Part 17

_Now if you intend to be a Gamster, what ever your success be, you must bear it_ æquo animo, _neither raised or depressed; but I will assure you that it is a difficult matter so to do, for this course of life will try your patience. Would it not mad you to have so strange a fortune, as with a very small Sum to run up to Eighteen hundred pounds, and loose it again with his small stock in less than three days? I knew one with Fifty Shillings, win Five hundred pounds of his own at one time in his life, and thereupon putting himself into a Garb not mis-becoming an Earl, played again, the Dice ran against him, lost every penny he had, or could borrow; hereupon he grew stark mad, and hang’d himself in his own Bed-cord. There are as many examples of this nature as would stuff a Quire of Paper, and as many as would fill a Ream of such who having had fair Estates, in few years have lost them at Play, and dyed in want and Penury. I have heard it credibly reported, that a Gentleman belonging to the_ Six Clerks Office, _who was only well cliented, but had a good Estate of his own, and by him always a considerable sum of Money; this Gentleman was invited to play by some young Gallants that had a great desire to be fingring his_ Jacobus’s _with whom he engaged, and by extraordinary fortune won two thousand pieces of Gold, was not content with that round sum, but plaid on, lost all, with his own Estate, sold his place in the Office; and lost that too; at last, through excessive grief, he transported himself to a Forreign Plantation, where, if his discontent dispatch him not, he must be forced to Hoe for a livelihood. This commonly is the destiny of a decayed Gamester, if not this, he is seldom preferr’d higher than to the dignity of a Box keeper._

_Lastly, before you take the Dice in your hand, think of drawing your Sword before you leave off Playing; for should you play upon the Square, you will be suspected by those that loose, you have knapt, or put the change of the Dice upon them; then right or wrong they will quarrel with you, more for the vexation of the loss, than for any just cause they had for so doing: If you do not fall together by the ears then in the very heat, you will have affronts enough to engage you in the Field next morning, upon some trifling insignificant occasion, deem’d as a_ punctilio _of Honour, or else timely put up those abuses which will occasion you to be scorn’d and slighted, and at last pist on as you walk the streets by every Party Coat coloured Skip-kennel._

CHAP. XVI.

An account of Play, with several remarkable Occurrences.

T_hus I have told you what you must expect, and now I shall inform you what to do; but if e’re you think to be complete in this occult Art, you must by frequent trials reduce my Theory into your Practice._

_In the first place, take this as a_ Maxim, _never Play, but when you are sure to win and that you might not fail thereof, have you Dice about you continually of all sorts, which you may buy in_ London _at several places ready made to your hand, but very dear: It may be when you are in the Countrey, you cannot be supplied from thence so speedily as your urgent affairs require, and therefore I would have you make them your self._

_There are_ Fullams _of two sorts, which you may make run high or low, that is,_ 6, 5, 4, _or_ 3, 2, 1. _either by drilling holes in the black spots, and load them with Quick-Silver, stopping up again the said holes with Pitch, or filling the Corners of the Dice. You may procure also, (which you must have Implements as necessary in your intended Profession, as Tools are for any working occupation) I say, there are Dice which you may get, which will run nothing but a Sise, another a Cinque, another a Quatre,_ &c. _which are very useful at Tables: for if you want a Cinque, or so to enter at_ Back gammon _or_ Irish, _hitting that Blot at an after-game, you recover again, and ten to one but you win the Game; besides, it is useful for a single Hit at_ Ticktack, _or for taking points, by joyning two together of a different sort._

