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 12
... kings , heroes , gods , hetairę , animals , and the rest . But the word was also used in a mathematical sense . In a cosmogonical discussion of the Midrash , the earth is likened to a " cubus . " The use of dice in England is of great ...
... kings , heroes , gods , hetairę , animals , and the rest . But the word was also used in a mathematical sense . In a cosmogonical discussion of the Midrash , the earth is likened to a " cubus . " The use of dice in England is of great ...
Page 21
... King's High Way , to recruit their losses at the Gaming House ; and , when a Hue and Cry is out to apprehend them , they are as safe in one of these Houses as a Priest at the Altar , and practise the old trade of Cross - biting Cullies ...
... King's High Way , to recruit their losses at the Gaming House ; and , when a Hue and Cry is out to apprehend them , they are as safe in one of these Houses as a Priest at the Altar , and practise the old trade of Cross - biting Cullies ...
Page 24
... King , but the Nobility also tasted of the same Fortune ; for he won 10,000 Pistoles of the 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 ...
... King , but the Nobility also tasted of the same Fortune ; for he won 10,000 Pistoles of the 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 ...
Page 25
... King and those Noblemen that were with him , he departed . Then the Elector of Bavaria , enquiring of his Majesty , who that Person was , that could run the Hazard of playing for so much Money at a Time , he told him it was a subject of ...
... King and those Noblemen that were with him , he departed . Then the Elector of Bavaria , enquiring of his Majesty , who that Person was , that could run the Hazard of playing for so much Money at a Time , he told him it was a subject of ...
Page 27
... King's Bench , on an indictment against a gentleman for winning the sum of £ 500 at hazard about seven years before ; and , after a long trial , the jury found him guilty , the penalty being £ 2500 . To show the prevalence of dicing ...
... King's Bench , on an indictment against a gentleman for winning the sum of £ 500 at hazard about seven years before ; and , after a long trial , the jury found him guilty , the penalty being £ 2500 . To show the prevalence of dicing ...
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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