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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 18
Page 5
... Witnesses in any Court of Justice , till they were perfectly reformed . Some of their reasons for excluding such from the Magistracy were , that their gaming gave sufficient presumption of their Avarice , and , besides , was an ...
... Witnesses in any Court of Justice , till they were perfectly reformed . Some of their reasons for excluding such from the Magistracy were , that their gaming gave sufficient presumption of their Avarice , and , besides , was an ...
Page 11
... witness ' a xußα - player , a usurer , a pigeon - flyer ( betting man ) , a vender of illegal ( seventh year ) produce , and a slave . ' A mitigating clause- proposed by one of the weightiest legal authorities , to the effect that the ...
... witness ' a xußα - player , a usurer , a pigeon - flyer ( betting man ) , a vender of illegal ( seventh year ) produce , and a slave . ' A mitigating clause- proposed by one of the weightiest legal authorities , to the effect that the ...
Page 17
... Witnesses for the proof thereof , take in , also , Covent Garden . " Neither is it the House itself to be exempted ; every night , almost , some one or other , who , either heated with Wine , or made cholerick with the loss of his Money ...
... Witnesses for the proof thereof , take in , also , Covent Garden . " Neither is it the House itself to be exempted ; every night , almost , some one or other , who , either heated with Wine , or made cholerick with the loss of his Money ...
Page 32
... witness by vaine swearing , is a sinne , ( 2 Cor . i . 13 ) so making God an umpire , by playing with lotterie , must needs be a sinne ; yea , such a sin as maketh the offender ( in some respects ) more blame worthie . For there bee moe ...
... witness by vaine swearing , is a sinne , ( 2 Cor . i . 13 ) so making God an umpire , by playing with lotterie , must needs be a sinne ; yea , such a sin as maketh the offender ( in some respects ) more blame worthie . For there bee moe ...
Page 74
... witnesses , I am fully convinced that no such wish was uttered ; and the fact is , that he did close his eyes after he was taken with the mortification , and either dozed or slept several times . " When the body came to be laid out , it ...
... witnesses , I am fully convinced that no such wish was uttered ; and the fact is , that he did close his eyes after he was taken with the mortification , and either dozed or slept several times . " When the body came to be laid out , it ...
Other editions - View all
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