_In case of necessity if you have none of these artificial helps about you, then your hand must supply your wants, by Palming the Die; that is, having your Box in your hand, you take up both the Dice as they are thrown nimbly within the hollow of your hand, and put but one into the Box, reserving the other in your Palm, observing with a quick eye what side was upward, and so accordingly conform the next throw to your purpose, by delivering that in the Box, and the other in your hand smoothly together. You must sometimes use Topping; that is, by pretending to put both Dice into the Box, whereas you have dropt but one, holding the other between your fore-fingers, which you turn to your advantage. Knapping, is when you strike one Die dead, either at Tables or Hazzard let the other run a Milstone, as we use to say. Slurring, is when you throw your Dice so smoothly on the Table that they turn not, for which purpose you must endeavour to choose your Table or the smoothest part thereof. There are very few that can secure more than one Die, but I have known some so excellent at it, that they would slurr a Sise without turning above a yard in length; others I have known, who could secure two Dice in three at Passage, but that is seldom seen. I have heard of some so dextrous in casting the Dice, that they would throw when they pleased less than_ Ames Ace, _through the handle of a Quart Pot._

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Hazzard, In and In, _and_ Passage _are the principal Games in an Ordinary, you may find Professors enough thereof every where else, wherefore it is requisite to pass through these several Clashes for fear of being Cross-bitten or bubbled by some other dexterity, of which they have variety unimaginable._ Hazzard, _is a Game that maketh a quick riddance on one side or other, and therefore it hath not its name given improperly: for it ruinateth speedily, in Setting or Buttring (a term of art is used among us,) one or other is blown up immediately._

A Main _at_ Hazzard, _is that cast of the Die which is thrown first, but then it must be above Four, and less than Ten, otherwise it is no Main; so that hence you may understand there are five Mains,_ 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, _to these Mains there are seven Chances,_ 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, _and_ 10. Ames Ace, _and_ Duce Ace, _are general outs or losses to them all; Eleven is out to_ 5, 6, 8, _or_ 9; _Twelve is out to_ 5, 7, _or_ 9; _but it nicks_ 6, _or_ 8, _as_ 11, _doth_ 7, _and so doth_ 5, _nick_ 5, _and so on to_ 9; _after the second throw, the cast that comes first wins. At_ Hazzard _the cunning Gamester will pray it may be Quatre Ace against Cinque Duce, or Tray Ace against Cinq Tray; you had need be well verst before you meddle with this, it being very hazzardous. Though twenty at a Table set you, you may knock with your Box but at one, and then all the rest draw their Money; as many as you knock to you must pay if you loose; if you throw at all, winning, you sweep all; O the sweet that is in that throw, when a man upon the success of that nick shall boldly cry_ more Money Gentlemen, _although the Table is covered with Half-Crowns. If you sett, and the Caster refuse you, if another_ cover _you, and you accept theereof, it is one and the same thing._

* * * * *

_At_ In and In _you play with four Dice, you may drop from one shilling to a pound;_ In, _is when any two Doublets appear: Out, when none;_ In and In, _when three Aces, three Duces, &c. or four of one sort._

* * * * *

_At_ Passage _you are to play with three Dice; you cannot Pass unless you throw Doublets above Nine, less than nine you are out; all other throws signifying nothing, you must thrown on. What other criticismes and crotchets there are in these Games, you cannot understand, otherwise than by observation in your practice; but as I told you at first, it is best not to meddle with it at all._

* * * * *

Hereupon my Gentleman took several Dice out of his Pocket, and throwing them, I saw he could make them run as he listed; my fingers itched to be at the sport, so that I spent the most part of every day in consulting what advantages I could find out in Play: nay, in the very night I was never at rest for dreaming of these confounded Devils bones: the indefatigable pains I took (to find out the ready way to my destruction,) made me speedily an accomplisht Gamester; and to show my Master how I had improv’d my self from his dictations, I engaged with him at single hand, he entring the List with me, found himself equally, if not overmatcht.

Hereupon he perswaded me to study how I might contrive an opportunity to Play, when at one bout we might both sow and reap a plentiful crop, that might help to a future maintenance. The Plott I laid at a Gentlemans House five miles distance from _Salisbury_, where I was invited to be merry, with orders to bring what friends I pleased with me; you may be sure I carried none but what had Money enough, otherwise no company for me. Being met together, we were very jovial, and amidst our cups, I propounded to throw with Dice, who should drink a Glass; it was agreed on; being all half boozie, I made another proposition to play at _Hazzard_ round for a Crown and no farther; this motion took as well as the former, and to work we went.

