's, but at -one time whist for high stakes came into great favour. Two of the best -players at this were a couple of characters known as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> Tippoo Smith -and "Neptune"—the latter an old gentleman who had gained his nickname -owing to his having once thrown himself into the sea under the false -impression that he could no longer keep his head above water.</p> - -<p>At Brooks's are preserved a number of relics of the old gambling days, -including the faro table at which Fox played. This has a portion -cut away, in order, it is said, to give room for his portly form. A -complete set of the old gaming counters—the highest inscribed 500 -guineas—is also here, whilst several prints and pictures (one of them -reproduced in these pages by the courtesy of the Committee) give a good -idea of a vanished day.</p> - -<p>Brooks's was much frequented by a famous whist-player, General Scott, -the father-in-law of George Canning and the Duke of Portland, who is -said to have won about £200,000 at the game, of which he was a past -master.</p> - -<p>The General, indeed, was a very shrewd man where all forms of -speculation were concerned, and once won a large wager at Newmarket -in the following way. Just as his horse was about to start for a -sweepstake, Mr. Panton called out to him, "General, I'll lay you a -thousand pounds your horse is neither first nor last." The General -accepted the bet and immediately gave directions to his rider; his -horse came in last, and he claimed the money. Mr. Panton objected to -payment, because the General had spoken to his rider; but the Jockey -Club held that the bet was laid not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> upon the chance of the place in -which the horse would come, if the rider was uninformed of it, but upon -the opinion, that he had not speed enough to be first, nor tractability -enough to be brought in last.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, the General, like most gamblers, had his moments of -generosity. He was playing one evening with the Count d'Artois and the -Duc de Chartres, at Paris, when a petition was brought up from the -widow of a French officer, stating her various misfortunes, and praying -relief. A plate was handed round, and each put in one, two, or three -louis d'or, but when it was held to the General, who was going to throw -for a stake of five hundred louis d'or, he said, "Stop a moment, if you -please, sir: here goes for the widow!" The throw was successful, and he -instantly swept the whole into the plate, and sent it down to her.</p> - -<p>General Scott was an excellent whist-player, and lived in a -most careful manner, which gave him a great advantage over his -contemporaries, many of whom were reckless to a degree, tossing their -money about in all directions, and borrowing from any one when short of -cash.</p> - -<p>General Scott followed a regime which assisted him to keep all his -faculties in the very best condition for getting the most out of -his cards. His dinner usually consisted of a boiled chicken, washed -down with toast and water. His memory, coolness, and judgment were -remarkable. With players such as these, whist became almost a religious -function of a singularly profitable kind.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span></p> - -<p>At the present day, when whist has fallen from its ancient high estate, -and rendered practically obsolete owing to the popularity of bridge, it -is difficult to realise the place which the game held in the estimation -of many of our forefathers.</p> - -<p>At the beginning of the nineteenth century almost as large sums were -lost and won at whist as at the hazard-table, which was chiefly the -resort of those who, like Fox, complained that games of skill afforded -no excitement.</p> - -<p>Many who were not entirely devoted to high play found their only -relaxation in whist. Such a one was Lord Camden's brother, Mr. Edward -Pratt, connected with the East India Company, whose sole bond with -humanity is said to have lain in whist.</p> - -<p>By no means an avaricious man, Mr. Pratt spent little upon his personal -comfort, always living in the upper floor of a house owing to its -tranquillity, and regularly dining in a room by himself at a tavern -every day of the year, his only companion a solitary bottle of port.</p> - -<p>He was seldom heard to speak, but no circumstance, however urgent, -could prevail on him to break silence at whist, the favourite -amusement, or rather occupation of his life; and, at the conclusion of -each rubber, he could correctly call over the cards in the exact order -in which they were played, as well as the persons from whose hands -they fell, and enumerate various instances of error or dexterity in -his associates, with practical remarks.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> This extraordinary exertion -of the retentive powers was often doubted, and as often ascertained by -considerable wagers.</p> - -<p>Abstinence from speech, however, was the favourite, habitual, perhaps -the affected, pleasure of his life; to such a pitch did he carry -this eccentricity that he deliberately chose to forego many little -satisfactions and comforts, rather than be at the trouble to ask for -them.</p> - -<p>In his voyages to India, Mr. Pratt might have been compared to some -Eastern mystic, whose eyes and thoughts are immovably riveted by -inspiration, madness, or emptiness to the region of the navel. When on -voyages by sea it was his invariable custom to present the appearance -of one entirely engrossed by his own thoughts, which, it was opined -from his countenance, were of a peculiarly morose character. He often -doubled the Cape without having scarcely uttered a word. During one -voyage, when his ship had been detained by a long and troublesome -calm, the anxious and dispirited crew were at last revived by the -advent of the long-wished-for breeze. Amidst general excitement, a -miserably dressed seaman on the topmast being at last able to proclaim -the welcome tidings of land, Mr. Pratt alone struck a discordant note, -for whilst the officers and ship's company were congratulating each -other on the approaching joys of being on shore, though his features -were observed to alter and somewhat unbend, no sound escaped his lips. -"I knew you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> would enjoy the sight of land," at length said the first -officer. "I saw it an hour before the careless ragamuffin aloft," were -the first, the last, and the only words Mr. Pratt uttered during the -voyage.</p> - -<p>"A clear fire, a clean hearth, and the rigour of the game," was the -sole earthly aim of Mr. Pratt, as it was of the old lady who declared -that next to her devotions she loved a good game of whist. Players of -this sort were not lukewarm gamesters or half-and-half players who -have no objection to take a hand if one is wanted to make up a rubber; -affirming that they have no pleasure in winning, or that they like to -win one game and lose another. Keen antagonists, they never desired an -adversary who had slipped a wrong card, to take it up and play another. -They loved a thorough-paced partner and a determined enemy. They took -and gave no concessions; they hated favours, never made a revoke, or -passed it over in an adversary without exacting the utmost penalty. -They never introduced or connived at miscellaneous conversation during -the progress of a game, for, as they emphatically observed, cards were -cards. Whist was their business and duty—the thing which they had come -into the world to do—and they did it.</p> - -<p>In the early days of the nineteenth century a great deal of gambling -went on at Wattier's Club, No. 81 Piccadilly (now a private house), -which made a speciality of macao. This game is said to have been -introduced into England by French <i>émigrés</i>.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span></p> - -<p>Wattier's was kept by an old <i>maître d'hôtel</i> of George IV., who, quite -a character in his way, prided himself upon the excellence of his -cuisine and wines.</p> - -<p>The life of Wattier's was a short and merry one, for it only lasted -some twelve years, being closed in 1819, when for a time it became a -sort of common gambling-house. Byron, Beau Brummell, and many other -men of fashion frequented the Club, and, occasionally, says tradition, -solaced themselves for their losses by throwing bottles of wine out of -the window into the yard of the house just across the way.</p> - -<p>Some sixteen years later there was a good deal of high play at whist -at Graham's Club, and a scandal occurred. Lord de Ros being charged -with unfair play by the <i>Satirist</i> newspaper, against which he brought -an action for libel. Much curious evidence was given during the trial, -one witness admitting that he had won no less than £35,000 in fifteen -years at whist. Another—Captain Alexander—estimated his winnings -at about £1600 a year. Asked by Counsel how long he had played on a -certain occasion, he replied: "All night." "After a slight dinner I -suppose?" "As good a dinner as I can get." "A small boiled chicken and -a glass of lemonade perhaps?" The witness for some reason considered -this insulting and excitedly said: "I deny the lemonade altogether—I -never take lemonade"—a disavowal which plunged the court into -laughter. Considerable amusement was also<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> created by another witness -who, being asked whether he had ever seen anything suspicious about the -prosecutor's play replied: "Yes." "What course did you take?" "I always -backed him," was the answer.</p> - -<p>In the end the peer, who was Premier Baron of England, lost his case. -He did not long survive the disgrace, and on his death in 1837 the -following line was suggested by Theodore Hook as an epitaph—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Here lies England's Premier Baron patiently awaiting the last trump.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Towards the middle of the nineteenth century gambling in Clubs began to -decline, though, as is always the case, intermittent fits of private -gambling were frequent at the West End. In the late 'seventies and -early 'eighties, however, of the last century there was some revival of -gaming-clubs, or rather places called clubs.</p> - -<p>A considerable number of these, started merely for the purposes of -play, sprang up in the West End; and the proprietors in many cases -realised large sums by cashing the cheques of players, a certain -percentage being deducted from the amount of the sum, which was not -infrequently handed over in counters. A clever proprietor would, of -course, know how much any particular client was good for, and take care -to run few risks. Where play was high and the members rich a plentiful -harvest was reaped.</p> - -<p>The most fashionable Club of this sort was the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> Park Club, Park Place, -St James's, where, in 1884, there was a good deal of high play at -baccarat. The existence of what was virtually a gaming-club aroused -much comment, and, the matter reaching the ears of the authorities, it -was not long before action was taken.</p> - -<p>As considerable misapprehension exists as to how the English law views -gaming, some account of the proceedings which followed may not be out -of place.</p> - -<p>On the 17th of January 1884, Mr. St John Wontner attended at Bow -Street on behalf of Mr. Howard Vincent, the Director of the Criminal -Investigation Department, to apply for process against the Park Club, -Park Place, St. James's, under the provisions of the Gaming Acts.</p> - -<p>Mr. Wontner, referring to the section of the Act under which it was -proposed to proceed, said that the summons was applied for against the -proprietor, the secretary, the committee, and various members of this -Club, for keeping the premises as a common gambling-house, where they -habitually allowed baccarat to be played.</p> - -<p>Attention was called to the comments of the Press on gambling, and -it was said that various complaints had been made to the police, in -consequence of which an inspector was instructed to intimate to the -proprietors of various Clubs that the practice of playing games of -chance was illegal, and proceedings would be taken were it to be -continued.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span></p> - -<p>Play had been suspended at various Clubs, but in the ease of this -particular Club, Messrs. Lewis & Lewis, Solicitors, of Ely Place, -had communicated with the authorities to the effect that it was the -intention of those concerned to test the question, and expressed -willingness to answer any proceedings that might be instituted.</p> - -<p>On the 1st of February 1884, at Bow Street, before Sir J. Ingham, Jenks -(proprietor), Dalton (secretary), and certain members of this Club and -its committee appeared to a summons charging them with a contravention -of the Gaming Act.</p> - -<p>Mr. St. John Wontner prosecuted, Mr. Charles Russell, afterwards Lord -Russell of Killowen, and Mr. Poland, instructed by Mr. George Lewis, -defended.</p> - -<p>The charge against the defendants was that they were concerned in -keeping a common gaming-house, and permitting a game of chance to -be played called "baccarat." For the prosecution Mr. Wontner quoted -some rules of the game. He said that the regulation bank at this Club -was fixed at £50, an open bank at £1000. As a rule, the banks varied -from £25 to £300, but were often larger. Mr. Wontner quoted a printed -description of the game of baccarat, and submitted that it was purely -a game of chance of a dangerous character, at which excessive gambling -took place. Playing cards for amusement was not prohibited, but it was -contended that excessive gambling was punishable by law.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span></p> - -<p>Sir J. Ingham inquired as to the definition of the word "excessive." -Mr. Wontner submitted that the Legislature had defined excessive -gambling as criminal, while moderate gaming was not. So the proprietor -of a place where excessive gaming was allowed, and who received -the profits, was guilty of the offence at common law of keeping a -gaming-house, and habitual users of the house were also liable.</p> - -<p>An ordinary Club-house, where the profits went to the members, would be -equally a gaming-house if excessive and habitual play were allowed.</p> - -<p>Mr. Wontner quoted several decisions, and referred to various Acts -dealing with gaming, dating from the reign of Henry VIII., when all -games except archery were declared illegal. A subsequent Act repealed -that Act, as far as games of skill went, but the old enactment still -held as to games, and he contended that whether unlawful gaming went -on in a house, the proprietor of which admitted members on payment of -subscription, or whether it took place in an ordinary Club, the offence -was just the same.</p> - -<p>Inspector Swansen, of Scotland Yard, had had interviews with Jenks as -to particulars respecting the Club. Jenks told him the Club was open -in 1882, and he had bought the lease of the premises. He explained -the game of baccarat. After two o'clock the banks were put up to -auction. Each bank paid one per cent, and each player five shillings -for card-money up to 2 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> After that time, five<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> shillings -until 5 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span>, when £1 an hour was charged, in order to make -the game prohibitory. The profits so derived went to the proprietor. -One per cent was also charged for cashing cheques. The rules of the -Club prohibited the introduction of any stranger to the card-room. The -profits realised were from the subscriptions and the card-money. The -kitchen had been a loss, and wine and cigars were sold at cost price. -On a subsequent occasion, Mr. Jenks told witness that members' cheques -were cashed, and one per cent was charged as an insurance against bad -cheques. He stated that he did not cash cheques beyond a reasonable -amount, which he estimated at £300. In cross-examination by Mr. -Russell, witness admitted that Jenks had given all information freely. -The Club, of which he was the proprietor, consisted of from 200 to 300 -members, comprising gentlemen well-known in society.</p> - -<p>The night steward of the Park Club was called, and gave evidence as -to the play in the card-room. Baccarat was not played there until -Mr. Jenks took possession of the Club. Play began about 4.30 in the -afternoon, and a break would be made about half-past seven for dinner, -after which play was resumed and kept up till two, three, four, and -sometimes eight o'clock in the morning. The average bank would be about -£100.</p> - -<p>After further evidence had been taken, and speeches made for and -against the defendants, Sir James Ingham, in giving his decision on -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> summons, said that Jenks was substantially charged with keeping a -house for unlawful gaming, and the other gentlemen were substantially -charged with aiding and assisting him in doing so. The first question -to determine was why and for what purpose Jenks kept this house open. -Was it an ordinary Club at which gambling was casually introduced, or -was it substantially a gaming-house? The question could be answered -by the evidence, as the profits arising from the wines, spirits, and -tobacco were admitted to be trifling, while the profits from food -were absolutely nothing, the kitchen being carried on at a loss. -The subscriptions received from 250 members at six guineas per year -produced annually £1711, which was subjected to very large deductions -for rent, taxes, etc. It must be clear to everybody that as a Club -for social purposes, the business would not be worth the care and -attention which it would require. What was the case with respect to -gambling? Jenks received one per cent upon all banks, and contributions -from all players who stayed after certain hours. Without going into -particulars he calculated on consideration of the number of games that -would be played ordinarily in the course of an evening, that Jenks must -realise from £45 to £50 per night, and that his annual profits must be -£10,000 to £12,000, or perhaps many thousands more. Therefore, no one -could doubt that the house had been kept and used for the purpose of -gambling, for its character as a social Club was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> absolutely ancillary -to its business as a gambling-house. The statute, however, required -that there should not only be gambling, but gambling at an unlawful -game, and the main question was whether the game of baccarat was an -unlawful game. It must be admitted that although a great many games -had been prohibited by the Legislature, baccarat had not, and whether -it was unlawful or not, must depend on other considerations. Baccarat -appeared to be a game of chance, tempered by a certain amount of skill -and judgment. Many games of mixed chance and skill might be innocently -played. It was important to glance at the state of the old law. Sir J. -Ingham then quoted from Baker's abridgment on the subject of gaming for -recreation and common gaming-houses, "which promote cheating and other -corrupt practices, and incite to idleness and avariciousness persons -whose time might otherwise be employed to the general good of the -community."</p> - -<p>The principle to be extracted was that gaming productive of the above -evils ought to be considered unlawful, and he (Sir James) considered -that the game of baccarat was not "a game played for recreation, -whereby a person is fitted for the ordinary duties of life." A great -deal had been said upon the subject of large and excessive gambling, -and the argument had been advanced that games which would be large and -risky and excessive for a man who was in the position of a shop-keeper, -would be nothing, trifles infinitesimal,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> in the eyes of a man of large -property. Granted that was so, still there might be cases in which the -law could be easily applied, and he thought this was one. Referring -to the rules of the Park Club, which was to consist of noblemen, -members of the learned professions, officers of the Army and Navy, and -gentlemen, Sir James observed that a man at the game in question might -lose, with consistent bad luck, £1000 before dinner, and a considerable -sum in addition afterwards. Would there be any difficulty in saying -that that was large and excessive gambling in the case of members of -the learned professions, clergymen, bishops, great leading counsel -of the day, or even judges with the largest salaries, physicians, -and so forth? Gaming such as had been proved to exist would be large -and excessive for any of those classes of men, and still more so for -officers of the Army and Navy. He had no hesitation in saying, with -reference to the gentlemen composing the Club at Mr. Jenks's house, -that gaming had been large and excessive, and that it came within the -principle of the law laid down by Chief Justice Abbot in the case of -"King <i>v.</i> Rosier." But he considered the case did not stop there, and -proceeded to refer at great length to the Act of Queen Anne, limiting -gambling.</p> - -<p>In conclusion, the learned Magistrate held that all the parties, with -the exception of Mr. Dalton (secretary), had been guilty of gaming. He -fined Mr. Jenks £500, the members of the committee £500, and each of -the players £100.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> - -<p>Notice of appeal was given.</p> - -<p>The appeal was brought on May 26 and 27, and in giving judgment, Sir -Henry Hawkins (afterwards Lord Brampton), after saying that the facts -were undisputed—there was no profit except on the gaming, though from -the admirable printed rules one might well conclude that the Club was -a sociable Club, where a gentleman might dine and have his rubber -at whist, whilst not on any account allowed to gamble. The rules in -question were, however, nightly disregarded, and looking at the nightly -doings, it was impossible for any man in his senses to doubt that the -house was really opened and kept for the purpose of gaming at the game -of baccarat as its main and principal object.</p> - -<p>He now had to consider the illegality of the gaming and not merely the -illegality of the game—the common law did not prohibit the playing at -cards and dice, which were not unlawful games, but the keeping of a -common gaming-house was at common law an indictable offence.</p> - -<p>Sir Henry Hawkins, after some comments on what constituted a -gaming-house, went on to say that in his judgment it was not necessary -for a gaming-house to be a public nuisance, which the Park Club was -not:—a common gaming-house being itself a nuisance, though the gaming -there was limited to the subscribers and members of the Club. The -keeper of such a house could always admit or exclude whom he chose, and -the committee elected whom they pleased, provided the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> list of members -did not exceed 500. It might be 5000 and yet still not be a public, but -a common gaming-house.</p> - -<p>As to unlawful games—no games had been in so many words declared by -name unlawful, though the Legislature intended to cover some games -which, being lawful in themselves, were only unlawful when played in -particular places or by particular persons. The Act of 1845 enacted -that a house is proved to be a common gaming-house which is kept for -playing any unlawful games and a bank is kept by one or more of the -players, exclusively of the others, or where the chances of any game -played are not alike favourable to all the players.</p> - -<p>He divided unlawful games into two classes:</p> - -<p>First, those absolutely forbidden by name, to the gaming at which a -penalty is attached. This class included "ace of hearts," "pharaoh or -faro," "basset," and "hazard," and any other game with a die or dice -except backgammon.</p> - -<p>Second, a number of games not altogether prohibited under penal -consequences, nor declared to be altogether illegal, but which, -nevertheless, have been declared unlawful by the Legislature, because -the keeping of houses for playing them, and the play in them therein by -anybody, were rendered illegal.</p> - -<p>The unlawful games of the Acts of Henry VIII. were "bowls," "quoits," -"dicing," "tennis," and "carding," most of which would seem to have -been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> games of mere skill. The Acts in question were all repealed by 8 -and 9 Vic.</p> - -<p>The present unlawful games, then, were "ace of hearts," "faro," -"basset," "hazard," "passage," "roulette," and every game of dice -except backgammon, and every game of cards which was not a game of -"mere skill." He was inclined to add any other game of "mere chance."</p> - -<p>The question was, did "baccarat" come within this category?—the -description of the game given by Mr. Russell satisfied him that it did.</p> - -<p>Baccarat was a game of cards—a game of chance—and though, as in most -other things, experience and judgment might make one player or banker -more successful than another, it would be a perversion of words to say -it was in any sense a game of mere skill. It was, therefore, in his -opinion an unlawful game within the meaning of the statute.</p> - -<p>It was said that it was a modern game—assuming it to be so, it was -just what the Legislature intended to include in the phraseology of one -unrepealed section of the law of Henry VIII., which mentioned "any new -unlawful game hereafter to be invented."</p> - -<p>With regard to excessive gaming since the repeal of the statutes of -Anne and George II., he did not think excessive gaming at any game -would in itself render the game unlawful, for excessive gaming <i>per se</i> -was not any longer a legal offence. Nevertheless, though excessive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> -gaming was no longer <i>per se</i> unlawful, the fact that it was habitually -carried on in a house kept for the purpose of gaming was a cogent piece -of evidence to be offered to a jury or other tribunal called on to -determine whether a house was a common gaming-house so as to make the -keeper of it liable to be indicted for a nuisance at common law.</p> - -<p>Seeing that Mr. Jenks was the occupier and kept the house open for -the purpose of gaming, at, amongst other games, baccarat, an unlawful -game within the meaning of the Statute, he was of opinion that he was -properly convicted.</p> - -<p>As to the four members of the committee, the only question was whether -these appellants had the care or management of the house—he thought -they had—they could not but have been cognisant of the rules and of -the true character of the Club. The second rule of the Club placed its -internal management in their hands—he thought there was abundance of -evidence to warrant their conviction.</p> - -<p>As to the three players, he found no evidence that they did more than -play at baccarat in the house, by which it might be that they somewhat -enhanced the profits, but they took no part in the management. Adding -to the profits was not a legal offence, as assistance in conducting the -establishment was—the conviction with respect to the three players -ought to be quashed.</p> - -<p>Mr. Justice Smith followed, and his summing up entirely coincided with -that of Sir Henry Hawkins. This lucid judgment is of considerable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> -interest as affecting games played in English Clubs, and did much to -clear up all ambiguity as to how far a Club might allow gambling. It -put an end to all open baccarat, though the game was shortly afterwards -played for a time at "The Field Club," near St. James's Street, an -establishment which much resembled the defunct Park Club in its -diversions, members, and methods, but the police soon interfered, and -with its demise Club gambling at games of chance has become a thing of -the past, except in the low dens of Soho, where faro intermittently -calls for the intervention of the authorities. Police raids upon bogus -Clubs mainly frequented by foreigners of a low class are often reported -in the newspapers.</p> - -<p>As regards respectable Clubs, a certain amount of bridge, usually for -very moderate stakes, is indulged in, but gambling for high stakes is -strongly discountenanced. Members inclined to indulge any tendencies -in this direction generally do so elsewhere than in a Club. From time -to time small Clubs in which there is some high play have sprung up -and had a brief existence. When bridge first began to capture London, -a bridge Club was started in the West End where very high stakes were -the rule. It lasted but a short time, owing chiefly to the fact that a -young and not very astute member lost a very large sum, which created -considerable scandal and broke up the Club.</p> - -<p>High bridge is now played in London mostly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> by wealthy people, well -able to take care of themselves. The outcry raised some time ago about -young girls being compelled to join in playing for large stakes is not -based upon any solid foundation of truth, for as a rule high players -are not fond of running the chance of drawing a novice as a partner. A -bad player spoils the game.</p> - -<p>Though there is practically no gambling in West-End Clubs, a good deal -of baccarat and poker is occasionally played in private houses, ladies -being not infrequently amongst the players, and here gaming assumes -its most undesirable form. Temper as well as money is generally lost, -whilst the winners are exposed to a by no means remote probability of -never being paid. Private gambling is especially dangerous to young -men, and without doubt a thousand times more harm is done by play of -this sort than by all the properly conducted public tables in the -world.</p> - - - - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> The love of money compels.</p></div></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph2"><a name="V" id="V">V</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span>Talleyrand whilst at cards announces the death of the Duc -d'Enghien—"The curse of Scotland"—Wilberforce at faro—Successful -gamblers—The Rev. Caleb Colton—Colonel Panton—Dennis -O'Kelly—Richard Rigby—Anecdotes—Strange incidents at -play—Aged gamesters—A duel with death—General Wade and the -poor officer—Anecdote of a caprice of Fortune—Stock Exchange -speculation—A man who profited by tips.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>The history of card-playing is connected with many dramatic incidents. -If the story be true, one of the most striking of these was when -Talleyrand, who had been playing very late at "<i>la bouillotte</i>" with -the Duchesse de Luynes, suddenly laid down his cards, and in his cold, -impassive voice asked, "Has the Prince de Condé any other grandchildren -than the Duc d'Enghien?" Receiving an answer in the negative he calmly -said, "Then the house of Condé has come to an end."</p> - -<p>At that very moment the ill-fated Duc was being led out to be shot at -the château of Vincennes.</p> - -<p>A grim historical interest is also generally supposed to be connected -with the nine of diamonds, which is known as "the curse of Scotland," -the reason assigned being that the Duke of Cumberland wrote his -sanguinary orders on the back of such a card in 1746. Notwithstanding -this popular<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> tradition, the nine of diamonds had been known as "the -curse of Scotland" as far back as thirty years before Culloden—perhaps -because a somewhat similar design formed the arms of Colonel Packer, -who was on the scaffold when Charles I. was executed. Another reason -given is that there were nine lozenges resembling diamonds in the arms -of the Earl of Stair who made the Union.</p> - -<p>Cards have at times attracted the most saintly persons. The first time -the philanthropic Wilberforce was at Brooks's he joined in playing -faro—according to his own account—from mere shyness. A friend of -his, very much surprised, called out to him, "What, Wilberforce, is -that you?" George Selwyn, who was keeping the bank, resented the -interference, and said in his most expressive tones, "Oh, sir, don't -interrupt Mr. Wilberforce, he could not be better employed."</p> - -<p>Oddly enough, one of the most remarkable instances of a really -successful gambler was an English clergyman, the Reverend Caleb Colton. -A man of considerable learning, he was originally a fellow of King's -College, Cambridge, and curate of Tiverton. In 1812 he created some -slight stir with two poems entitled "Hypocrisy" and "Napoleon." His -literary reputation was further enhanced in 1818, when the author -had become Vicar of Kew, by the publication of a volume of maxims -called <i>Lacon: or Many Things in Few Words</i>. This work, however, -was not absolutely original, being in a great measure founded upon -Lord Bacon's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> <i>Essays</i>, Burdon's <i>Materials for Thinking</i>, and the -well-known aphorisms of La Rochefoucauld.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusc03.jpg" alt="bouillotte" /> -<a id="illusc03" name="illusc03"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">La Bouillotte.</span><br/> - -From a scarce print after Bosio.</p> - -<p>About this time Mr. Colton began to speculate, and, having dabbled -rather recklessly in Spanish bonds, his affairs became involved. This -frightened the reverend gentleman, and, though there appears to have -been no pressing reason for taking such a step, he absconded.</p> - -<p>His affairs were subsequently put in order, after which Mr. Colton for -a time betook himself to America, eventually returning to Europe and -settling down in Paris. Here he took up his abode in the Palais Royal, -at that time the head-quarters of dissipation and amusement—surely the -queerest spot ever selected by an English clergyman for his abode.</p> - -<p>Colton now began to make an exhaustive study of the intricacies and -mysteries of the gaming-table, every facility for putting theory into -practice being at his very door. Unlike most searchers after infallible -methods of winning, he was completely successful, and in the course -of a year or two won over £25,000 by some method of staking, of which -no reliable record seems to exist. More wonderful still, the Reverend -Caleb kept his winnings, part of which he devoted to the purchase of -pictures. He was a cultivated man, and published an ode, which was -privately circulated, on the death of Lord Byron.</p> - -<p>The end of Mr. Colton was a tragic one, for in 1832 he blew out his -brains at the house of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> friend living at Fontainebleau. The act in -question was, of course, attributed to the effect of gambling losses. A -thrilling story was told which described how the unfortunate clergyman, -after ruinous losses at Frascati's, had blown his brains out in the -forest of St. Germain, and, as always follows in such cases, an outcry -arose, demanding the suppression of the tables in the Palais Royal -and at Frascati's. Gambling, however, was in no way responsible for -Colton's end, the real cause of his suicide having been a disease -necessitating a painful operation, to which the successful gambler -preferred death.</p> - -<p>A very fortunate gamester was Colonel Panton, who in the early part -of the eighteenth century suddenly realised a considerable fortune by -keeping a gaming-house in Piccadilly. Though by nature a confirmed -gambler he then exhibited extraordinary common sense, and, having -invested his winnings in house property and land, entirely abandoned -the card-table and the dice-box. His name is still preserved in Panton -Street, Haymarket.</p> - -<p>Another sporting character who amassed a large fortune by gambling -and the Turf was Colonel Dennis O'Kelly,<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> the owner of the famous -race-horse Eclipse.</p> - -<p>The rank of Colonel which this Irishman was entitled to assume was -procured by him in a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> characteristically curious way. In 1760, when -the county of Middlesex was very backward in raising sufficient men -for its militia, a well-known Scotch adventurer, MacGregor by name, -whose family had suffered a good deal for the Stuarts in 1745, seeing -a good opportunity of making some money, set about raising a regiment -in Westminster which the Government promised to recognise as soon -as three-fourths of the commissions should be filled up. He found, -however, difficulty in obtaining officers and had to ransack the town -and hold out commissions to all sorts of people, amongst whom was -O'Kelly, who became an ensign, in due course of time rising to be -Lieutenant-Colonel. O'Kelly, though totally ignorant of discipline, is -said to have presented the most soldierly appearance of any officer in -the regiment. This was not saying much, for the third captain was a -tea-dealer, the fourth a tailor, and the fifth a boatswain's mate who -had bought an ale-house with prize-money and could just sign his name. -The most junior officer was a crippled creature of foreign extraction.</p> - -<p>When O'Kelly became a major, he is described as having put his regiment -through certain military evolutions to the entire satisfaction of the -King and his staff, whilst his Lieutenant-Colonelcy was celebrated by a -splendid entertainment which many of the aristocracy of Leicestershire -attended. O'Kelly was sometimes known as Count O'Kelly, a title which -was supposed to have been conferred<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> upon him by his fellow-prisoners -during a sojourn in the "Fleet" when he was a young man. Here he met -Catherine Hayes, who lived as his faithful companion through life. -Though she was never married to him, her position was more or less -recognised, and O'Kelly left her an annuity which she continued to -enjoy till she died, in the second decade of the nineteenth century, at -the age of eighty-five.</p> - -<p>Among many racing successes O'Kelly won the Derby twice—in 1781 with -Young Eclipse by Eclipse, and three years later again with Sergeant by -Eclipse out of Aspasia.</p> - -<p>His racing colours were scarlet and black cap.</p> - -<p>Whilst there is no doubt but that O'Kelly was very lucky in much that -he undertook, his originality and penetration were largely responsible -for a success which, however, never gained him admission into -fashionable circles.</p> - -<p>Though a hospitable man of a certain genial humour, O'Kelly was not -very open-handed to dependents. In spite of his affluence he was -even mean enough to keep jockeys of the poorer class out of their -money, season after season, being sometimes even sued by them in -the law courts, and personally dunned on the race-course stands. In -such a place, on one disgraceful occasion, an old sportsman made -the Captain look extremely small by apostrophising him as a mean, -low-lived, waiter-bred skunk. In spite of these failings O'Kelly -achieved a certain popularity by the good dinners<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> and excellent wines -which he provided at his house at Epsom, his dry and truly Irish -facetiousness affording the highest zest to those entertainments. At -his country house he would never allow any betting or gambling. A -constant subject of jest amongst his familiars was the tone in which -at dinner he used to say, "John, bring the aaples," meaning the pines, -and the whimsicality with which he would apostrophise his servant on -certain occasions. The latter having announced the non-arrival of -fish, "Begorra," said his master, "and if you can't get any fish, -bring herrings." O'Kelly was a gentlemanly and even graceful man -in behaviour, a strong contrast to his bear-like figure, dark and -saturnine visage, with the accompaniment of his rough striped coat and -old round hat. A quite peaceable man, though a true-bred Milesian, -O'Kelly never had the smallest appetite for fighting with any weapon -whatever. He was a great contrast in this respect to the bullying -Dick England, with whom he once became involved in a law-suit. He -was ambitious of honour and distinction, a proof of which was his -successful pretension to military rank. In the darling object of his -life, however, capricious fortune left him in the lurch; the Jockey -Club, whose action in this matter was generally approved, steadily -refusing to admit among them a parvenu, not, perhaps, of unequivocal -character. This O'Kelly, so much of a philosopher in other things, did -not possess philosophy enough to forgive, but, in revenge, never failed -to characterise<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> the honourable body which refused to admit him by the -very hardest professional names which his wit and bitterness could -devise.</p> - -<p>Very much aggrieved at not being admitted into certain of the Clubs -at Newmarket and in London, which were frequented by aristocratic -sportsmen, he never lost an opportunity of retaliating on those whom he -deemed responsible for his exclusion.</p> - -<p>On one occasion, when making an arrangement to retain the services of -a certain jockey, he told him he had no objection to his riding for -any other person provided he had no horse running in the same race; -adding, however, that he would be prepared to double his terms provided -he would enter into an arrangement and bind himself under a penalty -never to ride for any of the black-legged fraternity. The consenting -jockey saying that he did not quite understand who the Captain meant -by the black-legged fraternity, the latter instantly replied with his -usual energy, "Oh, by ——, my dear, and I'll soon make you understand -who I mean by the black-legged fraternity:—there's the Duke of G., the -Duke of D., Lord A., Lord D., Lord G., Lord C., Lord F., the Right Hon. -A.B.C.D., and C.I.F., and all the set of thaves that belong to their -humbug societies and bug-a-boo Clubs, where they can meet and rob one -another without detection."</p> - -<p>This curious definition of the black-legged fraternity is a -sufficiently clear demonstration of how severely O'Kelly felt himself -affected by his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> rejection. He made a point of embracing every -opportunity of saying anything to excite the irascibility of the -sporting aristocracy, whilst shirking no difficulty or expense to -obtain that pre-eminence upon the Turf which he eventually enjoyed. -Dining at the stewards' ordinary at Burford races, in the year 1775, -Lord Robert Spencer in the chair, Lord Abingdon and many other noblemen -being present, matches and sweepstakes as usual, after dinner, were -proposed and entered into for the following year—amongst the rest, -one between Lord A. and Mr. Baily, of Rambridge, in Hampshire, for 300 -gs. h. ft., when the Captain was once or twice appealed to by Mr. B. -in adjusting the terms, and Lord A. happened to exclaim that he and -the gentleman on his side the table ran for honour, the Captain and -his friends for profit. The match was at length agreed upon in terms -not conformable to the Captain's opinion, and consequently, when he -was applied to by B. to stand half, he vociferously replied, "No, but -if the match had been made cross and jostle, as I proposed, I would -have not only stood all the money, but have brought a spalpeen from -Newmarket, no higher than a twopenny loaf, that should (by ——!) have -driven his Lordship's horse and jockey into the furzes, and have kept -him there for three weeks."</p> - -<p>His support of and attachment to Ascot was strikingly conspicuous. -During the races there he ran a horse each day for years, whilst his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> -presence and his pocket enlivened the hazard-table at night.</p> - -<p>Here it was that, seeing him turning over a quire of bank-notes, a -gentleman asked him what he was in want of, when he replied he was -looking for a little one. The inquirer said he could accommodate him, -and desired to know for what sum. Upon which he answered, a "fifty, or -something of that sort, just to set the caster." At this time it was -supposed he had seven or eight thousand pounds in his hand, but not -a note for less than a hundred. He always threw with great success, -and when he held the box, was seldom known to refuse throwing for any -sum that the company chose to set him; and when "out" was always as -liberal in setting the caster, and preventing a stagnation of trade -at the table. On the other hand, his large capital and good luck not -infrequently captured the last guinea of the bank.</p> - -<p>It was O'Kelly's usual custom to carry a great number of bank-notes -in his waistcoat pocket, wisped up together with the greatest -indifference. Playing at a hazard-table at Windsor during the races, as -a standing better (every chair being full), a strange hand was observed -by those on the opposite side of the table, furtively drawing two notes -out of his pocket. The alarm was given, and the hand as instantaneously -withdrawn, the notes being left more than half out of the pocket. The -company were eager for the offender to be taken before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> a magistrate, -and many attempted to secure him for that purpose, but the Captain -very philosophically seizing the thief by the collar, merely kicked -him downstairs with the exultant exclamation that "'twas a sufficient -punishment to be deprived of the pleasure of keeping company with -jontlemen."</p> - -<p>On one occasion, when at Newmarket, O'Kelly offered to bet a -considerable sum with a gentleman who knew nothing about the -redoubtable Irishman. The stranger, half suspecting that the challenge -came from one of the black-legged fraternity, begged to know what -security he would give for so large a sum, if he should lose, and -where his estates lay. "O! Begorra, my dear creature, I have the map -of them about me, and here it is, sure enough," said O'Kelly, pulling -out a pocket-book, and giving unequivocal proofs of his property, by -producing bank-notes far exceeding in value the amount of the wager.</p> - -<p>Besides having been owner of the equine wonder Eclipse, old O'Kelly -was in his last years the possessor of a wonderful parrot said to have -been purchased at Bristol, where it had been bred—the only parrot of -this kind ever born in England. This extraordinary bird died at a great -age in the early years of the nineteenth century. It was of moderate -size, chiefly green in colour, with some grey and red, and spoke with a -clear and distinct articulation, and with so little inferiority to the -female human voice divine, that when its tones were heard outside in -the street, people would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> dispute as to whether the voice was that of a -woman or a parrot.</p> - -<p>After O'Kelly's death it became the property of his nephew and heir, -Colonel Andrew O'Kelly, who lived in Half-Moon Street, which quiet -thoroughfare was very much enlivened by the performances of the parrot -at a window. When pressed to sing by passers-by, lively Poll would -swear and laugh at them, all the time spreading and fluttering its -wings in triumph. The bird's favours were divided between an old lady -and the Colonel, with both of whom it would converse on a variety of -topics. When the latter was returning home. Poll, if at the window, -would espy him across the street, upon which it would instantly clap -its wings, and set up an impatient squalling—"The Colonel! the -Colonel is coming! open the door!" If in a bad mood and asked to talk, -Poll would sometimes reply sullenly, "I'll see you damn'd first!" At -times, especially if not near the window, with the sash up below its -cage—which was the bird's favourite place—being asked, "How d'ye do -to-day, Poll?" the parrot would curtly answer, "Why, I don't know," -"Middling," or "What's that to you?"</p> - -<p>Colonel O'Kelly was very proud of his bird and had regular "parrot -concerts," on which occasions Half-Moon Street was filled with -carriages and an admiring crowd, to such a degree as to be scarcely -passable. Although solicited by many distinguished people, the Colonel -did not permit his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> parrot to leave his home and pay visits. So great -became the parrot's renown that his owner was once offered a very large -sum, by a well-known caterer of amusements, to allow Poll to appear in -public, the bird's life to be heavily insured.</p> - -<p>Colonel O'Kelly, it should be added, had profited by the good English -and French education which his uncle had bestowed upon him. He was -Lieutenant-Colonel in the Middlesex Militia, and pursued the Turf with -some spirit.</p> - -<p>Another gambler who achieved prosperity was Mr. Richard Rigby, who rose -to affluence owing to an incident on a race-course.</p> - -<p>Having at an early age inherited a comfortable fortune, young Mr. Rigby -proceeded to squander it whilst yet incapable of appreciating the value -of money. Gaming, racing, and other forms of getting into difficulties -occupied his time, with the result that most of his inheritance soon -passed into the hands of lawyers and money-lenders. He would probably -have sunk into a state of abject destitution had not the Turf, which -had so largely contributed to diminish his fortune, also been the means -of restoring him to opulence.</p> - -<p>The Duke of Bedford of that day had given great offence to the -gentlemen in the neighbourhood of Litchfield, by an improper and unfair -interference at their races; and as at the end of the eighteenth -century it was by no means safe or easy effectually to punish a man -fortified by rank, privilege, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> wealth, they at last determined to -bestow on this illustrious offender manual correction. The overbearing -conduct of the Duke in some matter relating to the starting of their -horses, and their weights, in which he had no kind of right to -interfere, soon afforded the confederates an opportunity of executing -their purpose. He was in one moment separated from his attendants, -surrounded by the party, hustled and unmercifully horsewhipped by an -exasperated country attorney, with a keen sense of his wrongs and a -muscular arm. The lawyer persevered in this severe discipline without -being interrupted by his Grace's outcries and repeated declarations -that he was the Duke of Bedford, an assertion which Mr. Humphries, the -assailant, positively denied, adding that a peer of the realm would -never have conducted himself in so scandalous a manner. The matter -soon circulated over the course, and reaching Mr. Rigby's ear, the -latter with a generous, if perhaps calculated gallantry, burst through -the crowd, rescued the distressed noble, completely thrashed his -antagonist, and conveyed the Duke to a place of safety.</p> - -<p>The result of this affair was most fortunate for the spendthrift, who, -as a consequence, eventually amassed a huge fortune.</p> - -<p>The Russell family were very grateful for the singular service which -Mr. Rigby had rendered to the Duke, whose rescuer was loaded with -favours. These eventually culminated in his obtaining the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> most -lucrative office in the gift of the Crown, that of Paymaster-General; -the emoluments arising from which, during the American War, amounted -annually to £50,000.</p> - -<p>In 1782, on Lord North's retirement, Mr. Rigby lost his post, and -was also called upon to refund a large sum declared to be public -money which should have been accounted for. Under these circumstances -Rigby applied to Thomas Rumbold, who, originally a waiter at White's, -had risen to be Governor of Madras. Whilst fulfilling his duties in -St. James's Street, the latter had often advanced Rigby, who was a -desperate punter, small sums, and on this occasion his services were -once more sought. The ex-waiter had returned to England with immense -wealth, procured, it was declared, by very doubtful means. Public -indignation having been aroused, a bill to strip the Anglo-Indian of -his ill-gotten gains had been introduced in the House of Commons.</p> - -<p>Under these circumstances an arrangement was effected, which settled -his own difficulties and at the same time saved the fortune of his old -friend from White's.</p> - -<p>The latter advanced Rigby a large sum, which enabled him to adjust -matters regarding the missing money, whilst the bill of confiscation -was dropped, its introducer being an intimate friend of the former -Paymaster.</p> - -<p>Rigby's nephew and heir soon after married Rumbold's daughter, so all -ended happily owing,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> as it was said, to Rigby's former devotion to -hazard.</p> - -<p>Mr. Rigby appears to have been a generous man, as the following -anecdote shows. Being one evening at a hazard-table in Dublin he was -very successful; and having won a considerable sum, he was putting it -in his purse when a person behind said in a low voice to himself, "Had -I that sum, what a happy man should I be!" Mr. Rigby, without looking -back, put the purse over his shoulder, saying, "Take it, my friend, and -be happy." The stranger made no reply, but accepted it, and retired. -Every one present was astonished at Mr. Rigby's uncommon beneficence, -whilst he derived additional pleasure from being informed that the -person who had received the benefit was a half-pay officer in great -distress. Some years after, a gentleman waited upon him in his own -equipage, and being introduced to Mr. Rigby, acquainted him that he -came to acquit a debt that he had contracted with him in Dublin. Mr. -Rigby was greatly surprised at this declaration, as he was an entire -stranger. "Yes, sir," continued the visitor, "you assisted me with -above a hundred pounds at a time that I was in the utmost indigence, -without knowing or even seeing me"; and then related the affair at the -gaming-table. "With that money," continued the stranger, "I was enabled -to pay some debts and fit myself out for India, where I have been so -fortunate as to make an ample fortune." Mr. Rigby declined to take -the money,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> but, through the pressing solicitations of the gentleman, -accepted a valuable diamond ring.</p> - -<p>The strange incidents which arose at the old hazard-tables, frequented -as they were by all sorts and conditions of men, often produced strange -changes in men's lives.</p> - -<p>General Wade had so great a propensity to gaming, that he frequented -places of every description where play was going forward, without -considering the low company he met there. At one of these places, one -night, in the eagerness of his diversion, he pulled out an exceedingly -valuable gold snuff-box, richly set with diamonds, took a pinch, and -passed it round, keeping the dice-box four or five mains before he -was "out," when recollecting something of the circumstances, and not -perceiving the snuff-box, he swore vehemently no man should stir till -it was produced, and a general search should ensue. On his right sat a -person dressed as an officer, very shabby, who from time to time, with -great humility, had begged the honour of going a shilling with him, and -had by that means picked up four or five; on him the suspicion fell, -and it was proposed to search him first. Begging leave to be heard, he -said, "I know the General well; not he, nor all the powers upon earth, -shall subject me to a search while I have life to oppose it. I declare, -on the honour of a soldier, I know nothing of the snuff-box, and hope -that will satisfy all suspicions: follow me into the next room, where I -will defend that honour, or perish!" The eyes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> of all were now turned -on the General for an answer, who, clapping his hand eagerly down for -his sword, felt the snuff-box (supposed to have been lost, and put -there from habit) in a secret side-pocket of his breeches, made for -that purpose. The injustice of his suspicions greatly affected the -General, who naturally felt a good deal of compassion for his poor -fellow-soldier. Overcome with remorse, he at once left the room, having -said, "Sir, I here, with great reason, ask your pardon, and I hope to -find it granted by your breakfasting with me, and hereafter ranking -me among your friends." As may be easily supposed the invitation -was complied with, and when, after some conversation, the General -conjured the officer to say what could be the true reason that he -should object to being searched: "Why, General," was the answer, "being -upon half-pay, and friendless, I am obliged to husband every penny; -I had that day very little appetite, and as I could not eat what I -had paid for, nor afford to lose it, the leg and wing of a fowl were -then wrapped up in a piece of paper in my pocket; the thought of which -coming to light, appeared ten times more terrible than fighting every -one in the room." "Enough! my dear boy, you have said enough! Let us -dine together to-morrow; we must prevent your being subjected again to -such a dilemma." They met the next day, and the General then gave him a -captain's commission, together with a purse of guineas to enable him to -join his regiment.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p> - -<p>Whilst fortune as a rule seems to delight in favouring novices at -play, and is somewhat pitiless to those who have wooed her for years, -there have been certain old gamblers who, by making a study of some -particular game, have attained to such perfection in playing it as -seldom to lose. With some of these play endures as a dominant passion -after almost all the other faculties have become impaired.</p> - -<p>Not very many years ago a well-known figure in a certain Parisian Club, -existing mainly for the purposes of play, was an old gentleman who, -paralysed below the waist, was most afternoons carried upstairs in an -invalid chair, placed in a fauteuil, and propped up with cushions in -order that he might hold a bank at his favourite écarté, a game at -which he was an expert of the highest kind.</p> - -<p>Up to within a day or two of his death he continued to indulge in a -game which was practically his only link with the living world, his -faculties, though usually somewhat clouded, recovering all their old -vitality as far as concerned the purposes of the card-table.</p> - -<p>A case of much the same sort was described by Brillat Savarin, who, -in the country where he resided, knew an old guardsman who had served -under Louis XV. and Louis XVI.</p> - -<p>This aged individual, rather below than above the average of ordinary -men in general intelligence, possessed an extraordinary aptitude for -games—an expert at all the old ones, he would master any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> novelty in -this line after having played it once or twice.</p> - -<p>With the advent of old age he had become paralysed—two faculties -alone remaining unimpaired—that of digestion and that of play. Every -day for twenty years he had been in the habit of frequenting a house -where he was made welcome. Here he would sit in a semi-comatose -condition, hidden away in a corner, seemingly indifferent to anything -that was done or said. When, however, the card-table was drawn out, -he immediately revived, and having dragged himself to a seat, soon -demonstrated that his powers as a gamester were as brilliant as in the -long dead past when he was a dashing officer at Versailles.</p> - -<p>One day there came down into this part of France a Parisian banker who -was soon discovered to be a passionate votary of piquet, a game which -he declared himself ready to play with any one for very large stakes. -A council of war was held, and eventually it was decided that the old -guardsman should champion country against town, a war fund being raised -by general subscription, winnings or losings to be allocated according -to the size of the different shares.</p> - -<p>When the banker sat down to the card-table to find himself confronted -by a grim, gaunt, twisted figure, he at first believed himself the -victim of a joke, but when he saw this spectre take the cards, shuffle -and deal with the air of a professor, he began to divine that no -unworthy antagonist<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> was pitted against him. This conclusion was -before long considerably strengthened, for the unfortunate Parisian -was outmatched in play to such an extent that he eventually retired -the loser of a very substantial sum. Before setting out for his return -journey to Paris, the banker in question, whilst thanking all he had -met for their hospitality, declared that there was only one thing he -had to deplore, which was having been so bold as to pit himself against -a corpse at cards.</p> - -<p>There is an awful story told of a gambler who refused to die, and who, -when <i>in extremis</i>, had the card-table drawn up to his bedside with -strong meats and drinks, and held the cards against Death himself; but -the grim tyrant held all the trumps, and soon snatched his prey.</p> - -<p>Utter absorption to extraneous influences brands gamblers as with a hot -iron, and so great is the fascination which play exercises over certain -natures, that there exist people who fully believe that there is only -one thing less pleasant than winning—which is to lose. The originator -of the maxim in question was Lieutenant-Colonel Aubrey, one of the -boldest and most adventurous men that England has ever known, who lived -on into the twentieth century.</p> - -<p>Piquet and hazard, particularly the former, were the games in which the -Colonel was known to excel, and on which he adventured greater sums -than any man living in his time. The Duke of York, George IV., Colonel -Fitzpatrick, Alderman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> Combe, and other distinguished personages were -his antagonists and associates at play, and he was always considered an -"honourable" man.</p> - -<p>The domination exercised by gambling sometimes amounts almost to -insanity, all sense of decency and proportion being lost. This was the -case with a certain English Colonel, who was so addicted to gambling, -that having one night lost all the money he could command, determined -to stake his wife's diamond ear-rings, and going straight home, asked -her to lend them to him. She took them from her ears, saying that she -knew for what purpose he wanted them, and that he was welcome. The -jewels in question proved lucky, and the Colonel won largely, gaining -back all that he had lost that night. In the warmth of his gratitude -to his wife, he, at her desire, took an oath that he would never more -play at any game with cards or dice. Some time afterwards he was found -in a hay-yard with a friend, drawing straws out of the hay-rick, and -betting upon which should be the longest! As might be expected, he -lived in alternate extravagance and distress, sometimes surrounded -with every sort of luxury, and sometimes in dire want of half a crown. -Nevertheless, he continued gambling all his life. Bewailing a run of -ill-luck to a serious friend one day, the soldier in question said, "Is -it not astonishing how I always lose?" "That's not what surprises me," -was the reply, "so much as where you get the money to pay." As a matter -of fact too many gamblers have taken much the same<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> point of view as -was adopted by a certain Italian gamester who, after an intolerable run -of ill-luck, apostrophised Fortune, calling her a vixenish jade.</p> - -<p>"Thou mayest," said he, "indeed cause me to lose millions, but I defy -thy utmost power to make me pay them."</p> - -<p>In certain rare instances fortune seems to delight in suddenly -showering her gifts upon some one who is not a gambler.</p> - -<p>A remarkable exemplification of this occurred in Australia not so -many years ago, when what was probably the biggest stake ever played -for was lost and won. A curious feature of the game having been that -neither winner nor loser knew that they were playing for anything but -an insignificant stake.</p> - -<p>A young Englishman, who had gone out to Australia with a slender -capital, was one day standing at the door of his hut, wondering if -fortune would ever smile upon him, when two travel-stained men, having -much the appearance of tramps, appeared and, saying that they had come -a long way, begged that they might be allowed to rest for the night. -In accordance with the traditions of Colonial hospitality, the young -man at once proceeded to do all he could to make his rough-looking -guests comfortable, and in due course sat down with them to the best -dinner which his slender resources could provide. The meal over, -pipes were lit, and conversation (always limited in remote regions), -being exhausted, one of the men<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> pulled out of his pocket an old -greasy-looking pack of cards and proposed a game. To make a long story -short the young man, who, it must be added, was no gambler, eventually -consented to hold a small bank at écarté against his two visitors. -He stipulated, however, that when either he or his opponents should -have chanced to lose such money as they had in their pockets, the game -should come to an end. For a time fortune wavered, but a sudden run in -favour of the host swept all the modest capital of his antagonists to -his side of the table.</p> - -<p>A discussion now ensued, the guests being anxious to continue the game, -declaring that any losings should be promptly remitted on their arrival -at the nearest town. The Englishman, however, was obdurate. "We agreed -to play for ready money only, and ready money it shall be," said he, -"your losses after all are trifling. We are all tired and had better -turn in."</p> - -<p>This was not at all to the taste of the losers, who argued and -entreated, with, however, complete lack of success, when suddenly one -of them said: "Bill, where's that bit of paper we got up country, -perhaps he'll play us for that." A well-thumbed document was then -produced which appeared to be the title to some plots of land up -country. The owners did not seem to attach any great importance to it, -for after some discussion it was eventually agreed that the document, -which the host considered a very flimsy security, should be estimated -as worth something like ten pounds; the game was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> resumed, and luck -continuing in the same direction, the Englishman went to bed with the -slip of paper in his pocket-book. The next morning the men proceeded on -their way, having, at the request of their host, given an address so -that, should any question arise as to the title of the land, they might -be referred to.</p> - -<p>About a week after this the Englishman, who had forgotten all about -the slip of paper, which he had sent, with some other securities, to -the bank, was once more standing in front of his hut, when a mounted -stranger appeared, and saying that he had come a long way, begged -for a night's entertainment and lodging. The new arrival, though -roughly-dressed, was a man who, it was easy to see, enjoyed the command -of a certain amount of money. He was, he declared, anxious to purchase -plots of land for which he professed himself ready to give a liberal -price. Particularly persistent in inquiring of his host if he knew of -any claims likely to be sold, he eventually elicited from him the story -of the bit of paper, over which he seemed to be very much amused. "I -expect," said he, "that it's worth nothing at all, but I've taken a -fancy to you and I daresay you won't be sorry to take a tenner for it." -The Englishman, however, said he would rather do nothing till he had -had another look at the paper in the bank. "Besides," he added, "I've a -fancy to keep it."</p> - -<p>"Well," replied the stranger, "that's queer. I'm a man of fancies too, -and though you may<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> think me a flat, I'll give you another chance—£20 -for the paper!"</p> - -<p>This offer and yet others of £30, £40, and at last of £50, having met -with no better success than the first, the stranger eventually dropped -the subject, and the next morning rode off, apparently very much amused -at what he called the pigheadedness of his host.</p> - -<p>About ten days passed and once more the same horseman appeared, this -time in a more serious mood. A veritable craving for the little bit of -paper, he said, had seized him, and as the thing was positively getting -on his mind he had ridden out to say that, to end the matter and do -his young friend a good turn, he was ready to give £200 (which he had -brought in cash) for it.</p> - -<p>The Englishman now began to think that the document was really -valuable, and bluntly told his visitor that no offer whatever would be -accepted.</p> - -<p>His estimate was correct. The bit of paper, won in the Australian hut -from two wandering miners, eventually gave its possessor a fortune of -something not very far short of a million pounds, for, owing to the -title which it conveyed, he became the largest shareholder in one of -the richest mines in all Australia. The lucky winner is alive to-day, -and makes no secret of the origin of his wealth, which came to him as -if by the stroke of some magic wand. It is only fair to say that in due -course he provided handsomely for the two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> miners who had played with -him what was almost certainly the highest game of écarté on record.</p> - -<p>The would-be purchaser, it afterwards appeared, was a speculator in -mines, who, having by some means or other learnt the value of the piece -of paper, had traced it with the intention of thus acquiring a highly -valuable property.</p> - -<p>The modern English view of gambling is a sadly confused one, the -card-table and the race-course being bitterly denounced, whilst -speculation in stocks and shares is considered an entirely legitimate -method of attempting to make money. As a matter of fact, in a great -number of instances, this amounts to no more or less than backing a -stock to either rise or fall in value. Outside brokers exist, it is -even said, who do not always actually buy or sell any shares at all, -but simply, as it were, allow their clients to bet with them on a -selected stock rising or falling in price. These are to all purpose -and effect mere bookmakers, though, for some unknown reason, their -calling is not regarded with the same odium which British austerity is -generally ready to affix to members of the Ring.</p> - -<p>For those who are not versed in the intricacies of City matters -speculation almost invariably results in loss, the odds being about 99 -to 1 against the ordinary individual proving successful.</p> - -<p>Speculation on the Stock Exchange, gambling generally, and betting on -the Turf are exactly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> similar from the point of view of the moralist; -there is no difference between all three.</p> - -<p>During the recent debates upon the Budget a member stated in the -House of Commons that ninety per cent of the business of the London -Stock Exchange was of a gambling description, and represented only -purchases made with a view to a rise in prices. He wished to see such -transactions taxed.</p> - -<p>The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied that were this done it might -stop such transactions altogether.</p> - -<p>Another member—Mr. Markham—supported such a tax, adding that he did -not wish to appear in a false light, and would admit that he gambled -himself, and, like most fools, always lost money—a remark which -excited considerable merriment.</p> - -<p>Unimpeachable information about stocks and shares has ruined many a -man—nothing indeed is more fatal, as a rule, than so-called good tips -about the rise and fall of stocks, which, when originating from an -inspired quarter, are so much sought after by speculators.</p> - -<p>There have, of course, been instances where tips have made people a -fortune.</p> - -<p>A few years ago an author, who, though fairly successful, had made -no particular stir in the literary world, and whose books did not -seem likely to have had a very enormous sale, suddenly purchased a -nice estate in which was included a luxurious country house, where he -began to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> entertain. An old friend of his on a visit frankly expressed -himself surprised at this sudden accession of prosperity, and alone one -wet day with his host in the smoking-room bluntly asked:</p> - -<p>"However did you make so much money, surely not by your books?"</p> - -<p>"No," was the reply, "by speculating in the City."</p> - -<p>"An experience as rare as it was pleasant—I suppose you were given -some good tips."</p> - -<p>"Yes, not taking them was the secret of my success!"</p> - -<p>The host then proceeded to explain that, chancing to know a number -of men in the City who were in the best possible position to have -sound information as to the rise and fall of stocks and shares, the -thought one day struck him that he might profit by such opportunities. -Accordingly he let it be known that he had a certain amount of money -which it was his intention to try and increase by careful speculation.</p> - -<p>Tips poured in upon him—he was entreated to become a bear of this and -a bull of that—people appeared anxious to put him into all sorts of -ventures, and he became the recipient of much "exclusive" information.</p> - -<p>His idea of speculation, however, was original. Told to buy a certain -stock he invariably sold it; warned of a coming fall, he speculated -for a rise; in fact it became his practice to act in a manner exactly -contrary to that indicated by his many<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> advisers, whom, meanwhile, he -kept in ignorance of what he was doing.