The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 1 (of 2) — John Shaqi
The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 1 (of 2)Steinmetz, Andrew
History
The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 1 (of 2)
Steinmetz, Andrew
Gambling
'Would you imagine it to be true--that a grave gentleman, well stricken
in years, insomuch as he cannot see the pips of the dice, is so
infatuated with this witchery as to play here with others' eyes,--of
whom this quibble was raised, "Mr Such a one plays at dice by the ear."
Another gentleman, stark blind, I have seen play at Hazard, and surely
that must be by the ear too.
'Late at night, when the company grows thin, and your eyes dim with
watching, false dice are often put upon the ignorant, or they are
otherwise cozened, with topping or slurring, &;c.; and, if you be not
vigilant, the box-keeper shall score you up double or treble boxes, and,
though you have lost your money, dun you as severely for it as if it
were the justest debt in the world.
'There are yet some genteeler and more subtle rooks, whom you shall not
distinguish by their outward demeanour from persons of condition; and
who will sit by a whole evening, and observe who wins; and then, if
the winner be "bubbleable," they will insinuate themselves into his
acquaintance, and civilly invite him to drink a glass of wine,--wheedle
him into play, and win all his money, either by false dice, as high
fulhams,(11) low fulhams, or by palming, topping, &c. Note by the way,
that when they have you at the tavern and think you a sure "bubble,"
they will many times purposely lose some small sum to you the first
time, to engage you more freely to _BLEED_ (as they call it) at the
second meeting, to which they will be sure to invite you.
(11) It appears that false dice were originally made at _Fulham;_ hence
so called, high and low fulhams; the high ones were the numbers 4, 5, 6.
'A gentleman whom ill-fortune had hurried into passion, took a box and
dice to a side-table, and then fell to throwing by himself; at length
he swears with an emphasis, "D--e, now I throw for nothin;, I can win a
thousand pounds; but when I lay for money I lose my all."
'If the house find you free to box, and a constant caster, you shall be
treated below with suppers at night, and caudle in the morning, and
have the honour to be styled, "a lover of the house," whilst your money
lasts, which certainly will not be long.
'Most gamesters begin at small games, and by degrees, if their money or
estates hold out, they rise to great sums; some have played first all
their money, then their rings, coach and horses, even their wearing
clothes and _perukes;_ and then, such a farm; and at last, perhaps a
lordship.
'You may read in our histories, how Sir Miles Partridge played at dice
with King Henry the Eighth, for Jesus Bells (so called), which were the
greatest in England, and hung in a tower of St Paul's church, and won
them; whereby he brought them to ring in his pocket; but the ropes
afterwards catched about his neck; for, in Edward the Sixth's days, he
was hanged for some criminal offences.(12)
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