The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-18

gamblers. In England and France it was
not until the sixteenth century that tho
gambling mania attacked the women with
any severity. Henry " would play with
any one ho happened to meet with, and as
the king and his courtiers played every
day the ladies, whom he could never bear
out Of his sight, took part in these games
likewise, and the queen herself, during
her various illnesses used to invite tho
Marshal do BGssompierre into her apart
ments to play at hazard for money to pass
away the tedious hours of convalescence.
Mario dc Medici was an encourager Of
gaming, and during her regency after the
death of Henry " the rage for gambling
became more violent, and ladies of high
rank were not ashamed to open gambling
houses, and even to cheat when they could
not win otherwise. One French countess
was discovered by q friend cheating her
tradesmen and women whom she had in
vited to play with her. She replied, on be-
ing questioned, why, l only cheat them
of what they arc always cheating me-"
In the first years Of Louis XIV wives
robbed their husbands and daughters plum
dered the pockets of their parents to graft
fy the propensity to the game of "hoca,
and when many families were ruined by
this means the king forbade the game in
Paris on pain of death. Itwas allowed at
Versailles, however, and one morning the
queen lost 10000 crowns.
The frenzied play Of Nine. de Monte
span has become proverbial in France as
LA jeu de la Montespan At basset
she was known to risk l,000,0 600 francs
($200, 000) on one hand alone. When no
one dared to cover her high stakes, she
grumbled, and tho king shared her annoy
ance. One Christmas evening she lost
100000 crowns, and on three cards won
back 15o, 900 pistoles $500, 000). One night
three months later she lost 400, 900 pistoles
($SO0, ,000), and then luckily won them
back again.
Louis was cooling in his affections for
her about this time and abolished basset,
the favorite game of the famous Monte
span, but she found other ways of depict
ing his purse, and her high play continued
until 1859, when she lost sums amounting
to more than 81 100000 at "hoca."
Louis XIV INDUCED his favorites as his
predecessor had done. In the next reign
female gamblers, though perhaps not more
extravagant than before, yet caused more
scandal. Faro was played in the queens
apartments at very high stakes. Both she
and the Comte d'Artois lost enormous
sums, and many Of the courtiers were en-.
tirely ruined. At last no one would plav
at court for fear of being ruined, and to
find partners and opponents the queen was
soon led to admit the worst society.
In England things had been nearly as
bad. Elizabeth was no gambler, but
when the Stuarts assembled the throne plav
ran high. Henrietta Maria, the wifo of
Charles I, inherited the gambling tastes
Of her father.
In 1897 Lady Buckinghamshire, very
notorious gambler, got into trouble with
The city authorities being convicted with
Lady Lutterell and Mrs. Sturt at the
police court and fined ESQ for playing at
faro. Henry Martindale was also fined
ee00 for keeping the faro table at Lady
Buckinghamshire's and the same lady
slept with blunderbuss and pair of pis-
bols at her side every night in order to pro-
}ect her faro bank. Enough has been said
10 show that when woman once acquires
lfondness for gaming 1t soon amounts to
bmania.