^ .^OKALIFO/?^ ^ME-UNIVER% f-n = & > ^^ c? *= y ^ ^OTNV-SOl^ v/BHAlMV* & %OJI1V3-JO ^\\E-UNIVER% ,^cVOS-ANCEtfj> ^OFCALIFO/?^ ^01 ^ ,^_| |^^| |^ % I I ^, k **)) t ^\\EUNIVER%. ^11 * ^^| I/ .^OF-CAIIFO% ^^1 ie /Dr-l , irrl s s ^UBRARYO^ %)JIW3-JO^ ^OJIIVD-JO^ s .. FCAl, :IOS-ANCEIFJ IfTl ACADEMICIANS OF 1823; OR, THE of i\y AND THE DEDICATED (SANS PERMISSION) To His ROYAL HIGHNESS the DUKE of ****, and ****** BISHOP o f ********* Commander in *****, &c. &c. &c. An AVANT-PHOPOS is addressed to Louis XVIIL; and a hint offered to the Right Hon. GEORGE CANNING. Un mot enpausant to Sir RICHARD BIRDIE, Knt. Chief Magistrate, Bow Street. LB DERNIER COUP DE PiNCEAu is reserved for the Comte ANGLES, Commander in Chief of the Parisian Police. With Extracts of the French and English Laws on Gaming: the Doctrine of Chances, &c. A word is said of the Revenue produced by Gambling Houses in France amounting to no legs a sum than 15,000,000 Francs per An- num; 5,OtKt,000 of which are paid into the Coffers of the State for a Licence. Some Account is annexed of the numberless Suicides, Robberies and Murders committed in those Pest-Houses at Paris. TO WHICH IS ADDED, The eloquent SPEECH of C. PHILLIPS, Esq. Barrister at Law, in the Case of REX v. CLUBS. By CHARLES PERSIUS, Esq. Auteu-ir des Reflexions sur 1'homme, d'un Essai snr la Folie, des Observations sur les femraes du xix Siecle, et d'un Critique sur lc> Meinoires uc^ Mrs. DYOTT, one of the Graces of Grosvenor Square. " The s--ty and dissolute think little of the miseries whicii,- are stealing softly after them." PUBLISHED BY LAWLEi." AND QUICK, 9, OLD BROAD STREET; S. COUCHMAN, 1x0, THROGMORTON STREET; AND SHERWOOD AND CO., PATERNOSTER ROW. 1823. CONTENTS. PAGKI. Dedication to his Royal Highness the Dnke of ****, and ***** Bishop of ********, Commander in *****, & c 5 Avant propos addressed to Louis X VIII. in which a word is said of the Emperor Napoleon, and a hint offered to the Right Hon. George Canning 9 Un mot en passant to Sir Richard Birnie, Knt. Chief Magistrate, Bow Street, respecting the Club Houses in St. James's Street, Stratford Place, and the noble Gamblers, visitors there 25 Le dernier coup de pinceau (last stroke of the pencil) addressed to the Comte Angles, Com- mander in Chief of the French Police (See Addenda English Translation) 29 The Widow Shellard and Sir Charles Stuart .... 31 Hartole's opinion of Female Gamesters 46 INTRODUCTION. Gambling and Gambling Houses certainly found- ed by a I)t nxm 55 Sallust's opinioi.- o f Gamblers 64 The BilleUfoux 70 CHAl-raR I. The Laws of Gaming examined, and Abstracts given from the various Acts ol v Parliament ' oow in force, relative thereto . . . . Je 73 ii CONTENTS. PACKS. La Bruyere's opinion of the Female sex 74 Dunne's Observations on the Women of the Nineteenth Century 76 Louis le Desirt and the Countess du Cayla 88 A notice from the Public Office, Bow Street, to the Proprietors of Gaming Houses, and Persons frequenting the same 112 CHAPTER II. Interior of a Gambling House 115 Dunne's Reflexions sur I'homme 117 The Ghosts of Dante 132 CHAPTER III. The Doctrine of Chances 137 Games of Hazard ibid. English Gamblers and Self Murderers 142, 143 Suicides at London and Paris compared 145 An English mother introducing her daughter to a Gambling table (see Frontispiece) 1 53 Rouge et Noir, ou le Trente Un The Game of 31, or 30 and 40 ...155 La Roulette 167 Figure of a Roulette Table > : 171 Le Pharaon 177 LeBiribL. 181 Le Jeu de Kraps >. 1 89 Le Passe dix ... 191 Mathematical V robleras . . 206 StacK CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. PAGES. The influence of Gambling Houses on Private Property ........ ........................ 265 Numerous Englishmen imprisoned for Gambling debts at Paris, of whom, many have committed Suicide, note to page ..................... 268 CHAPTER V. On the Passion for Gaming Its influence on the Morality of Individuals, and the possibility of suppressing it ........................ 277 Duelling ought to be tolerated in Britain ..... 278 Gaming Anecdote of the late Duke of Norfolk. 287 CHAPTER VI. Some account of the Revenue produced by Gambling Houses at Paris, amounting to no less a sum than 15,000,000 JFrancs; 5,000,000 of which are paid annually into the Coffers of the State for a Licence .................. 289 CHAPTER VII. Of the Protection which a Paternal Government owes to Gamesters against themselves ....... 293 The King v. Oldfield and Bennet ............. 296 Ingenious Defence of Mr. Adolphus . . ....... 304 The Chief Justice Abbott's opinion of Gaming. . 308 Hush Money ....... ....................... 310 CHAPTER VIII. Of Evil disposed Personages .................. 311 Crimes of the Clergy rapidly increasing in Britain 131GJ 69 t CONTENTS. MM*. Title of the Right Reverend Father in God improperly applied to any animal belongs only to Divinity Parables Portraits of Quack Doctors D. M. and a Female Telegraph Natal Quacks, and the Lords of the Admi- ralty Specimens of the boasted talents of our present Quack Doctors of the Metropolis- Conviction of a newly discovered species Fraud and Gaming practised by all classes of the people, from royalty down to the meanest Cobler The Thirty-Seven Articles A King breaking his Coronation Oath dissolves those bonds by which Society is enchained Citizens' Daughters Mrs. Dyott, alias Mrs. Egerton and Rook Robinson Mr. Webb's Seraglio at Brighton Mrs. Sh*ll**d, the Would-be-Doc- tor, and her Daughter Eliza English Women in High Life and Fortune Tellers the City Court of Requests French gratitude and Eng- lish adroitness Hired Bail Vicious ungrate- ful man is a blot in llic fair page of universal beauty All animals alike possess reason, Tax- gatherers, Brokers, and Commissioners of Land and Assessed Taxes excepted Lawyers will soon or late, be the downfall of Britain 312 ADDENDA. ^ 1^ dernier coup de pinceau,va an English dress 439 DEDICATION To His Royal Highness the Duke O p * * * * an( i * * * - Bishop of ********* Commander in l/ sot froMte fowjours wn p/us sot { COUP DE PINCEAU. 31 mous of your fraternity. The empoisoned poignard you intended, in the dark, to plunge into the heart of your victim, has failed in its operation, and your unmanly conduct clearly shows your guilty intentions. Read, I say, with care, the reply which, as before stated, I have written in your native lan- guage to evade any sort of chicane or quib- ble, by a translation. If you are not lost to all sense of shame, every word of the following letter must be a dagger to your soul. Mrs. Mary Shellard to the British Ambas- sador , Sir Charles Stuart^ at Paris. (EXTRACT.) " Dated in the Prison of the Madelonettes Riie des Fontaines, Paris, 12 September, 1815. ' Sir, " I have teen arrested by virtue of a warrant, signed bythePREFET of POLICE, on Saturday, the 1st day of September, 1815; the officers came to my lodgings, and dragged 32 : 'i me out of bed at 7 o'clock in the morning, and conducted me to a very unhealthy pri- son, close to the PREFECT'S HOUSE. I was shut up there for twenty-six hours, with about sixty other prisoners of the lowest order of society, in a room, the stench of which had nearly poisoned me, without being interrogated, or even the appearance of &\\y formality whatever of justice. Shortly afterwards I was conveyed here, without any charge whatever being formally made against me. For some days previously to my having been sent from the Prefecture's to this place, and whilst my money lasted, I was furnished with food and necessaries, at my own ex- pense ; but the goaler, finding that my purse failed, ROBBED raeof my SHAWL, and immediately put me in a CART, and carried me to the prison above named, where I have remained ever since." Reader, whether French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Greek, or Hebrew, who may have been in a strange country, without friends or COUP DE PINCEAU. 33 money, you can easily figure to yourself the miserable sufferings of this unhappy woman, shut up in such a detestable prison, as she has described to us, totally destitute of the necessaries of life, and even ignorant of the language of the country ! Added to this, her daughter Eliza, an interesting young woman, was imprisoned with her a part of the time. Ah ! Monsieur le Prefet, the ghost of the widow Shellard cannot fail to meet you at Philippi '.....And now, my Noble Comte Angles, to realise my pro- mise, by a reply in your native tongue to your elegant epistle to Van Slype. Lorsque le mensonge, la mechancete et la calomnie sont dechainees centre la repu- tation et lapropriete d'un honnetehomme; lorsqu'elles ont la liberte d'enfoncer, a leur aise, le plus dangefeux poignard dans le sein de leur victime, toute apologie devient presque superflue et vaine ; car Fopinion du public ne pent etre un instant incertaine. L'attaque portant avec elle tous les carac- teres de 1'injustice, de la fraude et de la vio- lence, la defense exige un deployement de 34 LE DERNIER moyens energiques, susceptibles d'assurer le triomphe de 1'innocence en butte a cette attaque. Le prefet de police du department de la Seine a-t-il done pu croire que je serais prive de ces moyens dans le royaume con- stitutionnel des Pays-Bas? S'est-il fait illu- sion qu'ils me seraient enleves par une censure, dont les douceurs sont savourees par les Francais, comme 1'etaient celles de la SAINTE INQUISITION en Espagne ? II se serait etrangement abuse. Un illus- tre personnage public a dit : " Si un homme " a le malheur d'etre opprime, c'est toujours " un sujet de consolation que le precede " vienne de la part d'un homme bien eleve, " et qu'il ne soit accompagne ni de gros- " sierete, ni de brutalite." Le comte Angles n'est rien moins que cet homme bien eleve. Le lecteur en jugera par son style et ses expressions. Je dois dire a ce prefet, avec toute la franchise qui me caracterise, que les menteurs sont tou- jours des laches* communement mechans. Si ces vices se trouvent amalgames pour COUP DE PINCEAU. 35 composer le caractere d'un magistral ou d'un fonctionnaire public, quel malheur n'en resultera-t-il pas pour la societe, et dans quelle anxieie ne doit-ilpas reduire les bons citoyens ? * Je termine ce petit preliminaire, et je nTempresse d'entrer en matiere. Je regrette bien vivement de ne pouvoir trouver des expressions assez fortes pour peindre convenablement 1'extreme indigna- tion qu'a du inspirer 1'horrible conduite de ces monstres a face humaine^ qu'on nomine agens de police, et qui semblent vous avoir inspire le degoutant libelle contenu dans votre lettre, en date du 28 Mars, 1820, n. 135, 431, addressee au procureur du Roi, Van Slype, a Maastricht, sur sa de~ * Le lecteur se rappelera cet espion ou agent de la po- lice Anglaise, qui a fait pendre dernierement en Angle- terre diverses gens pour recevoir les 40 livres sterlings, adjug6s pour chaque condamne. Leur innocence fut reconnue posterieurement, et cet espion, infame dela- teur, ne pas encore subit lui-meme la punition, qu'il fit in fliger aceux qn'il avail dnonces, pour avoir fait de* fausses denonciations. 86 LE DERNIER mande gratuite. II y a bien peu d'efforts a faire pour que cette indignation soit par- tagee par les hommes honnetes. Elle fera la plus vive impression sur leurs coeurs, in- dependamment de la faiblesse de mes moy- ens d'ecrire en fran^ais pour la leur pre- senter. Que preliminairement a. la refutation de votre missive mensongere, il me soit perrais de poser ces questions. Le citoyen ne peut- il etre honnetehomme que par la perritission speciale de la police ? Est-il reserve a cette police, le fleau de la societe, dont les vils agens composent une reunion d'etres les plus immorauX) de prononcer, avec la dis- cretion qu'on lui connait, sur la probite et les mcEurs de ce citoyen ? Les lois sont d'accord avec la raison pour dieter une reponse negative sur ces deux questions. Ainsi, quand vous auriez ecrit contre moi des imputations encore plus fausses que celles enoncees en votre lettre, ma conscience, qui ne m'a jamais trompe, me dit fortement que ma probite et mes COUP DE PINCEAU. 37 mceurs sont toujours pures, et qu'il n'est pas au pouwir de toutes les polices du mondc d'y porter la raoindre atteinte. Quand, dans 1'ancienne Rome, Juvenal parut, il n'y trouva point les hautes et basses polices, dont les agens, emissaires et mou~ chords, semblables aux SAUTERELLES de 1'Egypte, desolent les Europeens. Cepen- dant, apres avoir observe les hommes de son temps, il remarqua qu'z'/s vivaient mains paisiblemententr'eujcque les animaux les plus fir&ces. On connait les satires que lui in- spira la mechancete et les vices de ceux-ci, qu'il a signales a la posterite avec ce style vigoureux qui caracterise son unique mani- ere d'ecrire. Quel ample aliment aurait ete fourni a son inimitable pinceau, si, ce mordant ecrivain, apres avoir exerce" son hyperbole aur Claude et Agrippine, il y eut eu des polices semblables a celles qui exist* ent maintenant en Europe, dont les opera- tions, pour la plupart, texatoires et inquisi- toriales n'auraient pas manque de preter des nouvelles armes a sa causticite attiquef D 38 LE DERNIER C'est alors qu'on 1'aurait vu sortir des bornes de la moderation, en peignant, avec des traits encore plus forts que ceux dont il s'est servi, ces polices, qui n'auraient pu etre, comrae elles le sont reellement, que 1-ecume de la malheureuse humanite ! ! ! Ces verites sont incontestables, et votre ecrit m'a place dans une position ou je croirais degrader le caractere de ma nation, que je me fais gloire de partager, si j'avais la pusillanimite de vous les dissimuler. Ainsi, je m'engage en face de 1'Europe, de prouver Ip ' faussete de votre lettre au pro- cureur du Roi, Van Slype. Cette lettre n'est pas appuj/ee par un simple fait, mme vraisemblable. C'est un tissu inoui d'im- postures et de fraudes. Cette seule lettre ne suffit-elle point our vous meriter le juste titre de prince des calommaieurs ? Le poison calomnieux, qu'elle contient, a exale un mortel venin, dont ma reputation, sans tache, pourrait d'autant moins etre garantie, que ce poison est venu myste- neusement la frapper. Quoique vous 1'ayez COUP DE PINCEAU. 39 distille par un vague et une absurdite, de- montres jusqu'a Vevidence, il n'a pas moins fait impression sur certains esprits, toujours paresseux d'examiner pour s'assurer de la verite, ayant une tendance, qui est particu- liere a la plupart des homines, de croire le mal de preference au bien. Que vous ne soyez que le signataire, sans connaissance de cause, de 1'acte calomnieux dont je me plains, non pas sans raison, cet acte n'en est pas moins etay6 de votre nom. Vous ne pourriez pas etre excusable, en m'objectant qu'il n'est point votre ouvrage. Que cet ouvrage produit DANS LE COUPA- BLE DESSEIN de me nuire, qui a fait naitre, dans Pesprit des magistrats de ce pays (ig- norant absolument comment la police opere SES GENTILLESSES a Paris),des preventions contre moi, donne une bien mauvaise opinion du coeur d'un homme de police. Que cet homme qui, par le mensonge et la calomnie, se joue de tout ce qu'il y a de plus sacre, de Yhonneur et de la probitc d'un citoyen, est 40 LE DERNIER un etre VIL, MECHANT, IMMORAL, et ra- vale bien au-dessous de la brute ! ! ! J'ai pu, pour ma justification, me per- mettre ce langage, a la fois vrai et ENER- GIQUE, pour repousser cette calomnie, dont votre lettre au procureur du Roi, Van Slype, est la preu ve legale. Un tel acte, D E N u E de PREUVES AUTHENTIQUES, SE REFUTAIT DE LUI-MEME. Neanmoins, j'ai voulu le faire VICTOHIEUSEMENT, et a la satisfac- tion du public, par la publicite de cette re"- ponse. Veuillez la lire attentivement : vous y reconnaitrez de GHANDES VERITES, que vous n'eussiez jamais apprises par vos agens. Le procureur du Roi, a Maestricht, a arguments de votre lettre, comme si elle eut etc susceptible ftaltinuer le delit de ses ne- veux, souslraits, au grand ^tonnement du public, & une condamnation, a laquelle la justice veut qu'ils ne puissent echapper de nouveau en appel ! D'ailleurs, quand le procureur du Roi aurait pu se servir de COUP DE PINCEAU. 41 cette m6me lettre, pouvait-il lacoNSEUvER MYSTERIEUSEMENT JUSQU'AU MOMENT DE L'AUDIENCE ? Ne devait-il point me la communiquer aussi-tot sa reception, afin que je pusse la refuter, comrae je le fais par oet ecrit ? Au surplus, quel RAPPORT pouvait-il y avoir entre une telle lettre et le proces de Ploem et de Collard? Les juges superieurs blameront infailliblement le ministere pub- lic de s*en etre prevalu centre les disposi- tions formelles de la loi. En efFet, les articles 368 et 370 du Code penal, autori- eent a signaler, avec le blame qu'elle merite, la conduite etrange de ce ministere.* Si j'avais eu la communication de cette ; * Voici dans quels termes ces articles sent census : Art. 368. " Est r^put^e fausse toute imputation a " 1'appui de laquelle la preuve legale n'eet point rap- (t portee. En consequence, 1'auteur de 1'imputation ne " sera pas admis, pour sa defense, a demander que la " preuve en soit faite ; il ne pourra pas non plus " alleguer, comme moyen d'excuse, que les pieces ou les 42 LE DERNIER infanie lettre (que je me plains de ri'avoir pas eue), j'y aurais oppose les temoignages des honnetes gens de la premiere classe de la soeiete, a Paris, et meme a Maastricht, ou j'ai fait un sejour de dixhuit mois. Je serais sans doute parvenu a detruire, par les temoignages et les pieces probantes dont j'ai dejaparle, la PREVENTION qui parait s'etre etablie dans 1'esprit des magistrats contre moi. II est indubitable done que c'est dans cette equipee de ces ignobles Mouchards, de ces audacieux criminels, de ces faux-cheva- liers, on plutSt de ces chavaliers d'in- dustrie, que le Comte Angles a puise les inepties mensongeres, dont il m'a grati- fie et q'uel a adresse"es au procureur du Roi, " fails ont notoires, ou que les imputations qui donnent " lieu a la poursuite, sont copiees ou extraites de pa- " piers etrangers, ou d'autres ecrits imprimes." Art. S70. " Ne sera consider^ comme preuve lgale, " que celle qui resnltera d'un jogement, ou de tout autre " acte authentique." COUP DE PINCEAU. 43 a Maastricht, qui en a fait usage avec une legerete bien reprehensible. Et pour quoi faire ? Repondez, Monsieur Van Slype ! Cette lettre dont nous vennons de parler caracterise une aussi extraordi- naire injustice, qu'elle sera a JAMAIS UN MONUMENT DB LA PARTIALITE LA PLUS REVOLtANTE. CertCS, leS Cttdis Turcs, dans le tribunal desquels la LOI ne regie ni la decision, ni les formes, et qui, semblables a leur souverain despote, disposent, a leur volonte, de la vie et de 1'honneur d'un Musulman, n'ont point en- core depasse les bornes de toute pudeur, jusqu'a donner un scandale semblable*. De tous les calomniateurs, lesfonclionnaires publics et les magistrals sont les plus odieux. Us outragent a la fois L'HONNEUR DU CITOYEN et la MORALE PUBLIQUE. En effet, rien n'est plus funeste a la societe que 1'existence de semblables fonctionnaires * The Crnnte Angles has been lately dismissed frOm his respectable Police command at Paris ! 44 LE DERNIER et magistrats, gardiens et executeurs dea lois, qu'ils enfreignent avec impudence. La lot, c'est la sagesse, disait Ciceron. Le magistral est etablie pour presider a cette sagesse- Quelle folie serait celle, de ce ma- gistral, qui metamorphoserait son esprit en tin esprit de mechancet6, et Vexercerait a la place de la sagesse de la loi! Qui croirait que les polices, etablies dans les etats europeens, ou elles y occasionnent DBS DEFENSES CONSIDERABLES, qui SOfit un des articles les plus importans des bud- jets de ces etats, emploient plus de soins a nuire aux bons citoyens qu'a remplir 1'ob- jet de leur institution ? Qui croirait aussi qu'il est des agens de ces polices, dont la prevention et la suffisance vount jusqu'a s'eriger en censeurs des moeurs, et qui, con- siderant les hommes avec un microscope po- litique, poussent Vaudace jusqu'a transformer Vhomme de bien. qui ne professe pas leurs pernicieux principes, eu un itre des plus vicieux ? Quand dans la chambre des depu- tes il a etc fait un tableau aussi vrai que COUP DE PINCEAT7. 45 Jiideux de I 'immortality et de la turpitude de ces agens, 1'esprit le plus opiniatre a du se rendre a la conviction. J'etaye celui que je presente au public de la confiance qui m'a etc accordee par le gouvernement Franqais, et j'ose esperer que ce public aura de moi la bonne opinion que ma probite merite, et qu'il appreciera, avec plus D'IM- PARTIALITE que ne 1'a fait le comte An- gles, raon caractere et mes mocurs. L'opinion publique est fixee depuis long- temps surtoutes les polices, hautes etbasses. C'est avec de biens justes motifs que cette opinion ne leur est nultement favorable. Et comment auraient-elles son assentiraent, en cessant effrontement de respecter tout ce qu'elle respecte comme saer& ? Ne les a-t-on pas vues violer, sans regret, les secrets de la pensee de Vhomme^ lorsqu'elles ne pouvaient les comprimer par un espionnage infdme ? A 1'exemple des polices des grandes miles , celles des petites villes et villages se piquent de vexer les citoyens, en leur imposant, 46 LE DERNIER meme avec plus ffimpudence^ le poids de leur arbitraire, d'autant plus pesant, qu'il n'est point regie par 1'urbanite. Que d'horreurs a derouler aux yeux du lecteur, si Ton faisait 1'histoire des polices de tous les temps? Au nombre de ces hor- reurs, je rappelerai a Mr. le comte Angles, V illegal emprisonnement de deux malheureu- ses anglaises, mere etjille, au sort desquelles je me suis inte'resse', et dont le fameux due Dotrante, alors ministre, a ordonne l'61ar- gissement, en rovgissant de 1'absence de toute pudeur chez le sttbalterne qui avait ordonne" leur arrestation.* * Bartole, a celebrated French barrister, declared, that all women being bad, there was no occasion to make laws for the good ! Far be it from us to pretend that any particular law ought to have been framed for the accommodation of the widow Shellard, and her daugh- ter. On the contrary, we are ready to admit that many widows and their daughters are very able tacticians, yet are vulnerable (although not as Achilles) like the rest of their sex. We only exclaim against the arbitrary imprisonment of those women, and (as in the case of Mr. Bowring) the unnecessary And brutal cruelty in- flicted on them during their detention. COUP DE PINCEAU. 47 C'est dans cette situation que cette infor- tunee fut delaissee, sans aucun moyen d'ex- istence, dans le desespoir et 1'abandon le plus complet ; car il parait que 1'ambassa- deur n'eut pas le pouvoir de la faire mettre en liberte ; du moins ne le fit-il pas. Get acte d'humanite m'etait reserve. Je puis dire que si je ne 1'avais pas assistee du se- cours de ma profession et de quelque argent, elle serait morte dans v cette abominable prison. Mon certificat, en qualite de ****** constatant le mauvais 6tat de sa sante, et le lieu mal-sain ou elle dtait si long terns de- tenue, fut adressd au lord Wellington ; mais soit que sa seigneuire 1'a'it oubliee, soit que cette affaire ne fut pas de son res- sort, ce quej'ignore; quoiqu'il en soit, je sais bien que la malheureuse veuve Shellard fut trompee dans 1'espoir qu'elle avait con^u d'obtenir au moins un regard de compas- sion de la part de S. E. le Prince de Wa- terloo, son compatriote. Lccteur ! ce n'est pas tout, Youxrage in- 48 LE DERNIER fernal de cette police n'est pas encore fini ; il fautle dernier coup de pinceau pour com- pleter ce tableau ; et le voici : lid. publicitS que j'ai donnee, commeje viens de dire par mes ecrits, a Paffaire de ces malheureuses Anglaises, et 1'interet que j'y pris en obtenant leur liberte, malgre la puissante influence du prefet de police, a attire sur moi la vengeance de ce dernier et de ses suppots. Quel en fut le resultat ? Ma maison a ete violee par cette meme in- female police, et je fus depouilU, en 1815 d'une propriete, montant a la somme de 80,000 francs. J'ai fait en vain ma plainte a Fouche. Cette plainte est encore aujour- ffhui deposee dans les bureaux du minist^re, et le comte Angles ne peut Tignorer, mais sur laquelle il garde de plus profond silence dans sa fameuse lettre. L'Empereur, au- quel j'avais fait personnellement, et ant^- rieurement, une autre plainte, contre la diabolique police, me promit une satisfaction^ que je n'ai jamais re9ue de la meme police } qui pr^tendit qu'elle ne pouvait rien quant COUP DE PINCEAU. 49 a ses belles expeditions, faites anterieure- raeut a la seconde abdication de cei Em- pereur. En terminant cette reponse, il ne me reste plus qu'a vous inviter a vous expli- quer sur 1'assertion de votre lettre, qui m'a paru la plus positive. C'est celle relative aux personnes que vous dites avoir eu des re- lations avec moi. Pourquoi n'avez-vous pas delivre les noms de ces personnes, qui au- raient donne les renseignemens controuves que vous avez transmis ? Ces noms, que leprefet a imagine dans ses reveries, ne sont- ils pas sortis de son cerceau, avec moins d'efforts que Minerve sortit de celui de Jupiter ? ou ne sont-ils pas le resultat du travail d'un sot ou mediant commis, peni- blement elabore sur des notes aussi fausses qu'absurdes? Que les meprisables agens, auteurs de ces notes, sont percers et lache- ment imposteurs ! Voila tout ce que j'oserai toujours affir- mer a 1'Europe entiere. Ma vote s'y elevera contre le monstrueux arbitraire de 1814 et 50 LE DERNIER de 1815, et mes ecrits devoileront Y oppres- sion de la tyrannic, a laquelle je ferai une guerre mortelle par tout cm elle se manifes- tera. Ce sont-la, sans doute, des crimes* irremissibles aux yeux de la police, et de certains magistrals ; etje ne dois pas m'e- tonner eije me suis attiie la haine del'une et des autres. Je mcprise cette haine de la premiere, comme je serais honteux d'etre assez degrade pour meriter sa bienveillance. Elle me verra toujours arme du meme cou- rage, contre son arbitraire, son oppression, et la corruption de ses agens *. Mais, mes efforts seraient completement nuls, si je pouvais etre prive de la liberte de lapresse. Cette liberte doit etre considered * Tout le monde salt bien le burlesque complot contre S. M. 1'Empereur de Russie, jug6 par la cour d'assises de Bruxelles, le premier Mai 1819, ou les condanmes Buchoz et Lacroix, deux mouchards fran^ais, ont eu la tem6rite de soutenir qu'ils ont etc employes, par la police de cette ville, dans 1'affreux dessein d'attirer dans leurs pieges infames, et d'immoler a lear soif de 1'or sur 1'antel de leur perfidie, de malhenreuses victimes dont 1'inno- cence crie an ciel. COUP DE PINCEAU. 51 comme 1'antidote des maux affreux causes par la plupart de toutes les polices: je vais le demontrer par les reflexions gene- rales suivantes. Quand les lois de la societe sont violees par des grand criminels, qui se croient au- dessus d'elles, comment les atteindre? C'est la presse seule qui pent les demasquer. Elles les suit de pres jusques dans leur fiiite, et s'ils sont trop puissans pour que la justice les poursuive, ils n'echappent pas a Vignominie. C'est une verite incontes- table que sans la liberte de la presse, mil gouvernement libre ne peut exister!!! Je sais bien les objections qui me seront faites par quelques hommes a petites vues. Ils diront que les lois sont accessibles a tons, et que ce sont elles seules qui doi- vent frapper les coupables. C'est-la une doc- trine bien commode' Mais n'a-t-on pas vu dans tous les pays de grands coupables oser fouler aux pieds les lois les plus saintes ? Cela ne prouve-t-il pas qu'un peuple, que Ton croit libre, pent etre rcellement esclaxe ? E 2 52 LE DERNIER II n'est pas vrai non plus que les lois soient accessibles a tous les'hommes, meme dans le pays nomine la terre classique de la liberte ; car sans argent comptant, on ne peut pas plus obtenir la justice, que se procurer du pain. Ainsi il est demontre que la presse est la seule barriere entre la liberte et le despotismc. J'ose me flatter, comte Angles, que je viens de presenter, a la satisfaction du pub- lic, sous ses veritables couleurs, riiorrible portrait de cette odieuse police, qui desole bien plus d'honnetes gens, qu'elle ne sig- nale de frippons a la justice. Le genie malfaisant qui la dirige, et la corruption de ses sertdles agens, sont un contraste frap- pant avec Vhonneur, le patriotisme et Y amour de la patrie, ces genereux sentimens, que les lumieres du siecle, ou nous vivons, ont du exalter dans le cocur du bon citoyen. C'est a comprimer ces sentimens, que ces coquinailles s'occupent plus particuliere- ment. Les evenemens, dont nous sommes temoins oculaires, parleut assez fortement COUP DE PINCEAU. 53 pour en convaincre tout esprit qui les juge sans passion et avec impartiality. Quand 1'avilissement et la bassesse des chefs de cette meme indigne police sont par- venus a leur dernier periode, comment en pourrait-il etre autrement ? N'avons-nous pas vu plus ffun comte abandonner Idche- ment son pays et son Roi, Louis XVI. (et meme Louis XVIII), et emigrer en Angleterre, ou lui et ses pareils : contraints aux pluspenibles travaux, pour un vilgain, y re^urent des secours pe"cuniaires, aux- quels ja mefais gloire d* avoir contnbui^ dans cette persuasion, que fhomme malheureux^ quelque soient ses crimes, a droit a notre compassion ? N'avons-nous pas vu egalement plusieurs de ces meridians emigres, dont les intrigues et la poltronnerie sont connues de 1'Europe entiere, faire abjuration de toutes vertus civiles, en conspirant constamment et opi- niatrement centre la liberte de leur pays, et implorer ses ennemis pour 1'affliger par tous les plus grands maux de la guerre ? 3 54 LE DERNIER COUP DE PIN'CEAU. Le sonvenir de ces belles promesses est trop recent pour qu'on ait pu 1'oublier : 1'histoire le burinera, et son pinceau im- primera, sur les coupables auteurs de ces rnaux, sans egard a leurs pretendus titresfas- tueux de prince, due, comte, vicomte, marquis, et chevalier, la fltrissurequ'ils me>itent, et avec laquelle ils seront signa- les a la posterity, qui, comme leurs con- temporains, s'indignera, avec raison, de leur perversite. PERSIUS. BLACKHEATH, April, 1823. INTRODUCTION. GAMBLERS AND GAMBLING HOUSES. Every Gambler is, has been, or will be a robber. WE believe it would be very difficult to decide when and where gambling first originated. It has been practised time im- memorial in all countries, and by all classes of society. Their holinesses the Popes even not excepted. The devil, perhaps, was the first player, and contrived it for the ex- press purpose of affording temporary amuse- ment to his beloved subjects, who have transmitted it to their fellows of the present day. 56 GAMBLERS AND Ah ! what numberless disciples of his sable majesty might we not count, even in our own metropolis, of dukes, peers, baronets, knights, and commoners ; not to speak of lackeys, barbers, tailors, ruined tradesmen, and men of law. One of this latter class, according to his own account, has lost 20,000 before he arrived at twenty years of age. What a precious disposition he already announces ! what an honourable subject for the bar! To what high destinies ought he not expect to be raised, if his active industry does not meet a check by a trip to Woolwich, or a voyage to a newly discovered colony. It enters into the plan of our work to give publicity to the talents of a young man of such pro~ mising genius , who might say, with a just title, in parodiant le Cid. " Je suis jeune, il cst rrai, mais aux ames mal nces Le vice n'atteiid pas le nombre des annees." Be this as it may, we find that at the epoque of the downfall of the French Mo- GAMBLING HOUSES. 