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 24
... Lordship must have some knowledge of me , for my Name is Dick Bourchier , who was once your Footman . Whereupon , his Lordship , supposing that he was not in a Capacity of paying 500 pounds in case he had lost , cry'd out , A Bite , A ...
... Lordship must have some knowledge of me , for my Name is Dick Bourchier , who was once your Footman . Whereupon , his Lordship , supposing that he was not in a Capacity of paying 500 pounds in case he had lost , cry'd out , A Bite , A ...
Page 45
... lordship . You may read , in our histories , 1 how Sir Miles Partridge played at Dice with King Henry the Eighth for Jesus Bells , so called , which were the greatest in England , and hung in a tower of St Paul's Church ; and won them ...
... lordship . You may read , in our histories , 1 how Sir Miles Partridge played at Dice with King Henry the Eighth for Jesus Bells , so called , which were the greatest in England , and hung in a tower of St Paul's Church ; and won them ...
Page 66
... lordship's foible , and undertook to cure him , though by a very disagreeable remedy . Conscious of his own superior skill , he determined to engage him in single play for a very considerable sum . His lordship , in proportion as he ...
... lordship's foible , and undertook to cure him , though by a very disagreeable remedy . Conscious of his own superior skill , he determined to engage him in single play for a very considerable sum . His lordship , in proportion as he ...
Page 92
... Lordship was minus no less a sum than thirteen thousand pounds ! ” 15 July 1806. The noble Marquis , who has been so great a gainer this season , at hazard , never plays with any- one , from a PRINCE , to a Commoner , without having the ...
... Lordship was minus no less a sum than thirteen thousand pounds ! ” 15 July 1806. The noble Marquis , who has been so great a gainer this season , at hazard , never plays with any- one , from a PRINCE , to a Commoner , without having the ...
Page 93
... lordship , to divert his chagrin , went , a few nights afterwards , to a Masquerade at Carlisle House , Soho , and he found all the company running after three Irish young ladies of the name of G— -e , in the character of the three ...
... lordship , to divert his chagrin , went , a few nights afterwards , to a Masquerade at Carlisle House , Soho , and he found all the company running after three Irish young ladies of the name of G— -e , in the character of the three ...
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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