</p> - -<p>By this curious and original method in a comparatively short time -he accumulated a comfortable fortune, and then decided to abandon -speculation and spend the rest of his days in prosperous ease.</p> - -<p>As this shrewd and fortunate speculator explained to his friend, human -nature must be reckoned with in all things, and in a vast number of -cases those who give tips are interested in the particular stocks which -they not unnaturally seek to bolster up—a really good thing does not -need much puffing.</p> - -<p>On the other hand, regular schemes to depress certain stocks are often -engineered in a most clever manner, adverse rumours being spread -as to a probable fall in order to facilitate large purchases at a -small figure; these having been made, the stock rises with startling -rapidity. The best maxim for speculators, not well versed in City -matters, is to take plenty of advice, and in the vast majority of cases -to operate in an exactly contrary way.</p> - - - - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> An excellent account of this adventurer is given by that -gifted writer Mr. Theodore Andrea Cook, in <i>Eclipse and O'Kelly</i>, -published two years ago.</p></div></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="VI" id="VI">VI</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span>Colonel Mellish—His early life and accomplishments—His -equipage—A great gambler—£40,000 at a throw!—Posting—Mellish's -racing career—His duel—In the Peninsula—Rural retirement -and death—Colonel John Mordaunt—His youthful freaks—An -ardent card-player—Becomes aide-de-camp to the Nawab of -Oude—Anecdotes—Death from a duel—Zoffany in India and his picture -of Mordaunt's cock-fight—Anecdotes of cock-fighting.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>Amongst the sporting characters of the past who flung their fortunes to -the winds at the gaming-table or on the race-course there were not a -few who were possessed of considerable intelligence and charm. Such a -one was the handsome, gallant, and accomplished Colonel Mellish, beyond -all doubt the Admirable Crichton of his day.</p> - -<p>The son of Mr. Charles Mellish, of Blyth Hall, near Doncaster, a -gentleman devoted to antiquarian research and obviously of very -different disposition from his son, Henry Mellish was born in 1780, and -coming into his kingdom after a long minority, plunged at once with -infinite zest into every form of patrician dissipation. It has been -said that he was at Eton, but his name does not appear in the school -lists. At any rate, whatever his school, he seems to have distinguished -himself at it by a variety of escapades, which culminated in his -running away and flatly refusing to return.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> In his seventeenth year -he joined the 11th Light Dragoons, from which he exchanged into the -10th Hussars, the smartest light cavalry regiment of the day, with the -Prince of Wales for its colonel. There is a tradition that Mellish was -granted perpetual leave lest his extravagance should corrupt the young -officers; but his subsequent career proves that he must at least have -seen enough of soldiering to have learned his duty. After he had left -the 10th Hussars, his name appears in the army list as an officer of -the 87th Royal Irish Regiment, and also as a major of the Sicilian -Legion, in which many Englishmen held honorary commissions. At the same -time, his name figures in the list of Lieutenant-Colonels. Mellish was -no mere fashionable spendthrift. He was a man of many accomplishments. -Nature, indeed, seemed to have qualified him for taking the lead, and -to have given him a temperament so ardent, as made it almost impossible -for him ever "to come in second."</p> - -<p>He understood music, and could draw, and paint in oil colours. As a -companion he was always in high spirits, and talked with animation on -every subject; whilst his conversation, if not abounding in wit, was -ever full of interesting information founded on fact and experience. He -had a manner of telling and acting a story that was perfectly dramatic. -He was at home with all classes, and could talk with the gentleman and -associate with the farmer.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span></p> - -<p>In Mellish culminated all the best of these various qualities which -were considered the appanage of a patrician sportsman of his day. A -most expert whip, no man drove four-in-hand with more skill and with -less labour than he did; and to display that skill he often selected -very difficult horses to drive, satisfied if they were goers. As a -rider he was equally eminent: for years after his death his memory -lingered in many a hunt, where he had led all the light weights of -Leicestershire, Rutlandshire, and Yorkshire, when he was himself riding -fourteen stone. His was the art of making a horse do more than other -riders, and he accustomed them, like himself, "to go at everything."</p> - -<p>The following stanza, one of those in a famous hunting song composed -when Lord Darlington, afterwards Duke of Cleveland, hunted the -Badsworth country, commemorates the young sportsman, who was well-known -as a daring rider with these hounds:—</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 35%;"> -Behold Harry Mellish, as wild as the wind,<br /> -On Lancaster mounted, leave numbers behind;<br /> -But lately returned from democrat France,<br /> -Where, forgetting to bet, he's been learning to dance. -</p> - -<p>A melancholy occurrence once gave him an opportunity of displaying, not -only his filial affection, but also his determination as a horseman. -Having heard the alarming intelligence of his mother's illness, he -mounted one of his barouche-horses to proceed to London, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> actually -rode from Brighton to East Grinstead, a distance of twenty miles, in an -hour and twenty minutes; the strain of this feat was so severe that on -arrival at his destination the gallant horse which had carried him fell -dead.</p> - -<p>As a runner he was by no means to be despised. He beat Lord Frederick -Bentinck (renowned for fleetness of foot) in a running match on -Newmarket Heath. For everything connected with sport Colonel Mellish -possessed a natural aptitude, as was universally recognised.</p> - -<p>In appearance he was a big man, who even as a youth weighed some twelve -stone. Nearly six feet high and admirably proportioned, the pallor -of his complexion was rendered more noticeable by his black hair and -brilliant eyes. In dress he had a great fondness for light hues and -usually wore a white "boat hat,"<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> white trousers, and silk stockings -of the same colour. When he arrived on the course at Newmarket his -barouche, which he drove himself, was drawn by four beautiful white -horses, whilst two out-riders in crimson liveries, also mounted on -white steeds, preceded this brilliant turn-out. Behind rode another -groom leading a thoroughbred hack, whilst yet another waited at the -rubbing post with a spare horse in case of accidents.</p> - -<p>At that time he had thirty-eight race-horses in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> training, seventeen -coach-horses, twelve hunters, four chargers, and a number of ordinary -hacks. The expenses of his establishment were enormous. Besides these -he lost very large sums at the gaming-table, where he once staked -£40,000 at a single throw and lost it. At his own home he gambled away -vast sums, and a table was formerly preserved at Blyth on which its -former owner had once lost £40,000 to the Prince Regent. At one sitting -at a London Club—it is said at Brooks's, though Mellish's name does -not appear in the list of former members—he rose the loser of £97,000, -and was leaving the Club-house, when he met the Duke of Sussex, who, -hearing what had happened, persuaded him to return and try his luck -once more. This he did, and in two or three hours won £100,000 off the -Duke, who paid as much of this sum as he could, promising to settle -the rest by a life annuity of £4000. It would, however, seem somewhat -doubtful whether the entire debt was ever liquidated.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact such large sums were often lost at hazard that it -was no infrequent thing for losers to compromise their debt by paying -an annuity to fortunate opponents. The impression that in old days all -gambling liabilities were scrupulously discharged on the spot is not -based upon any very solid foundation, and winners sometimes had the -greatest difficulty in getting their money. Under such circumstances -defaulters were occasionally posted.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> - -<p>The expression "posting a man" for not having paid a debt of honour is -now more or less figurative, but, as recently as the beginning of the -nineteenth century, defaulters were publicly posted.</p> - -<p>In September 1824, for instance, all Brighton was surprised to find the -following placard posted up at Lucombe's Library and other places of -the same sort:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p> - -<span class="smcap">Brighton</span>, <i>September 8, 1824</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Twice have I applied to the Earl of S. for the settlement of a bet, -and twice, having given him the offer of a reference, I was under -the necessity of requesting the satisfaction of a gentleman, which -he refused. As such, I post the Earl of S. as a man who constantly -refuses to pay his debts of honour, and a coward.</p> - -<p> -W.T.<br /> -</p></blockquote> - -<p>The above placard is said to have been induced by the refusal of a -certain Peer to answer a demand of £2000, for which no satisfactory -claim could be produced.</p> - -<p>To guard against the possibility of a duel, warrants were issued -against the nobleman and Mr. W.T. by the local magistrates. The Earl -was easily found, and bound in a recognisance of the peace. Mr. W.T., -however, could not be discovered, it being declared that he feared -criminal proceedings being taken.</p> - -<p>Most of the gamblers of a century ago were men of careless disposition, -and Colonel Mellish in particular lived in such a whirl of excitement -and gambled in such tremendous sums that a few thousands more or less -were at this time<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> very little to him. His life was devoted to frolics -of every kind. On one occasion after a ball at Doncaster, Mellish and -the Duke of Clarence sallied out for a lark and assisted in the arrest -of a man who had been fighting in the street. When the party reached -the prison, Mellish locked the Royal Duke in a cell and went off with -the key, which he delivered to his brother the Prince of Wales. The -Duke on his liberation took the joke very good-humouredly.</p> - -<p>It may be added that, like most born gamblers, Colonel Mellish lost -his money with the greatest coolness, ever accepting ill-luck with -imperturbable equanimity. The hazardous joys of racing were to him an -irresistible lure, and no more ardent supporter of the Turf than he -ever lived. His career as an owner of racers only extended over about -seven years, from 1801 to 1808, when financial difficulties obliged him -to abandon the sport to which he was devoted. The greatest financial -reverse he suffered was when Mr. Clifton's Fyldener won the St. Leger -in 1806. Over a million guineas are said to have changed hands over -this race, and Colonel Mellish lost an enormous sum. Nevertheless, as -a judge of racing there was no man held to be his equal. If indeed -judgment in such matters could preserve any one from ruin, then Mellish -should have kept his fortune. Endowed with mental qualities far above -those possessed by most sporting men, the owner of Blyth soon attained -a remarkable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> knowledge of the intricacies of the Turf, and the best -judges used to declare that they never knew a man who was better able -to gauge the powers, the qualities, and capabilities of the racer, as -well as the exact weights he could carry, and the precise distances he -could run. Unfortunately there was one side of the Turf life of his day -which he could not master, that was the rascality of those who took -care not to leave to accident the chances which made ultimate success -certain.</p> - -<p>Colonel Mellish was not only a most excellent judge of a race-horse, -but well acquainted with all the intricacies of managing a -racing-stable. He was universally admitted to be possessed of an -extraordinary capacity for making matches, and as a handicapper was -declared to be supreme. A careful investigation, however, of the old -Racing Calendars from 1805 to 1807 hardly confirms such an estimate of -the Colonel's abilities in this direction. In those three years he won -38 and received forfeit for 15 matches, losing 57 and paying forfeit -for 31; that is, he won £11,505 and lost £18,600 in stakes. In addition -to this he must, of course, have lost very large sums in bets.</p> - -<p>The most famous of all his matches was that between his Sancho and Lord -Darlington's Pavilion. There were really three matches. In the New -Claret Stakes at the Newmarket first Spring Meeting, 1805, Pavilion -beat Sancho and some other horses (6 to 4 Sancho, 7 to 1 Pavilion).<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> -Mellish then challenged Lord Darlington, and a match was run in the -summer at Lewes—four miles for three thousand guineas, Buckle riding -Sancho and Chifney Pavilion. Sancho (the non-favourite, 2 to 1) won -easily. Another match was run over the same distance on the same course -for two thousand guineas, 6 to 4 on Sancho, who broke down badly. -Mellish on this occasion lost altogether five thousand guineas, though -at one moment before the race he had been offered twelve hundred to -have it off. A third match for two thousand guineas over a mile at -Brighton was made in the same year, but Sancho had to pay forfeit. -Colonel Mellish's colours were white with crimson sleeves. His trainer -was Bartle Atkinson, who from the time of entering his service in 1802, -till 1807, turned out what was probably a greater number of winners -than any other private trainer for one owner has ever done in the same -period of time. In 1804 and 1805 he won the St. Leger with Sancho and -Staveley, and trained many winners besides. In spite of all these -successes, racing proved most disastrous to the Colonel's fortune, and -like the vast majority of racing-men of this stamp, he left the Turf a -ruined man. In his palmy days it is said that he never opened his mouth -to make a bet under £500.</p> - -<p>He wanted to be everything at once, and as the saying went, he was "at -all in the ring"; till by deep play, by racing and expenses of every -kind, and in every place, he found it necessary to part<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> with his -estate in order to satisfy the demands which obsessed him on all sides.</p> - -<p>Though the most popular of men, Colonel Mellish once had a serious -altercation with the Honourable Martin Hawke, and the result was a -duel, when the following conversation is said to have occurred—it -shows the light-hearted spirit of the combatants.</p> - -<p><i>Mellish.</i> "Take care of yourself, Hawke, for by —— I shall hit you."</p> - -<p><i>Hawke.</i> "I will, my lad, and let me recommend you to take care of your -own canister!"</p> - -<p>The seconds, on hearing this, agreed that they should not take aim, -but fire by signal, which was done. The Colonel missed, but Hawke's -shot took effect, by passing round the rim of his opponent's stomach, -and eventually penetrating his left arm; on which Mellish exclaimed, -"Hawke, you have winged me! Lend me your neckcloth to tie up the broken -pinion!" This was immediately complied with, and the arm being bound -up, they both returned in the same chaise, as good friends as ever!</p> - -<p>This duel was fought in 1807 in a field by the roadside, and originated -in a quarrel about the Yorkshire election, from which both duellists -were returning in their drags.</p> - -<p>Mellish would appear to have run a great risk of being killed, for -the Honourable Martin Hawke was a singularly gifted man and could do -incredible things with a pistol. Indeed his skill in that direction was -probably never equalled.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> His nerve and courage were of the highest -order.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hawke once fought a duel near Brussels with a certain Baron -Smieten. Whilst the seconds were measuring out the distance, he amused -himself by drawing a mail-coach with his stick on the bank of a sandy -ditch. One of the seconds, a guardsman, came up just as the finishing -touches were being put to the coachman's whip, and said "All's ready," -to which Hawke replied, "Just let me put the lash to this fellow's -whip." Having touched off this, he instantly proceeded to touch up his -antagonist, mentioning that as he had put him to so much trouble (they -fought over the frontiers) he must give him a touch, but would content -himself with spoiling his waltzing for a little; naming where and how -he would operate—and this he did to a hairbreadth.</p> - -<p>At one time the patron of all the superior pugilists, Colonel Mellish -first brought many of them into notice. He arranged the first battle -ever fought by the famous Tom Cribb, who was matched by the Colonel -against Nicholl, who beat him. Unfortunately for his gallant backer, -Cribb on this occasion entered the ring very drunk, and, of course, -fell an easy prey to an antagonist whom in future days the champion -of England would have beaten in ten minutes. Colonel Mellish likewise -made the match betwixt Gully and the Game Chicken; the former of whom -he caused to "give in," much against his inclination. The Colonel's -humanity<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> on this occasion cost him a large sum, as he had backed Gully -heavily. Nevertheless, he insisted upon his yielding, the man being -reduced to such a state of weakness that his supporter was afraid of an -accidental blow proving fatal.</p> - -<p>At the time of the Peninsular campaign a regular crisis occurred -in Mellish's affairs, and Sir Rowland Ferguson appointed him his -aide-de-camp, and he went out to Spain. Previous to the battle of -Vimeiro, as the general officers were dining together, one of them -observed to Sir Rowland Ferguson that if the thing were not impossible, -he should have declared that an officer he had seen was a gentleman -whom he had left a week or two ago in the cockpit at York, with cocks -engaged in the main there—his name he had understood was Mr. Mellish. -"The very same man," returned Sir Rowland, "he is now my aide-de-camp, -and I think you will say, when you have the opportunity of knowing more -of him, a better officer will not be found," and this proved to be -the case. On many different occasions, indeed, the Duke of Wellington -declared that a better aide-de-camp than Mellish he had never observed. -The undaunted manner with which he encountered danger, the quickness -with which he rode, and the precision with which he delivered his -orders, never making any mistake in any moment of hurry or confusion, -were circumstances which excited much favourable comment from friend -and foe alike.</p> - -<p>After the battle of Busaco, Colonel Mellish was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> sent with a flag -of truce to the French head-quarters, on a message respecting some -prisoners. On his arrival at Leiria, Massena invited him to dinner, and -treated him with great attention and respect.</p> - -<p>After remaining some time with the army abroad, Colonel Mellish -returned home, and after that period engaged no more in military -duties. According to rumour his return was owing to the resumption of -his former habits of play, which the Duke of Wellington had forbidden; -but this is not certain.</p> - -<p>The Prince Regent, who was so often accused of forgetting those who -had served him, certainly did not justify this reproach in the case of -Colonel Mellish; for on his having obtained a small appointment abroad -in one of the conquered islands, the Prince made him his equerry, in -order to enable him to enjoy the emoluments of it whilst remaining at -home.</p> - -<p>In addition to this the uncles of the Colonel, who had undertaken the -management of his property when he was abroad, enabled him, by their -arrangements, to take up his abode at Hodsock Priory, where he had -occasionally lived before, and where at a comparatively early age he -ended his days. On his way to this farm he had to pass the magnificent -mansion and domain of Blyth, the seat of his ancestors and formerly his -own, which the vicissitudes of a Turf career had obliged him to sell.</p> - -<p>Colonel Mellish, however, accepted his lot with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> considerable -equanimity, and lived at his somewhat modest abode without any -mortifying regrets. Having married one of the daughters of the -Marchioness of Lansdowne,<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> who brought him a very handsome fortune, -his circumstances again became easy, and he was enabled to indulge in -those rural pursuits which appear early and late to have been congenial -to his disposition. He took to coursing and established a fine stud -of greyhounds. He also bred cattle with great success, winning many -prizes at northern cattle shows, and obtaining high prices for his -stock, and more fortunate than most men of his disposition and tastes, -ended his life in comfort and peace. His death, however, occurred -at a comparatively early age, for he fell a victim to dropsy in his -thirty-seventh year.</p> - -<p>Another gallant sporting man, though of quite another description, was -the Anglo-Indian Colonel John Mordaunt, a natural son of the Earl of -Peterborough.</p> - -<p>John Mordaunt, as a boy, was too wild to learn much at school, his -whole time being devoted to playing the truant; as he often said, -"one half of his days were spent in being flogged for the other -half." Devoted to cards from youth, he received many a castigation -in consequence. "You may shuffle, Mordaunt, but I can cut," was the -remark<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> made to him by his schoolmaster on more than one occasion.</p> - -<p>In consequence of this unsatisfactory behaviour, when the boy left -school he was about as learned as when he first was sent there. His -guardians were very much annoyed at this and blamed his master, upon -which young Mordaunt very handsomely stepped forward to exculpate the -latter, whose attention he declared to have been unparalleled. Slipping -off his clothes, he exhibited the earnestness of the good man's -endeavours; humorously observing, that as nothing could be got into his -brains, his master had done his best to impress his instructions on the -opposite seat of learning.</p> - -<p>When the moment came for the youth to pass muster before the India -directors he could not be found, and it was nearly too late when he was -at last discovered playing marbles in Dean's Yard. No time, however, -was wasted in driving him up to Leadenhall Street, where, more bent on -frivolity than on answering the grave questions put by his examiners, -he was near being rejected as an idiot, when one of the quorum, who -understood such a disposition well and who probably wished to see John -appointed, asked him if he understood cribbage. In an instant young -Mordaunt's attention was thoroughly roused, his eyes glistened, and -regardless of every matter relative to his appointment, he pulled out a -pack of cards, so greasy as scarcely to be distinguished, and offered -"to play the gentleman <i>for any sum he chose</i>!"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span></p> - -<p>The youth now felt himself at home, and speedily convinced his -examiners that, however ignorant he might be of the classics, he was -a match for any of them at cards! He was passed, and despatched to -Portsmouth to embark on an Indiaman ready to sail with the first fair -wind; but as there seemed no likelihood of this for some days, the -person who had charge of him put him on board and returned to town. -Needless to say, Mordaunt at once got away to shore, where he played a -number of pranks before the ship eventually set sail.</p> - -<p>On arriving at Madras young Mordaunt was received with open arms by -all his countrymen; but General Sir John Clavering, who was then -Commander-in-Chief in India, and who was, accordingly, second on the -council at Calcutta, having promised to provide for him, Mordaunt went -on to Bengal, where he was appointed an honorary aide-de-camp to that -officer, still retaining his rank on the Madras establishment. In -consequence of this he was afterwards subjected to much ill-will.</p> - -<p>The young soldier unfortunately was quite uneducated, not being able -even to write an ordinary letter without making many mistakes. Study -was little to his taste, and he made scarcely any effort to remedy -this disadvantage or improve himself. Nevertheless, he excelled in -most things which he undertook entirely by natural intuition. His -ignorance of writing was the more remarkable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> as he spoke English with -an excellent diction and even refinement of phrase, though he could not -write two lines of it correctly. He spoke the Hindoo language fluently, -and was a tolerable Persian scholar. Mordaunt's weakness as a writer -was once strikingly demonstrated on an occasion where a friend, having -borrowed a horse from him for a day or two, wrote to ask if he might -keep it a little longer. The Colonel's reply was, "You may kip the hos -as long as you lick."</p> - -<p>Subjected to a good deal of chaff on account of this failing, which he -himself realised, Mordaunt was generally very good-tempered, though -quick with an answer when any one he did not care for attempted to -make him a butt. On one occasion a very worthy young gentleman of the -name of James P——, who was rather of the more silly order of beings, -thinking he could take the liberty of playing with, or rather upon him, -called out to Mordaunt, before a large party, desiring him to say what -was the Latin for a goose. The answer was brief. "I don't know the -<i>Latin</i> for it, but the <i>English</i> is <i>James P——</i>."</p> - -<p>It should be mentioned that the above question was put to Mordaunt in -consequence of his having, in a note sent to a person who had offended -him, required "an immediate <i>anser</i> by the bearer." The gentleman -addressed, wishing to terminate the matter amicably, construed the word -literally, and sent a <i>goose</i> by the bearer; stating also that he would -partake of it the next day. This, to a man<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> of Mordaunt's disposition, -was the high road to reconciliation; though to nine persons in ten, -and especially to those labouring under such a desperate deficiency in -point of orthography, it would have appeared highly insulting!</p> - -<p>In addition to his almost complete ignorance of calligraphy, Colonel -Mordaunt knew absolutely nothing of the ordinary rules of arithmetic. -He kept no books, but all his accounts were done on scraps of paper in -such an eccentric manner that the figures were only intelligible to -himself. It was necessary for him at times to register large financial -transactions, and he had immense losses and gains to register in the -I.O.U. way. Yet even the most intricate cases never puzzled him; and, -at settling times, he was rarely, if ever, found to be in error. This -was one of the points in which he was apt to be peremptory; for no -sooner did he hear a claim stated, which did not tally with his own -peculiar mode of calculation, than he condemned it, in round terms, -and would scarcely hear the attempt to substantiate that which he so -decidedly denied.</p> - -<p>He was a man of most masterful disposition, very impatient of -contradiction, especially from his brother Harry, who was in India at -the same time. The latter possessed little social charm or originality, -but John always treated him with particular consideration. When, -however, Harry tried to oppose or argue with him, the Colonel would -soon check him with, "Hold your tongue, Harry, you are a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> puny little -fool, and fit for nothing but to be a lord."</p> - -<p>Excelling at most things which he attempted, Mordaunt was so much -master of his racket, and was so vigorous, that he would always wager -on hitting the line from the over-all, a distance of thirty yards, once -in three times. As a matter of fact he could beat most people with a -common round ruler.</p> - -<p>Card-playing, however, was the Colonel's particular passion. He was an -expert at most games, being besides acquainted with all the ordinary -tricks in the shuffling, cutting, and dealing way. The following is an -instance of his skill. On a certain occasion Mordaunt observed that one -of his adversaries at whist was remarkably fortunate in his own deals; -and, as he was rather a doubtful character, thought it needful to watch -him. When Mordaunt came to deal, he gave himself thirteen trumps! This -excited the curiosity of all, but particularly of the gentleman in -question, who was very pointed in his observations on the singularity -of the case. Mordaunt briefly said, "Sir, this was to show you that you -should not have all the fun to yourself," and rising from his seat, -left the blackleg to ruminate on the obvious necessity of quitting -India! Here, however, Mordaunt's goodness of heart showed itself, for -he obtained a promise from the whole party to keep the secret, provided -the offender instantly left the country; which he did by the first -conveyance.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was well known that the Colonel could arrange the cards according to -his pleasure, yet such was the universal opinion of his honour, that -no one hesitated to play with him, sober or otherwise, for their usual -stakes. His decision, in cases of differences, was generally accepted -as final, and many references were made to him, by letter, from very -distant places, regarding doubtful points connected with gaming.</p> - -<p>It may readily be supposed that Mordaunt was more ornamental than -useful in General Clavering's office; however, the latter could not -help esteeming him, and had he lived, would probably have effected -Mordaunt's removal from the Madras to the Bengal army. The Madras -officers never failed to comment, sometimes, indeed, in rather harsh -terms, upon the injustice of having on their rolls an officer who never -joined his regiment for nearly twenty years, and whose whole time was -passed in the lap of dissipation.</p> - -<p>Being on a party of pleasure to the northward, and near to Lucknow, -the capital of Oude, and the residence of the Nawab of Oude, Asoph ud -Doulah, the young soldier was naturally curious to see this potentate -and his Court. The free, open temper of Asoph pleased Mordaunt, whose -figure and manner made a great impression on his illustrious host, who -was devoted to most forms of gambling and sport.</p> - -<p>The Nawab in question was an original character. Being desirous of -becoming a highly efficient<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> swordsman, he determined to get the best -practice possible and exercise his arm to some purpose. For some time -he used daily to order from his stables five horses and a couple of -bullocks, which he would cut down; the same fate befell five tigers, -the same number of bears, and two or three nylgaus.</p> - -<p>In a short time Mordaunt became such a favourite, that he was retained -by the Nawab at his Court, in the capacity of aide-de-camp, though he -never attended at the Palace except when in the mood to do so, or for -the purpose of shooting or gambling with its ruler. During this period -the various sarcastic attacks directed against Mordaunt, as an absentee -from his corps for so many years—amusing himself a good two thousand -miles away—were disregarded both by himself and by the supreme -Government, of which all the members were personally attached to the -Colonel.</p> - -<p>Mordaunt was now in the receipt of a handsome salary, and possessed -many distinguished privileges under the patronage of the Nawab, who -often used to refer Europeans to him on occasions requiring his advice; -this he not infrequently did when he needed an excuse for not complying -with some demand.</p> - -<p>Mordaunt's influence, it should be added, was generally used in a very -kindly manner. Old Zoffany, who had come out to India and resided at -Lucknow as Court Painter to the Nawab, once, in a humorous moment, -painted a full-length picture of that potentate in high caricature.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> -Zoffany lived at Colonel Martine's, whose house was frequented by -immense numbers of natives, a number of whom, when the Nawab wanted -money, took his jewels to the Colonel's to be pledged. The picture, -of course, was seen by some of these men, and it was not long before -the Nawab was informed of the joke. The latter, in the first moments -of irritation, was disposed to shorten the painter by a head, and to -dismiss the Colonel, who was his chief engineer, and had the charge -of his arsenal. He was, however, unwilling to do anything without his -"dear friend Mordaunt" to whom a message was despatched, requiring -his immediate attendance, on "matters of the utmost importance." -This being a very usual mode of summoning his favourite, who would -attend, or rather visit, only when it pleased himself. As a matter of -fact the message would probably have been disregarded, had not the -bearer stated that the Nawab was incensed against Martine and Zoffany. -Accordingly the Colonel betook himself to the Palace, where he found -the Nawab foaming with rage, and about to proceed with a host of -rabble attendants to the Colonel's. Mordaunt, however, having got the -story out of the Nawab as well as he could, argued him into a state of -calmness, sufficient to let his sinister purpose be suspended until the -next day, and retired as soon as he could prudently do so; he then, -as privately as possible, sent a note to Zoffany warning him of the -intended visit.</p> - -<p>The bold painter lost no time, and the laughable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> caricature was in a -few hours changed by his gifted hand into a superb portrait of a most -decorative kind, bearing far more resemblance to the Nawab than any -hitherto painted at regular sittings. Next day the potentate arrived, -his mind full of anxiety for the honour of his dignified person. He -was attended by Mordaunt, whose feelings for his friend's fate were -speedily dissipated, when, on entering the portrait-chamber, the -picture in question shone forth so superbly as to astonish and delight -the Nawab, who, beaming with pleasure, hurried the picture home, gave -Zoffany ten thousand rupees for it, and ordered the person who had -informed him of the supposed caricature to have his nose and ears cut -off. Mordaunt, however, again interposed, and was equally successful in -obtaining the poor fellow's pardon; and as the Nawab declined to keep -him as a servant, very generously made him one of his own pensioners.</p> - -<p>At another time, the barber who cut the Nawab's hair happened by a slip -to draw blood. This was considered an offence of the highest atrocity, -because at that time crowned heads throughout India became degraded -if one drop of their blood were spilt by a barber. A drawn sword was -always held above a barber performing his duty, to remind him of his -fate in case of the slightest incision.</p> - -<p>In consequence of this prejudice the barber had been condemned to be -baked to death in an oven, when Mordaunt applied for his pardon. He -could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> only obtain it conditionally, and certainly the condition was -both ludicrous and whimsical. Balloons were just invented when this -happened, and Colonel Martine being very ingenious, had made one which -had taken up a considerable weight for short distances.</p> - -<p>The Nawab changed suddenly from great wrath to a wild hilarity, which -continued so long as to alarm Mordaunt; who at last was relieved to -hear that instead of being baked, the barber was to mount in the -balloon, and to brush through the air according as chance might direct -him.</p> - -<p>In due course the balloon was sent up in front of the palace, and the -barber carried through the air more dead than alive at a prodigious -rate. The poor man, however, sustained no injury, the balloon finally -descending to earth some five miles from the city of Lucknow.</p> - -<p>Mordaunt never allowed the Nawab to treat him with the least disrespect -or with hauteur; indeed, such was the estimation in which he was held -by that prince, that, in all probability, the latter never showed any -sign of wishing to exert his authority. Mordaunt's independence is -shown by the following anecdote. The Nawab wanted some alterations -to be made in the howdah of his state elephant, and asked Mordaunt's -opinion as to the best mode of securing it; the latter very laconically -told the Nawab he understood nothing of the matter, he having been born -and bred a gentleman, but that probably his blacksmith (pointing to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> -Colonel Martine) could inform him how the howdah ought to be fastened.</p> - -<p>This sneer, no doubt, gratified Mordaunt, who, though extremely -intimate with Martine, and in the habit of addressing him by various -ludicrous but sarcastic nicknames, seemed not to relish that fondness -for money, and other doubtful practices, of which he was said to be -guilty.</p> - -<p>Lord Cornwallis was either unwilling to compel Mordaunt to return to -the Madras establishment, or was prevailed on by the Nawab to let him -remain on his staff. The Marquis, one day, seeing Mordaunt at his -levee, asked him if he did not long to join his regiment. "No, my -Lord," answered Mordaunt, "not in the least." "But," continued he, -"your services may perhaps be wanted." "Indeed, my Lord," rejoined -Mordaunt, "I cannot do you half the service there, that I can in -keeping the Nawab amused, while you ease him of his money."</p> - -<p>As a bon-vivant, as a master of the revels, or at the head of his own -table, few could give greater variety or more complete satisfaction -than Mordaunt. He had the best of wines, and spared no expense, though -he would take very little personal trouble in providing whatever was -choice or rare. He stood on little ceremony, especially at his own -house, and, at his friends', never allowed anything to incommode him -from a bashful reserve. Whatever was in his opinion wrong, he did not -hesitate to condemn.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p> - -<p>These observations were very quick, and generally not devoid of humour. -His old friend, Captain Waugh, dining with him one day, made such a -hole in a fine goose as to excite the attention of Mordaunt, who, -turning to his head servant, ordered aloud that whenever Captain Waugh -dined at his house, there should always be two geese on the table, one -for the Captain, the other for the company.</p> - -<p>Colonel Mordaunt was an excellent pistol shot, who could hit the -head of a small nail at fifteen yards. Nevertheless when he and a -friend engaged in a quarrel of a very serious nature with a third, -whom they had accused of some improper conduct at cards, he missed -his adversary, who, on the other hand, wounded both Mordaunt and his -friend desperately. This was not owing to agitation, but, as Mordaunt -expressed in very curious terms at the moment of missing, to the pistol -being too highly charged.</p> - -<p>The Colonel never entirely recovered from the effects of the pistol -shot which he had received in his breast, and though possessed of a -vigorous constitution, seemed to descend, as it were, down a precipice -into his grave. A very Rochester of his day, inordinately fond of -women, he seemed, when at length stricken down, to regret his condition -chiefly as depriving him of their society. For some time before this, -actuated by that mistaken pride which so often urges men who have -done wonders not to allow their decrease of vigour to be noticed or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> -suspected, he had attempted to continue his usual mode of life, and -neglecting the warnings given him by one or two serious attacks on his -liver, had thus hastened his approach to a most untimely end.</p> - -<p>He died in the fortieth year of his age, beloved and regretted by a -number of friends to whom his many genuine qualities were known.</p> - -<p>An especial reason for the influence enjoyed by Mordaunt over the Nawab -was the latter's intimate knowledge of everything connected with the -branch of barbarity known as cock-fighting. So devoted was the Prince -in question to this form of sport that he often neglected to attend to -important business with the residents at his Court in order to indulge -in a "main" with him whom he called his "dear friend Mordaunt."</p> - -<p>The well-known print representing Colonel Mordaunt's cock-fight depicts -a famous battle fought at Lucknow in 1786. Amongst the figures are -the Nawab, Colonel Mordaunt, and Colonel Martine, who founded the -Martine colleges at Lucknow, Calcutta, and Lyons, and Zoffany himself. -The picture, which was painted for Warren Hastings, was carefully -preserved in the Palace at Lucknow, but most unfortunately met with a -disastrous fate during the Mutiny, when with others of great value it -was destroyed.</p> - -<p>A water-colour drawing of "The Cock-fight" was, however, made -under the last King of Oude in 1853, by "Masawar Khan," a Court -miniature-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span>painter, and other copies also exist. The mezzotint of this -picture, together with the scarce engraved key published in May 1794, -are here reproduced.</p> - -<p>Zoffany was a great favourite of Royalty. After the establishment of -his reputation in England, he passed many years of his life in India, -though in spite of the favour of the Nawab he does not seem to have -returned from Lucknow in very opulent circumstances, his industry not -having equalled either his reputation or his ability. An excessive -devotion to women, and to the Asiatic customs and luxuries, totally -precluded the execution of many works which would have brought this -painter prosperity. Many of his pictures, however, achieved great -popularity. This was especially the case with the "Water Cress Girl," -which is engraved. The model, it may not be generally known, was a girl -of about sixteen who had achieved a certain notoriety by having been -one of a group of nymphs, who ran from the fields of Paddington, to -their lodgings in the vicinity of St. Giles's, at noonday, unencumbered -with one single habiliment or rag, from head to foot. It was in the -summer season, and they had been bathing in a pond, when some wicked -wag bundled up and made off with the whole of their clothes.</p> - -<p>"The Cock-fight" was certainly one of the most successful works ever -executed by Zoffany; the portrait of Mordaunt in particular, according -to those who knew him, giving an excellent idea of his manly and -elegant appearance.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb10.jpg" alt="cock fight " /> -<a id="illusb10" name="illusb10"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">The Cock-fight at Lucknow.</span><br /> - -Engraved by R. Earlom, after Zoffany.<br /> - -From a Print in the possession of Messrs. Robson & Co., 23 Coventry -Street, W.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb11.jpg" alt="key" /> -<a id="illusb11" name="illusb11"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">Key to the Cock-fight.</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Colonel is represented as in the act of handing a cock, which he -has backed heavily, in opposition to a bird belonging to the Nawab, who -is portrayed in a loose undress on the opposite side of the pit.</p> - -<p>Colonel Mordaunt's taste for cock-fighting had, of course, originally -been acquired in England, where this somewhat brutal sport would appear -to have been most popular towards the middle of the eighteenth century. -At that time it was no unusual circumstance to insert clauses in the -leases of farms and cottages, which ensured the right of walking a -certain number of game-cocks. As the century waned the cockpit began -rather to fall into disrepute, but about the years 1793-1794 a revival -occurred. Great patrons of cock-fighting were Lord Lonsdale (when -Sir James Lowther); the Duke of Northumberland, who fought regular -annual mains against Mr. Fenwick at Alnwick and Hexham, as did Lord -Mexborough with Sir P. Warburton and Mr. Halton at Manchester; the Duke -of Hamilton with Sir H.G. Liddell at Newcastle, and Lord Derby with Mr. -Wharton at Preston.</p> - -<p>Amongst other lovers of cock-fighting were Colonel Lowther, Mr. -Holford, Mr. Bullock, Captain Dennisthorpe, and Mr. George Onslow, -out-ranger<a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> of Windsor Forest, who was known as "Cocking George."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p> - -<p>In 1793 the Cock Pit Royal, St. James's Park, was the scene of more -subscription matches than had occurred for some years before, an extra -battle, fought on the 13th of December between two red cocks belonging -to Colonel Lowther and Vauxhall Clarke for forty guineas, causing -particular excitement. Throughout this combat the odds were constantly -varying, till Colonel Lowther's cock was suddenly struck down dead at -a moment when odds of four and five to one were being laid upon his -opponent.</p> - -<p>One of the most horrible anecdotes connected with cock-fighting was -that of a certain Mr. Ardesoif, the son of a rich cheesemonger, who was -at one time well-known in the streets of London, it having been his -peculiar hobby to drive his phaeton through those thoroughfares which -were the most crowded with traffic. Mr. Ardesoif lived at Tottenham, -where he kept a number of game-cocks. One of these birds having refused -to fight, the cruel owner savagely had him roasted to death, whilst -entertaining his friends. The company, alarmed by the dreadful shrieks -of the poor victim, interfered, but were resisted by Ardesoif, who -threatened death to any who should oppose him; and in a storm of raging -and vindictive delirium, and uttering the most horrid imprecations, he -dropped down dead.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span></p> - -<p>A cockpit was a scene not easily matched. On a race or a prize-fight, -the betting is nearly finished when the sport begins; but the same -state of affairs did not prevail at a cock-fight, where no one backed -a cock till he had had a good look at him. In consequence of this all -the betting had to be done in a short time, and the noise and apparent -confusion of layers and backers were quite bewildering. The betting -changed with considerable rapidity—in many a battle the odds would -veer round from 100 to 1 on one cock, to 40 to 1 against the same.</p> - -<p>The issue of a cock-fight is never quite certain till a cock is -actually killed, an apparently moribund bird sometimes proving the -unexpected winner.</p> - -<p>A very striking instance of this once occurred at Mr. Loftus's cockpit -at Newcastle, where a gentleman, on a cock being pounded, betted ten -guineas to a crown, which he lost in nearly the space of a minute, as -the pounded cock, while his antagonist was pecking in triumph, rose, -and after a stroke or two, laid him dead. As luck would have it, while -the same gentleman was going from the cockpit to the race-course in his -carriage, accompanied by some other gentlemen, one of them observed -the absurdity of buying money so dear, to which the other replied, he -would bet the same on anything, if he thought he could win; the former -gentleman said he would take it. "Done," says the gentleman, "I will -bet £10 to a crown that my carriage does not break down on 'going or -returning from the race-course.'" The bet was accepted; and after<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> -going about 100 yards farther, down came the carriage. And thus, in -the course of the same day, he lost his two bets of £10 to 5s. In the -course of this week's fighting, there were several guineas betted to -shillings, and lost, on the various battles.</p> - -<p>Cock-fights as a rule took place in the evening, seven having been the -usual hour appointed for the sport to commence.</p> - -<p>In the palmy days of cock-fighting there were several celebrated pits -in London, the chief of which, of course, was the Cock Pit Royal, which -had been much frequented by Charles II. and his courtiers. Another -well-known cockpit existed at Moss Alley, Bankside, Southwark, where -great battles were contested. At the New Pit, Hoxton, in January, 1794, -a number of spirited mains were fought, the gentlemen of Islington -having challenged the gentlemen of Hackney for five guineas a battle -and fifty guineas the odd battle. Hackney easily proved victorious.</p> - -<p>The Royal Cockpit in St. James's Park was taken down in 1810, never -again to be rebuilt. The Governors and Trustees of Christ's Hospital, -to whom the ground belonged, met on the spot, the very day the lease -expired; and, as might naturally be expected from the patrons of such -an institution, gave directions for the immediate demolition of the -building.</p> - -<p>A curious custom which was long ago sometimes enforced at cock-fights -prescribed that any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> one indulging in foul play or not paying his -bets should be put into a large basket and drawn up to the roof of -the cockpit. This was called being basketed. A man well-known to the -sporting world, being once in this predicament, and notwithstanding -that he had no money in his pocket and could not expect his bets to be -taken, had the fever of betting so strong upon him that in spite of -his situation in the basket, he could not help vociferating, as the -odds varied, "I'll lay six to four—two to one—five to two—three to -one—four to one—five to one—a guinea to a shilling—the long odds, -ten pounds to a crown," to the no small diversion of the auditors and -spectators, who, at length, commiserating his case and attributing -his imprudence to an insurmountable passion for play, shortened his -punishment; and when a gentleman present gave him a small sum he took -the long odds all the way through, went off with a hundred guineas in -his pocket, and from this source alone became a very distinguished -character on the Turf.</p> - -<p>In Hogarth's print of the cockpit, published in 1759, a shadow of -mysterious contour is thrown upon the floor of the pit, the origin of -which may be seen to be a gambler who, having been basketed for not -paying his debts, is vainly offering his watch as a pledge so that -he may be let down and allowed to take his place among the somewhat -ill-favoured crowd which is watching the battle. The principal -figure in this print represents a nobleman (Lord Bertie) who, though -stone-blind,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> was a zealous patron of cock-fighting, though it is -difficult to see how, under these unfavourable circumstances, the sport -could have had any attraction for him.</p> - -<p>The Preston race-meetings used to be a great rendezvous for -cock-fighters. Lord Derby long held a distinguished place among the -patrons of the sod, and was reckoned one of the best judges of a cock -in England. The excellent walks which his Lordship owned on his own -estates, and the number of cocks he bred, ensured him a plentiful -supply of fine young birds; consequently his birds never had a feather -wrong; this, joined to their true blood, which made them show fight to -the last, and the skill of Paul Potter, his feeder, caused Lord Derby -to be the winner of many a Preston main.</p> - -<p>The following is a specimen of a challenge to a cock match:—</p> - - -<p class="center">CHALLENGE</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>The gentlemen of Windsor Forest having lost their annual opponent (who -is gone to reside in Somersetshire), wish to show thirty-one in the -main for five guineas a battle, and twenty the odds. Adding 10 byes at -two guineas a battle for two days' play, to fight at Wokingham, Berks, -between the present day and Whitsuntide. Any acceptance of the terms -may be made through the medium of this communication, which shall be -instantly acceded to and the necessary regulations made in proper form.</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 60%;"> -C.W.T. & M.</p> -<p> -<i>February 22nd, 1794.</i><br /> -</p></blockquote> - -<p>Though cock-fighting is now forbidden by law in England, a certain -amount of it still goes on in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> secret, whilst the sport flourishes -openly in the North of France and in Spain.</p> - -<p>In former days there were regular families of cock-feeders or trainers. -The greatest authority on cock-fighting is said to have been Joe -Gilliver, who fought cocks for George III. and George IV. in the Royal -Cockpit at Windsor. He it was who fought the famous main at Lincoln -in 1815. On the occasion there were seven battles for five thousand -guineas the main and a thousand guineas a battle. Five battles were won -by Gilliver's birds.</p> - -<p>The great-nephew of old Joe Gilliver still lives—the last of the -cock-fighters—at Cockspur, Polesworth. Over sixty years ago this -veteran<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> fought and won a main against Lord Berkeley in Battersea -fields, and within the last two decades he vindicated the honour of -the English game-cock at Lille, where some birds he took over proved -victorious—a particularly fine cock after a successful battle leaping -upon the body of its conquered opponent and emitting a series of lusty -crows.</p> - -<p>Game-cocks are extraordinarily bold birds, and records exist of their -having even attacked men. A gentleman, for instance, passing down Park -Street was once surprised to find something fluttering about his head, -and turning round, received the spur of a game-cock in his cheek. He -beat off his antagonist, who, however, instantly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> returned to the -charge, and wounded him again in the shoulder. Another gentleman, -passing by at the same time, was also attacked by this feathered -desperado.</p> - -<p>A game-cock bred by Mr. Hunt of Compton Pauncefoot, Somerset, in -1814, displayed extraordinary courage when three years old. A fox -having seized a hen, her cries drew the attention of the cock, who, -discovering the fox in the act of carrying off his prey, flew at -reynard, and at one blow killed him on the spot, and saved the life of -the hen. In 1820 this cock fought a gallant battle at Epsom Races, and -won at high odds against him.</p> - -<p>The high spirit of the game-cock was once strikingly manifested in a -naval action.</p> - -<p>By some mistake or other a particularly fine bird was sold with a -number of other fowls to Captain Berkeley of the <i>Marlborough</i>, 74, for -his sea-stock. The purchase was made previous to the departure of the -British fleet that sailed under the gallant Lord Howe, in the month -of May 1794, about which time the cock was deposited in the coops on -board, for the purpose of being brought to table. On the glorious 1st -of June, the fate of the above ship, the intrepid bravery of whose crew -led her into the hottest scene of action, hung in the balance. The -enemy's shot had destroyed all the convenience made on her poop for -keeping the live stock, and the fowls were flying about in different -parts of the ship. Some time<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> after the engagement had commenced, all -her masts were shot away by the board, and smoke, hurry, and alarm were -general. When the main-mast went, broken off about eight feet from the -deck, the cock immediately flew to the stump, where he began to flutter -his wings, and to crow with all the exultation so commonly observed in -a conquering bird; a circumstance so singular in its nature, that the -tars who were viewing it conceived a noble resolution from the example, -and actually maintained the same sense of triumph as did the cock, -until victory and glory crowned the gallant contest.</p> - -<p>The spirit of the noble bird became the subject of much observation -when the ship arrived in the Hamoaze, and many curious spectators came -from different parts of the country to see the feathered hero who had -so proudly vindicated the conquering spirit of Old England.</p> - -<p>Some time after a silver medal was struck by the orders of Admiral -Berkeley; it was hung upon the neck of the old game-cock, who in the -parks and around the princely halls of Goodwood passed the remainder of -his downy days in honoured ease.</p> - - - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> He is described in contemporary sporting records as -wearing this, though the author has been unable to discover exactly -what a "boat hat" was. The French still make use of a similar -expression, calling a particular kind of straw hat a "<i>canotier</i>."</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> This lady's first husband had been Sir Duke Giffard, and -Mrs. Mellish was one of several daughters she had by him. The writer -is indebted to Mr. Henry Mellish of Hodsock Priory for this and other -interesting details of his ancestor's career.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> The outrangership of Windsor Forest was originally -instituted for the protection of the deer between Windsor Park and the -river Wey, but in 1641 it was decided that no part of Surrey except -Guildford Park (afterwards granted away) belonged to the Forest, and -the post became a sinecure, keeping a salary of £500 a year. About the -time of the American War, however, when votes were valuable, this was -increased to £900.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> An interesting interview with William Gilliver appeared -in <i>Fry's Magazine</i> for March 1909.</p></div></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="VII" id="VII">VII</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span>Prevalence of wagering in the eighteenth century—Riding a horse -backwards—Lord Orford's eccentric bet—Travelling piquet—The -building of Bagatelle—Matches against time—"Old Q." and his chaise -match—Buck Whalley's journey to Jerusalem—Buck English—Irish -sportsmen—Jumping the wall of Hyde Park in 1792—Undressing in the -water—Colonel Thornton—A cruel wager—Walking on stilts—A wonderful -leap—Eccentric wagers—Lloyd's walking match—Squire Osbaldiston's -ride—Captain Barclay—Jim Selby's drive—Mr. Bulpett's remarkable -feats.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>In the eighteenth century the bloods of the day bet on anything and -everything. A well-known spendthrift, for instance, made a practice -of backing one raindrop to roll down a window quicker than another—a -practice which gave rise to the following lines:—</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 35%;"> -The bucks had dined, and deep in council sat,<br /> -Their wine was brilliant, but their wit grew flat:<br /> -Up starts his Lordship, to the window flies,<br /> -And lo! "A race!—a race!" in rapture cries;<br /> -"Where?" quoth Sir John. "Why, see the drops of rain<br /> -Start from the summit of the crystal pane—<br /> -A thousand pounds! which drop with nimblest force,<br /> -Performs its current down the slippery course!"<br /> -The bets were fix'd—in dire suspense they wait<br /> -For vict'ry pendent on the nod of fate.<br /> -Now down the sash, unconscious of the prize,<br /> -The bubbles roll—like pearls from Chloe's eyes,<br /> -But ah! the glittering charms of life are short!<br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span>How oft two jostling steeds have spoiled the sport.<br /> -Lo! thus attraction, by coercive laws,<br /> -Th' approaching drops into one bubble draws—<br /> -Each curs'd his fate, that thus their project cross'd;<br /> -How hard their lot, who neither won nor lost!<br /> -</p> - -<p>Besides the huge sums which were lost at games (in 1793, £22,000 -changed hands in a single day between two players at some -billiard-rooms in St. James's Street), a great deal of money was -frittered away in matches of an eccentric kind.</p> - -<p>In 1722, for instance, a number of young men subscribed for a piece -of plate, which was run for in Tyburn Road by six asses, ridden by -chimney-sweepers. Two boys rode two asses on Hampstead Heath for a -wooden spoon, attended by above five hundred persons on horse-back. -Women running for Holland smocks was not uncommon; and a match was even -projected for a race between women, to be dressed in hooped petticoats. -Considerable sums of money are said to have changed hands over these -events, whilst a wager of £1000 depended on a match between the Earl of -Lichfield and Mr. Gage that the latter's chaise and pair should outrun -the Earl's chariot and four. The ground was from Tyburn to Hayes, and -Mr. Gage lost through some accident.</p> - -<p>In 1735, Count de Buckeburg, a well-known German author, on a visit to -England, laid a considerable wager, that he would ride a horse from -London to Edinburgh backwards, that is, with the horse's head turned -towards Edinburgh,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> and the Count's face towards London; and in this -manner he actually rode the journey in less than four days.</p> - -<p>At the end of the eighteenth century an officer trotted fifteen miles -from Chelmsford to Dunmow in one hour and nine minutes with his face to -the tail.</p> - -<p>The eccentric wager made by George, Lord Orford, an ancestor of the -present writer, is well known. The latter, in 1740, bet another -nobleman a large sum that a drove of geese would beat an equal number -of turkeys in a race from Norwich to London. The event proved the -justness of his Lordship's expectations, for the geese kept on the road -with a steady pace, but the turkeys, as every evening approached, flew -to roost in the trees adjoining the road, from which the drivers found -it very difficult to dislodge them. In consequence of this, the geese -arrived at their destination two days before the turkeys.</p> - -<p>This nobleman, who, by his eccentricities, had acquired the name of the -mad Lord Orford, trained three red deer to draw him in a light phaeton, -and in this uncommon equipage he frequently made excursions to some -distance, in Norfolk and Suffolk, till a singular adventure taught him -the danger of the practice.</p> - -<p>One morning in winter, when the scent lay well on the ground, he was -taking one of his common drives towards Newmarket; his way was over the -heath. It happened that a pack of hounds, being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> out for a chase, took -scent of the deer, opened and followed in full cry. The deer caught the -death sound, took the alarm, and set off at full speed. It was in vain -his Lordship endeavoured to pull them in; fear of death was greater -than fear of their lord, and they dashed off towards Newmarket, a place -they were well accustomed to. The dogs were at their heels, but the -deer were sufficiently in advance to reach the inn they were accustomed -to put up at, when they dashed into the yard, with their terrified lord -close at their heels, and the hounds not far behind them; the ostlers, -however, exerted themselves to get the gates fastened before the hounds -came up, when the whipper-in called them off.</p> - -<p>In 1758, Miss Pond, daughter of the compiler and publisher of <i>Ponds -Racing Calendar</i>, wagered a thousand guineas that she would ride a -thousand miles in a thousand hours. This feat she accomplished (it is -said on one horse) by the 3rd of May, having begun in April. A few -weeks later Mr. Pond rode the same horse in two-thirds of the time.</p> - -<p>Even the most trivial things were utilised for losing or winning money.</p> - -<p>A Yorkshire sportsman won a considerable bet on the extreme extent -to which a pound of cotton could be drawn in a thread by one of the -Manchester spinning jennies; the loser betted that it would not reach -two miles in length; but, upon measurement, it was found to exceed -twenty-three.</p> - -<p>A young man of the name of Drayton under<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span>took for a considerable sum -to pull in a pound weight at the distance of a mile, that is, the -weight had to be attached to a string a mile in length, and Drayton to -stand still and pull it to himself. The time allowed for this singular -performance was two hours and a half. The odds were against him, but he -won his wager.</p> - -<p>A printer at Chester for a wager picked up 100 stones each a yard -apart, returning every time with them to a basket at one end of the -line, in 44½ minutes, it having been betted that he would not -complete his task within 47 minutes.</p> - -<p>So great was the love of betting amongst sporting men that when they -were on a journey they would wager as to what they might meet with -next. This method of gambling was afterwards made into a regular game -which was called "Travelling Piquet." This was defined as a mode of -amusing themselves, practised by two persons riding in a carriage, each -reckoning towards his game the persons, or animals, that passed by on -the side next them, according to the following estimation:—</p> - -<table summary="bets" width="40%"> -<tr> -<td>A parson riding on a grey horse -</td> -<td align="right">Game -</td > -</tr> -<tr> -<td>An old woman under a hedge -</td> -<td align="right">do. -</td > -</tr> -<tr> -<td>A cat looking out of a window -</td> -<td align="right">60 -</td > -</tr> -<tr> -<td>A man, woman, and child in a buggy -</td> -<td align="right">40 -</td > -</tr> -<tr> -<td>A man riding with a woman behind him -</td> -<td align="right">30 -</td > -</tr> -<tr> -<td>A flock of sheep -</td> -<td align="right">20 -</td > -</tr> -<tr> -<td>A flock of geese -</td> -<td align="right">10 -</td > -</tr> -<tr> -<td>A post-chaise -</td> -<td align="right">5 -</td > -</tr> -<tr> -<td>A horseman -</td> -<td align="right">2 -</td > -</tr> -<tr> -<td>A man or woman walking -</td> -<td align="right">1 -</td > -</tr> -</table> - - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span></p> - -<p>Death itself was not infrequently made the subject of a wager. Just -before two unfortunate men, hung at the Old Bailey, were <i>dropped off</i>, -a young nobleman present betted a hundred guineas to twenty "that the -shorter of the two would give the last kick!" The wager was taken, and -he won; for the other died almost instantly, whilst the shorter man was -convulsed for nearly six minutes.</p> - -<p>So great was the mania for wagers at this epoch, that even the clergy -were affected by the prevailing craze. A young divine, in the vicinity -of Edinburgh, declared himself ready to undertake for a wager of a -hundred guineas to read six chapters from the Bible every hour for six -weeks. The betting was ten to one against him.</p> - -<p>In France matters were much the same as in England.</p> - -<p>The Duc de Chartres, the Duc de Lauzun, and the Marquis de FitzJames -once competed in a foot-race from Paris to Versailles for two hundred -livres; this was won by the Marquis de FitzJames.</p> - -<p>The Duc de Chartres bet a considerable sum with the Comte de Genlis -that the latter would not go from Paris to Fontainebleau and back -before he (the Duc de Chartres) had pricked 500,000 pinholes in a piece -of paper. The Comte de Genlis was the winner by several hours.</p> - -<p>The wager of the Comte d'Artois as to the building of Bagatelle is -historical. He bet Marie Antoinette 100,000 livres that he would erect -a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> palace on a certain site in the Bois de Boulogne in six weeks.</p> - -<p>Nine hundred workmen were employed night and day, whilst patrols of the -Swiss Guard seized any building materials which might be of use on the -roads in the vicinity—these, it must, however, be added, were paid -for. At the end of the six weeks the Comte d'Artois entertained Marie -Antoinette at a splendid fête in the completed house.</p> - -<p>Matches against time were common. In 1745 Mr. Cooper Thornhill rode -three times between Stilton and Shoreditch—two hundred and thirteen -miles—in eleven hours and thirty-four minutes on fourteen different -horses. Six years later, Captain Shafto won £16,000 by winning a wager -that he would cover fifty miles in two hours. He was allowed as many -horses as he pleased.</p> - -<p>Not a few of these matches against time were carried out under most -whimsical conditions.</p> - -<p>On 22nd August 1774, for instance, Anthony Thorpe, a journeyman baker, -at the Artillery Ground, ran a mile tied up in a sack, in eleven -minutes and a half.</p> - -<p>In 1773 a London to York match was run, the winner, a mare, taking -forty hours and thirty-five minutes to complete the journey.</p> - -<p>A sensational match of a more sporting description was the ride of -George IV., when Prince of Wales, to Brighton and back, a journey of -one hundred and twelve miles, which the Royal<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> sportsman is said to -have performed on one horse in ten hours.</p> - -<p>A wonderful ride was that performed in 1786 by a featherweight jockey -at Newmarket, who rode one horse twenty-three miles in two or three -minutes under the hour.</p> - -<p>The Duke of Queensberry ("Old Q.") was at one time fond of sporting -matches, in which he generally came off victorious, for he was a -shrewd man. In 1789, during the Newmarket October Meeting, he and Sir -John Lade, mounted on a brace of mules, rode from the Ditch in for -£1000. This ludicrous race, which was very anxiously and obstinately -contested, terminated in favour of the Duke.</p> - -<p>Mr. Thomas Dale was also the hero of a donkey match at Newmarket, where -he rode one hundred miles in twenty-two hours and a half on an ass; -£100 to £10 was laid against this being done within twenty-four hours.</p> - -<p>Old Q., when Earl of March, for a wager, sent a letter fifty miles -within an hour by hand, which was cleverly effected by the missive in -question being enclosed in a cricket ball and thrown from one to the -other by twenty-four expert cricketers.</p> - -<p>On another occasion Old Q. made a bet of a thousand guineas that he -would produce a man who would eat more at a meal than any one Sir John -Lade could find. The bet being accepted, the time was appointed, but -his Grace, not being able to attend the exhibition, wrote to his agent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> -to know what success, and accordingly received the following note:—</p> - - -<blockquote> - -<p><span class="smcap">My Lord</span>,—I have not time to state particulars, but merely to -acquaint your Grace that your man beat his antagonist by a <i>pig and -apple-pye</i>.<span style="margin-left:30%;">(Signed) J.P.</span> -</p> -</blockquote> - -<p>A curious wager which led to litigation was one between Old Q., when -Lord March, and Mr. William Pigot. The latter and Mr. Codrington -being together at Newmarket, it was proposed to run their fathers -against each other. Mr. Pigot's father was upwards of seventy, and -Mr. Codrington's father little more than fifty. The chances were -calculated, and Mr. Codrington, thinking them disadvantageous to him, -declined the bet, whereupon Lord March agreed to stand in his place, -and mutual notes were interchanged. Mr. Pigot's note was:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>I promise to pay to the Earl of March 500 guineas if my father dies -before Sir William Codrington.</p> - -<p style="margin-left:55%;"> -<span class="smcap">William Pigot.</span><br /> -</p></blockquote> - -<p>The Earl's was:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>I promise to pay to Mr. Pigot 1600 guineas in case Sir William -Codrington does not survive Mr. Pigot's father.</p> - -<p style="margin-left:55%;"> -<span class="smcap">March.</span><br /> -</p></blockquote> - -<p>The fact was that Mr. Pigot's father was then actually dead, but that -was wholly unknown to the parties.</p> - -<p>It was contended on the part of Mr. Pigot, that, as he could not -possibly win, he ought not to lose, and it was compared to a ship -insurance. If the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> policy upon a ship had not the words "lost or not -lost" inserted, and the ship should be actually lost at the time of -making that policy, it would be void.</p> - -<p>For the plaintiff it was argued that the contract was good, because the -fact being wholly unknown to the parties, it could not influence either.</p> - -<p>The wager was held to be good, and the plaintiff obtained a verdict of -£500, the amount of his wager.</p> - -<p>The most important match made by the "evergreen votary of Venus," as -Old Q. was called, was in 1750, when, as Lord March, he bet Count -O'Taafe, an Irish gentleman notorious for eccentricity, one thousand -guineas that a carriage with four wheels could be devised capable of -being drawn at not less than nineteen miles within an hour.</p> - -<p>Wright of Long Acre exhausted all the resources of his craft to -diminish weight and friction; the harness was made of silk combined -with leather. Four thoroughbreds, with two clever light-weight grooms, -were selected, and several trials, causing the death of some horses, -were run. On August 29, 1750, the match came off over a course of -a mile at Newcastle, many thousands of pounds being wagered on the -result, which was favourable to Lord March, the carriage being drawn -over the appointed distance well within the hour. Three of the four -horses which drew the machine had won plates. The leaders carried about -eight stone each, the wheelers about seven, and the chaise, with a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> boy -in it, about twenty-four. The time was 53 minutes 27 seconds.