57 narchy, the passion for gambling in private houses became a source of revenue for seve- ral persons in power, who left nothing- un- done to excite the people to continue its destructive pursuit. The ruin of thousands evidently had no effect on the infatuated players ; the more they lost, the more they would lose, for to gain was entirely out of the question. Presently, elegant drawing- rooms were publicly opened for the propa- gation of this vice, and people of both sexes, and of all ages, rank, and condition were received to give splendour and eclat to its administration. The government finding that this source was likely to be productive, at first arbitra- rily imposed a tax on the proprietors of those houses, and at length agreed for a certain sum to grant them licences some- thing after the manner of the present day. It certainly was an evil genius that first organized a Gambling House. In France it has its administration its chief its stock- holders its officers its priests its crou- 58 GAMBLERS AND piers its domestiques its pimps its spies its informers its assassins its bullies- its strumpets its aiders its abettors in fact, its scoundrels of every description, particularly its hireling swindlers, paid to decoy the unwary into this hell, so odious to morality, and so destructive to virtue and Christianity. By a monstrous disregard for justice, on the part of the authority instituted to con- serve virtue and to defend the inexperienced and the weak against the foul enterprize of cupidity, the right to plunder the people, who had the misfortune to enter those houses, was adjudged to the highest bidder. Thus was formed an institution by the Govern- ment itself, no less vicious and dangerous in its principles than it is disgraceful to the laws of, what is commonly called, a Christian country. By the protection afforded to this infamous play, a vast career is opened to its excesses. Daily experience proves to us that those houses are the resort of men of the most desperate fortune, who are GAMBLING HOUSES. 59 led there from necessity, and whose necessi- ties conduct them to commit crimes of the blackest hue. In fact, this institution, des- tined to operate only in favour of govern- ment and a few individuals, is the total destruction of millions of honourable men. Do not its corrupt abettors show their contempt for all Law, moral and divine ? Alas ! poor humanity ! The continuance of those GamblingHous es for so many centuries past will prove the adage, that a an abuse once established will support itself," because the proprietors, like a rotten government, will prop up their vile fabric by every sort of vice, even by the blood of honest citizens. What a perver- sity of mind, then, does not these legislators possess, who, pretending to morality and religion, guard a servile silence in the se- nate respecting those horrible living golgo- thas ! It is an absolute and lamentable fact, that many of the members of the legislature of England as well as of France, are to be met with nightly in those detestable sinks of iniquity. Is it not, I would ask, disho- 60 GAMBLERS AND nourable for the latter to have so shameful a production, as a part of her budget, and to actually discuss it in her houses of Parlia- ment ? Are not our English licenced lotte- ries equally disgraceful to Britain ? ,n-}jfl ofJciKofloHIo eao ; Him io ifojrttrtn " Unbless'd by Virtne, government a league Becomes, a circling junto of the great To rob by law ; Religion mild, a yoke To tame the stooping soul, a trick of State To mask the rapine, and to share the prey. What are without It ? Senates, save a face, Of consultation deep and reason free, While the determin'd voice and heart are sold ? What boasted Freedom, save a sounding name ? And what Election, but a market vile Of Slaves self-bartered ?" It would not be difficult to establish, be- yond all question of doubt, that the exist- ence of Gambling Houses is contrary to morality, to the laws, and to the good of society, and in opposition to the surety and prosperity of every state. To announce these truths, to attack an institution, pro- tected by custom, corruption of morals, and the powerful arm of gold, is no little task, GAMBLING HOUSES. 61 and indeed we must say a very fruitless one, particularly in England, whilst we have a certain infatuated Duke so closely allied to r*****y, playing the first fiddle in this abo- minable career, or rather infernal profession. Let us examine, for a moment, the ar- guments employed in favour of Gaming Houses; and they have, in our enlightened days, their advocates, not only in France, but in our own country. The passion for gaming, according to those personages, is imperious; and it is pretended that those men, whose souls are full of it, are always seeking means to satisfy that passion. The most severe laws, say those miserable advocates, so far from tending to destroy this baneful practice, only render its ex- cesses more frequent and dangerous, as is the case in England, in the present day, by forcing those who deliver themselves up to it, to commit yet greater crimes in secret, and in the dark. Thus the Administrateurs de Jeu modestly urge the necessity of protecting the players F 62 GAMBLERS AND against the fatal snares spread out for them in unauthorized Gambling Houses, whereby their fortunes, nay, their lives might be often at the mercy of desperate adventu- rers. For these reasons, it is advantage- ous, they say, to have licenced Gaming Houses constantly under the vigilant eye of the magistrate, who never fails to cor- rect the abuses to be met with therein, and to protect the players. Besides, they add, this institution is favourable to the projects of the police in a great city. A saloon for play is the rendezvous of the deluded and ruined gamester. It is a receptacle for the unfortunate, the coiner, the for- ger, the libertine, the dupe, and the man without employment or fortune. It is to these rooms he necessarily repairs. It is here the invisible eye of the police, they pretend, should be constantly kept upon him, with a view to assure the tranquillity of society. By such means they would sanc- tion the violation of the law, under the pre- tence of humanity and the public good, GAMBLING HOUSES. 63 when, in fact, their real aim is, in applaud- ing a hellish indulgence to put money into their own coffers, however disastrous it may be to humanity. The intention of all law is to banish vice. What is the nature of the vice of which we speak! Is any crime more black in the whole catalogue, or is the passion for gambling improperly designated? The law which punishes it in England, is it in opposition to the law of nature? Cer- tainly not. Philanthropy cannot complain of a chastisement applied to an action which is unjust. The vice of gaming is contrary to the hap- piness of man, and ought to be suppressed in every civilized country ; it is fatal not only to individuals which it infects, but to the state which tolerates it. It favors corruption of manners ; it destroys all emu- lation for industry by a stupid worship of hazard, and the ridiculous idea, that Provi- dence, by a system of fatality, directs the good and bad fortune of the miserable game- ster ; it cherishes the most ambitious desi res F2 64 GAMBLERS AND in the mind, and augments the number of bad citizens. The excess of this vice has caused even the overthrow of empires. It leads'to con- spiracies, and creates conspirators. Men overwhelmed with debt are always ready to obey the orders of any bold chieftain who might attempt a decisive stroke, even against majesty itself. His designs flatterthe exag- gerated ideas of men, who have squandered a brilliant fortune, and who have nothing to partake of but despair. Catalina had very soon under his orders an army of scoundrels. " Every man dishonoured by dissipation," said Sallust, " who by his follies or losses at the gaming table, hath consumed the inherit- ance of his fathers; and all those who were sufferers by such misery, were the friends of this perverse man." The establishment of Gaming Houses considered in an obscure point of view only, appears at first sight as an operation of finance and police, but, in reality, they are the source of public and private misfortune. The consequences re- GAMBLING HOUSES. 65 suiting from the depravity practised in these tabernacles of the devil are equally danger- ous for private families, as they are for the sorereign and his kingdom. The pretence that the police do their work better, in con- sequence of those Gambling Houses being legalized, is ridiculous, and, in reality, false and frivolous ; for, formerly, public Gaming Houses were not in existence, and the ser- vice of the police was not made with more finesse and art than at present. The names of Argenson, of Sartines, and of Lenoir, recal to our memory prodigies which have never disannulled the acts of the police, during the revolution in France. If it be true that the authorities had their eyes unceasingly open upon men without occupation and without means, is it neces- sary in attaining this end to augment the number of crimes ? Where is the man, with- out fortune, frequenting the Gaming Houses, who has not been robbed of his property by Gambling ? If the police find there the means of discovering crime, it is because F3 66 GAMBLERS AND misery accompanies this vice, and causes it. The police, therefore, may necessarily find the effect near the cause ; and to destroy the cause would be the means of preventing the effect. In the course of this work, we shall say something of different species of Gambling (equally prevalent and ruinous in our own metropolis, as Rouge and Noir in France), without regard to titles or fortune, for our sole aim is to endeavour to prevent vice, and punish crime; or rather, in the words of our celebrated countryman, " To hold as 'twere, the mirror up to nature ; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her owu image, and the very age and body of the time, his form and pressure. 1 ' Pour montrer du siecle ou nous vivons, les coleurs, la forme et 1'esprit. (Imitation.) Thus, like a certain hermit, the Author Avill trace (although no doubt with less ability) the portraits of gambling personages of both sexes, known for their follies, for their vices, and for their crimes. His inves- tigating eye will pass in review a multitude GAMBLING HOUSES. 67 of originals, amongst whom will be found men and women of every rank and station ; and although descriptive details will be pourtrayed with fidelity, yet without the slightest shade of malice. The baneful practices of detestable em- pirics are become alarming in our country, a nation pretending to common sense. No such infamy is permitted in France, nor indeed on the continent of Europe: this degradation is reserved for our classic and sage England. In fact, those pill-levelling gentry are now to be met with at every corner ; barbers, even knights, and captains engage themselves as quack-doctors, for the sake of illicit gain : They risk the money they pay for advertisements, against the chance of entrapping the credulous and un- wary. Those ragged miserables in vending their poison, will, no doubt, plead in their justification, like Shakespeare's apothecary, " my poverty, but not my will, consents." The suicides and plunders, the effect of that inhuman trade of Stock-Jobbing, is 68 GAMBLERS AND known to every one; its mischievous con- sequences are daily spreading throughout Britain, and loudly calls on the legislature to put an end to its practices. Of the Lot- tery and Annuities, a word will be said en passant^ under the head of Doctrine of Chances. We shall finish this tableau with a brief history of another pernicious species of Gambling abounding in our country, con- ducted by intrigante feminine adventurers, under the cloak of Lodging-house-keepers. It is a curious fact, that the w idow Sh d, and her amiable daughter, lately sojourners in Nelson Square, from which place, how- ever, they decamped d la lumiere de la lune, and whose house served more purposes than owe, approaches humourously enough the bizarrerie of an English poet; rich in poesy, but poor in purse; whose only piece of furniture, according to himself " Contriv'd a double debt to pay; A bed by night, a chest of drawers by day." Those bewitching^/azr ones have been for GAMBLING HOUSES. 69 many years past in the constant habit of setting up lodging-houses in some fashion- able quarter ; and by the aid of pen, ink, and paper, the mantle of Miss's brother, an assistant to a chemist not a thousand miles from Regent Street, and the wings, not of love, but of the graces of Printing House Square, they accommodated, from time to time, christian-like, many a gay and thought- less mortal here below. The vehicle these generous ladies employ for their advertise- ments (every thing being done through the public prints) is generally the Old Times newspaper, and the benign announce usually runs thus : " A widow Lady of highly respectable cha- racter and connexions, whose family con- sists of an only daughter, would not object to receive a single gentleman of fortune and honour into her house. He will be treated with kindness and particular attention, voici done le piege." They might have added, however, but prudence, no doubt, forbid it, that t\\\s young Miss has been more than once called by the endearing name of Mamma ! ! ! 70 GAMBLERS AND A risible circumstance has thrown in our way the following letter, written at Nelson Square, by Miss, to a discarded lover (of whose bounty her benevolent mo- ther and herself had partaken for some con- siderable time), on the re-appearance of a chere ami, whose long residence in the gay Parisian capital, had induced her to believe that she had been thrown neglected by! We give it verbatim, without scarcely a comment, except merely to say, that since June last, Miss has made another choice! BILLET-DOUX. Mis$ Eliza Sh d to Mr. L..p..n, Corn Man, City. " SIR, '* I cannot but feel surprised at your particular enqui- ries after me this morning, as you must be well aware that we cannot have any thing to say. I think I ought to observe to you, that you have been mistaken with regard to my sentiments [after passing two years together.] The only favour I have to request of you is, not to trouble me [O woman ! incomprehensible woman !] neither with your visits, nor your letters, as yon must be well aware, from a late circumstance [that's the rub], respecting the gentleman you have seen at my house of my family arrangements. Delicacy ought, therefore, to prevent you from wishing to disturb our harmony, by leaving me to enjoy peace and quiet. In addressing you GAMBLING HOUSES. 71 this letter, I mean no offence ; it is written with a view to prevent the necessity of any detail respecting my affairs, of which, no doubt, you will see the propriety. I am, SIR, Your obedient servant, Saturday, 9th June. ELIZA SH D. The picture, perhaps, would not be con- sidered complete, were we to omit stating, that the worthy brother, to whom we have already alluded, lends himself to the innocent amusements of his mother and sister; the former always acting the part of servant of all work to her daughter and the newly-caught chere ami, whilst the brother, if still to debase human nature, introduces his sister to the house's connexions, and so- ciety of the frail sisterhood, one of whom resides in Seymour Place, whose nightly promenades extend from her own dwelling to the extremity of Oxford Street. En un mot. The kind mother, of whom we have commenced the portrait, to which we are now about to give the last stroke of our pencil, although certainly not in the pintemps of her charms, and whose health has been impaired by inhaling, for the space 72 GAMBLERS AND GAMBtflNG HOUSES. of a whole year entire, the foul air of Horse- monger-lane, nevertheless continues her cha- ritable avocations of uniting, if not for e-cer, at least for a time, those persons that would otherwise have remained in the stupid state of celibacy all their lives : and we would ask, what animal is more terrific to the eye, than an old maid! Our angelic widow, in addi- tion to all that we have already said of her liberality and never-ceasing bounty, con- stantly, like the good Samaritan, takes upon herself the saint-like office of healing and nurse-tending, not only her virtuous disciples in her holy works, but many of the pious ladies of iheWest-end of our gay metropolis ! THE AUTHOR. THE LAWS ON GAMING. CHAPTER I. " Palamede inventa le jeu ties tehees au siege de Troie, tant pour servir de di- vertissement aux soldats que pour leur apprendre les ruses de la guerre." THE history of France furnishes us with many striking examples of the violation of all laws, human and divine, owing- to the profligacy committed by Gamblers of both sexes. French women, after having lost their money at play, never fail to barter their honour for a new supply. I would ask if it is not the same with modern Eng- lish women? Have we not witnessed a few days ago a scandal equal to any on record in any coun- try, of two Sisters, one of whom is married, moving, if not in very high life, wallowing., at least, in the midst of luxury, riches, and G 74 THE LAWS ease, having lost ^20,000 at the Stock Ex- change, that Depot ofGambling iniquity, and afterwards offering to pay 7s. in the pound ? Was this conduct the effect of weakness, or avarice, or both? If Mr. R********d, the husband, had not paid the deficiency, what would have been the consequence? Why Madam must have obtained it ? And by what act offaiblesse ? Une femme faible, dit M. Labruyere, est celle a qui Ton reproche une faute, qui se la reproche elle-meme; dont le co2ur combat la raison, qui veut gu,erir, qui ne guerira pas, ou trop tard. Voila ce qui a ete ecrit dans le biHi vieux terns, ou nos peres avaient, dit-on, toutes les perfections morales. Cela n'a point ete conteste, cela est reconnu vrai. On n'en a point fait un crime a son auteur; mais La- bruyere n'a dit que quelques mots, et moi je vais faire quelques pages. " A weak woman," says La Bruyere, " is one, to whom a fault is imputed, who re- proaches herself with it ; whose heart is in conflict with her reason ; who intends to be ON GAMING. 75 cured, who will not be cured, or too late." This was written in the good old times, when our forefathers are said to have possessed moral perfection. Its truth has not been disputed, nor its author accused of com- mitting a crime ; but La Bruyere said only a few words, and I am going to write se- veral pages. I assert, then, that the desire of pleasure natural to the fair sex of dress, in a word, of the extravagancies of the toilette, added to their natural idleness, ought to keep them out of Gambling Depots. But this is not the case, many women of high rank and fortune pass half their lives among high toned Gamblers and chicane Lawyers, not only at Paris, but in our own metropolis. Female Gamblers are always governed by their passions, seldom, if ever guided by reason or common sense, and never seriously consider the result of their intrigues. Ha- tred scarcely gives a woman less pleasure than love. The former seems to be the most lively and animated passion, and gives even G2 76 THE LAWS more violent emotions to the soul than the latter. What a strange combination of mat- ter! What a model of imperfection! Well indeed might the poet say of this incon- stant sex, " Every thing by starts, but nothing long." Habituees, disait M. Dunne (Observations sur les Femmes du 19 e Siecle) des leur Jeunesse a des choses frivoles, elle n'ont d'autre moyen de se preserver de 1'ennui que de courir les maisons de Jeu, les bals, les theatres, les promenades publiques, ou de lire des romans, seule lecture ana- logue a la fausse culture ou au vide de leur esprit. C'est ainsi qu'elles entrent dans la carriere du vice, ou les flatteries extravagantes des hommes aident encore a les precipiter. Si aux arts d'agremens auxquels on donne tant d'importance dans leur educa- tion, elles joignent les avantages de la beau- te ou de quelque grace naturelle, Vencens le plus grassier suffit pour leur tourner la tete : elles se croient alors au-dessus de tout ON GAMING. 77 leur sexe, et rien ne peut les faire descendre de ce trone imaginaire. Ce travers qui les rend inciviles, hautaines, dedaigneuses et par-consequent ridicules, est le resultat d'un defaut de jugement, faculte qu'on ne cherche guere a cultiver en elles; et comment pour- raient elles se corriger, tant qu'elles trou- vent des admirateurs? Malheureusement lorsquc ceux-ci disparaissent, le vice a pris racine et ne peut plus s'extirper. II cherche alors un nouveau theatre. (Test assez 1'ordinaire de voir, en France surtout ou les examples n'en sont pas rares, des femmes terminer par la devotion une vie dereglee. Mais cette transition se borne presque toujours a un changement de cos- tume : la reforme ne vas pas plus loin. Dans la jeunesse, le feu des passions, le tourbillon du monde, ne leur laissent pas le terns de s'apercevoir que 1'opinion a son prix. L'age et 1'abandon qu'il amene leur font sentir enfin que la reputation peut etre bonne a quelque chose. Mais comment renoncer a des penchans caresses G3 78 THE LAWS si long-terns avec tant de passion? La devotion leur offre alors son manteau, comme le seul moyen de se menager en public les honneurs dela vertu, et en secret les plaisirs du vice. Avec ce nouveau masque, arrivent les fausse dents, les chevelures artificielles, le fard, les cosmetiques, les pieuses gri- maces et la sainte medisance ; etla morale long-terns insultee par des desordres publics, re^oit enfin pour dernier outrage 1'hommage hypocrite de la perversite . Lorsqu'on entre dans les details de toutes les petites passions qui agitent les femmes durant leur vie, de toutes les tracasseries qu'entrainent leur folle vanite, et leur per- petuelle indiscretion; lorsqu'on reflechit que, malgre tous les defauts de leur esprit et les vies de leur coBur, elles exercent la plus grande influence dans 1'etat social, on est tente de justifier Confucius et Mohham- met de les avoir condamnees a la cloture. Mais pour adoucir cette reflexion, nous supposerons a ces deux legiskteurs celebres, ON GAMING. 79 un motif plus honorable pour les femmes; soit qu'ils les aient considerees comme de la meme espece que Phomme, soit qu'ils aient pretendu ne voir en elles qu'une espece inferieure destinee a la propagation du genre humain, ils ont voulu, sans doute, en les separant de la societe, les empecher de prendre les vices des hommes, et conserver dans toute sa purete un des plus beaux pri- sens de la nature ! Cependant, en avan^ant qu'il y a plus de rigidite dans les moeurs des dames en An- gleterre qu'en France, nou devons excepter ces heroines du beau monde qui, bravant tous les prejuges, font hautement metier de consumer la plus grande partie de leurs jours et de leurs nuits aupres des tables de jeu, et dans les bals masques de ces lieux publics et non avoues tout-a-la-fois, que 1'on trouve en Angleterre comme ailleurs, et qui sont, partout autant de receptacles de de desordres et de vices. Nous ne citerons pas non plus pour modeles de regularite, les anglaises ou 80 THE LAWS irlandaises, et mme les ecossaises caza- nieres de bon ton qui, de retour chez elles, semblent prendre a tache d'y naturaliser tous les defauts et tous les ridicules qu'elles apportent du Continent. On ne peut s'empdcher de remarquer 1'eten- nante metamorphose que le simple passage du detroit opere dans nos prudes celiba- taires ou mariees, qui n'ont rien de plus presse, a leur abord sur 1'autre plage, que de s'affranchir au plutot du joug des bien- seances locales qui reglaient etcompassaient auparavantlamoindre de leurs demarches. Cette dame, si scrupuleuse, a Londres, qui n'eut ose s'approcher de la porte d'une taverne, entre, a Paris, au cafe avec assu- rance, et bientot y cause plus haut que les habitues du quartier. Cette fiere lady qui, dans un cercle de Saint-James ou Hanover- Square, cut trouve choquant audela de toute expression qu'un homme s'avisat de lui adresser la parole, avant de lui avoir etc presente dans toutes les formes de 1'etiqupte la plus minutieuse, s'introduit d'elle mSme ON GAMING. 81 sans fa9on aux assemblies de la Capitale de France, y aborde cavalierement tous les hommes, et ne manque jamais de donner la preference a un Parisien sur ses compa- triotes les plus recommendables. Quelques-unesvont encoreau-dela: Nous tenons de la bouche meme d'une jeune an- glaise, parente d'un pair de la Grande-Bre- tagne, et en possession de tous les avantages de la beaute et de 1'education, qu'elle ressent tout le plaisir imaginable a valser dans un- certain bal champetre avec un simple me- nuisier villageois, la perle des danseurs, et que rien ne lui coute pour aller chercher et le bal et le valseur fameux. Quelle est done la magic capable d'enfanter de pareilles metamorphoses ? Sept lieues de distance apportent-elles une si grande variation dans les influences de 1'air sur 1'une on 1'autre rive? Ou nos amazones, en entrant dans le paquebot de la traversee, deposent elles leur modestie natale, comme elles prennent le mal de mer? La fernme^ a-t-on dit depuis long-terns, 82 THE LAWS est une contradiction continuelle ; plus elle a de 1'esprit, moins elle a de raison ; plus elle vise a 1'amabilite, moins elle est aim- able. Les femmes qui font profession de bel esprit sont rarement bonne epouses et bonnes meres: C'esttoujoursla tete qui gate lecceur' TRANSLATION. Habituated from their infancy ( Dunne 1 s Observations on the Women of the L9th Cen- tury.) to nothing but frivolity, they have no other means of escaping ennui, than by fre- quenting Gambling Houses, balls, thea- tres, and public promenades; or by novel- reading, the only lecture which suits their false-cultivated or empty minds. Thus they rush into the paths of vice, to which the ex- travagant flattery of men, equally weak, is constantly inviting them. If to the science of allurement, to which so much importance is attached, as a branch of their education, they unite the advantage of beauty, or some natural grace, the grossest incense suffices to intoxicate their senses. ON GAMING. 83 They believe themselves above all their sex ; and nothing can make them descend from their imaginary throne. This misfortune, which renders them uncivil haughty disdainful, and, consequently, ridiculous, re- sults from a defect of judgment, a faculty, which is scarcely pretended to be cultivated in the sex. And how is it possible for them to reform, as long as they find admirers ? Unfortunately, however, when these at length withdraw, vice is already too deeply rooted, to be eradicated. It then seeks a new scene of action. It is common enough, to see women terminate a disorderly life in the character of devotees. In France, a Convent is thedernier resource ; in England, Methodism ! But this transition is almost always confined to a change of dress; be- yond which there is no reform. In their youth, the enthusiasm of pas- sion, and the vortex of the world leave them no time to perceive that public opinion is of some value. Old age, and the abandonment which attends it make 84 THE LAWS them sensible at last of the advantages of a good reputation. But how are they to re- nounce a propensity, in which they have so fondly indulged for such a length of time, and with so much passion ? Religion then offers its mantle, as the only means of en- joying publicly the honours of virtue, and secretly the pleasures of vice. With this new mask appear false teeth artificial hair painted or rather enamelled fronts cosmetics saint grimaces and PIOUS- SLANDER; and morality, insulted by a long course of public disorders, is finally outraged by the hypocritical homage of perversity. When we enter into the details of all the petites passions, which agitate the life of women; of all the turmoils, which re- sult from their foolish vanity and perpetual indiscretion; when we reflect, that, in spite of all their intellectual defects, and all the vices of their hearts, they still exercise the greatest influence on society, we are tempted to justify Confucius and Mohham- met, for having condemned them to a life of ON GAMING. 85 seclusion. But in mitigation of this reflec- tion, we will suppose that these celebrated lawgivers were actuated by motives more honourable to the fair sex. Whether they consider them as belonging to our spe- cies, or whether they pretended them to be of an inferior nature, destined only to propagate the human race, they had un- doubtedly the intention, by separating them from society, to prevent them from imbibing the vices of men, and to preserve in all its purity one of the most beautiful presents of Nature. In advancing, however, that there is more rigidity in the manners of the women in England than in France, we must except those heroines of the fashionable world, who, unrestrained by prejudices, loudly profess to make a trade of consuming the greatest part of their days and nights at Gambling Tables Masked Balls and other ruinous receptacles of vice and disorder licenced as well in our Isles, as in other countries, and which are every where so many haunts ii OO THE LAWS of profligacy and depravity. Neither can we cite for models of regularity, those En- glish Irish and even Scotch ladies of bon ton, who, returning from a visit to the Continent, seem to have nothing more at heart, than to naturalize all the imperfec- tions and ridiculous qualities of foreigners. We cannot but observe the astonishing metamorphosis which the simple passage of the channel operates in our English prudes , married or unmarried, who have scarcely pa- tience to await their descent on the opposite coast, to do away with that local regard for decorum, which before measured and en- compassed every step. The same woman, who, at London, would scruple to approach the door of a tavern, when at Paris, boldly enters the coffee-houses, and soon becomes more noisy than the native visitors. The proud lady, who, in the circles of St. James's, or Hanover Square, would have found it shocking beyond all expression to be ad- dressed by a man, who had not been pre- viously presented to her according to the ON GAMING. 87 laws of the most rigid etiquette, introduces herself without ceremony, to the assemblies of the French Capital, accosts Frenchmen most cavalierly, and never fails to prefer the gay Parisian to the most worthy of her countrymen. Some go still further, and in- deed our own ears have heard from the lips of a young English lady, a relation of a Peer of Great Britain, and possessing all the advantages of beauty and education, that she felt the greatest pleasure ima- ginable in waltzing at a certain country ball, with a simple carpenter of the village, the pearl of dancers, and that she gladly sacrificed every other pleasure to this ball and her famous waltzer. What magical power is it, which is ca- pable of affecting such wonderful changes? Does a distance of seven leagues, cause so great a difference in the atmospherical influence of the two countries ? Or do our amazons, in entering the packet-boat, sud- denly lay aside their native modesty, in the same manner, as they become sea-sick ? H2 88 THE LAWS It is a trite observation, " that woman is a continual contradiction:" the 'greater her intellectual powers, the less reasonable; the greater her desire to please, the less amiable. Women who make a profession of witty talent, are seldom good wives, and never good mothers. The head always cor- rupts the heart. The republican Romans put all those reprobates, women as well as men, out of the protection of the law. In the time of Charlemagne, Gamblers were excommuni- cated, and rendered unworthy of Christian burial. They were prosecuted by the de- crees of the wise Charles the vth. The pious Louis the xivth, a bigotted monarch infl uenced by his weakness for a fine woman*, at the instance of the covetous Montes- pan, tolerated this abuse at his court. This infatuated prince seduced by the dazzling appearance of immense piles of gold, suffered those monsters in human shape, * Does not the Countess du Cayla possess, in an eminent degree, similar influence over our pious Louis \edesirt! ON GAMING. 