Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-10-10
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
Charles Jas. Fox as a Gambler.

Charles JAS. Fox as a Gambler.
Charles j ames Fox, the great English or a.
tor enlightened statesman, and reckless man
of pleasure, was most reckless gambler, and
spent halt his wasted life knee-deep in
cards at Brookes Club. He used to
say that the greatest pleasure in existence was
winning at hazard, and the next greatest pleas
ure losing at hazard. Mr.. Thackeray says he
sluandered 81, 100000 at play Gibbon tells
US Of Fox once playing for twenty-five hours at
a sitting, and losing $4,000 an hour Unlike
tall, thin, ascetic Pitt, who liked his bottle of
port but despised ''the devils picture book. y
Fox had broad chest, and was disordery
lion Of a man, capable OF vast physical exertion.
The tascinatlous OF chance, and the semi-intel-
lectual character Of whist and piquet, had won
his heart, aud his fidelity to the green cloth
was unwavering. At those games, into which
he could throw his robust mind, Fox was so
pre-eminenS that it is said he might, if he had
restricted himself to them, and avoided the
dealers, have drawn a sum Of $4,000 a year
from his card purse alone. But at hazard he
lost hatfulls Of money OF course he won oc-
casionaly; once, it is said, $25,000 at sitting;
part of which he instantly paid away to his
ravenous creditors. With the money left from
these harpies and jackals Fox returned, sat
down again at the fatal green cloth, and soon
lost his spoils to those from whom he had won
it half an hour before. How could such des-
perado at cards rule q nation, or oust cold, eau
tious Mr. Pitt, whose whole life was one long,
restless fever Of ambition? Yet so stalwart
was the Titan Of Brookes, that he has been
known to play, thoughtless, hour after hour,
and then stride off to the House to pour forth
Dr. Johnson's friend, Topham Beauclerk,
gaming table. Fox was almost mad at his los
ses; he was miserable, hopeless, and danger
ously despondent Beauclerk, the next day
early, went to call on HIM. feeling alarmed and
anxious at his broken spirits; to MS surprise
he found his buriy friend comfortably stretch
ed on q sofa, reading an cclogue of Virgil.
What would you have me do, my dear
Topham?" he said, s'I We lost my last shilling
Had it not been for his privilege as mem
Der of the House, Fox would have been half
bis life playing at piquet in prison. So thought
less and good-humored was Fox, that when his
brothers. house was on fire he offered to bet
the noble owner which beam, which chimney,
or which partition would first fall to the
ground; magnanimity as great as that OF
Sheridan, who, when his theatre burned down,
sat down and had his bottle at an adjacent tav-
ern, saying to wonderers: "Mayn't a man take
glass of wine by his own ireside?"
1t was to the misdirected affection of his
father, Lord Holland Ia theor!st on education J
that Fox owed the first development of his taste
for gambling. When only fourteen he went to:
Spa, where his father allowed the precocious
,b ,J,oG bo, 10
night at hazard. On leaving Oxford to make
the grand tour, he grew still more reckless.
about money, and ran into debt at Naples alone
to the amount of $SO,00O though he was only
entitled to 10000 year at his fathers death.
The man never shook off the vice the boy had
unhappy acquired. There can be little doubt
that Fox Sincessant pecuniary dif6cultiesled him
into many of otthosepolitical Inconsistencies which
his truest friends lamented, and forwhich his
enemies bitterlyreproached him. He was COM
PEELED to think Of place when he should have
thought only of principle. These difficulties,
which were his special snare, were chiefly the
result of gambling and that indolent neglect
which blunted his faculties, dulled his ambition,
and made his life wasted one.
We have so many authentic records Of Fox's
behavior and conversation that we can almost
photograph him as he sits at the card-table at
Brookes. 'The champion of the people, was
heavy and silent till the wine grew low in the
bottle. He then woke up to silence the room
with the sustained thunder OF his Cyclopean
laugh. Full of radiant good nature, he tho.
roughly appreciated the Wit of Sheridan and
Selwyn; and Sheridan never exerted himself 50
much as when Fox was present. Burke speaks
highly of Fox s loveable ways; and Rogers, who
never praised too much, expresses admiration
Tor his fine tact and feeling, his open, gentle
manllke manner, so full of candor and dlthdence,
and the ardor and interest with which he always
plunged into conservation.
Walpole, walking up St. James streetln the
June of 1884, saw cart and porters remov-
ing furniture from Fox's lodgings He had
run OF luck, aud those carrion-crows, his credl-
tors, had gathered thick round the carcass. =
Halt an hour after this, whom should Walpole
md sauntering past the same. spot but Fox,
Who came up and talked to him with perfect
sang troid about the Marriage Bill. At this
sale of Fox's library, the first volume OF Glb.
6oons decline and Fall was put up and sold
Tor three guineas. 1t had been presented by
the author to Fox, and the English Demos
themes had written on the fy-leaf the following
note: GrIU
The author at Brookes' said there was no
salvation for the country till six heads OF prin-
clpal persons in the administration were laid on
the table. Eleven days later the same gentle
man accepted the place of Lord OF Trade un-
aer those very ministers, and has acted with
them ever since #
Lord Tankcrville assured the poet Rogers
that Fox once played cards with General titz-
patrick at Brookes' from ten O. clock at night
I'LL six o'clock the next afternoon, waiter
standing by to tell them whose deal it was, as
'nf two combatanis we're too sleepy to know.
FOX once won $4,000, and bond creditor
instantly presented himself and demanded pay
ment ag# a9-zs,Ja !l.i.. lat5&
No." said Fox, It first discharge my debts
:, The creditor demonstrated, Fox then threw
the bond into the fire. q 7csi ! ~ :. z =,
!, Now, " said he, your debit a debt OF
ionor, and paid the astonished man. ne es:.
Fox used very often,3 after. many hours Of
play to retain his seat hut Law his head ON the