</p> - -<p>The print (here reproduced) was published in 1788 by J. Rodger, after -the original painting by Seymour, which is now, I believe, in the -possession of Lord Rosebery.</p> - -<p>Large sums were laid upon very trivial and useless performances, and a -certain number of individuals, well-known for their physical strength, -used to undertake to carry out all sorts of queer tasks.</p> - -<p>In 1789 a man called Shadbolt, a respectable innkeeper at Ware, called -Goliath on account of his great muscular powers, undertook, for a -considerable wager, to run and push his cart from Ware to Shoreditch -Church (a distance of twenty-one miles) in ten hours, which he easily -performed within the space of six hours and a few seconds, without -the least appearance of fatigue. Great sums were won and lost on the -occasion.</p> - -<p>All sorts of curious wagers were laid in Ireland. The celebrated Buck -Whalley, for instance, once jumped over a carrier's cart on horse-back -for a bet. This he did from an upper story of a house, quantities of -straw being laid on the other side of the cart.</p> - -<p>Thomas Whalley, known as Jerusalem Whalley, owing to the journey -which he made for a wager to Jerusalem, was the son of a gentleman of -very considerable property in the north of Ireland. His father, when -advanced in years, married a lady<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> much younger than himself, and -left her a widow with seven children.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusc04.jpg" alt="match" /> -<a id="illusc04" name="illusc04"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Chaise Match.</span></p> - -<p>Thomas Whalley was the eldest son of this family, and had a property -of £10,000 per annum left him by his father. At the age of sixteen he -was sent to Paris to learn the French language and perfect himself -in dancing, fencing, and other elegant accomplishments. The tutor -selected to accompany him was not able or desirous of checking young -Whalley's extravagance. The latter purchased horses and hounds, took a -house in Paris, and another in the country, each of which was open for -the reception of his friends. His finances, ample as they were, were -found inadequate to the support of his extraordinary expenses, and, -with the hope of supplying his deficiencies, he had recourse to the -gaming-tables, which only increased his embarrassments. In one night -he lost upwards of £14,000. The bill which he drew upon his banker, La -Touche, in Dublin, for this sum was sent back protested, and it became -necessary for him to quit Paris. On his return to England, however, his -creditors (or rather the people who had swindled him out of this money) -were glad to compound for half the sum.</p> - -<p>Whalley then went back to Ireland and took a house in Dublin, where he -lived in the most expensive manner, but quickly tiring of rural life -decided to return to the Continent. While he was still hesitating as to -his exact place of destination, some friends, with whom he was dining, -and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> who had heard that he was intending to go abroad, made inquiry of -him whither he was going. He hastily answered: "To Jerusalem." Upon -this, certain that he had no such intention, they offered to wager -him any sum he did not reach that city. As a result of this, in spite -of the fact that he originally had not the faintest idea of such an -expedition, he was so much stimulated by the offers made him that he -accepted bets to the amount of £15,000, and at once made preparations -for his journey. A few days later he set out, and having accomplished -what was then an adventurous journey, eventually returned to Dublin -within the appointed time, and in due course claimed and received -from his astonished antagonists the reward of his most unexpected -performance.</p> - -<p>After staying some time in Dublin, Whalley again went to Paris, and was -witness to the very interesting scenes which occurred in the early part -of the Revolution in France. He remained in Paris till after the return -of the King from Varennes; and, when it became no longer safe for a -subject of the King of Great Britain to remain in France, he returned -to Ireland.</p> - -<p>Being of a very active disposition, Whalley made constant trips to -England, where he frequented the gaming-houses in London, Newmarket, -and Brighton, and soon dissipated a large part of his remaining -fortune. He then retired to the Isle of Man, where he employed himself -in cultivating and improving an estate he possessed there, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> in -educating his children. He at the same time drew up memoirs of his own -life, which were discovered a few years ago and published under the -title of <i>Memoirs of Buck Whalley</i>.</p> - -<p>Another sporting character well known in Ireland was the celebrated -Buck English, who spent the latter part of his life in litigious -turmoil, and was a man who experienced infinite vicissitudes of -fortune. Born to a large estate, the earlier part of his life was spent -in scenes of the most unbounded dissipation; but these were curtailed -when he got into the hands of a litigious attorney, who, for years, -kept him out of his property. Mr. English was tried for his life, -for the murder of Mr. Powell, and was with difficulty acquitted, and -escaped narrowly from being torn to pieces by the mob in Cork. Previous -to this, he threw a waiter out of a window, and desired him to be -"charged in the bill!" In his career, he fought two duels with swords, -in the streets of Dublin; was a Member of Parliament, and an excellent -speaker; was thrown into a loathsome prison for debt, where his -constitution was totally destroyed. He died almost immediately after -his liberation, just as he recovered his fortune.</p> - -<p>In October 1791, at the Curragh Meeting in Ireland, Mr. Wilde, a -sporting gentleman, made bets to the amount of two thousand guineas, -to ride against time, viz., one hundred and twenty-seven English miles -in nine hours. On the 6th of October he started in a valley, near the -Curragh<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> course, where two miles were measured in a circular direction; -each time he encompassed the course it was regularly marked. During the -interval of changing horses, he refreshed himself with a mouthful of -brandy and water, and was no more than six hours and twenty-one minutes -in completing the one hundred and twenty-seven miles; of course he had -two hours and thirty-nine minutes to spare.</p> - -<p>Mr. Wilde had no more than ten horses, but they were all thoroughbreds -from the stud of Mr. Daly.</p> - -<p>Whilst on horse-back, without allowing anything for changing of horses, -he rode at the rate of twenty miles an hour for six hours. He was so -little fatigued with this extraordinary performance, that he was at the -Turf Club-house in Kildare the same evening.</p> - -<p>The Right Honourable Thomas Conolly also rode for a wager of five -hundred guineas on the Curragh. He was allowed two hours to ride forty -miles with any ten hunters of his own. He with ease rode forty-two -miles in an hour and forty-four minutes on eight hunters.</p> - -<p>At this time much money was wagered both in Ireland and England upon -the leaping powers of the horse, and occasionally the methods employed -were none too honourable.</p> - -<p>A young sportsman, for instance, having boasted of the powers of a -recently purchased hunter which he offered to back at jumping against -any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> horse in the world, a friend ridiculed the idea, and said he had -a blind hunter that should leap over what the other would not. A wager -to no inconsiderable amount was the consequence, and day and place -appointed. The time having arrived, both parties appeared on the ground -with their nags; when laying down a straw at some distance, the friend -put his horse forward, and at the word "over" the blind hunter made a -famous leap; while neither whip nor spur could induce the other to rise -at all.</p> - -<p>A very sporting bet was decided in the most fashionable part of London -in 1792. On the 24th of February in that year was accomplished the -feat of leaping over the high wall of Hyde Park from Park Lane. A bet -of five hundred guineas was reported to have been laid between a Royal -personage and Mr. Bingham, that the latter's Irish-bred brown mare -should leap over the wall of Hyde Park, opposite Grosvenor Place, which -wall was six feet and a half high on the inside, and eight on the out. -Mr. Bingham having sold his mare to Mr. Jones, the bet, of course, -became void. Mr. Jones offered bets to any amount that the mare should -do it, but his offers were not accepted. Mr. Bingham, to show the -possibility of its being done, led his beautiful bay horse, Deserter, -to the same place, who performed this standing leap twice without -any difficulty, except that, in returning, his hind feet brushed the -bricks off the top of the wall. As the height from which he was to -descend into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> road was so considerable, he was received on a bed -of long dung. The Duke of York, Prince William of Gloucester, the Earl -of Derby, and a number of the nobility joined the vast concourse of -impatient spectators, who were pretty well tired out before the jumping -began.</p> - -<p>Another remarkable feat was the leap over a dinner-table with dishes, -decanters, and lighted candelabra, performed by Mr. Manning, a sporting -farmer, on a barebacked steed in the Rochester Room at the White Hart -Inn, at Aylesbury, during the steeplechases in 1851.</p> - -<p>Wagers entailing considerable risk and endurance were popular in the -past. Two gentlemen at a coffee-house near Temple Bar once made an -extraordinary bet of this nature. One of them was to jump into seven -feet of water, with his clothes on, and to entirely undress himself in -the water, which he did within the appointed time.</p> - -<p>The present writer, when an undergraduate at Cambridge, witnessed a -somewhat similar exploit performed in the Cam on a particularly cold -winter's day.</p> - -<p>On this occasion, however, the undergraduate, a man of herculean frame, -who had wagered that he would undress in the water, was allowed to -cancel his bet after he had discarded everything but one sock. As he -appeared to be much exhausted, all bets were declared off by mutual -consent. The layer of the wager was in a terrible state on leaving the -water, but entirely recovered the next day.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span></p> - -<p>Those fond of shooting frequently wagered on their powers as shots.</p> - -<p>In 1800 the celebrated Colonel Thornton made a bet that he killed 400 -head of game at 400 shots. The result was, he bagged 417 head of game -(consisting of partridges, pheasants, hares, snipes, and woodcocks) at -411 shots. Amongst these were a black wild duck and a white pheasant -cock; and at the last point he killed a brace of cock pheasants, one -with each barrel. On the leg of the last killed (an amazing fine bird) -was found a ring, proving that he had been taken by Colonel Thornton -when hawking, and turned loose again in 1792.</p> - -<p>Colonel Thornton could not bear to hear that any one had outdone him -at anything. On one occasion a foreigner was boasting of the sporting -powers of the Comte d'Artois, afterwards Charles X., and asserted that -the Prince in question was, without doubt, considered the greatest shot -in Europe. On hearing this the Colonel looked highly offended, when the -foreign sportsman added, "except Colonel <i>Tornton</i>" (thus pronounced), -"who is acknowledged to be the longest shot in the world." There was a -great deal of bitter-sweet in this, but the Colonel wisely interpreted -the phrase in a sense complimentary to himself.</p> - -<p>Colonel Thornton, though his name has come down to us as a great -sporting character, was not by any means universally popular in his own -day.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> Notwithstanding that he was of quite respectable descent, and had -inherited a comfortable fortune, he was never on familiar terms with -the aristocratic sportsmen of his age, with whom it was his darling -passion to be able to associate. A well-known member of the Jockey -Club, when the Colonel's name was mentioned, once said: "Oh! Thornton, -never let us hear that fellow named; we don't know him."</p> - -<p>The Colonel provoked much ridicule by his overwhelming ambition to -excel everybody in everything—a notable instance of which was his -taking Thornville Royal, a palatial house of which his family and -suite could only occupy one corner, his means being inadequate to keep -up the house and domain in proper style. Incapable of restraining an -innate tendency to exaggeration, Colonel Thornton was known to many as -"Lying Thornton," a nickname which was in some degree justified by the -palpably mendacious accounts of his exploits, which his craving for -notoriety prompted him to disseminate. His conceit was gigantic. He -once actually sent an apology for not being present at a Royal Levee, -which absurd conduct caused a great personage many a hearty laugh.</p> - -<p>The Colonel's extravagance, and the lawsuits in which he indulged, -often reduced him to great straits for ready money. Nevertheless, -he was always possessed of considerable property. Colonel Thornton -undoubtedly deserves to be remembered as a sportsman, though his -reputation as such would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> have been greater had he not sought to excel -all men in bodily activity and physical exertion, as well as eclipse -them in the extent and variety of land and water sports, which was -naturally an impossible feat.</p> - -<p>Much given to litigation in life. Colonel Thornton gave the lawyers -employment even after his death. By his will he bequeathed all his -remaining property to an illegitimate daughter by Priscilla Druins, -leaving his wife, Mrs. Thornton, nothing, and his son by her only £100. -The will was disputed by the lawyers both in France and England. In -the English Courts it was decided that the Colonel had never ceased to -be a British subject, and that, therefore, the will must be valid. The -French Court, passing a contrary judgment, decreed that the Colonel had -petitioned in 1817, and obtained a complete naturalisation; that his -real domicile being therefore in France, the will must be decided by -its laws; and that the property having been willed to a child born in -adultery, and otherwise contrary to the laws of France, the will was -null and void; and they adjudged accordingly, with costs in favour of -Mrs. Thornton, the lawful wife. The Colonel's real property appeared to -be very little. He inhabited the Château de Chambord only as a tenant, -but he had purchased the domain of Pont le Roi, and the vendors sued -the Colonel's legatees for the purchase money.</p> - -<p>At the dawn of the nineteenth century long-distance matches continued -to be in vogue. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> distance between Burton, on the Humber, and -Bishopsgate, in the City of London, one hundred and seventy-two miles, -was covered in something like eight hours and a half by a sportsman in -1802, who had bet that, with the fourteen horses allowed him, he would -accomplish the journey in ten hours.</p> - -<p>In April 1806 a very singular bet, or agreement, was made at Brighton -between Lieutenant-General Lennox and Henry Hunter, Esq. The former, -after some remarks on the prevalent winds at Brighton, proposed to give -to the latter, during the space of twenty-eight days, whenever the wind -blew from the south-west, one guinea per diem, provided the other would -forfeit to him the same sum, during the same period, every day that -the wind should blow from the north-east, which proposal was instantly -accepted. For the ensuing thirteen days the wind lay mostly in the -south-west quarter, upon which Mr. Hunter remarked that, in spite -of south-west gales not being to every one's taste, this was merely -another proof of the old adage that "It is an ill wind that blows -nobody good."</p> - -<p>In 1807, Captain Bennet, of the Loyal Ongar Hundred Volunteers, engaged -to trundle a hoop from Whitechapel Church to Ongar, in Essex, in three -hours and a half, a distance of twenty-two miles, for the wager of one -hundred guineas.</p> - -<p>He started on Saturday morning, November 21, precisely at six o'clock, -with the wind very much in his favour, and the odds about two to one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> -against him. Notwithstanding the early hour, the singularity of the -match brought together a numerous assemblage. The hoop used by Captain -Bennet on the occasion was heavier than those trundled by boys in -general, and was selected by him conformably to the terms of the wager. -The first ten miles Captain Bennet performed in one hour and twenty -minutes, which changed the odds considerably in his favour.</p> - -<p>He accomplished the whole distance considerably within the given time, -as the Ongar coachman met him only five miles and a half from Ongar, -when he had a full hour in hand.</p> - -<p>A cruel wager was the following, made in December of the same year, -when a Mr. Arnold, a sporting man who resided at Pentonville, bet Mr. -Mawbey, a factor of the Fulham Road, twenty guineas that the former did -not produce a dog, which should be thrown over Westminster Bridge at -dark, and find its way home again in six hours, as proposed by Arnold. -The inhuman experiment was tried in the evening, when a spaniel bitch, -the property of a groom in Tottenham Court Road, was produced and -thrown over from the centre of the bridge. The dog arrived at the house -of her master in two hours after the experiment had been made.</p> - -<p>Little consideration was shown for animals in those days.</p> - -<p>On a Saturday evening in August 1808, a crowd of people assembled at -Hyde Park Corner<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> to watch the start of a pony which was, for a stake -of five hundred guineas, matched to start with the Exeter Mail and be -in Exeter first, with or without a rider. A man leading the pony was -at liberty to take a fresh post-horse whenever he liked. The backer of -the pony won the match, for though the odds were against it, the game -little animal arrived at Exeter in very good condition, forty-five -minutes before the Mail reached that city. Several thousands of pounds -were wagered on the result.</p> - -<p>It should be added that the pony drank ale during the journey, and -several pints of port in addition.</p> - -<p>The distance from London to Exeter is about one hundred and -seventy-four miles.</p> - -<p>In 1809 a very extraordinary wager was decided upon the road between -Cambridge and Huntingdon. A gentleman of the former place had betted -a considerable sum of money that he would go, a yard from the ground, -upon stilts, the distance of twelve miles, within the space of four -hours and a half: no stoppage was to be allowed, except merely the -time taken up in exchanging one pair of stilts for another, and even -then his feet were not to touch the ground. He started at the second -milestone from Cambridge in the Huntingdon Road, to go six miles -out and six miles in; the first he performed in one hour and fifty -minutes, and did the distance back in two hours and three minutes, so -that he went the whole in three hours and fifty-three minutes, having -thirty-seven minutes to spare within the time allowed him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span></p> - -<p>In the winter of 1810-1811 a bet of £500 was made by the Duke of -Richmond, then Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, with Sir Edward Crofton -(who afterwards committed suicide), that the latter should not produce -a horse who would leap, in fair Irish sporting style (which allows -just touching with the hind feet), a wall seven feet high. Sir Edward -brought forward a cocktail horse, called Turnip, being got by Turnip, a -thoroughbred son of old Pot8o's (a horse imported, like the celebrated -Diamond, into Ireland by Colonel Hyde), out of a common Irish mare.</p> - -<p>On the day appointed, a gate was removed from its place in a very high -park wall, near the Phœnix Park, and, men and stones being ready, -was built up to the required and specified height, in the presence of -his Grace. While this was being expeditiously accomplished by men used -to building up such fences. Turnip was kept walking about, by a common -groom in jacket and cap. When all was ready, and the signal given, over -he went, but had so little run that the Duke, thinking the rider was -going to turn him round and give him a race at it, turned his head at -the moment, and did not see the leap; to reassure him, however, the -horse was put over it again. He was a slow horse, and died afterwards -from the effects of a severe run with the Kildare hounds in an open -country, where, though the fences would in England be reckoned severe, -they were nothing to the walls of Roscommon and Galway.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span></p> - -<p>About 1811 there appears to have been a recrudescence of the craze for -eccentric wagers. A good deal of interest was excited in January of -that year by the strange performance of a soldier in the Guards, who -had betted two guineas that he would mark a cross on every tree in St. -James's Park, that was within his reach, in an hour and ten minutes. He -started at ten o'clock in the morning from the first tree in Birdcage -Walk, and completed his task in three minutes less than the time -allowed him. A great number of bets depended upon the result.</p> - -<p>In the same year a French cook, in the employ of Lord Gwydir, wagered -a considerable sum in the neighbourhood of Lincoln, that he could -roll a round piece of wood like a trencher from Grimsthorpe to Bourn, -a distance of nearly four miles, church-steeple road, at one hundred -starts. The bet having been accepted, the Frenchman had a groove formed -round the edge of the wood, and, with the aid of a piece of cord, he -accomplished his task in ninety-nine starts.</p> - -<p>In the same year an ostler of the Dragoon Inn, at Harrowgate, -undertook, for a wager of one guinea, to drag a heavy phaeton three -times round the race-course there, being nearly four miles, in six -hours. He started at six in the evening, and at fifteen minutes to nine -he had performed his singular task.</p> - -<p>In 1812 Scrope Davis, then a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, -betted five thousand guineas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> that he would swim from Eaglehurst, the -seat of Lord Cavan, near Southampton Water, to the Isle of Wight. This -feat, however, he did not attempt, as he received seven hundred and -fifty guineas forfeit from the sporting gentleman with whom he made the -wager.</p> - -<p>Scrope Davis was a particularly cultivated man, who for a time -frequented the gaming-table with considerable success. Eventually, -however, like the great majority of gamblers, he found himself with -little to live upon except his Cambridge fellowship. He retired to -Paris and bore his altered fortunes with the greatest philosophy, -whilst occupying himself in writing a diary which has unfortunately -disappeared.</p> - -<p>In 1813 another literary man of sporting tendencies—a Mr. Thacker, -who had been an assistant master at Rugby—undertook at Lincoln, for a -wager of £5, to make two thousand pens in ten hours; this he performed -nearly two hours within the time. It was stipulated that they should -be well made; and a person was appointed umpire who examined every pen -as he made it. The pens were afterwards sold by auction at the Green -Dragon, where the bet had been decided.</p> - -<p>In 1814 a somewhat novel wager was decided in a tavern in the City.</p> - -<p>Two gentlemen undertook to drink against one another, one to drink -wine, and the other water, glass for glass, and he that gave in was to -be the loser. They drank the contents of a bottle and a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> half each, -but the wine-drinker was triumphant. The unfortunate water-drinker was -afterwards taken ill, being confined to his bed with an attack of the -gout.</p> - -<p>In February 1815 a journeyman baker performed a wonderful feat of -winning a bet of fifty pounds to ten laid him by a gentleman that he -would not stand upon one leg for twelve hours. A square piece of carpet -was nailed in the centre of the room, and the time fixed was three -o'clock in the afternoon, when the baker made his appearance without -shoes, coat, or hat, and proceeded to take up his position upon his -right leg. After standing eight hours and a half, before a great number -of people, the gentleman, seeing the agony which the baker appeared to -be in, offered him one-half of the wager to relinquish the bet; but, to -the great astonishment of the spectators, the man refused, saying he -would have the whole, or at least try for it; the perspiration was then -running off him like rain, but he still persisted, when the bets were -fifty to one against him. Nevertheless he performed what was in its way -a wonderful feat, remaining on the one leg three minutes longer than -the stipulated time, when he was put into a chair, and carried home.</p> - -<p>In May of the same year, a novel bet of £500 was laid in a coffee-room -in Bond Street. The wager in question stipulated that a gentleman -should go from London to Dover, and back, in any mode he chose, while -another made a million<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> of dots with a pen and ink upon a sheet of -writing-paper.</p> - -<p>In 1826, Lloyd, the celebrated pedestrian, started, on Monday the 19th -March, at eight in the morning, to perform thirty miles <i>backwards</i> -in nine successive hours, including stoppages, at Bagshot, Surrey. He -went on during the morning at the rate of four miles an hour, although -the ground was much against him, and finished his task with apparent -ease fourteen minutes within the time. He immediately mounted a friends -horse, and proceeded to Hartford Bridge, where he took up his quarters -for the night, and walked on to Odiham the next morning (Tuesday), -where he undertook to walk twenty miles backwards in five hours and a -half, which, with the advantage of a good road, he again accomplished -seven minutes and a half within his time.</p> - -<p>The same year a gentleman made a bet that he would cause all the -bells of a well-frequented tavern in Glasgow to ring at the same -period without touching one of them, or even leaving the room. This -he accomplished by turning the stop-cock of the main gas-pipe, and -involving the whole inmates in instant darkness. In a short period -the clangor of bells rang from every room and box in the house, which -gained him his bet amidst the general laughter and applause even of the -losers.</p> - -<p>As the nineteenth century crept on, life grew<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> more strenuous, and -the eccentric wagers, once so popular, went out of fashion; sporting -matches, however, were occasionally made.</p> - -<p>In 1831, Squire Osbaldiston, of historic sporting memory, when -forty-four years old and over eleven stone in weight, won a thousand -guineas by riding two hundred miles in eight hours and thirty-nine -minutes, the conditions of the wager stipulating that he should go the -distance in ten hours. No less than twenty-eight horses were utilised -in this historic match.</p> - -<p>At 3.15 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, July 13, 1809, at Newmarket, Captain Barclay, -the famous pedestrian, successfully ended a walk of a thousand miles -in a thousand successive hours at the rate of a mile in each and every -hour. This great walker had three-quarters of an hour to spare and -completed his task with great ease, 100 to 1 being offered upon him on -the last morning of his walk. About £100,000 depended upon this match, -of which £16,000 was won by Barclay himself.</p> - -<p>Seventeen years later Captain Polhill easily accomplished the task of -walking, driving, and riding fifty miles in twenty-four consecutive -hours, the whole distance of a hundred and fifty being negotiated with -five hours to spare.</p> - -<p>Jim Selby's coaching feat of driving to Brighton and back in eight -hours is still fresh in the memory of many. A thousand pounds to -five hundred was laid at the Ascot meeting of 1888 against such a -performance. Selby started from the White Horse<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> Cellar, Piccadilly, -at 10 in the morning of July 13, and reached the Old Ship at Brighton -at 1.56. Immediately starting on the return journey, he arrived at the -White Horse Cellars at 5.50, and thus won the bet by ten minutes. In -the same year an extraordinary sporting feat was performed by a friend -of the writer, Mr. Charles Bulpett (thirty-seven years old at the -time), who took £500 to £200 that he would ride a mile, run a mile, and -walk a mile—three miles in all—within sixteen minutes and a half. -This he was successful in doing, the exact time occupied being sixteen -minutes and seven seconds. It should be added that the extraordinary -athletic powers displayed on this occasion were greatly enhanced by the -fact that Mr. Bulpett was suffering from a game leg.</p> - -<p>The same gentleman also won another sporting match of an original kind. -Dining one evening at the Ship at Greenwich (formerly a great resort -and the scene of an annual ministerial fish dinner) with some friends, -the subject of swimming came under discussion, and in the course of -the conversation some one, pointing across the river, spoke of the -difficulty of swimming the Thames at this spot in ordinary clothes.</p> - -<p>"I will," said Mr. Bulpett, "lay you £100 to £25 that I do it." The bet -was taken and the next day, according to the terms of the wager, Mr. -Bulpett entered the water at the Ship dressed in a frock coat, top hat, -with a cane in his hand. A boat with his friends in it followed his -progress.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> He reached the opposite shore with the greatest ease, though -he was carried a mile and a quarter down by the tide, and when he got -there offered to lay the same bet that he would then and there swim -back to the other shore, but there were no takers. Had the wager been -repeated, there is little doubt but that another £25 would have found -its way into the pockets of this redoubtable athlete.</p> - -<p>A feat of a somewhat similar kind to Mr. Bulpett's was performed in -1891 by Mr. J.B. Radcliffe, who within the space of fifteen minutes -rowed, swam, ran, cycled, and rode a horse the distance of a quarter -of a mile, successfully covering the mile and a half in the appointed -time.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="VIII" id="VIII">VIII</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">Gambling in Paris—Henry IV. and Sully—Cardinal Mazarin's -love of play—Louis XIV. attempts to suppress gaming—John -Law—Anecdotes—Institution of public tables in 1775—Biribi—Gambling -during the Revolution—Fouché—The tables of the Palais Royal—The -Galeries de Bois—Account of gaming-rooms—Passe-dix and -Craps—Frascati's and the Salon des Étrangers—Anecdotes—Public -gaming ended in Paris—Last evenings of play—Decadence of the Palais -Royal—Its restaurants—Gaming in Paris at the present day.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>There has always been much gambling in Paris, and up to the middle of -the last century that city was the stronghold of public gaming, the -Goddess of Chance wielding absolute sway in the Palais Royal, where -licensed gaming-tables existed.</p> - -<p>The toleration of public gaming in Paris dated as far back as the reign -of Henri IV. In 1617 there were forty-seven "Brelans" frequented by -any one who cared to play, each of which paid a daily tribute of one -pistole to the Lieutenant Civil, who held an office in a great measure -corresponding with that of the modern Prefect of Police. Henri IV. -himself was much addicted to gaming, and the celebrated Sully attempted -to reform him. The King in question having once lost an immense sum of -money at play, Sully let his royal master send to him for it several -times without taking any notice; at last, however, he brought it and -spread<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> the coins before him upon a table. The King fixed his eyes -upon the vast sum—said to have been enough to have bought Amiens from -the Spaniards—and at last cried out to Sully, "I am corrected, I will -never again lose my money at gaming while I live."</p> - -<p>The gaming-resorts of old Paris were filled with people whose -reputations for probity were generally a good deal more than doubtful. -In one of the best of these <i>tripots</i> a gentleman, whose turn to hold -the hand had come, delayed the game by insisting on searching for a few -pieces of gold which he had dropped on the floor. The other players, -eager to pursue their game, remonstrated with him saying, "You know -we are all honest people here." "I know that," was the reply, "honest -people, one of whom gets hung every week when the law is in a mood to -do its duty."</p> - -<p>Scandals of the most disgraceful kind were of constant occurrence, -and in consequence of the numerous quarrels relating to unpaid -wagers, Francis the First once proposed to create a special court of -jurisdiction to deal with such cases. A list of judges and officials -was even drawn up, but the scheme was never actually put into execution.</p> - -<p>Whilst the ordinary folk flocked to more or less obscure gaming-houses, -the <i>noblesse</i> in the seventeenth century were great patrons of the -tennis-court known as the "Tripot de la Sphère," in the Marais. A -considerable amount of etiquette prevailed, and not a few careers were -wrecked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> owing to the overbearing demeanour of some of the great nobles.</p> - -<p>Cardinal Mazarin, however, introduced games of chance at the Court of -Louis XIV. in 1648, and having initiated the King and the Queen Regent -into the pleasures of the gaming-table, as an indirect consequence -caused the decadence of tennis, mail (pall mall), and billiards.</p> - -<p>Games involving strength, skill, and exercise became neglected, and the -population somewhat demoralised.</p> - -<p>Gaming spread from the Court to Paris, and from thence to provincial -towns, in many cases producing a very disastrous effect.</p> - -<p>Louis the Fourteenth was fond of backgammon, at which one day he had -a doubtful throw. A dispute arose, and the surrounding courtiers all -remained silent. The Count de Gramont happened to come in at that -instant. "Decide the matter," said the King to him. "Sire," said the -Count, "your Majesty is in the wrong." "How," replied the King, "can -you thus decide without knowing the question?" "Because," said the -Count, "had the matter been doubtful, all these gentlemen present would -have given it for your Majesty."</p> - -<p>Cardinal Mazarin himself was generally ready to bet about anything. -He was driving in the country one day with a certain Count, when the -latter proposed that they should wager on the number of sheep they -should pass in the fields on each side of the road, one taking the -right and the other the left<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> side. The Cardinal was a heavy loser -over this, as, much to his surprise, both going and returning the side -selected by his companion simply swarmed with sheep, whilst very few -were to be seen on the other.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, as he afterwards genially hinted, the Count -had taken measures not to lose his bet, but the Cardinal, who was -good-natured in such matters, bore him no ill-will.</p> - -<p>Another great ecclesiastic who was equally good-humoured about losses -at play was the Cardinal d'Este, who, one day entertaining at dinner a -brother prince of the Church, the Cardinal de Medici, played with him -afterwards, and quite carelessly allowed the latter to win a stake of -some ten thousand crowns, because, as he told an onlooker, he did not -wish his guest to go away in a bad humour, or feel that he had been -made to pay for his dinner.</p> - -<p>Hoca was a very popular game about this time. Certain Italians who had -come into France in the train of Cardinal Mazarin contrived to obtain -a concession from the King which enabled them to establish places -in which this game might be played, and as they took care always to -keep the bank themselves, they soon began to attract unfavourable -notice owing to the large sums which fell into their maw. The game -in question was prodigiously favourable to the bank, the players -having only twenty-eight chances against thirty. In consequence of the -public scandal which resulted,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> the Parliament of Paris stepped in and -threatened severe punishment against these men, whilst it was made -punishable by death to play hoca at all. Nevertheless, it continued to -be in high favour at the Court, where many were ruined by gambling.</p> - -<p>In 1691, Louis XIV. determined to put a stop to the evil, and issued -an order that no one should engage at faro, basset, and other games -of chance on any consideration; every offender was to be fined 1000 -livres, and the person at whose house any such game was played incurred -a penalty of 6000 livres for each offence. Gamblers were also to be -imprisoned for six months. The order in question, however, appears to -have effected nothing, for some years later the same prince published -a still severer edict, by which he forbade, on pain of death, any -gaming in the French cavalry, and sentenced every commanding officer or -governor who should presume to set up a hazard-table to be cashiered, -and all concerned to be immediately and rigorously imprisoned.</p> - -<p>About the commencement of the Regency all Paris went mad over gaming; -many of the houses of the great nobles were virtually <i>tripots</i>, -special lights outside announcing this to passers-by. Horace Walpole -declared that at least a hundred and fifty people of the highest -quality lived on the play which took place in their houses, which any -one wishing to gamble could enter at all hours. At the mansion of the -Duc de Gevres persons desirous of taking the bank paid about twelve<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> -guineas a night. Such proceedings were deemed to be no disgrace to the -nobles.</p> - -<p>Soon the gambling fever assumed a far more dangerous form than cards -or dice, owing to the wild speculation brought into fashion by Law. -This man, who was born in 1688, was the son of a lawyer at Edinburgh. -Coming up to London he fell in love with the sister of a peer, who, -disapproving of such a marriage with an adventurer, challenged Law, -and fell in the duel. Law immediately escaped into Holland, and was -tried, convicted, and outlawed in England. Perhaps it was in Holland he -acquired that turn of mind which revels in immense calculations; anyhow -he became an adept in the mysteries of exchanges and re-exchanges. From -thence he proceeded to Venice and other cities, studying the nature of -their banks. In 1709 he was at Paris, avid as ever of speculation.</p> - -<p>At the close of the reign of Louis XIV., the French finances were -in great disorder; and Law, having obtained an audience of that -monarch, had almost convinced the bankrupt king of the feasibility -of his speculative projects. He had offered to pay the national debt -by establishing a company, whose paper was to be received with all -possible confidence, and who were to make immense profits by their -commercial transactions. The minister, Desmarest, however, took alarm -and, to get rid of Law, threatened him, by one of his emissaries, -with the Bastille. Law quitted Paris, and became a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> wanderer through -Italy. He then addressed himself to the King of Sardinia, who refused -the adventurer's assistance, curtly declaring that he was not powerful -enough to ruin himself!</p> - -<p>At the death of Louis XIV., the Duke of Orleans was Regent. Law saw his -chance and ventured again to Paris, where he found the Regent docile -enough. The latter, indeed, was placed in a most trying situation: -the finances were all confusion, and no one appeared competent to -settle them. At first the Regent listened somewhat reluctantly to Law, -doubtful as to what consequences must follow such colossal schemes as -those in which the adventurer dealt. Matters, however, going from bad -to worse, the numerical quack was called in to relieve, by his powerful -remedy, the disorder which no one else would even attempt to cure.</p> - -<p>Law commenced with most brilliant prospects. He established his bank, -was chosen director of the East India Company, and soon gave his scheme -that vital credit which produced real specie. In that distracted time, -every one buried or otherwise concealed his valuables; but, when -the spells of Law began to operate, every coffer was opened, while -the proprietors of many estates seemed to prefer his paper to the -possession of their lands. All Europe appeared delighted; Law acquired -millions in a morning; whilst the Regent, thoroughly duped, felicitated -himself on his possession of so great an alchemist.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span></p> - -<p>Law was honoured with nobility, and created Comte de Tankerville; -as for marquisates, he purchased them at his will. Edinburgh, his -native city, humbly presented him with her freedom, in which appears -these remarkable expressions:—"The Corporation of Edinburgh presents -its freedom to John Law, Count of Tankerville, etc., etc., etc., a -most accomplished gentleman; the first of all bankers in Europe; the -fortunate inventor of sources of commerce in all parts of the remote -world; and who has deserved so well of his nation." From a Scotchman -(says Voltaire) he became, by naturalisation, a Frenchman; from a -Protestant, a Catholic; from an adventurer, a Prince; and from a -banker, a minister of state.</p> - -<p>Law's novel system of finance was perhaps most aptly defined by a -dissipated and spendthrift member of the French <i>noblesse</i>, the Marquis -de Cavillac, who, much to the Scotchman's disgust, bluntly accused him -of plagiarising from his own methods, which, as he added, consisted in -drawing and giving bills which would certainly never be met.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile a veritable rage for speculation prevailed. Fortunes were -made in a month, and stock-jobbing was carried on even in the narrowest -alleys of Paris. Singular anecdotes are recorded of this time. A -coachman gave warning to his master, who begged at least that he would -provide him with another as good as himself. "Very well," was the -reply, "I have hired two this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span> morning; take your choice, and I will -have the other." A footman set up his chariot; but, going to it, got up -behind, where from force of habit he remained till reminded by his own -servant of the mistake. An old beggar, who had a remarkable hunch on -his back, haunted the Rue Quincampoix, which was the crowded resort of -all stock-jobbers; here he acquired a good fortune by lending out his -hunch for five minutes at a time as a desk.</p> - -<p>Law himself was adored; the proudest courtiers were humble reptiles -before this mighty man; dukes and duchesses patiently waited in his -ante-chamber; and Mrs. Law, a haughty beauty, when a duchess was -announced, exclaimed, "Still more duchesses! There is no animal so -tiresome as a duchess!"</p> - -<p>The Court ladies never left Law alone. One morning, when he was -surrounded by a body of <i>grandes dames</i>, he was going to retire. They -inquired the reason, which was of such a kind as should have silenced -them; but on the contrary, they said, "Oh! if it is nothing but that, -let them bring here a <i>chaise percée</i> for Mr. Law." When the young -king was at play, and the stakes were too high even for his Majesty, -he refused to cover them all; young Law (the son of the adventurer) -cried out, "If his Majesty will not cover, I will." The King's governor -frowned on the boy of millions, who, perceiving his error, threw -himself at the king's feet.</p> - -<p>The infatuation ran through all classes, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> even the French Academy -solicited for the honour of Law becoming their associate—this -Scotchman was the only speculator they ever admitted into their body.</p> - -<p>The evil hour, however, at last arrived; the immense machine became -so complicated that even the head of Law began to turn with its rapid -revolutions. In 1719 he created credit; but in May 1720, uncounted -millions disappeared in air. Nothing was seen but paper and bankruptcy -everywhere. Law was considered as the sole origin of the public -misfortune, no one blaming his own credulity. The mob broke his -carriages, destroyed his houses, and tried to find the arithmetician -in order to tear him to pieces. He escaped from Paris in disguise, -and long wandered in Europe incognito. After some years, he found -a hiding-place in Venice, where he lived, poor, obscure, yet still -calculating. Montesquieu, who saw him there, said: "He is still the -same man; his mind ever busied in financial schemes; his head is full -of figures, of agios, and of banks. His fortune is very small, yet he -loves to game high." Indeed, of all his more than princely revenues, he -only saved, as a wreck, a large white diamond, which, when he had no -money, he used to pawn.</p> - -<p>Voltaire saw his widow at Brussels. She was then as humiliated, as -miserable, and as obscure, as she had been triumphant and haughty at -Paris.</p> - -<p>After the collapse of Law's schemes the stream of gaming returned to -its ordinary channels, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> high play continued as formerly to be -the pastime of the <i>noblesse</i>, some of whom kept more or less public -gaming-tables.</p> - -<p>Not, however, till 1775 were public gaming-tables, somewhat resembling -those still flourishing at Monaco, licensed in Paris. In that year -Sartines, the celebrated "Lieutenant of Police," began to authorise -regular "maisons de jeu," the profits of which were in principle -supposed to be devoted to the foundation of hospitals, but in reality -failed to reach their destined goal of philanthropy. The most popular -game played was called "la belle." Certain privileged ladies, it may be -added, were accorded permission to preside at the twelve gaming-tables -of Paris twice a week. The bankers gave these attractive sorceresses -six louis at each sitting, and paid all other expenses. A third day -in the seven was set aside for the benefit of the police, who, once -every week, ungallantly pocketed the six golden pieces of each of the -presiding goddesses, most of whom were battered baronesses and ruined -marchionesses, who had petitioned for the somewhat dubious honour of -presiding at these <i>tripots</i>. Amongst them were Madame de Thouvenère, -la Baronne de Gancière, and la Marquise de Sainte Doubeuville. The -ladies were generally represented by deputies of the fair sex, who -received a fair share of the wages of iniquity. The directors of -the gaming-houses in question were as a rule the valets of grand -seigneurs, the best known being a man called<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> Gombaud, who acted as -cashier-general. The success of the authorised "houses" led to the -establishment of rival and clandestine <i>tripots</i>. The most celebrated -of these private pandemoniums, which were practically "Hells," were -kept by Madame de Selle, Rue Montmartre; la Comtesse Champeiron, Rue -de Cléry; and Madame de Fonteneille. Rue de l'Arsenal. It was at -the last-named place that Sartines, who often visited such places -as a private individual for his own pleasure, narrowly escaped the -blow of a poniard, on being recognised by a ruined gambler. A good -deal of crime and misery was declared to arise from the existence of -these gaming-houses, and at length, in 1781, after many suicides and -bankruptcies innumerable, they were temporarily prohibited. The main -cause, however, was that the brother of a favourite mistress of a -pet courtier, after ruining himself and robbing a friend in order to -obtain funds with which to play, had put an end to his existence, by -blowing out his brains, at a gaming-house kept by Madame de la Serre, -Place des Victoires. After this the demon of gaming took refuge at the -Court, where shady financiers and well-dressed scoundrels carried on -a very lucrative traffic almost under the nose of His Most Christian -Majesty. The privileged hôtels of the ambassadors, where the police had -no control, became also the <i>sanctum sanctorum</i> of the vampires of that -period. In addition to this, after a short lapse of time, the original -Golgothas were re-licensed, the game called "biribi" displacing "la<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> -belle," and becoming the popular road to ruin of the day.</p> - -<p>Biribi is now probably quite obsolete. It was played upon a table which -contained seventy numbers, to which there were corresponding numbers -enclosed in a bag.</p> - -<p>These the banker drew out one by one, the player whose money was on -the corresponding number on the table being paid a sum equivalent to -sixty-four times his stake. As at roulette, there were a great number -of other chances—<i>pair</i> and <i>impair</i>, <i>noir</i> and <i>rouge</i>, <i>du petit et -du grand côté</i>, <i>la bordure du tableau</i>, <i>les terminaisons</i>, and the -like.</p> - -<p>There were nine columns of numbers, each of which contained eight, -with the exception of the middle column, which was the banker's; this -consisted of six numbers only, which were considered zeroes.</p> - -<p>Unattractive as this game must appear to a more sophisticated -generation, biribi became a regular craze.</p> - -<p>About this time another epidemic of domestic horrors and public -crimes caused the Hells to be denounced to Parliament, which cited -the redoubtable lieutenant of police, Sartines, to its bar, and after -a good deal of gesticulation and ultra-moral oratory—most of it -from those members of the Parliament who themselves kept privileged -receptacles of gaming—it was decided that the high court of peers -should be convoked, in order that they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> might deal severely with -those minor ruffians, who, in contravention of the laws, carried -on clandestine play. The patrician moralists shortly after issued -a decree, sanctioned by Royalty, that the bankers of unauthorised -gaming-houses should be liable to the <i>carcan</i> (pillory), branding with -a hot iron, and the <i>fout</i> (flogging).</p> - -<p>After this the licensed Hells carried on their golden commerce in -full security, but not entirely without competition, in spite of the -aforesaid pains and penalties which were in several cases enforced. A -curious and characteristic consequence of such a state of affairs was -the use to which certain diplomatic representatives put their mansions, -making good, or rather bad, use of the immunity from interference which -their office of Envoy conferred. M. le Chevalier Zeno, the Venetian -Ambassador, turned his house into a regular casino, admitting any one -into it who would play. For those of the lowest degree a particular -room was reserved, known to its habitués as "l'enfer." Remonstrances -and representations from the authorities were powerless to effect -the cessation of what became a public scandal, the Venetian Embassy -continuing to be little but a gambling-hell, till the departure of the -Ambassador in question.</p> - -<p>Three other Ministers also maintained establishments of a similar kind. -These were the Prussian Envoy, who resided in the Rue de Choiseul, -the Envoy of Hesse-Cassel, whose house was in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> Rue Poissonnière, -and the Ambassador of Sweden, whose gambling establishment was on the -Place du Louvre, at a house bearing the inscription "Écuries de M. -l'Ambassadeur de Suède." The somewhat singular methods employed by the -enterprising Diplomats in question were very freely commented upon in a -report issued by the "Lieutenant de Police" in February 1781, nothing, -however, being done to check the scandal. On the contrary, certain -members of the <i>noblesse</i>, being struck with the pecuniary advantages -to be reaped from keeping a gaming-house, followed the example of -the Ambassadors, M. le Marquis and M. le Comte de Genlis presiding -over establishments of this kind in the Place Vendôme and in the Rue -Bergère. It became no uncommon thing for Chevaliers de St. Louis to -act as bankers or croupiers. Owing to the decoration they wore they -were not subject to the same jurisdiction as ordinary mortals, besides -which, many of them were excellent swordsmen. This naturally gave -them a great advantage in the case of any protest on the part of the -players against the methods employed by the bank, a circumstance which -eventually led to a royal prohibition of further gaming enterprises -being undertaken by Chevaliers of this Order.</p> - -<p>As the stormy days of '89 approached, gambling became more and more -prevalent, and during the Revolution, notwithstanding the Spartan -austerity which it was declared was to be a characteristic of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> the new -era, gaming was freely tolerated by the authorities. Later, when Fouché -assumed the office of Minister of Police, the privilege of keeping -gambling-houses was let out as openly and as publicly as the King's -Ministers had farmed out the duties upon salt, tobacco, or wine to the -"fermiers généraux" of the revenue. Cards of address to gambling-houses -were distributed in all parts of France in the same manner as circulars -in London. The sum of money which this system of toleration brought -into Fouché's pocket reached upwards of ten thousand pounds per month. -The Prefect at Lyons, Vermignac, learnt, to his cost, how dangerous -it was to meddle with this <i>lawful</i> income of Citizen Fouché; for, -having ordered the suppression of all gambling-houses in that city, -Fouché represented him in such a light to Bonaparte that he lost the -honourable place of Prefect, and was sent, in disgrace, as Minister to -Switzerland, a situation no Prefect's secretary would by choice accept, -on account of the unsettled state of that country, and the disagreeable -and difficult part a French Minister had at that time to perform there.</p> - -<p>Besides what the farmers of the gambling-houses paid to Fouché every -month, they were obliged to hire and pay 120,000 persons employed in -their houses at Paris, and in the provinces, as croupiers, from half a -crown to half a guinea a day; most of these 120,000 persons were also -supposed to be spies for Fouché.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span></p> - -<p>In 1789, Thiroux de Crosne, Lieutenant de Police, estimated that there -were fifty-three houses in Paris where illegal games were played; other -authorities of that time gave figures far in excess of this. <i>Tripots</i> -existed in the Rue Notre Dame des Victoires, Rue des Petits Pères, -Place des Petits Pères, and Rue de Cléry. No. 35 Rue Traversière, Saint -Honoré, No. 18 Rue de Richelieu, and No. 10 Rue Vivienne were all -well-known gaming places.</p> - -<p>In the Palais Royal, however, thirty-one different establishments -were ready to allure the votaries of fortune. At No. 33 a man named -Dumoulin, who had been a lackey in the service of the Dubarry, acted -as croupier; No. 50 was known as the rendezvous of Royalists; No. -113 enjoyed a bad reputation as being the cause of a great number of -suicides; No. 36 was very decorously conducted, no woman being allowed -to enter its doors, whilst non-alcoholic refreshments and a light beer -were alone provided in order that the players should run no risk of -exciting themselves.</p> - -<p>In order to further safeguard their clients, the proprietors of No. -36 maintained a regular armed guard who effectually prevented the -incursion of undesirable characters.</p> - -<p>There existed at this period a regular gang of black-mailers, who, -headed by a ruffian named Venternière, made a practice of entering -gaming places and extorting money from the executive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> under the threat -of creating such a disturbance as to cause the tables to be suppressed. -The gang in question were, however, thoroughly routed in November 1793 -when making a determined incursion into No. 36. They were very roughly -handled, their leader being laid senseless upon the pavement.</p> - -<p>A celebrated Parisian gamester at the time of the Revolution was -Monsieur de Monville, who was a great deal in the company of the Duc -d'Orléans—a Prince whose passion for play was notorious. Whilst the -projected arrest of the Duc was being debated in the Convention, this -gentleman was engaged in a particularly spirited gambling duel with -the regicide Philippe Égalité; the players indeed were so absorbed in -their game as to cause dinner to be served on the very table at which -they were playing. At this moment Merlin de Douai burst into the room -with the announcement of the impeachment of the Duc, who, horror-struck -at such news, deplored the ingratitude of his accusers, after the many -proofs of patriotism which he had given. Then turning to Monville he -cried, "What do you think of such an infamy, Monville?" The latter, -whilst leisurely squeezing a lemon over his sole, said in the calmest -manner in the world, "It is certainly horrible. Monseigneur, but -what did you expect? The rascals have got all they could out of your -Highness, who is now of no more use; consequently they are going to -treat you as I do this lemon." He then, in the most elegant manner -in the world, threw the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> remains of the fruit in question into the -fire-place, remarking the while, "One must never forget. Monseigneur, -that a sole should be eaten quite hot."</p> - -<p>M. de Monville was a great frequenter of the gambling-rooms over which -presided the beautiful Madame de St. Amaranthe, whose tragic fate on -the scaffold excited so much pity. The <i>tripot</i> over which she cast -her smiles was at No. 50 in the Palais Royal, which has been mentioned -before, and was the most luxurious in Paris. It was said, indeed, that -it resembled nothing so much as Versailles in the days before the -Revolution, and here many Royalist conspirators were wont to assemble. -Denunciations of what was described as a reactionary stronghold were -being constantly received by the Committee of Public Safety, and the -popularity of the presiding goddess of this shrine of chance with the -Royalists eventually led to her execution.</p> - -<p>The Revolutionary authorities saw reaction in everything, even in -playing-cards, and in 1792 they arrived at the conclusion that the -kings were but antiquated symbols of tyranny, and attempted to -substitute a card called the "pouvoir exécutif" in their place. Players -using these new-fashioned cards, instead of speaking of the king of -hearts or clubs, were obliged to say the "pouvoir exécutif" of hearts -and so on. Citizens Dajouré and Jaume, however, improved upon this, -and invented a new sort of pack in which the king became "le<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> génie," -the queen "liberty," the knave "equality," and the ace "law." Hearts, -clubs, spades, and diamonds were changed into peace, war, art, and -commerce. The cards in question, it may be added, made no successful -appeal to gamblers, who continued to prefer the sort still in general -use. They were, however, extremely prettily designed, and are now -reckoned amongst the artistic curiosities produced by the Revolution.</p> - -<p>During our war with France some French prisoners at Deal were once -rather amusingly rebuked for their anti-monarchical tendencies by a -private of the West Essex Militia, which regiment was then quartered at -Deal. The man in question had been begged by the prisoners to procure -them a pack of cards, which he did when off his duty; but before -he delivered the cards, picked out the four kings. The Frenchmen, -discovering the deficiency, said the pack was imperfect, having no -kings in it. "Why," replied the soldier, "<i>if you can fight without a -king, surely you can play without one</i>!"</p> - -<p>The Palais Royal, called during the Revolution the Palais Égalité, soon -became the most famous gambling-resort in the world—to-day it is but -a pathetic shadow of its former self. Built in imitation of the Piazza -San Marco at Venice by Cardinal Richelieu and bequeathed by him to -Louis XIII., the palace in question was in course of time given by the -Roi Soleil to his brother and thus became the property of the Orléans -family. Fantastically<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> extravagant and crippled by debts, Philippe -Égalité first conceived the idea of putting the noble building raised -by the great Cardinal to a commercial use, continuing to obtain a very -large sum by letting out suitable parts as shops, gaming-houses, and -restaurants, some of them of a rather questionable nature.</p> - -<p>The Palais Royal, before it contained shops and gaming-tables, had -been the resort of all that was most aristocratic in Paris. Walks and -flower-beds abounded, whilst on the southern side was an alley of -ancient chestnut trees of great antiquity, the destruction of which -provoked much indignation and sorrow.</p> - -<p>The transformation of the historic palace and grounds into a bazaar -effected a great change in the habits of the Parisians, who, without -distinction of rank or class, flocked to the spot which, since the -stately days of Anne of Austria, had been the evening promenade of good -society alone.</p> - -<p>Louis XVI. is said, after hearing of his cousin's decision in this -matter, to have remarked: "I suppose we shall now only see the Duc -d'Orléans on Sundays—he has become a shop-man!"</p> - -<p>The Prince in question, however, cared little about this as long as he -was able to procure the large sums necessary for his wildly extravagant -mode of living. The centre of Parisian activity, the Palais Royal was -the incarnation of Paris in the eyes of all pleasure-loving Europe, -the famous Galeries de Bois becoming the resort of all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> the profligate -frivolity of a somewhat unbridled age.</p> - -<p>The old gardens, sad and deserted to-day, have witnessed some strange -scenes in their time. Here it was that one summer's day Camille -Desmoulins uttered those burning words which heralded the approach of -the Revolution.</p> - -<p>It was on the Palais Royal that Philippe Égalité let his eyes linger as -the tumbrel bore him through a hooting mob, past the splendid old home -which he had once inhabited, to where the guillotine awaited him in the -Place de la Révolution—now the Place de la Concorde. From the windows -of that self-same Palais Royal, in July 1830, did the son of Égalité -look hopefully yet half-fearfully expectant on another mob, yelling and -triumphant, which, after storming the Louvre and sacking the Tuileries, -came screeching the Marseillaise, roaring "Vive la Charte!" "Vive la -République!" "Vive Lafayette!" and most portentous of all for him, -"Vive Louis Philippe!" The last cry won the day; and Louis Philippe, -Duke of Orleans, went forth from the Palais Royal to become the Citizen -King.</p> - -<p>Many queer characters haunted the galleries of the Palais Royal. As -late as the early years of the reign of Louis Philippe there could -on most days be seen there an aged individual who was pointed out as -"Valois Collier." He had been the husband of the infamous Jeanne de St. -Remy, "Comtesse" de la Motte, who was wont to boast<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> (mayhap with some -probability of truth) that a strain of the royal blood of the Valois -ran in her veins.</p> - -<p>On the side of the Galerie d'Orléans were the famous Galeries de Bois, -the resort of all lovers of careless gaiety during the Directory, -the Consulate, the First Empire, and the Restoration. In 1815 these -galleries were nicknamed, owing to the extensive Muscovite patronage -which they enjoyed, "Le Camp des Tartares."</p> - -<p>The Palais Royal in its palmy days was the centre of luxury—an -emporium of every alluring delight. While its brilliantly-lit piazzas -were viewed with real or pretended horror by the austere, it was a -very Mecca to the pleasure-seekers of the world. In England the place -was often called "the Devil's Drawing-room," it being said that here a -debauchee could run the whole course of his career with the greatest -facility and ease.</p> - -<p>On the first floor were cafés where his spirits could be raised to -any requisite pitch; on the second, gaming-rooms where he could lose -his money, and salons devoted to facile love—both, not unusually, -ante-chambers to the pawnbrokers who resided above; whilst, if at the -end of his tether and determined to end his troubles, he could repair -to some of the shops on the ground floor, where daggers and pistols -were very conveniently sold at reduced prices—every facility being -thus provided for enjoying all the pleasures of life under one roof.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span></p> - -<p>Besides the licensed gaming-tables there were also many forms of -unsanctioned dissipation in divers subterranean chambers. A number of -billiard-rooms, each containing two or three tables, provided further -opportunities for passing the time. Women were everywhere, and from -about midday till three o'clock in the morning, the galleries of the -Palais Royal were thronged by crowds of gaily-attired nymphs ready to -lend their aid in charming the dream of life. In the days of the Terror -they absolutely dominated the whole place. It was an epoch when many -knew that the guillotine was being made ready to receive them, and -for this reason were seized with a veritable frenzy to snatch as much -enjoyment as possible.</p> - -<p>The close connection which at that time existed between illicit passion -and death was well typified in the personality of one of the most -popular sirens. Mademoiselle Dubois, known as "la fille Chevalier," who -was a reigning favourite of the gardens. The girl in question possessed -no great beauty, her chief attraction being that her father was the -executioner at Dijon, who had sent numbers of people into the other -world.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusc05.jpg" alt="palais royal" /> -<a id="illusc05" name="illusc05"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">The palmy days of the Palais Royal.</span><br /> - -From a contemporary print.</p> - -<p>The gaming-rooms were on the southern side of the Palais Royal. -To enter them you ascended a staircase and opened the door of an -ante-chamber, where several hundred hats, sticks, and great-coats, -carefully ticketed, were arranged, under the charge of two or three old -men, who received either one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> or two sous from every owner for the -safe delivery of his precious deposit. No dogs were admitted into these -sacred apartments, nor anything which was likely to disturb the deep -attention and holy quiet which pervaded them! From this ante-chamber -opened a folding-door, which led to a large, well-lighted room, in the -centre of which was a table surrounded, at a moderate estimate, by two -hundred and fifty or three hundred persons anxiously inspecting a game. -The salons in the various establishments opened one into another, and -in some there were as many as six rooms which contained tables.</p> - -<p>At one time a curious condition was imposed upon the proprietors of the -gaming-tables. They were obliged to furnish every one who entered their -rooms with as much table-beer as they chose to call for. Waiters were -therefore perpetually running backwards and forwards with overflowing -tumblers of this refreshing beverage—six or seven crowded on a tray.</p> - -<p>On the restoration of the Bourbons, public play in Paris continued to -flourish with unabated vigour.</p> - -<p>There were in 1818:</p> - -<table summary="tables" width="40%"> -<tr> -<td align="right">7 -</td> -<td>Tables of Trente-et-un. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">9 -</td> -<td> " Roulette. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td> " Passe-dix. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td> " Craps. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td> " Hazard. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td> " Biribi. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">20 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span></p> - -<p>These twenty tables were divided into nine houses, four of which were -situated in the Palais Royal.</p> - -<p class="center">To serve the seven tables of trente-et-un there were:</p> -<table summary="tables" width="75%"> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">Francs. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>28 -</td> -<td>Dealers, at -</td> -<td>550 -</td> -<td>francs a month, making -</td> -<td align="right">15,400 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>28 -</td> -<td>Croupiers, at -</td> -<td>380 -</td> -<td> " " -</td> -<td align="right">10,640 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>42 -</td> -<td>Assistants, at -</td> -<td>200 -</td> -<td> " " -</td> -<td align="right">8,400 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="5">For the nine roulette tables and one passe-dix: -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>80 -</td> -<td>Dealers, at -</td> -<td>275 -</td> -<td>francs a month -</td> -<td align="right">22,000 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>60 -</td> -<td>Assistants, at -</td> -<td>150 -</td> -<td> " " -</td> -<td align="right">9,000 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="center" colspan="5">For the service of the craps, biribi, and hazard: -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>12 -</td> -<td>Dealers, at -</td> -<td>300 -</td> -<td>francs a month -</td> -<td align="right">3,600 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>12 -</td> -<td>Inspectors, at -</td> -<td>120 -</td> -<td> " " -</td> -<td align="right">1,440 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>10 -</td> -<td>Aids, at -</td> -<td>100 -</td> -<td> " " -</td> -<td align="right">1,000 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> 6 -</td> -<td>Chefs de Partie at the principal houses, at -</td> -<td>700 -</td> -<td>francs a month -</td> -<td align="right">4,200 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> 3 -</td> -<td>Chefs de Partie for the Roulettes, at -</td> -<td>500 -</td> -<td>francs a month -</td> -<td align="right">1,500 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>20 -</td> -<td>Secret Inspectors, at -</td> -<td>200 -</td> -<td>francs a month -</td> -<td align="right">4,000 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> 1 -</td> -<td>Inspector-General at -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">1,000 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>130 -</td> -<td>Waiters, at -</td> -<td> 75 -</td> -<td>francs a month -</td> -<td align="right">9,750 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td><i>Cards every month</i> cost -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">1,500 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td>Beer and refreshments -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">3,000 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td>Lights -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">5,500 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td>The refreshments for the grand saloon, including two dinners every week, cost -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">12,000 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td>———— -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td>The total expenses every month thus amounted to -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">113,930 -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - - - - - -<p>The amount produced by the gaming-houses of Paris in 1823 was given as -follows:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span></p> - -<table summary="profits" width="70%"> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">Francs. -</td> -<td align="right">Francs. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Rough Revenue -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">15,000,000 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Expenses: upkeep of gaming-houses, pay of croupiers and the like -</td> -<td align="right" >1,000,000 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Annual tax to Government -</td> -<td align="right">5,000,000 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Fifteen per cent for the poor -</td> -<td align="right">500,000 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td>———— -</td> -<td align="right">6,500,000 -</td> -</tr> - - -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td>————— -</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td>Total profits of proprietors -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">8,500,000 -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - -<p>The scale of payment received by the croupiers and employés would seem -to have somewhat closely approximated to that in vogue at Monte Carlo -to-day. Every establishment employed the services of a functionary -called <i>l'homme de force</i>, whose duties seem to have exactly -corresponded with those of the less picturesquely named "chucker-out" -of to-day.