St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-18
ROYAL GAMBLERS.
Once a Week.

thO OiU SiinCobCtOs DilCit WAuuth6cs iOo-
ings, Deculiarities, and experiences.
During the reign of Henry w., Of
France, gaming in Paris was more uni
versal than in London. Biron, one of
the kings friends, lost in sim
gle year. 100000 or 5000, 600
francs. The very evening before
his arrest he was playing primerO with
the queen, the favorite game every
where at that time. Louis XIV, it is
said, raised card playing into an
GOurville, the year beng about 1860, he
mentions that there was play at Nj.
FouqHet's, the finance superintendent's.
almost every day. and that on one Oc-
casion he enjoyed a game with NJ. lie
COmte d'AvauX, and won from
THE UNFORTUNATE GENTLEMAN
The strange sum of $4,000 livres. which
amount was, strange to say, promptly
paid the following day. Jewelry,
priceless Venetian lace, point lace ruff
fleS and such other trifles were fire.
quently staked when bank accounts
had given out. which reminds us that
Southern planters on board the Missis-
sippi steamboats, when they lost their
all would wager their bOdy-servant on
the turn of card. the poor slave be-
ing turned over to his new master
with q curse. On another occasion
GOurville won from Due de Richelieu in
a few moments $1,000 livres, which
amount was paid by the duke transfer
ring to him an estate he owned in Sain-
tonge. 1t must be remem bered also
that the value Of money was infinitely
greater in those days than it is now. In
the works of St. EyremOnt it is related
that the Duchess of MaZarin. the niece
of the cardinal, notwithstanding
THE FORTUNE OF TWENTY-FIVE MILL
IONS
Of liyres left her by her cardinal uncle,
gambled so recklessly. so madly, as to
die insolvent and insane.
After the grand mOnarQue had paid
the last debt to eternity, another
great character in the annals of gam
ing made pyrOtechnical debut
among the nobility of Paris. He
fairly dazzled them, and like the birds
who beat themselves to death against
the light house beacon. they rushed to
which was, after all, but an entresol TO
the grave. This was, we need not say,
John Law. the date of his advent, ZIG.
He opened bank. and in partner
ship with Duclos, a famous TRACE
dienne of the day. became of the rich
richest. He seldom lost, but when he
did he paid his debts of honor (?) in
medals of gold of the value of eighteen
louis each, which he had designed and
struck for his own Self-aggrand Z3ment.
In short space of time he had won
e67,000 sterling. 1t was at the house of
this grand master of the cards that the
Duchess of Berry.
LOST IN ONE NIGHT 1,700, 900 LIVRES.
He Don became past grand master,
however, as he was expelled from Paris
as suddenly and Unexpectedly as he had
appeared.
So gaming went on unchecked until
the Code Napoleon made its appear
ance, when it fell into a decline.
However, it is not dead, but sleep
eth. 1t is hard now, however, to
imagine a state of affairs where kings,
cardinals and courtesanS could play un-
criticised and unmolested day in and
day out; where high dignitaries of the
church wasted in gaming the sacred
moneys intrusted to their charge: and
where ladies of nobility spent their
nights over the faro tables in a public
gaming house.
In England, after divers time, it was
very much the same. Pepys, in his in
genious diary, tells us that Lady Castle
maine, afterward DucheS Of Cleveland,
a favorite of Charles, lost between sun
set and dawn in February, 1867. e25, 900,
and also at another time Won e15,000.
Pretty, witty Nelly" not to be outdone,
had an evening with the crazy Duchess
of Mazarin, and lost to her 400 guineas,
equal to about $4,000 at the present day.
The celebrated Clancy. who is described
as combining in himself the commission
of a ma jOr,
THE TASTES OF A SwINDLER
And the presence of mind of jester
was, at this time, marked man with
marked cards. On one occasion, being
closely confined to his hOuse-nOt by ill
ness, but by the unwelcome attendance
of bailiff, who. seated on a jOiner's
stall, was patiently waiting to nail him
"a happy thought struck him, viz:
why not nail the bailiff? So, sending
his servant for the jOiner's appren-
tice, he promised him crown
if he would quietly nail the bailiff to
the stall by his leather belt. 1t was
done, moment after carriage dashed
up to his door, and, as he jumped in aud
drove off, he had the supreme delight of
seeing the bailiff under a pile of cabi-
nets, collins and tools, which he had
pulled down about his ears with ire
mendous clatter. when he Strove to rise
and nail his man. The Quiek-witted
Mr.. Clancy had but short time in
which to disport himself, for at the
early age of thirty he
DANCED ON NOTHING"
In other words. he was hanging near the
fashionable neighborhood of Tyburn
Hill.
1t was not until TIT that gambling in
London became serious matter, but
once becoming fashionable it spread
like plague all through the great city.
attacking royalty and costermongers
with the same Indifference to caste and
ease and death.
Goldsmith mentions an old lady in
the country who. having been given
over by her physicians, played with the
curate of the parish to pass the time
away. Having won all his money, she
next proposed playing for the funeral
charges to which she would be liable.
Unfortunately, she expired just as she
had taken up her cards.
In IT'S poor old Beau Brummel was
born, only to die sixty-two years after
ward in utter poverty and an idiot in
C@n. For many years, however,
HIS LIFE WAS METEORIC IN ITS BRIL-
LIANCY.
In0ugD noted as VIII. ne sometimes
came off second best. Once, when play
ing with the lord mayor, who was an
enormously rich brewer. the beau, as he
rose and coolly pocketed the money,
said: "Thank you. sir; for the future
l shall never drink any porter but
yours" Il wish, sir,'' replied the
brewer, "that every other blaekguard
In London would tell me the same" 1t
is needless to say that the beau never
tried to be funny at this gentlemaA's
expense again.
He was convinced that all his ill-luck
dated from the time he lost his lucky
sixpence with a hole in it, and used to
say he was confident those rascaily
ROthschilds had found it, for everything
they touched turned to gold.
The Duke of Wellington was highly
incensed at having been accused of at
tending gambling dens, but set the mat
ter at rest by writing to Mr.. Adolphus
that in the whole cnurSa of his life ha