89 to oppose that all powerful metal to the ri- gour of the laws. Thus by a well-regulated dissimulation, their baseness was masked under the appearance of splendid opulence, whilst, in fact, they lived by plundering the public ; and instead of being protected, they ought to have been forced to wear the fillet of slavery, with an appropriate mark to be branded with a hot iron on their foreheads*. The XVIII. century has been conspicuous in France, and particularly in England, for the extraordinary introduction of Gambling in the houses of the nobility, to their total ruin, and to the prejudice of every prin- ciple of honour and virtue. The .ranks of Gamblers have been recruited, even by fa- thers of families, whose ruin was completed by those abominable institutions. But to profit by the impious abuse of common sense, the Administrateurs de Jeu opened those detestable ACADEMIES in France, under the * It were much to be wished, that his Majesty, George IV. would cause this branding system to be com- menced in his kingdom. H3 90 THE LAWS pretence of charitable purposes, by giving a mere trifle annually to the poor. " If per" sons complain of having been assaulted, " says the Roman law," where games of Hazard are played, or of having suffered any injury whatever during the time of playing those games, or that some article belonging to the house has been carried away, it would not give any right of action to prosecute for the loss or damage which any such injury might cause." Thus did the legislators of a conquering and free people express themselves : men who owed their power to their virtue and their wealth. Christian morality succeeded the philosophy of the an- cients ; but its rules are strangely neglected : and the French law, a mixture of bigotted and monarchical principles presents at the same time two powerful movements to an extraordinary people. The first law against the games of Hazard, which appears in the national antiquities of France, is a decree (Capitulaire) which sepa- rates Gamblers from the communion of the ON GAMING. 91 faithful. This decree, a remarkable monu- ment of the exercise of spiritual power of a secular prince,was employed against the vice of Gambling, and by the most potent arm in his imagination ; this law, then, is a proof of the necessity of its suppression. In fact, correction is not only intended by it, but vice is attacked, root and branch ; whereby people are naturally inspired with a horror of doing wrong. In proportion, however, as the bonds of religion became weakened, and virtue less practised, the laws substituted for this infamous crime milder punishments; such as a denial of protection to some of the Gambling Houses ; and small fines were sometimes imposed on the Administrateurs de Jeu. The decree of Orleans, issued in 1560, confounded in the same penalty Gambling Houses and Houses of Prostitution. In 1615, the parliament of Paris showed an honourable energy in its remonstrances to the king on the detestable practice of Gam- ing. The legislators who composed this 92 THE LAWS parliament were right, when they said, in the preamble of their edict, that they had not degenerated from the virtues of their ancestors. The decree issued by Louis the xmth, in 1629, contains rigorous penalties against Gambling Houses. " It is forbidden" said he (article 137), " and it is interdicted to our subjects to receive in their houses any persons for the purpose of Gambling." " We declare," added this monarch, " from this moment, that all those persons who infringe this decree, or who prostitute themselves by exercising so infamous and de- testable an occupation, shall be for ever ren- dered incapable of being employed in any situation under Government." Article 138, it is forbidden to any person or persons to lend money for the purpose of Gaming, under pain of being imprisoned, and of having all their goods confiscated, as sedu- cers and corrupters of youth. A decree of parliament, dated 28 Novem- ber, 1664, threatens to inflict on those who ON GAMING. 93 keep any house or apartment for the purpose of Gaming, a pecuniary penalty for the first offence, and pronounces that the se- cond shall be followed by the punishment of whipping at the cart's tail, and the pillory*. It were much to be wished, that this law was introdwced into Britain, especially for the correction of the Subscription, and Club House Gentry in the vicinity of Pall-Mall. These regulations were again put in force at Paris, in the year 1777, by a new decree of the parliament, dated the 12th December in that year, which, amongst other disposi- tions, commanded the Lieutenant General of Police not to permit any games of hazard to be played throughout the kingdom. Lastly, in 1781, the virtuous Louis xvi. revived, by his decree of the 1st of March, the ancient laws regarding it. His Council * If some of our noble and ignoble Gamblers of both sexes, West, and stock-jobbing citizens, were to be well whipped at the cart's tail, once a mouth, for one year, from the present date, it would be a prognostic in favor of the growing sanity of Englishmen. THE LAWS of State was obliged, when this decree was published, to acknowledge the general relaxation of French manners. The in- famous pains were now only directed against those who would not pay the licence imposed by the crown*. The law of the 22nd of July, 1791, how- ever, pronounces fine and imprisonment against the bankers and players. The decree issued by Napoleon Buona- parte, in opposition to this law, is, then, illegal. It has been reiterated by all en- lightened Frenchmen, that the arbitrary power exercised in France, under the autho- rity of this decree, is contrary to all law; yet, it is not a little astonishing that the present pious government still continues it in full force and vigour ! In fact, if by the established constitution a majority in par- liament is necessary to annul an existing law, or to create a new one, the Chief Ma- * It is singularly strange that Gaining was not to- tally suppressed by the powerful influence of Jesus Christ and his disciples. ON GAMING. 95 gislrate of the State, commonly called a king, cannot legally, in the exercise of his execu- tive authority, destroy, by his particular de- cree, the laws in existence. Thus the dis- positions of the decree of 24th June, 1806, which emanate from the single act of Na- poleon, are TYRANNICAL, and an ABUSE OF POWER, because they authorize that which the law forbids ; this decree was more than an encroachment on the legisla- tive authority. Modern history cites as a remarkable instance of the tyranny of Henry the vi nth, the bill this prince forced from the English parliament, and which attached to the proclamations and edicts of the king the same power as the acts passed in the House of Commons. This STAR CHAM- BER Bill made Henry an absolute Prince, and of course conferred on him absolute power ; which usurped authority overturned, for the moment, the constitution of the country, substituting a legal despotism to the government of a mixt monarchy. It is pretended by Frenchmen, that an act of si- 96 THE LAWS milar servility to that of the English parlia- ment has never sullied the annals of their country, from the moment since the all- powerful word of liberty resounded through- out France ! ! ! Be this as it may, it is cer- tainly very true, that the executive autho- rity has not any right to alter or modify the existing laws of any constitutional country. Besides, in France, the decree of Buona- parte, which protected Gambling Houses, ceased with him that gave it birth; and moreover, because it had, in fact, already fallen before a subsequent law. According to F. le Compte, Gaming is prohibited in China amongst the common people and the mandarins; and yet this does not hinder their playing and frequently losing all they have ; their lands, houses, children, and even wives, all of which are sometimes depending on a single card. In England, Gaming has at all times been looked upon as a vice of pernicious conse- quence to the commonwealth, and is, there- fore, prohibited; and what money is thus ON GAMING. 97 lost, is recoverable again by law. Judge Blackstone very pointedly observes, the several parties engaged cast lots, to deter- mine upon whom the ruin shall at present fall, that the rest may be saved a little longer. Taken in any light, this is an offence of the most alarming nature, tending, by necessary consequence, to promote public idleness, theft, and debauchery among those of a lower class ; and among persons of a supe- rior rank it hath frequently been attended with the sudden ruin and desolation of an- cient and opulent families, abandoned prostitution of every principle of honour and virtue, and too often hath ended in self-murder. To this passion every valuable conside- ration has been made a sacrifice ; and it is a passion which has lamentably prevailed in our own country, and which we seem to have derived from our ancestors, the ancient Germans ; who, according to the account given of them by Tacitus (De Mor. Germ, c. 24.) were bewitched with a spirit of play i THE LAWS to a most exorbitant degree. They addict themselves, says he, to dice (which is won- derful) when sober, with such a mad desire of winning or losing, that, when stript of every thing else, they will stake at last their liberty and their very selves. The loser yields to a voluntary slavery ; and, though younger and stronger than his antagonist, suffers himself to be bound and sold. And this perseverance, in so bad a cause, they call the point of honour * ; " et est in re prava peroicacia quant ipsijidem vacant." One would think, says the learned judge now cited, that Tacitus was describing a modern Englishman. Against a spirit so frantic laws can be of little avail ; because the same false sense of honour, that prompts a man to sacrifice himself, will deter him from ap- pealing to the magistrate. Yet it is proper that restricting and punishing laws should be enacted, and that they should be pub- * But this is not the principal ground of modern complaint ; it is the Gaming in high life that demands the attention of the magistrate. ON GAMING. 99 licly announced, and repeatedly inculcated, if possible, to preserve the unwary, if not to reclaim those who are on the brink of ruin. Accordingly, we shall recite (Rees's Cyclopedia) some of the principal statutes which the wisdom of the legislature has formed with a view of preventing this evil. By 16 Car. II. cap. 7, if any person, by playing or betting, shall lose more than 100, at one time, he shall not be com- pellable to pay the same ; and the winner shall forfeit treble the value, one moiety to the king, and the other moiety to him that shall sue for it, with treble costs. By 9 Anne, cap. 14. 18 Geo. II. cap. 34, all notes, bills, bonds, judgments, mortgages, or other securities, given for money won by playing at cards, dice, tables, tennis, bowls, or other games, or by betting on the sides of such as play at any of those games, or for repayment of any money knowingly lent for such gaming or betting, shall be void ; and where lands are granted by such mortgages or securities, they shall go to the i2 100 TtiE LAWS next person who ought to have the same, as if the grantor were actually dead ? and the grants had been made to the persons so entitled, after the death of the person so in- cumbring the same. If any person playing at cards, dice, or other game, or betting, shall lose the value of 10, at one time, to one or more persons, and shall pay the money, he may recover the money lost, by action of debt, within three months after- wards ; and if the loser does not sue, any other person may do it, and recover the same, and treble the value, with costs, one moiety to the prosecutor, and the other to the poor; and the person prosecuted shall answer, upon oath, on preferring a bill in equity, to discover what sums he hath won. And, in any of these suits, no privilege of Par- liament shall be allowed. Persons, by fraud or ill practice, in play- ing at cards, dice, or, by bearing a share in the stakes, &c. or by betting, or winning any sum above 10, shall forfeit five times the value of the thing won, and suffer such ON GAMING. 101 infamy and corporal punishment as in cases of wilful and corrupt perjury, being con- victed thereof on indictment or information ; and the penalty shall be recovered by action, by such persons as will sue for the same ; and if any one shall assault and beat, or challenge to fight any other person, on ac- count of money won by Gaming, upon con- viction thereof, by indictment or informa- tion, he shall forfeit all his goods, and suffer imprisonment for two years. Statute 9 Anne. Also by this statute, any two or more justices of the peace may cause such persons to be brought before them, as they suspect to have no visible estates, professions, &c. to maintain them ; and if they do not make it appear that the principal part of their expenses is got by any other means than Gaming, the justices shall require securities for their good behaviour for a twelvemonth ; and, in default of such security, commit them to prison until they find it ; and play- ing or betting during the time, to the value i3 102 THE LAWS of 20s., shall be deemed a breach of good behaviour, and a forfeiture of their recog- nizance. (Ibid.) This statute of Anne is further enforced by statute 18 Geo. II. cap. 34 ; and some deficiencies are supplied ; the forfeitures of that act may now be recovered in a Court of Equity: and, moreover, if any man be con- victed, upon information or indictment, of winning or losing at any sitting 10 or 20, within twenty-four hours, he shall be liable to be indicted for such offence in six months, either in the King's Bench, or at the assizes ; and, being convicted, shall forfeit five times the sum won or lost, which, deducting the charges, shall go to the poor. And if any offender shall discover another offender, the discoverer shall be discharged from all penalties by reason of such offence, if not before convicted thereof, and shall be admitted as an evidence to prove the same (9 Anne, cap. 14.). By several statutes of the reign of King George the Second, viz. 12 Geo. II. cap. 28; 13 Geo. II. cap. 19, ON GAMING. 103 and IS Geo. II. cap.34, all Private Lotteries, by tickets, cards, or dice, and particularly the games of Faro, Basset, Ace of Hearts, Hazard, Passage, Roly Poly, and all other games with dice, except Back-gammon, are prohibited, under a penalty of 200, for him that shall erect such Lotteries, and ."50 a time for the players. Public Lotteries, unless by authority of parliament, and all manner of ingenious devices, under the de- nomination of Sales, or otherwise, which, in the end, are equivalent to Lotteries, were before prohibited by a great variety of sta- tutes, under heavy pecuniary penalties ; 10 and 11 William III. cap. 17; 9 Anne, cap. 6, s. 56; 10 Anne, cap. 26, s. 109; 8 Geo. I. cap. 2, s. 36, 37 ; 9 Geo. I. cap. 19. s. 4, 5, 6 ; Geo. II. cap. 35, s. 29, 30. By 10 and 11 W. III. cap. 17, all Lotteries are declared to be public nuisances ; and all grants, patents, and licences, for such lotteries, to be against law. Any person keeping, or playing at a Lottery shall forfeit d500, one third to the king, one third to 104 THE LAWS the poor, and one third, with double costs, to him that shall sue in the courts of West- minster ; and the offenders shall be prose- cuted as common rogues. By 9 Anne, cap. 6. any person who shall set up, or pub- lish the setting up of any such unlawful Lot- tery, with intent to have it drawn, shall forfeit 100, one third to the king, one third to the poor, and one third, with full costs, to him that shall sue. By 10 Anne, cap. 26, any person who shall keep any office for making insurances on marriages, births, christenings, or services, or any other office or place under the denominations of sales of gloves, fans, &c. for the im- provement of small sums of money, shall forfeit 500, one third to the king, one third to the poor, and one third, with full costs to him who shall sue ; and every printer, or other person, who shall publish the setting up, or keeping of any such office or place, shall forfeit 100 in like manner. BySGeo. II. cap. 2, any person who shall keep any office 'or place, under the denomi- ON GAMING. 105 nation of Sales of houses, lands, presenta- tions to livings, advowsons, plate, jewels, ships, goods, &c. for the improvement of small sums of money ; or expose to sale the same by way of Lottery, or by lots, &c. or publish schemes for advancing small sums of money by several persons, amount- ing to large sums, to be divided among them by the chances of prices in a Public Lottery ; or shall deliver out Tickets, en- titling them to a share of the money so ad- vanced ; or shall print or publish any such scheme under any denomination whatever ; and shall be convicted, on oath of one wit- ness, by two justices ; such person shall, over and above any penalties by any former act made against Private Lotteries, forfeit 500, one third to the king, one third to the informer, and one third to the poor, to be levied by distress and sale, by warrant of such justices, and be by them committed to the county gaol for one year, and from thence until the said sum of <50Q be paid ; 106 THE LAWS and every adventurer in such schemes shall forfeit double the sum contributed, with costs, half to the king, and half to him who shall sue: and by 12 Geo. II. cap. 28, such person shall forfeit 200. Such Sale depending upon any shares or lot shall be void ; and every adventurer shall forfeit 50 *, or be committed to goal for six months, 18 Geo. II. cap. 34. By 27 Geo. III. cap. 1, all persons who shall deal in Lottery Tickets, or Shares, without being licensed, shall be deemed rogues and vagabonds, within the meaning of the 17 Geo. II. cap. 5, and punished accord- ingly. By 34 Geo. III. cap. 40. on com- plaint, upon oath, before one justice, of any offence committed against the act of 27 Geo. III. cap. 1, for suppressing un- lawful Lotteries in any house or place, with- in the jurisdiction of such justice, whereby * Any person may be summoned as a witness, not- withstanding his having played ; and in case of refusal to appear shall forfeit ,50. ON GAMING. 107 any offenders may be liable to be punished as rogues and vagabonds, doors may be broken open to seize such persons. By42Geo.III, cap. 119, all Games or Lot- teries called " Little-goes," are declared to be public nuisances ; and persons keeping places for such Little-goes, or other Lottery, not authorized by parliament, shall forfeit 500 for each offence ; and every such per- son shall be deemed a rogue and vagabond, within 17 Geo. II. cap. 5. And persons employing others to carry on such transac- tions, shall be punishable as rogues and vagabonds. Magistrates may authorize persons to break open doors, and seize of- fenders ; and the penalty for obstructing officers is fine, imprisonment, and public whipping, at the discretion of the court. No person shall agree to pay money on any contingency in such Game or Lottery, or publish any proposal for the aforesaid pur- poses, on pain of 100 for each offence. The statute, 13 Geo. II. cap. 19. for preventing the multiplicity of Horse-Races, 108 THE LAWS another fund of Gaming, directs, that no plates, or matches, under 50 value, shall be run, upon penalty of 200, to be paid by the owner of each horse running, and 100 by such as advertise the plate. Gaming Houses are public nuisances, and may, upon indictment be suppressed and fined. (1 Hawk. P. C. 198, 225.) These are prohibited under severe penalties by several statutes. No person shall, for his gain or living, keep any common house, or place of bowling, coyting, cloysh, cayls, half bowl, tennis, dicing table, carding, or any unlawful game, on pain of 40s. a day ; and every person frequenting such houses and play, and there playing, shall forfeit 6s. 8d. And justices of the peace, and the head officers of corporations have power to enter places suspected of unlawful Gaming, and to arrest and imprison the keepers and players, until they give security to keep the peace, and resort to such houses no longer ; and such officers are bound to make search ON GAMING. 109 for suspected houses, weekly or monthly, under a forfeiture of 40s. a month. Further, artificers, labourers, servants, &c. are prohibited to play at Tables, Dice, Tennis, Cards, Bowls, &c. out of Christmas, on pain of 20s. and in Christmas only in the houses, or presence of their masters, 33Hen.VIII.cap.9. By 18 Geo. II. cap. 34. no person shall keep any house or place for playing, or permit any person within such house to play at any prohibited game, with cards or dice, under the penalties of 12 Geo. II. cap. 28, above cited. Moreover, Gamingin publichouses is prohibited, under a penalty to the keeper of the house, who knowingly suffers it, of 40s. for the first of- ence, and for every other offence, 10, by distress, three-fourths of which shall be to the poor, and one fourth to the informer. Andany journeyman, labourer, apprentice, or servant, who shall Game in such a house, shall forfeit, on conviction by confession, or the oath of one witness, not more than 20s. nor less than 5s. at the pleasure of the K 110 THE LAWS justice, or be committed to hard labour, for a term not exceeding a month. 30 Geo. II. cap. 24. And by 25 Geo. II. cap. 36, any house or place kept for public danc- ing, music, or other entertainment, in London, or within twenty miles (except places authorised by letters patent, or li- cense of the crown, or Lord Chamberlain), without license granted at the preceding Michaelmas sessions, and signed and sealed by four justices in open court, and of which notice is given over the door, or entrance of such licensed place, in the following words, namely, " Licensed pursuant to act of parliament of the 25th of king George the Second," shall be deemed a disorderly house or place, and the keeper thereof shall forfeit 100, with full costs. A constable, on notice given to him in writing, by any two inhabitants of the parish paying scot and lot, of any person keeping such disor- derly house, and on their making oath to such notice, and entering into a recogni- zance of 2Q each, to produce evidence of the offence, shall enter into a recognizance ON GAMING. Ill of 30, before a justice of the peace, to prosecute such person ; and the justice shall issue his warrant for bringing the accused person before him, and bind him over to appear at the next sessions or assizes : if the constable neglect, or refuse to comply with, such notice, &c. he shall forfeit 20 to each of the said inhabitants. And the constable shall be allowed the reasonable expenses of the prosecution, to be paid by the overseers of the poor; and on conviction of the offender, the overseers shall pay 10 to each of such inhabitants, on pain of for- feiting double to the said persons. Every species of Gaming or Gambling is strictly forbidden in the British army ; and occasionally punished with severity, by or- der of His Royal Highness the Commander in Chief, who is so well known to detest this vice himself. We subjoin the following notice lately published by the magistrates of Bow Street ; it is an additional public good, and justly entitles them to the eulogy of mankind. K2 112 To the Keepers OF COMMON GAMING-HOUSES, AND Persons frequenting the same. Public Office, Bow Street, Tith January, 1823. WHEREAS, it is enacted by the Statute, 33d Henry VIII. c. 9, for the debarring of unlawful Games, as follows ; that is to say, And to the intenl that every person may have knowledge of this Act, and avoid the danger and penalties of the same, be it en- acted, by the authority aforesaid, That all mayors, bailiffs, sheriffs, and all other head officers, shall, four times in the year, that is to say, every quarter once, make open ON GAMING. 113 proclamation of this present Act, in every market, to be holden within their several jurisdictions and authorities." Notice is hereby given, To all persons, who, for his or their gain, lucre, or living, keep, have, hold, occupy, exercise, or maintain any common house, alley, or place of Bowling, Coyting, Cloysh, Cayls, Half-bowl, Tennis, Dicing Table, or Carding, or any other manner of game prohibited by any Estatute heretofore made, or any unlawful new game now invented or made, or any other new unlawful game ssaHenry vm- hereaftertobeinvented, found, had, ormade, and also to all persons haunting, resorting, and playing at such houses, places, and alleys, where such games are holden, exer- aaA SfSS a " cised, used, or occupied, contrary to the form of the said Statute, That the Magis- trates of this office, pursuant to the said ssd Henry vm. Statute, intend to make due search, weekly, or at the farthest, once every month, in all places where any such houses, alleys, plays, K 3 114 THE LAWS ON GAMING. or places, shall be suspected to be had, kept, and maintained, holden, exercised, used, or occupied/andas well the keepers of the same, as also the persons there haunting, resort- ing, and playing, to take, arrest, and im- prison, and them so taken and arrested to keep in prison, as directed by the said Statute, and to be further dealt with ac- cording to law.. By Order of the Magistrates, J. STAFFORD, Chief Clerk. N. B. By the 3d Geo. IV. cap. 40, sec. 3, it is enacted, " That all persons plat/ing or betting at any unlawful game, shall be deemed rogues and vagabonds, within the true .intent and meaning of that Act ; and by the 5th Section, That if any person shall be found offending against that Act, it shall and may be lawful for any person whatso- ever, without any warrant for that purpose, to apprehend such offenders." , THE INTERIOR OF A GAMBLING HOUSE. CHAPTER II. " Dans ce monde 1'un est riche, 1'autre estpauvre; celui-ci est heiireux, ce- . lui-la est malheureux. II n'y a que ]e vrai philosophe qui me"prise tout." IMITATION. Has it been decreed by the divine Author of all things, that, in this world, one man shall be rich another poor a third happy a fourth miserable? The true philosopher, despising equally the smiles and frowns of fortune, says, No ! EN Angleterre, pays de speculations par excellence, selon M. Dunne (Reflexions sur 1'homme, page 153), on specule, jus- que sur les futurs contingens : nulle part ailleursla manie avantureuse des Paris n'est portee a im si haut degre. Voila pourquoi, sans doute, la fureur du jeu est si commune 116 THE INTERIOR OF dans cette contree. Mais les Grecs de la Grande-Bretagne ontbien moinsd'industrie et d'habilete que ceux de la France : on a vu a Londres un certain Fran^ais, qui se don- nait le titre et les airs de Baron, surpasse tout ce qu'il y a de fripons adroits dans les trois royaumes,par sa dexterite a depouiller les gens; il avait pour second une espece de capitaine alleraand ou plutot un chevalier d'industrie nomrae C*o*e qui a etc a la foi espion Franais et officer Anglais ! ! ! La tactique de notre Baron et de son Aide de Camp, ayant enfin ete decouverte, ils furent Tun et 1'autre, obliges de quitter le pays. On les dit maintenant religieux en France dans lecouvent delaTrappe : Quantum mutatusab illo! Les honnetes gens sont probablement plus faciles a tromper en Angleterre ; car il suffit a un Grec de profession de se produire sous un air d'opulence, a la farceur ffun ruban ou (Fun titre d'emprunt ; bientot il donnera des bals soinptueux, des diners splendides, dans lesquels il aura soin de consercer sa raison et de noyer celle de ses dupes. C'est A GAMBLING HOUSE. 117 ainsi que 1'homme le plus riche se trouve reduil en une heure a la mendicite. 11 perd non seulement 1'argent qu'il a dans sa bourse et chez ses banquiers, mais encore tout ce qu'il possede dans le monde : mat- sons terres voitures chevaux bijoux* et souvent jusqu'a ses habits: un coup de pistolet termine la catastrophe ! Les grands les princes memes, ne sont pas exempts de cette passion qui livre leur fortune a Vad- resse d'un escroc! N'a-t-on pas vu le Due d'Y*** perdre O*t****s et tous ses biens dans un coup de de ? IMITATION. The English, the most speculative nation on earth, says Mr. Dunne (Reflexions sur rhomme, page 153.), calculate even upon future contingencies : no where else is the adventurous rage for Stock-Jobbing carried on to so gre'at an extent. The fury for Gaming, so common in England, is un- doubtedly a daughter of this speculative genius. The Greeks of Great Britain are, however, much inferior to those of France in 118 THE INTERIOR OF cunning and industry. A certain French- man, who assumed in London the title and manners of a Baron, has been known to sup- pass all the most dexterous rogues of the three kingdoms, in the art of robbery : his Aide de Camp was a kind of German captain or rather Chevalier d'industrie, a person, who has acted the double part of a French spy and an English officer at the same time ! ! ! Their tactics being at length discovered, the Baron was obliged to quit the country. He is now said to wear a religious habit in the convent of la Trappe quantum mutatus ab illo ! It is probably more easy to deceive ho- nest people in England than in other coun- tries : for a Greek by profession has only to present himself in London under the ap- pearance of opulence. Favoured bymeansof a ribbon, or borrowed title, he will soon be enabled to give sumptuous balls and splendid dinners; at which he will take care to keep himself sober, whilst he drinks his dupes under the table. Thus a man, notwithstanding the vast- A GAMBLING HOUSE. 119 ness of his wealth, yet finds himself in the short space of an hour reduced to absolute beggary. He loses not only what his purse or his bankers can supply, but houses, lands, equipage, -jewels , in fine, every thing of which he can call himself master, even to his very clothes ; then sad castatrophe ! a pistol terminates his career. All classes of society, even Princes, are within the in- fluence of this most powerful passion, and leave it to the address of a swindler to reap the benefit of their infatuation ! Have we not seen the Duke of Y. lose O******s, and all his wealth by a single throw of the dice. If it be true, then, that gold is to the view of men in general the representative of all the enjoyments of this life, we must agree, that the powerful seduction employed in Gambling Houses is very great, by a con- tinual exposure of immense piles of that bewitching metal. A celebrated poet says, " For gold, Iris sword, the hireling ruffian draws ; " For gold, the hireling judge distorts the laws." Be this as it may, the astonished visitants 120 THE INTERIOR OF of those nefarious receptacles are no less surprised at the sight of so much treasure, than the facility granted them of seeking the favour of the fickle goddess supposed to preside there. The game commences, the heated imagination of the player be- comes inflamed with a secret and lively inquietude mingled with fear and hope; reason, and the vague recollection of the unfortunate effects of Gambling struggle in vain against the desire which the aspect of so much wealth excites in his breast the perfidious delusion which presents itself to a man in this state of internal conflict hastens his ruin. Moderation prudence respect due to paternal advice in fact, all these virtues, which society dictates, and of which the powerful language of the laws proclaims the necessity, yield to the efforts of this dreadful passion. He mounts to the Gambling House as to an asylum, or a tem- ple ; no salutary sign warns the impru- dent stranger to fly from the precipice; his ruin alone discovers to him the snare to A GAMBLING HOUSE. 