To be short, I won all their Moneys, hardly leaving our Entertainer a penny in the House; and fearing he should recruit the next day, and so farther engage me, my new Comrade perswaded me to trip off, and share, for it was reasonable he should go snips with me; I therefore caused my Horse to be brought forth, and notwithstanding the many thousand perswasions to the contrary, (rewarding the Servants) I took my leave of them, promising to give what Revenge they pleased the next day, but that was none of our intent, for early the next morning, we with our booty rode for _London_.

CHAP. XVII.

_They go for_ London, _one is apprehended and the other in his flight casually doth two or three mischiefs; the strange discovery of a Murther of seventeen years standing._

Here puft up with good fortune, we scattered our Moneys up and down the City, trampling the streets in terrour and huffing after a strange rate: but coming along by _South-Hampton_ Building an aged Matron seized on my Elbow-shaking Companion, crying out this is the Rogue that robb’d me; I hearing that betook my self to my heels fearing lest being found in his company, I might be taken up for his accounts in the Theft. I made more hast than good speed it seems, for in my flight I bore down all that opposed me; insomuch that a poor Woman with a basket of Eggs standing in my way, I overthrew her and breaking her Eggs utterly undid the Woman, her whole stock consisting in that basket. A fellow seeing this endeavoured to lay hold on me, but I struggling to disingage my self from him pusht him forward on his Nose and falling, fell into an old Womans deep Codling Pan up to the Armpits, it being almost full of newly scalded apples, never was Codlings so handled, nor man so becodled as he was, the almost boyling water so tormented him, that he roared as bad as the fellow which was inclosed in _Phalarus_ his Bull; fearing the mischief I had done I added new wings to my speed, but not looking before me, I ran directly against a Ladder in my way, on which there was a labouring man carrying up Morter to the top, but he was stopt in his intent, for though he went up by the Ladder, he came down without a Roop, his Morter falling on the heads of four finical Gentlewomen as they past by, who now might properly be called Morter-Pieces, the Ladder fell easily and gradually from the house to a Sign Post, the Man holding fast by one of the rounds, this while receiving little or no dammage, to the wonder and astonishment of all the Spectators. However I was detain’d, and none coming against me, nor accusing me for anything but the Woman with her Eggs, and the old Woman for the dammage she had sustained by the mashing of her Codlings; the fellow for being scalded by them, and this man that charged me most with supposition of loosing his life by my means I was dismist, giving to each what satisfaction I Judged convenient.

What became of my _Come-at seven_ I know not, but glad I was to be clear’d from this fright: thus it is to have a guilty Conscience; a man I have heard of, who flew in a Moon-shine night from his own shaddow, thinking it to be a Devil that haunted his wicked carcass: Another more remarkable I have heard much talk of, who having murdered a man in _London_, fled into Forreign Parts, and living to and fro eighteen years, returning home again as he walked one day through _Cheap-side_, he heard a cry behind him, stop him, stop him, seeing a great quantity of People making towards him, presently fell a running with all the speed he could, the rabble seeing two run as if it were for their lives, divided themselves and in their pursuit they took the Thief they chiefly run after, and seizing the Gentleman who run they knew not for what, he cryed out, pray be civil Gentlemen it is confest I am the man; upon farther enquiry found him from his own mouth to be a Murderer of near twenty years standing.

Gaming had so general a possession of me, that I could think of nothing else, and because I could not always meet in my ramble in the City with such as suited my purpose: I frequented ordinaries where I never mist of good chear, nor variety of Company. For about one of the Clock you are sure to have an excellent dinner provided by way of ordinary; where you shall have so many choice dishes and wine, that the Master is always a looser in his entertainment what cares he for that? the box shall make all good again. Gentlemen of quality and civility frequent this Table, and after dinner will play a while for Recreation moderately and commonly without deserving reproof, but the generality of such as meet there are _Wit-shifters_. Some have frequented the house to eat only there being such excellent provision, and cheaper than they can get elsewhere, and never play at all only look on, but being once taken notice of they shall have small encouragement to come again.

