_The great anxiety of the Legislature to suppress the evils of Gaming:--The Misery and Wretchedness entailed on many respectable Families from this fatal propensity:--Often arising from the foolish vanity of mixing in what is stiled, Genteel Company; where Faro is introduced.--Games of Chance, though stigmatized by the Legislature, encouraged by high-sounding names, whose houses are opened for purposes odious and unlawful:--The Civil Magistrate called upon by his public duty, as well as by the feelings of humanity, to suppress such mischiefs.--The danger arising from such seminaries--No probability of any considerations of their illegality, or inhumanity, operating as a check, without the efforts of the Magistracy.--The evil tendency of such examples to servants in fashionable Families, who carry these vices into vulgar life; and many of whom, as well as persons of superior education, become Sharpers, Cheats, and Swindlers, from the habits they acquire.--A particular Statement of the proceedings of persons who have set up Gaming Houses as regular Partnership-Concerns; and of the Evils resulting therefrom.--Of Lottery Insurers of the Higher Class.--Of Lottery Offices opened for Insurance--Proposed Remedies.--Three Plans suggested to the Author by Correspondents._ Gaming is the source from which has sprung up all that race of cheats, swindlers, and sharpers, some of whose nefarious practices have already been noticed, and the remainder of which it is the object of the Author to develope in this chapter. Such has been the anxiety of the Legislature to suppress this evil, that so early as the reign of Queen Anne, this abandoned and mischievous race of men seems to have attracted its notice in a very particular degree; for the act of the 9th year of that reign (cap. 14. §§ 6, 7,) after reciting, "_that divers lewd and dissolute persons live at great expences, having no visible estate, profession, or calling, to maintain themselves; but support these expences by Gaming only_; Enacts, _that any two Justices may cause to be brought before them, all persons within their limits whom they shall have just cause to suspect to have no visible estate, profession, or calling, to maintain themselves by; but do for the most part support themselves by Gaming; and if such persons shall not make it appear to such Justices that the principal part of their expences is not maintained by gaming, they are to be bound to their good behaviour for a twelve-month; and in default of sufficient security, to be committed to prison, until they can find the same; and if security shall be given, it will be forfeited on their playing or betting at any one time, for more than the value of twenty shillings_."