The History of Gambling in EnglandDifference between Gaming and Gambling-Universality and Antiquity of Gambling-Isis and Osiris-Games and Dice of the Egyptians-China and India-The Jews-Among the Greeks and Romans-Among Mahometans-Early Dicing-Dicing in England in the 13th and 14th Centuries-In the 17th Century-Celebrated Gamblers-Bourchier-Swiss Anecdote-Dicing in the 18th Century. Gaming is derived from the Saxon word Gamen, meaning joy, pleasure, sports, or gaming-and is so interpreted by Bailey, in his Dictionary of 1736; whilst Johnson gives Gamble-to play extravagantly for money, and this distinction is to be borne in mind in the perusal of this book; although the older term was in use until the invention of the later-as we see in Cotton's Compleat Gamester (1674), in which he gives the following excellent definition of the word: -"Gaming is an enchanting witchery, gotten between Idleness and Avarice: an itching disease, that makes some scratch the head, whilst others, as if they were bitten by a Tarantula, are laughing themselves to death; or, lastly, it is a paralytical distemper, which, seizing the arm, the man cannot chuse but shake his elbow. |
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Common terms and phrases
afterwards amount appeared betting Buckinghamshire Buckley Square called captain Cards chance cheating cheque Club Coffee House course Court Crockford's cross and pile croupiers dice dinner Doncaster Duke Faro bank fortune gambler gambling houses GAMBLING IN ENGLAND gamester gaming house gaming-house gave gentleman George George Selwyn give Groom Porter guineas hand hazard honour horse racing hundred pounds Insurance John John Outlawe Justice keeper King lady late London Lord Lordship lose loser lost Lots lottery luck Mayor morning never Newmarket night paid Parliament parties person plaintiff play players present proprietors Queen Railway Railway Mania reign says servants shillings Sir George Chetwynd speculation sport St James's Street stakes Stock subscribed SUNDAY HOUSES tells Thornton thousand guineas thousand pounds ticket tion town Turf wager whilst White's White's Club witness