'Sir,--Allow me, through the columns of your paper, to call the attention of the parents and friends of the young officers in the Channel-fleet to the great extent gambling is carried on at Lisbon. Since the fleet has been there another gambling house has been opened, and is filled every evening with young officers, many of whom are under 18 years of age. On the 1st of January it is computed that upwards of L800 was lost by officers of the fleet in the gambling houses, and if the fleet is to stay there three months there will soon be a great number of the officers involved in debt. I will relate one incident that came under my personal notice. A young midshipman, who had lately joined the Channel fleet from the Bristol, drew a half-year's pay in December, besides his quarterly allowance, and I met him on shore the next evening without money enough to pay a boat to go off to his ship, having lost all at a gambling house. Hoping that this may be of some use in stopping the gambling among the younger officers, I remain, yours respectfully, AN OFFICER.'(1) (1) Standard, Jan. 12, 1870. In conclusion, I have contemplated the passion of gaming in all its bearings, as will be evident from the range of subjects indicated by the table of contents and index. I have ransacked (and sacked) hundreds of volumes for entertaining, amusing, curious, or instructive matter. Without deprecating criticism on my labours, perhaps I may state that these researches have probably terminated my career as an author. Immediately after the completion of this work I was afflicted with a degree of blindness rendering it impossible for me to read any print whatever, and compelling me to write only by dictation. ANDREW STEINMETZ. CONTENTS OF VOL. I. CHAP. I THE UNIVERSAL PASSION OF GAMING; OR, GAMING ALL THE WORLD OVER II GAMBLING AMONG THE ANCIENT HINDOOS--A HINDOO LEGEND AND ITS MODERN PARALLEL III GAMBLING AMONG THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS, PERSIANS AND GREEKS IV GAMING AMONG THE ANCIENT ROMAN EMPERORS V GAMBLING IN FRANCE IN ALL TIMES VI THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF MODERN GAMING IN ENGLAND VII GAMBLING IN BRIGHTON IN 1817 VIII GAMBLING AT THE GERMAN BATHING-PLACES IX GAMBLING IN THE UNITED STATES X LADY GAMESTRESSES XI GAMBLING POETS, SAVANTS, PHILOSOPHERS, WITS, AND STATESMEN XII REMARKABLE GAMESTERS XIII THE LOTTERIES AND THEIR BEWILDERMENTS XIV THE LAWS AGAINST GAMING IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES THE GAMING TABLE. CHAPTER I. THE UNIVERSAL PASSION OF GAMING; OR, GAMING ALL THE WORLD OVER. A very apt allegory has been imagined as the origin of Gaming. It is said that the Goddess of Fortune, once sporting near the shady pool of Olympus, was met by the gay and captivating God of War, who soon allured her to his arms. They were united; but the matrimony was not holy, and the result of the union was a misfeatured child named Gaming. From the moment of her birth this wayward thing could only be pleased by cards, dice, or counters.