Here I came acquainted and did so commonly frequent all houses of this function, that I shall endeavour to give you an account of what I either acted or observed in the time of my converse amongst these Esquires of the Elbow.

CHAP. XVIII.

_He here discovers the cheats of Gameing, the Nature and quality of an Ordinary, relating what manner of Persons they are which frequent it, with many pleasant stories intermixt, with a dehortation from playing at Dice._

All the day long there is not much playing in an Ordinary, what there is, is amongst Gentlemen and the more civiliz’d sort of Persons, but towards Night these Houses are throng’d with People of all sorts and qualities and then when ravenous Beasts usually seek their prey, there comes in Shoals of Hectors, Trappanners, Guilts, Pads, Biters, Priggs, Divers, Lifters, Kidnappers, Vouchers, Mill-Kens, Decoys, Shop-lifters, Foilers, Bulkers, Droppers, Ramblers, Dounakers and Crosbyters, _&c._ All these may be ranked under the general appellation of _Rooks_, this is the Field where the seed of Hemp is sown, and grows till the Gallows groans for it, this is _Tyburns_ Nursery, for yearly some or other of this cursed gang go thither.

The first day I entred this _School of Vertue_, I commenced Master of Arts, and would not easily be confuted with their Sophistry, but when young Gentlemen Prentices or Casheers come hither unskil’d in the quibbles and devices here practised they call him a Lamb, then straitways a Rook (or more properly a Wolf) follows him close, and engages him in advantagious betts, and at length worries him, that is he so fleeceth him as not to leave him a penny, and then the snearing dogs will laughingly say see the Lamb is bitten.

Some of these Rooks or Rogues if they perceive you to be full of Money, though they never saw you before, will impudently and importunately strive to borrow Money of you without the least intention of repaying, if you should be so facile as to do it, or to go with you when you are playing at Hazzard seven to twelve half a crown, which is more then ten to one if you deny them their unreasonable request, you shall find them sometimes very angry. Others will watch when you are serious at your Game whether your Sword hangs loose behind that they may lift that away, others will not scruple if they find an opportunity to pick your pocket directly, if these projects fail, then have at your Gold Buttons, if you have any on your Cloak, or steal the Cloak it self, if it either lye loose or careless. But above all they have a trick you cannot avoid, which is to throw at your Money with a _dry Fist_ (as they term it) that is if they nick you (_id est_ win) ’tis theirs, if they loose they owe you so much, if you demand your money they will peremptorily tell you anon will serve turn, and then it may be a Rascally Boxkeeper that usually snips with him, shall excuse him, saying he is a very honest Gentleman, Sir you need not mistrust him, whereas he knows no body will trust him with a _Newgate_ groat, if you chance to nick them, its ten to one but they will wait your coming out at night and beat you soundly.

I saw a couple of blades (Gentilely garb’d) enter one evening the Ordinary; they were lookers on a while, at length there being a vacant Room, one of them pulls the chair and sits down, as the box came still round he passed it, doing it so often said one angerly, if you will not throw sir what sit you there for? hereupon he snatcht up the box, saying, set me what you will Sir I will throw at it, the other hearing him say so, did set him two Guinneys, which he nickt, the Gentleman being vext did set him four more, with a round parcel of Silver, which he won also. Now did the whole Table concern themselves buttering him, that is, doubling or trebbling what they did set before, yet could not turn his hand, which was so successful that he held in eleven mains together, and just as he had almost broke the Table he chanc’t to throw out, having got his hat full of Money he arose from the Table and went to the fire with his Comrade, who asked him how he durst be so impudently bold to adventure after that manner knowing he had not a Cross about him to bless himself with all; how is that said one of the loosers who overheard what was said, had you no Money when you went to play, it matters not replied the winner I have enough now, had I lost having not wherewithal to pay you, why then ye must have been content to kick me so long till ye should say yourselves ye were satisfied; besides Sir I am a Souldier, and have past through many a brunt, venturing my life hard for eight pence a day, and do you think now I would not hazard a kicking or a pumping for so many fair pounds, all that were there concerned smiled at his confidence, but he laught heartily at their folly and his own good fortune. _Well may he laugh that wins._