121 which the deceitful allurement has con- ducted him : no expression of any grow- ing sentiment relieves his tortured mind no favour or pity follows that sorrow which is allied to such distressing consequences. Nothing but despair and misery present themselves to the infatuated Gamester. As the result of the passion for Gambling is so frightful, and the misfortunes which constantly attend it are such as all the power of our present laws, and all {he majesty of morality can scarcely suppress, why not enact such new laws as may be successful ? Perhaps a few years' acquaint- ance with the newly invented treading-mill might have some effect on those incorrigible dupes. The details which the interior of a Gambling House present are infamous. The disgust which must be excited in the breast of every honest man, by the picture we have presented to the public, ought not to inculpate the painter, as his representation is only an exact copy taken from the origi- 122 THE INTERIOR OU nal/and the more particularly, his sole aim being to point out to the unwary, the dread- ful consequences that may result, should they be tempted to enter those abominable ACADEMIES, and to deter, if possible, the already half-ruined Gamester from complet- ing his destruction, by a continuation of his visits to those tabernacles of demons. The Gambling House Bankers have the choice of weapons from a vast arsenal created by avarice, folly, and idleness. The ROU- LETTE, which amasses for them immense treasure, ought to be first mentioned; it is, in fact, a PROMPT MURDERER; irregular as all other Games of Hazard rapid as light- ning in its movements its strokes succeed each other with an activity that redoubles the ardor of the player's blood, and often deprives him of the advantage of reflection. In fact, a man, after half an hour's play, who, for the night, may not have taken any thing stronger than water, has all the appearance of drunkenness ! A chance which is irregularly repeated A GAMBLING HOUSE. 123 by each period of about eighteen strokes, gives to the banker the advantage of taking up one half the stakes, which pays all the expenses for the night. This game, above all, is ruinous to the working classes. It is there that the mechanic, attracted by a futile hope of benefit, comes to dissipate, in a few hours, the gain of many months' labour ; and the young student, aban- doning his useful avocations, apprentices himself to a vice which has the effect of stifling those talents, that would otherwise have enabled him to pursue an honourable calling ; and instead of a commendable subject, he becomes a dissipated husband, a bad father, an iniquitous judge, in a word, the most profligate of men. Close to this obnoxious table, we find that of PASS E-DIX, remarkable by the mul- titude of the chances which variegate its car- pet. PHARAON, celebrated in the annals of Gambling by the ruin of thousands, and another game (the BIRIBI), of which the name Bizarre forms the burthen of some of L2 134 THE INTERIOR OF the French old songs, also extends its baneful influence to the poorer class of society : the man who possesses even half a franc is permitted access to it. The croupiers^iQ whom the execution of the Bi- JUBI is confided, are employed at a very moderate salary. They appear always in a state approaching to poverty ; this, with the dirty situation of the rooms the dark and hideous aspect of the players and visi- tors the indigent appearance of the in- strument which serves to dispose of the chances, show that ruin is the inevitable associate of Gaming, at least of this species of it. In one of those houses where the game of KRAPS (executed with three dice) is pro- longed until morning, a new source of calamity is offered. There libertinism and the loss of fortune go hand in hand the sounds of music, and dancing by women of pleasure distract the unfortunate Game- ster, who, in the desire of diverting himself from his despair by a carnal embrace, momentarily forgets his afflictions^ and tak- A GAMBLING HOUSE. 125 ing from his pocket his last half crown, throws it on the avaricious table, to become the prey of those infamous bankers. The game of Thirty-one (RouGE ET NOIR) is perhaps susceptible of some calcu- lation of probability. The chances which determine the advantage of the banker are repeated more rarely than those of any other games whatever. The annals of the games of hazard present above all a long series of ruin. The wages of labour the sums of money which com- merce employs in industry, or which society deposits, under the sanctity of honour the fortunes amassed by prudence and industry during many generations, are all equally de- voured by the unhappy pursuit of them. In the circle of these tables, we often dis- tinguish the same Gamesters. Laziness habitude a chimerical hope of repairing losses, always increasing, never fail to ruin them. By parting with that which they hold, to seize a shadow, they realize the fable of the dog and his prey : they deliver them- L3 126 THE INTERIOR tfP selves to a prolonged error by the vain re-- search of those rules which render Hazard" a chance game: this is the sole object of their labours, their discourse, and their as- sociations. Fortune is the imperious shepherd of this miserable flock: for if they be men whom the metamorphosis realize, in the fiction of Homer, as the slaves of voluptuousness, these are the Gamblers. Their weakness before seduction the servitude in which they hold themselves, without a wish to break their bonds, make them forget the noble duties of men, and attest that they have lost the precious attribute given to them by Heaven. The eloquent St. Am- broise denies that such men possess reason, that beatitude which alone distinguishes man from the brute. " En vain" dit il " la ruine des uns prdit a tons nn sort inevitable!" The true Gamester meets his fate with astonishing fortitude. Like the military hero A GAMBLING HOUSE. 127 in the ranks, where honour commands, he firmly awaits the mortal blow ! The Gamesters by profession, notwith- standing-, are haunted by a secret forebod- ing of their future destruction. They know they can well address the bankers by the same salutation as was made by the re- nowned Gladiator to the Emperor Claude, " Morituri te salutant" There is a parti- cular resemblance of condition betwixt them and men destined to perish for the pleasures of their masters. There, by the side of a lucky player, who will not believe there is any misfortune near at hand, and who fatigues the rest by his g-aiety, is seated the man who meditates a melancholy suicide. On each countenance may be read, a studied anxiety, discovering hope or fear. The first forms agreeable projects for the time to come; the second only sees misery and humiliation, of which his proud heart can scarcely support the reflection. Among this crowd of players, some are devoted to the torments of ambition, victims of their ere- 128 THE INTERIOR OF dulity, who, in all other cases, enjoy a re- putation for being moral and sensible men ; but in this show themselves little better than maniacs. It is not unworthy of remark, that in this career, where the dogma of religion is constantly outraged, the dissipater combats better than the miser, and at least his au- dacious contempt of the gifts of fortune serves sometimes to increase them a hundred fold in the eyes of those astonished dupes in the saloons. If by force of salutary re- flection those men should be recalled to a sense of their duty, an inclination for their favourite pursuit, soon or late, forces them to a return of it. Should this misfortune arrive, all hope of weaning their minds from the baneful practice of play is for ever at an end. Reseized by the fever of the game, they are constantly labouring under the in- fluence of fatiguing dreams, by which alone they are aware of their own existence. Indi- gence, however, never fails to awaken them to a fatal knowledge of their real situation. A GAMBLING HOUSE. 129 They at length become aged, and broken down with reverses and inquietude. Those unfortunate men (whom the laws of reason and prudence could not restrain) become, eventually, the prey of a vile society of con- tractors. We see them by turns fall into the greatest misfortunes, and ultimately be- come the victims of crime as detestable as men can commit. They perceive, when it is too late, that they have been the slaves of those miserables whohave beggared them. Woe be to the man, gifted with a vivid ima- gination, who frequents Gambling Houses: for the rapidity of his ideas cannot fail to accelerate his ruin! Those brilliant gifts with which nature has endowed him, and which ought to stamp his conduct and his works with the approbation of his contem- poraries are very soon obliterated. Thus perishes genius, happy it is if virtue remain! Fifteen hours a day at least are devoted to this barbarous occupation. During fifteen mortal hours, without ceasing, the voices of 130 THE INTERIOR OF a thousand of those miserable croupiers pro- claim the decree of Hazard, and the success of divers chances. Two thousand unmerciful arms are elevated against the fortunes of confident dupes, and against those of chil- dren, whose innocence cannot foresee the impending calamity, and of creditors, who sleep under a fatal security. In the middle of the day, while the wife directs with prudence and economy the ad- ministration of her husband's house, he abandons himself to the prey of those rapa- cious and midnight robbers. Thus the un- fortunate player contracts debts with usurers, whose avarice ultimately plunders him of his all, and sends his wife and children to the parish. To complete this picture, we have only to observe, that in the evening, when the wife awaits her husband's return, her mind is occupied in fondly anticipating future happiness ; but it is merely a dream : he, instead of returning to his home, continues to combat with this vice; and the dowry A GAMBLING HOUSE. 131 which was confided to him under the seal and sanctity of a contract of marriage, is converted into moveable gold, which glitters before his eyes for the last time. An unfortunate idea of being possessed of superior knowledge in the combina- tions of different Games of Chance is fatal to most players ; they are generally ruined by the three principle causes fol- lowing : 1st. The inequality of the chances be- tween them and the Bank. 2ndly. The immensity of the funds of the bankers, compared with those possessed by them. 3dly. The ardour of Gamesters when losing, and their timidity when fortune fa- vors them. We may divide the visitors of Gambling Houses into two classes, by which one is each day ruined to enrich the other. The bankers of this administration have on their side Security, Fortune, and Gaiety. They profess a secret contempt for their victims ; 182 THE INTERIOR OF a sentiment imbibed by those scoundrels from the examples daily presented to them, of men lowering themselves below the level of the brute. Frequently, many of those ruined Gamesters, after having been plun- dered of all their property by the esta- blishment, are taken into its employ, at a stipulated salary. They are, in their turn, the instruments of the destruction of other players; resembling those ghosts, of which the admirable Dante speaks, who, having forfeited all their privileges to their primitive state, are now occupied in tormenting those that the same faults have thrown into their revenging hands ! In the elegant saloons open to genteel company, the agreeable and gay society formed there, together with the luxury of the Gambling House, stifle for a moment that despair marked in legible characters on the brow of Gamesters. But, if in a drawing room, ornamented with gold, a brilliant varnish hides the deformity of a vice, which draws in its train poverty and everlasting A GAMBLING HOUSE. ^ 133 regret, would not it appear in all its horrors to the unfortunate Gamester, if those pre- cautions were not taken to entrap him? Nay, could he for a moment, in the smallest degree, perceive the machinations of those wretches; or, if they had the con- science to warn him against the dangers of their illicit trade, the most abandoned fool would be aroused to common sense, and fly, as if from a pest-house, those calamitous scenes. It is curious to see how the windows of the saloon (where the credulous assemble) are secured by bars of iron. A strong pad- lock is always attached to the door of the stove which warms the apartment, to pre- vent any attempt that the arm of vengeance might be roused to make, by drawing out the destructive element, and thus set fire to the whole fraternity at one blow ! Be- sides these precautions, we observe below the Gambling Tables a screen, or strong inclosure, which renders the interior inac- cessible to view, and against which the Player 134 THE INTERIOR OF IP is seated, without the liberty of extending his legs and feet. The most particular in r spection is made of his person by the banker *s spies, and even his dress is strictly observed. He is obliged, before entering the saloon, to deposit his great coat and cane, which might, perchance, afford the introduction of some weapon ; and the elegance of the cover- ing will not save him from the humiliation of having it taken from him at the door. The attempts, proceeding from despair, which have been made on the lives of those bankers, have established these precautions : indignities which are practised only in pri- sons, for the security of their unhappy in- mates. It is certain, that Gamesters reduced to desperation, and on the eve of committing suicide, have conveyed into those places infernal machines with an intention of des- troying the cruel plunderers and themselves in the same ruins. These acts of outrage and frenzy give an exact idea of those institu- tions denominated Public Gambling Houses. They are in harmony with those iniquitous A GAMBLING HOUSE. 135 places where hell itself exercises a para- mount and anticipated authority ; and we are bold to say, that (with the excep- tion of a few of the hirelings which chance throws into the ranks of this barbarous institution) the doorkeepers and others charged with a system of espionage and internal security of the saloons, and the proprietors themselves carry on their coun- tenances a singular and inauspicious aspect. f The benefits acquired by Bankers of Gambling Houses, are subordinate to times and circumstances. Ever in opposition with the general welfare of society, public calamity is to them a source of prosperity. Thus, for example, the vicissitudes of com- merce bring to their tables the merchant pushed by extreme embarrassment, and who endeavours to avert his bankruptcy by those very means which only tend to accelerate it. The fall of the public funds conducts the speculator there, who seeks gain at the Hazard table, whereby he soon finds him- self pennyless, and totally unable to meet Mi 136 THE INTERIOR OF A GAMBLING HOUSE. his engagements with the public, or even to give bread to his family, the unhappy vic- tims of his stupid credulity. Political dis- ordersthe march of troops revolutions dissolution of governments all those dis- asters which affect the happiness of the people are beneficial to the interests of Gambling Houses. Prospects of realizing an honourable competency, although slow, but secure, by honest exertions, communicate wisdom and prudence to the most ambitious minds ; and would accustom men to live in the same condition as their forefathers did, whereby the vice of Gaming* would become an object of detestation to every class of society, and be restricted altogether, as a fatal source of ruin to our fellow crea- tures. THE DOCTRINE OP CHANCES. CHAPTER III. GAMES OF HAZARD. ROUGE ET NOIR, ou LE TRENTE-UN. (The Game of 31, or the 30 and 40.) LA ROULETTE. -LE PHARAON LE BIRIBI. LE JEU DE KRAPS. LE PASSE Dix. L'esplrance est le songe d'un homme tveilU. " Nous pouvons affaiblir nos passions, raais elles ne raeurent qu'avec nous. C'est en les combattant qn'on les appaise ; en les mdnagent, on les rend indomptables." IMITATION. The happiness of man in this life d more than the player has risked. If the Gamester has played five shillings the first time and has won the second coup, instead of taking up his money, he must add five shillings to his mass, which makes fifteen shil- OF CHANCES. 165 lings, that he risks the second coup: this is called Faire Paroli et masse en avanl. Per- haps this is the safest and best method of playing, especially for a novice. In pur- suing this plan it is possible to win ; and it is impossible to lose much, provided the first stake does not exceed a crown. Taille. The tuille means every time the dealer has turned up all the cards. MES DEIINIERS CONSEILS, is not to play at all ; yet, if this adv ice should be re- jected, we would recommend the following- method of playing the game of Thirty-One, in preference to all others; it will pre- vent the player from being robbed, if it does not put money in his pocket. After the red or black, it Is quite in- different which, wins five times, begin to martingale on the losing colour. Suppose, for example, the red wins five times, put your stake, say five sovereigns, on the black; the red again wins, you lose ; double your stake, red wins ; you are now fifteen so- vereigns out of pocket. You cannot gain 166 THB DOCTRINE by doubling, suppose you were to win the next coup, you must then put down twenty sovereigns; red still wins: you are now thirty-five out of pocket, and the red has won eight times. Had you won the last cotip, you would have been five sovereigns in pocket. You must stop here; for there is no certainty that the red may not win eighteen, nay, thirty times ; and to double your stakes would be impossible : Coutts's bank could not find the money to sustain such a martingale. You must have patience for the next deal, or Until a simi- lar opportunity as the first should occur in the same deal, when you may recommence your martingale,- and by pursuing the same routine, there is every probability of your winning fifteen times out of twenty. OF CHANGES. 167 LA ROULETTE. The table employed for the Roulette is something in the shape of that used for the game of Thirty-One; it is of an oblongsquare form, covered with green cloth. In the middle of which is perceivable a round cavity usually made of mahogany, and resembling in some degree a punch-bowl. The sides are immoveable, and around it are placed at equal distances several bands of copper, which commencing at the top descend just to the extremity of the machine. In the centre of it, which is moveable, is formed a circular bottom, containing thirty-eight holes, to which the copper bands just mentioned are attached, and upon which are painted, alternately, in black and red, thirty-six numbers, from one to thirty-six, a Zero (0), and a double Zero (00). V. Pa, 171. 168 THE DOCTRINE In the middle is a moulinet (mill) of cop- per, of extraordinary, and, .indeed, curious workmanship, surmounted by a cross of the same metal, which serves to impress the moveable bottom with the rotary motion that any one would wish to give it. There is a banker, or rather many tail- leurs who represent him : the number of players are not limited. One of the tailleurs puts the machine in motion, by turning with his fore finger the cross which surmounts it from right to left, thus impressing the bottom that contains the thirty -eight holes, which produces, as before stated, a rotary mo- tion. At this instant, he throws an ivory ball into the concavity of the Roulette, in an opposite direction to the move-* ment which he has given to the moveable bottom. This ball moves in the interior with great velocity, making several revo- lutions ; until at length from the feebleness of its motion, and after many irregular bounds, it falls into one of the thirty-eight OF CHANCES. 169 holes formed, as already stated, by the cop- per bands. It is the hole into which the ball enters that determines the gain or the loss of the numerous chances which this game pre- sents*. * We repeat here what we have said elsewhere of this infernal Roulette, that it is a prompt murderer. In the course of twenty-four hours play, it would destroy the Bank of England were it opposed to it; yet, asto- nishing to say, there are to he found the same dupes who constantly entour it, and who have been again and again victims to its fatal decrees. Can the insanity of such mpn, if rr.en they may be called, be for an instant doubted? Certainly not! Is not this circumstance alone suffic ient proof that every Gamester is more or less a maniac ? According to an essay on insanity now be- fore us," Every man is born with a portion of madness in his composition, which manifests itself more or less according to times and circumstances ! The germ of folly," it s^ys, " as well as that of tyranny and crime, so natural to the heart of man, originates at the moment of the animal's conception in its mother's womb, and during the whole course of life it is in continual danger of that mania belonging to its nature developing itself." Is hereditary madness, then, more congenial to the Eng- lish or French soil? or are the thrones of these nation* more exempt from this malady thau those of Russia, P 170 THE DOCTRINE To the right and left of this machine arc figured on the green cloth, for the accom- modation of the players, the thirty-six num- bers, and the Zeros, simple and double, fn the following manner : Prussia, Austria, and Turkey ? We happen to have at *bis moment at our elbow the author of " L'essai sur la folie" who declares, without hesitation, that the pie- sent Bourbon Crusi.de is downright madness. He pretends too, that its maniacal kingly contriver in right belongs to the 6* Espece FOLIE TKAMJUII.LE,*.*. Fatuity uniccrsal, or luiotism, STULTITIA. Impairment of the faculty of exciting, or having notions excited ; with deficiency of memory, judgment, and imagination. VAIUETIES. 1, From age second childhood. 2, Organic diseases, including external injuries. 3, Other diseases. 4, Emotions and passions. The same author insists, that our present minister* labour under the same malady; FOME TRANQUILLK but of the 2 e Espece (Tranquil Madness); Erroneous judgment, with conduct not violent; object of pursuit or aversion, irrational or absurd ; some opinions absurd, but rational on most topics ; usually capricious, jealous, and suspicious ; often with acuten* ss of mental powers and genius. Deficiency of common good sense, or judgment, may be conjoined with gerius. OF CHANCES. 171 172 THE DOCTRINE The other chances are also designated on the green cloth, divergent from its center; on one side Vimpair, la manque, et le rouge; on the other le pair, le passe, et le noir. The impair wins, when the ball enters a hole numbered impair. The manque wins, when the ball enters a hole numbered eighteen, and all those under that number. The rouge wins, when the ball enters a hole of which the number is red, and vice versa. This game affords SEVEN CHANCES, com- prising that of the numbers ; and this latter CHANCE divides itself into many others, of which we shall presently give a brief detail. The player puts upon those chances of which he makes choice any sum he pleases ; that is to say, from two francs, the least stake admitted, to!2,000, the highest ; unless in the like cases of which we have already spoken respecting the game of thirty-one. The player who puts his money on one of the numbers, or the Zero's painted on the green cloth (which is called plein), gains thirty-five times the amount of his stake, OF CHANCES. 173 should the ball fall into the corresponding number, or Zero, marked in the interior of the roulette. The Gamester who plays on the numbers may play the twelve first, the twelve middle, and the last twelve. If the ball enters the hole in the interior, which corresponds with one of those twelve numbers marked on the green cloth, on which the player has put his money, he is paid three times the amount of his stake. To play the Co LO N N ES, the player places his money in the square, which is at the foot of each column marked on the green cloth. If the ball enters one of the holes cor- responding with one of the numbers of the column, the player gains three times the amount of his stake. He may equally, and at his pleasure, play two, three, four, six numbers, and he wins and loses always in the same proportion; eighteen times the stake for two numbers; twelve times the stake for three numbers; nine times the stake for four numbers ; six p3 174 THE DOCTRINE times the stake for six numbers; and the rest in the same proportion. The player who may have put his money on one or the other of the six chances wins double his stake if the chance arrives. If, then, the ball enters a hole of which the number is thirty-six, and rouge, the banker pays double all the money which is placed on the following chances, la passe, le pair, and le rouge, and pays thirty- five times the amount of the sum which was placed on the number thirty-six, and draws to the bank all the money which was placed on the other chances. If the ball should happen to enter the hole numbered seventeen, noir, the banker pays the player double the amount of the stakes which may have been placed on the following chances, la manque, rim- pair, and la noire, and thirty-five times the amount of the stake played on number seventeen, and draws to the bank all the money that may have been placed on the other chances. OP CHANCES. 175 When the tailleur perceives that the ball has but a few seconds to roll, he cries out " Lejeu estfait, rien nevaplus." After this hideous cry the players cannot put any money on the table : should they do so after these most sacred words are pronounced by this evil genius, their money will be taken up by a croupier and returned to them. We have to observe, that, what we have said of the Trente-un, and the Roulette, is in some degree analogous to the games of chance, the regulations of which we are about to describe. They are all reduced to an analysis, which relates entirely to the mathematics. The probability of the event is said to be equal between the Gamesters; or if it be unequal, it can always be com- pensated by the inequality of the stakes. What we shall say of these games will relate to the calculation of the probabili- ties, and nothing more. If we possessed the secret of chaining up fate, the reader would not be surprised at our not letting him into it, until we should have made 176 THE DOCTBINE ample use of it for ourselves. It is only miserable and shameless impostors who dare to affirm, that they can cause the wheel of fortune to turn at their pleasure. Their impudence, however, is much less strange than the blind confidence of those, who think they can buy for a few pence the secret of winning millions: for it must be allowed. that those gentlemen do not sell their false- calculations at a very high price. OF CHANCES. 177 LE PHARAON. This once celebrated game is played with a pack of fifty-two cards. There is only one banker, and the number of players is unlimited. After the cards have been mixt and shuffled, and the banker has caused them to be cut, each Gamester puts the money he is desirous of risking on one or several cards. The banker then draws a card, which he places on his right, and which is called " carte deface /" and immediately afterwards another, which he places on his left, and which is called " carte Anglaise;" and he continues thus until no cards are left. The first card, called carte deface," wins for the banker all the stakes the players have placed on that card ; the second card, called " carte Anglaise," wins for the players the stakes which they have put upon 178 THE DOCTRINE that card : Thus, if it were to happen that the players had put more money on the se- cond card drawn by the banker, and placed to his left, than on the first which he drew, and placed to his right 9 he would lose; but that which assures his gain is : 1st, When he has turned up a doublet ; that is to say, w hen the carte de face and the carte Anglaise are two cards of the same kind, as two aces, two kings, &c. he wins half the stakes that each Gamester had put on that card. 2d, He is excused from paying the money that the Gamesters have placed on the card which he turns up the last, although he must be paid for the card which he has turned up before, called " carle de face."" Every card which has been dealt ought to remain until its fate be decided. The game once commenced cannot be changed nor transported to another place without the consent of the banker. When the banker places two cards fol- lowing upon the same pile, either on the OF CHANCES. 179 right or left, he makes what is called a false deal. He also makes a false deal, when, under any pretext, he does not finish the deal. The deal is considered false if he makes any sus- picious movement,8uch, forexample, as that of putting back upon the stock a card which might have been separated from it ; but it would be different if, unintentionally, he turned up at the same time two cards which might stick together; it would then suffice to detach one from the other in presence of the Gamesters, and put them in their pro- per places. When a banker misdeals, he is obliged to pay the Gamesters all their stakes; as if they had won ; but this does not apply to stakes placed anteriorly. A card more or less in the game does not establish a misdeal. This game, by which millions have been ruined, is seldom played in the Parisian Gambling Houses. it is entirely out of favour in France, 180 THE DOCTRINE and in England, with all classes of Game- sters even the bankers themselves do not like it; this is the more extraordinary, as it is, of all games of chance, the Roulette ex- cepted, the most favourable to their inte- rests. It is, nevertheless, scarcely, if ever used, but in private society the profes- sional Gamester always preferring Rouge et Noir to every other sort of Gambling. OF CHANCES. 181 LE BIRIBI. This game is not at present much in usage. It is played upon a table which con- tains seventy numbers, to which correspond other numbers shut up in a sack, from whence they are drawn to indicate the parties who are winners. There is one banker, and the players are unlimited. After the players have placed the money they wish to risk on the table, the banker draws a number out of the sack, and immediately pays the player who had put his money on the corresponding num- ber on the table. The payment consists of a sum equivalent to sixty-four times the stake placed by the player upon the number which has been drawn. When the payments are made and finished a new game is commenced. Here follow the Q 182 THE DOCTRINE different chances that may be pursued in playing this game. 1 Le plein that is, the entire number. 2 Le demi plein half the number. 3 Le carre one-fourth. 4 La colonne droite the right column. 5 Deux colonnes droits groupees. 6 La colonne transversale the trans- verse column. 7 Deux colonnes transversales coupees the two transverse columns contiguous. 8 Le petit cote, et le grand cote. 9 Le pair et V impair even and odd numbers. 10 La couleur noire et la couleur rouge. 11 Le pair du grand, et du petit cote. 12 L'impair du grand et du petit cote. 13 La couleur noire du petit, et du grand cote. 14 La couleur rouge du petit, et du grand cote. 15 Les terminaisons. 