The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-01
THE GAMING TABLE.

prevailed on TO game; but It is Impossible that q
professed gamester should be a wise and good man"
-Ldvdter.
There appeared many years ago, in quaint
old English publication, an allegory giving
the imaginary origin of gaming. 1t is said
that the goddess of fortune, once sporting
near the shady pool of Olympus, was met by
the gay and captivating god of war, who soon
allured her to his arms. They we're united;
but the matrimony was not holy, and the
result of the union was misfeatured child
called Gaming. From the moment of her
birth this wayward thing could only be
pleased by cards, dice, or counters. She was
not without destinations, and many were her
admirers. AS she grew up she was courtsd
by all the gay and extravagant of both sexes;
for she was of neither sex, and yet combining
the attractions of each. At length, however,
being mostly beset by men of the sword,
she formed an unnatural union with one
of them, and gave birth to twins-one called
Dueling, the other Suicide. These became
their mothers darling, nursed by her with
constant care and tenderness, and her per-
petual companions. The goddess Fortune
ever had an eye on her promising daughter,
Gaming; and endowed her with splendid resi-
dences in the most conspicuous streets, near
the palaces of kings They were magnif-
cent? designed and and elegantly furnished.
Lamps always burning at the
portals were sign and perpetual invitation
unto all to enter; and, like the gates of the
Inferno, they were ever open to daily and
nightly visitants; but, unlike the latter, they
permitted exit to all who entered-some exult-
ing with golden spoil, others with their hands
in empty pockets; some led by her half
witted son Dueling, others escorted by her
malignant monster Suicide and his mate, the
demon Despair.
"Reigion, morals, virtue, all give way,
Eternity ne'er steals one thought between,
Till suicide completes the fatal scene."
Such is the allegory.
From the day that Esau ''went short" on
''birthright," Jacob having "cornered" him,
and called in all the ''pottage" there was on
the market, the passion of gaming has pre-
vailed in all nations with the single excep-
tion of the Mohammedans, whose religion
events by slot" was practice fire.
quently resorted to by the Israelites; as, by lot
it was determined which of the goats should
be offered by Aaron; by lot the land of
Canaan was divided; by lot Saul was marked
out for the Hebrew kingdom; by lot Jonah
was discovered to be the cause of the storm.
Plutarch tells pretty Egyptian story, that
Mercury, having fallen in love with Rhea, or
the Earth, and wishing to do her favor,
gambled with the Moon, and won from her
every seventieth part of the time she illu-
mined the horizon, all which parts he united
together, making up five days, and added
them to the Earth's year, which had pre-
viously consisted of only $50 days.
Cards, which are commonly supposed to
have been invented for the amusement of
Charles VI of France, were really invented
ages ago by the Chinese, who have always
been eager gamesters; indeed, they play night
and day, and frequently, having lost all they
are worth, go-and hang themselves.
Going northward to the regions of ice, we
find the Greenlanders gambling with board,
which has finger-piece in it turning round
on an axle, and the person to whom the fin
ger points on the stopping of the board,
which is whirled round, sweeps" all the
''stakes."
The old Romans-those grand old fellows
what gamesters they were In their 'Iotte-
ries' were often prizes of great value, as
good estate and slaves, or rich vases; others
of little value, as vases of common earth.
The Spaniards, as people, are said to be
more addicted to gaming than any other ma
tion. A traveller says: 81 have wandered
through all parts of Spain, and though in
many places l have scarcely been able to
procure glass of wine, or a bit of bread, or
any of the first conveniences of life, yet
never went through village so mean and
out of the way in which could not have pur-
chased pack of cards." Voltaire, however,
says tne OpduldruS were iorHerly very gene
rous in their gaming. ''The grandees had a
generous ostentation; this was to divide the
money won at play among all the by-standers,
of whatever condition" ,...
In England gambling prevailed during the
reign of Henry VIII, the king being himself
gamester of the most INSCRIPTIONS sort;
and the practice was equally fashionable
during the reigns of Elizabeth, James /, and
especially in the times of Charles IL Writing
on the day when James III was proclaimed
king, Evelyn says-'T can never forget the
inexpressible luxury and profaneness, gaming
and all dissoluteness and, as it were total
forgetfulness of God Git being Sunday even
ing), which this day se'n-night was witness
of: the king sitting and toying with hi'
concubines, Portsmouth, Cleaveland, ant
Mazarine, etc., a French boy singing Low,
songs in that glorious gallery, whilst abou
twenty of the great courtiers and other disso
lutte persons were at basset round larg,
table, a bank Of at least G2000 in gold befor
them, upon which two gentlemen who wer,
with me made reflections of astonishment
Six days after, all was in the dust"
The HdTLetdn MtScelLGRy, of 1868, has tn
following curious allusion to the gaming o
that day. 'Betwixt twelve and one o'clock
good dinner is prepared by way of ordinary
and some gentlemen of civility and condition
oftentimes eat there, and play while for re
creation after dinner both moderately an
most commonly without deserving reproof
Towards night, when ravenous beasts usual
seek their prey, there come in shoals of heC
tors, trepanners, gifts, pads, biters, prig'
divers, lifters mill kens, piemen, decoyi
shop-lfters, foilers, bulkers, droppers, gan
blers, donnakers, cross-biters, etc. "a goedl
vocabulary, under the general appellation c
-