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 25
... Cross and Pile , and you shall have the advantage of throwing up the Guinea yourself . The Elector admir'd at his bold Challenge , which , never- theless , accepting , he tost up for £ 15,000 , and lost the Money upon Reputation , with ...
... Cross and Pile , and you shall have the advantage of throwing up the Guinea yourself . The Elector admir'd at his bold Challenge , which , never- theless , accepting , he tost up for £ 15,000 , and lost the Money upon Reputation , with ...
Page 38
... cross and pile , by the hands of Richard de Meremoth , the receiver of the Treasury , Twelve pence . Item . paid there to Henry , the King's barber , for money which he lent to the King , to play at cross and pile , Five shillings ...
... cross and pile , by the hands of Richard de Meremoth , the receiver of the Treasury , Twelve pence . Item . paid there to Henry , the King's barber , for money which he lent to the King , to play at cross and pile , Five shillings ...
Page 39
John Ashton. Item . paid to the King himself , to play at cross and pile , by Peres Barnard , two shillings , which the said Peres won of him . " Also Royalty was fond of playing at cards , which , indeed , were popular from the highest ...
John Ashton. Item . paid to the King himself , to play at cross and pile , by Peres Barnard , two shillings , which the said Peres won of him . " Also Royalty was fond of playing at cards , which , indeed , were popular from the highest ...
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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