16 La bordure du tableau. 17 L'interieur du tableau. OF CHANCES. 183 The table of the game of Biribi contains nine columns; each column contains eight numbers, with the exception of the mid- dle column, which is called the banker's co- lumn, and which contains only six num- bers : thus, the first column contains, from top to bottom, the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. The second column, going from right to left, comprises the numbers 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. The third column, the numbers 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. The fourth column, the numbers 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32. The fifth column, the numbers 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, and 38. We see that that column has two num- bers less than the others. La case du haut et la case du bas sont tides. The sixth co- lumn contains the numbers 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46. The seventh column, the numbers 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54. The eighth column, the numbers 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, and 62; and, to con- clude, the ninth column contains the num- bers 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, and 70. Q2 184 THE DOCTRINE Le plein is the stake which a player places upon a single number. Le demi-plein is the stake that the player places on two numbers. Le carre is the stake which the player puts on four numbers that are joined to each other. La colonne droite is the eight numbers which follow in a line from the top to the bottom. Deux colonnes droits groupees, are the two columns on the right hand contiguous to each other. Colonne transversale, eight numbers placed horizontally on the same line. Colonnes transrersales groupies, two trans- verse columns contiguous to each other. Petit c6te is the totality of the numbers contained in the first four columns on the right. Grand cote is the totality of the numbers contained in the last four columns on the right of the numbers. OF CHANCES. 185 Pair, is the totality of the even numbers of the first four and last four columns to the right. Impair. The totality of the odd num- bers of the first four and last four columns on the right. Couleur noire. The totality of the num- bers painted black on the table. Couleur rouge. The totality of the num- bers painted red on the table. Pair du grand cote. Those are the even numbers that are contained in the last four columns on the right. Pair du petit cote. Those are the even numbers which are contained in the first four columns on the right. Impair du grand cote. Those are the odd numbers contained in the last four co- lumns on the right. Impair du petit cote. Those are the odd numbers that are contained in the first four columns on the right. Couleur noire du grand c6te. Those are the numbers painted in black that are Q3 186 THE DOCTRINE contained in the last four columns on the right. Couleur noire du petit cote. Those are the numbers painted in black that are contained in the first four columns on the right. Terminaisons. Is the termination of each number; that is to say, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. La bordure du tableau. The name under which one designates thirty-one numbers ; that is to say, the sixteen numbers forming the first and last column on the right; and the first number, as well as the last, of each of the other seven columns on the right; autrementy tous les numeros qui bordent le tableau. L'interieur du tableau. The totality of the numbers which are not comprised in the bordure. The Gamester, in playing leplein, places his money on a single number ; if the num- ber be drawn, he wins sixty-four times his stake. If he play le demi-plein on two numbers OF CHANCES. 187 contiguous, if one of the numbers be drawn he gains thirty-two times his stake. If he play le carre, or four numbers con- tiguous, he gains, if one of the four numbers be drawn, sixteen times the amount of his stake. If he play the colonne droite, and that a number be drawn, he gains eight times his stake. If he play the banker's column, and that the first or the last number be drawn, he gains sixteen times the amount of his stake. If he play the two colonnes groupies, if a number be drawn, he gains four times the amount of his stake. If he play the transverse column, and that a number be drawn, he gains eight times the amount of his stake. If he play one of the following chances, viz. Le petit c6te, Le grand cote, Le pair, 188 THE DOCTRINE L'impair, La couleur noire , La couleur rouge, Le pair du grand cote, Le pair du petit cote, L'impair du grand cote, L'impair du petit cote, La couleur noire du grand et du petit c6te, La couleur rouge du grand et du petit cote, and that a number of one of those chances be drawn, the banker pays the player double his stake. When a number of the banker's co- lumn is drawn, the player loses the stakes altogether which he may have placed gene- rally from the pair to the impair, as well on the petit cote as on the grand cote; and to the couleur noire et rouge of the great and little cote. OF CHANCES. 189 KRAPS. I 8 The game of Kraps is played with three dice. 2 The Gamester always holds the box. 3 The first throw is for the banker. 4 The Gamester can only throw for the banker from 8 to 13. 5 The second throw is for the player. 6 The player covers himself from 7 to 14. 7 When the Gamester throws a chance in favour of the banker, and repeats it, he wins the coup. 8 If the Gamester, after having given a chance in favour of the banker, throws 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, and 18, he loses the coup. 9 When the Gamester gives the banker the chances 8 or 13, and that he covers himself by 16, he wins the coup. 10 If the Gamester gives the banker the chances 9, 10, 11, and 12, and that he covers himself by 15, he wins the coup. 190 THE DOCTRINE 11 The chance 15, thrown after the Gamester has given 8 or 13, he loses. 12 The chance 16, thrown after the Gamester has given 9, 10, 11, and 12, he loses. 13 The players and bankers have equally a right to change the dice before the coup is begun. 14 One of the dice having fallen cannot be used again ; it is to be replaced by a new one. 15 One of the dice falling on the cag- note, or on any thing a stranger to the table, except the money, the throw is void. 16. To render the coup void, it is neces- sary to reverse the box on its side on the table ; it is the only way whereby the coup can be rendered void. 17. The first chance being given to the banker, the Gamester is at liberty to aug- ment his stake, ou demettre de V argent au jeu. 18. Any of the dice which may be thrown out of the box broken makes the coup void. OF CHANCES. 191 LE PASSE-DIX. This game, the most ancient of all games of chance, and the most remarkable for its being employed by the Jews to divide the garments of the Son of God, is played wHh three dice. There is always one banker, and the number of players is unlimited. Each Gamester holds the box by turns, and the other players follow his chance; every time he throws a point under ten he, as well as all the other players, lose the entire stakes. Every time that he throws a point above ten, the banker doubles the player's stakes, and the stakes of all those who have risked their money on the same chance. When this game is played amongst in- dividuals, each Gamester is a banker in his turn. The love of play is the fruit of pleasure 192 THE DOCTRINE which is continually varying. From the most remote antiquity men have endea- voured to amuse, divert, and recreate them- selves by all sorts of games, according to their humour and temperament. Long be- fore, the Lydians, and during the siege of Troy, the Greeks, to beguile the length of it, and to soften their fatigues, amused themselves with different games, which ulti- mately passed from camps to cities. It would be making a vain display of erudition to speak to our readers of the obsolete games*, particularly as we only mean to treat of those which are in use at present. We shall, therefore, only show as nearly as we can the origin of the latter. It is to the Arabs that we owe the games of Chess, Draughts, Backgammon, and, in general, those games called Jeux de Table. To the French, Spaniards, and English, the Games of Cards called Commerce : * The game of Osselets excepted, with which young scholars yet amuse themselves. OF CHANCES. 193 le piquet, Vimperiale^ la triomphe, had their origin in France; Vhombre, le reversis, le tresille in Spain ; Whist and Boston in England. The Italians have the melan- choly honour of the invention of almost all the Games of Chance or Hazard, as well as those which are played with cards, the fate of which is decided by numbers represented on a table, upon which the players place their money. The games of chance which are played with dice, le passe-dix particularly, are of great antiquity, as we have before stated. Nobody is ignorant that it was at the latter game that the Jews drew lots for the habille- ment of JESUS CHRIST. Of all the games at cards Piquet is the most ancient ; it is more susceptible than all the others of calculation, and requires ex- traordinary attention to be well played. Its origin is somewhat singular ; a great Ballet executed at the Court of Charles VI. sug- gested the idea of it. The design of the ballet was as follows : 194 THE DOCTRINE The four knaves appealed with their halberts to clear the way ; then the king* Arrived successively, holding the queens by their hands, whose trains were held by four slaves. The first represented the ace of climbs; the second, the ace of hearts ; the third, the ace of diamonds ; and the fourth, the ace of spades. The kings, queens, artd knaves were designated by those four dis- tinguishing marks. They formed at first by iheir dances de tierces et des qualorze, then the black arranged themselves on one side, arid the red oh the other. At last they Concluded with a country dance, in which both colors were intermingled together con- fusedly, and without order. This Ballet^ as we have said, suggested the idea of the game of Piquet, which was invented for Charles VI. This unhappy monarch having fallen into an hypocon- driacal state, from which nothing could divert him, appeared at first to be a little reanimated by this game, to which he paid some attention ; but he soon yielded to the OF CHANCES. 195 power of a disease, for which there is no remedy. It appears very probable that this game bears the name of its inventor; and besides, that it is the model of all the games of cards known by the name of Commerce ^ &c. rimperiale is the game which bears the greatest analogy to it. The other games are either more simple, such as la triomphe, la mouche, In bruscambille^ &c. or more complicated by the augmentation of the number of the cards, as Whist, le rever- sis, Boston, &c. ; but in almost all of them the value of the cards is the same ; that is to say, the ACE has the preference over all the others. The impossibility of winning at any of the games of chance is more than self-evi- dent to any person who is not influenced by a passion for play. The Roulette has hitherto baffled all calculation; and any un- prejudiced man may easily perceive that the pursuit of it must end in ruin; there being 35 numbers and the Zeros in favour of the 196 THE DOCTRINE banker, and the chances being evidently nearly 1000 to 1 in his favour. The loss occasioned by the rapidity of the Roulette's movement is enormous : it is turned about 20 times a minute. Suppose the player puts down only two francs each time, he will be a loser within an hour of 2400. Such, we say, is the rapidity of its move- ment, that in a few hours the most bril- liant fortune is for ever lost, even we would almost say without the knowledge of the unfortunate Gamester. The game of Thirty-One appears a thou- sand times more just, if we may employ the word just in allusion to a Den of Thieves. The Thirty-One, however, pays the player a sum only equal to that which he stakes; whilst the Roulette gratifies him with a pay- ment of 35 times the amount of the sum staked on a single number, and so in propor- tion to the different ratios of that number. The universe put together could not elsewhere furnish so rare and curious an union of originals, more or less ridiculous, as is to be met with in those Saloons for OP CHANCES. 197 play; we perceive numberless men and women seated round those tables from morning to night, with a small card in the left hand and a pin in the right, marking, by making a hole in the card, le rouge, or la noire , la couleur, V inner se^ &c. The Ideots, who believe that they have the power to subject games of hazard to their stupid calculations, are occupied in making MARTINGALES, which devour in an instant the most independent fortune. Those ridiculous sottish calculators soon find out their error by being reduced to go to the workhouse. In truth, the very best of those saloons is only a rendezvous for VAGABONDS of all classes. The Prince is often confounded there with the Barber. The Princess with the Washerwoman. The Swindler with the Countess. The Highwayman with my Lady Bull and her Daughters. The Priest with the femme galanie. The Duke with the Grissette; and the Statesman with the Sou- brette lisette. u3 198 THE DOCTRINE In fact, one finds iherepclemele every sort of vice and corruption. There are musicians who are occupied in playing seducing airs ; others sing; some dance. The animals (Croupiers) cry "ganevas plus." The noise of the Roulette and that of the Thirty-one, " Rouge paie la couleur" is one of those bizarreries which it is next to impossible to describe. It may perhaps, nevertheless, be expected of us to point out some rule or sure method by which money may be won at play ; we declare the impossibility of such an under- taking. The idea of winning is a FORLORN HOPE; and this fact has been well proved by the greatest mathematicians of all ages. But, as many men, of good understanding in almost all other respects, will not be persuaded of this fact without direct ma- thematical proof, we shall give those persons the following information which we have gleaned on the subject of the Chances, not only from books, but personal observa- tion, and much experience : . OF CHANCES. 199 1. THE doctrine of chances, considered as a mathematical theory, treats of the pro- bability of the happening- of such events as cannot be accurately predicted, either on account of our being ignorant of their pre- cise causes, or else because the number of circumstances to be taken into account, in estimating the effects of those causes, is too great to be fully comprehended by the human mind. This theory treats particularly of the chances of play, in such games as depend on circumstances beyond the control of the players. Of this nature are lotteries, and all games depending on the throwing of dice, or shuffling of cards. It is also applicable to certain moral and political events; such as the credibility of human testimony, and the decision of questions by a majority of votes; but one of its most valuable applications is to the resolution of questions depending on the probability of the duration of human life ; a subject which is become of the highest importance 200 THE DOCTRINE to individuals, as well as to communities, on account of the great number of life insu- rances, annuities depending on lives, benefit societies, &c. which are now so common. 2. This branch of the mathematics is entirely modern, it having been first culti- vated by Pascal and Fermat about the middle of the 17th century. The following problem was one of the earliest that en- gaged Pascal's attention, and was proposed by him to Fermat : " Two persons sit down to play for a certain sum of money, and agree, that he who first gets three games shall be the winner. One of them has got two games and the other one; but being unwilling to continue their play, they resolve to divide the stake : how much should each receive ?" Fermat resolved the problem by the method of combinations ; but Pascal had previously found out its solution by a different method. 3. The researches of these mathemati- cians on this subject remained for many years among their papers ; and in that OF CHANCES. 201 interval, Huygens, having heard probably of what had passed between them, turned his attention to the subject, and composed his work, De ratiociniis in Ludo alece, which Schooten published for the first time in 1658, at the end of his Exercitationes Mathematical. The rudiments of the the- ory were here demonstrated for the first time; and this was nearly all that.was done previous to the middle of the 17th century; hardly any thing having been added during the remainder of it, if we except a short paper by Saveur in the game of Bassette, inserted in the Journal des Savans (1672), a letter on the game of Tennis by an anony- mous writer, and another small anonymous tract On the Laws of Chance, published at London in 1692. 4. The celebrated James Bernouilli is the next writer whose labours require to be particularly noticed. He began by propos- ing the following problem in the Journal des Savans for 1690 ."Two persons, A and B, play with a die ; the condition is, that 202 THE POCTRINE whoever gets a certain number of points first wins the game. A begins by throwing the die once; then B throws it once. A next throws the die twice ; afterwards B throws it twice; then A three times, and B three times; and so on. What is the ratio of their respective chances of win- ning?" The problem remained \\itliout an answer, until its ingenious author gave one in the Leipsic Acts in 1690, This called the attention of Leibnitz to the same subject, who gave also a solution in the same Acts. Bernoulli! was now pre- paring his Ars Conjectandi. a work which, besides such questions as were agitated by Pascal and Fermat, contains a multitude of others, increasing in difficulty. He has also attempted to apply his theory to moral and political events. He died, however, before he could give his labours the de- gree of perfection that he wished for ; and they did not appear until the year 1715, when they were published by his nephew Nicolas Bernoulli, who had himself treated OP CHANCES. 203 of the same theory in the Leipsic Acts for 1711, in a memoir called Specimina artfa conjectandi ad quesliones juris applicatce. 5. In the interval between the comple- tion of James Bemouilli's discoveries and their publication, the theory of chances was handled by two excellent mathematicians, Montmort and De Moivre. The first of these turned his attention to the subject, with a view to compensate for the loss of Bernouilli's labours, in the event of their never being published. De Moivre began by communicating to the Royal Society, in 1711, a memoir entitled De Mensura- sortis. He afterwards published, in 1716, his Doctrine of Chances, a work justly re- garded as one of the most valuable that has ever appeared on the subject. The best edition is the third, printed in 1756, together with his Treatise of Annuities on Lives. His Miscellanea Analytica also con- tains some disquisitions on the same subject. 6. Mr. Thomas Simpson has likewise treated of this subject, in a work called the 204 THE DOCTRINE Nature and Laws of Chance, first published in 1740. This treatise is concise, and at the same time perspicuous, and, like the ingenious author's other writings, is re- markable for its originality. This curious branch of science has also been more or less cultivated by most of the eminent mathematicians of the last century ; as by John Bernouilli, Euler, Cramer, D'Alembert, Beguelin, &c. ; and at a later period by Condorcet, in his Essai sur V application de Vanalyse aux decisions qui se donnent a la pluralite des voix. 7. The application of the doctrine of chances to questions connected with poli- tical economy, is by far the most interesting branch of this theory. The subject of Life Annuities in particular is highly important. Van Hudden, and the celebrated pension- ary of Holland, De Witt, appear to have been the earliest who considered it; and Sir William Petty also turned his attention to it, but without any degree of success, probably on account of his want of mathe- OP CHANCES. 205 matical knowledge. Dr. Halley was the first who made any considerable progress in its improvement, by constructing tables of the probability of human life, from a comparison of the bills of mortality of Bre- slaw in Silesia. De Moivre carried on what Dr. Halley had begun ; and Simpson greatly contributed to the perfection of the theory. The labours of Dodson, the friend of De Moivre, are also justly entitled to notice ; in his Mathematical Repository r , the subject of 'annuities, as well as the doctrine of chances in general, are treated with great clearness, and in a manner well suited to persons having but an ordinary share of mathematical knowledge. Indeed, we have freely availed ourselves of his labours in the compilation of the brief view we here give of the subject. We shall now explain some of the more useful parts of this theory, and exemplify the mode of reasoning it requires, by a series of problems. 206 THE DOCTRINE PROBLEM I. 8. Suppose a circular piece of metal having two opposite faces, the one white and the other black, is thrown up, in order to see which of its faces will be uppermost after it has fallen to the ground. When, if the white face be uppermost, a person is to be entitled to 5, or any other sum of money; it is re/juired to determine, before the event, what chance or probability that person has of receiving the 5 ; and what sum he may reasonably expect should be paid to him, in consideration of resigning his chance to another person ? SOLUTION. Since by supposition there is nothing in the shape of the metal to de- termine one face to come up rather than the other, there is an equal chance for the appearance of either face; or in other words, there is one chance out of two for the appearance of the white face. Therefore, the probability that it is uppermost may be expressed by the fraction |. And if any OF CHANCES. 207 other person should be willing to purchase this chance, the proprietor may reasonably expect | of 5 in consideration of his re- signing- his chance thereof. PROBLEM II. 9. Suppose there are three cards, each of different suits, viz. one heart, one dia- mond, and one club, laid on a table with their faces downward, out* of which, if a person at one trial takes the heart, he is to be entitled to j(?5, or any other sum of money. It is required to determine, before the event, what chance or probability he has of win- ning and missing the said =5; and what sum he may reasonably expect to be paid to him, in consideration of his resigning his chance to another. SOLUTION. Since it is supposed that there is nothing in the external appearance of the cards to induce the person to choose one rather than another; and since he is to have but one choice, it follows that he has but one chance in three for obtainin 208 THE DOCTRINE the money : therefore the probability of his getting it may be expressed by the fraction 4. Again, since two cards remain after he has had his choice, either of which may be the heart, there are two chances out of three that he will miss it; and the proba- bility thereof may be expressed by the frac- tion |. Lastly, he may reasonably expect | of 5 as a consideration for transferring his chance to another. PROBLEM III. 10. Suppose that there are five counters, of which four are black and one white, out of which, being mixed together, a person blindfolded is to draw one, and is to be en- titled to 5, or any other sum of money, if he happens to draw the white counter. It is required to determine, before the event, what chance he has of winning and of missing the said 5 ; and what sum he may reason- ably expect, upon transferring his chance to another. SOLUTION. By reasoning in this as in OF CHANCES. 209 the two foregoing problems, it will appear, that the person has only one chance in five of obtaining the 5, and four chances out of five for missing it ; therefore, the proba- bility of his obtaining it may be expressed by the fraction { ; and the probability of his missing it by the fraction f . And he will be entitled to 1 of the 5, if he trans- fers his chance to another. PROBLEM IV. 11. Suppose there are five counters, three black, and the other two white; out of which, when mixed together, a person blindfolded is to draw one, and is to be entitled to 5, or any other sum, if he happens to draw either of the white ones. It is required to determine, before the event, what chance or probability he has of winning, andjnissing, the said five pounds; and what sum he may reasonably expect to be paid to him for resigning his chance to another. SOLUTION. In this case, the person s3 210 THE DOCTRINE has manifestly only two chances out of five for taking a white counter, and three for taking a black one : Therefore the proba- bility of winning may be expressed by the fraction f , and that of missing by the frac- tion -: Also he ought to receive f of the 5 if he parts with his chance to another. 12. What has been said in these four problems concerning cards, counters, &c. may easily be conceived to extend to any other things which are the objects of chance. For instance, if, at the conclusion of the drawing of a lottery, there should remain in one wheel five tickets or numbers only, and in the other, two equal prizes and three blanks; then, the possessor of one of these tickets would be exactly in the situ- ation of the person mentioned in the last question. In general, if the number of blanks in a lottery be represented by nt, and the num- ber of prizes by n, then the probability of having one prize with one ticket will be OF CHANCES. 211 ^ ; and the probability of having a blank ^7^ Form which it appears, I. That the probability of the happening of any event, considered as resulting from chance, may be expressed by a fraction, whose numerator is the number of chances for the happening of the event, and the denominator is the number of all the chances whereby it may both happen and fail. And the proba- bility of such an event's failing, may be ex- pressed by a fraction whose numerator is the number of chances for its not happening, and denominator the same as that of the former fraction. II. The sum of the two fractions repre- senting the probability of the happening and the failing of an event is equal to unity: Therefore, when one of them is given, the other may be found by subtraction. III. The expectation, that is, the sum which the person who has a chance for the happening of an event is entitled to, if he resign his chance to another, is always the 21 THE DOCTRINE product of the fraction representing the pro- bability multiplied into the sum expected: Therefore, if that sum be denoted by unity, the expectation will be denoted by the probability itself: Or, in general, if the expectation of an event be divided by the value of the thing expected, the quotient will express the probability of the event. PROBLEM V. 13. What is the probability that a person playing with a single die throws an ace each time for two successive throws ? SOLUTION. Suppose that the person is to receive 1, provided he succeeds in throwing an ace each time. Now, if an ace were to come up the first time, then, because the die has six faces, only one of which is favourable to him, his expectation on the second throw would be-|Xal (Art. 12.) But we may consider the first event, viz. the throwing an ace the first throw as the condition of obtaining this sum X;1 ; and the probability of this event being also OF CHANCES. 213 - ( ', the expectation before the first throw must necessarily be IXsX^lj (Art. 12.); and as in this case the probability is expressed by the same fraction as the expectation, the probability of throwing an ace each time for two successive throws Corollary. As it is evidently the same whether a single die be thrown twice successively, or two dice be thrown at once; therefore, the probability of thrpwing two aces (or any given face) at one throw with two dice, is also expressed by the fraction PROBLEM VI. 14. A person offers to lay a wager of J^l, that out of a purse containing m-\-n counters, whereof m are black, and n white, he will, blindfolded, at the first trial, draw a white counter; and also, that out of another purse containing M-}-N counters, whereof M are black, and N white, he will also at the first trial draw a white 214 THE DOCTRINE counter, and that if he fail in either trial his wager shall be lost. It is required to determine the probability he has of succeed- ing therein. SOLUTION. If, as in the last problem, we suppose he has already succeeded in the first trial, then it will follow, as has been there explained, that his expectation N on the second will be X **> ? simply . . And if, as in the same problem, we consider the success of his first trial as the condition of obtaining this ex- pectation, then its probability will be - ; which multiplied into that expectation, will r the probability requi- red. Hence it appears, that the probability of the happening of two independent events is equal to the product of the probabilities of their happening separately. Cor. If the two events are both of the OF CHANCES. 215 same kind, then the probability will be PROBLEM VII. 15. A person offers to lay a wager of 1 that out of a purse containing m-\-n counters, of which m are black, and n white, he will draw, blindfolded, at the first trial, a black counter; and also, that out of another purse containing- M-}-N counters, of which M are black, and N white, he will also draw at the first trial a white counter; and if either ex- periment fail he is to lose his wager. What is the probability of his succeeding? SOLUTION. By reasoning as in the last problem, it will appear, that the probability m N is expressed by x : But we may also understand this problem to mean, that he is to fail of drawing a white counter at the first trial, and to succeed in the second : Now, the probability of drawing a white counter the first trial being ^ , that of 216 THE DOCTRINE failing will be 1 -- ^-, (Art. 12.) ; and the m-\-n probability of succeeding in the second trial being - , the product of these two frac- probability required, (Art. 14.) In like manner it appears, that the pro- bability of failing in both experiments is the product of the probabilities of their fail- ing separately, viz. Cor. If the events be both of the same kind, the probability of failing in the first trial and succeeding in the second, will be and that of failin * in bothl __ \ m+n 16. We may deduce the probability of th happening of three independent events from that of two, and the probability of four from that of three, and so on, by reasoning as OF CHANCES. 