</p> - -<p>The lowest stake permitted at trente-et-quarante was five francs—in -certain rooms gold only was allowed—a lower limit of two francs being -imposed at roulette. In this respect, matters were much the same as at -German gaming-tables, which began to be put an end to after the war of -1866. The regulation now prevailing at Monte Carlo, which prescribes -twenty francs at trente-et-quarante and five francs at roulette, is -a very salutary one, preventing as it does a certain class of player -from risking small sums which he can ill afford to lose. During the -existence of the Paris gaming-tables there was at times a good deal -of agitation in favour of raising the limit at roulette, the lowness -of which was said to be responsible for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> widespread ruin amongst the -working-classes. Occasionally, however, fortune was kind towards some -of her humble worshippers. A cook employed at a Paris restaurant -happened one day to stroll into the gaming-rooms established at No. 113 -in the Palais Royal. He had no money, so amused himself looking at the -people and eating oranges, a number of which he had brought with him. -The rooms were hot, and a thirsty player offered to give the man six -sous for one of the oranges, which the cook accepted. He then proceeded -to throw the six sous on the biribi table, where he won six francs, -which were increased to two hundred at roulette. At trente-et-quarante -he was even more lucky, and after playing with the greatest success for -some time found himself with a profit of some five hundred thousand -francs. His master, the restaurant-keeper, who was a wise man, with -some difficulty persuaded him to invest these large winnings in sound -securities, whilst pointing out the folly of any further gambling. The -cook never played again, and ended his days in affluence. He is said -to have been the only man of this class who ever made a fortune at the -Parisian gambling-tables.</p> - -<p>Numbers of people who frequented the gaming-houses of the Palais -Royal came there when they were already ruined, and, losing the small -sums which still remained to them, afterwards created disturbance and -scandal.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusc06.jpg" alt="table" /> -<a id="illusc06" name="illusc06"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">A Gaming Table in the Palais Royal.</span></p> - -<p>A case of this sort which attracted a good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> deal of attention was -that of an English half-pay colonel, who, having lost all his money at -one of the Palais Royal Hells, determined to kill himself and every -one in the place besides. With this object in view he smuggled into -the place a canister full of explosive powder, which he put under the -table and furtively set alight. Though players and croupiers were very -unpleasantly astonished at the result, no one was hurt except the -Colonel, who was very roughly handled and was thrown into prison, from -which he was after a time sent over to England as a madman.</p> - -<p>Amongst the games played were two which are now quite forgotten; these -were passe-dix and craps.</p> - -<p>Passe-dix is said to be the most ancient of all games of chance. -According to tradition it was at this game that the soldiers played for -the garments of Christ after the crucifixion.</p> - -<p>There is one banker and any amount of players, each one of whom holds -the box in turn. When a point under ten is thrown all the players -lose their stake. If, however, a point above ten is thrown the banker -pays double on all stakes. At private play every player banks in his -turn, but in the Palais Royal the bank was, of course, held for the -proprietors of the gaming-rooms.</p> - -<p>The game of creps or craps mentioned in the list of tolerated games is -now obsolete as a medium for any serious gambling in Europe. Curiously -enough, however, it still survives in another con<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span>tinent, being even -at the present day a favourite game in mining camps in Alaska, where -it is well known in the gaming-saloons which are almost inevitable -accompaniments of such settlements. The game would appear to consist of -a board, something like an enlarged and glorified backgammon board, on -which are emblazoned an anchor and five other emblems. The banker, when -the money has been staked on these emblems, shakes out six dice, each -of which bears on its facets devices corresponding with the designs on -the board, the players being paid in proportion to the number of dice -showing the figure they have selected. The boards used in Alaska are -said to have been copied from similar ones brought by French emigrants -to California during the famous gold fever in the 'forties. In some -cases the identical boards exported from France are said to be still in -use.</p> - -<p>The bankers at craps claim that the odds are perfectly even as between -the bank and the players, a statement which, however, would not resist -the test of serious mathematical investigation.</p> - -<p>The farmer-general of all the metropolitan houses of play at this -time was Monsieur Benazet, Colonel of the Garde Nationale of Neuilly. -M. Benazet, after the Revolution of 1830, was decorated by Louis -Philippe with the cross of the Légion d'honneur, on account of his -loyalty. Besides the officials who have been enumerated, there was a -horde of attached spies, providers, pickers-up, and hangers-on, paid -for doing the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> "dirty work" of the houses, both in and out of doors. -The name, rank in life, presumed fortune, habitation, and habits of -each gaming-house guest were registered; and, if they became regular -customers, a sobriquet, or nickname, was given to each. By this means -the constant players were, in a certain degree, known to the police. -The salaried satellites of the <i>maisons de jeu</i>, when they entered upon -their office, were peremptorily told that "it was their duty to regard -every man who played at the tables as an enemy."</p> - -<p>Three of the gaming-houses catered almost entirely for players of -means, Frascati's and the Salon des Étrangers being well-known to all -the gamblers of Europe. No. 154 in the Palais Royal, it should be -mentioned, was also a favourite resort of high gamblers during the -occupation of Paris by the Allies. Marshal Blücher lost very large sums -there.</p> - -<p>This rough old soldier was a most irascible player, and when he lost -(which was more often than not) he would rap out volleys of German -oaths whilst glaring at the croupiers. He usually played very high, -and would grumble at the limit of 10,000 francs imposed as a maximum; -so great was the sensation that he created, that any table at which he -might be playing was always uncomfortably crowded.</p> - -<p>In 1814 the stakes on the tables of the French gaming-houses consisted -of the coins of all nations, it being not uncommon to see French -napoléons<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> and louis d'or, English guineas and crowns, Dutch ducats, -Spanish doubloons, Russian roubles, as well as the various moneys of -Prussia, Italy, and Germany, on the tables at the same moment. Notes -were somewhat rare, though occasionally some daring gamester would -stake a French one for a large amount.</p> - -<p>The Salon and Frascati's were situated close together at that extremity -of the Rue Richelieu which opens into the Boulevards; they both -presented a highly aristocratic exterior, and both professed to be -aristocratically exclusive and to admit no person without a suitable -and satisfactory introduction. From this rule, however, Frascati's in -its latter days departed; and the Cerberus who guarded the portals of -that pandemonium very, very seldom refused admittance to any one whose -exterior afforded evidence that he possessed any material wherewithal -to feed (it were too much to say, satisfy) the devouring appetites of -the bank.</p> - -<p>Frascati's opened rather later than the other gaming-houses, its -portals being only thrown open at one in the afternoon.</p> - -<p>The Salon des Étrangers, also a favourite resort of Marshal Blücher, -was frequented chiefly by that class who could afford to frequent -gaming-houses, the ambassadors of foreign potentates frequently -presiding at its sumptuous and magnificent entertainments.</p> - -<p>The opening of these houses took place with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> nearly as great regularity -as that of any bureau in Paris.</p> - -<p>A well-known figure at the Salon was an old gentleman whose existence -was bound up with that of this gaming-house. He had been completely -ruined by play, and the proprietors of the Salon allowed him a pension -to support him in his miserable senility—just sufficient to supply -him with a wretched lodging, bread, and a change of raiment once in -every three or four years! In addition to this he was allowed a supper -(which was his dinner) at the gaming-house. Thither, at about eleven -o'clock at night, he went. Till supper-time (two) he amused himself in -watching the games and calculating the various chances, although he was -destitute of the means of playing a single coup. At four he returned to -his lodging, retired to bed, and lay till between nine and ten on the -following night. A cup of coffee was then brought to him; and, having -dressed himself, at the usual hour he again proceeded to the Salon. -This had been his round of life for several years; and during all that -time (except on a few mornings about midsummer) he had not beheld the -sun!</p> - -<p>Another constant frequenter of the Salon des Étrangers during the -occupation of Paris by the Allies in 1814 was a Mr. Fox, a popular -Secretary of the British Embassy, who was notorious for his easy-going -disposition. Though usually most unfortunate at play, he once had an -extraordinary run of luck, when having taken up the dice-box, he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span> threw -eleven successful throws, broke the bank, and took home some sixty -thousand francs as winnings. All of this he spent in buying presents -for ladies, which he declared was the only way to prevent the rascals -at the Salon from getting back their money.</p> - -<p>At the same gambling-place Lord Thanet lost enormous sums, whilst a -young Irishman, Mr. Gough by name, was totally ruined there, and in -consequence blew out his brains.</p> - -<p>On the green cloth of the Salon des Étrangers also melted away the -fortune of Sir Francis Vincent, who, having dissipated the whole of -a fine property at play, entirely disappeared from the gay world. -Frascati's—a more amusing resort—was in its palmy days regularly -haunted by an aged gentleman well dowered with means, who was daily -carried by his servant to the rouge-et-noir table. There he sat playing -from three o'clock until five, at which hour, precisely, the servant -returned and carried him (for he had entirely lost the use of his legs) -back to his carriage. He was a man of large fortune, and the stakes he -played were not considerable; yet he was elated by every lucky coup, -and at every reverse he gnashed his teeth and struck the table in rage. -No sooner, however, had the moment for his departure arrived, than he -regained his equanimity, utterly regardless as to whether he had been a -winner, or a loser, by the proceedings. "I have outlived all modes of -excitement," said he, "save that of gaming: it is that that takes the -fastest hold on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> the mind and retains it the longest; my blood, but for -this occasional agitation, would stagnate in my veins—I should die."</p> - -<p>Ten fêtes were given during the year at Frascati's, the sole -gaming-place to which, after 1818, women were allowed admittance.</p> - -<p>The disinclination of the Parisian authorities to throw open the public -gaming-rooms to women was founded upon very substantial grounds, for -at the beginning of the nineteenth century, great scandals had arisen -owing to ladies becoming desperate after unsuccessful play. In 1804, -for instance, a young and beautiful Hanoverian Countess, who had lost -50,000 livres, planned and executed the robbery of a fine coronet of -emeralds, which she contrived to purloin at a ball given by the owner, -Madame Demidoff. The youth, beauty, and high rank of the thief caused a -great agitation in favour of her being pardoned, but Napoleon, who was -never moved by mere sentimental considerations, refused to annul the -sentence which had been passed upon her.</p> - -<p>When they take to gambling, Frenchwomen become passionate devotees of -play, as may be verified at any casino in France when baccarat and -petits chevaux are in full swing. Very often they become so fascinated -by the spirit of speculation that they can think of nothing else. An -instance of this was the lady who, confessing to her priest, owned she -was desperately fond of gambling.</p> - -<p>The confessor, after pointing out the evils of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> such a passion, -advanced several arguments against play, amongst which a principal one -was the great loss of time which it must inevitably occasion.</p> - -<p>"Ah," said the lady, "that's just what vexes me—so much time lost in -shuffling the cards!"</p> - -<p>Besides the licensed gaming-houses there were at this time a number of -"maisons de bouillotte," which, though unlicensed, were more or less -under the surveillance of the police. Here a good deal of play went on -practically unchecked, an added attraction being the female society of -no very rigorous morality which frequented such resorts. The favourite -game played in these bouillottes was not the "bouillotte" from which -they took their name, but écarté, in some ways a modification of the -old French game of "la triomphe." Écarté in its present form would seem -to have been first played in the early part of the nineteenth century -in Paris, whence it made its way to England about 1820.</p> - -<p>Whilst such places, together with Frascati's and the Salon des -Étrangers, were the resort of the fashionable world, humbler gamblers -betook themselves to half a dozen houses which were frequented by all -classes of the population, the most popular being Nos. 9, 129, and -113 in the Palais Royal. Play began at twelve in the morning, except -on Sundays and holidays, when one was the hour fixed; on certain -Saints' Days and at Christmas all the gambling houses were compelled -by law to close at midnight, except the Salon des Étrangers and No. 9 -in the Palais Royal, two of those curious exceptions for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> which the -authorities in France have always had (and still have) a liking, being -made in their favour.</p> - -<p>On January 21, the day on which the unfortunate Louis XVI. had been -guillotined, a special regulation forbade any play at all. In 1819, -however, no notice was taken of this, which led to a great outcry; and -the following year the gambling-houses did shut their doors on the day -in question, but the keepers demanded a rebate on the sum paid to the -Government as compensation for their loss of profits.</p> - -<p>The evil days of the Palais Royal as a pleasure-resort began about -the time of the Revolution of 1830, when it became evident that a -determined effort was going to be made to alter the character of the -place entirely. In 1831, stringent measures were adopted with regard to -the class of persons allowed to frequent the galleries, the amusements -permitted being exposed to a rigorous censorship, whilst every effort -was made to efface the traditions of light-hearted frivolity and -licence which had hung about the old place since the days of the -Revolution.</p> - -<p>Numbers of the tradesmen who owned shops in the Palais Royal had called -for these measures. They were imbued with the somewhat pharisaical -respectability which is so often the appanage of their class, and -entertained the totally fallacious idea that the purification of -the gardens would cause a greater number of visitors from abroad to -frequent and make purchases at their shops. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> soon became evident -that the fate of the gaming-tables was sealed, a great outcry being -raised against the toleration of what was characterised as a public -scandal, and was denounced as such in the Press. English opinion -particularly was said to be bitterly hostile to the tables, and the -deluded tradesmen of Paris entertained an idea that the doubtful -pleasures of the Palais Royal prevented much foreign money from pouring -into their pockets.</p> - -<p>Finally in 1836, chiefly owing to the efforts of a Mr. Delessert, it -was decided that the gaming-houses of Paris should be closed two years -from that date, and on the 1st of January 1838 the Palais Royal ceased -to offer any attractions appealing to the gambler.</p> - -<p>At the time when the agitation for the suppression of public gaming -in Paris was going on, a good deal of abuse was heaped upon the -proprietors of the tables, who were denounced as vampires sucking the -blood of the poor. One of them, M. Borsant by name, was exempted from -censure, being noted for many favourable traits not often to be met -with in those drawing their revenue from gaming. This gentleman once -actually restored 17,000 francs lost by a young man to his astonished -parents. The actual date of the cessation of public play in Paris was -Sunday, December 31, 1837. So numerous had the visitors been during the -last few weeks preceding this date, that an additional police force -had been found necessary for the main<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span>tenance of order. In consequence -of the excitement, the manufacturers and tradesmen of Paris had come -to a general agreement not to pay their workmen's wages before twelve -o'clock on Sunday night, lest the money might be carried to swell the -last day's receipts of the great joint-stock company to which all the -Parisian gaming-houses belonged.</p> - -<p>On the last evening, which was a Sunday, the rooms at Frascati's were -so thronged that there was scarcely a possibility of stirring in them. -The tables were overladen with money. At ten o'clock such was the crowd -inside that it was found necessary to shut the street doors.</p> - -<p>Placards stuck up in all the rooms warned the gamblers that the play -would not be suffered to extend a single minute beyond midnight, which -was the hour specified by the law. The Salon or Cercle des Étrangers, -still the most fashionable of the gambling-houses, which usually was -opened only at eleven at night and closed at three or four in the -morning, opened on Sunday evening at nine o'clock, a notification to -such effect having been sent round to the habitual frequenters of -the place. On Saturday and Sunday all the gambling-houses of Paris, -especially No. 154 of the Palais Royal and Frascati's, were immensely -crowded. Several dramatic incidents occurred. A workman destroyed -himself on quitting No. 113, and two young men who had lost large sums -disappeared entirely.</p> - -<p>In accordance with the edict previously announced, the game ceased -exactly at midnight.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> The gambling during the last days of the tables -had been very high, and crowds flocked to witness the end. Disturbances -were anticipated, and the municipal guards were in consequence posted -in considerable force about the various rooms. At Frascati's an immense -crowd of visitors assembled, but they dispersed peaceably, after -encountering the shouts and hisses of the mob that had collected in the -Rue de Richelieu outside to witness their final exit from that historic -haunt of pleasure. A dramatic incident occurred, one unhappy wretch -shooting himself as the doors closed for ever. He had lost heavily, and -was in despair at the prospect of being unable to retrieve his losses.</p> - -<p>In 1838 a case came on for trial before the Court of Assizes, Paris, -which excited a good deal of interest. The prisoner, a clerk to a -merchant, had gambled on several occasions, and had lost at Frascati's -and the gaming-houses licensed by Government upwards of 100,000 francs, -the property of his employer. In the course of the trial, Benazet, the -lessee of these establishments, stated that in the course of a year -there was thrown on the tables of the gaming-houses comprised in his -licence 800,000,000 francs (£32,000,000): that, independently of the -annual sum paid to Government for the licence (which was 6,000,000 -francs or £240,000), the clear profit on the tables during the last -year of their life, 1837, was no less a sum than 1,900,000 francs -(£76,000), but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> that three-fourths of this sum was paid over to the -city of Paris; the other fourth (£19,000) was his proportion of the -gain. M. Benazet eventually declared that he would refund his part -of the sum lost by the prosecutor's clerk if the city of Paris would -equally pay back the three-fourths of it which had passed to its -credit. The average number of gamblers admitted to those houses had -been three thousand a day, another thousand having been denied entrance.</p> - -<p>From the moment that the tables were suppressed, the prosperity of -the shops in the former Palace of Cardinal Mazarin began to wane. As -the years rolled on, visitors became fewer and fewer, till the place -assumed the forlorn aspect which it wears to-day, when even the tourist -scarcely deigns to visit its deserted galleries.</p> - -<p>At the time of the Revolution there had been a number of first-class -restaurants in the Palais Royal. The café kept by Méot, for instance, -enjoyed a great reputation for its cellar. Here could be procured -twenty-two sorts of red wine, twenty-seven of white, and sixteen -different kinds of liqueurs, most of which had come from the cellars -of the <i>noblesse</i>. Méot's was essentially a Royalist restaurant, -and contained little rooms where aristocratic clients could dine in -luxurious privacy.</p> - -<p>Beauvilliers, once cook to the Prince de Condé, also kept a restaurant -much frequented by adherents of the old régime, and here Rivarol -Champcenetz and others used, while dining, to compose articles<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> for the -famous Royalist sheet—<i>Les Actes des Apôtres</i>.</p> - -<p>A well-situated restaurant was Véry's, which paid no less than 196,275 -livres a year as rent for No. 83. Véry's was founded in 1790: here it -was that Danton gave dinners to his friends, and pointed out to them -"that their turn had come to taste the delights of life; and enjoy the -sumptuous mansions, exquisite dishes, rare fabrics, and beautiful women -which were the legitimate spoils of the victors." This restaurant was -much frequented by foreigners, with whom it had a great reputation; -every Englishman of means who visited Paris made a point of dining -there once or twice.</p> - -<p>At No. 73 was the restaurant Venua, where the Girondins used to -dine at ten francs a head. Robespierre also used to frequent its -gaily-decorated saloons, and men alive in the middle of the last -century well remembered the sinister profile and sky-blue coat of the -"sea-green incorruptible" reflected in the mirrors which adorned this -café.</p> - -<p>A badly-lit, ill-appointed restaurant was that kept by Fevrier; -nevertheless, its democratic lack of luxury attracted austere patriots.</p> - -<p>Lepelletier de St. Fargeau, dining here on the 20th of January 1793, at -five o'clock in the afternoon, was accosted by a young man who stabbed -him to death as one who had voted for the execution of Louis XVI.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusc09.jpg" alt="very's" /> -<a id="illusc09" name="illusc09"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">Very's in 1825.</span></p> - -<p>As Paris gradually recovered from the fever of the Revolution, many -other first-class restaurants<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> were established in the Palais Royal, -several of which survived up to our own time.</p> - -<p>All of these have now long disappeared from the spot which was once a -shrine for the gastronomers of Europe. To-day the very name of Véfour -is forgotten. Les Trois Frères Provençaux, the Café Corazza, and other -resorts, once famous for their cuisine, have long ceased to make any -appeal to the modern gourmet, whilst even the less pretentious cafés, -which, in the early days of the third Republic, offered the passing -traveller a sumptuous dinner for two or three francs, have almost, -without exception, closed their doors.</p> - -<p>From time to time schemes have been mooted which were to galvanise the -Palais Royal into some semblance of life; the latest of these is a plan -to pierce a street, or rather a drive, right through it, by which means -the place would become a thoroughfare and regain its lost vitality.</p> - -<p>Sad and mournful as the old gardens are to-day, it is not altogether -without the bounds of possibility that they will in the future once -again become the resort of the wealthy pleasure-seekers of the world.</p> - -<p>The fine shops which formerly abounded beneath the colonnades are -memories of the past, all the great shopkeepers having migrated from -what has become a little city of the dead. A number of the shopkeepers -in the Palais Royal lived to regret bitterly the rigorous measures for -which they had once so vehemently called, and there is no doubt<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> that -the unfortunate commercial results which followed, once it had ceased -to be a pleasure-resort, made a deep and lasting impression upon the -mind of the Parisian tradesman, who to-day thoroughly realises that -visitors to Paris are attracted by some amusement of a speculative kind.</p> - -<p>The Parisian shop-keeper would probably welcome the revival of public -gaming-tables for he is a warm supporter of French racing, where the -betting is legalised and carried on by the State, well knowing the -commercial benefits which indirectly accrue to the city of Paris.</p> - -<p>During the Second Empire, Doctor Louis Véron, ex-dealer in quack -medicines, ex-manager of the Grand Opéra, and ex-proprietor of the -<i>Constitutionnel</i> newspaper, offered an enormous royalty to Government -for the privilege of establishing a gambling-house in Paris. The -Emperor Napoleon III., however, declined to consider the proposal.</p> - -<p>At the present day, though no public tables exist, there are ample -facilities for play in Paris, and baccarat flourishes in many a Club to -which admission is not difficult. The great evil of the gaming-houses -of the Palais Royal was that they especially appealed to a class which -could not afford to lose their hard-earned money—the poor being lured -to ruin. Such a state of affairs is non-existent in modern Paris, where -gambling, as far as possible, is limited to those able to afford to -indulge in it.</p> - -<p>A Frenchman cares little for Clubs without<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> play, and many a <i>Cercle</i> -draws its principal support from the cagnotte at baccarat; this amounts -to about ten per cent on the sum put into the bank, which goes to the -highest bidder up to five hundred louis, when, if there are two or -three competitors, they draw lots for it. The percentage in question, -however, varies as the bank increases, and is not levied after a -certain amount of renewals.</p> - -<p>In former years the management of some of these gambling-clubs was -somewhat lax, and occasionally undesirable characters entered the -rooms and passed themselves off as members. At a certain well-known -resort, which formerly flourished not far from the Place de l'Opéra, -high gambling was the order of the day just before dinner. One fine -afternoon there was as usual somewhat spirited bidding for the bank, -which was eventually secured for some four hundred louis by a very -distinguished-looking man whose face was new to the usual frequenters -of the place. The individual in question, taking the banker's seat, -the cards having been shuffled and cut, produced no money but merely -told the croupier opposite, "Il y a quatre cents louis en banque," upon -which that official, with all the dignity of his race, tapped a piece -of red cardboard and repeated, "Quatre cents louis à la carte."</p> - -<p>The stakes were made and the cards dealt—neuf on the right, huit on -the left—both sides won. "Caissier," cried the banker to the official -who exchanged money for counters and vice versa at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span> the desk, "donnez -dix mille francs." The result of this was, however, unsatisfactory, -for the caissier most politely explained that he had no authority to -advance money to members, and certainly not to members whom he did not -know. "Well," said the banker, "if that is the case I must go and get -my pocket-book from my coat; it will be the matter of an instant." -This optimistic forecast, however, was hardly justified by subsequent -events, for the banker never returned, and eventually the expectant -and anxious players became so enraged that the management of the Club -thought it best to pay them their winnings. The banker, it afterwards -transpired, had been a notorious sharper.</p> - -<p>It was at a Club of the same sort, where the membership was rather -mixed, that a certain English nobleman, finding that his pocket-book, -containing several thousand francs, had been taken out of his coat -hanging in the hall, did not hesitate to tell the committee that it -must have been purloined either by the waiters or the members, and -received the reply, "We can answer for the <i>waiters</i>!"</p> - -<p>Not very far from Paris, at the Casino of Enghein, much baccarat is -played, which has rendered the resort in question very popular, so much -so indeed that the criminals known as "apaches" have begun to haunt the -road from Paris. Not very long ago a band of these pests contrived to -stop a motor, one of them lying down in the road in front of it, and -the rest attempting to rob the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> occupants when the car was pulled up. -The miscreants were on the point of wrenching a valuable pearl necklace -from a lady's neck when another car arrived and put the assailants to -flight.</p> - -<p>About a couple of years ago roulette was played—practically without -let or hindrance—at St. Germain. No wheel, however, was employed, -its place being supplied by a dial on which by an ingenious device -the winning number and colour appeared on a croupier firing a sort of -rifle. The result was the same as at ordinary roulette, and just as in -the old-fashioned form of the game most people lost their money. This -resort, it should be added, was eventually closed by the authorities, -who were aroused by the great increase of gaming in Paris owing to the -introduction of baccarat with one tableau. This will be dealt with at -the end of the next chapter.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="IX" id="IX">IX</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">Public gaming in Germany—Aix-la-Chapelle—An Italian gambler—The -King of Prussia's generosity—Baden-Baden—M. de la Charme—A -dishonest croupier—Wiesbaden—An eccentric Countess—Closing -of the tables in 1873—Last scenes—Arrival of M. Blanc at -Homburg—His attempt to defeat his own tables—Anecdotes of -Garcia—His miserable end—A Spanish gambler at Ems—Roulette at -Geneva and in Heligoland—Gambling at Ostend—Baccarat at French -watering-places—"La Faucheuse" forbidden in France.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>In former times a great deal of public gaming was carried on at -Aix-la-Chapelle, where the alluring rattle of the dice-box was to be -heard from morning till night. Here there were fixed hours for play, -one bank opening as another shut—biribi, hazard, faro, and vingt-et-un -being the favourite games. The chief banker paid a thousand louis per -annum for his licence during the season; and it was said that his -profit in general exceeded four thousand, and sometimes double that -sum. There were two gaming-houses a mile or two from the town, and -each gambling-house, each room, nay, each part of a room, had its -fashionable hours. From the commencement of play to the conclusion -(that is, from ten in the morning to two or three the next morning), -only two hours were allotted for meals.</p> - -<p>In 1792 a little Italian created a considerable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span> sensation at this -gaming-resort, to which he had come as an adventurer, with a few louis -d'or in his pocket, determined to try the favour of fortune. His first -attempt was at hazard, where he played crown stakes, which, as fortune -smiled on him, were increased to half a guinea, guinea, and so on to -bank-notes. In the space of twenty-four hours he had stripped the bank -of upwards of four thousand pounds; and the next morning, resuming his -operations, broke the bank entirely, his winnings amounting to more -than nine thousand pounds. One would have imagined that a poor needy -adventurer, who most probably had never seen a twentieth part of such a -sum before, would at once have pocketed his winnings and returned (in -his own mind a prince) to his native country. Content, however, was a -stranger to his mind, and the accession of one sum only brought with it -anxiety for a greater. He continued to be successful; and for several -days the bankers ceased to play, so completely had he reduced them -to their last stake. When a fresh supply of cash did at last arrive -the little adventurer recommenced operations—for a few hours with -his usual success. The luck, however, at last changed, and from being -the possessor of ten thousand pounds he left the bank reduced to his -very last louis. He next proceeded to negotiate a loan of about thirty -pounds, and returned to the tables, much to the discomfort of the -bankers, who, from the success that attended his play, had conceived no -small dread of him. His usual run<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> of good luck attended him, and from -being master of only thirty pounds, he left the table with more than -ten thousand. He remembered a resolution he had formed in his fit of -poverty, went to an inn, ordered a carriage, and packed up his baggage. -In the interim, however, one of the directors of the bank, learning -his intention, set off to interview him, resolved to use all the -rhetoric he was master of to persuade him to relinquish his design. His -arguments were too specious not to destroy the resolution of the poor -Italian, whose fortitude vanished in a moment, and instead of making -for his native country he returned to the gaming-table, where, in a -very few hours, he was stripped of every <i>soldo</i> he had in the world, -and left to reflect on the diversity of fortune which he had known in -the space of so short a time. The moment he got back to his lodgings he -sold the greater part of his clothes, and by this means raised a few -louis which he took to his old haunts, where he now cut a sorry figure.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb12.jpg" alt="roulette" /> -<a id="illusb12" name="illusb12"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">Roulette in the Eighteenth Century.</span></p> - -<p>A considerable sensation was once caused at the principal faro-table -at Aix-la-Chapelle by the success of a plainly-dressed stranger, who, -after playing in modest stakes for some time, suddenly challenged the -bank for the whole of its capital, carelessly tossing his pocket-book -to the banker, that the latter might not question his ability to pay in -case he lost. The banker, surprised at the boldness of the adventurer, -and no less so at his ordinary appearance, at first hesitated to -accept the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> challenge; but on opening the book and seeing bills to a -prodigious amount, and on the stranger sternly and repeatedly insisting -on his complying with the laws of the game, with much reluctance he -shuffled the cards in preparation for the great event. Excitement ran -high, and all eyes were soon attentively riveted upon the trembling -hands of the affrighted banker, who, while the gambler sat unruffled -and unconcerned, turned up the card which decided his own ruin and the -other's success.</p> - -<p>The bank was broken, and the triumphant stranger, with perfect coolness -and serenity of features, turned to a person who stood at his elbow, to -whom he gave orders to take charge of the money. "Heavens," exclaimed -an infirm old officer in the Austrian service, who had sat next the -winner at the table, "if I had the twentieth part of your success this -night I should be the happiest man in the universe." "If thou wouldst -be this happy man," replied the stranger briskly, "then thou shalt have -it"; and, without waiting for a reply, disappeared from the room. Some -little time afterwards the entrance of a servant astonished the company -with the extraordinary generosity of the stranger as with his peculiar -good fortune, by presenting the Austrian officer with the twentieth -part of the faro bank. "Take this, sir," said the servant, "my master -requires no answer"; and he suddenly left him without exchanging -another word.</p> - -<p>The next morning all Aix-la-Chapelle was agog<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> with the news that the -lucky and generous stranger was no less a personage than the King of -Prussia.</p> - -<p>In more recent times Aix-la-Chapelle appeared only destined to end its -gambling days as a trap for incautious travellers, many of whom, in -consequence, never saw the Rhine, and returned to England with very -misty ideas about Germany.</p> - -<p>About 1840 several other German pleasure-resorts began to include -gambling amongst the attractions offered to visitors. After the closing -of the Parisian gaming-houses the proprietors, who found the business -much too profitable to be tamely resigned, turned their gaze beyond -the Rhine, where a fair field for their exertions in the pursuit of -a livelihood presented itself. After many weary negotiations with -the several governments, a syndicate of bankers, with M. Chabert at -their head, simultaneously opened their establishments at Baden-Baden, -Wiesbaden, and Ems. It was a very hard contest between the Regents -and the Frenchmen before the terms were finally settled, and the -latter expended much money and many promises in getting a footing. But -they eventually succeeded, and a few years saw their efforts richly -rewarded. As they had a monopoly, they could do pretty much as they -pleased, and made very stringent and profitable regulations relative -to the <i>refait</i> and other methods of gaining a pull. On the retirement -of M. Chabert with an immense fortune, the company was dissolved, -and M. Benazet became ostensibly sole proprietor of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> rooms at -Baden-Baden. The terms to which he had to subscribe were sufficient -to frighten any one less enterprising than the general of an army of -croupiers; he was compelled to expend 150,000 florins in decorating -the rooms and embellishing the walks round the town; and an annual sum -of 50,000 florins was furthermore demanded for permission to keep the -establishment open for six months in the year.</p> - -<p>At Baden-Baden a well-known figure for many years was the old -ex-Elector of Hesse, who made his money by selling his soldiers to -England at so much a head, like cattle, during the American War. The -Prince in question was easily to be recognised by the gold-headed and -coroneted rake he always had in his hand. A constant player, he was a -most profitable customer to the bank. Eventually, however, the superior -attractions of Homburg led him away. The Revolution of 1848 frightened -or angered him to death.</p> - -<p>At Baden the bank at roulette had two zeroes, an enormous advantage, -which rendered the certainty of success in the long run, which the bank -must of course possess, almost ridiculously easy. Nauheim, on the other -hand, was modestly content to claim only a quarter of the <i>refait</i> at -trente-et-quarante, a good deal less than that taken by the present -Monte Carlo tables. The keen competition of its rivals, Wiesbaden and -Homburg, was the cause of this generosity.</p> - -<p>In the late 'sixties a gaming hero, M. Edgar de<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> la Charme, created -a great sensation at Baden, where, for a number of days together, he -never left the gaming-room without carrying off a profit which usually -did not fall far short of a thousand pounds in English money.</p> - -<p>At the end of several days of almost unparalleled good fortune, M. de -la Charme, reflecting that there must be an end even to the greatest -run of luck, packed his portmanteau, paid his bill, and strolled down -to the railway station, accompanied by some of his friends. There, -however, he found the wicket closed, there being still three-quarter's -of an hour before the departure of the train. "Well," he exclaimed, "I -will go and play my parting game," and, taking a carriage, drove back -to the Kursaal, though his friends made every effort to prevent him. -Arrived at the Casino, he sat down at the trente-et-quarante, where -in twenty minutes he broke the bank again. He then left, but, while -getting into his cab, caught sight of the inspector of the tables -walking to and fro under the arcades, and said to him in a tone of -exquisite politeness, "I could not think of going away without leaving -you my P.P.C."</p> - -<p>The society at Baden was said to be as mixed as that frequenting the -Paris boulevards. There was indeed a good deal of Parisian Bohemianism -about this charming spot, which, since the closing of the tables, -has been forced to rely upon its proximity to the Black Forest and -other natural attractions—poor substitutes to the gambler for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> the -whirl of the roulette wheel and the chanting of the croupier at -trente-et-quarante.</p> - -<p>The rooms which re-echoed to these exciting, if none too reputable -sounds, to-day seem somehow to present a rather sad and almost wistful -appearance. Surely, "if aught inanimate e'er grieves," the Kurhaus -must sigh for the vanished days of the Second Empire, and for the gay, -careless folk who thronged its halls, now so decorous and staid.</p> - -<p>Old gamblers used to say that the croupiers at Baden were recruited -from the same families who had held the rake in the gambling-rooms -of the Palais Royal. Certain veterans were even pointed out as being -survivors of the great days of Frascati's and the Salon.</p> - -<p>Baden made no pretence to any particular exclusiveness. Here all men -and women were equal, people sitting down cheek by jowl with any one -at trente-et-quarante or roulette, a practice not much in favour at -aristocratic Ems, where the fashionable lounger was more given to -tossing down his stake carelessly as he or she strolled through the -rooms.</p> - -<p>Though the croupiers at Baden-Baden were generally above suspicion, the -bank was swindled by its employés on more than one occasion. A notable -instance was that of an official who was discovered to have carried on -a system of plunder for a long time with security. He used to slip a -louis d'or into his snuff-box whenever it came to his turn to preside -over the money department; he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> was found out by another employé asking -him casually for a pinch of snuff, and seeing the money gleam in the -gaslight.</p> - -<p>On the whole the croupiers at Baden were admirable, sometimes -preserving their self-control under the most trying circumstances. On -one occasion when a young Englishman, of high repute and bearing an -honourable name, vented his rage at losing by breaking a rake over the -head of the croupier, the latter merely turned round and beckoned to -the attendant gendarme to remove his assailant and the pieces of the -rake, and then went on with his parrot-like "<i>rouge gagne, couleur -perd</i>."</p> - -<p>The croupiers in general seemed to unite the stoicism of the American -Indian with the politeness of the Frenchman of the <i>ancien régime</i>. -Impassive under all circumstances they seemed to fear neither God nor -man; for when a shock of the earthquake of 1847 was felt at Wiesbaden, -though all the company fled in terror, they remained grimly at their -posts, preferring to go down to their patron saints with their -rouleaux, as an evidence of their fidelity to their employer. It is not -unlikely that they regarded the earthquake as a preconcerted scheme to -rob the bank!</p> - -<p>The public buildings of Wiesbaden were charming, especially the -Kursaal, with its open "Platz," its colonnades and magnificent -ball-room, its "salons de jeu," reading-rooms, restaurant, and charming -gardens behind. Here were lakes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span> fountains, running streams, which -made it as pretty a place as any of its kind on the banks of the Rhine.</p> - -<p>Towards the last days of the gambling at Wiesbaden the majority of the -players belonged to the middle and lower middle classes, leavened by a -very few celebrities and persons of genuine distinction. The general -run of visitors, indeed, was by no means remarkable for birth, wealth, -or respectability, and it used at that time to be said that all the -aged, broken-down courtesans of Paris, Vienna, and Berlin had agreed to -make Wiesbaden their autumn rendezvous.</p> - -<p>One of the well-known eccentric notabilities of Wiesbaden at that time -was a certain Countess—an aged patrician of immense fortune, whose -very existence seemed bound up with that of the tables. She used daily -to be wheeled to her place in the "temple of chance," where she usually -played for eight or nine hours with wonderful spirit and perseverance. -A suite of eight domestics were in attendance upon her, and when she -won, which was not often, she invariably presented each member of her -retinue with—twopence! This was done, she would naively declare, "not -from a feeling of generosity, but in order to propitiate Fortune." On -the other hand, when she lost, none of them, save the man who wheeled -her home and who received a donation of six kreuzers, got anything at -all but hard words. Unlike her contemporary, a once lovely Russian -Ambassadress, she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span> did not curse the croupiers loudly for her bad luck, -but, being very far advanced in years and of a tender disposition, -would shed tears over her misfortunes, resting her chin on the edge of -the table. This old lady was very intimate with one or two antediluvian -diplomatists and warriors, whom she used to entertain with constant -lamentations over her fatal passion for play, interspersed with bits -of moss-grown scandal, disinterred from the social ruins of a bygone -age. Radetzky, Paul Eszterhazy, Wrangel, and Blücher had been friends -of her youth; and, to judge from her appearance, no one would have been -surprised to hear that she had attended the Jeu du Roi in the galleries -of Versailles, or played whist with Maria Theresa.</p> - -<p>Wiesbaden boasted a financier from Amsterdam, who usually played on -credit—that is to say, he pocketed his winnings, but, if he lost, -borrowed money of the banker, squaring his account, which was generally -a heavy one, at the end of the week. Another well-known character was -an English baronet, who always brought a lozenge-box with him. When -this was filled with gold he would leave the rooms. He seldom had to -remain long, for he possessed his own luck, and that of some one else -into the bargain.</p> - -<p>Wiesbaden, like the other German gaming-places, was made virtuous by -compulsion rather than choice. When Nassau was annexed by the astute -Bismarck, the law which abolished legal gambling affected this place as -it did Homburg,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span> Ems, and other Spas. It should, however, be added that -its provisions showed a scrupulous regard for vested interests.</p> - -<p>As the fateful 1st of January 1873—the day on which all public gaming -throughout the German Empire was to cease—approached, there was -considerable excitement, not only amongst the usual frequenters of -the tables, but also amongst the general population of the place, who -fully realised the financial benefits which had accrued to them through -roulette and trente-et-quarante, the impending prohibition of which -they deplored.</p> - -<p>At midnight on the 31st December 1872, after a hundred years of -existence, the Kursaal clock at Wiesbaden sounded the close of play. -There was considerable disorder in the rooms on the last night, the -place being converted into a bear-garden. During the last week the -rooms got so enormously thronged that the administration found it -necessary to admit only by tickets. 1872 was a splendid financial year, -for, after paying all the enormous expenses (5000 florins a day), -including the yearly tax of 200,000 florins to the Prussian Government, -the shareholders received interest on their capital at the rate of -107 per cent per annum. A number of the eighty or ninety croupiers -were retained by M. Blanc for service at Monaco, whilst the rest it is -believed went into trade.</p> - -<p>On the last night an immense throng gathered in the rooms, eagerly -crowding round the tables. The play, however, was unusually dull, and -on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span> green cloth, which had usually been liberally sprinkled with -gold, only a few spare florins were to be seen. The croupiers did -their best to dispel the depression which hung over the gamesters; -and as the final moment approached, shouted louder and louder, adding -to their usual formula, "Faites vos jeux, Messieurs," the words "le -troisième dernier!"—the third last chance; "le deuxième dernier!"—the -second last; and finally "le dernier!" which seemed to sound like a -death-knell. Their appeals had little effect, the moment being of -such solemnity as to stifle all emotion and paralyse every movement. -Here and there some small stake was noiselessly placed on the table -by some timid and unfamiliar hand, but the audacious spirit of the -real gambler was for the moment lulled to rest, and no one seemed -eager to try a last serious struggle with the goddess of chance. The -closing of the gaming-tables was a veritable convulsion of nature as -regards Wiesbaden. On the 1st of January 1873 there was universal -confusion in hotel and lodging-house, and the streets were thronged -with departing travellers and overladen porters, while the railway -stations were blocked with eager applicants for tickets. With a haste -bordering on indecency the old gambling-saloons were taken possession -of by the municipal authorities, and stripped of their furniture; -windows and doors being thrown open to the air, and the halls, formerly -devoted to chance, handed over to a host of painters, white-washers, -and scrubbers. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> green tables, which had caused so many emotions, -were thrown out, and cast into heaps, preliminary to being carted -away as old furniture. The results to the town were disastrous. Many -of the hotels fell into bankruptcy and were forced to close their -windows—their doors they might have left open, for there were no -guests to enter them.</p> - -<p>The shopkeepers, more especially the jewellers, who generally were -pawnbrokers too, and all dealers in articles of luxury, were also great -losers by the change.</p> - -<p>The joint-stock company, which had owned the tables, dissolved, -after having divided a large amount of surplus. The shareholders had -indeed no cause for complaint, yet one of the two directors took the -dissolution so much to heart that he soon after drank himself to death.</p> - -<p>A few days after the cessation of play hardly a gambler remained in the -place.</p> - -<p>One exception, however, there was, who for some years was pointed out -as a rare specimen of an extinct race by the few officials of the rooms -who had been retained as door-keepers and the like in the building from -which all life had fled.</p> - -<p>Still clad in the torn, somewhat shabby livery of more prosperous days -when "Trinkgeld" was abundant, these men would describe to visitors -how this Englishman, a man bearing an historic name, had created a -sensation at the tables, where he had been notorious for his ill-luck. -To all appearance entirely ruined, he had suddenly been left some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> -twenty thousand pounds, which had soon followed the rest of his fortune -into the coffers of the bank. Reduced to his last florin, fortune for a -moment had seemed to relent, and he had left the rooms with about seven -thousand pounds in his pocket. Having deposited this at his banker's, -he had then declared his intention of never playing again—in less than -a week the sum had been withdrawn and lost.</p> - -<p>His friends, now believing him to be incorrigible, settled upon him -a small allowance, which was paid quarterly, and with unfailing -regularity found its way to the green cloth.</p> - -<p>Seemingly stunned by the closing of the rooms, this Englishman -lingered on for some years, mournfully marching about the spot which -had engulfed his fortune, the loss of which, however, caused him less -concern than being deprived of the means wherewith to gratify the -passion that had dominated his life.</p> - -<p>All the gambling companies had to pay large sums in return for -the privileges which they enjoyed, but still they progressed most -successfully till they were frightened from their propriety by Monsieur -Blanc. This gentleman, after struggling against immense opposition on -the part of the Frankfort merchants, who were naturally alarmed at -the danger to which their <i>commis</i> and cash-boxes would be exposed -by the proximity of a gambling-table, obtained a concession from the -Elector of Hesse to establish a bank at Homburg-von-der-Höhe. Play was -soon in full swing, with the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span> additional attractions of being open -all the year round, and of having only a <i>trente-et-un après</i> (known -as the <i>refait</i>) for the players to contend against. Some time after, -Wilhelmsbad was opened as a rival to Homburg, with no <i>après</i> at all; -and the above mentioned, with the addition of Ems, Aix-la-Chapelle, and -Cöthen, formed the principal establishments where "strangers were taken -in and done for" throughout Germany.</p> - -<p>Wilhelmsbad scarcely attracted the outside world at all, being -frequented almost exclusively by Germans. Wildungen might have been -called a child left out in the cold; the accommodation was indifferent, -and the place itself cheerless and devoid of charm, besides which it -was not so easy to get at. Modestly conscious of its slender claims -to consideration, the authorities presiding over the tables allowed a -minimum stake of 10 groschen (1 franc 25 cents), and only enforced a -tax of a quarter of the <i>refait</i> at trente-et-quarante and a quarter -of the zero at roulette, a state of affairs which should have been far -from unfavourable to the players.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, public gaming, whatever may be said against it, -left those places where it formerly flourished in a high state of -prosperity—the Kursaals and gardens of German health-resorts, such -as Homburg and Baden-Baden, owed their inception entirely to gaming, -whilst several other insignificant places were converted into agreeable -pleasure-resorts by the influence of trente-et-quarante and roulette.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span></p> - -<p>In spite of the doubtful morality of the enterprise carried on by -the proprietors of the tables they certainly metamorphosed several -miserable German townlets into cities of palaces. They planted the -gardens; they imported the orange trees; they laid out the parks; -enclosed the hunting-grounds; and, as it were, boarded, lodged, washed, -and taxed the inhabitants. Homburg, for instance, was entirely the -creation of M. Blanc.</p> - -<p>The story of the commencement of the immense fortune accumulated by M. -Blanc is curious.</p> - -<p>One fine day in 1842 the two brothers Blanc, who were temporarily -disgusted with France owing to a daring and unsuccessful speculation -connected with the old semaphore telegraph (which electricity rendered -obsolete), arrived at Frankfort.</p> - -<p>Their stock-in-trade consisted of a few thousand francs, a roulette -wheel, and an ancient croupier, a veteran of Frascati's who knew -everything worth knowing about gambling and cards.</p> - -<p>The purpose of this visit was to convince the authorities of Frankfort -that their city would derive great benefit from affording facilities -for public play, but with this, however, they were not disposed to -agree. In consequence of its cool reception, the little party then -wended its way to the obscure village of Homburg, where the elder of -the two brothers, after some negotiations, obtained permission to set -the roulette wheel going in one of the rooms of the principal inn.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb13.jpg" alt="guide" /> -<a id="illusb13" name="illusb13"></a> -</p> - - - - -<p class="caption">As at Monte Carlo to-day, infallible "guides" to success at the tables -were to be obtained in the Homburg book-shops. The above is a facsimile -of the title-page of one of the most curious of these booklets.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span></p> - -<p>The next year an exclusive concession was granted to the Blancs to -establish games of hazard within the dominions of the Landgraf. They -agreed to build a Kursaal, lay out public gardens, and pay about -40,000 florins (something over four thousand a year) to the Landgraf. -A company was formed, and soon the fashionable world flocked to -Homburg—ostensibly to drink the waters, but, in reality, to lose their -money at trente-et-quarante and roulette.</p> - -<p>The general policy pursued by M. Blanc at Homburg was very similar to -that afterwards adopted at Monte Carlo, which is still in its essential -features followed by the present administration.</p> - -<p>The hours allotted to play were from eleven in the morning to eleven at -night, which was also the case at Monaco up till quite recent years.</p> - -<p>The proceedings at Homburg before play began, that is to say, the -counting of money and other preparations for the day's campaign, were -also much the same as at Monte Carlo, though the actual opening of -the rooms for play was more dramatic. As the clock struck eleven the -strains of martial music were heard and the doors of the "salons" were -thrown wide open, admitting a stream of people, amongst whom were many -officers, a note of colour being struck by their uniforms, which were -principally white or green.</p> - -<p>In the early days of Homburg, owing to an extraordinary rainfall, a -flood of water once made its way into the gaming-rooms and caused the -players to beat a precipitate retreat. A fat old<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> German Princess, -however, who was devoted to play, was too heavy to get out in time, -and had to be hoisted up on to one of the roulette tables, where she -placidly remained till matters were put right and the play had resumed -its normal course.</p> - -<p>In the Kursaal were the Café Olympique, private rooms for parties, and, -most important of all, a big saloon and two smaller ones. Here from -eleven in the forenoon to eleven at night, Sundays not excepted, all -the year round, people from every part of the world came to throw their -gold and silver upon the tables.</p> - -<p>As a town Homburg was practically created by the Kursaal. The -hotel-keepers and tradesmen lived by it as well as the Landgraf, whose -main source of revenue was derived from it. This sovereign, of course, -was practically sold to the Kursaal, the Board of Directors being the -real rulers of Hesse-Homburg. The prosperity which the advent of M. -Blanc had brought to his dominions cheered the declining years of this -Prince, who was the oldest reigning sovereign in Europe at the time of -his death, which occurred on the 24th of March 1866. He had attained -the great age of eighty-three when he expired in the arms of two -weeping widowed women—one his niece, the Princess Reuss, the other his -aged sister, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. This -event caused a temporary cessation of play, which had been continuous -since the 17th of August 1843.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span></p> - -<p>The insidious fascination connected with gambling was once strikingly -exemplified at Homburg. The story, though a well-known one, will bear -repetition.</p> - -<p>M. Blanc had been pondering what to give his wife on her birthday, when -a peculiarly attractive parasol caught his eye as he was strolling -amongst the shops; so he went in and inquired the price, which was -twenty marks. The founder of the great gaming establishment was a -careful man, and it seemed to him that to pay so much for a parasol -was extravagant. Nevertheless, he ordered it to be put aside for him, -saying that he would call and pay for it later.</p> - -<p>On his way to the Casino the thought suddenly struck him: "To win -twenty marks in the rooms is quite easy—numbers of people do it, -but they don't stop; which is the reason I make so much money. Why -shouldn't I win the price of this parasol—make my twenty marks and -walk out?"</p> - -<p>Walking up to a trente-et-quarante table and unobtrusively stationing -himself behind a group of players, M. Blanc furtively slipped twenty -marks on the red—black won. Forty marks on the red—black again won. -Eighty marks on the black—red won. He now became excited and, the -money he had in his pocket being exhausted, edged towards an astonished -<i>chef de partie</i>, to whom he was, of course, well-known, and instructed -him to place one hundred and sixty marks on red. The croupier dealt -the cards, and announced that red<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span> had lost. By this time every one -had realised that M. Blanc was staking against his own tables, and the -whole room flocked to see such an extraordinary sight. The croupiers -concluded that their chief had gone mad, for he stood looking fixedly -at the cards, entirely absorbed in the effort to recover his losses and -win the price of the parasol. To make a long story short, he continued -to stake till he had lost about £1000, when of a sudden he realised the -situation and rushed out of the rooms. He was, of course, considerably -chaffed about this exploit, which was said to have been the only -occasion on which he had been known to play. For many a long day -afterwards, he used regretfully to say: "That was the dearest parasol I -ever bought in my life."</p> - -<p>M. Blanc, who was more assailed than any other banker, was once nearly -made the victim of a stratagem, which might have entailed serious -results. A scoundrel contrived to get into the "Konversationhaus" by -night, and blocked up all the low numbers in the roulette machine -in such a manner that the ball, on falling in, must inevitably leap -out again. On the next day he and his accomplices played and netted -a large sum by backing the high numbers. They carried on the game -for two or three days, but were fortunately overheard by a detective -while quarrelling about the division of their plunder in the gardens -behind the establishment. They were arrested and the money recovered. -A very dangerous design was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span> also formed against M. Blanc by one of -his croupiers, who, being discontented with his lot, determined to -make his fortune at one <i>coup</i>. The plan he contrived was this. He -procured a pack of prearranged cards, which he concealed in his hat, -and when it came to his turn to deal he intended to drop the bank -cards into his <i>chapeau</i> and cleverly substitute the others; but this -artfully-concocted scheme was upset by one of his confederates who -considered that he might make a better and safer thing of it by telling -M. Blanc beforehand.</p> - -<p>A great attack was once made by a Belgian syndicate upon the tables at -Homburg, and for a time had some appearance of ultimate success. In the -end, however, M. Blanc emerged triumphant from the contest, which is -mentioned by Thackeray in the <i>Kickleburys on the Rhine</i>.</p> - -<p>It was at Homburg that the celebrated Garcia once created an enormous -sensation by asking the bank to double the limit of 12,000 francs. -According to one account a meeting of the Directors was hastily -summoned by M. Blanc, who was in favour of letting Garcia have his way; -but it was finally decided that no alteration should be made. Another -version is that M. Blanc consented to double the limit if Garcia would -play sitting down and not standing up, the veteran banker's opinion -being that any one standing up was much more likely to depart with -winnings than a player seated at the table. Garcia accord<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span>ingly sat -down, and though at first very unlucky, eventually rose a winner.</p> - -<p>Garcia is said to have come to Germany with two thousand francs—his -whole fortune—in search of employment. Whilst at Frankfort he -determined to go and try his luck at the Homburg tables, and -being fortunate enough to get on several runs of his favourite -colour—red—he won about £20,000 in three weeks. An Englishman, it is -said, was so convinced that the runs on red must end, that he watched -for what he deemed a propitious moment and began staking maximums -on black against Garcia, with the result that in a few days he left -Homburg without a penny.</p> - -<p>Garcia continued to play on after his rival's defeat, and though at -one moment he was reduced to a capital of six thousand francs, he -retrieved his fortunes by a run of fourteen reds, and eventually left -Homburg with some £50,000—some say more. He now declared that he was -determined never to play again; but this resolution was soon broken, -for within a couple of years he was trying to break the bank at Baden. -Black turned up too often for him, however, and he lost heavily.</p> - -<p>He then thought he would try Homburg again, and was there eventually -reduced to beggary after a few months' play. This gambler subsequently -figured in a most unsavoury card scandal which took place in Paris in -February 1863 at the house of Madame Julia Barucci. This lady, who -was young and attractive, was always surrounded by a large<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> circle of -admirers, and the party which she gave to celebrate her first evening -in a new abode was therefore particularly animated, about thirty -guests being present, amongst whom was Signor Calzado, the well-known -manager of a Paris theatre. Calzado, it should be said, was disliked -by the party generally—Garcia alone being on terms of intimacy with -him—not only because he was a gamester, but probably because he had -the reputation of being a card-sharper, which he was, and a very bold -and original one too. (Calzado once went to Havana and bought up every -pack of cards in the place, having previously freighted a vessel -with marked playing-cards, which arrived just in time to supply the -dealers, whose stocks were completely exhausted. With the cards he had -prepared and imported, Calzado played incessantly, and for high stakes, -being, as an inevitable result, a constant and heavy winner.) The most -popular guest was Signor Miranda, Gentleman of the Queen of Spain's -household, a constant and honourable gamester, well-known as being -capable of losing large sums. He came with about 100,000 francs in his -pocket. As soon as possible Garcia arranged a rouge-et-noir table, -at which his countrymen, Calzado and Miranda, took their places, the -latter soon winning 30,000 francs. After supper baccarat was proposed; -whereupon Garcia absented himself from the room for half an hour under -the pretext of wishing to smoke a cigar in the air. Retiring into a -private chamber, he disposed about his person several packs<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> of cards -which he had brought with him, and then returning to the gaming-table -began to play for high stakes. His success was extraordinary, and in a -short time he won 140,000 francs, chiefly from Signor Miranda. Calzado, -who followed Garcia's lead, also won a large sum. The extraordinary -good luck of Garcia, and the marvellous character of the cards which -he held, aroused the astonishment of the players as well as the -suspicions of those looking on, and it was at length perceived that -some of the cards in Garcia's hand were of a different design from that -of the packs provided by the hostess. He was charged with foul play; -whereupon, somewhat confused, he admitted having introduced cards of -his own, though stoutly maintaining that he had played fairly, and -had brought certain packs from his club merely because they always -proved lucky cards to him, which in this instance was certainly true. -He offered as a matter of courtesy and as a favour, being, as he said, -desirous of avoiding a scandal, to refund his winnings, if the whole -affair were hushed up. At the same time he produced the sum of 50,000 -francs; but those whom he had cheated were not to be tricked into -accepting a third part of their losses in place of the whole, and an -extraordinary scene followed. Seeing that his position was desperate, -and fearful lest he should be forcibly despoiled of his ill-gotten -winnings, Garcia tried to escape. Finding the door bolted, he rushed -all over the house, finally hiding himself in a corner of an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> obscure -room, from which he was chased by his amazed pursuers, who seized him -and roughly stripped him of all the money in his possession. It was now -the turn of Calzado, who was then asked to display the contents of his -pockets, or suffer himself to be searched. He refused to do either, but -stealthily allowed a roll of bank-notes, to the value of 16,000 francs, -to slip down his trousers and fall on the floor. The roll was picked -up and handed to him, but he denied all knowledge of it. Eventually -the brother cheats were permitted to leave the house, but after their -departure it was reckoned that, in spite of everything, they had -carried with them at least 40,000 francs.</p> - -<p>Garcia and Calzado were both tried for swindling. The former appeared -in person; Calzado, however, had fled. Both were convicted of -malpractices, Garcia being sentenced to five years' and Calzado to -thirteen months' imprisonment, in addition to fines of 3000 francs -each. They were also ordered to pay jointly 31,000 francs to Miranda. -The hostess, Madame Barucci, escaped punishment, but was placed under -strict police supervision, lest she should again allow prohibited games -to be played in her house. Garcia died in great misery about 1881.</p> - -<p>In 1872 the gambling-establishment at Homburg became a thing of -the past. A great number of the townspeople of that resort were -shareholders, and all, more or less, derived some profit direct or -indirect from the play. During the war between<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span> Austria and Prussia -they began to be somewhat perturbed, and on their annexation to the -latter country, they hoped against hope that Bismarck, whatever he -might do with kings, would leave what to them was far more important -than dynasties and kingdoms—the bank—alone.</p> - -<p>In 1867, however, the blow fell, and the directors of the -gambling-rooms, summoned to appear before the Governor, were informed -that all play was to cease in 1872.</p> - -<p>It should be added that an arrangement of a not unfair kind protected -the interests of the shareholders.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb14.jpg" alt="homburg" /> -<a id="illusb14" name="illusb14"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">Gambling at Homburg.</span><br /> - -Drawn by the late G.A. Sala. (<i>Impasse</i> should of course be <i>Impair</i>.)</p> - -<p>During these last days of play at Homburg a great crowd had been coming -in, but still the tables were not inconveniently crowded, and people -were able to stake their money with ease though without comfort. There -was, however, a good deal of pilfering and snatching of money, which -had always been rather a feature at this resort, shrill-tongued harpies -being apt to pounce on the couple of five-franc pieces just won by any -simple Englishman ignorant of the German tongue. As the end approached -the usual high play still prevailed, but the administration was a -good deal disturbed by the advent of workmen, shopmen, and others, -a very different class of people from their aristocratic clients of -the summer season. These new visitors were sturdy, brutal customers, -who became frenzied if they lost a florin, and seemed not unlikely -to revenge themselves by some lawless raid. This<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> very unlucrative -crowd continued to increase, and it became known that on the last -two days the forces would be recruited by yet larger bands. The -administration, wisely reckoning that the result might be a general -riot organised for purposes of plunder, took measures to avert such a -crowning catastrophe. On the Sunday, then, while numbers of speculative -individuals at Frankfort and other towns were arranging for one grand -final expedition, and were looking forward to being in at the death, -it was determined to end play for ever suddenly and without notice. -Before five o'clock this had been done, much to the indignant surprise -of the new arrivals, and the rage and fury of the less scrupulous. -This, perhaps, was no undignified end; and Homburg, from a gambling -point of view, may be said to have "died game." The administration -maintained its honeyed, courteous phrases to the last, and on the -Monday stuck little proclamations all over the walls, to the effect -that the "Administration begged to inform <i>la société</i> that there would -be no play on the 30th and 31st inst. Signed: The Kurhaus Direction." -Nevertheless on the back sheet of the Belgian papers was a huge -advertisement proclaiming to all whom it concerned that there would be -play to the last day of the month. Such an oversight was scarcely fair -to the friends and admirers of the tables, some of whom travelled from -a great distance to bid a final adieu to the Halls of Chance.