Did you but see what passions and how divers effects do vary men into several postures, you would absolutely conclude the place to be _Bedlam_ instead of an Ordinary; you may observe one loosing to gnaw the box in pieces, or take the sawcer of Dice and throw it over his head, whilst the winning caster smiles and is merry as a Bee, another you may see who hath lost all his Money, standing like _Pontius Pilate_ in the old Primmer, or like some antick figure in a suit of hangings as motion less and almost as liveless.

A Gentleman I took notice of one day, who loosing (what moneys he had about him) sate very pensively, in steps a young blade in this interval and briskly took up the box, but it came not to his hands above thrice, before he had lost all he had brought in with him, which so inraged the Noddy that he behaved himself like a meer frantick Fellow, swearing Damme was not I a villain in less than an hour to loose four pounds, this melancholly person hearing him swear and fret for a sum so inconsiderable to what he had lost, Damm you (said he) Damme that have lost fourscore pounds in half an hour, it seems the greater looser thought it a piece of injustice the lesser should be damn’d before him. Frequent are the quarrels in this place occasioned by the heat of Wine before they came in or by loss made chollerick afterwards; Swords commonly drawn, or boxes and Candlesticks thrown at one anothers heads; sometimes the Rooks will raise a seeming feud (especially when their stocks are low) when they see a Table covered with money, which may give them an occasion to scramble; such are the usual garboyls in this place that they form a perfect type of Hell.

I cannot forbear smiling when I think of a certain passage one time at an Ordinary. A Gentleman who was well stored with Gold played high, and in a little time had not one penny left he first splits the Box, & then Box the Box-keeper, having so done, takes off his own hat from his head which was black, dame, said he, who dares say this hat is not white, he is a son of a whor that will not say so, the standers by seeing his loss had made him mad, replyed not a word; he perceiving on the other side that none would quarrel with him, seats himself, and fell fast asleep; another Gentleman who had lost as much or more than the former came to him who slept, and awakeing him, what is that you said Sir, is your black hat white, it’s a damn’d lye, I say it’s blew, deny it if you dare. The Gentleman was well pleased to see one madder then himself, and therefore without passion desired him to go and sleep as he had done, and on his awaking they should not differ about the colour, into what frenzies do these damn’d Dice put men into?

When late at night and the Company grows thin and your eyes dim with watching, then is the time for false Dice to be put on the ignorant, then also is there a security in, Palming, Topping, Slurring, _&c._

There are a certain sort of gentle and subtle Rooks whose outside speaks as much a Gentleman as most of the first magnitude. This Cunningham seldom plays in an Ordinary, yet will sit there a whole evening to the intent he may observe who winns, if considerable, and the winner seem Plyable, generous, and Bubbable, he will some way or other insinuate into his acquaintance by applauding his happy hand, congratulating his success _&c._ and then familiarly, yet civily prompt him to a glass of Wine that they may drink to the continuance of that good fortune.

Having gotten him to the Tavern he is sure to wheadle him into Play, and by hook or by crook (as we use to say) he is sure to winn some if not all his money; and that he may not be suspected for not playing squarely he will (if he be sure of his bubble) loose considerably sometimes, but in the long run he is sure to recover it again. I was several times so served but they could do no good upon me; yet notwithstanding that by my frequent practice I had gain’d a great deal of skill and crafty knowledge in the Dice, I lost, spent, and consumed all my moneys, and therefore I shall advise all to detest this abominable kind of life; if the most certain loss of your money will do it: I do undertake to demonstrate that any one with constant play upon the square shall be looser at the years end. I have heard it very confidently aver’d by an eye witness that three Gentlemen sate down at twelve penny Inn and Inn; each of them drew three pound a piece in two houres time, the box had four pounds of the money.