217 follows: Suppose that the receiving of a sum of money, as <"!, depends on the hap- pening of three events, the probabilities of which are , , , respectively. Then, o it j if the two first events had actually hap- pened, so that the receiving of the sum de- pended on the third event only, the value of the expectation on that event would be ~X^ 1, (Art. 12.) Therefore we may con- sider X 1 as a sum to be received, pro- vided the two first events happen. Now, we may regard the happening of the first two as a single event, the probability of which is -i-x > (Art. 14.) ; therefore the value of the expectation on all the three is -^X-rX X^l^n'Jthe P roDa k'lity of their happening is -^ X JL X -1 ; (Art. 12.) In general, whatever be the number of independent events, the probability of their T 218 THE DOCTRINE all happening is equal to the continual product of their sepai ate probabilities. PROBLEM VIII. 17. What is the probability of throwing with a single die one ace, or more, in two throws, that is, either at the first or second throw, or at both ? SOLUTION. In this problem, we may consider the probability required as made up of two other probabilities, viz. that of throw! g an ace at the first throw, and that of missing it at the first throw, and throw- ing it at the second: Therefore, it'tve esti- mate these separately, their sum will be the probability required. In order to render the conclusion general, let 6 (the number of face-* of the die) =.n. Then the probability of throwing an ace at the fir>t throw is ; and that of missing it, 71 1 = !LlI_. Also the probability of throw- ing an ace at the second throw is ; and, OF CHANCES. 219 connecting this with the probability of missing it the first trial, we have the pro- bability of missing it at the first trial and throwing it the second, expressed by ^I^X^-J ( Art - 14 -) Therefore the pro- bability required is -!-|- Hi! = 2n ~ l = n* (a 1)*_11 ~~n~ ~30* This problem may also be resolved by considering, that the probability of missing an ace twice, together with the probability of throwing an ace either at the first or se- cond throw, must amount tocertainty, which is measured by 1 : Therefore, if we estimate the former of these probabilities, and sub- tract it from unity, the remainder must be the latter. Now, the probability of missing an ace at the first throw is^I-, (Art. 12.) n and the probability of missing it the second is also ; therefore the probability of M f n | a missing it twice is - - , (Art. 14.) ; and 220 THE DOCTRINE hence the probability of throwing it once / i i. at least in two trials, is 1 = 1 ' - M ^ ti L (n T) g , the same as before. n Cor. Hence it appears, that the proba- bility of throwing one ace or more at a single throw with two dice, is ~ n ~ . For it is evidently the same whether we throw twice successively with one die, or once with two dice. PROKLEM IX. 18. What is the probability of throwing an ace, or any proposed face of the die, in three throws, that is, either at the first, second, or third throw ? SOLUTION. The probability required maybe considered as composed of the sepa- rate probabilities of two events, viz.Jirst, of the probability of throwing an ace either at the first or second throw ; and, secondly, of the probability of missing it both at the first OF CHANCES. 221 and second throws, and throwing it at the third. The probability of throwing an ace in two throws has been found, by the last problem to be ; and therefore '/I (Art. 14.) the probability of missing it both throws, is 1- ^;.-"W^l. Again, the probability of throwing an ace at the third throw, is ; and consequently the probability of missing it the first two throws and succeeding at the third, is . ?!- n n* -*. Adding now the two probabilities, we have the probability required, expressed bv n * (n 1)a -L ( w ~ l)*_tt 3 (w-l) 3 y w* n 3 n 3 In numbers the probability is 5 V 7 . The problem may also be resolved, by finding the probability of missing an ace three times successively, which will be 222 THE DOCTRINE ra "" 1 . M1 . (Art. 6.), and this subtracted . Cn IV w 3 (nl) 3 from unity, gives us 1 = for the probability of throwing an ace once or more in three throws, as before. Cor. Hence it appears, that the proba- bility of throwing one ace, at least, by three . W 3_( W _ 1 )3 dice, at one single throw, is - - - . PROBLEM X. 19. What is the probability of throwing one ace or more in m throws, m being put for any number whatever ? SOLUTION. Following the second mode of solution employed in the two preceding problems, we find that the probability of missing an ace m times successively, is (by Art. 16.) I n 1 n I _ (n IV* - . - . - . . . (to m factors)=- - : n n n n m and this expression subtracted from unity, leaves lJS=*Z s !L=!*=l OF CHANCES. 223 for the probability of throwing one ace, or more, in m successive throws. Cor. The same expression is the mea- sure of the probability of throwing an ace, or more, with m dice at one throw. PROBLEM XI. 20. What is the probability of throwing one ace, and no more, with a single die, in two throws ? SOLUTION. The probability of throwing one ace, or more, at two throws, may evi- dently be regarded as the sum of two pro- babilities, viz. 1st, The probability of throwing one ace and no more. 2dlj/, The probability of throwing two aces. Therefore, the probability of throwing one ace, and no more, must be measured by the difference between the probability of throwing one ace or more, and the pro- bability of throwing two aces at two throws. 224 THE DOCTRINE Now, the first of the two latter proba- bilities is fa0* (Art. 17.) and the second is -L (Art. 13.) and their difference, or the probability required, is n *~ (n ~})L. Cor. The probability of throwing one ace, and no more, at a single throw, with ,. . ' 2(r 1) two dice, is also - . PROBLEM XII. 21. What is the probability of throwing one ace, and no more, in three throws? SOLUTION. This probability may be considered as made up of two probabilities, viz. that of throwing an ace at the first throw, and missing an ace at each of the remaining throws; and that of missing an ace at the first throw, and throwing one ace, and no more, in the two remaining throws. To estimate these, we must consider that OF CHANCES. 225 the probability of throwing an ace at one throw is ; and that of missing an ace in two successive throws, is ~ _ (Art. 17.); therefore the probability of throwing an ace at the first throw, and missing it at the second and third throws, is (M ~ (Art. n n* ,, . (n I) 1 I4 o =^-- Again, the probability of missing an ace at one throw is ; and that of throwing one ace, and no more, in two successive throws, is ri!!Z"H (Art. 20.) ; therefore, the probability of missing an ace the first throw, and throwing an ace, and no more, in the two remaining throws, is -^- ^T- ( r( - ') = ^ Taking now the sum of these probabilities, ( iV . 2(ft 1)* 3(n 1)* we have -r ; = n 226 THE DOCTRINE for the probability required, which, in num- zio 72 Cor. The probability of throwing one ace, and no more, at one throw, bj^three dice, is also . . PROBLEM XIII. 22. What is the probability of throwing one ace, and no more, in four throws? SOLUTION. This probability is the sum of the probability of throwing an ace at the first throw, and missing it in all the remain- ing three rows ; and of the probability of missing an ace at the first throw, and throw- ing one, and no more, in the three remain- ing throws. The probability of throwing an ace at one throw is ; and that of missing to throw an ace, in three successive throws, is- j (Art. 16.); and therefore the probability of OF CHANCES. 227 throwing an ace at the first throw, and missing it in the three following throws, is 1 C"- 1 )'-(" ') 3 n ' n* n* ' Again, the probability of missing to throw an ace at one throw is ---- , and that of throwing one ace, and no more, in three successive throws, is -^^ (Art. 21.); and therefore the probability of missing an ace at the first throw, and throwing one, and no more, in the three following throws, is Therefore, the probability required is (n 1 ) 3 , "(i- I) 3 _4(-l) n* rt+ n* 4X1-25 '25 ! Cor. The probability of throwing one 228 TUB DOCTRINE ace, and no more, with four dice, at a sin- gle throw, is also - . PnOE T.LM XIV. 23. What is the probability of throwing one ace, and no more, in m throws, m being any number whatever? SOLUTION. We have found in the llth, 12th, and 13th problems, that when the values of m are 2, 3, and 4, then the proba- bilities required are ^=-^, and respectively. By reasoning as in these problems, we should find, that when ni5. then the probability is !i!lll!. Therefore, attending to the law of the formation of these expressions, it is easy to see, that, in general, the probability of throwing one OF CHANCES. 229 ace, and no more, in m throws, is *(*-!) ' Cor. The same formula also expresses the probability of throwing a single ace at one throw with m dice. PROBLEM XV. 24. What is the probability of throwing two aces, or more, in three throws, with a single die ? SOLUTION. Besides the event in ques- tion, there are just other two that can pos- sibly happen : either never an ace will come up in the three throws; or else one, and no more, will be thrown. These three events, then, making up certainty, the sum of their probabilities must be unity. Therefore, the probability required will be found, by sub- tracting the other two from 1. Now, the probability of throwing never u 230 THE DOCTRINE an ace in three throws is ~~ 3 (Art. 16.); and the probability of throwing one ace, and no more, is 3(n ~ 1)a (Art. 23.) ; there- fore, the probability of throwing two aces, or more, in three throws, will be -__(w 1 ) 3 3(rc l) a __M 3 (n I 3 ) 3(n I) 1 3 ~ w* ~~~ n 3 , . , . . 216 125 3 X '25 2 which, in numbers, is . Cor. The probability of throwing two aces, or more, at one throw, with three dice, is expressed by the same formula. PROBLEM XVI. 25. What is the probability of throwing two aces, or more, in four throws ? SOLUTION. In this case we must from unity subtract '""""^ ^ , the probability of throwing never an ace in three throws, and 231 the probability of throwing one ace only, and the remainder, ] Jft"" 1 ) 4 4Q i)3_ M 4__ ( M _ !)*_ 4(M _ t) 3 w 4 n* n* is the probability required, which, in num- Cor. The same formula expresses the probability of throwing two or more aces at one throw with four dice. PROBLEM XVIT. 26. What is the probability of throwing two aces, or more, in m throws, with a sin- gle die. SOLUTION. By following the mode of reasoning employed in Prob. 15, and 16, and observing the law according to which the results are formed, it will appear, that m being any number whatever, the proba- .... . , . w (n !) -m(n l) m "' bility required is -- ^ -- . Cor. The probability of throwing two or u 2 232 THE DOCTKINE more aces, with m dice, at one throw, is expressed by the same number. PROBLEM XVIII. 27. The probability of throwing two aces, and no more, in three throws, is required. SOLUTION. The probability of throwing two aces or more, in three throws, is ma- nifestly made up of the probability of throw- ing two aces and no more, and of the pro- bability of throwing three aces; therefore, if from the first of these we subtract the third, the remainder must be the second. The probability of throwing two aces or more, in three throws, is and the probability then of throwing three aces is ; therefore the probability of throwing two aces, and no more, in three throws, is W 3_(w_l)3_3(n 1)* 1 3(n 1) which, in numbers is . OF CHANCES. 233 Cor. The same formula expresses the probability of throwing two aces, and no more, with three dice, at one throw. PROBLEM XIX. 28. The probability of throwing two aces, and no more, in four throws, is required. SOLUTION. This probability may be considered as composed of the probability of bringing up an ace the first throw, and only one ace more in the three remaining throws; and of the probability of missing an ace the first throw, and throwing two aces, and no more, in the remaining throws. The probability of throwing an ace the first throw is ; and that of throwing one ace, and no more, in the three following, is 3(M ~ ir (Art. 21.); therefore, the first of n* the two probabilities composing that re- 1 3(n I) 1 S(n 1)* quired, is -. n , = ^ . The probability of missing an ace the u3 234 THE DOCTRINE first throw is l ; and that of throwing IP two aces, and no more, in the remaining throws, is 5fcl2 (Art. 27.) ; therefore, the second of the two probabilities is ( n i) 3(n 1) 3(n 1)* n 3 w* Therefore the probability required is 3Qi-1)' n< which, in numbers, is . Cor. The probability of throwing two aces and no more at one throw with four dice, is expressed by the same formula. PROBLEM XX. 29. The probability of throwing two aces, and no more, in five throws, is required. Proceeding as in the last problem, the probability of throwing an ace the first throw, and only one more in the four re- maining throws, will be, by Art. 12 and 22, 1 4(n 1) 3 4(n 1) ~n*~ OF CHANCES. 235 And the probability of missing an ace the first throw, and throwing two and no more in the remaining throws, will be, by Art. 12 and 28, n 1 6(n !)*__ 6{n 1) . n ' n* n 1 Therefore, the probability of throwing two aces, and no more, in five throws, is 4( M i) ? , 6(/i 1) *__10(ra 1) 3 * M* ... . . . 625 which, expressed in numbers, is -. Cor. This formula expresses also the probability of throwing two aces at one throw of five dice. PROBLEM XXI. 30. The probability of throwing two aces, and no more, in m throws, is required. It appears from the solution of the three last problems, that when the values of m are 3, 4, and 5, the probabilities in ques- tion are, 3.2 n 1 4.3 (n1)* , 5.( I 3 ) 236 THE DOCTRINE respectively. Hence, by induction, we may infer, that m being any number whatever, the probability required is, m(m 1) (n I)- 8 1.2 n Cor. This formula also expresses the probability of throwing two aces, and no more, at one throw with m dice. PROBLEM XXII. 31. The respective probabilities of throw- ing any number of points with two dice, are required. SOLUTION. It will appear upon consi- deration, that 2 points and 12 points can each be thrown in one way only, the first by the two aces coming up, and the second by the two sixes. That 3 and 11 may each be thrown in two ways, the former by 1, 2, and 2, 1, and the latter by 5, 6, and 6, 5. In like manner, 4 and 10 may each come up in three ways, 5 and 9 in four ways, 6 and 8 in five ways, and 7 in six ways. Hence the whole num- OF CHANCES. 237 her of chances is 2+4+6-J-8+1 0+6=36 : And the probability of 2 or 12 coming up The probability of 3 or 11 is T V= T V The probability of 4 or 10 is T 3 6 = T V The probability of 5 or 9 is T \= The probability of 6 or 8 is 7 V And the probability of throwing 7 is ^-=|. PROBLEM XXIII. 32. Suppose two heaps, each containing n counters, whereof a are white and b black. If a person draws a counter out of each heap, what is the probability that he draws one white counter and no more ? SOLUTION. The probability of his draw- ing a black counter out of the first heap, and a white counter out of the second, is (by Art. 15.) And the probability of his drawing a white counter out of the first heap, and a black 238 THE DOCTRINE counter out of the second, is, in like manner, a b i a ,f t \f Now the probability required, is manifestly the sum of these two : Therefore its measure is -- . Cor. If a and b represent the number of chances for the happening and failing of an event at one trial, then every chance relat- ing to two such events that can possibly happen in two trials, may be expressed by a fraction, whose numerator consists of one or more terms of the second power of the binomial -j-&, and whose denominator is that power itself. For instance, the probability in two trials of the happening of Two events, ~ VJ Prob. 6. Only one of them, >is<| ~,^ >Prob.23. * I I a > Neither of them, _^1_ I Prob. 7. ' J l(a + 6) a J The sura of these three probabilities is ma- nifestly unity, as it ought to be. OF CHANCES. Again, the probability of both the events happening, is and the probability that both will not hap- pen, is a PROBLEM XXIV. 33. Suppose three heaps, each containing a white and b black counters, and that a person draws one out of each, what proba- bility is there that they shall be all white ? SOLUTION. If he draws a white counter out of the first heap, the probability of which is -7, then he must draw two white coun- a -\-b ters also out of the remaining heaps, the a? probability of which is ,-r^; but neither of these events will be effectual without the happening of the other, and therefore a a z a 3 M1 , ., , , . - -.- - ;-rr -: - 777^111 be the probabi- a + b (a + 6) a (a + b) 3 lity required. 240 THE DOCTRINE Cor. In like manner, the probability of drawing three black counters, or of failing to draw a white one at each attempt, is b* (a+b)'' PROBLEM XXV. 34. The same things being supposed as in the last problem, what is the probability that two of the counters drawn, and no more, shall l>e white ? SOLUTION. If the person draws a black counter the first time, the probability of which is -- , then he must draw two white a + b counters out of the remaining heaps, the a* probability of which is -- ; and there (a + b) 1 fore the probability of succeeding by draw- . b a 1 a*b ins in that manner, is - 7 . -- - z= ' a + b (a + br Again, if he draws a white counter the first time, the probability of which is ~rj.i then he must draw only one white counter OP CHANCES. 241 out of the two remaining heaps, the proba- bility of which is -^- a , (Art. 32.) there- fore the probability of succeeding in this whole probability required, is manifestly the sum of these two ; therefore it is faT&F Cor. As the probability of drawing two white counters or more, is the sum of the probabilities investigated in the two last problems, it will be a . PROBLEM XXVI. 35. The same things being supposed as in the two last questions, what is the pro- bability that one white counter and no more shall be drawn ? SOLUTION.- If he draws a white counter the first time, then at the other two trials he must draw two black ones, the proba- 242 THE DOCTRINE - bility of doing both of which is B b* ab* Tf he draws a black counter the first time, then at the other two trials he must draw one black and one white counter, the pro- bability of doing which is __ a~+b ' (a + b^ia + b) 3 ' Therefore the probability required will be, ab* lab* Zab* Cor. 1. The probability of drawing either one or two white counters, will be 3*6 3ab z Sab Cor. 2. The probability of drawing either one, two, or three white counters, is Cor. 3. The probability of drawing none, or at most but one white counter, is OF CHANCES. 243 Cor. 4. The probability of drawing none, one, or at most but two white counters, is Cor. 5. Hence it appears, that one or more of the terms of the binomial a-\-b, raised to the third power, will be the nume- rators of fractions which express the proba- bilities of all the varieties that can possibly happen in three trials, concerning events, the number of chances for the happening or failing of which are a and b respectively ; and that the common denominator of all the fractions will be (a+&) 3 . For instance, the probability in three trials of the happening of The three events, ] { Only two of them, Only one of them, Neither of them, u 77 P rob - 24 - Prob. 25. Prob. 26. < Cor. to lProb.24. J The sum of these four probabilities is evidently unity, as it ought to be. x2 244 THE DOCTRINE 36. Supposing a to express the number of chances for the happening of an event, and b for the chances of its failing, then it is evident from the foregoing problems, that every question that can possibly be proposed respecting the happening or failing of any number of such events in m trials, will be answered by means of one or more terms of the developement of (fl-|-&) w , as a nume- rator, and the whole expression, as a deno- minator. In particular, 1st, The probability of the happening of f t m the m events, will be - 77^-. The probability of the happening of m 1 of the events, will be m a m ~ l b T The probability of the happening of m 2 of the events, will be m(m T~. 2 (O+&F* And, in general, the probability of the happening of m n of the events, will be m(m l)(m 2) . . . (m n+1) OF CHANCES. 245 the factors in the numerator being conti- nued until their number be n; and the same in the denominator. 2d, The probability of the happening of m, m 1, m 2, or, at fewest, of but (m n), such events will be, m(m-V\ 2 the numerator of the fraction being sup- posed to consist of w-j-1 terms. And the probability of the happening of at least one such event, will be (a+b) 3d, The probability of the happening of neither, or but one, or two, or at most, of but w, such events will be, the numerator of which fraction consists of -|-l terms. x3 246 THE DOCTRINE And the probability of the happening of at most but m 1 , such events will be, PROBLEM XXVII. 37. Suppose a lottery, in which the number of prizes is to the number of blanks as 1 to 39; how many tickets must be pur- chased, that the buyer may have an equal chance for one or more prizes ? SOLUTION. The probability of having one prize or more in m tickets, in a lottery wherein the prizes are to the blanks as 1 to 39, is the same with that of throwing one ace or more in m throws, with a die that has 14-39=s40 faces. Therefore, putting 40 mn, this probability will (by Prob. X.) * (w 1) > which, by putting 1=0, and b m And the probability of missing, i s 7T OF CHANCES. 247 But by hypothesis, there is to be an equal chance of the having or missing one or more prizes. Now, if the certainty of the having or missing one or more prizes be denoted by unity, then the probabilities of an equal chance, for having or missing one or more of them, will each of them be denoted by f . In whence 2 l m (a+b) m ; which in logarithms will be, log. 2-\-m log. b=m log. (a-\-b) : log. 2. and hence, m~ - -- rrr - ! log. (a+6) log. b Now, log. 2= .30103, and log. (a+b)- log. 40=1.60206, and log. b = log. 39= 1.59106; therefore m- '^1^=27.36. By which it appears, that the number of tickets must be greater than 27. PROBLEM XXVIII. 38. In a pack of 26 cards, 13 of which 248 THE DOCTRINE are black, and 13 red, if m cards be dealt, how many is there an equal chance of being red? SOLUTION. If the number of chances for the happening of the event be denoted by a, and those for its failing by 6, then frm (by Art. 36.) -^, fl . TO is the probability of its not happening once in m trials. In like - manner, b . m will express the proba- bility of its not happening twice in m trials ; and expresses the probability of its not happen- ing thrice; and so on. And because the question requires how many times the event will happen in m trials upon an equality of chance, it will follow, that when the event b m is to happen once, then . .= 5 (See Art. 37.) and when it is to happen twice, OF CHANCES. 249 -- " l a then . = | ; and when it is to hap. pen thrice, then orb m &c. Hence it appears, that the number of terms which must be added together to make (ft-f-a), is the answer to the question. This being premised, let a: b :: 1 :p ; then a' ! i y= ; therefore, by substitution, the above expressions, will become, 1) 1 1.2 p ' 1.2 p* 1 1.2 . 3 p* &C. &C. 50 THE DOCTRINE Now in the present question, where a= we have J3=l, therefore l+ = but in the developement of this quantity, the terms equally distant from either ex- tremity are equal, therefore | (l-j-l) m will consist of half the terms in (1-J-l) 7 "; andaa the whole number of terms is m+l> there- fore the answer will be "T-- Cor. If r represent the number of times that the proposed event is to happen, then, when there is an equality of chance for its happening or failing, r-~- by the pro- blem. Therefore wz, the number of trials in which it will be an equal chance, whe- ther the event shall happen or not, will be 2rl. And therefore in a lottery, in which the number of prizes is equal to the number of blanks, if it be required to know how many tickets should be bought, in order to have r or more prizes, the answer will be 2r 1 OP CHANCES. 251 tickets ; that is, in order to have an equal chance for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. or more prizes, there should be bought 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, &c. tickets. PROBLEM XXIX. 39. In a pack of 39 cards, consisting of 13 hearts, 13 spades, and 13 clubs, if m cards be dealt to any one, how many may he, on an equality of chance expect to be hearts ? SOLUTION. If 0, ft, and /?, represent the same as in last problem, and r be the num- ber required ; then because there are two chances for a black card to be dealt, and but one for a red card, we have b=2 and a=l, and consequently p2. Therefore l-f--LV= i(l) m , and in this case iJ_ m u m(m~\) j,m(m\2(m^) i ^T 1 1.2 + r.Z 3 5 +' &c. (to r terms) i(l) m . The whole difficulty of the problem is now reduced to the finding of r, the nuna- 20-3 THE DOCTRINE her of terms of the series that must be added together to make f (i) m . Now in the last problem we found r by a direct process, but in this we cannot find it other- wise than by trials. The manner of pro- ceeding may be as follows : (1.) When m = l, then i(i) 0.75; and when m=2, | (l)" l =1.125. Now the first term of the series is manifestly greater than the former of these numbers, but less than the latter ; hence it appears, that, when m=l, then 1 term is greater than \ (|) m , when m=2, then 1 term is less than | (I)*** (2.) Again, if w = 4, then i(i)"=2.53, &c. andifm = 5, $(1)^=3.79, &c. (Here the values of \ (I)** are only found to two places of decimals, these being suf- ficient for our purpose; and to facilitate the operations, the calculations may be OF CHANCES. 253 made by logarithms.) Taking now two terms of the series, we have 1+4x1=3; and 1+5X|=3.5. Hence it appears, that when w~4, then 2 terms are greater than \ (l) m , when m 5, 2 terms are less than \ (|). (3.) If m=7, then ()= 8.54, &c. and if m=8, -* (!)= 12.31, &c. Now, taking three terms of the series, we have X 1=12.0, Ac. Hence it appears, that when m=7, then 3 terms are greater than \ (|>, when m=S, 3 terms are less than \ (!)", (4.) By a like mode of proceeding we find, by taking four terms of the series, that when mW, then 4 terms are greater than ^(|) TO , whenm=ll, 4 terms are less than|(|) m , 254 THE DOCTRINE and in general, putting x for any number whatever, when m is C3*-f 1> then*_}_l terms {greater) }3*+2f are Jless J than i (?) m - But when the chances for the event's not happening r times in m trials, (which are expressed by the series,) are less than % the power ; then the chances for its happening must be greater than that number. There- fore, when mz=3.r-f-2, there will be more than an equal chance for the event's hap- pening (.r+l) times. Let us now put r jr-j-l, then x~r 1 ; and since m=3x+2, therefore m^ (r l)-j-2 = 3 r1, and r 1 ^-. That is, if m cards be dealt, it is more than an equal chance that there should i ^-H 1 u be -5 hearts. o Cor. Because m 3 r 1, therefore, if in a lottery containing two blanks to a prize, it be required to know how many tickets should be bought in order to have an equal OF CHANCES. 255 chance for r prizes, the answer will be 3r 1 tickets ; that is, in order to have an equal chance for obtaining 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. prizes, there must be bought 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, &c. tickets. PROBLEM XXX. 40. In a pack of 52 cards, consisting of 13 of each suit, if m cards be dealt to me, how many may I, on an equality of chance, expect to be trumps ? SOLUTION. The same symbols being retained as in the two last problems, then because there are three suits of blanks to one suit of prizes, (or trumps,) 6=3 and aizl. Therefore /?z:3; and ^ And in this case, , &c. (to r terms)=Kf)-. Here, as in the last problem, we must determine r by repeated trials. Accord- ingly, by proceeding as in that problem, we shall find that when y2 THE DOCTRINE f= 2 1 then 1 term of 1= 3 3 the series is frr 61 then 2 terms w l=7j are (mlOl then 3 terras l=llj are ET1 -- E? than f =141 then 4 terms (greater? ., ^1=151 are ^less \ than . Therefore, in general, when Therefore, when n=4x4-3) there will be something more than an equal chance of the events happening n-^-\ times. Now, ^^ Q since m =4^4-3, therefore x - . ^nd since r=:^4-l> therefore xr 1 ; hence r _l_^= jandr =^. That is, if m cards are dealt, it will be more than an equal chance that there will be ^trumps. Therefore, in the game of whist, where 13 cards are dealt, there is more than an equal chance for any particular person having 130-1 14 r =-j- trumps. And since this is more OF CHANCES. 257 than an equal chance, if any player have but three trumps, or less, he may justly conclude that his partner has four trumps, or more. 7T7T7T Cor. Since r 1 = ^, therefore m- 4 r 1 ; Hence it follows, that in a lottery where there are three blanks to a prize, if it be required to know how many tickets should be bought in order to have r prizes, the answer will be 4 r 1 tickets ; thus, in order to have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, c. prizes, there must be bought 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, &c. tickets. PflOBLEM XXXI. 41. In a lottery which has four blanks to a prize, if a person purchase m tickets, how many prizes may he expect, on an equality of chance? SOLUTION. The same symbols being retained as before, we have, in this case, 5=4 and a=l : and hence |)=i, and | (l+ V=KI) W - Therefore in this case y 3 THE DOCTRINE we must find r the number of terms of the series + !* 1.2 i the sum of which is Byjwsoceeding as in Prob. XXIX, it will be found by trials, that when |=3 Hhen 1 term of .(greater) f , 1Q /l WI i=4jtheseriesis Jless f than | = 8 ) then 2 terms $ greater j g "1= fa 9J are Jless S z=131 then 3 terms Jess greater) . 14J are C=181tben4 terms OT t=19J are Therefore, in general, when _ C5jr-4-3) thenj:+l Cgreater) = ^4-4) terms are /lesser ) Therefore, wlien m5x-\-, there will be something more than an equal chance of the required effects happening x~\-I times. And since m=5o>|-4, therefore .r=g- 5 also since r=jcrf-l, thefefore^c=r 1, hence OF CHANCES. 259 , m 4 w-j-1 - / 1 = _ , and r=~-. That is, -~ prizes may, on an equality of chance, be expected in m tickets. Cor. Since r L= ~ % therefore w=5 r 1. Hence it appears, that in such a lot- tery, in order to have an equal chance for r prizes, there must be purchased 5 r 1 tickets ; that is, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. prizes re- quire 4, 9, 14, 19, 24, &c. tickets. PROBLEM XXXII. 42. If a person playing with a single die determines to cast it m times, how many times out of that number may he, on an equality of chance, undertake to- cast an ace. Or, (which is the same thing,) iFhe cast m dice at once, how many of them may he, on an equality of chance, expect to be aces ? SOLUTION. Retaining the same sym- bols, in this case, 6=5, a=2, j3=5, and 1 260 THE DOCTRINE We must now find r the number of terms of the series 1.2 * 7 1. 2.3 which are equivalent to \ (|) OT By proceeding as in the foregoing pro- blems, it will appear, that when =3 4 then 1 term of the series is then 2 terms are then 3 terms are then 4 terms are m {= (=9 m l = 10 -fas -{=s So, that, in general, when __ $6*4-3} then H-l\ greater > ,, n , , s \ m . *"- l6*+45 terms are/less } than ^ ^ } Therefore, when m=6o:-|-4, there will be something more than an equal chance of the required effects happening .r-f-1 times. And eince m=6.r44, therefore x=~. Also, since r=.r+l, therefore x=r- 1 ; hence r OF CHANCES. 261 Hence it appears, that in a lottery irt which there are five blanks to one prize, if m tickets are bought, then on an equality jn-\ 2 of chance, -^ prizes may be expected. m 4 Cor. Since r--l= , therefore nt=6r2. Whence it appears, that if it be required to know how many tickets should be pur- chased in such a lottery, in order, on an equality of chance, to expect r prizes ; the answer will be 6Y 2. Therefore, in order to have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. prizes, there should be purchased 4, 10, 16, 22, 28, &c. tickets. PROBLEM XXXIII. 