[Footnote A: Women gambled as passionately as did the men in the early part of the eighteenth century. Ashton quotes the following from the "Gaming Lady": "She's a profuse lady, tho' of a miserly temper, whose covetous disposition is the very cause of her extravagancy; for the desire of success wheedles her ladyship to play, and the incident charges and disappointments that attend it make her as expensive to her husband as his coach and six horses. When an unfortunate night has happen'd to empty her cabinet, she has many shifts to replenish her pockets. Her jewels are carry'd privately into Lombard street, and fortune is to be tempted the next night with another sum, borrowed of my lady's goldsmith at the extortion of a pawnbroker; and if that fails, then she sells off her wardrobe, to the great grief of her maids; stretches her credit amongst those she deals with, or makes her waiting woman dive into the bottom of her trunk, and lug out her green net purse full of old Jacobuses, in hopes to recover her losses by a turn of fortune, that she may conceal her bad luck from the knowledge of her husband."] "Lady T. And a husband must give eminent proof of his sense that thinks their powder puffs dangerous! "Lord T. Their being fools, madam, is not always the husband's security; or, if it were, fortune sometimes gives them advantages might make a thinking woman tremble. "Lady T. What do you mean? "Lord T. That women sometimes lose more than they are able to pay; and, if a creditor be a little pressing, the lady may be reduced to try if, instead of gold, the gentleman will accept of a trinket. "Lady T. My lord, you grow scurrilous; you'll make me hate you. I'll have you to know I keep company with the politest people in town, and the assemblies I frequent are full of such. "Lord T. So are the churches--now and then. "Lady T. My friends frequent them, too, as well as the assemblies. "Lord T. Yes; and would do it oftener if a groom of the chambers there were allowed to furnish cards to the company. "Lady T. I see what you drive at all this while. You would lay an imputation on my fame to cover your own avarice! I might take any pleasures, I find, that were not expensive. "Lord T. Have a care, madam; don't let me think you only value your chastity to make me reproachable for not indulging you in everything else that's vicious. I, madam, have a reputation, too, to guard that's dear to me as yours. The follies of an ungoverned wife may make the wisest man uneasy; but 'tis his own fault if ever they make him contemptible. "Lady T. My lord, you make a woman mad! "Lord T. You'd make a man a fool. "Lady T. If heaven has made you otherwise, that won't be in my power. "Lord T. Whatever may be in your inclination, madam, I'll prevent you making me a beggar, at least. "Lady T. A beggar! Croesus, I'm out of patience. I won't come home till four to-morrow morning. "Lord T. That may be, madam; but I'll order the doors to be locked at twelve.