Though the wily youth had a thousand before him
on the table, he coolly refused her request, on the plea that the
bank-- which he was then keeping--never lent. "Not a person in
the place," says the narrator of this anecdote, "but blamed him;
as to the duchess, her resentment burst out into a bleeding at
her nose, and breaking of her lace, without which aid it is
believed her vexation had killed her on the spot."
The courtly Evelyn speaks of a certain Twelfth-night, when the
king opened the revels in his privy chamber by throwing dice, and
losing one hundred pounds; and Pepys describes the groom-porters'
rooms where gambling greatly obtained, and "where persons of the
best quality do sit down with people of any, though meaner."
Cursing and swearing, grumbling and rejoicing, were heard here to
an accompanying rattle of guineas; the whole causing dense
confusion. And amongst the figures crouching round the tables of
this hell, that of my Lord St. Albans was conspicuous. So great,
indeed, was his passion for gambling, that when approaching his
eightieth year, and quite blind, he was unable to renounce his
love for cards, but with the help of a servant who named them to
him, indulged himself in this way as of yore.
As may be expected, disputes, frequently ending in duels,
continually arose betwixt those who gambled. Although the king
had, on his restoration, issued a proclamation against this
common practice, threatening such as engaged in it with
displeasure, declaring them incapable of holding any office in
his service, and forbidding them to appear at court, yet but
little attention was paid his words, and duels continually took
place, Though most frequently resorted to as a means of avenging
outraged honour, they were occasionally the result of
misunderstanding.
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