43. In a lottery where the number of blanks is to the number of prizes as b to a ; how many tickets must be purchased to procure an equal chance for p or more prizes ? SOLUTION. From a careful observation of the corollaries to the five preceding pro- blems, it will appear, that the series which 262 THE DOCTRINE iii each expresses the number of tickets that ought to be purchased, in order to procure an equality of chance for the having 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. prizes, do severally differ by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, which, in each separate question, is the number of blanks -j-1, or (since there is supposed only one prize to a certain number of blanks) the number of chances which one ticket has of being either a blank or a prize. Thus in corollary to Prob. 28 1 1 J .} 30 v 313 3*| Therefore we may conclude, that the same thing will happen in all succeeding questions of this sort ; and consequently, that if the first term of the series can be ob- 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, &c. 2 ~-> J<3 M h a ** 2, 5, 8,11,14, &c.' :3 |.| w e If 3, 7,11,15,19, &C..S 4 ja.- la 3 S *3*8 4, 9,14,19,24, &c. ^ .i 3 " S 4,10, 16,22, 28, &c. "^ 111 OF CHANCES. 263 tained, then all the rest will be found by the addition of (a-\-b). Now the first term of this series may be found by Prob. XXVII. where the number of tickets which must be purchased, that the buyer may have an equal chance to have one prize is , . , ' ' . r. Therefore log. (-H) log. b this quotient, if an integer, or the next greater integer if a fraction, will be the first term of the series. And if we call this quo- tient 5-, and put a+b=s, then, in order to have an equal chance for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 prizes, we must purchase q, ^-j-s, ^-f-^ 5 ? 5 r +3^, <7_|_4s, &c. tickets. Or universally, in order to have an equal chance for p prizes, we must purchase q+(p 1> tickets En. Ed. We lament that the limits we have pre- scribed to ourselves in this little work will not permit us to insert the well written paper of Dr. Brewster, respecting Annui- ties, as applied to the Doctrine of Chances. This species of Gaming is but very imper- fectly understood in Britain : it deserves, 252 THE DOCTRINE however, consideration and attention. A celebrated Dutch mathematician was the first to reduce it to any system, by con- structing, as we have before stated, tables of the probability of human life, from a comparison of Bills of Mortality. De Moivre supposes that of eighty-six persons who are born, one dies every year ; so that, at the end of eighty-six years, the lives will be all extinct. In this hypothesis, the decrements of life are equal ; and what any life wants of eighty- six years, is called the complement of that life. THE INFLUENCE OF GAMBLING HOUSES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. CHAPTER IV. " How little do they know of the true happiness of life, who are strangers to that intercourse of good offices and kind affections, which, by a pleasing charm, attaches men to cue another and circulates rational enjoyment from heart to heart." SINCE the first institution of houses for Gaming, its poison has been widely spread through the various classes of society. Perhaps, it would be but of little import- ance or use for us here to consider the in- fluence of this passion so far as it has been destructive of universal urbanity. We may, 266 INFLUENCE OF GAMBLING however, without any deviation from truth, be permitted to state, that it alters social manners every where ; and chases from the drawing-room that cheerfulness and gaiety which were wont to spread their balmy in- fluence through all polished society. These considerations would more properly belong to the mirrour of theatrical representation and its satiric Muse, than to a work like the present, which requires portraits of a more serious cast. It belongs to us to ex- hibit the movement which this passion im- parts to society (a passion which is always known to increase when covered by a shield of tolerance), and the great weight of pub- lic calamity that it draws soon or late on the governments by which it is countenanced. The facility of entering those 'Gambling Houses in France, as we have observed in another place, has infected all ranks of society with the vice of Gaming; from the obscure artizan who approaches the Roulette, to the man of fortune, who is often found to be a ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. 267 minister of the state. It is astonishing to see the powerful efforts that are daily made to obtain money for the purpose of pursu- ing this abominable practice, which is the hidden cause of a vast number of bank- ruptcies, and whose irresistible power sinks under the weight of debt the noblest for- tune, of whose real value the blind pos- sessor is totally ignorant. It is by the in- visible operation of this destructive agent that so many voices resound in the courts of law ; it is by it that children are chased from the paternal roof, as already stated, and the wealth of their dissipated father transferred to some more ceconomical pos- sessor. From Paris it is known to drive many new citizens, attracted at first by fortune and pleasure to a gay and splendid capital, where elegance of manners, and the arts, are not merely studied, but reduced to practice: they are, however, soon obliged to quit it, in consequence of indigence brought on themselves by reason of their 268 INFLUENCE OF GAMBLING devotion to this fatal passion*, having, in a short space of time expended there the fruits of many years' industry and genius ; they quit their own country in disgust, to en- rich with their talents other states, where their morals and fortunes are guarded by wiser laws and better regulations. This vice of Gaming leads young men, whose senses are overpowered by unex- pected gain, into those scenes of prostitu- tion from which if they ever return, it will be with dreary disappointment and unpitied disgrace. The easiness of access to these houses, and the fatal resource of the chances which hazard offers at every instant to persons led thither by the incitements of want, or the attractions of pleasure, secretly cause misery and dishonour to * The English Gamesters at Paris can bear witness to this fact, most of them having ben ruined, and plun- dered of all their property ; of whom many have com- mitted suicide. There are at this moment no fewer than one thousand of these unfortunates confined in prison for debts connected with Gaming. ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. 269 respectable families. Frcm this vice of Gaining have been derived most of the crimes by which society is so often afflicted, and which make tribunals resound with the names of those infatuated people. The ra- pidity of the loss causes it to be regarded as irreparable ; for, said they, how can we recover, by the lingering resources of in- dustry, the very considerable sums lost in a single day ? This reflection almost always kindles in the hearts of Gamesters after their ruin, despair and despondency : some die with grief; others arm themselves against society, and deliver themselves up to every species of crime : many, alas! commit those dreadful acts of suicide of which we have so often spoken, and which bring ever- lasting disgrace on so many reputable per- sons. By the picture of this last, has the genius of the painter characterised a passion with whose fatal effects the institutions, in Europe, called " houses for play," are grown too familiar. Were it possible absolutely to z3 270 INFLUENCE OF GAMBLING raise the veil which conceals such hideous consequences, what sanguinary and shame- ful scenes would present themselves to an astonished public! we should then see bodies mutilated on the scaffold, or disfi- gured by assassination and suicide, for which tears of ignominy can never cease to flow ; we should then behold the affliction of those galley slaves formerly clothed with honour- able names, but now, in consequence of crimes brought on by Gaming, exposed in the pillory. Every thing, however, con- curs to thicken this veil; interest, no less than shame ; the secret is religiously kept, not merely by the plundering banker, but by his dupe, time alone reveals it, in spite of the flowers always strewed over the path which conducts to the destructive allure- ment. In the civilized state of society at which we are now arrived, the integrity of a man is his fortune; the consideration and inde- pendence following it are dearer to him than life : to rob him of these, is, then, a ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. 271 greater crime than putting him to death : once deprived of them, he becomes the most miserable of men, and conceives that he has no alternative left, unless to die by his own hand. When a Gamester happens to be ruined in a few moments, the terror which follows the contemplation of his loss may change him in an instant from a virtuous man to a perfidious assassin : ..... .D'nn mortel vertueux, un perfide assassin A player losing an important stake loses with it his last hope; he imagines that he has no choice left between indigence and a voluntary death. While the bankers coldly take away his fortune, which a card has given them, the unfortunate victim affects in their presence a fortitude superior to his lot; he receives with apparent courage the mortal blow ; he answers by a grateftil smile to the signs of compassion evinced towards him by the multitude which sur- round him; but, notwithstanding all this, 272 INFLUENCE OF GAMBLING the penetrating observer seldom fails to discover in his countenance signs of grief that he cannot repress ; even the appear- ance of fortitude soon deserts him on quit- ting this place, which he had entered as a man of worth and riches, but whence he is departing poor and pennyless : the horrible picture of his situation presents itself to his view; he flies into the most violent pas- sion; on a sudden he becomes calm, he loses himself from time to time for want of thought, and often remains for hours in a state of dumb delirium; but he is at last awakened by the heart-breaking torments of grief and pain; he is agitated by the most frightful despair ; and he thinks only of the speediest way in which he may destroy himself! Though he has been hitherto a good father, a good husband, and a man of probity, yet on this very ac- count will he be the more tempted to de- prive himself of life ; but if a want of cou- rage, more than a sense of the enormity of suicide, induce him to cling to life, he will ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. 273 perhaps sell himself to the enemies of his country; or plunder those numbered amongst his friends, even his parents, will not escape his perfidy. With poison or the steel, he will commit the atrocious crime of parricide, and whilst the bankers are counting considerable gain he his ar- rested by virtue of a warrant issued against him for assassination. There is more con- nection than a person might at first suppose, between occurrences of this description and the destructive vice of Gaming. Men, possessed with a fatal opinion that it is possible to make a fortune by Gaming, quit their native country yearly, under pretext of their affairs or their pleasures, that they may come and play at Paris. Fathers of families, or principals of com- mercial establishments, hide from their countrymen this delusive and dangerous speculation, to which they abandon them- selves in the capital, equally disengaged from public attention and the watchfulness of their families ; two most salutary checks. 274 INFLUENCE OF GAMBLING From this hidden source arise those losses of fortune, those unexpected failures, which spread terror far and wide through the country. The inhabitants of towns ask with as- tonishment, how a proprietor, a merchant of integrity, who lives without pomp or ostentation, and whose capital and opera- tions in business are well known to be respectable, can labour under adversity? Happy interrogators ! you have never yet breathed the poisoned air of the capital ; you are ignorant that dissimulation is the inseparable companion of a vice, which alarms the best interests of society; you judge of the administration of all fortunes by the rules, which guide your own inno- cent life : happy is your ignorance of the immorality of the age in which you live; and be careful not to quit your provinces, and country seats, if you wish to preserve your former virtues and the patrimony of your ancestors : and you, fathers of families, send not to the metropolis those sons who ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. 275 are the hopes of your declining years ; as long as there exists there a Gambling House, dread for them the seduction of a vice, the ardour of which even the frigidity of old age can scarcely extinguish; but if you do permit their visit, caution them to con- fine themselves to viewing monuments and theatres, to the public lectures delivered by celebrated literary characters, wise men, and philanthropists, whose humanity fails not to perpetuate the science of Hip- pocrates. London, the happy rival of Paris, con- tains within its bosom a million of inha- bitants, of whom few would not but curse the fatal day in which they had first con- templated the project of visiting those ruinous receptacles in France. Should other attractions drag youth from their paternal roof, with the view of becoming useful to society, they should meet with protection and fostering care. The French capital, the centre of an empire much more exten- 276 INFLUENCE OF GAMBLING. sive and populous than England, includes but half a million of inhabitants : within the last quarter of a century a hundred thou- sand families might have been added to this number, whose industry, and peaceable pos- session of property, would have increased that force which the union of men pro- duces, were it not for this depopulating scourge which prevents them from being called into existence. ON THE PASSION FOR GAMING, ITS INFLUENCE ON THE MORALITY OF INDIVIDUALS, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF SUPPRESSING IT. CHAPTER V. " Inexplicables humains, comment pou- vez-vous runir tant de bassesse et tant de grandeur, tant de vertus et tant de vices." IMITATION. " Man, incomprehensible mortal ! bow can you reunite in the same soul ; so much baseness ; so much grandeur ; so much virtue ; -and so many vices.'' Louis xni. caused Gambling Houses to be closed ; and this fact proves, not his virtue so much as his wisdom. Love, jealousy, hatred.- and most other passions, acquire a greater degree of intensity from the obsta- cles which are opposed to them. A lover furious with disappointment, or an enemy 2A 278 ON THE PASSION moved by desire of revenge, will despise death : this is not the case with respect to Gaming ; extraordinary severity alone being found sufficient to restrain it. It is not so with this passion, as it is with honour ; honour is one of the principal wants of civil- ized man. It is for this reason that duelling ought to be tolerated in every country ; it is a necessary evil, but often the only remedy left to a man of nice feeling to redress a wrong, it is not only tolerated in France, but very justly encouraged. The law cannot alwaysreaeh men, or rather animals claiming to be of our species, who are placed by some fortuitous circumstances out of its reach ; it is the sword only that brings all men to a level. The sacrifice of life, however, to a false point of honour is an excess of vir- tue ; but Gaming is a stranger to the wants of society. Attacked equally by pre- judice and morality, this vice finds its ex- cuse no where, not even in the opinions of the men whom it enslaves; while other FOR GAMING. 279 passions excite, if not forgiveness, at least pity, in many indulgent hearts. If it be true then that fear has some em- pire over this vice, it is easy to repress it; for this purpose, the law ought to be ex- ecuted with rigour : we ought to consider, not so much the fault itself, as its conse- quences. The necessity of consulting the safety of the people, sometimes imposes on their chiefs the duty of putting out of the pale of human society, districts wherein a mortal contagion is prevalent and threatens the entire nation : why, then, should pub- lic authority fear to be rigourous, when its severity would be useful, not only to those whom it would preserve from the most dreadful contagion of Gaming but even those who are not already too far involved in it? Is it not afflicting to humanity to be obliged to acknowledge, that public vices have been frequently found in men called, by their rank, to interfere in the concerns of nations? MAZARINE diverted the atten- 2 A 2 280 ON THE PASSION tion of those factions which envied his great- ness; and solicited their interest, with the sole view of vanquishing them. This poli- tical and intriguing corrupter introduced Gaming at the court of the young king and regent. The taste for play soon made its way from the court to the city, and thence to all the provinces of France. Political motives, no doubt, gave birth to its first public establishment ; and it may have been then viewed with indifference, as analogous to the manners of the times in which it was introduced. At that period France was entirely under the dominion of ephemeral govern- ments. The attention of every one was turned towards political commotions; and they paid but little regard to the vic- tims of Gaming, at a period of civil war, when the money of the government threat- ened the state with downfal; when nothing- was to be heard of but alternate successes and reverses of fortune, sudden ruin, and elevation as sudden ; when all the bands of FOR GAMING. 281 society were relaxed; and a multitude of laws, invalidating each other, completely displayed the versatility and impotence of legislators, as well as the fluctuation of events the most important that the world has ever witnessed! The administration then of those Gam- bling houses, which were produced by dis- order, and animated by the spirit of self-in- terest, has survived that state of things; but the instability of government, and the covet- ousness of those who possess power, have preserved them, and though opposed to the interests of humanity, the duties of public gratitude, and the advantage of the state ; a secret torpor seems to benumb every feeling congenial to the welfare of society, and freezes each voice that ought to be raised against this pernicious trade. The scenes on which able painters have pour- trayed the vices of the human heart present no crime which is not found to spring from this passion. Beverley no longer imprints 2 A3 282 ON THE PASSION on the minds of his spectators the horrors of this depravity. We now merely laugh at a vice which ridicule alone cannot correct. If the Joueur of Regnard the chef-d'oeuvre of an author who was an honour to France, be the only work of this kind that has never been buried in oblivion, it is, because the character of the principal personage is viewed only in a comic light, and is far from inspiring the spectators with a terror of Gaming: Valere loses his mistress, it is true; but not his fortune, his honour, or his life! "Tous les homines sont fous, et malgr tons leurs soins, Ne different entre eux, que du plus et du moins. 1 ' That all mankind are fools and knaves 'tis clear, However wise and honest they appear; They only differ too from one another, As one is more the knave or fool than t'other. If honour be the fountain of monarchical governments, how dangerous must it be for ministers to authorize a crime hitherto re- FOB GAMING. 283 garded by every nation as most dishonourable and detestable ! The want of strict enforce- ment of the laws concerning Gaming gives a false direction to the morality of indivi- duals, habituates them to apologize for crime, and accustoms their minds to ideas of gain, the source of which is impure. Thus has that corruption, which moralists have heretofore attached only to the great, been now handed down to the plebeian. Our times resemble not those of that able states- man who, in his political testament, thus counsels his prince : " n ne faut pas se servir des gens de bos lieu, its sont aust&res et trop difficiles." A prince should never employ near his person men of low origin, being austere and too difficult to please. In our times all ranks of society con- cur in giving employment to the admi- nistration of Gambling ; its immorality in vain frightens the consciences of per- sons who are confident of escaping the rigour of the law. In Prance, an act, 2S4 OX THE PASSION treated as a crime by one law, and tolerated by another, appears, to the eyes of the in- terested reasoner, bat a dime of conven- tion, and so ceases to be any crime at all. No respect whatever is in this case paid to the arguments drawn from religion and morality in opposition to its regulations; and as, forsooth, the treasures of Gam- bling Houses should not be handled by any \*stJaitkflvDen,praistKorthy for their w- fcgnfjr, therefore, men honoured for their success in arms, and esteemed for then- loyalty, will not hesitate to devote them- selves to this most culpable service. Thus, in defiance of common sense, courage, pro- bity, and honour, become the auxiliaries of crime. The fault, in France, lies in the want of laws to prohibit Gaming; in England, in neglecting to enforce the due execution of those which have been by the wisdom of the two bouses Society, it is said, was never more in of the enforcement of powerful laws FOB GAMING. 285 on this subject than at the present day, when interest is become wise in the art of sophisms. We live in an enlightened age, but not in an age of virtue. We have turned to the profit of our passions the use of that illumined understanding, of which we are so vain. Nothing is more easy 'at present than to reconcile errors to our consciences. Religion preaches disinter- estedness and meekness; but, under pre- text of it, immense wealth has been amassed and men persecuted. Philosophy too urges the same sentiments and doctrines; but under the cloak of it many pursue power, and the extension of their opinions ; and that, frequently, at the expense of blood. Self-interest has eluded power, civilization, and the laws; by its effect, a venal elo- quence has transformed virtue into vice and vice into virtue. Virtue, a name so prostituted in novels and on the stage, obtains but a sterile triumph from the ho- mage of liars ; it is every thing in our laws and harangues, but it scarcely ever 286 ON THE PASSION exists in our hearts. If an office, paid by gold, and sullied by blood, be vacant, men, Englishmen as well as foreigners, are found to desire it, nay, to solicit it, or even to purchase it. But happy is it for England, that this, which applies with so much force to France, cannot with equal propriety be spoken of her : her fault lies only in not strictly observing and putting into execution the admirable laws, rights, and privileges obtained for us by the Revolution of 1688, and transmitted to us by our ancestors as a last legacy. A gift, however, we have lately so often proved ourselves unworthy of having ever In proof of the length to which the Gamester will be driven for his interest, and to avoid the detection of his nefarious practices, which are the source of the ruin of millions of individuals, as we have so strongly pointed out in the progress of the work; an anecdote may be here related of a Nobleman lately deceased, who with all FOR GAMING. 287 his patriotic virtues possessed a strong pro- pensity to this vice. The late Duke of Norfolk, in one even- ing, lost the sura of 70,000 in a Gaming House on the right side of St. James's Street; suspecting foul play, he put the dice in his pocket, and, as was his custom when up late, took a bed in the house. The blacklegs were all dismayed, till one of the worthies, who is believed to have been a principal in poisoning the horses at Newmarket, for which Dan Dawson was hanged, offered, for 5000 to go into the Duke's room with a brace of pistols and a pair of dice, and, if the Duke was awake, to shoot him, if asleep to change the dice ! Fortunately for the gang, the Duke snored, as the agent stated, " like a pig:" the dice were changed. His Grace had them broken in the morning, when, finding them good, he paid the money, and left off Gambling. A similar circumstance lately occurred in the vicinity of Pall Mall, but in this affair 288 ON THE PASSION the party (though in high life) being actu- ally detected in using false dice, did not succeed in obtaining the plunder, and had not the courage to enforce it by the sword, as is sometimes the case with those scoun- drels. SOME ACCOUNT OF THE REVE- NUE PRODUCED BY GAMBLING HOUSES AT PARIS. CHAPTER VI. " The love of justice in most princes is nothing but the fear of suffering in- justice ; for there is nothing in this world more difficult than to find a king addicted to luxury and debauch, disinterested, and incorruptible." THE advantages which have resulted in favour of the public treasury of France since the first licensing of houses for Gam- ing- are trifling, if we consider the im- portance of the budgets. The rough re- venue of a Gaming firm annually is between fifteen and twenty millions : we shall take the minimum as the basis of our calcula- tions. 290 REVENUE PRODUCED BY Francs. Rough revenue 15,000,000 Deduct expence of establishment, pay of clerks, and in- terest of the fund of the bank 1,000,000 Annual tax to go- vernment 5,000,000 Fifteenth of nett be- nefit abandoned for the use of the poor. 500,000 6,500,000 Remainder for the firm 8,500,000 The employment of six millions and a half, in the discount that they have made, is their principal argument in their defence. Half a million of francs are annually be- stowed on the poor : what a touching ex- ample of humanity ! This fifteenth forms but the thirtieth part in reality of the re- ceipts of the administration; so that, after making thirty beggars, they have the un- bounded generosity to distribute between GAMBLING HOUSES. 291 them the fortune of a single person. An entire million is expended in the pay of the hellish troops belonging to the esta- blishment. It is pretended, that His Most Christiau Majesty gives from time to time a portion of his own share to the poor. Is not this a strange way of showing his generosity to the public, by offering to it that gold which had caused the dishonour or death of its first possessor? The French nation, not- withstanding its calamities, cannot wish to receive, as a gift, money obtained by plun- der; they must rather consider it as the wages of sin, as prostitution and vice of the blackest dye. A tax of any other description, to raise the annual sum ac- cruing to the state in this most exception- able way, would be more cheerfully paid by all classes; and the public would gain thus, not only the annual revenue of the administration, but the no less criminal profit of the usurers who surround the un- fortunate Gamester. The very laurels of 292 REVENUE PRODUCED, &C. victory are displeasing to the wise, when stained with unnecessary blood ; is, then, the gold, which the bankers bring to the chests of the state, more pure than the laurels of victory I and must money be drawn from this dishonourable source, to recompense the services rendered to the state ? The proudest prerogative of a prince is, to reward those who deserve well of their country. The favours that he dis- tributes ought to be the produce of a gene- rous and voluntary gift, and not the fruit of those stews, the tribute from which vir- tue cannot accept without blushing-. OF THE PROTECTION WHICH A PA- TERNAL GOVERNMENT OWES TO GAMESTERS AGAINST THEMSELVES. CHAPTER VII. " Les passions sent des tyrans artiti- cieux, qui chargent de chaines, et livrent aux plus cruels tourmens ceux qu'ils ont sduits par 1'appat de la Iibert6 et des plaisirs.'' GAMESTERS, incorrigible as they may ap- pear, yet merit the attention of all pater- nal governments. Such is, happily, the case in England at the present time; it would be cruel to permit those unhappy persons to be abandoned to their fate; and to consider the public morals of less conse- 294 GOVERNMENT OWES quence than the benefits derived from such disgraceful institutions. Gamesters are not so far isolated from the rest of society, as to be totally forgotten and entombed, as it were, in their own folly and stupidity. The fact is, the ruin of Gamesters never fails to entail misery on their families and connections ; and were it only for the sake of these, government should watch over them. The exercise of charity is specious only, when the government permits the ex- istence of an abuse which tends" to augment the number of the indigent. The mind of a Gamester, it is well known, is unfitted for any business or serious employment; a government, therefore, which tolerates Gam- ing gives thus a check to industry, and wars against nature. An institution which causes annually the death of so many citizens, without any other benefit to the state than a trifling increase of revenue, is in contra- diction to the fundamental principles of society, If it be true, that the whole is PROTECTION TO GAMESTERS. 295 made up of all the parts put together, can one individual suffer injury without loss to society? A number of men, members of the same society, bring a certain portion of gold to the Gaming House; considering them as a body, what can they gain ? one loses ; and another, who has won from him, circulates his gold through improper chan- nels, and thus tends to support vice by pecuniary reward. In Gaming, it is the individual against all the community; his interest, of 'course, is best secured by the destruction of all the rest, and thus they may be considered in a state of war, honour being the only international law. The in- terests of humanity require the suppression of such a system. We subjoin to this detail the following case of Gaming, recently tried in the Court of King's Bench, before the Chief Justice of England, which will give an accurate idea of the manner this detestable traffic is conducted in our sober metropolis. 296 GOVERNMENT OWES The King v. Oldfield and Bennett. Mr. Rotch opened the pleadings. He said this was an indictment against the defendants, for keeping a Gaming House at No. 71, Pall Mall, St. James's, in the months of October, November, and Decem- ber, 1819, which was a common nuisance by law. The Common Serjeant stated the case. He said that this was a prosecution under a most salutary act of parliament, for the suppression of a nuisance, in the highest degree injurious to public morals. It was impossible to conceive a concern more mis- chievous to the community, more dangerous to morality, or more ruinous to the inter- ests of individuals, than that into which thoughtless and inconsiderate young persons were hurried by an introduction into these Gaming Houses. They were by the kna- vish arrangements of such places stimulated by strong wines, to lose all self-control, and embark in that career, which hurried PROTECTION TO GAMESTERS. 