The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-10
GAMBLING IN ENGLAND.
INTERESTING STORIES COLLECTED
IN JOHN AsHToN's HISTORY.

Col. PnntOn's Winnings From Roy
atty in Various Countries Noble
Ladies' Who Kept Gambling
Places-ChurIcs Fox's Bold Play
ing-CrOckfOrd's Famous Gam
bling House.
From the New York Sun.
London.-Mr. John Ashton in his His
tory of Gambling in England" has gath
cred together some interesting stories of
the enchanting witchery gotten between
idleness and avarice." The first part of
the book deals chiefly with dcing, the use
of which in England, according TO Mr.
Ashton, dates from the advent of the Sax
ons, Danes and Romans. lie describes
all the northern nations as passionate
gamblers, and quotes Tacitus on the an
cient Germans, who would not only haz-
ard all their wealth, but even stake their
liberty upon the throw of the dice, and he
who loses submits to servitude, though
younger and stronger than his antagonist
and patiently permits himself to be bound
and sold in the market, and this madness
they dignity by the name of honor"
But it is not till much more recent times
that gambling literature is found in any
quantity. True Ordericus Vital:s Q075-1143
tells US that the ciergymen and bishops
are fond of dice playing and in 1880 a
curious edict was promulgated which
shows the prevalence of gambling in all
classes at that period.
This edict was established for the reg
ulat.on of the Christian army under the
| command of Richard the First of England
and Philip of France during the Crusade.
1t prohibits any person in the army, be-
| meath the degree of knight, from playing
at any sort of game for money; knights
and clergymen might play for money, but
none of them We're permitted to lose more
than 20 shillings in one whole day and
night under a penalty of 100 shillings, 10
be paid 10 the archbishops in the army.
The two monarchs had the privilege of
playing for what they pleased, but their
attendants were restricted to the sum of
20 shillings, and if they exceeded, they
were to be whipped naked through the
army for three days"
After this several royal edicts against
gambling were put forth, but dicing went
on, unimpaired in popularity until Eliza
beth's time, when we probably hear more
of il owing to the greater dissemination of
| literature in that reign. Charles Cotton
| in the "Compleat Gamester," draws a live
ly picture of the gaming house of the pc
Rod:
"The day being shut in, you may prop
erly compare this place to those countries
which I've far In the North where it is as
clear at midnight as at monday.
| This is the time (when ravenous beasts
usually seek their prey) when in comes
shoals of Huffs, Hectors, Settlers, gifts,
! Pads, Biters, Divers, Lifters, Filters, Bud
| gies, Droppers, Crossbyters, etc. and
these may all pass under the general and
common appelation of Rocks"
These gentlemen were always ready to
rob- bully, murder and cheat; they will
pick your pocket, MIN your gold or silver
buttons off your cloak or coat. or, it may
be, draw your silver-hilted sword out of
your bet without discovery" Many and
ingenious we're their ways of cheating with
the dice, but the newest way" at that
time was "by bristle dice, which are fitted
for their purpose by sticking hogs bristle
so in the corners, or otherwise in the dice,
that they shall run high or low, as they
| please. The bristle must be strong and
| short, by which means, the bristle bend
ing, 1t will not lie on that side, but will
be tript over. Every night almost, some
one or other, who, either heated with wine
or made cholerick with the loss of his
money, raises a quarrel, swords are drawn,
| box and candlesticks thrown at one an
others heads, tables overthrown, and all
the house in such a garbOyl that It is the
perfect type of hell"
In the reigns of Charles II, James II,
William III and Queen Anne we come TO
the days of the accomplished dandy gam
bier. Such, for example, was Col Pan
ton, of whom Lucas, writing in 1714. says:
There was no game but what he was an
| absolute artist at, either upon the square
| or foul play" This accomplished gentle
man has left his mark upon London TO
this day in the shape of street named
after him. Lucas goes on:
| above all his chief game was at haz-
ard, at which he got the most money; for
in one night, at this play, he won as
many thousand pounds as purchased him
an estate of above Fl, 500 per annum; inso-
much as he built an whole street near
Leicester fields, which, after his own
| name, he called Panton street" After this
stroke of luck the colonel never gained
again, but lived very handsomely on his
winnings to his dying day, which was
J in the year 1861"
In this and all other stories of big gains
and losses in these old times it should be
remembered that money was of far higher
value then than now. Another famous
| gambler of the same period was Richard
Bourcher. Ill-luck reduced him before
he was "a to the position of a footman
| in the service of the Earl of Musgrave.
But fortune favored him again, and he
| grew prosperous, got into high society,
and we find him winning $500 from his late
noble master on one throw of the dice
Later he went abroad and flew at higher
| game than mere earls.
by the favor of some of his own ma
ton he was soon admitted to the presence
| of Lewis lie Grand as a gamester; he not
| only won 5000 pistoles of the King, but
! the nobility also tasted of the same for
tune; for he won 10000 pistoles of the Duke
| of Orleans; almost much of the Duke
| d'Espernon. besides many of his jewels,
and a prodigious large piece of Amber
greese, valued at 20,O30 crowns, as being
| the greatest piece that ever was seen i'm
Europe, and which was afterward laid up
by the Republick of Venice in their treas
ury, 70 whom II was sold for a great
( rarity"
Travelling in Flanders in great style, he
made the acquaintance Of King William.