It was my good fortune one day to play with him for a bottle of Wine at _Sise Ace_, which I won of him, and after that another, and in conclusion so many, that we were forced to call for assistance, which we could not want long, if men in this latter Age did not Apostatize by declining the powerful invitations of good wine. These Spungers by exhausting our Liquor inflamed the Reckoning, and that still kindled in us a desire to play on: I was the sole Conquerour; and seeing that he could not deal with me for the Reckoning, he propounded to me whether I would play with him for a Tester, I seeing how vext he was that he had lost so many Bottles, consented to humour him in any thing that was reasonable, not believing but that fortune would not withdraw her wonted favours from me. He losing still; from six pence, we doubled the stakes, and to be short, we gradually augmented them till we played for an Angel a Game, (may they always be tutelary to me, and be my Guardians from the insufferable torments of a despicable necessity,) from an Angel, to a Piece, till I had left him not a Piece to play with me, having won threescore and upward. Being a young man, he begg’d of me to conceal his loss, lest by the Proclaiming my good success, I detriment his credit; for he was so rational as to know that Gaming, as it surely stabs a mans Reputation, so in process of time it will cut the throat of his Estate, though very considerable. I promised him I would do it though to no purpose, for the Standers by were the Publishers of those ill tidings, which will spread abroad themselves like a Pestilence. Now I thought it highly requisite to put my self into a better garb, and invest my self with such ornaments as might become a Gentleman, which I intended to personate. I accommodated my self with a Sword, and did not forget Spurs to my new Boots. Being thus bravely equipt _Cap a pee_; I grew weary of this City, and so left it, and my Landlord to his better Fortune. * * * * * The next place I set up my Standard, was in _Salisbury_; my generous deportment and gallant habiliments adapted me for the best of company, and the relation of my Travails, not as a _Tarpawlin_, but a wealthy young Heir, did infinitely please them: So that if I were in a Coffee-house at any time, though I entred in singly, I should have it filled with variety of Guests to hear those _admiranda_ wonderful things that I had observed abroad: I was the Mouth of the house, and what I reported was received as an Oracle, I made two Fellows one time confidently believe, that _Pindennis_ Castle, if well mann’d and rigg’d, would make a brave Man of War of the First Rate, and that _Pen-men maure in Wales_, and _Hoath_ in _Ireland_ were nere met in consultation how to prevent the turbulency of their Northern neighbourhood from incroaching on their Trade of _Herring-Fishing_. CHAP. XV.