</p> - -<p>The appearance of the gambling-house on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> day after the cessation -of play was indescribable, resembling a badly-set scene by daylight. -Numbers of charwomen and men-servants hung about in groups; officials, -like those of a bankrupt hotel, went about with keys; chairs were piled -on the long gaming-tables by irreverent hands; everything looked as -though there was going to be a sale by auction. The ball-room, however, -still had its chairs all set out in order, as if company were expected, -whilst the orchestra played in the gardens, which already presented a -neglected air. Even the theatre looked shabby, though behind the frame -of wire network was to be read the announcement of the last—the very -last in all truth—appearance of the "Diva Patti" in <i>La Sonnambula</i>.</p> - -<p>Ems was another gambling resort. This was essentially a rendezvous -of all the pleasure-loving aristocracy and fashionable financiers of -the day—unlike Wiesbaden and Homburg, which were rather the chosen -battle-fields of well-known and seasoned gamblers.</p> - -<p>A Spaniard at Ems made a very comfortable living by a method of playing -he had invented. He placed three louis d'or on the manque, which -contains all the numbers to eighteen, and two louis on the last series -of twelve; that is, from twenty-four to thirty-six. Thus he had only -six numbers and two zeroes against him. If manque gained, he won three -louis and lost two; if a number in the last twelve came up, he won four -and lost three; but a continuation of zeroes would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span> have ruined his -calculation. Russians in particular were very fond of Ems. Many played -very high, and a good deal of private gambling was done there on the -quiet.</p> - -<p>At Geneva in the 'sixties trente-et-quarante was somewhat furtively -played in a <i>Cercle des Étrangers</i>. Roulette, however, was not allowed. -The authorities perhaps feared that the noise of the little ball flying -round on its course to a numbered compartment might awaken Calvin from -the quiet of his tomb.</p> - -<p>There was once what was practically a regular gaming-house on English -soil. This was in the 'fifties, when mild roulette was played on -the island of Heligoland. A miniature roulette-table there was much -frequented by joyous Israelites and English officers from the mainland. -In 1856, however, an outraged English tourist wrote a furious letter -to <i>The Times</i>, complaining of such horrors existing under the British -flag. He denounced the scandalous desecration of the English name, and -so forth; and in consequence the Governor issued an edict against the -roulette. Play, however, on a diminutive scale continued there some -time longer.</p> - -<p>The closing of the gaming-tables in Germany was the cause of many -rumours as to the future of gambling enterprise. The Valley of -Andorra in the Pyrenees was said to have been selected by some French -speculators as the scene of their operations for the ensuing year, a -well-known financier being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> declared to have obtained a monopoly of -theatres, hotels, casinos, railways, and almost everything else that -this valley lacked and might be supposed to want. There was also a -rumour that efforts were being made to start tables at St. Moritz, in -Switzerland, very tempting offers having been made to the authorities.</p> - -<p>These anticipations were not, however, realised, and Monte Carlo -remains the only regular public gaming-place in Europe, though -intermittent public gambling has been tolerated at certain Belgian -pleasure-resorts, notably at Ostend. Two or three years ago public -gaming was altogether prohibited there, but it now appears to flourish -much as before. It is almost superfluous to add that when it was -announced that the Belgian authorities had determined to suppress -all public play there was much enthusiastic congratulation from this -country. The usual time-worn phrases as to the demoralising effects -of gambling were unctuously presented to a public whose conscience, -it was declared, had too long been outraged by the proximity of -such a dangerous temptation; and the Belgians were told that they -might anticipate reaping a golden harvest as the result of the -high-principled attitude which had been adopted, for the English -would now be able to visit their pleasure-resorts without fear of -contamination.</p> - -<p>A large number of the Ostend shopkeepers really believed that the -suppression of play would bring more foreign money into their pockets; -but they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> soon realised their mistake, for when the visitors from -across the channel found that there was no chance of enlivening their -stay at Ostend (a resort of few natural attractions) with a little -flutter, they beat a precipitate retreat, and the prosperity of the -town began to suffer severely.</p> - -<p>Eventually, as the result of serious protest from the local shopkeepers -and others who saw ruin staring them in the face, a species of -compromise has been adopted; and baccarat with one tableau (of which -more anon) is now allowed in the <i>Cercle</i>, election to which is not -very difficult.</p> - -<p>A short time ago roulette without a zero was here held out as a great -attraction to visitors. As a matter of fact this game was only played -for a limited number of hours every day, and these were precisely those -when visitors would in the ordinary course of events be taking their -meals. The game was merely kept going as a lure to the more profitable -baccarat, the authorities being well aware that roulette without a zero -is unlikely to prove a great source of profit to the bank.</p> - -<p>Experience teaches that for some reason not very clearly understood -single tableau baccarat would seem to be particularly favourable to -the banker. So great, indeed, has been the havoc wrought by this -game that the French have given it the name of "La Faucheuse,"—"the -mowing-machine"!</p> - -<p>Those who cried out so loudly for the suppres<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span>sion of the -trente-et-quarante at Ostend have, like so many well-meaning people, -done little but harm, for the suppressed trente-et-quarante was a far -less dangerous game. Trente-et-quarante, it should be added, is played -at St. Sebastian, where up to the present year there was also roulette.</p> - -<p>At French watering-places gaming flourishes as merrily as ever during -the season. At Trouville, Biarritz, and Aix-les-Bains the game of -baccarat forms one of the chief attractions. There is a good deal of -high play at Trouville at the time of the races. During the present -year one player alone—a very rich gambler fond of high stakes—lost no -less than a million francs. No inconsiderable portion of this sum must -have gone in the percentage which the French Government now levies upon -banks at baccarat. During the last year there was also a great deal of -play at Nice, where the game in question was as popular as the classic -roulette and trente-et-quarante of Monaco.</p> - -<p>It is almost impossible to conceive how the vast majority of French -summer pleasure-resorts would contrive to exist were baccarat and -petits chevaux to be suppressed, for a certain portion of the large -profit derived from play is devoted to the upkeep of the Casinos, which -furnish visitors with excellent entertainment. It is, indeed, owing -directly and indirectly to the toleration of play that the French -<i>plages</i> are proving such formidable rivals to the miserably dull -English seaside resorts,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span> which offer so little to visitors who are -fond of a little exciting amusement.</p> - -<p>In 1907 the French Government promulgated a new code of regulations -to be enforced at Casinos, all of which were closed for two or three -days throughout France—an operation which, of course, evoked a mass of -hypocritical and totally inaccurate comment in England.</p> - -<p>France was congratulated upon her determination to stop every form of -that gambling which had for so many years shocked English visitors, -who would, of course, warmly welcome the stern measures about to be -enforced, and flock across the Channel in largely increased numbers as -a result.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, the Casinos were closed merely to emphasise the -fact that the Government intended to see that the new regulations which -they imposed, amongst which was one regulating a tax upon baccarat -banks, should be respected.</p> - -<p>The very rumour that it was proposed permanently to prohibit gambling -terrified the local authorities, a large number of whom at once went up -to Paris to ascertain whether there was any foundation of truth in such -an idea, which to many a watering-place would mean nothing less than -ruin.</p> - -<p>They were, however, soon reassured, for in the end only one small and -insignificant Casino was permanently closed.</p> - -<p>By the decree of June 21, 1907, certain games of chance are permitted -at watering-places and health-resorts which have been officially -recognised<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span> as such by the Minister of the Interior, on the -representation of the Municipal Council and the Prefect. These are -baccarat, écarté, and the game of petits chevaux and its varieties. A -tax of fifteen per cent is levied on the sum produced by the cagnotte -at écarté and baccarat.</p> - -<p>Counters, which were formerly used at Casinos to represent money, were -entirely prohibited, a prohibition which, however, does not apply -to Clubs. The reason for this was that players were apt to obtain -considerable advances from the <i>caisse</i> in baccarat-rooms, a state of -affairs not so likely to happen when ready money alone may be staked. -Playing in cash is also generally of a more careful kind than play in -counters, which for the time being seem nothing at all. A player, of -course, has a far greater chance at baccarat than at petits chevaux, -where the percentage is very unfavourable to him, one horse out of the -nine being the bank's.</p> - -<p>According to the new law, fifteen per cent is now levied on the gross -winnings of the bank at this game every day; should the bank lose it is -allowed to deduct the sum lost from its winnings the next day.</p> - -<p>The sum produced by this tax of fifteen per cent is to be devoted to -charity, and to various other objects of public utility and affecting -the public health.</p> - -<p>When this decree was first issued, chemin-de-fer baccarat was not -included amongst the list of tolerated games, the French authorities -being still<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span> horror-struck with the recollection of the single tableau -baccarat, called "La Faucheuse" (the game which, thanks to Puritan -effort, is played at Ostend), which had provoked such gross scandals -in Paris. It was, however, subsequently legalised by a special decree -which was promulgated in the <i>Journal Officiel</i> of the 18th August -1907, and is taxed at the same rate as other tolerated games.</p> - -<p>The main cause of the French Government moving in the matter of -gambling at all had been the large increase of so-called gambling clubs -in Paris entirely devoted to single tableau baccarat, from which an -enormous harvest of gold had been gathered by those holding the banks. -It was said that no less than 126 new establishments of this kind had -sprung up in Paris, a state of affairs calculated to make the dead -proprietors of the long-suppressed and very strictly regulated tables -in the old Palais Royal turn in their graves. Many of these Clubs were -frequented by women, and it was rumoured that many of the brightest -stars of the French <i>demi-monde</i> had lost almost everything they had. -Paris began to be seriously alarmed. Drastic measures were adopted; -the foreign proprietors of the gaming-places expelled from France; "La -Faucheuse" forbidden throughout the country; and gambling generally -placed upon the strictly regulated footing which has been described. -The results of the very sensible action of the French Government appear -to be highly satisfactory, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span> since the promulgation of the decree -regulating play no scandals have occurred, whilst it is anticipated -that in the course of time a sum well over two million pounds a year -will be available for objects of public utility.</p> - -<p>Surely the wise regulation of what appears to be an irradicable evil is -far more salutary, alike from a financial and a moral point of view, -than the unthinking policy of drastic suppression, which, as experience -teaches, has ever been powerless to extirpate gambling.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="X" id="X">X</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">The Principality of Monaco—Its vicissitudes—Early days of the -Casino—The old Prince and his scruples—Monte Carlo in 1858 and -1864—Its development—Fashionable in the 'eighties—Mr. Sam -Lewis and Captain Carlton Blythe—Anecdotes—Increase of visitors -and present democratic policy of administration—The <i>Cercle -Privé</i> and its short life—The gaming-rooms and ways of their -frequenters—Anecdotes—Trente-et-quarante and roulette—Why the -cards have plain white backs—Jaggers' successful spoliation of the -bank—The croupiers and their training—The staff of the Casino—The -<i>viatique</i>—Systems—The best of all.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>Many years before the tables at the German resorts were closed by the -Prussian Government, M. Blanc was quietly seeking for a suitable spot -where his roulette wheels might whirl free from interference and his -croupiers deal in unmolested peace.</p> - -<p>Gaming-house proprietors seem in one respect to resemble the monks -of old, for almost invariably their establishments have been pitched -amidst attractive surroundings commanding lovely views. Thoroughly -imbued with this tradition, M. Blanc eventually selected the little -Principality of Monaco as being a suitable spot to afford his industry -a peaceful and alluring haven. After certain negotiations with the -reigning Prince Charles Albert, he obtained the required concession, -and a Casino<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span> (in its earliest days called the "Elysium Alberti") was -erected upon the rocky ground known as the Plateau des Spelugues, -which, adversaries of gaming will rejoice to learn, means in Monagasque -patois "the plain of the robbers."</p> - -<p>The ruling family of Monaco, the Grimaldis, had been exposed to -many vicissitudes. During the French Revolution their people rose -in rebellion and plundered the Palace, which afterwards served as -a military hospital during Napoleon's Italian campaign, and later -on became the Dépôt de Mendicité for the Department of the Alpes -Maritimes. In 1841, however, Florestan I., the reigning Prince, -repaired the home of his ancestors, which was thoroughly restored by -Charles Albert after the advent of M. Blanc.</p> - -<p>In the turbulent past the Princes of Monaco at times experienced -considerable difficulty in holding their own, and often had to defend -their rugged old rock against piratical raids, besides occasionally -having to cope with internal troubles, the last of which occurred in -1847, when the Monagasque bitterly resented taxation. The cannon given -by Louis XIV. to the Grimaldi of his day may still be seen near the -palace. These are fine specimens of the founder's craft, and bear the -grim motto "Ultima ratio regum," amidst much ornate decoration.</p> - -<p>The armed force which the Princes maintained was much improved in -uniform and equipment<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span> when M. Blanc brought prosperity to Monaco. Even -up to quite recent years there existed a smart little army of something -under a hundred men, in all probability the best dressed and least -offensive troops in all Europe. Their rifle practice, it was always -said, was indifferent, owing to the fact that they could not fire -inland, because the boundaries of the Principality were so limited; but -whatever may have been their efficiency or non-efficiency as a fighting -force, their light-blue uniforms—with old-world aiguillette, neat -shako, and picturesque cape—were highly ornamental features, which -struck a pleasant note of colour in the streets of the Condamine or -about the grounds and terraces of the Casino.</p> - -<p>This little army is now but a memory, for within the last decade the -reigning Prince, who is a warm advocate of International Arbitration, -realising, it is said, that the maintenance of a standing army was -inconsistent with his well-known love of peace, abolished the last -relic of military strength left to the Grimaldis. Such sentries as -are still required are at present furnished by the gendarmerie, whose -dainty cocked hat—most military and attractive of head-dresses—was at -the same time superseded by an abominable cloth-covered helmet, which -for unalloyed ugliness would easily carry off the prize against all -competitors. Thus does it constantly happen in the modern world that, -whilst there is much prating about art, cultivation, and taste, the -very people who should do their best to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span> preserve every distinctive and -decorative reminder of a more artistic past are foremost in the work of -obliteration.</p> - -<p>Old Monaco consisted of a few unattractive streets and a somewhat -dilapidated Palace, in which lived the blind old Prince who granted the -concession for the tables to M. Blanc, and by so doing converted his -poverty-stricken realm into the most prosperous State in the world.</p> - -<p>At first, the Prince was somewhat troubled by conscientious scruples -as to tolerating gaming, but these were appeased by the large sums -which were rendered available for religious purposes and the building -of churches—the Church of St. Dévote, which stands in the ravine, for -instance, is said to have been erected from funds received in exchange -for permission to increase the number of roulette tables, whilst the -beautiful little cathedral on the Palace rock would never have been -built had not M. Blanc made his descent upon the Principality.</p> - -<p>Much abuse has been lavished on the Prince for granting the concession, -but it seems a doubtful question whether he did not do more good than -harm when he signed it. Certainly his own people of Monaco (who, except -on one day in the year—the Prince's birthday,—are not allowed to -enter the Casino) gained very largely thereby.</p> - -<p>To them the establishment of the Casino has brought lasting prosperity, -whilst it has indirectly benefited the whole Riviera, now so popular -as a pleasure-resort. On the other hand, a number of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span> people, no -doubt, have been ruined at Monte Carlo, but such as these—gamblers -at heart—would most probably in any case have lost their fortune in -other forms of speculation. It should also be realised that the number -of those who have actually been ruined by the Casino is extremely -small—as a rule those who lose their last penny at the tables are -individuals who, already at their last gasp owing to a long series of -gambling reverses, come to Monte Carlo with such funds as they can -scrape together in order to indulge in one last desperate plunge.</p> - -<p>The old Prince was a kindly man at heart, and did not like to think -of visitors losing more money than they had actually brought with -them. For this reason he forbade the establishment of any Bank in the -Principality, and as a natural consequence, numbers of waiters, who -carried on a brisk business in money-lending, made nice little fortunes.</p> - -<p>In later years Smith's Bank was established on French territory; -this was afterwards absorbed into the Crédit Lyonnais, which (the -prohibition having been revoked) is now quite a prominent feature of -Monte Carlo.</p> - -<p>At the time when M. Blanc made his peaceful conquest of Monaco the -place was sparsely populated and miserably poor. The contrast indeed -between the Monaco of fifty years ago and the Monte Carlo of to-day is -striking in the extreme.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span></p> - -<p>The following description of the Principality at that time was given to -the writer by one who has seen every phase of its development.</p> - -<p>In 1858 this gentleman and his wife, being on their honeymoon in -France, drove from Marseilles to Cannes, then also quite a small place. -A report had recently reached the latter place that the celebrated M. -Blanc had started gaming-tables at Monaco, and accordingly the Duc de -Vallombrosa, who owned the finest château at Cannes, invited several -of the English visitors to go over to the Principality on his yacht, -and in due course the party climbed up to the rock, on which stands the -Palace.</p> - -<p>After making inquiries they found the gaming-tables—two roulette and -one trente-et-quarante—which were installed in a very unpretentious -barnlike edifice somewhere near the spot where the Cathedral is now.</p> - -<p>The arrival of manifestly well-to-do visitors created quite a sensation -amongst a somewhat limited crowd, mostly composed of Italian tourists -who were indulging in a little mild play. M. Blanc, it should be -added, had merely started these tables as a preliminary step, being -at that time engaged in negotiations with the reigning Prince as to -the erection of a more serious gambling establishment in the latter's -dominions.</p> - -<p>After playing a stake or two the party made their way down to the -little town in the Condamine, where, finding that donkeys could be -hired, they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span> determined to picnic out of doors. Accordingly, taking the -requisite materials with them, they made their way by a bridle path -(which more or less followed the present road) to the plateau, on which -the present palatial Casino stands to-day.</p> - -<p>Monte Carlo (the place was then unnamed) was almost a bare rock covered -with rough grass, and here and there a few stunted pine and olive -trees, most of the latter of immense age. A few tumble-down hovels were -sparsely scattered here and there on the mountain side, in which lived -a miserably poor peasantry; the whole spot was as different from the -Monte Carlo of to-day as it is possible to conceive.</p> - -<p>Just about where is now the ornamental plot in front of the doors of -the Casino, the party collected some dry bits of sticks, boiled their -kettle, cooked an omelette and drank their tea, whilst they revelled in -the lovely view, which remains to-day almost the sole feature which the -hand of man has been powerless to change.</p> - -<p>Almost the last of the few survivors of this expedition also described -to the present writer the marvellous alteration which he found on his -next visit to the Principality some six years later. The first Casino -had then been built by M. Blanc, and a small Hôtel de Paris stood -where the gigantic modern one stands to-day. M. Blanc, in addition to -presiding over the rooms, was in supreme command of the hotel, which -was managed on the most liberal principles, bills being never sent in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span> -unless they were asked for. Since those days the hotel has been much -enlarged and altered. It is now being entirely rebuilt on a palatial -scale.</p> - -<p>When visitors of any standing whatever were about to depart, M. Blanc -himself would be present to wish them good-bye, and also to inquire -whether they might not like a thousand francs for the expenses of their -journey, adding that this could be refunded on their next visit, or -sent him at their convenience.</p> - -<p>In 1864, except the hotel, there were scarcely any houses in Monte -Carlo itself, and most of the visitors had to live on the other side -of the Bay in the old town. As the journey from Nice by road took -four hours, an abominable and, it was said, unseaworthy, small white -steamer, the <i>Palmaria</i> (probably the best that could be got), had -been chartered by M. Blanc to convey visitors from Nice. This vessel -anchored beneath the Castle rock, where its passengers were landed in -boats, being met by four-horse omnibuses which plied gratis between the -rock and the Casino.</p> - -<p>The <i>Palmaria</i> made two journeys from Nice a day. If the weather was -calm and nothing went wrong, the passage took something like an hour -and a quarter. It was a curious sight to see visitors landing in the -highest spirits for a flutter, most of them to return in the evening to -Nice, weary and sea-sick, without a penny to take a cab to their hotel.</p> - -<p>In the early days of Monte Carlo there were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span> two zeroes, and the -inevitable result was that the <i>Palmaria's</i> evening cargo was usually -largely composed of what were facetiously called "empty bottles."</p> - -<p>The crowd which thronged to the tables was of a heterogeneous -description and not at all smart. There were a number of enterprising -damsels in pork-pie hats and a considerable sprinkling of raffish -Englishmen, looking as if they had seen better days and were likely to -see worse.</p> - -<p>Monte Carlo, though a tiny place, already bore evidences of its future -expansion. An air of prosperity pervaded it, and the inhabitants -had lost the air of hopeless poverty which was formerly such a -characteristic of the Principality of Monaco.</p> - -<p>In the early days of the Casino not much was heard of its existence, -the truth being that M. Blanc, after his experiences at Homburg, -feared lest European public opinion might demand the abolition of -the tables were their existence to be too prominently thrust before -it. In consequence of this as little attention as possible was drawn -to the gambling which, if alluded to in the Press at all, was merely -mentioned as one of the minor attractions. Knowing the sensitiveness -of M. Blanc with regard to publicity, unscrupulous journalists traded -upon it, demanding bribes to keep silence, whilst ephemeral newspapers, -containing sensational accounts of suicides of ruined gamblers, were -published solely in order to extort blackmail.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span></p> - -<p>As time went on, however, Monte Carlo began to be regarded as an -established institution, and many visitors took to coming there year -after year.</p> - -<p>The development of the Riviera as a pleasure-resort steadily proceeded, -and at the present time the coast from Genoa to Marseilles is an -almost unbroken line of pleasure-resorts filled with villas, not a few -veritable palaces, all of which owe their existence to the advent of -M. Blanc with his roulette and trente-et-quarante. Abuse gambling as -you may, it has in this instance beyond all question brought wealth -and prosperity to the inhabitants—not to the rich, for there were no -rich—but to the people of the soil, born and bred along this beautiful -coast-line lapped by the azure waters of the Mediterranean.</p> - -<p>It was after M. Blanc's death in the early 'seventies that the Casino -was first enlarged, and the theatre built by M. Garnier. From time to -time further additions have been made—an entirely new gambling-room -was added only a few years ago, and at the present moment another is -being built.</p> - -<p>Monte Carlo itself, which even in the 'eighties was quite a little -place, has now become a regular town with streets stretching up along -the mountain side almost up to the gigantic hotel, which is now such a -conspicuous feature of the Principality.</p> - -<p>The earthquake of 1887, though it ruined the season of that year, was -probably beneficial to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span> prosperity of Monte Carlo, for it brought -the name of the place prominently before the public eye. Shortly after -that date the vast crowds which now throng to the place began to make -their appearance, and Monaco quite changed its character. New hotels -were opened and numbers of houses built, whilst Monte Carlo quite -lost its air of reposeful peace and became a sort of cosmopolitan -pleasure-town swarming with excursionists. Before this the Casino used -to shut at eleven, after which hour every one went to bed, there being -no night cafés to go to such as exist to-day.</p> - -<p>From about 1882 to 1890 was perhaps the best day of the Principality -from a social point of view, for at that time it was the resort of a -number of the most distinguished and fashionable people in Europe. All -the sporting characters of the day made a point of paying a yearly -visit to Monte Carlo—most of them are gone now, including Mr Sam -Lewis, who always played in maximums with varying success.</p> - -<p>Another well-known figure was Captain Carlton Blythe, who is still -alive. He was very successful at trente-et-quarante, where his -operations were conducted in a most methodical manner. It was his -practice to stake only when sequences were the order of the day. By -means of men told off to watch the tables, he was kept informed of -this, being sometimes sent for even when not in the Casino. His stakes -were high, generally about two thousand francs, which, if won, were -increased to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span> six thousand, the next being a maximum (12,000 francs), -which was left on till the termination of the run. At times this cheery -devotee of coaching was extraordinarily lucky; it is said that he once -won as much as £10,000 during a deal.</p> - -<p>I believe, however, that in the end this system, like so many others, -broke down.</p> - -<p>The authorities of the Casino were then rather more particular than -at present as to the costume of visitors, and in many cases refused -to grant cards of admission to people of the most indisputable -respectability on account of their dress not being in conformity with -the regulations which they laid down.</p> - -<p>On one occasion, indeed, the late Lord and Lady Salisbury, who lived -close by at Beaulieu, having been seized with a fancy to look into the -rooms, presented themselves at the entrance, where cards of entrée are -issued either for the day or longer periods.</p> - -<p>They were both dressed in thoroughly country clothes which the official -in command viewed with no kindly eye, as his offhand manner showed. -When, however, the visitors, in accordance with the regulations, gave -their names, he was convulsed with laughter, and at once told the -distinguished couple to go about their business and not try their jokes -upon him.</p> - -<p>The Prime Minister and his wife, who were rather amused at the -incident, accordingly retired. Some time afterwards the matter reached -the ears<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span> of the Administration, who, as a sort of compensation, sent -a box at the theatre, but no very profound apology was made. The great -gambling monopoly is no respecter of persons, and in the Casino, as on -the Turf, complete equality prevails.</p> - -<p>In the same year, 1892, a curious incident occurred at a -trente-et-quarante table. An individual having staked a maximum on -the black, red won. He immediately snatched up his (or rather the -bank's) notes from the table and ejaculating, "<i>C'est la dot de ma -fille</i>," strode out of the rooms before any one quite realised what had -happened. For some reason or other he was not followed and got clear -away.</p> - -<p>Many rich Englishmen annually found at Monte Carlo relaxation and rest -from lives of arduous work in the city; some of these regarded play -much as sportsmen do shooting, hunting, or yachting.</p> - -<p>One of these, now dead, said to the writer: "I have regularly taken -a villa here for years, and with hardly an exception have lost the -sum which I set apart for gaming every year; but I do not regret it. -The amount of amusement which I have obtained has been well worth the -money. I might, it is true, have kept a yacht which I should have -hated, or taken a shooting which would have been little to my taste. I -might, in fact, have spent the money in various ways which would have -thoroughly bored me—on the whole I am well content."</p> - -<p>Another well-known high player, who from time to time has lost large -sums at Monte Carlo,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span> once declared that he considered the money well -invested. "Many a large landowner," said he, "is not as lucky as I have -been, for he is obliged to spend a large sum every year on the upkeep -of his estate for which he obtains nothing in return. I, at least, have -had a great deal of amusement."</p> - -<p>To this it may be objected that the money which goes into the coffers -of the Casino benefits no one—but this is not strictly true, for the -shares are held by all sorts of people, who draw their profits in the -same way as from any industrial enterprise.</p> - -<p>In the 'eighties there were many less hotels than at present and not -a great number of villas, whilst the Café de Paris, which has since -been rebuilt in an enlarged form, was about the only restaurant apart -from the dining-rooms in the hotels. The Gallery, now filled with -shops, which is such a favourite morning resort, had not yet come into -existence, and except the admirable band in the Casino (which gave two -performances a day, free) there was little music in Monte Carlo—a spot -which now rings from morning till late at night with the strains of -Tzigane bands.</p> - -<p>After the tables were closed—at eleven—there were no amusements at -all, and, instead of sitting up half the night, every one went to -bed—contentedly or discontentedly, as they had won or lost.</p> - -<p>The gambling-rooms were much quieter in those days, the flocks of -German excursionists having not yet arrived. Many of these visitors, -as a rule<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span> somewhat undesirable from a decorative point of view, are -divided up into little coteries or bands, each of which elects a leader -who is entrusted with such funds as the party is desirous of risking at -the tables, where the leader alone stakes for all, winnings or losings -being divided in proportionate shares.</p> - -<p>Of late years the crowds round the gambling-tables have increased to -such an extent that except in the early morning or during dinner-time -it is impossible to make certain of obtaining a seat. Formerly two or -three old men of solemn aspect were always to be found sitting at the -trente-et-quarante marking down the run of the game, and on a louis -being unostentatiously slipped into their hand they would at once yield -up their seat. Of late years, however, they are no longer to be seen, -the Administration having banished them from the Casino, much to the -discomfort of habitual players desirous of risking substantial sums -under comfortable conditions. In old days far more attention was paid -in a great many other small ways to visitors who had the appearance of -belonging to the upper strata of society. To these the croupiers and -other officials made a point of being especially obliging and polite.</p> - -<p>The authorities of the Casino, however, seem now to have decided on -a more democratic policy, no favour being shown to any one. From a -financial point of view this is probably not unsound, a vast number of -small players, who drop a certain amount<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span> of five-franc pieces and then -depart to make way for others, being probably more profitable to the -bank than a few heavy gamblers, some of whom may hit it very severely.</p> - -<p>It is more than likely that scarcely one in fifty of the individuals -who sit with a pile of silver beside the roulette wheel goes away a -winner, whereas amongst the high gamblers at trente-et-quarante success -is not so rare as is usually supposed. The proof of what has been -stated was furnished by the brief existence of the "Cercle Privé"—a -new gaming-room which for a short time was highly appreciated by -frequenters of Monte Carlo some seven or eight years ago.</p> - -<p>The "Cercle Privé" was open only at night in a room upstairs, and men -alone enjoyed the privilege of being allowed to play there. There were -four tables, three trente-et-quarante and one roulette, a small bar -where refreshments could be obtained, smoking was permitted, and the -tables, which did not commence operations till the ones downstairs had -closed, were kept going very late.</p> - -<p>From the point of view of players this innovation was highly -successful; for, owing to the comparatively small number of persons -who frequented the "Cercle Privé," greater comfort prevailed than -downstairs, whilst the conditions in general were far more conducive to -calculated and calm speculation.</p> - -<p>A large proportion of the frequenters were well known to one another, -and the whole thing some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span>what resembled a club, the members of which -were leagued together against the bank.</p> - -<p>Runs, intermittencies, and other tendencies of chance at certain tables -could be carefully noted; occasionally there would be no play at all at -one table, the whole crowd staking on a run at another; as the room was -small, anything of the sort soon reached the ears of every one. Play as -a rule was high, and the players, for the most part, were well used to -gambling. The results to the bank were most disastrous. On a certain -evening it lost more than had ever before been lost in one day by the -Casino, and at the end of the year the accounts of the "Cercle Privé" -proved anything but an agreeable study for the officials supervising -the finances of the great gambling monopoly.</p> - -<p>The next year it was closed, and there has since been no inclination -on the part of the authorities to repeat what was to them a very -unprofitable speculation.</p> - -<p>Amongst various causes which in this instance operated to the detriment -of the bank was the difficulty, generally amounting to impossibility, -of players obtaining a further supply of money when what they had in -their pockets had run out. At such a late hour, when the Bank was -closed and the <i>caisse</i> of most hotels shut up, no matter how rich a -man might be, he could not obtain any considerable amount of cash. -Consequently, should he lose what he had brought with him, he was -reduced to playing with such modest sums as could be borrowed from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span> -friends, who naturally could not be expected to make any substantial -advance, as any moment they themselves might be in a similar -predicament.</p> - -<p>The bank, on the other hand, was equipped with ample funds, and its -loss—unlike those of the players, which, after a certain point, -were limited by necessity—often extended into a very large figure; -consequently, when it was in good luck, it only won a comparatively -moderate amount, and when in bad lost very heavily.</p> - -<p>Another reason for the ill-success of the bank was that the -policy pursued in the large rooms downstairs had in the case of -the "Cercle Privé" been exactly reversed. In the former there -have always been many more roulette tables than tables devoted to -trente-et-quarante—upstairs there was only one roulette table as a -counter-attraction to the three devoted to the rival game.</p> - -<p>Trente-et-quarante is mathematically one of the most favourable of -games at which a gambler can play, the percentage against him produced -by the <i>refait</i> being only 1·28 per cent.</p> - -<p>Roulette, on the other hand, is, owing to the zero, highly advantageous -to the banker.</p> - -<p>The bank's percentage on all-round play at the tables is more than -one-seventy-fourth of all the figures staked; the actual winnings of -the bank being about one-sixtieth part of all the money actually placed -on the board. At the present time the bank's winnings (gross) are, -roughly, £1,200,000 per annum.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span></p> - -<p>A large proportion of the gains of the Monte Carlo bank is derived from -small players who enter the rooms with the deliberate intention of -either making a certain sum or losing what they have in their pockets; -these form, as it were, the rank and file of the gambling army which -is constantly being decimated by the Casino, and the almost total -absence of such an element in the room upstairs reduced the play to a -duel between the bank and a number of persons, the majority of whom -were, more or less, capitalists and who, as often as not, went home -immediately after bringing off one big and successful coup.</p> - -<p>The gaming-rooms in the Casino at Monte Carlo have often been described -as a hot-bed of vice and debauchery, the tables surrounded by a -seething crowd of excited figures whose countenances betray the intense -emotions which the vitiating effects of play arouse. "Cries of triumph, -imprecations, moans and sobs are heard on every side." In certain -highly coloured accounts, suicide is spoken of as being an ordinary -occurrence, the crowd making way without comment for the passage of the -corpse of some unfortunate gambler who, at the end of his tether, has -blown out his brains.</p> - -<p>All this is purely fanciful, and conveys no idea whatever of the real -state of affairs prevailing in the rooms, where calm and good order -invariably reign. There exists, indeed, an almost religious hush in the -halls of this great Temple of Chance. After dinner, and towards the -time of close of play,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span> the scene, it is true, becomes more animated, -but, as a rule, the only sounds heard are those connected with the -games played. What conversation there is is almost exclusively devoted -to short comments on such matters as the lack or abundance of runs on -one particular colour, the persistent recurrence of certain numbers, -the amount of winnings or losings of some well-known player, or the -like; people rarely speak, when at the table, of their own vicissitudes -in the battle with chance.</p> - -<p>The real gamblers, that is to say, those to whom speculation is the -very breath of life, speak least of all, their whole mind being -concentrated upon the system or method of staking which it is generally -their practice to adopt. They sit with unmoved faces, which appear -neither elated by victory nor depressed by defeat.</p> - -<p>A well-known Monte Carlo type—more abundant perhaps in the past -than to-day—is the <i>beau joueur</i>, the man who plays to the gallery -and, let it be added, pays handsomely for his performance. Certain -and inevitable ruin is the fate of these individuals, who sacrifice -themselves to the spirit of vanity. As a rule, the winnings or losings -of such people are a great subject of conversation and discussion -amongst the frequenters of the tables—they are said to have either won -or lost enormous sums—to be at the end of their tether, or to have an -enormous fortune behind them. Their fame, however, is of no enduring -kind, being at best a nine days' wonder. They are soon forgotten, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span> -their departure, leaving only too often their money in the vaults of -the Casino, and an unpaid bill at their hotel, excites not even passing -comment from the crowd of spectators whose approving gaze and fleeting -admiration has been so dearly bought.</p> - -<p>Some old players remain watching the game for a considerable space -of time without risking a stake at all, till the moment arrives when -either superstition or calculation prompts them to take the first steps -in the campaign. Many of these come provided with memorandum books -filled with column after column of figures, records of past runs on -colours, and recurring sequences of numbers carefully inscribed as a -guide to fathoming the capricious movements of fortune.</p> - -<p>Others bring queer little mechanical contrivances, which are -manipulated in a manner to show the correspondence between certain -chances; whilst yet another section quite frankly display all sorts of -fetishes, to some of which they attach a quite serious importance. A -piece of the rope which has been used by a hangman is a fetish reputed -to be an almost certain passport to good luck. The experience of the -present writer with a grim relic of this kind did not, however, give -any support to such a belief. As a great favour he was once given a -small hempen souvenir by a friend, and armed with the precious talisman -he betook himself to a trente-et-quarante table, where a good seat -was secured. From the very first, however, it was evident that the -gruesome charm was not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span> exercising its occult influence in a direction -favourable to its new, and perhaps somewhat sceptical, possessor. When -runs were sought for, alternates appeared, and vice versa. <i>Refaits</i> -were dealt with unnatural frequency; in fact, disaster followed -disaster in an unbroken sequence, with the result that the little -bit of rope was all that the player had in his pocket as he somewhat -disconsolately strode out of the rooms, rather inclined to wish that -the hempen relic had been utilised for its original purpose around the -neck of its donor.</p> - -<p>Gamblers are generally most superstitious folk and swayed by all sorts -of whimsical ideas.</p> - -<p>Years ago an old lady used to give the authorities a good deal of -trouble by repeatedly bringing a small portion of ham into the rooms, -and, whilst at play, cutting off slices and eating them. For some -reason or other she had the fixed idea that, in her case, ham-eating -propitiated fortune.</p> - -<p>The rules of the Casino naturally forbid any proceeding of such a -kind in the rooms, and whenever the ham was produced the <i>chef de -partie</i> was obliged to point this out. The old lady in question, who -was a well-known character, was, however, very rich, and, being a -constant and high player, any drastic action would naturally have been -disadvantageous to the best interests of the bank. Some compromise was, -therefore, eventually arranged, by which the amount of ham consumed was -so infinitesimal as to pass almost unnoticed by the general public.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span></p> - -<p>Certain players attach considerable importance to the numbers inscribed -upon the check handed to them by the attendants who look after cloaks -and sticks. Now and then, as must of necessity happen in the ordinary -course of events, an individual succeeds in winning a good stake by -backing a number at roulette corresponding with that on his wooden -ticket; more often, however, he fails, and then proceeds to work out -all sorts of combinations of numbers, adding, subtracting and dividing, -as the fancy seizes him.</p> - -<p>The number of the sleeping-berth which has carried the visitor from -Paris is also often chosen, as is that of his bedroom in the hotel. The -date of a birthday, the sum total of the numbers on a watch, or of the -figures on a coin, the number of cigarettes left in a case, or of coins -in the pocket, and other similar trifles are all noted with intense -interest by a certain class of player, eager for any clue which they -believe may assist them in their struggle to achieve success.</p> - -<p>It used, at one time, to be said at Monte Carlo that the clergyman -of the English Church there never gave out any hymns under number -thirty-six, as he had discovered that some of his congregation had -made a practice of carefully noting down the numbers with a view to -backing them at roulette. Most players, even the least superstitious, -have some special lucky number of their own, which they make a point of -following. Occasionally it turns up two or three times in succession, -which,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span> of course, further confirms them in constantly backing it, and, -more often than not, losing far more than they have won.</p> - -<p>The present writer's experiences in this direction have not been of an -encouraging nature.</p> - -<p>Some years ago, being on his way to the Principality, he was much -struck by the curiously persistent way in which the number 13 -confronted him throughout the journey. His room at Paris was 13; the -number of his sleeping-berth in the train to Monaco was 13; and finally -he was put into room No. 13 at the Hôtel de Paris on the day of his -arrival, the 13th day of the month. All this, to any one with a vestige -of superstition, looked as if 13 was a number well worth backing, and -accordingly the writer hastened to the rooms, eager to see whether -the tip would come off. As a matter of fact the only thing which did -come off was the end of his finger, which in his haste to get to the -Casino he slammed in his bedroom door. After having been attended to -by a surgeon he finally obtained a place at roulette and steadily -backed number 13, which, to his intense disgust, appeared rather less -frequently than the other numbers. The same unsatisfactory state of -affairs prevailed throughout his stay, which on that occasion was a -prolonged and unpleasant one.</p> - -<p>The curious influence which the advent of certain persons, or the -occurrence of trivial incidents, appears to exert in matters of luck is -well known to all gamblers. Many of them generally<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span> regard a number of -trifles with feelings of considerable apprehension at the gaming-table, -entertaining the most extraordinary likes and dislikes for various -people and things, and cherishing queer fancies at which, in ordinary -life, they would be the first to scoff. All this, of course, is akin to -the superstition of the savage, a queer atavistic reminder of civilised -man's humble descent.</p> - -<p>Though the principles of roulette and trente-et-quarante are known to -many, it may not be out of place to give brief descriptions of these -games as played at Monte Carlo.</p> - -<p>Before play begins the money is set out at one end of the table. The -gold, after being weighed in scales, is placed in rouleaux, and the -bank notes ranged according to their value. Everything is verified by -an inspector, who taps each row with a rake and signs his name to a -statement on paper.</p> - -<p>At trente-et-quarante the minimum stake is a louis, the maximum 12,000 -francs (£400), and the capital with which each table begins play £6000. -"Breaking the bank" merely means that the money at a particular table -is exhausted, and that play has to be suspended while more money is -being procured.</p> - -<p>Trente-et-quarante is a game of four even chances—<i>rouge</i> and <i>noir</i>, -<i>couleur gagne</i> and <i>couleur perd</i>. It is played with six packs of -cards, which, having been shuffled, are cut by one of the players. -There is often a good deal of competition for this ceremony, the cut -being by request reserved for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span> some keen player. As a rule, however, -others give way when any one who seems in luck—especially a lady of -attractive appearance—steps forward to cut the cards.</p> - -<p>After every one has staked and "<i>rien ne va plus</i>" has been called, the -croupier deals the first card face upwards, and continues dealing until -the cards turned up exceed thirty pips in number, when he must announce -the numbers from "trente-et-un" to "quarante." This top line of cards -is black, and when it is less in number than the one which is dealt -beneath black wins.</p> - -<p>Another line underneath is then dealt for <i>rouge</i>. When the two lines -are equal in the number of pips—say thirty-six each—the dealer -announces an <i>après</i>; thirty-one is the <i>refait</i> when all stakes are -<i>en prison</i>. When, however, a <i>refait</i> has been dealt, a player may -withdraw half his stake if he chooses, or move his money over from the -red "prison" to the black "prison." In the case of another <i>refait</i>, -the money is removed into another space, which is called the second -prison. The odds against a <i>refait</i> turning up are usually reckoned as -63 to 1. The bank is said, however, to expect it twice in three deals, -and there are generally from twenty-nine to thirty-two coups in each -deal. By paying one per cent players may insure their stake. A large -white counter is placed by the croupier on or near the money insured, -which is unaffected by the <i>refait</i>. There are high players, however, -who consider it bad policy to insure, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span> prefer to run the risk of 31 -being dealt in both lines.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, from a mathematical point of view, thirty-one is -the number which the cards are most likely to make, as any one can -easily prove for himself; the combinations formed by the numbers of -the pips on the cards being more adapted to produce thirty-one than -anything else. It is for this reason, no doubt, that the number in -question was chosen for the <i>refait</i>, when the game first came into -vogue.</p> - -<p>At trente-et-quarante, besides the even chances of <i>rouge</i> and <i>noir</i>, -there are also the even chances of <i>couleur gagne</i> and <i>couleur perd</i>.</p> - -<p>The first card dealt determines <i>couleur</i>. If, for instance, it is -red and <i>rouge</i> (the bottom line) wins—<i>couleur gagne</i>—the croupier -says, "<i>rouge gagne et la couleur</i>"; if it is black and <i>rouge</i> -wins—<i>couleur perd</i>—the croupier says, "<i>rouge gagne, couleur perd</i>."</p> - -<p>The prison, of course, applies to <i>couleur</i> just as it does to <i>rouge</i> -and <i>noir</i>.</p> - -<p>At certain stated intervals, in the presence of a <i>sous-directeur</i> or -<i>chef de partie</i>, the used packs of cards from trente-et-quarante are -carried to a furnace in sealed sacks and scrupulously burnt.</p> - -<p>A good many years ago the backs of the cards used at trente-et-quarante -were plain white; at the present time, however, a slight design, the -pattern of which varies daily, is upon them.</p> - -<p>The reason for the change was said to be that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span> the plain backs once -facilitated a fraud, which cost the authorities of the Casino many -thousands of francs. The story is a curious one.</p> - -<p>One morning, as trente-et-quarante was pursuing its usual somewhat -monotonous progress, a player with a large pile of money before -him, seated next the croupier dealing, entered into an altercation -with a neighbour about some stake, in the course of which, owing -to violent gesticulations, a whole heap of coins was swept to the -ground. Considerable confusion arose, which naturally necessitated -the interference of the <i>chef de partie</i> (who supervises the game). -The attention of everybody, both officials and players, was drawn to -the spot where the dispute was taking place; the owner of the fallen -treasure loudly declaiming against rough, bullying swindlers being -allowed to enter the rooms at all. However, after much chatter, the -money having been all found, peace was restored and the game proceeded -on its ordinary course.</p> - -<p>It was very soon evident that a number of very high players were that -morning seated round the table, for quantities of notes and gold -began to make their appearance. What was more remarkable was that -all the high players seemed to be inspired with the same excellent -idea, for every one of them invariably backed the winning chances. So -extraordinary was their luck that, after the bank had lost a good deal -of money, one of the high officials, who had been watching the game, -announced that for the time being further play<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span> would be suspended at -that particular table, as there was reason to believe that the cards -had been tampered with. This naturally provoked a storm of protest, and -in the confusion which ensued, the high players slipped unobtrusively -away, their pockets well stuffed with the money they had extracted from -the bank.</p> - -<p>An hour or two later an attempt was made by the authorities to -trace them, but, curiously enough, not one was to be found in the -Principality. They had all crossed the French frontier and had -dispersed in various directions. The cards were afterwards carefully -counted and examined, and a thorough investigation of that morning's -play is said to have proved beyond all doubt that the whole affair had -been a cleverly hatched plot against the bank.</p> - -<p>The two men who had quarrelled at the table were professional -swindlers, and had carefully rehearsed the disturbance, in order to -divert attention from the dealer, who remained apparently quite unmoved -whilst the <i>chef de partie</i> and other officials were inquiring into -the dispute. During this time an accomplice on the other side of this -croupier had taken advantage of the general turmoil to slip a portion -of a prepared pack into the man's hand. This was furtively exchanged by -him for a certain number which he was holding ready to deal. Of these -the accomplice relieved him. The high players were all swindlers, well -aware how the cards had been arranged. The croupier, heavily bribed, -was a rare exception, for, as a rule, Monte<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span> Carlo croupiers are above -all suspicion. His share in the swindle was detected and he appeared in -the Halls of Chance no more.</p> - -<p>As was perfectly obvious, a robbery of this kind was greatly -facilitated by the plain white backs of the cards in daily use. It was -therefore decided that in future every morning a new design should be -produced for the backs of these cards, which, known only to a special -department, would effectually prevent any chance of prepared packets -being interpolated with the packs issued by the authorities.</p> - -<p>At roulette as at trente-et-quarante the money is publicly counted out -and verified by an inspector before play begins.</p> - -<p>The roulette wheels are balanced in the presence of the public, and one -of the blue-coated <i>garçons de salle</i> goes from table to table with a -spirit-level, which is placed upon the rosewood rim of the cylinder, -a <i>chef de table</i> verifying the accurate adjustment of the wheel by -seeing that the air bubble is exactly in the centre.</p> - -<p>The maximum stakes allowed on the different chances at roulette are:—</p> -<table summary="stakes" width="40%"> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">Francs. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>On one number -</td> -<td align="right">180 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>On two numbers (<i>à cheval</i>) -</td> -<td align="right">360 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>On three numbers transversal -</td> -<td align="right">560 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Four numbers (<i>en carré</i>) -</td> -<td align="right">750 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>On 0, 1, 2, 3 -</td> -<td align="right">750 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>On six numbers transversal -</td> -<td align="right">1200 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>On one dozen -</td> -<td align="right">3000 -</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td>On one column -</td> -<td align="right">3000 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>On all the even chances -</td> -<td align="right">6000 -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusc07.jpg" alt="plan" /> -<a id="illusc07" name="illusc07"></a> -</p> -<p class="caption"><span class="smcap">Plan of Roulette Table as used at Monte Carlo</span></p> - - - - - - -<p>The amount with which play is begun each day is 80,000 francs, or £3200.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span></p> - -<p>Each roulette table has two boards, on which players may stake, the -roulette wheel (a cylinder let into the table) lying between the two. -The numbers of the roulette are arranged irregularly, though reds and -blacks alternate. Zero, which is not counted as a colour, lies between -32 red and 15 black. There are in all thirty-seven little compartments -which receive the ball—eighteen red, eighteen black, and zero. The -accurate odds, therefore, are 36 to 1 against any particular division; -nevertheless the bank only pays 35 to 1, which causes its profit to -amount to 1 in 37, nearly 2·865 per cent.</p> - -<p>The lowest stake allowed at roulette is five francs, the highest 10,000 -francs, known as a maximum.</p> - -<p>The two sides of the roulette table are duplicates of one another, -each of them being divided something like a chess-board into three -columns of squares, which amount to thirty-six; the numbers advance -arithmetically from right to left, and consequently there are twelve -lines down, so as to complete a rectangle; as 1, therefore, stands at -the head, 4 stands immediately under it, and so on. At the bottom lie -three squares marked 12 p, 12 m, 12 d, that is, first, middle, and last -dozen. Three large spaces on each side of the numbers are for red and -black; even and odd; <i>manque</i> and <i>passe</i>, that is, the numbers in the -first and second half respectively from 1 to 18, and from 19 to 36<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span> -inclusive. At the top of each board is zero, which sweeps all stakes, -except those on the even chances, into the coffers of the bank.</p> - -<p>The stakes having been made a croupier says: "<i>Le jeu est fait, rien -ne va plus</i>." The wheel is set in motion. At the same time a croupier -sends the ball flying round the cylinder, the roulette wheel bearing -the numbers being made to revolve in an opposite direction. The ball -eventually falls on to the wheel, and as the latter slackens its -speed, enters a compartment, the number of which is announced thus: -"<i>Dix-sept, rouge, impair et manque</i>."</p> - -<p>When zero is announced all the money on the table is annexed by the -bank with the exception of that staked upon the even chances red or -black, odd or even, <i>passe</i> or <i>manque</i>—the sums on these are moved to -the edge of the board, being <i>en prison</i> till the next coup, when they -are taken or released according to the colour and chance which wins.</p> - -<p>The odds laid by the bank work out as follows:—</p> - -<p>Stakes placed on any number or on zero are paid at the rate of 35 to -1—a player on the numbers is therefore taking 35 to 1 about a 36 to -1 chance, which must be to his prejudice in the long-run—on any four -numbers 8 to 1, on any six numbers 5 to 1. Red or black, odd or even, -<i>passe</i> (the numbers after 18) or <i>manque</i> (the numbers before 18) are -even-money chances. The dozens and columns are 2 to 1 chances.</p> - -<p>Stakes are often placed <i>à cheval</i>, that is to say,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span> on two adjoining -numbers, which together are paid at the rate of 17 to 1. The red -numbers and the blacks are unequally divided in the columns. The centre -column contains eight black and only four reds; the first column has -six reds and six blacks; while in the last column there are eight reds -and four blacks.</p> - -<p>Professor Karl Pearson, when making an exhaustive study of the laws of -chance, drew up a series of elaborate tables, with the intention of -comparing the results of a number of spins of the roulette wheel with -those produced by drawing numbers from a hat and tossing with coins.</p> - -<p>The conclusion at which he arrived was that, whilst the colours -followed the laws of chance as they are generally understood, the other -even chances, <i>passe</i> and <i>manque</i>, <i>pair</i> and <i>impair</i>, exhibited such -capriciousness in their recurrence as could not have been expected -had roulette been played continuously through the whole period of -geological time.</p> - -<p>The roulette wheels of Monte Carlo are perfectly honest machines. The -cylinder of each is sheet copper, carefully balanced and strengthened -by bands of metal. It revolves in its bed on a vertical pivot of steel, -the top of which has a cup-like hollow, into which oil is poured. A -mechanic, whose business it is to clean and prepare the wheels every -morning, pours oil also into the gun-metal socket which forms the -centre of the wheel, and it is then dropped into its place upon the -pivot.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span></p> - -<p>The great care which is taken by the authorities to ensure the absolute -accuracy of their roulette wheels is based upon very sufficient -grounds, for a slight defect in one of those machines once cost them a -large sum.</p> - -<p>Amongst the frequenters of the rooms at Monte Carlo there is always a -large number of astute and none too scrupulous individuals quick to -note any little circumstance likely to be of advantage to themselves. -For this reason some slight tendency of the roulette wheel to stop in -such a way as to cause a certain group of numbers to have an advantage -over the rest is very quickly noticed and advantage taken of it.</p> - -<p>A mechanic from Yorkshire, Jaggers by name, once cost the Casino -some two million francs. Well aware of the difficulty of maintaining -a nicely adjusted machine in a perfectly stable condition, Jaggers -engaged six assistants, whom he posted at different tables to note -the numbers at roulette all day long, whilst he himself undertook -to make an elaborate analysis of the results. After a month's play -peculiarities were clearly to be discovered in the appearance of the -numbers at each of the tables quite out of consonance with the law of -average, some numbers turning up more, some less. Having ascertained -this fact Jaggers and his men began to play on the numbers which kept -ahead of the rest, and won some hundred and forty thousand pounds. -The authorities then realised that all was not right, and changed the -roulette wheels from one table to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span> another for every day's play, with -the result that the bank recovered £40,000. Jaggers, however, was not -yet defeated, for by searching observations he discovered minute marks -on most of the six wheels, which enabled him to follow them from table -to table—a mere scratch was enough.</p> - -<p>In a short time he and his assistants knew what numbers would be most -likely to recur at certain tables, and the £40,000 which the bank had -regained was soon won back.</p> - -<p>The authorities controlling the play now began to take a serious view -of the situation, and in consequence consulted the manufacturer of the -roulette wheels in Paris with a view to constructing cylinders capable -of baffling Jaggers and his gang. A new set of wheels were constructed -with interchangeable partitions, so that the position of the various -receptacles to receive the ball might be changed every evening, when -practically a new wheel would be produced, the receptacle which had -served for one number on any certain day being utilised for another on -the other side the next.</p> - -<p>By these means Jaggers was eventually defeated. He was astute enough to -perceive that the advantages which he had so cleverly utilised for his -own profit no longer existed and, after having lost back some portion -of his gains, retired from Monte Carlo some £80,000 to the good.</p> - -<p>In order to obviate all chance of anything of this kind happening -again, the roulette wheels are carefully examined and tested every day, -the most<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span> thorough precautions being taken to ensure conditions of the -fairest kind.</p> - -<p>Whatever objections may be urged against the gambling-rooms as an -institution, no accusation of unfairness can be raised against the way -in which play is conducted at Monte Carlo. In this respect scrupulous -and undeviating honesty is the absolute rule.</p> - -<p>A croupier, like a poet, is said to be born, not made. Many of those -employed at Monte Carlo, according to current report, are descendants -of those who raked in the money of the Allies (and especially of the -English officers) in the old gambling-rooms of the Palais Royal in 1814.</p> - -<p>A large section belong to great croupier families, members of which -dealt the cards and plied the rake in the "conversation houses" and -Kursaals of Baden, Homburg, Ems, and other German Spas which have been -described. There is something rather stately about these men, most of -whom have a peculiar look of detachment not lacking in dignity.</p> - -<p>Solemn, courteous, suave, and unmoved, they appear little affected by -the monotony which must of necessity attach to their calling. They are, -it is said, excellent husbands and fathers, of simple tastes, their -chief amusement being playing cards for very modest stakes amongst -themselves—for they are a class apart.</p> - -<p>A School of Croupiers exists, at which applicants are trained.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span></p> - -<p>The course of instruction in question is located in the Club-room of -the Tir aux Pigeons and the Salle d'Escrime. Here during the six summer -months are tables exactly like those in the public rooms above, each -pupil in turn taking the <i>rôle</i> of croupier, whilst others, personating -players, stake money all over the table. The novice croupier learns to -calculate and pay out winning stakes with sham money, consisting of -metal discs and dummy bank-notes.</p> - -<p>It takes at least six months to produce a finished croupier.</p> - -<p>A roulette croupier receives two hundred and fifty francs a month; -whilst dealers at trente-et-quarante are paid three hundred francs. -The working-day is six hours, in two spells of three hours each; each -man being for three days in succession at one table. Every table is -controlled by six croupiers, a seventh being held in reserve as a -relief.</p> - -<p>At the tables the suavity of manner and impartiality of croupiers in -settling disputes is generally above all praise. The difficulties -with which a croupier has to contend are sometimes disturbing in the -extreme, but his decision is final and, as the players know, admits of -no appeal.</p> - -<p>Though the tables are surrounded by a mob of persons avid of gain, -yet there are times when winning stakes remain unclaimed for several -<i>coups</i>. When this is observed by the croupiers, the money is set -aside for a certain time, after which it goes to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span> swell the funds of -the bank. Odd though it may appear, people very often depart leaving -winnings behind them on the table—a curious case of this once came -under the writer's observation.</p> - -<p>A lady, who was leaving Monte Carlo, had been sitting all the morning -at the roulette, trying with little success to get on a run, and at -last left the rooms to go to lunch with the writer, who afterwards, -having escorted her to the hotel to prepare for her journey, strolled -again into the Casino.</p> - -<p>Just within the door he was accosted by an excited and voluble -Englishwoman, who explained that the lady (whom she had observed with -the writer) had left two louis on the red when she rose from her chair. -Red had won twice, and the attention of the croupiers had been drawn to -the unclaimed eight louis, for which the speaker had then assumed the -responsibility, saying she was to play them for a lady who had gone out -of the rooms. She had then proceeded to play up the eight louis till -they had become sixty-four, when, at her request, the whole sum was -taken off the table. The <i>chef de partie</i> meanwhile declared that the -bank would not part with the money till the owner of the original two -louis returned.</p> - -<p>After waiting for some time, the woman (who frankly said that she hoped -to receive a share of the money for having played it up) became much -perturbed at not knowing where to find the only owner whom the bank -would recognise, and the advent of the writer, to whom she explained -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</a></span> whole thing, was therefore most opportune. The lady when told that -sixty-four louis was waiting for her was naturally much pleased, and -on drawing the sum on her way to the station, very cheerfully gave the -woman a third of what had been won.</p> - -<p>Of late years the annual profits of the Casino at Monte Carlo have -worked out at about a million, £4000 a day, it is said, flowing into -the coffers of the bank during the season. The disbursements, however, -are very heavy, amounting literally to hundreds of thousands of pounds. -Amongst these must be reckoned £9000 for clergy and schools, £6000 -for charity, and £20,000 for police. The arrangement, which was some -years ago renewed with the reigning Prince, naturally absorbs a very -large sum of money; but, when everything has been paid out, the annual -profits do not fall far short of £500,000, the shareholders, even in -bad years, receiving something like thirty per cent.