It must, however, be allowed that frequent attempts were made to resist the progress of vice, and many of the Justices concurred in warning the people of the illegality of their conduct; ten of them, at a special Session held for the division of the Tower, in pursuance of an order made at the General Quarter Sessions for Middlesex, on the 19th of January 1719, for putting in execution the Statute of 33 Henry VIII. Cap. 9, directed authentic copies of the order to be given to all victuallers, &c. whom it concerned, and also to be affixed in all public places within that Division; "That none shall keep or maintain any house or place of unlawful games, on pain of 40_s._ for every day, of forfeiting their recognizance, and of being suppressed; that none shall use or haunt such places on pain of 6_s._ 8_d._ for every offence; and that no artificer, or his journeyman, husbandman, apprentice, labourer, servant at husbandry, mariner, fisherman, waterman, or serving-man, shall play at tables, tennis, dice, cards, bowls, clash, coiting, loggating, or any other unlawful game, out of Christmas, or then out of their master's house or presence, on pain of 20_s._" But, though it was sometimes possible to prevent the depravity of the lower order of people, there were others, that moved in the sphere of gentlemen, who set the worst of examples to their inferiors. Such were those that had assembled on the evening of a Court drawing-room at the Royal Chocolate-house in St. James's-street; where disputes at hazard produced a quarrel, which became general throughout the room; and, as they fought with their swords, three gentlemen were mortally wounded; and the affray was at length ended by the interposition of the Royal-guards, who were compelled to knock the parties down with the butt-ends of their muskets indiscriminately, as intreaties and commands were of no avail. A footman of Colonel Cunningham's, greatly attached to his master, rushed through the swords, seized, and literally carried him out by force without injury. This horrid rencontre was the effect of sudden passion, roused by disappointment and avarice; there was nothing of depravity prepense, except the act of gaming. Weak as this palliative may be, the members of two other clubs had them not to plead for their infamous profligacy. The wretches who associated under the titles of the "_Bold Bucks_" and the "_Hell-fires_," are described in a paper of February 20, 1720, as deliberate abandoned villains. "The principles of the first are to come up to the flaming lust of their worthy patrons, from whom they take their denomination, by their examples; they attempt all females of their own species promiscuously--grandmothers and mothers, as well as daughters; even their own sisters fear their violence, and fly their privacies. Blind and bold Love is their motto, and their soul's faculties strictly terminated in a participation of entertainment and judgment with brutes."