“Thus were all the _Fools_ in Town so busily employed in running up and down from one _Lottery_, or another, that it was as much as _London_ could do to Conjure together such Numbers of _Knaves_ as might Cheat ‘em fast enough of their _Money_. The Unfortunate crying out, _A Cheat, a Cheat, a Confounded Cheat, nothing of Fairness in’t_. The Fortunate, in opposition to the other, crying, _’Tis all Fair, all Fair; the Fairest Adventure that ever was drawn_. And thus, every Body, according to their Success, Expressing variously their Sentiments; tho’ the Losers, who may be said to be in the Wrong of it, to venture their Money, yet, were they most Right in their Conjectures of the Project, and the Gainers, who were in the Right of it, to hazard their Money, because they won, were most Wrong in their opinion of the matter. For I have much ado to forbear believing that _Luck in a Bag_ is almost as Honest as _Fortune in a Wheel_, or any other of the like Projects. Truly, says my Friend, I confess I cannot conceive any extraordinary Opinion of the Fairness of any _Lottery_, for I am apt to believe that whenever such a number of _Fools_ fall into a _Knave’s_ hand, he will make the most of ‘em; and I think the _Parliament_ could not have given the _Nation_ greater Assurances of their especial Regard to the Welfare of the _Publick_, than by suppressing all _Lotteries_, which only serve to Buoy up the mistaken Multitude with Dreams of Golden Showers, to the Expence of that little Money, which, with hard Labour they have Earn’d; and often to the Neglect of their Business, which doubles the Inconveniency. The _Gentry_, indeed, might make it their Diversion, but the _Common People_ make it a great part of their Care and Business, hoping thereby to relieve a Necessitous Life; instead of which, they plunge themselves further into an Ocean of Difficulties. What if one Man in Ten Thousand gets Five Hundred Pounds, what Benefit is that to the rest, who have struggled hard for _Fool_’s Pence to make up that Sum, which, perhaps, falls to one who stood not in need of _Fortune_’s Favours.” But the State Lotteries began again in Queen Anne’s reign, for an Act (8 Anne, c. 4) was passed in 1710 authorising a loan of £1,500,000 by means of a lottery of 150,000 tickets at £10 each. The money was to be sunk, and 9 per cent. was allowed on it for 32 years, and the prizes were annuities from one of £1000 to 14s. a year, which latter was given as a consolation to every holder of a blank.