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
... Wagers and Betting - Samson - Greek and Roman betting - In the Seven- teenth Century— " Lusty Packington " -The rise of betting in the Eighteenth Century - Walpole's story of White's ... Wager - Walk to Constantinople and vi CONTENTS.
... Wagers and Betting - Samson - Greek and Roman betting - In the Seven- teenth Century— " Lusty Packington " -The rise of betting in the Eighteenth Century - Walpole's story of White's ... Wager - Walk to Constantinople and vi CONTENTS.
Page vii
John Ashton. PAGE CHAPTER XII Gluttonous Wager - Walk to Constantinople and back - Sir John Lade and Lord Cholmondeley - Other Wagers - Betting on Napoleon - Bet on a Coat - Lord Brougham - Brunel and Stephenson - Captain Barclay -Story ...
John Ashton. PAGE CHAPTER XII Gluttonous Wager - Walk to Constantinople and back - Sir John Lade and Lord Cholmondeley - Other Wagers - Betting on Napoleon - Bet on a Coat - Lord Brougham - Brunel and Stephenson - Captain Barclay -Story ...
Page 45
... wager the box shall have fifteen hundred pounds of the money , and that eighteen out of the twenty persons shall be losers . " I have seen ( in a lower instance ) three persons sit down at Twelvepenny In and In , and each draw forty ...
... wager the box shall have fifteen hundred pounds of the money , and that eighteen out of the twenty persons shall be losers . " I have seen ( in a lower instance ) three persons sit down at Twelvepenny In and In , and each draw forty ...
Page 67
... wager entered in the bet book at White's ( a MS . of which I may , one day or other , give you an account ) , that the first baronet that will be hanged , is this Sir William Burdett . " The Baronet casually met Lord Castledurrow ...
... wager entered in the bet book at White's ( a MS . of which I may , one day or other , give you an account ) , that the first baronet that will be hanged , is this Sir William Burdett . " The Baronet casually met Lord Castledurrow ...
Page 119
... wager , ' Gainst one horse winning Derby , Oaks and Leger . The bait is tak'n by some astonished wight , Who chuckles , thinking it a glorious bite , Nor takes the pains the figures o'er to run , And see , by calculation , that he's ...
... wager , ' Gainst one horse winning Derby , Oaks and Leger . The bait is tak'n by some astonished wight , Who chuckles , thinking it a glorious bite , Nor takes the pains the figures o'er to run , And see , by calculation , that he's ...
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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