</p> - -<p>The Casino employs about two thousand officials and <i>employés</i>; -the general management being carried on by a <i>directeur-général</i>, -who receives 100,000 francs a year, and three <i>directeurs</i>. Three -<i>sous-directeurs</i>, under whom are the <i>chefs de table</i> and the -croupiers, have to superintend the gaming-rooms, in which eighteen -inspectors walk about the rooms quietly and continually, keeping -watchful eyes on <i>employés</i> and players. These inspectors are known -only to the initiated, and have the appearance of being ordinary -onlookers, fond of watching<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span> the play. Amongst other duties these men -keep an eye upon the people staking, in order to detect any habitual -snatchers of other people's money, and also to report on any one who -may apply for the <i>viatique</i>.</p> - -<p>The <i>viatique</i>, or sum of money doled out to unsuccessful gamblers -by the Casino, consists of the price of a second-class ticket to the -applicant's home, together with some small additional funds to enable -him to proceed on his journey.</p> - -<p>The dole in question was in the earlier days of Monte Carlo generally -granted without much demur, but at the present time a successful -applicant has to comply with some very unpleasant formalities.</p> - -<p>To obtain the <i>viatique</i>, the presumably penniless gamester must -present himself at a special office, just off a corner of the central -gaming-room, and there he must take an oath that he has lost over -£300. Inquiries are then made as to whether the applicant has really -lost a large sum at play, which is easily discovered by the evidence -of the inspectors and officials presiding at the tables. If these -inquiries corroborate the story told, he is handed the money, for which -he signs a receipt; and until the advance is repaid, the recipient -is not allowed to pass the doors which separate the atrium from the -gaming-rooms. As a matter of fact, I believe those who have received -the <i>viatique</i> are now photographed so as to be identified by the -door-keepers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span></p> - -<p>There have been instances of unsuccessful system players, who, after -obtaining the <i>viatique</i>, have remained at Monte Carlo, constantly -vaunting the virtues of their peculiar method of play, indulgence in -which has shut them off from the tables.</p> - -<p>Whilst the enormous majority of those who frequent Monte Carlo lose, as -the princely dividends of the Casino show, certain is it that a number -of persons continue to eke out a living by very moderate and careful -play. Living in humble lodgings or cheap hotels in the Condamine are -many who make it the business of their lives to win one louis, or even -ten francs, every day, sitting for hours perhaps in the accomplishment -of the task.</p> - -<p>Some of these are ruined gamblers, who, being reduced to a modest -competency owing to their ruling passion, have more or less learnt -wisdom and are content to wait for long periods of time without staking -at all, whilst quick to grasp the advantage which can be taken from a -well-marked run. Old women, with queer handbags and bundles of what -resemble washing-books, abound at the roulette tables, some of them -being exceedingly shrewd and in a small way not unsuccessful players.</p> - -<p>When a woman really grasps the spirit of play she is undoubtedly far -cleverer than a man, who more often than not regards the gambling as a -personal combat between himself and the bank, which he thinks of rather -as a living thing than<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span> the ruthless inanimate machine which, in sober -fact, it is.</p> - -<p>The majority of women, however, are quite hopeless as gamblers, merely -frittering their money away, often quite ignorant of the odds, chances, -and general procedure of either trente-et-quarante or roulette, at -which their favourite method of staking is to try and back winning -numbers.</p> - -<p>The methods and systems employed by habitual frequenters of the rooms -are of every possible description, some being devised to win but a -louis, and others to secure a princely fortune.</p> - -<p>The numbers at roulette are very profitable to the bank, for no system -or method, no matter how carefully devised (except the one employed by -Jaggers), has ever assisted any one to back a winning number or set of -numbers. All this is mere chance, and no calculations as to previous -numbers and the like are of the least assistance. Every <i>coup</i> that is -played is an absolutely new <i>coup</i>, and quite unaffected by anything -that has gone before. There is really no reason why one number should -not keep turning up during the whole of one day's play except the fact -that such a thing has never been known to happen. It appears certain -that the general tendency of chances is to equalise themselves at -the end of a certain period, but as the player of necessity cannot -possibly tell whether any given chance is on the up or down grade, such -knowledge is of no assistance whatever to him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</a></span></p> - -<p>A certain number is observed not to have turned up for a considerable -length of time, and the conclusion is formed that an increasing stake -upon it must in the end prove a good investment. More often than not -the very contrary is the case, for there have been whole days at Monte -Carlo during which a number at one table has scarcely appeared at all. -On the other hand, if a record of every <i>coup</i> at this table had been -kept, the recurrence of every number would, in the course of time, be -found to be practically the same. Complicated systems have often been -devised, the main principle of which was covering a large proportion -of the numbers, only a few, supposed by deduction to be unlikely to -turn up, being left untouched. Disaster has invariably followed even -a moderate run on such numbers, which, of course, occurs in the end, -completely draining the players' pockets.</p> - -<p>The even chances, without doubt, afford a player the greatest -likelihood of success.</p> - -<p>Staking a louis every time on both black and red, or any other even -chance, leaving on any winnings in the hope of catching a run, is -occasionally not a bad plan. The trouble of staking on both chances -can be modified by calculation, though it is somewhat apt to lead to -confusion.</p> - -<p>A great number of players spend their whole time trying to strike a -run at trente-et-quarante—this generally occurs when they are absent -from their favourite table. The third <i>coup</i> would seem to be the most -dangerous: for this reason, when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</a></span> a colour has run twice it is better -to withdraw some portion of the sum staked, and then the remainder may -be left to double up.</p> - -<p>The practice of staking on the dozens at roulette is generally very -attractive to those fresh to the tables, who like the idea of landing a -two to one chance. The same type of player is, as a rule, at one time -or another, fascinated by that system (or rather method of staking) -which consists in backing two dozens, that is, laying two to one -against the bank. Most of such players, however, soon discover how -disastrous this may prove, and it should be realised that it is by no -means an unusual occurrence for a dozen not to appear for ten or twelve -<i>coups</i>—seventeen, I believe, is the record number of non-appearances. -The great objection, however, to backing two dozens is zero, which -sweeps everything but the even chances.</p> - -<p>Another method of play is to stake against the recurrence of any number -of even chances in an identical order.</p> - -<p>Ten <i>coups</i> at trente-et-quarante, for instance, having resulted thus:</p> - - -<ul style ="list-style-type:none"> - -<li>Red</li> -<li>Red</li> -<li>Red</li> -<li>Black</li> -<li>Red</li> -<li>Black</li> -<li>Black</li> -<li>Red</li> -<li>Red</li> -<li>Black,</li> -</ul> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</a></span></p> - -<p>the player plays black, black, black, red, and so on in an exactly -opposite sense, increasing his stake till successful. As a matter of -fact it is not very usual for any given number of <i>coups</i> to recur in -exactly the same succession, and played with discretion this system -occasionally yields fair results.</p> - -<p>Another simple method is to stake red, black, alternately, doubling up -till the winning colour is caught. This has the advantage of ensuring -profit from a run, but a directly opposite series of alternate reds and -blacks must, of course, prove ruinous in the extreme.</p> - -<p>The martingale, which is merely going "double or quits," is the -simplest of all systems. There are two martingales, the small and the -great. In the small martingale the aim is to get back all previous -losses in one <i>coup</i>, and to leave you a winner of one unit at the -finish.</p> - -<p>The progression is as follows: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, -1024. If you played this system at a roulette table with a unit of five -francs, it takes eleven consecutive losses to defeat you, and one loss -less at the trente-et-quarante table, where the minimum stake is 20 -francs.</p> - -<p>You may go on playing this martingale for weeks at a time without -encountering an adverse run of sufficient magnitude to enable the bank -to capture your stake. The only thing you have to fear is a run of 12 -against you; you can only double up eleven times, and your last stake -will be 5120 francs. Runs of 12, however, are rare.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</a></span></p> - -<p>The great martingale aims at getting back all the previous losses and -winning one unit for every <i>coup</i> played. The progression is 1, 3, 7, -15, 31, 63, 127, 255, 511, 1023, and the player is defeated by ten -consecutive losses at roulette, and nine at trente-et-quarante.</p> - -<p>When playing the little martingale the player has to double his stake -every time he loses, in order to recover his losses and be one unit -to the good. Whereas, in the great martingale he not only doubles his -stake but adds one unit to each <i>coup</i>, and only stands one chance in -1024 of losing at each <i>coup</i>, that is, of encountering an adverse run -of ten.</p> - -<p>A popular system is that known as the Labouchere system. Its main -principle is to keep scratching out the top and bottom figures whenever -you win, till no figures are left, and always to put down your loss -when you lose, which, added to the topmost number, forms the next stake.</p> - -<p>Before beginning to play write down on a card 1, 2, 3, in this order:—</p> - -<ul style="list-style-type:none"> -<li>1</li> -<li>2</li> -<li>3</li> -</ul> - -<p>Your object is to win six units, and you always stake the sum total of -the top and bottom figures—1 + 3 = 4. If you win, you strike out the 3 -and the 1:—</p> - - -<ul style="list-style-type:none"> -<li><span class="gone">1</span></li> -<li>2</li> -<li><span class="gone">3</span></li> -</ul> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</a></span></p> - -<p>Your next stake will now be 2. If you win again, your task is over, for -you have won your six units. Suppose, however, as alas! most frequently -happens, that you lose your first stake 1 + 3, you must add the figure -4 at the bottom of your score thus:—</p> - - -<ul style="list-style-type:none"> -<li>1</li> -<li>2</li> -<li>3</li> -<li>4</li> -</ul> - -<p>Your next stake will now be 1 + 4 = 5. We will then say that you win, -in which case cross out the 1 and the 4, making your score:—</p> - - -<ul style="list-style-type:none"> -<li><span class="gone">1</span></li> -<li>2</li> -<li>3</li> -<li><span class="gone">4</span></li> -</ul> - -<p>The next stake would be 2 + 3. You lose, and your score stands:—</p> - - -<ul style="list-style-type:none"> -<li><span class="gone">1</span></li> -<li>2</li> -<li>3</li> -<li><span class="gone">4</span></li> -<li>5</li> -</ul> - -<p>The next stake would be 2 + 5. You win, and you cross out 2 and 5:—</p> - - -<ul style="list-style-type:none"> -<li><span class="gone">1</span></li> -<li><span class="gone">2</span></li> -<li>3</li> -<li><span class="gone">4</span></li> -<li><span class="gone">5</span></li> -</ul> - -<p>The next stake would be 3, and if you win you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</a></span> cross out 3, and have -won the six units that you started out to win.</p> - -<p>Not infrequently this system, after very nearly proving successful (one -number only being left), goes entirely wrong and runs into very big -figures, and in such a case the player is very lucky if he succeeds in -regaining his losses and winning the six units originally sought for. -More often than not he finds himself obliged to desist through lack of -capital.</p> - -<p>The writer's own experience of this system, which he has thoroughly -tested on several occasions at Monte Carlo, was that very frequently -the six units would be won several times in succession with -comparatively slight difficulty—at times, indeed, it appeared almost -ridiculously easy to win. In the end, however, there invariably came a -day when a very contrary state of affairs prevailed, and the money won -returned, with interest, to the bank.</p> - -<p>It should be added that before the writer embarked upon his efforts to -defeat the bank at Monte Carlo by means of this system, he gave it a -thorough trial by dealing out the required number of packs of cards at -trente-et-quarante, and noting the results of the various <i>coups</i>. In -almost every case the system proved completely successful, as systems -generally do when they are not being played for money.</p> - -<p>An exception to this was Lord Rosslyn's defeat by Sir Hiram Maxim, when -the former's system,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</a></span> played for sham money, was beaten at the 3080th -<i>coup</i>. Nevertheless the system in question is not a particularly bad -one, were it not that it requires a considerable capital. Ten thousand -units or more are essential, with £16,000 on the basis of a one-louis -unit.</p> - -<p>If fortune should favour the player, the profit would be from five to -six hundred louis a day.</p> - -<p>The principle of this system is to increase the stakes by one unit -every time, without ever decreasing, until all previous losses are -wiped out and one louis as well is gained for every <i>coup</i> played.</p> - -<p>Two exceptions to this rule, however, exist. The first stake is always -"one," but if you lose this, instead of your next stake being two, it -is three; after that it should be four, five, six, seven, eight, etc., -until your task is accomplished. The game is finished when you can wipe -out all minus quantities from your score sheet and bring the result to -+1. Suppose, therefore, your score sheet shows you to be -3, and your -stake in the ordinary way ought to be 7; instead of staking 7 you would -only stake 4, in order to arrive at the result of +1 if you win. In the -event of your losing the stake of 4, your next stake will be 8, just -as if you had staked 7 in the ordinary course of the game the previous -<i>coup</i>. If you lose the 8, you would continue with 9, 10, 11, and so on.</p> - -<p>If you win two or three stakes of 1 at the commencement, they are -considered as definite<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</a></span> gains, and put away quite apart from your -capital.</p> - -<p>In the event of your losing the first two stakes of 1 and 3, your -position is:—</p> - - -<table summary="bets" width="30%"> -<tr> -<td>First loss -</td> -<td>-1 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Second loss -</td> -<td>-3 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td>— -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Total loss -</td> -<td>-4 -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p>The object of the system being to win a unit per <i>coup</i> as well as to -recover any loss, in order to keep a clear record of the amount you -require to win, it is best to add one unit to your losses after every -<i>coup</i>.</p> - -<p>Supposing that the game is begun with four losing and three winning -<i>coups</i>, it will be scored as follows:—</p> -<table summary="bets" width="40%"> -<tr> -<td>First loss -</td> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td>to which add 1 more. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Total -</td> -<td align="right">-2 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Second stake -</td> -<td align="right">-3 -</td> -<td>and lose. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Lost -</td> -<td align="right">-5 -</td> -<td>to which add 1 more. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Total -</td> -<td align="right">-6 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Third stake -</td> -<td align="right">-4 -</td> -<td>and lose. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Lost -</td> -<td align="right">-10 -</td> -<td>to which add 1 more. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Total -</td> -<td align="right">-11 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">[Pg 369]</a></span> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Fourth stake -</td> -<td align="right">-5 -</td> -<td>and lose. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Lost -</td> -<td align="right">-16 -</td> -<td>to which add 1 more. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Total -</td> -<td align="right">-17 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td>Fifth stake -</td> -<td align="right">+6 -</td> -<td>and win. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Lost -</td> -<td align="right">-11 -</td> -<td>to which add 1 more. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Total -</td> -<td align="right">-12 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Sixth stake -</td> -<td align="right">+7 -</td> -<td>and win. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Lost -</td> -<td align="right">-5 -</td> -<td>to which add 1 more. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">1 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Total -</td> -<td align="right">-6 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Seventh stake -</td> -<td align="right">7 -</td> -<td>and win. -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">— -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> Result -</td> -<td align="right"> +1 -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - - - - - - - -<blockquote> - -<p>Result.—<i>Coups</i> played, 7; <i>coups</i> lost, 4; units won, 20. <i>Coups</i> -won, 3; units lost, 13. Total won, 7.</p></blockquote> - -<p>The last stake, it will be observed, is only 7 instead of 8. This is -because you only require to arrive at a result of +1. Had 8 been staked -in the ordinary course and won, you would have won a unit more than you -needed, but would have taken some unnecessary risk.</p> - -<p>Those desirous of giving various systems a trial should not omit to -study the method of staking set forth in Mr. Victor Bethell's lively -little book, <i>Ten Days at Monte Carlo</i>. A merit of this system is that -it only seeks to win a certain moderate amount every day, and does not -allure<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">[Pg 370]</a></span> the player with hopes of immense and impossible gain.</p> - -<p>Most systems as a rule prove successful for a short time, and while -this happy state of affairs prevails, the player, not unnaturally, -congratulates himself upon having discovered an infallible method of -overcoming the wiles of chance. Sooner or later, alas, comes the day -when his laborious calculations prove quite powerless to defeat the -bank, and clearly demonstrate that the success, which at one time -seemed so certain and easy, was merely the result of having hit upon a -vein of good luck.</p> - -<p>In all probability the best method of staking is the following, which -was once carried out for some two months with complete success. The -method in question was successfully worked by a gentleman (known to the -present writer), who owing to the illness of a relative, was obliged to -remain at Monte Carlo for a rather lengthy period of time. He was, it -must be understood, very well off, and by no means a gambler. His plan -was this: every day he put a hundred-franc note in his pocket, which he -changed into five-franc bits in the Casino. With these twenty coins he -commenced to play. His stake was usually but one or two of these coins -at first, though sometimes he would lose his whole capital in a few -moments trying to back winning numbers.</p> - -<p>If successful, any notes he might receive were put in his pocket-book -not to be used for play. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[Pg 371]</a></span> was no uncommon thing for him to leave the -Casino with a profit of a thousand francs.</p> - -<p>On the other hand, it would often occur that for a number of days in -succession he would lose his hundred francs without hardly having won -a stake at all. In the long run, however, he was a very considerable -sum to the good, a comparatively small number of winning days having -far more than compensated him for the large number of those on which -the hundred francs had been speedily lost. Under no circumstances did -he ever risk more than a hundred francs in one day. It was, of course, -the system of putting all paper money in the pocket which caused this -method to succeed. It should be added that when the hundred francs had -rolled up into twenty or thirty louis at roulette the player often -tried his luck with them at trente-et-quarante. The essential advantage -of this method of staking is the limit imposed upon loss; under no -circumstances can more than one hundred francs a day be lost, whilst -when in luck a very large sum may be won.</p> - -<p>The method described above is not a bad one for any one who is making -a prolonged stay at Monte Carlo, and is not desperately anxious to -indulge in serious gambling; a better course to be adopted by those who -are, is to decide exactly how much they are prepared to lose, take the -whole of sum in question into the rooms one morning, divide it into -a certain number of stakes, and with these play a limited number of -<i>coups</i> on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[Pg 372]</a></span> even chances. If successful, repeat this operation the -next day with the winnings alone, and so on until a fairly substantial -sum has been amassed, when the wisest course is to cease all further -gambling for that visit.</p> - -<p>It must never be forgotten that the fewer <i>coups</i> which are played the -more chance there is of winning.</p> - -<p>Long sittings at the trente-et-quarante or roulette table are -absolutely certain to end in loss, besides being inexpressibly tedious, -trying to the eyes, and destructive to health.</p> - -<p>A man who plays a great part of the day and all the evening after -dinner must certainly end by being a loser; whereas he who merely plays -for a few minutes at a time has a very fair chance of ending up a -winner, always provided, of course, that the fates are propitious.</p> - -<p>In the long run nothing is to be gained by making a toil of gaming, the -only justifiable defence of which is that in moderation it affords a -good deal of pleasurable though generally costly excitement.</p> - -<p>There are good methods of staking and bad methods; but there is not, -and, so far as can be foreseen, never will be, a thoroughly reliable -system. The best is that which minimises loss, acting as a check in the -case of an unfavourable run. All complicated mathematical calculations -undertaken with a view to defeating the bank are vain, for none of -them take into consideration that most<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">[Pg 373]</a></span> important and mysterious -factor—<i>luck</i>—which so often seems to shun serious gamblers.</p> - -<p>"If I were resolved to win," said a lover of systems, "I should go very -soberly with a hundred napoleons, and be content with winning one." -"That would never do," was the reply of a player well versed in the -fallacies of gamesters' calculations. "Better go, after a good dinner, -with one napoleon, resolved to win a hundred."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">[Pg 374]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="XI" id="XI">XI</a></p> - -<blockquote> - -<p class="hang">Difficulty of making money on the Turf—Big wins—Sporting -tipsters and their methods—Jack Dickinson—"Black -Ascots"—Billy Pierse—Anecdotes—Lord Glasgow—Lord -George Bentinck—Lord Hastings—Heavy betting of the -past—Charles II. founder of the English Turf—History of -the latter—Anecdotes—Eclipse—Highflyer—The founder -of Tattersall's—Old time racing—Fox—Lord Foley—Major -Leeson—Councillor Lade—"Louse Pigott"—Hambletonian and -Diamond—Mrs. Thornton match—Beginnings of the French -Turf—Lord Henry Seymour—Longchamps—Mr. Mackenzie -Grieves—Plaisanterie—Establishment of the Pari Mutuel in 1891—How -the large profits are allocated—Conclusion.</p></blockquote> - - -<p>In the course of some remarks on racing made by Lord Rosebery at the -131st dinner of the Gimcrack Club he said:—</p> - -<p>"I don't think any one need pursue the Turf with the idea of gain."</p> - -<p>This statement, though a discouraging one for sportsmen, is nothing -more than the plain, unvarnished truth, as any one who cares to look -into the matter can find out for himself. A quicker and more convincing -method, open to those with plenty of funds, is to own race-horses.</p> - -<p>The Turf, as a means of making money, is indeed not to be considered -seriously. Certain bookmakers, of course, have made, and do still make -fortunes, but bookmaking cannot properly be called going on the Turf.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_375" id="Page_375">[Pg 375]</a></span></p> - -<p>Owners have also existed who, for a time, have reaped a rich harvest by -the success of their horses. Over Hermit's Derby Mr. Chaplin is said -to have landed an enormous stake, something between a hundred and a -hundred and twenty thousand—he never received the whole of the amount -which he won. Mr. John Hammond was also at times very successful in -winning large sums. He is said to have cleared over £70,000 by the -victory of Herminius in the Ascot stakes of 1888. This horse he had -bought for two hundred and forty guineas! A singularly lucky owner was -Mr. James Merry, who is supposed to have cleared over £80,000 when -Thormanby won the Derby. Another big win was that of Mr. Naylor, who is -supposed to have won £100,000 over Macaroni for the Derby of 1863.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, from a financial point of view betting on horse-races is -almost without exception disastrous, and, whether they know too much -or know too little, men who systematically indulge in it to any great -extent stand an excellent chance of being left with empty pockets.</p> - -<p>As for the general public, a number of whom are more or less given -to risking an occasional bet, their chance of winning is absolutely -infinitesimal. An individual who bets throughout the year is indeed -very lucky if he loses only two-thirds of the money he has risked—as -a rule he does far worse than this. The sporting papers, on which -many rely, are of course genuinely anxious to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_376" id="Page_376">[Pg 376]</a></span> assist their readers -to find winners, but do not pretend to be infallible guides. Sporting -journalists themselves, who should be in an excellent position -to obtain reliable information, are not infrequently peculiarly -unsuccessful in their own bets; probably few end the year on the -winning side. The most expensive guides of all are, of course, the -advertising tipsters, some of whom make quite large sums by issuing -thoroughly unreliable vaticinations to a touchingly confiding -clientele. Some time ago one of these men very cleverly took advantage -of a newspaper competition, when a prize had been offered by a sporting -paper for naming the most popular tipster of the day. Purchasing some -thousands of coupons he put his own name on them, of course varying -the writing to prevent suspicion. As a result of these tactics he was -eventually adjudged to be the prize tipster, and, though the scheme -cost him a good deal of money, it eventually brought considerable grist -to his mill.</p> - -<p>The circulars and letters issued by these prophets are generally -admirably calculated to increase the number of their followers.</p> - -<p>Not infrequently they adopt a high-flown style. One for instance, moved -by purely philanthropic motives, declares that "when he casts his -practised eye on the broad surface of struggling humanity and witnesses -the slow and enduring perseverance or impetuous rush of the many to -grapple with a cloud, he is seized with an intense desire to hold<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_377" id="Page_377">[Pg 377]</a></span> up -the lamp of light to all." Another adopts a bluffer style and writes:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p><span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>—DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. Let me entreat you not to -miss to-morrow's GOLDEN PADDOCK WIRE; it will be honestly worth a £10 -note.</p> - -<p>My RELATION connected with a certain WELL-KNOWN STABLE says, "Frank, -my boy, get your money on at once; this is another 20 to 1 chance." A -GOLD MINE is before us—miss this and you will miss a pile of GOLD and -silver.</p> - -<p>OWNER and TRAINER HAVE planked their money down; both will travel with -the GRAND ANIMAL (the name of which I will forward for 5s.) to-morrow -by special train.</p> - -<p>Send a postal order and secure the name of the smartest three-year-old -that ever came under the starters' orders or romped past the judge's -box lengths ahead of all the favourites, winning clients and myself -many HUNDREDS OF POUNDS.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Yet another offers infallible information if clients will merely put a -small portion of their stake on for him. As some of the horses he gives -must win he probably does fairly well. Whilst most of such tipsters are -but sorry guides, some are undoubtedly honest men and try to do their -best for their clients.</p> - -<p>Such a one was Old Jack Dickinson, a thoroughly honest sporting -tipster, who will be remembered by all race-goers of some years ago. -This well-known character, who was a fine sprint runner in his day, -bore a quite unblemished reputation, though a backer of horses and a -professional vendor of tips. Old Jack was a regular church-goer in -his own parish, where his death caused genuine sorrow.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_378" id="Page_378">[Pg 378]</a></span> Though in his -capacity as a Turf tipster he was at times compelled to issue his -circulars on Sunday, this he did not like, and by way of salving his -conscience in the matter he is said to have made a practice of devoting -all the money he received from the Sunday information to church -purposes, it being put into the collection box.</p> - -<p>On the Turf, exclusive of betting men, jockeys, and trainers, there -are three classes—men of large fortune, with well and old-established -studs, fixtures as it were; sporting men of moderate fortune, who -confine themselves to four or five horses at a time, and run merely in -their own part of the world; and lastly, men of small or no fortune, -who run for profit more than amusement. It is the conduct of many of -this last class which has at times been injurious to the Turf.</p> - -<p>The sporting owner, who has to pay large trainers' bills and meet the -other inevitable charges incident to the sport of which he aspires to -be a pillar, cannot reasonably hope to make a profit on his racing; -even the sharp betting man is in many cases out of pocket at the end of -a year. Expenses, such as travelling, hotel bills, and the like, amount -to a considerable sum, and for this reason every supporter of the Turf -is greatly handicapped before he even makes a bet.</p> - -<p>Layers as well as backers have large disbursements which they cannot -avoid—as a matter of fact the vast majority of bookmakers who have -died rich men have made their fortunes through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_379" id="Page_379">[Pg 379]</a></span> commercial enterprises, -though, of course, the moderate capital originally invested was made in -the Ring. To acquire any considerable sum in this manner is by no means -an easy thing. Much is heard about successful bookmakers; little of -those who fail and disappear.</p> - -<p>If betting can ever be made profitable, it must be carried on in a most -systematic and restrained manner. A few points in the odds make the -difference often of some thousands; and it will require a man's whole -time and attention to take advantage of any turn in the market.</p> - -<p>A young man who goes racing with the idea of making money is of -necessity quickly disillusioned in the most unpleasant of ways. If he -knows no racing men he is, of course, hopelessly at sea; but should he -have means of obtaining really good information, his fate is generally -even more deplorable, for some untoward incident almost invariably -happens when a big <i>coup</i> is on and the good thing goes down.</p> - -<p>Not a few, in despair at continual losses, make up their minds to wait -for "absolute certainties," and lay heavy odds on some horse which it -would seem cannot possibly be beaten, a method which usually proves -very expensive in the end.</p> - -<p>Of all meetings Ascot seems most fatal to gamblers of this description. -A particularly disastrous meeting was that of 1879. In the Vase, -Silvio, 9 to 4 on, fell before Isonomy; Peter, 5 to 2 on for the Fern -Hill Stakes, was beaten<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_380" id="Page_380">[Pg 380]</a></span> by Douranee; Victor Chief, 7 to 4 on, was -fourth to Philippine for the Seventeenth New Biennial; Valentino second -for the Maiden Plate at 5 to 4 on; Silvio, 6 to 4 on, was beaten in the -Hardwicke; and Aventurier, 2 to 1, was defeated by Royal for the Plate -of one hundred sovereigns, which concluded this woeful meeting.</p> - -<p>Another "Black Ascot" was that of 1882. 8 to 1 was laid on Geheimniss, -which could only obtain second place in the Fernhill Stakes; 9 to 2 on -St. Marguerite, third in the Coronation Stakes; 11 to 8 on Rookery, -second in the New Stakes; and 9 to 4 on Foxhall, second in the -Alexandra Plate. An appalling series of disasters for the unfortunate -backer!</p> - -<p>Layers of odds on again suffered at Ascot in 1894, when 5 to 1 was laid -on Delphos for the All Aged Stakes, and 5 to 1 on La Flèche for the -Hardwicke on the Friday. The odds in each case were upset, both being -second.</p> - -<p>At Ascot this year backers as usual did not fare particularly well, for -notable upsets occurred in the Coventry Stakes, won by the Admiration -colt at 20 to 1, and in the All Aged Stakes, in which 100 to 15 was -laid on Hallaton which succumbed to his only rival Hillside.</p> - -<p>When everything is said and done, there can be no doubt that the -individual who starts out, either as bookmaker or backer, with the idea -that he is going to make a fortune must, as an old racing character -(Billy Pierse, whose father<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_381" id="Page_381">[Pg 381]</a></span> fought at Culloden) used to say, "want it -here."</p> - -<p>This expression was very popular with "T' au'd un" or the "Governor," -as Billy was commonly designated on the Yorkshire courses. Once at -Doncaster, when Sir John Byng had to decide a dispute as to jostling to -the prejudice of a horse trained by "T' au'd un," the latter insisted -that Sir John could not distinguish between a race and a charge of -cavalry, and that he could by no earthly explanation be made to -comprehend in what a "jostle" in racing consisted. So cantankerous was -Billy on the subject that he accosted an old gentleman, whose erudition -he held in high esteem, in the following manner: "Tell me, sir, wasn't -this Sir J. Byng's father or grandfather hanged?" "No, Mr. Pierse," -was the reply, "not hanged; probably you allude to the Admiral, who -was shot." "I thowt," rejoined Billy, "it was sommat o' t' sowort, an' -it's much of a muchness between hanging and shooting; but I'll uphoud -ye that this Sir John Byng will never do for the Turf—he may be well -enough for a General, but he'll never do for the Turf! He wants it -here, sir," added Billy, putting his finger in a most expressive manner -on his forehead, "he wants it here!"</p> - -<p>The maxims of "T' au'd un" were held in great respect, and the Duke of -Cleveland, for whom he won several races on Haphazard, used frequently -to ask the old man (who had had his last mount in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_382" id="Page_382">[Pg 382]</a></span> the St. Leger of -1819) to Raby. Concerning these visits Billy used to say, "I never -forgot that I was Billy Pierse—I was useful or I wouldn't have been -theer." This was to some extent true, for the Duke had a high opinion -of his judgment in Turf matters. A favourite saying of Old Billy, and -one which afforded him much comfort, was, "I've done as many as have -done me." Nevertheless he was straight enough, according to the Turf -ethics of his day.</p> - -<p>Within the last twenty-five years there have been many changes in -connection with Turf speculation. Ante-post betting, for instance, is -now practically obsolete, whilst starting price betting, unknown in old -days, has come into vogue; and, finally, the huge wagers formerly quite -common have become things of the past, a state of affairs which would -be little to the taste of men of the type of the fifth Lord Glasgow -did they still exist. This nobleman's love of wagering enormous sums -excited attention even in an age when high gambling was not generally -viewed with anything like the severity which prevails to-day, when -Stock Exchange speculation is the favourite mode of attaining complete -and speedy impecuniosity.</p> - -<p>The evening before the Derby of 1843 Lord Glasgow, then Lord Kelburne, -was at Crockford's, when Lord George Bentinck inquired if any one would -lay him three to one against his horse, Gaper. Lord Kelburne said he -should be delighted.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusc08.jpg" alt="betting" /> -<a id="illusc08" name="illusc08"></a> -</p> - - - -<p class="caption"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(<span class="smcap">The Prince Regent.</span>) (<span class="smcap">Colonel O'Kelly.</span>)</span><br /> - -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Betting.</span></span><br /> - -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">By Rowlandson.</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_383" id="Page_383">[Pg 383]</a></span></p> -<p>"Remember," said Lord George, "I'm not after a small bet."</p> - -<p>"Well," rejoined Lord Kelburne, "I suppose £90,000 to £30,000 will suit -you."</p> - -<p>This staggered the owner of Gaper, who was obliged to admit that he had -never dreamt of taking such a large bet.</p> - -<p>Lord Kelburne was rather annoyed. "I thought you wanted to do it 'to -money,'" said he sharply; "however, I see I was wrong."</p> - -<p>As early as 1823 this sporting peer had created a sensation at the -Star Inn at Doncaster, by offering to lay 25 to 1 in hundreds against -Brutandorf for the St. Leger, afterwards repeating the offer in -thousands.</p> - -<p>On the St. Leger of 1824 Jerry won him some £17,000, but three years -later he lost £27,000, Mr. Gully's much-fancied Derby winner, Mameluke, -being beaten by Matilda. The victory of this filly, which was very -popular with the Yorkshire crowd, is commemorated at Stapleton Park, -near Pontefract—where her owner, the Hon. E. Petre, lived—by a -chiming clock placed over the stables, known as the "Matilda clock," -which is appropriately surmounted by a "race-horse weathercock."</p> - -<p>Lord George Bentinck is said to have won no less than £100,000 by -betting in one year (1845), but his racing expenses amounted to an -enormous sum. He won £12,000 by the victory of Cotherstone in the -Derby, and it is said would have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_384" id="Page_384">[Pg 384]</a></span> profited to the extent of some -£135,000 had Gaper proved the winner of that classic race. His -successes as an owner, though considerable, hardly compensated him -for the immense amount of time, thought, and money which he expended -upon racing matters. Crucifix, it is true, won the Two Thousand, the -One Thousand, and the Oaks in 1840, but Lord George never won the -Derby, though if he had not parted with his stud in 1846 he would in -all probability have done so, for Mr. Mostyn in his purchase acquired -Surplice, who became the winner in 1848. The victory much agitated his -former owner when he heard of it.</p> - -<p>Sir Joseph Hawley was a very heavy better in his time, though at -the end of his Turf career he began a crusade against the evils of -plunging—nevertheless, not very long before, he had taken £40,000 to -£600 about each of the fillies he had entered for the Derby.</p> - -<p>The enormous bets made by the ill-timed Marquis of Hastings are -notorious. Now and then he hit the Ring very hard—when Lecturer -won the Cesarewitch, for instance, he was a gainer of no less than -£75,000—and his Turf winnings in stakes were also considerable for two -or three years. In 1864 they amounted to £10,000, in 1866 to £12,000, -and in 1867 to over £30,000. Hermit's Derby, however, in the same year -is said to have cost him £140,000; and even had Marksman, who was -second, won, he would have lost £120,000.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_385" id="Page_385">[Pg 385]</a></span></p> - -<p>This spendthrift nobleman was anything but shrewd as a plunger. He had -made his book so badly that, though he stood to lose heavily, he would -only have profited to the extent of a few thousands had Vauban, which -was his best horse, been first past the post. In 1868 the Marquis, -a broken-down, ruined man, passed to his grave at the early age of -twenty-six.</p> - -<p>There was very heavy betting in the old days. Davies, the celebrated -bookmaker, for instance, more than once made a Derby book amounting to -£100,000. As a matter of fact he is said to have generally lost money -over the Derby and Oaks, and won it over the St. Leger. When Daniel -O'Rourke won the Derby he lost about £50,000 (some say almost double -this sum), having laid a great deal of money at 100 to 1. Catherine -Hayes also hit him hard, and over West Australian he lost £48,000, of -which £30,000 went to the owner, Mr. Bowes. In his latter years Davies -rather avoided ante-post betting, especially on the Derby. The victory -of Teddington in 1851 took something not far short of £90,000 out of -his pockets, one cheque alone sent out by him to Mr. Greville being for -£15,000. The Derby in question was very costly to the Ring in general, -which lost something like £150,000. The most considerable sum, however, -ever won by the great racing public of small means was when Voltigeur -won the St. Leger in 1850. The excitement during the deciding heat with -Russborough was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_386" id="Page_386">[Pg 386]</a></span> probably the greatest ever seen on any race-course; -and on the evening of the following day, when he won the Doncaster Cup, -beating the Flying Dutchman, many of the Yorkshiremen caroused all -night. As one of them said, "Who'd go to bed when Voltigeur's won the -St. Leger and the Cup?"</p> - -<p>Whilst racing possesses some claim to be considered a serious sport -owing to the undoubted improvement which it has effected in the breed -of horses, its most ardent supporters have been men of pleasure. The -founder of the English Turf, indeed, was the "Merry Monarch," though -there had been horse-racing for bells long before his time.</p> - -<p>Charles the Second did everything he could to improve horsemanship -in England. He it was who induced a celebrated French riding master, -Foubert by name, to come over and settle in England. This Frenchman set -up a riding academy near what is now Regent Street. His name is still -perpetuated by "Foubert's Passage."</p> - -<p>Charles, who knew a good deal about most things, possessed, it is -said, much knowledge of horses, and was himself an experienced and -able rider. He became a great supporter of the Turf, gave many prizes -to be run for, and delighted in witnessing races. When he resided at -Windsor the horses ran on Datchet-mead; but the most distinguished spot -for these spectacles was Newmarket, a place which was first chosen on -account of the firmness of the ground.</p> - -<p>Remains of the house in which Charles lived<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_387" id="Page_387">[Pg 387]</a></span> at what became the -head-quarters of the Turf still exist. It was originally purchased by -the "Merry Monarch" from an Irish Peer, Lord Thomond.</p> - -<p>Here it was that Nell Gwynne is supposed to have held her infant out of -the window as Charles passed down the Palace Gardens to his stables, -and apostrophised him to the effect that if the child was not made a -Duke upon the spot she would drop it.</p> - -<p>When the King went to see this palace, as it was called, which he had -caused to be built at Newmarket, he thought the rooms too low; but the -architect, Sir Christopher Wren, who was of small stature, did not -agree. Walking through the rooms he looked up at the King and said, -"Please your Majesty, I think they are high enough." The King squatted -down to Sir Christopher's height, and creeping about in that posture, -cried, "Aye, Sir Christopher, I think they are high enough."</p> - -<p>During his visits to the little town Charles usually spent the morning -in coursing or playing tennis, repairing to the Heath about three to -witness racing, it being the custom for the King and his retinue of -courtiers and ladies to ride alongside or after the contending steeds, -which on their arrival at the winning post were saluted with the blare -of trumpets and the beating of drums. Most of the races in Charles' day -would appear to have consisted of matches to decide wagers previously -laid.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_388" id="Page_388">[Pg 388]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Whip which is annually run for at Newmarket has sometimes been said -to be the identical one which Charles II. (not George II.) was in the -habit of riding with, and which he presented to some nobleman, whose -arms it bears, as being the owner of the best horse in England.</p> - -<p>The whip itself is of very antique appearance, and by no means "a -splendid trophy." The handle, which is very heavy, is of silver, with -a ring at the end of it for a wristband, which is made of the mane of -Eclipse.</p> - -<p>During this reign the Turf became a popular and aristocratic -institution. The Merry Monarch even condescended to ride himself, and -rode a match at Newmarket in 1671, on which occasion his horse Woodcock -was beaten.</p> - -<p>Charles kept and entered horses in his own name, and by his attention -and generosity added importance and lustre to the institution over -which he presided. Bells, the ancient reward of swiftness, were now no -longer given; a silver bowl or cup of the value of one hundred guineas -succeeded the tinkling prize. On this royal gift the exploits of the -successful horse, together with his pedigree, were usually engraven to -publish and perpetuate his fame.</p> - -<p>James the Second is reputed to have been a good horseman, but his reign -was too short and troublesome to permit him to indulge his inclinations -as regards horses. He was a lover of hunting, and ever preferred -English mounts, several of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_389" id="Page_389">[Pg 389]</a></span> which he had always in his stables after he -became an exile in France.</p> - -<p>When William the Third ascended the throne, he not only added to the -plates given at different places in the kingdom, but made every attempt -at improving horsemanship. Though he was a monarch of considerable -austerity, this king once matched a horse of his own for a stake of two -thousand guineas.</p> - -<p>Queen Anne continued the bounty of her predecessors, with the addition -of several plates. Her Consort, George, Prince of Denmark, is said to -have taken infinite delight in horse-racing, and to have obtained from -the Queen the grant of several plates allotted to different places.</p> - -<p>Towards the beginning of the eighteenth century a statute of Queen Anne -was enacted with a view to the restriction of betting. Very great sums -of money changed hands owing to a match run at Newmarket between the -gentlemen of the South and those of the North. It is almost superfluous -to add that the proverbial shrewdness of the Northerner was fully -demonstrated on this occasion.</p> - -<p>Queen Anne herself was, however, a supporter of the Turf, running -horses in her own name in matches at Newmarket and York.</p> - -<p>Towards the close of the reign of George the First he discontinued the -plates, and in lieu of each gave the sum of one hundred guineas.</p> - -<p>In the middle of the eighteenth century the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_390" id="Page_390">[Pg 390]</a></span> Turf had fallen into some -disrepute, but the Duke of Cumberland did much to revive the glories -which had somewhat languished since the days of Charles II. He it was -who first instituted the race meeting at Ascot.</p> - -<p>The Duke was a born gambler, and used when out hunting to play at -hazard with Lord Sandwich, throwing a main on every green hill and -under every green tree whenever the hounds checked.</p> - -<p>Though cheery enough in the hunting field, he was anything but -tender-hearted when pursuing his avocation as a soldier; indeed his -severity at times became cruelty, which gained for him the nickname of -"the Butcher."</p> - -<p>The day after the decisive battle of Culloden, in the year 1745, the -General, or as he was popularly styled, Duke William, was riding over -the scene of battle in company with his officers, among whom was -Colonel Wolfe, afterwards the hero of Quebec, then a young man. Among -the dead and dying stretched on the stricken field, one was so far -recovered as to be able to sit upright. Looking at the poor wretch, -the Duke said to the young Colonel by his side; "Wolfe, shoot me that -rebel." Wolfe glared back at his prince and commander, and, with a -flushed countenance which showed his indignation, replied: "Your Royal -Highness, I am a soldier, not an executioner." The Duke turned his back -upon Wolfe and did not utter another word.</p> - -<p>If, however, the Duke, as the saying went, was a "very devil in his -boots," he was all right out of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_391" id="Page_391">[Pg 391]</a></span> them and good-natured enough when -racing. Being at a Newmarket meeting just before the horses started, he -missed his pocket-book, containing some bank-notes. When the knowing -ones came about him and offered several bets, he said he had lost his -money already and could not afford to venture any more that day. The -horse which the Duke had intended to back was beaten, so he consoled -himself, as he said, with the thought that the loss of his pocket-book -only anticipated the evil, as if he had betted, he would have paid away -as much to the worthies of the Turf. The race, however, was no sooner -finished than a veteran half-pay officer presented His Royal Highness -with his pocket-book, saying he had found it near the stand, but had -not an opportunity of approaching him before. To this the Duke most -generously replied; "I am glad it has fallen into such good hands—keep -it. Had it not been for this accident, it would have been by this time -among the blacklegs and thieves of Newmarket."</p> - -<p>In 1764 the Duke of Cumberland matched his famous horse, King Herod, -against the Duke of Grafton's Antinous for £1000 over the Beacon Course -at Newmarket. This contest excited intense interest, and more than -£100,000 is said to have changed hands over the victory of Herod, who -won by what was then called half a neck. In the annals of the Turf, -however, Duke William is best remembered on account of the fact that he -bred the greatest horse of all time, "Eclipse."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_392" id="Page_392">[Pg 392]</a></span></p> - -<p>This animal, whose wonderful powers as a racer have won him -unparalleled fame, was got by Marske (a son of Squirt) out of Spiletta, -a bay mare foaled in 1749 by Regulus, a son of the Godolphin Arabian. -Eclipse was foaled in 1764, during the great eclipse of that year. -When, at the death of the Duke, His Royal Highness's stud was brought -to the hammer, Eclipse was purchased as a colt by Mr. Wildman (who -appears to have had some insight into his value), under very curious -circumstances. Mr. Wildman, who had, it was reported, been put into -possession of the extraordinary promise evinced by a particular -chestnut colt when a yearling, adopted the following questionable -measures in order to make sure of him. When he arrived at the place of -sale, he produced his watch and insisted that the auction had commenced -before the hour which had been announced in the advertisements, and -that the lots should be put up again. In order, however, to prevent a -dispute, it was agreed by the auctioneer and company that Mr. Wildman -should have his choice of any particular lot. By these means, it is -generally believed, he became possessed of Eclipse at the moderate -price of seventy or seventy-five guineas. Eclipse did not appear upon -the Turf till he was five years old, and so invincibly bad was his -temper that it was for some time uncertain whether he would not be -raced as a gelding. It is by mere accident, indeed, that the most -celebrated of English stallions was preserved to adorn the Calendar -with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_393" id="Page_393">[Pg 393]</a></span> the glories of his descendants. In the neighbourhood of Epsom -Downs there lived a man of the name of Ellerton, who, however, was -better known by the sobriquet of Hilton, and who united the occupations -of poacher and rough-rider. To him, after all else had signally failed, -Eclipse was handed over as an incorrigible, and he had recourse to the -kill-or-cure system. He was at him day and night, frequently bringing -him home at daybreak, after a poaching excursion, with a load of -hares strung across his back. Twelve months of this regimen brought -him sufficiently to his senses to fit him to be brought to the post, -and once there, he ran because it was his pleasure to do so. Still -he never could be raced like any other horse. Fitzpatrick, who rode -him in almost all his races, never dared to hold him, or do more than -sit quiet in his saddle. All through his Turf career his temper was -wretched, and very seriously interfered with his value as a racer. -His extraordinary superiority was also so palpable that latterly no -odds could be got about him save by stratagems. One of these was very -clever. For a race in which there were several horses engaged, when -O'Kelly failed in getting any money on no-matter-what odds, he took -them to a large amount that he placed every horse in it! This he did by -naming Eclipse first and all the others nowhere, winning by his horse -distancing the field. In 1769, Wildman and O'Kelly were joint-owners -of Eclipse, the latter, however, soon after becoming the sole owner<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_394" id="Page_394">[Pg 394]</a></span> -at the price of 1750 guineas. At a late period of his life, when -an offer to purchase him was made to O'Kelly, these were the terms -demanded—£20,000 down, an annuity of £500 for his (O'Kelly's) life, -and the right of having three mares every year stinted to him as long -as he lived.</p> - -<p>This "horse of horses" was short in the forehand, and high in the hips, -which gave elasticity to his speed. Upon dissection the muscles were -found to be of unparalleled size—a proof of the intimate relation -between muscular power and extraordinary swiftness. No horse of his day -would appear to have had the shadow of a chance against him.</p> - -<p>Eclipse died February 26th, 1789, aged twenty-five, at Cannons, in -Middlesex, to which place he had been removed from Epsom about six -months previously, in a machine, constructed for the purpose, drawn by -two horses, and attended by a confidential groom. When his owner, old -O'Kelly, died at his house in Piccadilly on December 28th, 1787, he -bequeathed Eclipse and Dungannon to his brother Philip.</p> - -<p>Another famous horse was Highflyer, which received his name from -having been foaled in a paddock, in which were a number of highflyer -walnut trees. He was named by Lord Bolingbroke at a large dinner-party -at Sir Charles Bunbury's. The horse in question was the cause of -considerable jealousy between Colonel O'Kelly, the owner of Eclipse, -and Mr. Tattersall, the founder of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_395" id="Page_395">[Pg 395]</a></span> celebrated institution at Hyde -Park Corner, whose prosperity was greatly increased by the purchase -of Highflyer. "The Hammer and Highflyer" indeed became a favourite -toast of the day. Both owners felt the necessity of crossing by the -blood of their respective stallions, but each was afraid of increasing -the celebrity of the other's horse thereby. The two men were widely -different in character. Colonel O'Kelly (of whom an account has already -been given) piqued himself upon being descended from the first race -of Milesian kings, although he had served for the greatest part of -his life some of the humblest offices. It was his boast that he bred -and ran his horses for fame. He certainly sacrificed many thousands -of pounds in aspiring to the glory of being the Jehu of the day. Mr. -Tattersall bred for profit. The former never sold anything before he -had trained and ran it at Newmarket; the latter never trained anything, -with the exception of one mare early in life, which was of no note. -The Irishman matched everything—the Lancashire man sold everything. -The one was hasty and impetuous in betting upon the descendants of -Eclipse. The other was cautious, and left it to those who had bought -them to risk their money upon the progeny of Highflyer. In a word, they -resembled each other in nothing, except, it was wickedly said, their -total ignorance of horses and extreme good fortune. Mr. Tattersall in -the decline of life was more than usually anxious that his son should -persevere in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_396" id="Page_396">[Pg 396]</a></span> keeping stallions and breeding race-horses. O'Kelly -directed by his will that all his stud should be sold as soon as -possible after his death. Mr. Tattersall's son and heir sold the whole -stud after his death. O'Kelly's nephew and executor was obliged to sell -under the direction of the will, but he bought most of the horses for -his own use. He was a cultivated man, and had been well brought up by -his uncle.</p> - -<p>Mr. Tattersall used to say that there was no part of Colonel O'Kelly's -conduct which he wished he had imitated except that in giving an -excellent education to his heir.</p> - -<p>Mr. Tattersall was a very economical man. When Highflyer died, many -suggestions were made that the horse should be skinned and stuffed, -as had been done by Colonel O'Kelly in the case of Eclipse. Mr. -Tattersall, however, replied that he did not see the use of stuffing -him with hay after he was dead, as he could no longer cover; he had -stuffed him full enough with hay and corn when he was alive and -producing money. Mr. Tattersall had very practical ideas about such -things, and when inspecting his cattle whilst they were fattening, was -often overheard to say, "Eat away, my good creature! eat away, and get -fat soon. The butcher is waiting for you, and I want money."</p> - -<p>Mr. Tattersall's prosperous career arose in a great measure from -a successful speculation in Scotland. Having heard that a Scotch -nobleman's stud was to be sold there, he applied to a friend to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_397" id="Page_397">[Pg 397]</a></span> go his -halves in the purchase. "If you will find money, for I have none," said -he, "I will find skill, and you shall have a good thing." The sum was -deposited, and he went to the sale, partly by coach and partly on foot, -buying nearly all the horses for a trifle. Upon his return, he sold -a few at York for more money than the whole of them had cost, making -several hundred pounds out of the rest from purchasers at Newmarket and -in London. Mr. Tattersall used often to say this was the first money -he ever possessed above a few pounds. Having thus acquired a little -capital, he soon increased it by similar means, and also, of course, by -his business at Hyde Park Corner.</p> - -<p>At that time, though sales of horses by auction were occasionally held, -there was no regular repository or fixed sales at stated periods, -the lack of which was much felt in the sporting world. Perceiving -that a golden opportunity lay ready to hand, Mr. Tattersall, who was -well-known to the gentlemen of the Turf and to the horse-dealers, -offered his services as an auctioneer, and solicited their patronage. -Lord Grosvenor warmly espoused his cause, and built for him the -extensive premises at Hyde Park Corner, where Mr. Tattersall died. His -success was astonishingly rapid. He soon enlarged the premises and -built stands for carriages, which were sold by private contract; as -well as kennels for hounds and other dogs, which were sold by auction. -He converted a part of his house into a tavern and coffee-house, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_398" id="Page_398">[Pg 398]</a></span> -fitted up two of the most elegant rooms in London for the use of the -Jockey Club, who held their meetings there for some years. He allotted -another apartment to the use of betting men. This was supported by -an annual subscription of a guinea from each member, and was called -the betting-room. Here prominent Turfites assembled every sale-day to -lay wagers on the events of future races, and here they met to pay -and receive the money won and lost at what were called country races, -in contradistinction to the races at Newmarket. His sales were not -confined to Hyde Park Corner; he constantly attended the Newmarket -meetings and the races at York, where he had considerable employment, -and thereby kept up his connection with the jockeys in different parts -of the kingdom, who sent their horses to him from all the various -districts.</p> - -<p>Racing as carried on in the eighteenth century was on a very different -scale from that of the present day. Our ancestors were contented with - -very small stakes and but few races in a day.</p> - -<p>In 1755 there were but three meetings at Newmarket, which gave fifteen -racing days. Thirteen stakes were run for, the gross amount of which -was £1255. There were twenty heats.</p> - -<p>Besides the stakes there were twenty-nine matches, which made the daily -average of races something over three.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb15.jpg" alt="race course" /> -<a id="illusb15" name="illusb15"></a> -</p> - -<p class="caption"> <span class="smcap">E.O. on a Country Race-course.</span><br /> - -By Rowlandson.</p> - -<p>In those days noblemen and gentlemen met to enjoy each other's society -and test the merits<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_399" id="Page_399">[Pg 399]</a></span> of their horses rather than for purposes of -gain, the stakes being, from a pecuniary view, a matter of comparative -indifference.</p> - -<p>At the small country meetings the racing was spread over a greater -space of time than at present; all of them lasted three days and many -a week. Dinners and balls were the order of the day, the race meeting -being an event which was looked forward to throughout the year.</p> - -<p>A number of the more aristocratic spectators were mounted, and followed -the horses as they ran. So great, indeed, became the disorder caused at -race meetings by this riding with and after the horses during racing, -that the Chief Magistrate of one provincial town (who, it should be -added, had Irish blood in his veins) caused a placard to be posted up -just before the races, intimating "that no <i>gentleman</i> would be allowed -to ride on the course, <i>except the horses</i> that were to run."</p> - -<p>Racing was formerly a very rough-and-ready affair, and much was -tolerated on a race-course which would be sternly dealt with to-day. -Gambling-booths and E.O. tables were easily to be found, whilst little -order was maintained on the course. At Tavistock Races in 1815, a -sailor with one arm, who had just been paid off, exhibited his skill in -horsemanship, to the no small annoyance of everybody, till at length, -checking his Bucephalus at full gallop, he was thrown with great -violence, by which his right leg was dreadfully fractured.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_400" id="Page_400">[Pg 400]</a></span></p> - -<p>Cocked-hat races and other eccentric contests were not infrequent -features at race meetings. At Hereford races in 1822 a race between -three velocipedes, commonly called hobby-horses, created much mirth. -They were ridden by three men, dressed in scarlet, yellow, and white -jackets. Much skill was displayed, and every exertion used, with the -result that white won, scarlet and yellow being both upset, and the -riders each receiving a hearty bump, to the great diversion of all the -spectators.</p> - -<p>The Turf of former days eased the aristocracy of a good deal of -money, and many a fine estate changed hands owing to the vicissitudes -of racing. Fox of course lost very large sums. He used to declare -after the defeat of his horses that they had as much bottom as other -people's, but that they were such slow, good animals that they never -went fast enough to tire themselves! Occasionally, however, he was -lucky. In April 1772 he won nearly £16,000—the greater part of which -was the result of bets against the celebrated Pincher, who lost the -match by only half-a-neck, two to one having been laid on him. At the -Spring meeting in 1789 Fox is also said to have won about £50,000; and -at the October meeting next year he realised £4000 by the sale of two -of his horses—Seagull and Chanticleer. In 1788 Fox and the Duke of -Bedford won eight thousand guineas between them at the Newmarket Spring -meeting. Fox and Lord Barrymore had a match<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_401" id="Page_401">[Pg 401]</a></span> for a large sum; this was -given as a dead heat, and the bets were off.</p> - -<p>On taking office in 1783, Fox sold his horses, and erased his name -from several of the Clubs of which he was a member. In a short -time, however, he again purchased a stud, and in October attended -the Newmarket meeting, when a King's messenger appeared amongst the -sportsmen on the Heath in quest of the Minister, for whom he bore -despatches. The messenger, as was usual on these occasions, wore his -badge of office, the greyhound, and his arrival created quite a stir on -the course.</p> - -<p>In 1790, Fox's horse, Seagull, won the Oatlands Stakes at Ascot of one -hundred guineas (nineteen subscribers), beating the Prince of Wales's -Escape, Serpent, and several of the very best horses of that year. -The Prince was much mortified at this, and immediately matched Magpie -against the winner, two miles, for five hundred guineas. This match, on -which immense sums were depending, was, four days later, won with ease -by Seagull. At this time Lord Foley and Mr. Fox raced together.</p> - -<p>Lord Foley died in 1793; he entered upon the Turf with a clear £18,000 -a year, and some £100,000 in ready money—he left it without ready -money, with an encumbered estate, and with a constitution injured by -cares and anxieties which embittered the end of his life.</p> - -<p>Many other patricians were practically ruined on the Turf at about -the same time, some by con<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_402" id="Page_402">[Pg 402]</a></span>tinuous ill-luck, but more owing to the -machinations of the many doubtful characters who were experts at what -was then known as "throwing the bull over the bridge"—a cant phrase -formerly used by frequenters of the race-course to indicate a sporting -swindle.</p> - -<p>The phrase in question, it may be added, had its origin in the cruel -pastime of bull-baiting. When such an orgy of cruelty was over, and -the militia of hell which had witnessed it surfeited with blood, the -carcass of the bull was dragged to a bridge, over which his quivering -remains were thrown into the water beneath!</p> - -<p>Many were the queer freaks and fancies of the great pillars of the Turf -of the past. Sir Charles Bunbury, for instance, who trained his horses -privately under his own eye, made the lads who groomed them wear his -colours whilst at their task, in order to accustom the animals to the -racing jackets and prevent all chance of nervousness in public. His -horses were never allowed to be sweated or tried on a Good Friday, on -account of an accident which had on one of these anniversaries happened -to a couple of his racers, who had both fallen and broken their backs, -each jockey having got a fractured thigh.</p> - -<p>All this, however, has been written of time after time; indeed, the -fascinating story of the Turf has found many admirable chroniclers. -Nevertheless, these have hardly touched upon some of the more obscure -figures, who seem to have escaped notice.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_403" id="Page_403">[Pg 403]</a></span></p> - -<p>Such a one was Major Leeson, a well-known sporting character at the -close of the eighteenth century, who may be taken as typical of the -sharp racing man of humble origin, and who, having by astuteness -attained a certain prosperity, was eventually reduced to beggary by -the allurements of gambling. An Irishman of obscure birth, Mr. Leeson -originally obtained his commission through the patronage of a Scottish -nobleman, by whose munificence he was sent to school at Hampstead, -and afterwards to the French military academy of Angers. Whilst at -this seminary he fought a duel with a well-known baronet, and both -combatants displayed great courage. Leeson was soon after appointed a -lieutenant in a regiment of foot, in which he conducted himself as a -soldier and a gentleman.</p> - -<p>During his military career, Leeson was especially popular with his men, -whose liking for their young officer almost amounted to adoration, -owing to his ardent championship of their interests. While they were -quartered in a country town, one of the sergeants, a sober, steady man, -was wantonly attacked by a blacksmith, who was the terror of the place. -The sergeant defended himself with great spirit as long as he was -able, but was obliged, after a hard contest, to yield to his athletic -antagonist. This intelligence reached Mr. Leeson's ears the next -morning, and without delay he set out in pursuit of the victor, whom he -found boasting of the triumph he had gained over the "lobster," as he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_404" id="Page_404">[Pg 404]</a></span> -called the sergeant. The very expression kindled Leeson's indignation -into such a flame, that he aimed a blow at the fellow's temple, which -was warded off and returned with such force that Leeson lay for some -minutes extended on the ground. Leeson, however, renewed the attack; -and his onslaughts were made with such rapidity and success, that the -son of Vulcan was eventually stretched senseless on the ground. In -order to complete the triumph, Leeson placed him in a wheel-barrow; -and in this situation he was wheeled through all the town amidst the -acclamations of the populace. Soon after this, Mr. Leeson exchanged his -lieutenancy for a cornetcy of dragoons.</p> - -<p>He now began to be attracted by the seductions of gaming and the Turf, -both of which exercised a fascination over his mind which he was unable -to resist. Fortune was kind, and an almost uninterrupted series of -success led him to Newmarket, where his evil genius, in the name of -good luck, converted him in a short time into a professional gambler. -At one time he had a complete stud at Newmarket; and his famous horse -Buffer carried off all the capital plates for three years and upwards, -though once beaten at Egham, when 15 to 1 was laid on it. Major -Leeson's discernment in racing matters soon became generally remarked, -and he was consulted by all the sharpest frequenters of the Turf on -critical occasions.</p> - -<p>In later years, however, Major Leeson experienced the ill-fortune which -is too often the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_405" id="Page_405">[Pg 405]</a></span> lot of gamblers. A long run of ill-luck preyed upon -his spirits, soured his temper, and drove him to that last resource -of an enfeebled mind—the brandy bottle. As he could not shine in -his wonted splendour, he sought the most obscure public-houses in -the purlieus of St. Giles, where he used to pass whole nights in the -company of his countrymen of the lowest class. Overwhelmed by debt and -worn-out body and soul, he was constantly pursued by the terrors of the -law, and alternately imprisoned by his own fears or confined in the -King's Bench, till, a broken and miserable man, he welcomed death as a -friend come to relieve him of an almost insupportable load.