Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-02-05
GAMING.

writer in the Dublin Magazine has put himself to the
trouble of collecting the facts and publishing history
Of gaming. We make a few extracts to show to what
excuses the mind will when unrSstained and given
free scope on the field of aVAriee and gain
The vice OF gaming with cards seems TO nave spread
Europe with fghtful rapdity in the fifteenth cen
fury. Even the clergy were not exempt from the vice.
shown by the story OF pretty little game of bluff
played BY Pope Leo " who have understood
himself" very well. His Holiness playing at game
somewhat similar 10 our western bluff and found him.
sell in possession OF hand which could not be beaten
except in the contingency of his having to play last
His opponent also had very good hand ibid his Hoi-
ness dedlithe prudent historian did not say aud put
up heavy stake "Give me point, aud wall see you
or ed tue Pope. His opponent thinking him beaten,
dIubled the former stake His Holiness, having secured
the advantage, called him, aud swept the ple"
Charles H., who never learned wisdom, gambled with
Lis eOurtiers. IL viii bet my soul to orange on the
game !" called his Majesty to Rochester.
IF your Majesty 5iH bet odds will take them" was
the cool rcjouder.
Henry Cheney, created by Queen Elizabeth Baron Of
TudiugtOn, played dice With Henry H. of France
and won Of him diamond Of great price at one cast
What would you have done had you lost:" inquired
the King
"a have said young Cheney with true British bras
"shcep- tails enough in Kent with their wool to buy
better diamond than this !"
Caesar Borgid, Duke OF valentinos when he had lost
many thousand crowns at sitting, at dice, said "No
matter; the sins OF the Germans pay for ths!"-suG-
TO the fact that bis father, Pope Alexander w. gave
him his income out OF the profits arising from the sale
of indugebccS in Germany.
Lord Landerdalc once staked five thousand pounds
upon a single card at faro George Fox played twenty
two consecutive hours losing at the rate of five hun
bred pounds per hour Major Aubrey'S fayorite toast
was "Play, like the air breathe, if we have it not
we die" One Matthias O'Byrne Irish adventurer
having won in night Que hundred thousand pounds
OF person who he knew could not pay so large sum-
shrewdy allowed him to win back all but ten thousand
pounds, which, being within the losers compass was
paid. From this he received from Hare the OF
"NenOphol OByrne," TO commemorate his mastery re-
treat with the ten thousand.
So great did the gambling rage possess the public
MUD that when in Paris, in 1925, sat at a crowd
ed gamingtable and discharged pistol into bis mouth
the play did not while the scattered brains
Of the victim being cleared away by the servants
But extraordinary case occurred in London in
1892 One Shelton secondrate public prize-f ghter
gaming with a low companion, lost first his money,
next all his clothes became forfeited and staked his
life He lost il and the winner assisted by himself
Immediately hanged him to a lamppostl By good luck
a passing watcbnan cut him down before he was quite
dead
Toward the close otheast century the gaming houses
Of Londou-they known to the general public as
"CubS,,' and to gsmesters "Help-~ere fitted up Ia
eG ordinary style. "Fshmongers' Hal cost 5000 900
mele'y 10 iutnish-an expense which does so
great, however when it is known that the proprietor
netted the FIRST year S750OoO The law prohibited the
ooenng Of such houses but the proprietor of this
heard 10 bOist that he in danger inasmuch us
that he counted among his members-it privilege
to gain admission Of these hells-he lority of
those who made the laws. SO profitable the gam
bling houses Of Baden longer o than 1910 that the
purchasers of lease of their privilege for fifteen
years-which is frnled out by the government-psid,
willingly 10000 forms per annum besides laying out
$50 forms in mpro of the grounds, and as
,u1ing a debt Of the bank to the amount Of 10000
forms. And this FOE the exclusive privilege of
keeping gambling bank for only about Eve months in
the year.