297 them on to speedy ruin and eventual dis- grace. In the present case, they would find a young man, who had been in the service of the East India Company, who upon coming of age, received a considerable sum of money, which, instead of being- ren- dered conducive to the amelioration and stability of his prospects in life, was, owing to his introduction, in an evil hour, to the defendants' Gaming House, speedily torn from him, and he was compelled to resort to his own means of industry for future subsistence. He would shew that this gen- tleman had been repeatedly in the house, No. 71, Pall Mall, during the months stated in the indictment, and had seen therein both the defendants superintending- the business of the game, and the distribution of refreshments to those engaged in play. Now he had heard that it was intended on the part of the defendants to endeavour to discredit the testimony of this unfortu- nate young man, and to insinuate that he now appeared for the purpose, not of doing 298 GOVERNMENT OWES justice to the offended laws of his country, but to incur the odious crime of perjury. It was for the Jury to appreciate such an attempt as it deserved ; and he hoped they would look upon it as he did, namely, as a gross aggravation of the original offence, for it was nothing less than to attach infamy to the character of a too credulous man, after he had been pillaged and robbed by the devices of iniquity. He would proceed to call his witnesses. Mr. Thomas Erskine Grant was put into the box, and examined by Mr. Rotch. He perfectly remembered being in the house No. 71, Pall Mall, in the months of No- vember and December 1819, where there was a great deal of play carried on under the auspices of Messrs. Bennett and Old- field, the defendants. The play was carried on at the times that he was there upon the ground floor; there was a bank on the table where the proprietors (the defendants) sat, and a sideboard, covered with wine and other refreshments, which were plentifully PROTECTION TO GAMESTERS. 299 supplied to the company at play. The cards were dealt out by servants under the directions of the defendants; the game was Rouge etNoir; there were thirty one pips or markers, and those who came up to, or nearest that number, were the winners. From the plan of the arrangements, money was always substracted for the proprietors, who must always derive a large profit from the game; he lost all his money there, and was, on that account, not afterwards assisted by his friends. Cross-examined by Mr. Adolphus : The property which he received, on corning of age,was from 2 to 400, which was partly from the benevolence of his friends, and a good deal of that money went to pay his debts; and, perhaps, 100 might have been all he had to carry to the Gaining House. According to his recollection, he was intro- duced to No. 71, Pall Mall, by a Mr. Parry; he had been often there also in company with Mr. Rennie, a Lieutenant in the Navy ; there was, in fact, no admission without 300 GOVERNMENT OWES introduction, for there was a pane of glass in the street door, through which the por- ter looked, before he admitted any body. Witness had formerly kept a school in part- nership with Mr. Parry; he had afterward? been in the King's Bench Prison for seve- ral weeks; he might, but he did not, take the benefit of the Insolvent Debtors' Act ; his creditors offered him money to relieve his necessities, and knew that he behaved honourably towards them in all his dealings. He had since assisted in conducting a school, in the vicinity of town* at the desire of Captain Cook, who was master of the cere- monies at Scarborough. His conduct had always been open and fair. He positively sw7>re, that the defendants had acted as managers of the Gaming table, and then described the position of the room and of the table. Re-examined by Mr. Rotch : He had long since dissolved his partnership with Mr. Parry, and was on bad terms with him. There was a dull light in the passage to PROTECTION TO GAMESTERS. 301 the Gaming table, in the house No. 71, Pall Mall. A Mr. Rennie, a Lieutenant in the Navy, had gone with him, and often seen him at play at that house. Mr. John Rennie examined by the Com- mon Serjeant: I have been at the house No. 71, Pall Mall, in October, November, and December, 1819; but can't speak very positively todays. I was certainly in Lon- don at the time I have mentioned, at the close of 1819. I was never there to my knowledge with Mr. Grant (the former witness). I know him, and have been cer- tainly often at the house No. 71, Pall Mall 1 have no doubt I was there in the month of November. The house was a large one, with large bow-windows, both on the ground and first floor. Rouge et Noir was the game played there. I knew Mr. Bennett (the defendant) and have seen him there ; be used to employ himself walking about, and sometimes sitting down there, but I never saw him dealing the cards, or giving orders for refreshments for himself, but just 2c 302 GOVERNMENT OWES in the same manner as any other gentleman. There were always a couple of bottles of wine and cakes on the sideboard, which the waiters handed around as they were called for. The company wore their hats on or off as suited their convenience. Mr. Ben- nett did the same. I do not know who was the proprietor. A person named Phillips, and a young man named Bennett, used to deal the cards. I have heard orders given to them by Mr. Bennett and Mr. Oldfield. I was acquainted with Mr. Grant (the witness) in August, 1819, and never saw him at the house in Pall Mall, to the best of my recollection, nor have I ever borrow- ed money from him to the best of my knowledge, or saw money with him in any shape. I have seen him at several (at three) of the other Gaming Houses, which I was in the habit of frequenting. The whole of the time I knew Mr. Grant he was in a mise- rable situation, and I used to sympathize with him upon his state of mendicity; he did not beg money of me ; but he was shabbily dressed. PROTECTION TO GAMESTERS. 303 Lord Chief Justice Abbott : Do you know the distinction between mendicity and poverty ! A man may be poor, and yet not in a state of mendicity. Mr. Rotch : Did he ever beg from you, or dine at your expence?- Witness : No, he did not. Cross-examined by Mr. Adolphus : I am a Lieutenant in the Navy; Grant had never the appearance of a gentleman, who could get into the house No 71, Pall Mall; they would not let in a man who was shab- bily dressed, or who was not introduced. In the smaller houses the play was from 2s. 6d. to 20 or 30; at No. 71, they played from 5s. to 100; the general play was at No. 71, on the first floor, and while that room was under repair, the play was carried on in the ground room; I cannot say the particular time when the room was under repair ; I came to town in March 1819, and have lived here, except at short intervals, ever since ; I do not recollect having told Mr. Grant that I played at 2c2 304 GOVERNMENT OWES No. 71 ; it was only a week ago that I was summoned as a witness ; I had generally heard that actions were brought, but I had no idea of being brought here as a witness; I never saw Mr. Bennett deal the cards there, but I have seen Mr. Oldfield deal in that house, and also give orders at the table, but not Mr. Bennett. Re-examined by the Common Serjeant. I have, I think, heard both give orders to those who officiated at the table.- -The case for the prosecution was here closed. Mr. Adolphus, for the defence, lamented the colouring which his learned friend, the Common Serjeant, had been instructed to give this case. As to the policy of the law, he knew its difficulty, and the delicacy which he was bound to observe respecting it ; but he should have hoped, when that policy spoke plainly, as it no doubt did, that all topics of inflammation would have been abstained from ; for they were uniformly unfavourable to the attainment of the ends of justice. He must, however, say, that, PROTECTION TO GAMESTERS. 305 as a man who never entertained in the course of his life, sentiments which he was either afraid or ashamed to avow, he would now say, that his knowledge of some prose- cutions of this kind, which his experience recalled to him, presented to the com- munity an infinitely worse example than was exhibited by the evils which they professed to remedy : they presented the disgusting spectacle of a mean and abject spirit, seeking to regain what its vicious propensities had previously sacrificed in pursuit of gain. He did not stand up there to defend either the principles or the practice of a Gamester ; he knew that both were pernicious ; that they hardened the heart, and seared the conscience ; that they deadened the generous feelings and sym- pathies of human nature, and made a man a worse member of society than he would otherwise have been, were it not for the infection of this propensity. At the same time, the history of every country showed them that, whether the state of society was 2c3 306 GOVERNMENT OWES civilized or half refined, there was in all ages, and in all times, a large portion of society who indulged in the practice of play, and sought through that course, or flattered themselves they might seek through it, a nearer road to fortune than that which they must travel by the ordi- nary path of industry. Upon the policy of the Legislature in enacting this law, he had already said he did not mean to animadvert; but he must say, that it would have been much better if the execution of the law were left to the church -wardens, or other parochial officers, where the alleged nuisance was situated, instead of having its provisions and penalties called into action at the will of every disappointed profligate, every beggarly and merciless adventurer, who, after being foiled in the chances of participating in such unlawful gain, sought to retrieve his ruin by the gain of a pro- secution like this. With respect to the chief witness for the prosecution, who was ushered into their notice as a ruined young PROTECTION TO GAMESTERS. 307 gentleman of fortune, what did he prove to be ? A young man who had received a benevolent gratuity from his friends, not of large amount, part of which he applied to the payment of debts, and the rest, accord- ing to his account, he spent at a Gaming- table. If the evidence depended on such a man, he knew he could easily get rid of it ; but there was another witness, .Lieutenant Rennie, against whom he had no impu- tation to cast, and who had spoken to the circumstance of the defendants having exercised authority at the Gaming table ; but his evidence upon that point was rather qualified and indecisive. If the Jury, however, attached implicit belief to the strength of his memory, he knew there must be a verdict against him. But what a picture was not presented against this Mr. Grant, the first witness ; he who was called forward to personate a young gen- tleman of fortune, and who was proved to be a needy and impoverished school assistant always in a state of apparent beggary 308 GOVERNMENT OWES according to Lieut. Rennie's account of him. If such a man ever got into the house he had described, it must have been as a person awaiting the compassion of the winners, to get a small share of their super- fluous bounty in aid of his necessities. He knew, however, that if the Jury believed the second witness, a verdict of guilty must be recorded against the defendants. The Lord Chief Justice said, that as no attempt was made to contradict the second witness, a verdict must be given against the defendants, as he clearly proved that during the time mentioned in the indict- ment, the unlawful act had been carried on under the auspices of these two defend- ants. The law treated Gaming Houses as common nuisances, and it was their duty to administer that law, without reference to the nature of its policy. He must however say, after the remark which had been made by the learned counsel for the defendants, that he entirely concurred in the policy of this law, as he thought it to be the duty of PROTECTION TO GAMESTERS. 309 the legislature to suppress, so far as human regulations could enforce their suppression, places of resort of so dangerous and evil a tendency to public morals, as Gaming Houses were admitted to be. It would be a waste of time to go over the evidence, which must be so fresh in their memory, for if they wholly left out Mr. Grant's evidence, that of Lieutenant Rennie, who did not appear to have been a very willing witness, proved the whole case against the defendants. The Jury without hesitation returned a verdict of Guilty. The above decision does much credit to his lordship, from his strong desire, as a matter of sound policy, to enforce in the fullest manner the regulations against Gaming Houses, for in this country it is not so much the want of legislative enactments to suppress this vice as the supineness of those to whom the trust is committed of rooting them out. If the police in the knowledge of such practices, wink at them for their own interest and receive a weekly 310 GOVERNMENT OWES, &C. douceur as hush money, which is even known to go into the pockets of superiors as well as inferiors, legislative enactments will be of no importance, for the common proverb is here truly verified, " There are none so blind as those that will not see." ADDENDA. LE DERNIER COUP DE PINCEAU*. (Last stroke of the pencil.) THE COUNT ANGLES AND THE FRENCH POLICE. The author's answer to a letter, addressed, the 28th March, 1820, in language lyingly complaisant, by Count Angles, chief of the police at Paris, to the Attorney General, Van Slype, at Maestricht, at his gratuitous request. There are people who delight most wonderful!; ina lie. Paris and Maestricht may boast of possess- ing such individuals. W HEN falsehood, malice, and calumny, are let loose against the reputation and property of an honest man; when nothing withholds them from plunging their poisonous dagger in the breast of their victim, all apology becomes superfluous * We have yielded to the solicitations of one of the subscribers to this work, a little lively Englishman who hates every thing French, to put LE DERNIER COUP DE PINCEAU in an English dress ; for it will be recollected, that the original letter to the Count Angles was written by us at Paris, in the French language. 440 ADDENDA. and Tain ; because the opinion of the public cannot waver for a single moment. The attack being made with the united powers of injustice, fraud, and violence, the defence must display means of no small degree of energy, to render the cause of innocence triumphant. Could the prefect of police of the department of the Seine believe, that I should be destitute of such means in the constitutional kingdom of the Netherlands ? Could he imagine, that they would be -withdrawn from me by a censorship, the benefits of which are appreciated by the French, as were formerly those of the Holy Inquisition in Spain? The delusion would have been marvellous indeed! A person of distinguished rank, and public authority, gays : " when a man has the misfortune of being oppressed, it is always consoling for him to know, that his persecutor is a gentleman by education, and consequently incapable of proceeding with grossness and brutality." Count Angles is any thing but a gentleman in this sense of the word. His style and ex- pressions betray him. I must tell this prefect, with all that freedom which belongs to my cha- racter, that liars are always cowards of the basest mettle, and commonly of a malicious disposition. ADDENDA. 441 When these vices constitute the character of a magistrate or public officer, to what dangers is society not exposed, and with what anxious fears must not the breast of every good citizen be filled*? After these preliminary observations, I now hasten to enter on the matter in question. I regret exceedingly that I cannot find words sufficiently strong, to express the extreme indig- nation inspired by the horrible conduct of those monsters in human shape, the agents of police, who seem to have suggested the disgusting libel contained in your letter of the 28th of March 1820, No. -- , addressed to the King's advocate, Van Slype, at Maestricht, at his gra- tuitous request. It requires no great effort to make every honest man partake of this indigna- tion. It cannot fail to make the deepest i * The reader will recollect the spy or agenl of the British police, who caused several Englishmen to be hanged, in order that he might receive the reward of for- ty pounds sterling, adjudged to the informer for every one who is condemned. Their innocence was subse- quently acknowledged} but the infamous wretch, who thus falsely denounced them, has hitherto escaped the punishment inflicted upon those against whom he in- formed. 444 ADDENDA. to justify my giving you the titles of an infamous liar and the " prince of calumniators." Its slanderous exhalations spread a mortal venom, to the poisonous influence of which my unblemished reputation is the more exposed, as its approach is concealed in mysterious dark* n-ess. Though a distillation of the most vague absurdities, evidently proved to be such, it has, nevertheless, succeeded in making an impression upon minds too indolent to enquire into the truth of things, and always inclined to credit what is bad, in preference to what is good. Supposing you only to have signed (sine cognitions causa) the calumnious document, of which I have just reason to complain, it is not less a deed sanctioned by your name. You cannot be excusable by objecting that it is not your work. It is, indeed, a composition too ini- quitous to be owned by its author. How de- graded the heart of a police agent must be, to produce a work, with the culpable design of in- jury a work, intended to give birth to rujg judices against me in the i*** 1 "*" vt p . M*.f.*u<.< * ? p rac " sed ? J a ; What a le, wicked, immoral beig, degraded ADDENDA. 445 even beneath the brute, must that man be, who, by lying and calumny, can sport with what ought to be the most sacred to him, the honour and integrity of a fellow-citizen ! ! ! My justification warrants the use of such lan- guage, true and energetic at the same time, in repulse of the calumny, of which your letter to the King's advocate, Van Slype, is the legal proof. Void of all authentic evidence, it in reality carried its refutation along with it : however, to refute it more effectually, and in a manner satis- factory to the public, I resolved to have recourse to the publicity of this answer. I solicit your attentive perusal of it ; you will find great truths in it, which your agents would never have dis- covered to you. The King's advocate at Maestricht has ar- gued from your letter, as if it were susceptible of attenuating the crime of his nephews, who, to the great astonishment of the public, escaped a condemnation, from which, in justice, there should have been no appeal ! If it were even admitted, that the advocate of the King had a right to make use of this letter, ought he to have kept it a mystery until the moment the trial was called on ? Would it not have been his duty '446 ADDEN'DA. to communicate it to me, immediately after its receipt, to enable me to refute it, as I now do by this answer ? Again, what could such a letter have to do with the process of Ploem and Collard? The superior judges will certainly blame the King's Advocate for having availed himself of it, against the formal dispositions of the law. In reality, the articles 368 and 370 of the criminal Code authorize a just censure to be passed on the strange conduct of this minister*. If the contents of this lying letter had been communicated to me, which in justice ought to have been done, I should have opposed to it the evidence of peo- ple of respectability and of the first rank in * These articles are expressed in the following terms : Art. 368. " Every imputation is considered false, of which legal proof is not produced. Consequently, the author of the imputation shall not be allowed, in his defence, to demand that proof be given; nor shall he allege, as a means of excuse, that the documents or facts are notorious, or that the imputations, which oc- casion the prosecution, arc copied or extracted from foreign papers or other printed writings." Art. 370. " A legal proof is only considered the result of a verdict, or of some other authentic document." ADDENDA. 447 society at Paris, and even at Maestricht, -where I have resided more than eighteen months. By; such evidence, and the means of which I have already spoken, I should undoubtedly have suc- ceeded in destroying the prejudices- that seemed to prepossess the minds of the magistrates of my possessing revolutionary principles. There is no doubt, then, that these villainous spies, these audacious criminals^ these faux- ckevaliers, or rather chevaliers (^industrie,, are the original fabricators of those base absurdities which Count Angles has been pleased to bestow upon me, addressing them to the King's advo- cate at Maestricht, who has taken advantage of them in a most reprehensible manner. And for what purpose ? Answer, Mr. Van Slype? The letter I am speaking of, is characteristic of an injustice so extraordinary^ that it will be an everlasting monument of the most revolting par- tiality. The Turkish cadis, whose decisions are subject to no legal forms, who, like their despo- tical sovereign, dispose of the life and honour, of a Musselman just as it may please their will, have never been known to carry their contempt of all decency and shame so far as to give such a scandal. 2 p2 448 ADDENDA. Of all calumniators, magistrates, and in ge- neral those who occupy public offices, are the most odious. They commit outrage at once on ,the honour of the citizen, and on public morals. In fact, nothing can be more pernicious to society than the existence of such guardians and executors of the law, who are themselves the most impudent in transgressing its com- mands. " Law," said Cicero, " is wisdom, over which the magistrate is called to preside. What a madman must that magistrate appear who, metamorphosing his soul to a spirit of wickedness, would presume to exercise the functions of the wisdom of the law!" Who would believe, that the institutions of police now existing in the European states, to maintain which an expense is occasioned of so considerable an extent that it forms a principal article in the budgets of those states, are more busily employed in doing mischief to good citi- zens, than in fulfilling the object of their crea- tion ? Who would believe, that there are police agents, whose pretensions and self-sufficiency have the arrogance to pronounce sentence on the moral conduct of others; and who, viewing man- kind through a political microscope, have the ADDENDA. 449 infamous audacity to transform a virtuous man into the most vicious of beiugs, simply because he does not profess their pernicious principles ? When, in the Chamber of Deputies, the immo- rality and turpitude of these agents were depicted in colours as faithful as they were hideous, the most obstinate minds yielded to conviction. To prove the fidelity of the picture which I now- present to the public, I may plead the confidence shown to me by the French government; and I dare hope they will entertain that good opinion of me which my integrity deserves, and appreciate my character and moral conduct with more im- partiality than the Count Angles. Public opinion has long been fixed on all de- scriptions of police, high and low, and is, with very good reason, decidedly against them. How can it be otherwise, when every thing that is sacred to public opinion is treated by them with the utmost contempt ? Have we not seen them violate, with effrontery, the secrets of our thoughts, when they were unable to suppress them by all the detestable means of artifice in which their spies excel*? A celebrated letter-opener at the post office, Paris, receives 500 a year for his discovery! ft*] 450 ADDENDA. In imitation of the police of great towns, that of the little ones, and even of villages, is ambitious of vexing the citizens, by imposing upon them, in a manner still more impudent, the weight of its arbitrary will; a weight which is felt the more, being divested of the formalities of urbanity. What horrors would be exhibited to the eyes of the reader, if we were to unfold the history of the police, through all its stages, down to the pre- sent time ! Among the number of these horrors, I must call upon Count Angles to recollect the illegal imprisonment of two unfortunate English women, a mother and her daughter, in whose fate I interested myself, and who were ordered to be set at liberty by the famous Duke of Otranto, at that time minister, not without blush- ing at the want of all shame in the subalterns who had caused them to be arrested. Shut up in the walls of a prison, without any means of existence, the unfortunate mother was completely abandoned to all the horrors of des- pair ; for it seems that the ambassador had not the power to restore her to liberty, at least he did not do it. This act of humanity was reserved for me. I can say, that, had I not assisted her with money and the aid of my profession, she must haye died in that abominable prison. ADDENDA. 451 My certificate, in my quality of *******, de- scribing the bad state of her health, and the unwholesome place where she had been so long confined, was presented to Lord Wellington. I am ignorant whether his lordship forgot it, or whether it was not belonging to his department, or what other reason prevailed ; but this I know, the poor widow Shellard was deceived in the hope of attracting at least a look of compassion from his excellency the Prince of Waterloo, her countryman. Reader ! this is not all ; the work of iniquity of this police does not end here. There is yet one final touch of the pencil wanting to complete the picture, and I will now add it. The publicity which, by means of the press, I gave to the affair of these unfortunate females, and the zeal that I manifested in. obtaining their liberty, in spite of the powerful influence of the prefect of police, brought down upon me the vengeance of the latter and his agents. What was the consequence ? My house was violated by this same infernal police, and I was robbed of property amounting to the sum of 80,000 francs. I complained in vain to Fouche. The document containing my complaint is, to this very day, 452 ADDENDA. deposited in the ministerial bureaux ; a circum- stance of which Count Angles cannot be ignorant, but on which he observes the most profound silence in his famous letter. The Emperor, to whom at a former period I had personally presented another complaint against the diabolical police, promised a satisfaction, which I am yet to expect. They pretend that they cannot be called to ac- count for any thing relating to the expedition of the Emperor anterior to his second abdication. In concluding this answer, I have only to ex- press a wish, that you would explain an assertion in your letter, which appears to me to be the most positive. I mean that relative to the per- sons, who, you say, have had to do with me. Why did you not give the names of those persons, upon whose authority the fictitious information of your letter is transmitted ? These names, which offered themselves to the visionary imagination of the prefect, very probably issued from his brain with less difficulty than Minerva sprung from the forehead of Jupiter ; or, they are per- haps, the result of the laborious composition of some fool, or wicked clerk, gathered from ma- terials equally false and absurd ? What vicious, cowardly impostors are the despicable agents of Monseigneur le Comte Angles ! ADDENDA. 453 This is the language that I shall always dare to hold before all Europe. My voice shall be elevat- ed against the monstrosity of the arbitrary power of 1814 and 1815; and my publications shall un- mask the oppression of tyranny, against which I vow a mortal war wherever it may manifest its presence. These are certainly irremissible crimes in the eyes of the police, and of certain magistrates, and I ought not to wonder at having incurred the hatred of both. That of the for- mer, I treat with the degree of contempt, which corresponds with my abhorrence of a being so vilified as to merit their favour. They will always find me armed -with the same courage against their arbitrary power, their oppression, and the corruption of their agents. But my efforts would be completely annihilated, if I could be deprived of the liberty of the press. This liberty must be considered as an antidote against the- frightful evils caused by most of the institu- tions of police. This will result from the fol- lowing general reflections. When the laws of society are violated by criminals, who think themselves too great to be under the control of such laws, how are we to reach them ? By no other means than the press. 454 ADDENDA. With this instrument we can attack them, disarm and closely pursue them, even in their flight; and though we may perhaps not be able to deli- Ter them up to the punishing arm of justice, we can coyer them with ignominy. It is an incon- testable truth, that without the liberty of the press, no free government can exist I ! ! I know very well the objections that may be raised by men of more confined notions. They will say, that every one has access to the laws, and that these alone should strike the guilty. This doctrine is certainly commodious. But do we not find, in every country, culprits, whose grandeur emboidona them to trample under their feet the most sacred laws ? Does this not prove, that a people, supposed to be free may in reality be slaves? Nor is it true that every one has free access to the laws, not excepting even the country called iks classical land of liberty for, without money, it is as im- possible to obtain justice, as to procure bread to eat. It is evident, therefore, that the press is the only barrier between liberty and despotism. I renture to flatter myself, Count Angles, that I here present, to the satisfaction of the public, in its true colours, the horrible portrait ADDENDA. 455 of that odious police, which is a desolation to honest men, far greater in number than the rogues it delivers into the hands of justice. The genius of evil, that guides its operations, and the corruption of its servile agents, form a striking contrast with those generous feelings of honour and patriotism, which, in our enlightened age, elate the heart of every good citizen. To sup- press such sentiments, is what these villains (coquinailles) are most actively employed in. The events which we have witnessed with our own eyes are invincible proofs of what I affirm, and sufficiently convincing to every one exempt from passion, and wliu is capable'of judg- ing them with impartiality. How could we expect it to be otherwise, when the chiefs of this abominable police have attained the very last degree of profligacy and baseness ? Have we not seen numbers of counts, barons, &c. basely desert their country and their king, Louis XVI. (and even Louis XVIII.) and, emi- grating to England, submit to the hardest labour for filthy lucre, or humbly implore a pecuniary assistance, which I among others glory in having afforded, with a conviction, that the unfortunate have a right to eur compassion, whatever may be their crimes ? 456 ADDENDA. Have we not likewise seeu numbers of these emigrant beggars, whose intrigues and cowardice are known all over Europe, abjure all sense of civil virtue, in a constant and obstinate conspi- racy against the liberty of their country^ urging its enemies to pour down upon it all the great evils of war? These fine promises are of too recent a date to be forgotten. History will record them on its immortal page ; and, with a relentless pencil, im- print on the foreheads of the guilty authors of these evils, without regard for their assumed pompous titles of Prince Duke Count Viscount Marquis and Chevalier, the ignominious charac- ters which they deserve, stigmatizing them to all future ages, and imparting to posterity those feelings of indignation, which their perversity excites in the breasts of their contemporaries. PERSIUS. Blackheath, June 24, 1823. FINIS. Printed bj S. 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