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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Page vi
... Duke of Wellington - Ball Hughes - Scrope Davies - Raggett of White's CHAPTER VII Hanging , the penalty for losing - Suicide - Officer cashiered - Reminis- cences of an exiled gambler - Description of the principal gaming- houses at the ...
... Duke of Wellington - Ball Hughes - Scrope Davies - Raggett of White's CHAPTER VII Hanging , the penalty for losing - Suicide - Officer cashiered - Reminis- cences of an exiled gambler - Description of the principal gaming- houses at the ...
Page 22
... Duke of Hamilton , and the Marquis de Guiscard , who stabbed Harley , Earl of Oxford . There is a little book by Theophilus Lucas , 1 which gives a more or less accurate life of notorious gamblers of those days ; amongst them there is a ...
... Duke of Hamilton , and the Marquis de Guiscard , who stabbed Harley , Earl of Oxford . There is a little book by Theophilus Lucas , 1 which gives a more or less accurate life of notorious gamblers of those days ; amongst them there is a ...
Page 23
... Duke of Buckingham ; in this Nobleman's Service he wore a Livery above a year and a half , when , by his genteel Carriage and Mien , marrying one Mrs Elizabeth Gossinn , a Lace Woman's Grand Daughter , in Exeter Change in the Strand ...
... Duke of Buckingham ; in this Nobleman's Service he wore a Livery above a year and a half , when , by his genteel Carriage and Mien , marrying one Mrs Elizabeth Gossinn , a Lace Woman's Grand Daughter , in Exeter Change in the Strand ...
Page 24
... Duke of Orleans ; almost as much of the Duke D'Espernon , besides many of his jewels , and a prodigious large piece of Ambergreese , valued at 20,000 crowns , as being the greatest piece that ever was seen in Europe , and which was ...
... Duke of Orleans ; almost as much of the Duke D'Espernon , besides many of his jewels , and a prodigious large piece of Ambergreese , valued at 20,000 crowns , as being the greatest piece that ever was seen in Europe , and which was ...
Page 25
... Duke of Bavaria being also there , he then took up the cudgels , and losing £ 15,000 , the Loss put him into a great Chafe , and doubting some foul Play was put upon him , because Luck went so much against him , quoth Mr Bourchier - Sir ...
... Duke of Bavaria being also there , he then took up the cudgels , and losing £ 15,000 , the Loss put him into a great Chafe , and doubting some foul Play was put upon him , because Luck went so much against him , quoth Mr Bourchier - Sir ...
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Common terms and phrases
afterwards appeared betting Buckinghamshire Buckley Square called Captain Cards chance cheating Club Coffee House Committee course Court Covent Garden Crockford cross and pile croupiers d'Eon dice dinner Doncaster Duke England Faro bank fortune gambler gambling houses gamester gaming house gaming-house gave gentleman George give Groom Porter guineas hand hath hazard honour horse racing hundred pounds Insurance John John Outlawe Justice keeper King Knave lady late letter London Lord Lordship lose loser lost Lots lottery luck Ludus Latrunculorum Mayor morning never Newmarket night paid Parliament parties person plaintiff play players present prize proprietors Queen Railway Railway Mania reign says servants shillings speculation sport St James's Street stakes Stock story subscribed SUNDAY HOUSES tells Thornton thousand guineas thousand pounds ticket tion town Turf wager whilst White's White's Club witness