</p> - -<p>An eccentric supporter of the Turf, who died in 1799, was Councillor -Lade. It was his highest ambition to be thought a distinguished member -of the sporting world; but in this, as in the more contracted circle of -private life, he was not destined to cut a conspicuous figure, being by -nature much better calculated for an obscure place in the background. -During the last twenty years of his life he kept a miserable lot of -spindle-shanked brood mares, colts, and fillies at Cannon Park, between -Kingsclere and Overton in Hampshire—a place which, owing to its -barrenness, was quite unsuited for breeding horses.</p> - -<p>His successes on the Turf were insignificant. During the last twelve -years of his life he hardly ever brought less than six, seven, or -eight horses annually to the post for country plates (never till<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_406" id="Page_406">[Pg 406]</a></span> the -last two or three years presuming to sport his name at Newmarket); -nevertheless, few of them, if any, ever realised his expectations, -or paid one-third of the expenses in the way of breeding, breaking, -training, running, or sale. Councillor Lade's almost constant sequence -of disappointments originated in one single cause strikingly palpable -to every eye but his own, which was their breeder's parsimony. His -mares were in a wretched and deplorable state of emaciation during the -whole time of bearing their foals, whilst a systematic starvation of -both dams and offspring when foals, and a miserable sustenance barely -enough to support life when weaned, totally nullified his chances of -success upon the Turf.</p> - -<p>It was no uncommon thing to see the Councillor's favourite brood mare, -Laetitia, and many others with their foals, in the fertile months of -May and June, upon the side of a barren, burnt-up hill, with barely -pasture sufficient to keep even the dam in existence, without even -a possibility of affording half the nutriment necessary for the -unfortunate foal. Owing to these highly injudicious and cruel methods, -his stud, even when of superior blood, was always inferior in bone and -strength to its rivals, there being in it never more than one horse in -every eight or ten with constitutional stamina sufficient to bear the -training necessary before going to the post.</p> - -<p>When after his death the Councillor's wretched stud were on their way -to be sold by auction they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_407" id="Page_407">[Pg 407]</a></span> excited universal pity from the humane in -the towns and villages through which they passed. Many of the horses -sold for the trifling sum of two or three guineas each, owing to the -wretched condition of the poor animals. Councillor Lade, in his Turf -transactions as elsewhere, was so consistently parsimonious even to -those whom it would have been good policy to conciliate that every -man's hand was against him, even that of his own servants.</p> - -<p>One of his manias was to run his horses as much as possible at race -meetings near his home, in order to avoid the expenses of travelling.</p> - -<p>The years 1797 and 1798 were the most prosperous of his Turf career. -Seven of his horses went to the post for twenty-four plates and purses, -of which Truss, Will, and Grey Pilot won seven fifties—two at Ascot, -two at Abingdon, and one each at Reading, Winchester, and Stockbridge.</p> - -<p>Councillor Lade was in himself a singular and unsociable man, seldom -seen in company, upon the race-course or elsewhere. Cynically cold -and innately parsimonious, few cared to sojourn beneath what might be -justly termed, in more senses than one, a habitation without a roof. -Hospitality was alien to the spirit of Cannon Park, and the building -itself was one entire mass of chilling frigidity which betokened -a total lack of good cheer. The owner was constantly involved in -pecuniary disputes and lawsuits with his dependents, in which he was -usually worsted.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_408" id="Page_408">[Pg 408]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was not infrequently his practice to drive his curricle and greys -without a servant the fifty-seven miles to Cannon Park, not even taking -them once out of the harness; a handful of hay, and two or three -quarts of water at Salt Hill, and Spratley's, the Bear, at Reading, -in addition to the turnpikes, constituted the entire expense of the -journey, it being an irrevocable opinion of his that servants on the -road were more troublesome and expensive than their masters.</p> - -<p>The Councillor was married to a lady of excellent family, who, owing -to mental trouble, lived in seclusion. This, however, did not trouble -him much, for he took care to make up for the lack of a wife's society -by a profusion of female friends, who enlivened his elegant house in -Pall Mall, his rural cottage near Turnham Green, and even his unadorned -inhospitable mansion at Cannon Park.</p> - -<p>Another unpleasant Turf character about this date was "Louse Pigott," -a man of good Shropshire family. The slovenly manner of dressing and -general unkempt appearance of this gentleman had obtained for him his -unsavoury nickname. He had originally been possessed of some wealth, -but going racing soon lost practically his whole fortune. Devoid -of means, and prompted apparently by the same spirit which induces -unsuccessful modern gamblers at Monte Carlo to apply to the authorities -for a sum sufficient to enable them to leave the Principality -of Monaco, Mr. Pigott conceived the original idea of making -representations<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_409" id="Page_409">[Pg 409]</a></span> to the Jockey Club, with a view to receiving pecuniary -aid. Needless to say his petition was treated with a complete lack of -consideration which, it was said, so enraged him that in revenge he -wrote the libellous work called <i>The Jockey Club</i>, a volume of short -but scandalous biographies of persons well known in the sporting -world. Though Pigott appears to have escaped punishment for this, the -publishers, Messrs. Ridgway & Symonds, were incarcerated in Newgate.</p> - -<p>"Louse Pigott" appears to have been an eccentric character in many -ways, for one September evening in 1793 he got into great trouble at -the London Coffee-House, Ludgate Hill, where, sitting with a friend, -Dr. William Hodgson, he became very vociferous in giving toasts of -a disloyal kind, finally loudly proposing success to the "French -Republic." This was immediately resented by a gentleman present, who, -rising to his feet, proposed "The King," a toast which was drunk with -cheers by all present except Pigott and his companion, who made use -of such improper expressions that peace officers were sent for, who -removed the apostles of revolution to the lock-up.</p> - -<p>The next morning they were charged with drinking "the French -Republic and the overthrow of the present system of Government and -all Governments of Europe except the French; likewise of speaking -disrespectfully of the King, the Duke of York, Lord Mayor, and other -persons in high authority. They had," it was deposed,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_410" id="Page_410">[Pg 410]</a></span> "called the -Prince of Hesse a swine-dealer, and Ministers in general robbers and -highwaymen." Finally, when being conveyed to the cells, they had -shouted from the coach windows, "The French Republic, and Liberty while -you live."</p> - -<p>Being unable to find bail, the two prisoners were sent back to prison, -to remain there till tried at the ensuing Old Bailey Sessions. The -bill preferred against Pigott, however, was eventually thrown out -and he was discharged. The general comment upon his release was that -"he who is born to be hanged will never be drowned," and vice versa. -His companion, Dr. Hodgson, was less fortunate, and received some -punishment for the advanced sentiments which he had uttered.</p> - -<p>Probably the shrewdest nobleman who ever went racing was the eccentric -but highly astute "Old Q." At the time when he owned race-horses he -was generally hand-in-hand with his jockey, Dick Goodison, with whom -he had a perfect understanding. During a lengthy connection with the -Turf, "Old Q." never displayed the least want of philosophy upon the -unexpected result of a race. As a matter of fact he never entered into -an engagement but where there was a great probability of his becoming -the winner. In all emergencies his Grace preserved an invariable -equanimity, and his cool serenity never forsook him, even in moments -of the greatest surprise or disappointment. A singular proof of this -occurred at Newmarket just as the horses were about to start<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_411" id="Page_411">[Pg 411]</a></span> for a -sweepstakes. His Grace was engaged in a betting conversation with -various members of the Jockey Club, when one of his lads, who was -going to ride (in consequence of his light weight), tactlessly called -him aside, asked him, too soon and too loud, How he was to ride that -day? Perfectly convinced this had been overheard, his Grace, with -well-affected surprise, exclaimed, "Why, take the lead and keep it to -be sure! How the devil would you ride?"</p> - -<p>Matches were a great feature of the period, and very large sums -were staked. An historic match was that between Sir Harry Vane's -Hambletonian and Mr. Cookson's Diamond for three thousand guineas, run -over the Beacon Course during the Newmarket Craven meeting of 1799. -Hambletonian, who was ridden by Buckle, carried eight stone three -pounds, and Diamond, ridden by Dennis Fitzpatrick (Deny), eight stone; -the betting was five to four on Hambletonian.</p> - -<p>Though both gallant steeds have now long since mouldered into dust, -together with the gay company of sportsmen who assembled to see them -run, the memory of their desperate neck-and-neck struggle over that -terrible last half-mile is not forgotten, and will ever shine amongst -the chronicles of equine fame as the most sporting and gamely contested -match of all time.</p> - -<p>Hambletonian, a bright bay and a grandson of Eclipse, was a wonderful -horse. He was only once beaten, at the York August meeting 1797,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_412" id="Page_412">[Pg 412]</a></span> when -he ran against Deserter and Spread Eagle, and took it into his head to -bolt out of the course and leap a ditch.</p> - -<p>Diamond, a beautiful brown bay, smaller than Hambletonian, was got by -Highflyer. He was the more compact horse of the two.</p> - -<p>Hambletonian being a Yorkshire bred horse, the Yorkshiremen backed -him for prodigious sums, whilst Diamond was strongly supported by the -Newmarket people, the horse being well-known in the neighbourhood.</p> - -<p>Every bed in Newmarket (which could not hold a tenth of the visitors) -was occupied, whilst Cambridge and all the towns and villages within -twelve or fifteen miles were also thronged with people. Stabling was -not to be had, and no chaise or horse could be procured on any of the -roads, all having been engaged three weeks before.</p> - -<p>The weather was most auspicious, and the general scene on the Heath -highly interesting and attractive. All the gentlemen of the Turf, as -the phrase ran, from the neighbouring counties were collected on the -course, and many of the nobility of England, which was then a real and -powerful nobility, including the Duchess of Gordon, were assembled to -see the race.</p> - -<p>At the start the horses kept tolerably close, Hambletonian retaining -the lead till the last half-mile, when Diamond got abreast of him. -The two horses then raced home in a most desperate manner, the nose -of one or the other being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_413" id="Page_413">[Pg 413]</a></span> alternately in front till Hambletonian won -in the last stride. Both horses were terribly whipped and spurred, -particularly Hambletonian. The four miles one furlong and one hundred -and thirty-eight yards were covered in about eight minutes and a half.</p> - -<p>Every one declared that this match was the most exciting ever known, -and it was acknowledged even by the losers (who were described as being -as much pleased as losers could be) to have been thoroughly fairly -contested, each jockey having made the best of his horse.</p> - -<p>As soon as the race was over, Sir Harry Vane Tempest, who, besides the -stakes, had won about three thousand guineas, declared on the course -that Hambletonian should be taken out of training the next morning, -and in future he would ride him only as a hack. Sir Harry afterwards -travelled to town in a post-chaise and four, and arrived at the Cocoa -Tree at half-past eleven at night. The news of his victory, however, -was already known, Mr. Hall, of Moorfields, who had three horses on the -road, having got to town between nine and ten.</p> - -<p>A bronze penny token of fine medallic design—now very -scarce—commemorates this famous match. An inscription is on one side -and a picture of the race on the other.</p> - -<p>Mr. Cookson, the owner of Diamond, did not lose any enormous sum over -the race. He was well-known for his shrewdness, and in one year, 1798, -is said to have realised nearly £60,000 by the victories of Ambrosia -and Diamond.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_414" id="Page_414">[Pg 414]</a></span></p> - -<p>Hambletonian became the sire of over a hundred and forty winners.</p> - -<p>Another match between Diamond and Mr. R. Heathcote's Warter strongly -excited the sporting world, which was much puzzled how to bet. Warter -having beat Diamond in the Oatland stakes of 1800, the latter was to -receive seven pounds in the projected race. This, according to the -knowing ones, was an advantage of the utmost importance, and Diamond -became a strong favourite, his backers flattering themselves with the -opinion that one of Warter's legs would fail him in running, and that -consequently they were on the right side. Till about a fortnight before -the meeting betting was equal; six to four was then betted in favour of -Diamond, and was at first very cautiously accepted.</p> - -<p>So highly was the gambling mania roused that, till a late hour on -the Saturday night previous to the meeting, all the sporting houses -near St. James's, and even more to the eastward, were crowded with -betting-men of every description. The bolder sort dashed at the odds, -whilst others more cautiously hedged, and all waited the event with the -most anxious expectation.</p> - -<p>The whole of Sunday the Newmarket road was crowded with carriages and -cattle of every description, from the dashing curricle to the humble -buggy, and from the pampered hunter to the spavined hack.</p> - -<p>When every mouth was opening to bet, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_415" id="Page_415">[Pg 415]</a></span> expectation was on tiptoe, it -was declared in the Coffee-room, that Warter, by reason of a kick, had -declared forfeit, and the famous match was off.</p> - -<p>Another match, which excited enormous interest at the beginning of -the nineteenth century, was that between Mrs. Thornton, wife of the -celebrated Colonel Thornton of Thornville Royal (now Studley Royal, the -seat of Lord Ripon), and a gentleman well known in sporting circles, -Mr. Flint by name. This was run at York in 1804, and is memorable -as being the only race chronicled in the <i>Racing Calendar</i> in which -a woman's name is mentioned. The entry, dated August 25, 1804, runs -thus:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Mr. Flint's Brown Thornville by Volunteer out of Abigail, aged, rode -by the owner, beat Colonel Thornton's ch. h. Vinagrillio, aged, rode -by Mrs. Thornton, four miles, five hundred guineas.</p></blockquote> - -<p>The weights were catch weights, and before the race five and six to -four were laid upon the lady, which increased during the early portion -of the race to seven to four and two to one, it seeming likely during -the first three miles that Mrs. Thornton would secure an easy triumph. -During the final mile, however, things entirely changed, and the -victory of Mr. Flint appearing certain, odds were laid upon him. Over -two hundred thousand pounds, it is said, were lost and won over this -race, which excited a vast amount of interest. The lady's horse, it may -be added, was a very old one.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Thornton's dress was a leopard-coloured body with blue sleeves, -the rest buff, and blue cap.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_416" id="Page_416">[Pg 416]</a></span> Mr. Flint rode in white. The race was run -in nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds. In the published account of the -race it is stated that "No words can express the disappointment felt -at the defeat of Mrs. Thornton, the spirit she displayed and the good -humour with which she has borne her loss having greatly diminished the -joy of many of the winners."</p> - -<p>The fortunate individuals in question seem, however, to have been under -some misapprehension as to the lady's equanimity under defeat, as she -subsequently sent an angry letter to the <i>York Herald</i> complaining that -she had been treated with scant courtesy.</p> - -<p>Though the lady signed herself Alicia Thornton she seems to have had no -legitimate claim to the name—she was a Miss Meynell, and her sister -was by way of being the wife of Mr. Flint. The race engendered much -ill-feeling between the two couples.</p> - -<p>The year after the race on the Knavesmire a fracas occurred between -Colonel Thornton and Mr. Flint, the latter being very indignant at -not having received £1000 of the £1500 wagered by the gallant Colonel -on his wife's success. Mr. Flint vigorously applied a new horsewhip -to the soldier's shoulders. The aggressor was taken into custody, -Colonel Thornton afterwards making an application in the Court of -King's Bench for leave to file a criminal information against Flint, -who (he deposed) had challenged him to fight a duel, and horse-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_417" id="Page_417">[Pg 417]</a></span>whipped -him on the race-ground at York. The Colonel maintained that -the bet of £1000 was a mere nominal thing, intended to attract people -to the race-course, and that it was understood that only £500 of the -£1500 should be paid. The case was eventually dismissed, the Colonel -apparently sticking to his £1000.</p> - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illusb16.jpg" alt="thornton" /> -<a id="illusb16" name="illusb16"></a> -</p> -<p class="caption"><i>M<sup>rs</sup> Thornton.</i><br /> - -<i>Pub. Feb 1, 1805, by J. Wheble, Warwicksquare.</i></p> - -<p>In after-life Flint became miserably poor, and eked out a living as a -manager of a horse bazaar at York. He eventually committed suicide by -taking a dose of prussic acid.</p> - -<p>At the York August meeting in the following year Mrs. Thornton rode -another match against Buckle, the celebrated jockey. Mrs. Thornton, -in the highest spirits, appeared dressed for the contest in a purple -cap and waistcoat, long nankeen-coloured skirts, purple shoes, and -embroidered stockings. Buckle was dressed in a blue cap, with blue -bodied jacket, and white sleeves. Mrs. Thornton carried 9 st. 6 lb., -Mr Buckle 13 st. 6 lb. At half-past three they started. Mrs. Thornton -took the lead, which she kept for some time; Buckle then exercised -his jockeyship, and took the lead, which he retained for only a few -lengths, when Mrs. Thornton won her race by half a neck. On this -occasion Mrs. Thornton rode Louisa, by Pegasus, out of Nelly; and -Buckle rode Allegro, by Pegasus, out of Allegranti's dam.</p> - -<p>As the English Turf began to rise in importance some attempt was made -to introduce racing into France. As early as the reign of Louis XV. a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_418" id="Page_418">[Pg 418]</a></span> -number of the French nobility had frequented Newmarket. The well-known -sportsman, Hugo Meynell, much resented this, and grimly declared that -he wished the peace was all over and England comfortably at war again. -A particularly unpopular visitor was the Comte de Lauraguais, who -purchased the celebrated race-horse, Gimcrack, took him over to France, -and for a big bet ran him twenty-two and a half miles, it is said, -within an hour.</p> - -<p>At the end of the eighteenth century Philippe Égalité raced at -Newmarket, where he seems to have created an unfavourable impression. -Though he entered a good many horses, he was not particularly -successful as an owner. In France the sporting exploits of this Prince -and of the Comte d'Artois excited a good deal of indignation. They were -declared to be the associates of grooms, and to enter into scandalous -combinations in the races which they organised, whilst treating the -onlookers with the most ineffable contempt and savage ferocity. It -would certainly appear that at times they used their whips on the -spectators as well as on their horses; and not only encouraged the -officers to maltreat the crowd, but employed such grossness of speech, -and offensive oaths, as showed that these Princes were not unskilled -in the language of the vilest part of the nation. High betting was -general, and noblemen turned jockeys and rode their own racers. When -the Comte de Lauraguais appeared at Court, after a long absence, the -King coldly inquired where he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_419" id="Page_419">[Pg 419]</a></span> been for so long. "In England," the -Count replied. "What did you do there?" "I learnt there, please your -Majesty, to think." "Of horses," retorted the King.</p> - -<p>The early days of the French Turf were unedifying. In a match between -the Duc de Lauzun and M. de Fénelon the latter fell from his horse, -broke his arm, and lost his wager. The same gentleman betted with -another nobleman as to which of them could reach Versailles and return -to Paris the quicker in a single-horse chaise. The horse of the first -died at Sèvres, and the other expired in the stable at Paris, a few -hours after his return.</p> - -<p>Frivolous courtiers, not satisfied with exercising their inhumanity -on their horses, exposed themselves to the derision of Paris by -other kinds of races. The Duc de Chartres, the Duc de Lauzun, and -the Marquis FitzJames once betted five hundred louis who could first -reach Versailles on foot. Lauzun gave up the foot-race about half -way; Chartres about two-thirds; FitzJames arrived in an exhausted -state, and was saluted as conqueror by the Comte d'Artois. The hero in -question was near expiring in the arms of victory and had to be put -to bed. Blood-letting was resorted to, and though he won his wager he -contracted asthma.</p> - -<p>Marie Antoinette, not satisfied with foot and horse racing, instituted -contests of speed in which donkeys were bestridden, the successful -jockey being rewarded with three hundred livres and a golden thistle.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_420" id="Page_420">[Pg 420]</a></span></p> - -<p>During the first Empire, Napoleon, probably with an eye to the horsing -of his cavalry, decreed that there should be races, and races of a sort -there were, chiefly in the Department of the Orne and at a hippodrome -at Le Pin, the seat of a Government stud established by Colbert in the -days of the Roi Soleil.</p> - -<p>After the restoration of the Bourbons, racing was intermittently -carried on at Vincennes, at Fontainebleau, in the Champs de Mars, -and at Satory-Versailles, which were the chief places of racing near -Paris. The ground at both was detestable. At Satory-Versailles, in -wet weather, the course was so deep in mud that the horses could -hardly move. At the Champs de Mars the ground was often "so hard as to -endanger the strongest legs," and "when the horses galloped the jockeys -were liable to be blinded by a cloud of dust and small pebbles." As a -matter of fact the races were more often than not won by the mounted -gendarmes, who rode with the horses from start to finish.</p> - -<p>In the early days of the French Turf the fields were, of course, -small, and so was the value of the prizes. For this reason, in order -to eke out a fair number of races with very few horses, the practice -of running races in "heats" was grossly abused. In 1840, Madame -de Giraudin wrote: "The races on Sunday were favoured with superb -weather, and the extraordinary sight was seen of nine horses running -together—nine live horses, nine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_421" id="Page_421">[Pg 421]</a></span> rivals—a rare spectacle in the -Champs de Mars. Generally one horse runs all alone, contending against -no opponent, and always coming in first. But this does not signify; it -excites the admiration of those who love sport, and especially of the -philosophers among them; it is so noble to strive against and overcome -oneself!"</p> - -<p>The foundation of the French Turf as we see it to-day dates back to -1833, when the French Jockey Club was founded.</p> - -<p>Before this there had existed in the Rue Blanche an English Jockey -and Pigeon Shooting Club founded by a Mr. Thomas Bryon, who acted -as secretary. In 1830, of the eighteen members, four were English, -including that very original character. Lord Henry Seymour, and in -course of time he took a leading part in originating a Members' Club, -which should resemble the English Jockey Club, and should be lodged in -a luxurious Club-house.</p> - -<p>The twelve founders of the French Jockey Club were soon joined by a -large number of sportsmen, among whom were the novelist, Eugène Sue, -Lord Yarmouth, and Mr. John Bowes, who passed most of his life in -Paris. The latter gentleman won the Derby four times. On the first -occasion, in 1835, when Mundig beat Ascot (which belonged to the -writer's grandfather, Lord Orford) by a head, Mr. Bowes was still an -undergraduate at Cambridge—in subsequent years he won it again with -Cotherstone, Daniell O'Rourke, and West Australian.</p> - -<p>The French Jockey Club, at its institution,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_422" id="Page_422">[Pg 422]</a></span> consisted of Royal -Princes, noblemen, ordinary men of property, all persons of -considerable influence interested in horse-breeding and in the -improvement of the breed of horses by means of horse-racing and the -"selection of the fittest." Most of them were good horsemen, who rode -their own horses on occasion. M. de Normandie, for instance, was -the winner of an improvised race which took place at Chantilly in -1833 between himself, Prince Lobanoff, Viscount de Hédouville, and -others. This is said to have suggested the idea of forming the present -beautiful race-course there. This gentleman, who must be ranked as one -of the fathers of the French Turf, frequently acted in the earliest -days of the French Jockey Club as steward, judge, and starter; and -though he does not appear to have introduced any famous strain of blood -into the studs of his country, greatly contributed to establish French -racing on its present prosperous footing.</p> - -<p>M. de Normandie is said to have won the first regular steeplechase ever -run in France on English principles. This took place in 1830, near St. -Germain, and in December 1908 a gentleman was still living who was -supposed to have taken part in it.</p> - -<p>This was Mr. Albert Ricardo, J.P., who spent his early days in Paris. A -great supporter of sport, Mr. Ricardo, who died on the last day but one -of the year, had won the Cambridgeshire with The Widow as far back as -1847. He had also been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_423" id="Page_423">[Pg 423]</a></span> a keen cricketer in his youth, and was one of -the two first members of the I Zingari.</p> - -<p>There was steeplechasing at the Croix de Bernay as early as 1832, and -at La Marche some little time later.</p> - -<p>The Auteuil steeplechase course, which is now the head-quarters of the -sport in France, was not inaugurated till after the war of 1870.</p> - -<p>Through the influence of the Duc d'Orléans, the son of Louis Philippe, -who was killed in a carriage accident in 1842, the French Jockey Club -obtained leave to hold regular meetings in the Champs de Mars; and he -it also was who, in 1834, arranged the creation of the race-course at -Chantilly, which, till Longchamps was started in 1856-57, was without -doubt the best course in France. At Chantilly was run the first French -Derby (Prix du Jockey Club) in 1836, and the first French Oaks (Prix de -Diane) in 1843.</p> - -<p>The stables of the Duc at Chantilly were presided over by an English -trainer, George Edwards, and his principal jockey was Edgar Pavis. In -1840 his English-bred horse, Beggarman, won the Goodwood Cup. Besides -this the Duc d'Orléans won a number of French races. As a matter of -fact, racing in France, from 1834 to 1842, was more or less of a duel -between the Prince in question and Lord Henry Seymour.</p> - -<p>The latter extraordinary personage was born in Paris in 1805, and is -believed never to have set foot in England. Lord Henry Seymour was -said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_424" id="Page_424">[Pg 424]</a></span> to be related on his mother's side to "Old Q." or George Selwyn, -or both, and from either or both of them he probably inherited some -of his numberless eccentricities as well as his taste for the Turf. -He was a well-known figure in Paris and its neighbourhood, for it was -his constant practice to drive about in a carriage with four horses, -postilions, and out-riders. After <i>Mardi Gras</i>, he would sit with other -congenial spirits at the window of the noted "Vendanges de Bourgogne," -watching the <i>descente de la Courtille</i> (the return from the ball) in -the early morning, when he would scatter heated pieces of gold among -the crowd of returning "maskers." Lord Henry is said to have been the -original of the eccentric character described by Balzac, who delighted -in furtively administering drastic medicines to his dearest friends, -the very unpleasant effects of which afforded him intense amusement. He -delighted also in giving away cigars with something explosive inserted -at the end, afterwards watching the effect of a light applied by the -unsuspecting smoker. He died in Paris in 1859.</p> - -<p>In 1856 the French Turf entered upon a new and important era, a promise -being obtained from the Government and the municipality of Paris -that a race-course should be included in the projected plan for the -transformation of the Bois de Boulogne. In the Longchamps meadows, on -the borders of the Seine, an expanse of level and unencumbered ground -was allotted to the Société d'Encouragement,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_425" id="Page_425">[Pg 425]</a></span> and by an arrangement -with the municipality of Paris, the Société became lessees of the -race-course for fifty years, undertaking to pay an annual rent, as -well as to build stands, which, at the expiration of the lease in -1906, should become the property of the city. The old stands, which -during the last three years have been replaced by magnificent new ones, -were erected by the architects of the city of Paris, at an expense of -420,000 francs (£16,800), and subsequent expenses brought the amount up -to 1,284,981 francs (about £51,395). The race-course was opened on the -last Sunday in April 1857, and the first Grand Prix was run in 1862, -when the Ranger won.</p> - -<p>The moving spirit in the institution of this race, now the richest -in the world, is said to have been the Emperor Napoleon the Third, -represented by the Duc de Morny, the creator of Deauville. The first -Grand Prix was worth £4000 and an <i>objet d'art</i>; the amount of the -stakes for the same race in 1909 was some £16,000.</p> - -<p>When the Grand Prix was first inaugurated, many vigorous protests were -made in England against the race being run on a Sunday, but by these -the French declined to be swayed. As a matter of fact, notwithstanding -Anglo-Saxon plaints at the iniquity of Sunday racing, the beautiful -courses at Longchamps and Auteuil are very popular with visitors from -across the Channel on many a fine Sabbath day, when Englishmen, known -for their stern and unflinching moral<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_426" id="Page_426">[Pg 426]</a></span> rectitude, are not infrequent -spectators on such occasions. One of these, a public man, notorious -for his advocacy of every form of puritanical restriction, whilst -exhibiting some confusion at being recognised by a friend, could only -make the defence: "Well, after all, it doesn't matter, as I am not -betting." In all probability, however, he, like other visitors, had -backed his fancy!</p> - -<p>An important share in the laying-out of Longchamps race-course was -taken by the late Mr. Mackenzie Grieves, who, originally an officer -in the Blues, took up his residence in Paris, became a member of the -French Jockey Club and played a prominent part in the organisation of -French racing. Mr. Mackenzie Grieves, whose memory is preserved by an -important race to which his name has been given, was personally known -to the writer, who retains pleasant recollections of his great charm -and dignified appearance, both of which were highly characteristic of -one of the last of the fine old school. He was a most graceful rider -and a master of the <i>haute école</i>.</p> - -<p>Though racing in France was naturally suspended during the war, it -was once more in full swing in 1872, when the Grand Prix was won by -Cremorne. In consequence of the downfall of the second Empire a number -of the important races were renamed. The Prix de l'Impératrice, for -instance, became the Prix Rainbow; the Prix du Prince Impérial the -Prix Royal Oak. The Prix Gladiateur, one of the oldest French prizes, -has under<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_427" id="Page_427">[Pg 427]</a></span> its various names strikingly reflected the vicissitudes of -French politics. Originally it was the Prix Royal, then Prix National, -then Grand Prix de l'Empereur, till, with the rise of the third -Republic, it was called after the famous race-horse.</p> - -<p>In 1885 there was great jubilation amongst French sportsmen at -the victories of Plaisanterie, which won both the Cesarewitch and -Cambridgeshire, as well as twelve out of thirteen events in France.</p> - -<p>The appearance of the daughter of Wellingtonia and Poetess in the -Cesarewitch was said at the time to be owing to two bookmakers, T. -Wilde and Jack Moore, who made it worth the while of the filly's owners -(M.H. Bony and Mr. T. Carter) to start her, guaranteeing them 33 to -1, though they themselves had only got 20 to 1 in England. Wilde, -it was declared, brought back to France after the race nearly five -million francs (£200,000), won by backing Plaisanterie, of which Jack -Moore paid out some 600,000 (£24,000) in five-franc, ten-franc, and -twenty-franc pieces to French backers who had been on the good thing.</p> - -<p>In common with the rest of the fraternity, these two very sporting -layers have now long disappeared from the French race-course. -Bookmaking in France practically ceased to exist with the introduction -of the Pari Mutuel in 1891.</p> - -<p>Previous to that time bookmakers had pitches provided for them some -way behind the stands, where they were allowed to exhibit lists of -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_428" id="Page_428">[Pg 428]</a></span> horses running in the various races, against which were chalked -the odds, the variations in which were thus easily shown. The whole -thing was most decorously conducted, and the system worked fairly well. -Nevertheless, from time to time, rumours were rife as to an intended -suppression of the bookmakers by the French authorities, and at last -in 1891 they were definitely bidden to cease plying their business. -The new decree was rigorously enforced, crowds of police in uniform -and plain clothes being present on the Parisian race-courses, and -any one found openly making a bet was ruthlessly arrested—a perfect -reign of terror, indeed, prevailed amongst betting-men, and very great -dissatisfaction ensued amongst habitual frequenters of the French -Turf. On several occasions, notably one Sunday at Auteuil (when the -writer was present), a large force of military were on the ground, -regiments of cavalry being in reserve outside the race-course. Feeling -ran very high, and the races were run amidst hoots, yells, and other -demonstrations of indignation, some of which most unjustly took the -form of missiles hurled at the jockeys. The cabmen and proprietors -of the char-à-bancs who drive the public to the various race-courses -around Paris, the keepers of the small restaurants along the various -lines of route, loudly complained that the new era of restriction which -had dawned would completely ruin them. The saddest people of all, -however, were very naturally the bookmakers, most of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_429" id="Page_429">[Pg 429]</a></span> them English, -who for many years had made a living on the French race-courses, -for, whilst the public generally were more or less certain that some -new method of betting would be devised, they fully realised that the -suppression of their business was no mere outburst of outraged morality -on the part of the Government, but a well thought-out scheme for -appropriating their spoils and diverting them to public purposes. The -golden days were gone, and ruin stared them in the face.</p> - -<p>In a very short time public indignation was allayed by the announcement -that French racing was not, as it had been averred, about to be stamped -out by the high-handed brutality of those at the head of the State. -Betting would be allowed, but only through the medium of the Pari -Mutuel or Totalisator, which would be established on a legal basis on -every race-course in France; and after the passing of the law, which -definitely laid down the manner in which speculation on the French Turf -was in future to be conducted, the beautiful courses round Paris were -once more thronged by crowds of relieved race-goers.</p> - -<p>The law in question, passed on 2nd June 1891, expressly prohibited any -form of betting on race-courses except through the medium of the Pari -Mutuel, and strictly defined the conditions on which the latter was to -be worked. For a few years after this law came into operation a certain -toleration was extended to a few of the principal bookmakers, who still -continued to make bets in an unobtrusive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_430" id="Page_430">[Pg 430]</a></span> way, but of late years the -authorities, considering that such a state of affairs tends to decrease -the receipts drawn from the Totalisator, have become exceedingly stern -in repressing any attempts at such a form of speculation.</p> - -<p>The percentage levied on the sums staked at the Pari Mutuel is now -eight per cent for the race-courses round Paris and that at Deauville, -and ten per cent for race-courses in the provinces. Of this sum the -five great Parisian racing associations and that of Deauville are -allotted four per cent, the rest being applied to charitable and -other public purposes. A different scale applies to the provincial -race-courses, where the receipts are naturally not so remunerative.</p> - -<p>The official figures issued on 7th June 1909, show that £160,000,000 -has been staked by the public by means of the Pari Mutuel since its -institution in 1891. During the last eighteen years no less than -£4,000,000, produced by the percentage levied on this sum, has been -applied to public purposes; besides this, various charities and the -Racing Societies have profited to an enormous extent.</p> - -<p>To-day, owing to the large sums which are available from this source, -there is to all intents and purposes no poor-rate in France—the Pari -Mutuel takes its place.</p> - -<p>As regards the racing itself, it is shown by the official statistics to -be in a more flourishing condition than ever before.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_431" id="Page_431">[Pg 431]</a></span></p> - -<p>In 1891 there existed in France 253 Racing Societies, which held 526 -meetings; on the 31st of December 1904 an official statement showed -that 396 societies held 906 meetings. During this period more than -twenty-nine millions of francs, considerably more than a million -pounds sterling, produced by the percentage levied on the Pari Mutuel, -had been devoted to racing prizes and the general encouragement of -horse-breeding in France. Since the institution of the Totalisator the -race-courses and stands have been much improved, funds being abundant.</p> - -<p>As a means of speculation for the casual visitor to a race-course -the Pari Mutuel is a most convenient form of betting. An excellent -organisation exists on every French race-course for enabling those -desirous of backing any horse to do so by taking their ticket at one of -the many bureaux, above which are inscribed the amount which any ticket -represents.</p> - -<p>Separate betting bureaux exist for ladies in the special stands which -are on some courses set aside for them, and everything is done to -render the public thoroughly comfortable.</p> - -<p>A list of the horses running is clearly displayed, and there is when -possible place betting. On some race-courses the field can be backed, -which, in the event of an outsider winning, is not unprofitable. The -lowest sum for which a ticket is issued is five francs, the highest -five hundred francs. There is, of course, no limit to the number -of tickets<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_432" id="Page_432">[Pg 432]</a></span> which any one who wishes to do so may take. Should a -backer not be desirous of changing a winning ticket into cash upon -the race-course he can keep it till his return to Paris, where, on -presenting it at a Central Office at certain fixed hours (defined -on the ticket), he receives his money without any inconvenience. In -justice, however, to the French race-course authorities it should be -added that, considering the huge amount of money carried by those going -racing in France, robberies are extremely rare.</p> - -<p>Admission to the "pesage," the best and most expensive enclosure, -is only 20 francs for a man, 10 francs for a woman. There is also a -cheaper stand, and admission to the course costs a franc.</p> - -<p>Though a certain number of heavy betters complain of the lack of -bookmakers, the general public appears satisfied.</p> - -<p>On the Grand Prix day of the present year, when the race was for -the first time won by a French jockey, £185,326 passed through the -Pari Mutuel at Longchamps, out of the percentage levied on which the -poor received no less than £3700. Whatever may be urged against the -Totalisator in France, it is bound to benefit a certain number of -people, which is a good deal more than can be said for any other form -of betting, gambling, or speculation.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Those who in the pages of this book have wandered through the -gaming-houses of Europe,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_433" id="Page_433">[Pg 433]</a></span> and have briefly surveyed the careers of most -of the chief gamblers of the past, will, it is hoped, do the writer the -justice to admit that he has in no wise sought to minimise the grave -evils which are the almost inevitable result of worshipping the goddess -of Chance.</p> - -<p>Nothing, indeed, is more striking than the almost universal ruin which -has ever overtaken the vast majority of gamblers, except the complete -failure which has invariably attended all attempts to stamp out this -vice by means of coercive measures.</p> - -<p>The futile and ineffectual results which, during the last two hundred -years, have invariably followed all drastic repression, are clearly -demonstrated by hard facts; at the present time speculation, gambling, -and betting all flourish as they never flourished before.</p> - -<p>In open combat, the strong arm of the law is resistless; but there is -no possibility of its ultimate triumph or power of eradicating the -desire of gaming from the human mind; and more especially in a country -where speculation on the Stock Exchange is regarded with the greatest -tolerance by those who denounce the race-course and the card-table.</p> - -<p>The anathemas of well-meaning and unworldly ecclesiastics, the plaints -of zealous philanthropists, the strident declamations of social -reformers, who call for legislative measures of drastic restriction, -can only cause the philosophic student of human nature to deplore that -so much well-meaning effort should be devoted to such a futile end.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_434" id="Page_434">[Pg 434]</a></span></p> - -<p>In sober fact the gambling mania is one for which no specific remedy -exists—it is possessed by those who are well aware of its dangers, and -realise that in the ordinary course of events it must prove ultimately -destructive. Repress it in one direction and it reappears—more often -than not worse than ever—in another.</p> - -<p>It is impossible to dragoon human nature into virtue. The leopard -cannot change its spots, or the Ethiopian his skin. Man with his -craving for strong emotions will assuredly find means of gratifying -them, and it is mere hypocritical rubbish to assume that in the future -milk and water is to be the elixir of life.</p> - -<p>The well-meaning altruist, who looks with contempt on the frivolous -occupations which appear to amuse a great part of mankind, should -remember that they, on the other hand, are equally at a loss to account -for the pleasure which he derives from the more elevated pursuits in -which their lower mental capacities forbid them to indulge.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact the strongest motive with all mankind, after the -more sordid necessities are provided for, is excitement. For this -reason gambling will continue—even should all card-playing be declared -illegal and all race-courses ploughed up.</p> - -<p>Repugnant as the idea may be to the Anglo-Saxon mind, regulation, not -repression, is without doubt the best possible method of mitigating -the evils of speculation; and, moreover, such a system<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_435" id="Page_435">[Pg 435]</a></span> possesses the -undeniable advantage of diverting no inconsiderable portion of the -money so often recklessly risked into channels of undoubted public -benefit.</p> - -<p>The time is not yet when English public opinion is prepared to face -facts as they are; but though it may be at some far distant day, -that time must come, when a wiser and more enlightened legislature, -profiting by the experience of the past, will at last realise that the -vice of gambling cannot be extirpated by violent means. Reluctantly, -but certainly, it will endeavour to palliate the worst features of -gambling by taking care that those who indulge in it shall do so under -the fairest conditions, whilst at the same time paying a toll to be -applied for the good of the community at large.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_436" id="Page_436">[Pg 436]</a></span></p> -<p>Such is the inevitable and only solution of a social problem which from -any other direction it is absolutely hopeless to approach.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_437" id="Page_437">[Pg 437]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="INDEX" id="INDEX">INDEX</a></p> - - -<p> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Abingdon, Lord, befriended by Mr. Elwes, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and O'Kelly, <a href="#Page_145">145</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Adolphus, Mr., and Duke of Wellington, <a href="#Page_11">11</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Aix-la-Chapelle, gaming at, <a href="#Page_282">282</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">an Italian's adventures at, <a href="#Page_282">282</a>-4;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a royal gambler at, <a href="#Page_284">284</a>-6</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Alvanley, Lord, <a href="#Page_110">110</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ambassadors use their mansions as gaming-houses, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>-9</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ancre, Maréchal d', the wife of, <a href="#Page_10">10</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Anne, Queen, supporter of the Turf, <a href="#Page_389">389</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Annuities, paid by Brooks's, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">paid by gamblers as compromise, <a href="#Page_171">171</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Antoinette, Marie, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>, <a href="#Page_419">419</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Archer, Lady, <a href="#Page_56">56</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ardesoif, Mr., roasts a game-cock to death, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his just reward, <a href="#Page_196">196</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Arlington, Earl of, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Arnold, Mr., his cruel wager, <a href="#Page_225">225</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Arthur's, Mr. Elwes a member of, <a href="#Page_15">15</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Artois, Comte d', his bet with Marie Antoinette, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his conduct on the Turf, <a href="#Page_418">418</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ashburnham, Lord, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ass and chimney-sweep race, <a href="#Page_205">205</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Athenæum," a notorious gaming-house, <a href="#Page_89">89</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">confused with real Athenæum Club, <a href="#Page_93">93</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Atkins, a bookmaker, last authority on hazard, <a href="#Page_81">81</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Atkinson, Bartle, a famous trainer, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Atkinson, Joseph, <a href="#Page_42">42</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Aubrey, Lieut.-Col., his maxim, <a href="#Page_157">157</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his distinguished antagonists and associates, <a href="#Page_157">157</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Australian story, an, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>-63</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Author, a lucky, and his method of speculation, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>-6</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Avarice combined with passion for play, <a href="#Page_13">13</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Baccarat, decision <i>re</i>, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>, <a href="#Page_130">130</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">single tableau, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>, <a href="#Page_318">318</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Bad houses, beware of," <a href="#Page_43">43</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Baden, ex-Elector of Hesse gambles at, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">M. de la Charme at, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>, <a href="#Page_288">288</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">society at, <a href="#Page_288">288</a>, <a href="#Page_289">289</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">croupiers at, <a href="#Page_289">289</a>, <a href="#Page_290">290</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bagatelle, the building of, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>, <a href="#Page_210">210</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Baggs, Major, his luck at hazard, <a href="#Page_82">82</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his adventures abroad, <a href="#Page_83">83</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Lord Onslow, <a href="#Page_83">83</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a skilful swordsman, and man of culture, <a href="#Page_83">83</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his generosity, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">wins from the King, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">falls a victim to gaming, <a href="#Page_84">84</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Baily, Mr., of Rambridge, <a href="#Page_145">145</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Barber, the Canterbury, <a href="#Page_34">34</a>-37;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">an Indian, as balloonist, <a href="#Page_190">190</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Barclay, Captain, pedestrian, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Barucci, Madame Julia, a card scandal at the house of, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>-7</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Basketing, <a href="#Page_199">199</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Basset, <a href="#Page_53">53</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bassette, <a href="#Page_52">52</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bathing adventure, a, <a href="#Page_194">194</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Beauclerk, Topham, <a href="#Page_27">27</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bedford, Duke of, and Nash, <a href="#Page_31">31</a>, <a href="#Page_32">32</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">horsewhipped, <a href="#Page_150">150</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bellasis, Theophilus, <a href="#Page_42">42</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Benazet, M., farmer-general of gaming-houses, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">proprietor of rooms at Baden-Baden, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>, <a href="#Page_287">287</a></span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_438" id="Page_438">[Pg 438]</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bennet, Captain, trundles a hoop, <a href="#Page_224">224</a>, <a href="#Page_225">225</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bentinck, Lord Frederick, beat by Col. Mellish in a foot-race, <a href="#Page_170">170</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bentinck, Lord George, and Lord Kelburne, <a href="#Page_382">382</a>, <a href="#Page_383">383</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his large winnings, <a href="#Page_383">383</a>, <a href="#Page_384">384</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bentinck, Rev. Mr., and the Duc de Nivernois, <a href="#Page_51">51</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Berkeley, Captain, and his game-cock, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_203">203</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bertie, Lord Robert, <a href="#Page_15">15</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Betting-houses started, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">fraudulent proceedings illustrated, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">suppressed, <a href="#Page_102">102</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Billiards, a one-eyed player, <a href="#Page_64">64</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bingham, Mr., his horse leaps Hyde Park wall, <a href="#Page_219">219</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Biribi, method of play, <a href="#Page_247">247</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Blackmail, keepers of gaming-houses subject to, <a href="#Page_42">42</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">at the Palais Royal, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_252">252</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Blanc, M., starts gambling-tables at Homburg, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">plays for a parasol, <a href="#Page_301">301</a>, <a href="#Page_302">302</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">victim of a stratagem, <a href="#Page_302">302</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a croupier's scheme, <a href="#Page_303">303</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Garcia, <a href="#Page_303">303</a>, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">opens a Casino at Monaco, <a href="#Page_319">319</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bland, Sir John, <a href="#Page_108">108</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">squanders his fortune and shoots himself, <a href="#Page_109">109</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Blind cock-fight enthusiast (Lord Bertie), <a href="#Page_199">199</a>, <a href="#Page_200">200</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Blind horse wins a leaping contest, <a href="#Page_219">219</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Blo' Norton Hall, <a href="#Page_33">33</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Blücher, Marshal, fond of gambling, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">passion inherited by his son, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">wins his son's money, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">at the Palais Royal, <a href="#Page_265">265</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Blythe, Captain Carlton, a frequenter of Monte Carlo, <a href="#Page_329">329</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his method of play, <a href="#Page_329">329</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Boarding-schools, gaming taught at, <a href="#Page_56">56</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bond, Ephraim, <a href="#Page_89">89</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">takes over "Athenæum," <a href="#Page_92">92</a>, <a href="#Page_93">93</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Boothby, Mr., his opinion of Fox, <a href="#Page_27">27</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Borsant, M., a generous gaming-house proprietor, <a href="#Page_272">272</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">revelations, <a href="#Page_274">274</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bouillotte, <a href="#Page_270">270</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bow Street troops, <a href="#Page_44">44</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bowes, Mr. John, four times Derby winner, <a href="#Page_421">421</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brampton, Gawdy, <a href="#Page_33">33</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brelans, <a href="#Page_235">235</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bridge, <a href="#Page_135">135</a>, <a href="#Page_136">136</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bristol, Lord, turns the tables on Lord Cobham and Mr. Nugent, <a href="#Page_104">104</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brooks, Mr., ready to make advances, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">dies poor, <a href="#Page_114">114</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brooks's, unlimited gambling at, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Fox's large losses at, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">annuities granted to ruined members, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the betting-book at, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">favourite games at, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">relics preserved at, <a href="#Page_117">117</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brummell, Beau, plays heavily, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his promise to the brewer, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his superstition, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Buckeburg, Count de, rides his horse backwards from London to</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Edinburgh, <a href="#Page_205">205</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Buckingham, Duke of, <a href="#Page_39">39</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Quin's story of the, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Buckingham Palace, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Buckinghamshire, Earl and Countess of, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bullock, Mr., <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bulpett, Mr. Charles, his remarkable feats, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>, <a href="#Page_234">234</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bunbury, Sir Charles, <a href="#Page_402">402</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Burge, known as "the Subject," <a href="#Page_89">89</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his passion for the gaming-table, <a href="#Page_90">90</a>, <a href="#Page_91">91</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Byng, Hon. Frederick, on gambling, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>, <a href="#Page_95">95</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Byng, Sir John, his dispute with "T' au'd un," <a href="#Page_381">381</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Byron, Lord, a frequenter of Wattier's, <a href="#Page_122">122</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Calzado, Signor, cheats at cards, <a href="#Page_305">305</a>-7;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">sentenced to imprisonment, <a href="#Page_307">307</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Canterbury barber, the, <a href="#Page_34">34</a>-37</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Card-money, <a href="#Page_54">54</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Carlisle, Lord, <a href="#Page_105">105</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a high gambler, but warns Selwyn, <a href="#Page_106">106</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Carriage race, a, <a href="#Page_213">213</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Casanova, his card duel with d'Entragues, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>-24;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his meeting with Fox, <a href="#Page_26">26</a></span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_439" id="Page_439">[Pg 439]</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cavillac, Marquis de, accuses Law of plagiarism, <a href="#Page_242">242</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chabert, M., opens houses at Baden-Baden, Wiesbaden, and Ems, <a href="#Page_286">286</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Champeiron, la Comtesse, <a href="#Page_246">246</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chance, the laws of, <a href="#Page_6">6</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">in roulette, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">public tables offer best, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">tradesmen devotees of, <a href="#Page_33">33</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chaplin, Mr., his fortunate Derby, <a href="#Page_375">375</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Charles II., founder of the English Turf, <a href="#Page_386">386</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">an experienced rider, <a href="#Page_386">386</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his house at Newmarket, <a href="#Page_386">386</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Nell Gwynne's threat, <a href="#Page_387">387</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his witty answer to Sir Christopher Wren, <a href="#Page_387">387</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his amusements at Newmarket, <a href="#Page_387">387</a>, <a href="#Page_388">388</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his generosity, <a href="#Page_388">388</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Charme, M. de la, at Baden, <a href="#Page_288">288</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chartres, Duc de, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>, <a href="#Page_419">419</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cheating, methods of, <a href="#Page_78">78</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chesterfield, Lord, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chesterfield Row, <a href="#Page_65">65</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chetwynd, Sir George, his <i>Recollections</i>, <a href="#Page_82">82</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cibber, Colley, <a href="#Page_108">108</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Clarke, Vauxhall, his cock-fighting match with Col. Lowther, <a href="#Page_196">196</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Clavering, Sir John, appoints Mordaunt his aide-de-camp, <a href="#Page_182">182</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Clergyman, a betting, <a href="#Page_209">209</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cleveland, Duke of, and Billy Pierse, <a href="#Page_381">381</a>, <a href="#Page_382">382</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cobham, Lord, makes a vulgar bet, <a href="#Page_103">103</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">forced to make public apology, <a href="#Page_104">104</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cock-fighting in England, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">some great patrons, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a famous battle at the Cock Pit Royal, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a cruel monster, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">betting, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">unexpected winners, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">celebrated London cockpits, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Royal Cockpit taken down, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">punishment for foul play, <a href="#Page_199">199</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a specimen challenge, <a href="#Page_200">200</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">present-day fights, <a href="#Page_200">200</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">famous trainers, <a href="#Page_201">201</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the last of the cock-fighters, <a href="#Page_201">201</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">courageous birds, <a href="#Page_201">201</a>-3</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cocoa Tree, big stakes at the, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Codrington, Mr., <a href="#Page_212">212</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Colonel, the English, and his wife's ear-rings, <a href="#Page_158">158</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Colton, Rev. Caleb, a successful gambler, <a href="#Page_138">138</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his publications, <a href="#Page_138">138</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his affairs become involved and he decamps, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">settles down at Palais Royal, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">studies gambling, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">commits suicide, <a href="#Page_140">140</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Combe, Alderman, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Combe, Hervey, <a href="#Page_20">20</a>, <a href="#Page_21">21</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Concannon, Mrs., <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_62">62</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Mr., <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Conolly, Rt. Hon. Thomas, <a href="#Page_218">218</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cook, a fortunate, <a href="#Page_262">262</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cookson, Mr., owner of Diamond, <a href="#Page_413">413</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Copley, Sir Joseph, <a href="#Page_110">110</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cornwallis, Lord, and Mordaunt, <a href="#Page_191">191</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Corpse" card-player and the Parisian banker, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>, <a href="#Page_157">157</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Countess, an eccentric, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>, <a href="#Page_292">292</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Court, gambling at, <a href="#Page_38">38</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Craps or Creps, an old French game, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">survives in America, <a href="#Page_264">264</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cribb, Tom, pugilist, his fight with Nicholl, <a href="#Page_177">177</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cribbage, a fashionable game, <a href="#Page_62">62</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cricket ball, a letter sent by, <a href="#Page_211">211</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Crockford, William, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">wins large sum, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">founds his famous Club, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">profits made by, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his views on gaming, <a href="#Page_98">98</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Crockford's, Duke of Wellington becomes member of, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">large tips to waiters, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">blamed for increase of gambling-houses, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">magnificence of, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">expense of running, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">heavy losses at, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Crofton, Sir Edward, high leap at Phœnix Park, <a href="#Page_227">227</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Croupiers, stoicism of,<a href="#Page_290"> 290</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">at Monte Carlo, <a href="#Page_354">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355">355</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a school of, <a href="#Page_354">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355">355</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cumberland, Duke of, <a href="#Page_39">39</a>, <a href="#Page_137">137</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">institutes Ascot Meeting, <a href="#Page_390">390</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a born gambler, <a href="#Page_390">390</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his cruelty, <a href="#Page_390">390</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">good-natured when racing, <a href="#Page_391">391</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a fortunate loss, <a href="#Page_391">391</a>;</span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_440" id="Page_440">[Pg 440]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 2em;">match with Duke -of Grafton, <a href="#Page_391">391</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his horse Eclipse, <a href="#Page_391">391</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Curse of Scotland," origin of the name, <a href="#Page_137">137</a>, <a href="#Page_138">138</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dale, Thomas, rides a donkey-race, <a href="#Page_211">211</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Damer, Mr., makes the acquaintance of Dick England, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">ruined at tennis, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his tragic end, <a href="#Page_70">70</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Darlington, Lord, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a match with Col. Mellish, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dartmoor, gambling at, <a href="#Page_50">50</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Davies, a bookmaker, his betting, <a href="#Page_385">385</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Davis, Scrope, <a href="#Page_228">228</a>, <a href="#Page_229">229</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dayrolle, Mr., <a href="#Page_108">108</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Death, as a subject for wagers, <a href="#Page_105">105</a>, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a duel with, <a href="#Page_157">157</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Decency, sense of, lost by gamblers, <a href="#Page_158">158</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Deer, used in place of carriage-horses, <a href="#Page_206">206</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Delessert, M., the means of closing Parisian gaming-houses, <a href="#Page_272">272</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Demidoff, Madame, robbed by a countess, <a href="#Page_269">269</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dennisthorpe, Mr., <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Derby, Lord, a patron of cock-fighting, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>, <a href="#Page_200">200</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Desmarest, French minister, <a href="#Page_240">240</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Desmoulins, Camille, <a href="#Page_256">256</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Devil's Drawing-room," the, <a href="#Page_257">257</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Devonshire, Duchess of, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and "Old Nick," <a href="#Page_60">60</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">scandal about, <a href="#Page_60">60</a>-62</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Devonshire, Duke of, and Fox, <a href="#Page_28">28</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Devonshire Club, formerly Crockford's, <a href="#Page_97">97</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dickinson, old Jack, an honest tipster, <a href="#Page_377">377</a>, <a href="#Page_378">378</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Dispatches," <a href="#Page_78">78</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dorchester, Lord, <a href="#Page_70">70</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Doulah, Asoph ud, Nawab of Oude, his sword practice, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his barber's aerial punishment, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his love of cock-fighting, <a href="#Page_193">193</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Drummond and Greville, Messrs., open a betting-house, <a href="#Page_99">99</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dwyer, cigar-shop and betting-house keeper, <a href="#Page_101">101</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">bolts with large sum, <a href="#Page_102">102</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Earl, William, <a href="#Page_91">91</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his "Athenæum" swindle, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">transported, <a href="#Page_93">93</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Eclipse, the greatest horse of all time, <a href="#Page_391">391</a>-4</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Edgecumbe, Dick, <a href="#Page_106">106</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Égalité, Philippe, a royal shop-man, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a follower of the Turf, <a href="#Page_418">418</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Elwes, Mr., <a href="#Page_13">13</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">succeeds to a fortune, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a gambler at heart, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">quixotic, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a member of Arthur's, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">plays for two days and nights, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his avarice, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Lord Abingdon, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and the clergyman, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">elected to Parliament, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his admiration for Pitt, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his last bout, <a href="#Page_18">18</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Elwes, Sir Harvey, a miser, <a href="#Page_13">13</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Émigrés</i>, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">passion for gaming among, <a href="#Page_49">49</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a cause of irritation, <a href="#Page_54">54</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ems, a gambling resort, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a Spaniard's method at, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Russians at, <a href="#Page_311">311</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">England, Dick, and the young tradesman, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Mr. Damer, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>-72;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">shoots Rolles, a young brewer, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">flies to the Continent, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">ends his days in London, <a href="#Page_73">73</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">English, Buck, tried for murder, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">member of Parliament, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his death, <a href="#Page_217">217</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">English view of gambling, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Sunday racing, <a href="#Page_425">425</a>, <a href="#Page_426">426</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Entragues, d', and Casanova, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>-24</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">E.O., fraudulent, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">method of play, <a href="#Page_55">55</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Estates lost at play, <a href="#Page_33">33</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Este, Cardinal d', and the Cardinal de Medici, <a href="#Page_238">238</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Excessive" gambling, definition of, <a href="#Page_126">126</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Execution, betting at an, <a href="#Page_209">209</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Exeter Mail beaten by a pony, <a href="#Page_226">226</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Existence, a strange, <a href="#Page_267">267</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Faro, invented by a Venetian, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">introduced into France, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">prohibited in France, <a href="#Page_53">53</a>;</span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_441" id="Page_441">[Pg 441]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 2em;">finds its way to England, <a href="#Page_53">53</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Fox's favourite game, <a href="#Page_53">53</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">method of play, <a href="#Page_53">53</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">crusade against, <a href="#Page_57">57</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fawkener, Sir Everard, <a href="#Page_106">106</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Female assistants to sharpers, <a href="#Page_95">95</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fénelon, M. de, his match with Duc de Lauzun, <a href="#Page_419">419</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fenwick, Mr., <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ferguson, Sir Rowland, his opinion of Col. Mellish, <a href="#Page_178">178</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Field Club, The, <a href="#Page_135">135</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fishmonger's Hall, <a href="#Page_97">97</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">FitzJames, Marquis de, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>, <a href="#Page_419">419</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fitzpatrick, General, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Flint, Mr., his race with Mr. Thornton, <a href="#Page_415">415</a>, <a href="#Page_416">416</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">assaults Col. Thornton, <a href="#Page_416">416</a>, <a href="#Page_417">417</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">commits suicide, <a href="#Page_417">417</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Foley, Lord, <a href="#Page_401">401</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fonteneille, Madame de, <a href="#Page_246">246</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Foote, Sam, <a href="#Page_66">66</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fortune, image of, kept by Roman emperors, <a href="#Page_5">5</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">aid of, invoked by fetishes, <a href="#Page_5">5</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">sometimes favours non-gamblers, <a href="#Page_159">159</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Foubert, a celebrated French riding-master, <a href="#Page_386">386</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fouché, gaming-houses licensed by, <a href="#Page_250">250</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">punishes interference, <a href="#Page_250">250</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fox, Charles James, and Casanova, <a href="#Page_26">26</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a member of Brooks's, <a href="#Page_26">26</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">White's, <a href="#Page_105">105</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">unsuccessful gambler, <a href="#Page_26">26</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Duke of Devonshire, <a href="#Page_28">28</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Sir John Lade, <a href="#Page_28">28</a>, <a href="#Page_29">29</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">borrows from waiters at Brooks's, <a href="#Page_28">28</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">fond of horse-racing, <a href="#Page_29">29</a>, <a href="#Page_400">400</a>, <a href="#Page_401">401</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">ruined at twenty-five, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Frascati's, a noted gaming-house, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">an inveterate player at, <a href="#Page_268">268</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">fêtes at, <a href="#Page_269">269</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">dramatic incident at closing of, <a href="#Page_274">274</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">French Jockey Club, <a href="#Page_421">421</a> <i>et seq.