The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 2 (of 2)Steinmetz, Andrew
History
The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 2 (of 2)
Steinmetz, Andrew
Gambling
Horace Walpole, writing to Mann, says:--'The event that has made most
noise since my last is the extempore wedding of the youngest of the two
Gunnings, two ladies of surpassing loveliness, named respectively Mary
and Elizabeth, the daughters of John Gunning, Esq., of Castle Coote, in
Ireland, whom Mrs Montague calls "those goddesses the Gunnings." Lord
Coventry, a grave young lord, of the remains of the patriot breed, has
long dangled after the eldest, virtuously, with regard to her honour,
not very honourably with regard to his own credit. About six weeks
ago Duke Hamilton, the very reverse of the earl, hot, debauched,
extravagant, and equally damaged in his fortune and person, fell in love
with the youngest at the masquerade, and determined to marry her in
the spring. About a fortnight since, at an immense assembly at my
Lord Chesterfield's, made to show the house, which is really most
magnificent, Duke Hamilton made violent love at one end of the room,
while he was playing at Faro at the other end; that is, he saw neither
the bank nor his own cards, which were of three hundred pounds each: he
soon lost a thousand. I own I was so little a professor in love that
I thought all this parade looked ill for the poor girl; and could not
conceive, if he was so much engaged with his mistress as to disregard
such sums, why he played at all. However, two nights afterwards, being
left alone with her, while her mother and sister were at Bedford House,
he found himself so impatient that he sent for a parson. The Doctor
refused to perform the ceremony without license or ring; the duke swore
he would send for the archbishop; at last they were married with a ring
of the BED-CURTAIN, at half-an-hour after twelve at night, at May-fair
Chapel.'
This incident occurred in 1752, and reminds us of the marriage-scene
described by Dryden in one of his tales, which was quoted by Lord
Lyndhurst on that memorable occasion when he opposed Lord Campbell's
Bill for the suppression of indecent publications, and made a speech
which was more creditable to his wit than his taste, and perfectly
horrifying to Lord Campbell, who inflicted a most damaging verbal
castigation on his very sprightly but imprudent opponent.
'MANNERS MAKE THE MAN.
Mr Manners, a relation of the Duke of Rutland, many years ago, lost a
considerable sum to a well-known gamester, who set up his carriage
in consequence. Being at a loss for a motto, Mr Manners suggested the
following:--
MANNERS MAKE(S) THE MAN.
SHARP PRACTICE--NOT BY AN ATTORNEY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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