</i></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Galeries de Bois, <a href="#Page_257">257</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Game-cock, gentleman attacked by, <a href="#Page_201">201</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">fox killed by, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">in a naval action, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_203">203</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">awarded a medal, <a href="#Page_203">203</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Games, unlawful, <a href="#Page_132">132</a>, <a href="#Page_133">133</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gaming-houses, suppressed, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">officials, <a href="#Page_40">40</a>, <a href="#Page_41">41</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gaming-tables kept by ladies, <a href="#Page_48">48</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>, <a href="#Page_245">245</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gancière, la Baronne de, <a href="#Page_245">245</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Garcia, his winnings at Homburg, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a card scandal, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>-7;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">sentenced to imprisonment, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his death, <a href="#Page_307">307</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Geese and turkey race, <a href="#Page_206">206</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Geneva, gambling at, <a href="#Page_311">311</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Genlis, Comte de, <a href="#Page_209">209</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">George I. and the Turf, <a href="#Page_389">389</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">George II. gambles, <a href="#Page_39">39</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">George IV. rides to Brighton and back, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>, <a href="#Page_211">211</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">George, Prince of Denmark, and horse-racing, <a href="#Page_389">389</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Germany, gaming in, <a href="#Page_282">282</a> <i>et seq.</i></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gevres, Duc de, <a href="#Page_239">239</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gilliver, Joe, fights cocks for Georges III. and IV., <a href="#Page_201">201</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his great-nephew's success, <a href="#Page_201">201</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gillray, his caricatures of female gamblers, <a href="#Page_56">56</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Giraudin, Madame de, <a href="#Page_420">420</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Glasgow, Lord, his love of enormous wagers, <a href="#Page_382">382</a>, <a href="#Page_383">383</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Grafton, Duke of, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Grafton Mews, No. <a href="#Page_13">13</a>, <a href="#Page_45">45</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Graham's Club, <a href="#Page_122">122</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gramont, Count de, his shrewd decision, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Granville, Lord, <a href="#Page_97">97</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Greville, Mr., <a href="#Page_108">108</a>, <a href="#Page_385">385</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Grieves, Mr. Mackenzie, <a href="#Page_426">426</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Groom-porter, the, <a href="#Page_39">39</a>, <a href="#Page_86">86</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Grosvenor, Lord, and Tattersall, <a href="#Page_397">397</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gully and the Game Chicken, match between, <a href="#Page_177">177</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gwynne, Nell, <a href="#Page_387">387</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Halton, Mr., <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hambletonian v. Diamond, a great race, <a href="#Page_411">411</a>-13</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hamilton, Captain, <a href="#Page_65">65</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hamilton, Duke of, <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hammond, Mr. John, his successes on the Turf, <a href="#Page_373">373</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Harvey, Mr., a midshipman gambler, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hastings, Marquis of, his large bets, <a href="#Page_384">384</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">ruined, and early death, <a href="#Page_385">385</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_442" id="Page_442">[Pg 442]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hawke, Hon. Martin, fights Col. -Mellish, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a marvellous pistol shot, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">duel with Baron Smieten, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">patron of pugilists, <a href="#Page_177">177</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hawkins, Sir Henry, his decision in Park Club appeal, <a href="#Page_131">131</a> <i>et seq.</i></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hawley, Sir Joseph, a heavy better, <a href="#Page_384">384</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hazard, a popular game, <a href="#Page_74">74</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">made illegal, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">method of play, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>-78;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">privilege of players, <a href="#Page_78">78</a>, 79;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a lucky throw, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">drunk men best players, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">rules now forgotten, <a href="#Page_81">81</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">French hazard, <a href="#Page_82">82</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">runs of luck, <a href="#Page_82">82</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Heligoland, gaming-house on island of, <a href="#Page_311">311</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hells, <a href="#Page_40">40</a>, <a href="#Page_86">86</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">defenders of, <a href="#Page_42">42</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">West-End, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">principal proprietors of, <a href="#Page_85">85</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">source of profits, <a href="#Page_86">86</a>, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a prospectus, <a href="#Page_88">88</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">precautions with visitors, <a href="#Page_96">96</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Henri IX. addicted to gaming, <a href="#Page_235">235</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hertford, Lord, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hesse, ex-Elector of, <a href="#Page_287">287</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Highflyer, a famous horse, <a href="#Page_394">394</a>-6</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hoca, brought to France by Italians, <a href="#Page_238">238</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">play punishable by death, <a href="#Page_239">239</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hodgson, Dr. William, <a href="#Page_409">409</a>-10</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hodsock Priory, <a href="#Page_179">179</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Holdernesse, Lord, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Holford, Mr., <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Homburg, gaming at, started by brothers Blanc, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">hours of play, etc., <a href="#Page_299">299</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a flood at, <a href="#Page_299">299</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the Kursaal, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the Landgraf, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Garcia at, <a href="#Page_303">303</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">scenes at close of Kursaal, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>-10</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hook, Theodore, his epitaph on Lord de Ros, <a href="#Page_123">123</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hughes, Mr. Ball, <a href="#Page_97">97</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Humbug, method of play, <a href="#Page_66">66</a>, <a href="#Page_67">67</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Humphries, Mr., horsewhips Duke of Bedford, <a href="#Page_150">150</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hunter, Henry, <a href="#Page_224">224</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Huntingdon, Lord, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ingham, Sir J., his decision <i>re</i> baccarat, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>, <a href="#Page_130">130</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Insurance, fraudulent, <a href="#Page_48">48</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">speculative, made illegal, <a href="#Page_49">49</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Invalids, gambling, <a href="#Page_155">155</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Ivories," <a href="#Page_79">79</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">James II., a lover of field sports, <a href="#Page_388">388</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Jeffries, Mr. John, <a href="#Page_108">108</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Jehu, Sir John, <a href="#Page_28">28</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Justiniani introduces faro into France, <a href="#Page_52">52</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Kelly, J.D., <a href="#Page_90">90</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Kenyon, Lord, scathing remarks by, <a href="#Page_56">56</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Kerridge, Thomas, <a href="#Page_33">33</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Kildare, Lady, <a href="#Page_108">108</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">King's Place, a raid in, <a href="#Page_44">44</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">La Belle, a popular French game, <a href="#Page_245">245</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lade, Councillor, an eccentric supporter of the Turf, <a href="#Page_405">405</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his meanness, <a href="#Page_406">406</a>-8</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lade, Sir John, taught a lesson by Fox, <a href="#Page_28">28</a>, <a href="#Page_29">29</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">bets with "Old Q.," <a href="#Page_211">211</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ladies of fashion, keep faro-banks, <a href="#Page_48">48</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">gaming-tables, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">on trial, <a href="#Page_57">57</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">extravagances of, <a href="#Page_59">59</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"La Faucheuse," <a href="#Page_313">313</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">played at Ostend, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">forbidden in France, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>, <a href="#Page_318">318</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">La fille Chevalier, <a href="#Page_258">258</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lansdowne, Marchioness of, <a href="#Page_180">180</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lauzun, Duc de, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>, <a href="#Page_419">419</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Law, John, kills a peer in a duel and escapes to Holland, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">outlawed, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">studies finance, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">interview with Louis XIV., <a href="#Page_240">240</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">threatened by Desmarest, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">trusted by Duke of Orleans, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">puts schemes in operation, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">created Comte de Tankerville, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">presented with freedom of Edinburgh, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">anecdotes, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his downfall, <a href="#Page_244">244</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Leaping wagers, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>, <a href="#Page_219">219</a>, <a href="#Page_220">220</a>, <a href="#Page_227">227</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Leeson, Major, <a href="#Page_403">403</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">vanquishes the blacksmith, <a href="#Page_404">404</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his Turf career, <a href="#Page_404">404</a>, <a href="#Page_405">405</a></span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_443" id="Page_443">[Pg 443]</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lennox, Lieut.-General, <a href="#Page_224">224</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Le Wellington des Joueurs," <a href="#Page_113">113</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lewis, Mr. George, <a href="#Page_125">125</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lewis, Mr. Sam, a frequenter of Monte Carlo, <a href="#Page_329">329</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Liddell, Sir H.G., <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lloyd, pedestrian, runs a race backwards, <a href="#Page_231">231</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Loftus, Mr., cockpit owner, <a href="#Page_197">197</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Long sittings, <a href="#Page_19">19</a>, <a href="#Page_20">20</a>, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>-24, <a href="#Page_62">62</a>, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lonsdale, Lord, <a href="#Page_196">196</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lookup, Mr., <a href="#Page_63">63</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Lord Chesterfield, <a href="#Page_64">64</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">becomes saltpetre manufacturer, <a href="#Page_65">65</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">privateering ventures, <a href="#Page_66">66</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">dies at his favourite game, <a href="#Page_66">66</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Losers ready to fight, <a href="#Page_25">25</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Lottery," a game favoured by ladies, <a href="#Page_55">55</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Louis XIV., <a href="#Page_237">237</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">issues edict against play, <a href="#Page_239">239</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Louse Pigott," an unpleasant Turf character, <a href="#Page_408">408</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">charged with disloyalty, <a href="#Page_409">409</a>, <a href="#Page_410">410</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lowther, Colonel, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">at Cock Pit Royal, <a href="#Page_196">196</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Luttrell, Lady Elizabeth, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Luynes, Duchesse de, and Talleyrand, <a href="#Page_137">137</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Macao, introduced by French <i>émigrés</i>, <a href="#Page_121">121</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">MacGregor and his militia regiment, <a href="#Page_141">141</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Maisons de bouillotte, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">de jeu, <a href="#Page_245">245</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Malcolm, Sir John, <a href="#Page_20">20</a>, <a href="#Page_21">21</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Manning, Mr., his novel leap, <a href="#Page_220">220</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">March, Lord, <a href="#Page_105">105</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Martindale, Henry, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>-59</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Martine, Colonel, engineer to Asoph ud Doulah, <a href="#Page_188">188</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Massena entertains Col. Mellish, <a href="#Page_179">179</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mazarin, Cardinal, introduces games of chance, <a href="#Page_237">237</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">always ready to bet, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Medici, Cardinal de, <a href="#Page_238">238</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Medley, Sporting, <a href="#Page_42">42</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Meggot, Mr., <a href="#Page_13">13</a>, <a href="#Page_14">14</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mellish, Mr. Charles, <a href="#Page_167">167</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mellish, Colonel Henry, his boyhood, <a href="#Page_167">167</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">enters army, <a href="#Page_168">168</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his accomplishments, <a href="#Page_168">168</a>-70;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">appearance and mode of dress, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his horses, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his big stakes, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and the Turf, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>-5;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">sells his estate, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Duke of Wellington's compliment, <a href="#Page_178">178</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">befriended by Prince Regent, <a href="#Page_179">179</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">settles at Hodsock Priory and marries, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his early death, <a href="#Page_180">180</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Methodists, <a href="#Page_85">85</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Methods, <a href="#Page_4">4</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Merry, Mr. James, <a href="#Page_375">375</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mexborough, Lord, <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mills, Pemberton, ties up Brummell, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Milton, Lord, <a href="#Page_70">70</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Miranda, Signor, cheated by Garcia and Calzado, <a href="#Page_305">305</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Monaco, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">gambling at, <a href="#Page_319">319</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the Grimaldis, <a href="#Page_320">320</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the army, <a href="#Page_321">321</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">improvements due to M. Blanc, <a href="#Page_322">322</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Casino brings prosperity, <a href="#Page_322">322</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">old Prince's consideration, <a href="#Page_323">323</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a visit to, fifty years ago, <a href="#Page_324">324</a>, <a href="#Page_325">325</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Monte Carlo, in 1864, <a href="#Page_326">326</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">early frequenters, <a href="#Page_327">327</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">development of, <a href="#Page_328">328</a>, <a href="#Page_329">329</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">patrons, <a href="#Page_329">329</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">regulations as to dress, <a href="#Page_330">330</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">hotels, restaurants, etc. in the 'eighties, <a href="#Page_332">332</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the "Cercle Privé," <a href="#Page_334">334</a>, <a href="#Page_335">335</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the bank, its gains and losses, <a href="#Page_335">335</a>-7;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">mistaken ideas about the gaming-rooms, <a href="#Page_337">337</a>, <a href="#Page_338">338</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">systems of old players, <a href="#Page_339">339</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">superstitions, <a href="#Page_339">339</a>-43;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">trente-et-quarante, <a href="#Page_343">343</a>-5;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a successful swindle at, <a href="#Page_346">346</a>-8;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">roulette, <a href="#Page_348">348</a>-52;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the croupiers, <a href="#Page_354">354</a>, <a href="#Page_355">355</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">annual profits, <a href="#Page_357">357</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the Casino employés, <a href="#Page_357">357</a>, <a href="#Page_358">358</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the <i>viatique</i>, <a href="#Page_358">358</a>, <a href="#Page_359">359</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">playing for a living, <a href="#Page_359">359</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">systems of play, <a href="#Page_360">360</a>-73</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Montfort, Lord, <a href="#Page_108">108</a>, <a href="#Page_109">109</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Monville, M. de, <a href="#Page_252">252</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Moral Betting Club, circulars issued by a, <a href="#Page_101">101</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mordaunt, Colonel John, devoted to cards from youth, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>, <a href="#Page_181">181</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">leaves for India, <a href="#Page_182">182</a>;</span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_444" id="Page_444">[Pg 444]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 2em;">ignorance of writing, <a href="#Page_182">182</a>, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Hindoo and Persian scholar, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his method of calculation, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">meets with Asoph ud Doulah, <a href="#Page_186">186</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">aide-de-camp to the Nawab, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">saves Zoffany's head, <a href="#Page_188">188</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his hospitality, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">excellent pistol shot, <a href="#Page_192">192</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">wounded in a duel, <a href="#Page_192">192</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his love of cock-fighting, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his early death, <a href="#Page_193">193</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Morny, Duc de, <a href="#Page_425">425</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Morocco-men, <a href="#Page_48">48</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mount Coffee-House, Mr. Elwes a member of, <a href="#Page_17">17</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Multipliers," <a href="#Page_1">1</a>, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">statute against, <a href="#Page_2">2</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mundy's Coffee-House, <a href="#Page_41">41</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mytton, Jack, played best when drunk, <a href="#Page_80">80</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">punishes foul play, <a href="#Page_80">80</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">presence of mind, <a href="#Page_80">80</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">often plucked when young, <a href="#Page_81">81</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Napoleon, a poor card-player, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">encourages horse-racing, <a href="#Page_420">420</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Napoleon III. and the institution of the Grand Prix, <a href="#Page_425">425</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Nash, Beau, does penance, <a href="#Page_30">30</a>, <a href="#Page_31">31</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">rides upon a cow, <a href="#Page_31">31</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his advice to a giddy youth, <a href="#Page_31">31</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Duke of Bedford, <a href="#Page_31">31</a>, <a href="#Page_32">32</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and the young peer, <a href="#Page_32">32</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a bet on the life of, <a href="#Page_108">108</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Naylor, Mr., his big win at the Derby, <a href="#Page_375">375</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Neptune," <a href="#Page_117">117</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Newcastle, Duke of, <a href="#Page_52">52</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Nivernois, Duc de, <a href="#Page_50">50</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and the Rev. Mr. Bentinck, <a href="#Page_51">51</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Normandie, M. de, <a href="#Page_422">422</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">North-country gambler, a, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>, <a href="#Page_13">13</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Northumberland, Duke of, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">patron of cock-fighting, <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Nugent, Mr., <a href="#Page_103">103</a>, <a href="#Page_104">104</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">O'Birne, Mr., his generous offer, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">O'Burne, Mr., <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ogden, Mr., <a href="#Page_9">9</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">O'Kelly, Colonel Andrew, and his uncle's parrot, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">O'Kelly, Colonel Dennis, <a href="#Page_42">42</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his military rank, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">sometimes known as Count, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Catherine Hayes, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his racing successes, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">hospitable, yet mean, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a true-bred Milesian, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">not a fighting-man, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and the Jockey Club, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the black-legged fraternity, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and the sporting aristocracy, <a href="#Page_145">145</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his attachment for Ascot, <a href="#Page_145">145</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his small note, <a href="#Page_146">146</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and the pickpocket, <a href="#Page_146">146</a>, <a href="#Page_147">147</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the map of his estates, <a href="#Page_147">147</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his wonderful parrot, <a href="#Page_147">147</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">becomes owner of Eclipse, <a href="#Page_393">393</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Old Nick," <a href="#Page_59">59</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and the Duchess of Devonshire, <a href="#Page_60">60</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">vouches for a friend's respectability, <a href="#Page_60">60</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">One leg, twelve hours' stand on, <a href="#Page_230">230</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Onslow, Lord, and Major Baggs, <a href="#Page_83">83</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Onslow, Mr. George (Cocking George), out-ranger of Windsor Forest, <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Orford, Lord, his geese and turkey race, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">drives deer in place of horses in his phaeton, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">chased by hounds, <a href="#Page_207">207</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Orléans, Duc d', anecdote of, <a href="#Page_252">252</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Orleans, Duke of, Regent, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">duped by Law, <a href="#Page_241">241</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Osbaldiston, Squire, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ostend, gambling at, <a href="#Page_312">312</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">single tableau baccarat at, <a href="#Page_313">313</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Oyster-houses, gambling in, <a href="#Page_95">95</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Packer, Colonel, <a href="#Page_138">138</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Palais Royal, tripots in, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_253">253</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Venternière and his black-mailers, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_252">252</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">its history, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>-6;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">queer characters, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"the Devil's Drawing-room," <a href="#Page_257">257</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">facilities for dissipation, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the gaming-rooms, <a href="#Page_258">258</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the stakes, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a fortunate cook, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the mad colonel, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">passe-dix and craps, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">famous gaming-houses, <a href="#Page_265">265</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Marshal Blücher games at, <a href="#Page_265">265</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">falls on evil days, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the end of gaming at, <a href="#Page_272">272</a>-4;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">present condition of, <a href="#Page_275">275</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">schemes to revivify, <a href="#Page_277">277</a></span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_445" id="Page_445">[Pg 445]</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Panton, Colonel, <a href="#Page_140">140</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Panton, Mr., <a href="#Page_117">117</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Paper, a lucky bit of, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>-2</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Parasol, an expensive, <a href="#Page_301">301</a>, <a href="#Page_302">302</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pari Mutuel, the, <a href="#Page_427">427</a>-32</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Paris, gambling in, <a href="#Page_235">235</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">present-day, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>-81;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">anecdotes, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>-81</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Park Club, high play at baccarat at, <a href="#Page_124">124</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">proceedings against, <a href="#Page_124">124</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">rules of, <a href="#Page_126">126</a>, <a href="#Page_127">127</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">proprietor and committee fined, <a href="#Page_130">130</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Parrot, a wonderful, <a href="#Page_147">147</a>-9</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Passe-dix, method of play, <a href="#Page_263">263</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pearson, Prof. Karl, his roulette experiments, <a href="#Page_351">351</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Peterborough, Earl of, <a href="#Page_180">180</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Petersham, Lady Catherine, <a href="#Page_108">108</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pharo, or pharaoh, <a href="#Page_53">53</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Pharaon, le</i>, <a href="#Page_53">53</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Philosopher's stone, <a href="#Page_2">2</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Piazza, Covent Garden, <a href="#Page_42">42</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pierse, Billy ("T' au'd un"), his idea of making a fortune on the</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Turf, <a href="#Page_381">381</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his opinion of Sir John Byng, <a href="#Page_381">381</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">on friendly terms with Duke of Cleveland, <a href="#Page_381">381</a>, <a href="#Page_382">382</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pigot, Mr. William, and "Old Q.," <a href="#Page_212">212</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Poland, Mr., <a href="#Page_125">125</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Polhill, Captain, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pond, Miss, rides a thousand miles, <a href="#Page_207">207</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pond, Mr., publisher of <i>Racing Calendar</i>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Posting," <a href="#Page_172">172</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Potter, Paul, game-cock feeder to Lord Derby, <a href="#Page_200">200</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Pour et contre</i>, <a href="#Page_53">53</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pratt, Mr. Edward, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his wonderful memory, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">silence a hobby, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">whist his sole earthly aim, <a href="#Page_121">121</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Prisoners of war, gambling among, <a href="#Page_50">50</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">strange sleeping conditions, <a href="#Page_50">50</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">an amusing rebuke, <a href="#Page_254">254</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Private gambling, evils of, <a href="#Page_136">136</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Prussia, King of, gambles at Aix-la-Chapelle, <a href="#Page_284">284</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his generosity, <a href="#Page_285">285</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Public tables offer best chance, <a href="#Page_10">10</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pur Plomb Club, <a href="#Page_75">75</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Queensberry, Duke of ("Old Q."), rides a mule race, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">sends letter by cricket ball, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">an eating contest, bet with Mr. William Pigot, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Count O'Taafe, <a href="#Page_213">213</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his shrewdness, <a href="#Page_410">410</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his presence of mind, <a href="#Page_411">411</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Racing games, <a href="#Page_75">75</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Racing Plomb Club, <a href="#Page_75">75</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Radcliffe, Mr. J.B., <a href="#Page_234">234</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Raggett, <a href="#Page_20">20</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Raids, <a href="#Page_44">44</a>, <a href="#Page_46">46</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Raindrop race, the, <a href="#Page_204">204</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rebuke, an amusing, <a href="#Page_254">254</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Regent, Prince, wins large sum from Mellish, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">befriends him, <a href="#Page_179">179</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Restaurants in Palais Royal:</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Méot's, <a href="#Page_275">275</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Beauvilliers', Rivarol Champcenetz at, <a href="#Page_275">275</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Véry's, Danton at, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Venua, frequented by Girondins and Robespierre, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Fevrier's, a tragedy at, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Véfour's, <a href="#Page_277">277</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"Les Trois Frères Provençaux," <a href="#Page_277">277</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Café Corazza, <a href="#Page_277">277</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Revolution, gambling during the, <a href="#Page_249">249</a> <i>et seq.</i></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Revolutionary playing-cards, <a href="#Page_253">253</a>, <a href="#Page_254">254</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ricardo, Mr. Albert, <a href="#Page_422">422</a>, <a href="#Page_423">423</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Richmond, Duke of, <a href="#Page_227">227</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rigby, Mr. Richard, squanders his fortune, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">rescues Duke of Bedford, <a href="#Page_150">150</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">appointed Paymaster-General, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">loses his post, and in difficulties, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">assisted by Thomas Rumbold, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his kindness to a stranger, <a href="#Page_152">152</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rivers, Lord, a dashing player, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Rivett, General," <a href="#Page_44">44</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Riviera, prosperity of, due to M. Blanc, <a href="#Page_328">328</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Robespierre, <a href="#Page_276">276</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Roche, Captain, <a href="#Page_67">67</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rolles, a brewer, shot by England, <a href="#Page_73">73</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ros, Lord de, and the <i>Satirist</i> newspaper, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">amusing evidence at trial, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">dies in disgrace, <a href="#Page_123">123</a></span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_446" id="Page_446">[Pg 446]</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rosebery, Lord, on chances of the Turf, <a href="#Page_374">374</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rosslyn, Lord, his system, <a href="#Page_366">366</a>-9</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Roulette, chances of, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">method of play, <a href="#Page_348">348</a>-51;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Prof. Karl Pearson's experiments, <a href="#Page_351">351</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a new form of, <a href="#Page_281">281</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rowlandson, <a href="#Page_20">20</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Roxburgh Club, <a href="#Page_20">20</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Royal edict against play, <a href="#Page_239">239</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rumbold, Thomas, waiter at White's and Governor of Madras, <a href="#Page_151">151</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Runs, extraordinary, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>, <a href="#Page_82">82</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Russell, Mr. Charles, <a href="#Page_125">125</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sack race, a, <a href="#Page_210">210</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">St. Amaranthe, Madame de, keeps a luxurious tripot, <a href="#Page_253">253</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">St. Ann's parish officers' warning, <a href="#Page_43">43</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">St. Fargeau, Lepelletier de, murder of, <a href="#Page_276">276</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">St. Germain, a new form of roulette at, <a href="#Page_281">281</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">St. James's Palace, <a href="#Page_38">38</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">St. Louis, Chevaliers of, as croupiers, <a href="#Page_249">249</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sainte Doubeuville, la Marquise de, <a href="#Page_245">245</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Salisbury, Lord and Lady, their amusing experience at Monte</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Carlo, <a href="#Page_330">330</a>, <a href="#Page_331">331</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Salon des Étrangers, a favourite resort of Marshal Blücher, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a pensioner, <a href="#Page_267">267</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a run of luck, <a href="#Page_267">267</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">heavy losers, <a href="#Page_268">268</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sandwich, Lord, plays hazard with Duke of Cumberland, <a href="#Page_390">390</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sartines, Lieutenant of Police, authorises gaming in Paris, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his narrow escape of assassination, <a href="#Page_246">246</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Saxe, Madame, <a href="#Page_22">22</a>-24</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Scott, General, a famous whist player, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his cute bet, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his generosity, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a careful liver, <a href="#Page_118">118</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Seaside resorts, French, gambling at, <a href="#Page_314">314</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Casino regulations, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>-17</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sefton, Lord, a heavy loser, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Selby, Jim, a coaching feat, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_233">233</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Selle, Madame de, <a href="#Page_246">246</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Selwyn, George, <a href="#Page_105">105</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_138">138</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sermons against gambling, <a href="#Page_85">85</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Serre, Madame de la, <a href="#Page_246">246</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Servants demoralised by gambling-houses, <a href="#Page_96">96</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Seymour, Lord Henry, <a href="#Page_421">421</a>-4</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Shafto, Captain, <a href="#Page_210">210</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Shelley Hall, <a href="#Page_33">33</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Shepherd, John, <a href="#Page_43">43</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Shooting wagers, <a href="#Page_221">221</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Slaughter-houses, <a href="#Page_40">40</a>, <a href="#Page_43">43</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Smith, Mr. Justice, <a href="#Page_134">134</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Smith, Tippoo, <a href="#Page_20">20</a>, <a href="#Page_117">117</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Speculation, passion for, <a href="#Page_1">1</a>, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">in France, <a href="#Page_240">240</a> <i>et seq.</i></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Spencer, Lord Robert, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>, <a href="#Page_145">145</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Spirit of play in eighteenth century, <a href="#Page_38">38</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sporting Medley, <a href="#Page_42">42</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Stair, Lord, offends the French, <a href="#Page_103">103</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Stavordale, Lord, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Stilts, a journey on, <a href="#Page_226">226</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Stock Exchange, gambling on, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>-6</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Stroud, <a href="#Page_42">42</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sturt, Mrs. Mary, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Subscription-houses, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sue, Eugène, <a href="#Page_421">421</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sully, rebukes Henri IV., <a href="#Page_235">235</a>, <a href="#Page_236">236</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sulzbach, <a href="#Page_21">21</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sussex, Duke of, a heavy loser to Col. Mellish, <a href="#Page_171">171</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Systems at Monte Carlo, <a href="#Page_360">360</a>-73;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the martingale, <a href="#Page_363">363</a>, <a href="#Page_364">364</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the Labouchere, <a href="#Page_364">364</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Lord Rosslyn's, <a href="#Page_366">366</a>-9;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a sensible method of play, <a href="#Page_370">370</a>, <a href="#Page_371">371</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">none thoroughly reliable, <a href="#Page_372">372</a>, <a href="#Page_373">373</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Talbot, Mr., <a href="#Page_109">109</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Talleyrand announces the death of the Duc d'Enghien, <a href="#Page_137">137</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tattersall, Mr., purchases Highflyer, <a href="#Page_395">395</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">compared with O'Kelly, <a href="#Page_395">395</a>, <a href="#Page_396">396</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his shrewdness, <a href="#Page_396">396</a>, <a href="#Page_397">397</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">befriended by Lord Grosvenor, <a href="#Page_397">397</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his business, <a href="#Page_397">397</a>, <a href="#Page_398">398</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tempest, Sir Harry Vane, <a href="#Page_413">413</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tetherington, <a href="#Page_42">42</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thacker, Mr., wins penmaking contest, <a href="#Page_229">229</a></span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_447" id="Page_447">[Pg 447]</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thanet, Lord, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">at the Salon, <a href="#Page_268">268</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thatched House Club, <a href="#Page_28">28</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"There he goes," <a href="#Page_35">35</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thornhill, Mr. Cooper, <a href="#Page_210">210</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thornton, Colonel, <a href="#Page_415">415</a>, <a href="#Page_416">416</a>, <a href="#Page_417">417</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a shooting wager, <a href="#Page_221">221</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a bitter-sweet compliment, <a href="#Page_221">221</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">unpopular, <a href="#Page_222">222</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">known as Lying Thornton, <a href="#Page_222">222</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his conceit, <a href="#Page_222">222</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his will disputed in England and France, <a href="#Page_223">223</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thornton, Mrs., her race with Mr. Flint, <a href="#Page_415">415</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">contest with Buckle, the jockey, <a href="#Page_417">417</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thouvenère, Madame de, <a href="#Page_245">245</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Throw, a marvellous, <a href="#Page_114">114</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thynne, Mr., a disgusted gambler, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tips, <a href="#Page_4">4</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Townshend, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>, <a href="#Page_50">50</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tradesmen, devotees of chance, <a href="#Page_33">33</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Travelling Piquet," <a href="#Page_208">208</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Trente-et-quarante, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">method of play, <a href="#Page_343">343</a>-5</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tripots, <a href="#Page_236">236</a>, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">ladies preside at, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">clandestine keepers of, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">temporarily prohibited, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">edict against unlicensed, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a luxurious tripot, <a href="#Page_253">253</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Turf, the, difficulty of making money on, <a href="#Page_374">374</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">some great wins, <a href="#Page_375">375</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">sporting journalists and tipsters, <a href="#Page_376">376</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">philanthropic tipsters' circulars, <a href="#Page_376">376</a>, <a href="#Page_377">377</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">an honest tipster, <a href="#Page_377">377</a>, <a href="#Page_378">378</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">three classes of racing-men, <a href="#Page_378">378</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">bookmakers and their chances of profit, <a href="#Page_378">378</a>, <a href="#Page_379">379</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">betting must be systematic, <a href="#Page_379">379</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Ascot unfortunate for backers, <a href="#Page_379">379</a>, <a href="#Page_380">380</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">recent changes in method of speculation, <a href="#Page_382">382</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Charles II. founder of the English Turf, <a href="#Page_386">386</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the Whip run for at Newmarket, <a href="#Page_388">388</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">royal supporters of, <a href="#Page_386">386</a>-9;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Duke of Cumberland patron of, <a href="#Page_390">390</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">early race meetings, <a href="#Page_398">398</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">eccentric races, <a href="#Page_400">400</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">matches, <a href="#Page_411">411</a>-7</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Turf, the French, <a href="#Page_417">417</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Hugh Meynell, <a href="#Page_418">418</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Comte de Lauraguais, <a href="#Page_418">418</a>, <a href="#Page_419">419</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Philippe Égalité, <a href="#Page_418">418</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Comte d'Artois, <a href="#Page_418">418</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">unedifying races, <a href="#Page_419">419</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Jockey Club founded, <a href="#Page_421">421</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">steeplechasing, <a href="#Page_423">423</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the Duc d'Orléans, <a href="#Page_423">423</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">enters on a new era, <a href="#Page_424">424</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the Grand Prix, <a href="#Page_425">425</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Plaisanterie, <a href="#Page_427">427</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">T. Wilde and Jack Moore, <a href="#Page_427">427</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Pari Mutuel, <a href="#Page_427">427</a>-32</span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tying-up, <a href="#Page_31">31</a>, <a href="#Page_32">32</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ude, M. Eustache, cook at Crockford's, <a href="#Page_97">97</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Uxbridge, Lord, <a href="#Page_81">81</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Valois Collier," <a href="#Page_256">256</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Vandéreux, M. Fernand, <a href="#Page_75">75</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Venternière, blackmailer, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_252">252</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Véron, Doctor Louis, <a href="#Page_278">278</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Vincent, Sir Francis, <a href="#Page_268">268</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Voltaire and John Law, <a href="#Page_242">242</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wade, General, and the poor officer, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_154">154</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wager, a vague, <a href="#Page_109">109</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a curious, <a href="#Page_110">110</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wagers, eccentric, <a href="#Page_103">103</a> <i>et seq.</i>, <a href="#Page_108">108</a>, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>, <a href="#Page_204">204</a>-14, <a href="#Page_220">220</a>, <a href="#Page_224">224</a>-31, <a href="#Page_233">233</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Walpole, Horace, on Mr. Damer's death, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and White's coat of arms, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">on Parisian gaming-houses, <a href="#Page_239">239</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Warburton, Sir P., <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ward, Mr., <a href="#Page_20">20</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Warthall Hall, <a href="#Page_33">33</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Waterloo, revival of gaming after, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wattier's Club, a gambling resort, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">its proprietor, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">frequented by Byron and Beau Brummell, <a href="#Page_122">122</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Waugh, Captain, and the goose, <a href="#Page_192">192</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Weare, <a href="#Page_88">88</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wellington, not a player, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a member of Crockford's, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">and Mr. Adolphus, <a href="#Page_11">11</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Whalley, Thomas (Jerusalem Whalley), jumps a carrier's cart, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his extravagance, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Jerusalem and back, <a href="#Page_216">216</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">publishes <i>Memoirs</i>, <a href="#Page_217">217</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wharton, Mr., <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_448" id="Page_448">[Pg 448]</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Whist, a serious affair, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>, <a href="#Page_121">121</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">White's Club, becomes a gambling centre, <a href="#Page_104">104</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">main supporters of, <a href="#Page_105">105</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">coat of arms, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">old betting-book, <a href="#Page_107">107</a> <i>et seq.</i>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">hazard allowed, but faro barred, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">gambling given up, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">fossilised members, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">present condition, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wiesbaden, croupiers at, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the Kursaal, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">players at, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">an eccentric countess at, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">two strange players, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">close of tables at, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">effects of the closing on the town, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">the last of the gamblers, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_296">296</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wilberforce, caught playing faro, <a href="#Page_138">138</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wilde, Mr., his remarkable ride, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>, <a href="#Page_218">218</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Will, a gamester's, <a href="#Page_78">78</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">William III., a patron of racing, <a href="#Page_389">389</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Williams, George, <a href="#Page_106">106</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Williamson, Major, <a href="#Page_67">67</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wind, a bet about the, <a href="#Page_224">224</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Windsor, Mother, <a href="#Page_45">45</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Windsor Forest, outrangership of, <a href="#Page_195">195</a> <i>n.</i></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wine <i>v.</i> water, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>, <a href="#Page_230">230</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wolfe, Colonel, his answer to Duke of Cumberland, <a href="#Page_390">390</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Women and freak races, <a href="#Page_205">205</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">as gamesters, <a href="#Page_269">269</a>, <a href="#Page_359">359</a>, <a href="#Page_360">360</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wontner, Mr. St. John, and Park Club, <a href="#Page_124">124</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wortley, Lady Mary, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wren, Sir Christopher, and Charles II., <a href="#Page_387">387</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wright of Long Acre, <a href="#Page_213">213</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Yarmouth, Lord, <a href="#Page_421">421</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Zeno, M. le Chevalier, Venetian ambassador, <a href="#Page_248">248</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Zoffany, court painter to Nawab of Oude, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">paints caricature of the Nawab, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his narrow escape, <a href="#Page_188">188</a>, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">a favourite of royalty, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">his pictures, <a href="#Page_194">194</a></span><br /> -</p> - - -<p class="center" style="margin-top:5em;">THE END</p> - -<p><i>Printed by</i> <span class="smcap">R. & R. 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