The country gentleman's vade mecum, or his companion for the town in eighteen letters from a gentleman in London to his friend in the country wherein he passionately disswades him against coming to London, and represents to him the advantages of a country life, in opposition to the follies and vices of the town : he discovers to him most of the humours, tricks and cheats of the town, which as a gentlemen and a stranger he is most exposed to, and gives him some general advice and instructions how he may best in his absence dispose of his affairs in the country, and manage himself with the most security and satisfaction when he comes to London.

LETTER XII.

In which the Humours and Tricks of the Royal-Oak Lottery are expo∣sed, together with a short Account of the Practices of Lotteries in General.

I must own, Sir, I broke off from my Relation of the Ordinaries something abruptly: Indeed the Prospect it self was so dismal and odious, and the Accounts of the Men and Things that belong to 'em so troublesome and ungrateful, that I was forc'd to leave 'em in an Af∣fright and in Haste. A Sober Man cannot look into 'em without Astonishment. I lose both my Reason and my Charity when I think of 'em; but then how shall I do to contain my self whilst I give you a Description of the Lotteries, which in all Respects are as bad, and in some Measure a great deal worse than they?

And First, for the Royal-Oak Lottery, 'tis a Game indeed that is stamp'd with a Noble Name and Superscription, but how

well it answers that Honourable Title, I leave you and all the World to judge. 'Tis pity, methinks, that such a glorious Character, a Royal-Oak, which deriv'd its Name from being a Shelter and a Safe∣guard to Distress'd Majesty, should be base∣ly subverted and changed to serve the Ends and propagate the Interest of a Scurvy Game, a Game that (if the Common Pro∣verb be true, which the Town passes upon it; and indeed I'm inclin'd to believe it is) has Ruin'd more than the Fire of London; How it was brought out of France, and how it came to be Establish'd by a Royal Authority in England, is nothing to my Purpose; 'tis here, it seems, and here it has been a great many Years, the Managers have got Estates, and the Fools that have us'd it have lost theirs; but all this is still foreign to my Matter, my Design is on∣ly by Way of Caution to give you a short Account of the Practices and the Ways and Means that they commonly use to raise Money from the Publick. And this I shall do with the utmost Brevity and Can∣dour I am able. It would be too long to trouble you with the whole Contrivance of the Game, and the several Odds and secret Advantages which the Managers have above what they pretend to, or perhaps what they know, and indeed I

much question whether the original Pro∣jector himself had a perfect Knowledge of all the consequent Profits of it. In short, 'tis a cunning, intricate Contexture, and has so fair and so enticing an Aspect, that many an honest Gentleman and Citizen has been seduc'd by it, to the Loss of their whole Estates and Ruin of their Families.

The Odds which they say they have, is only two and thirty Chances against seven and twenty, which they pretend were al∣low'd 'em to discharge the Annual Rents they are obliged by their Patent to pay to the King, and to discharge the Ordinary Expences of their Houses, Servants and Officers. Well, for once, we'll suppose that their Advantage is no more than this, who, I wonder, but a Madman, would go to play away his Money upon such a manifest Inequality? Your Old Gamesters all allow it as a General Rule at Back-Gammon, that, however a Youn∣ker, by Extremity of Luck, and Dint of Throwing may now and then get a Set or two of 'em, yet if they continue the Match they'll in the End be sure to have all the Cargo; 'tis the very same in the other Respect, and several Persons do very of∣ten win Money of 'em and carry it off, and so 'tis necessary they should, for o∣therways the Worthy Constitution must

dissolve in Course; and indeed this is the main thing that draws in People to pur∣sue it; but this is but a perfect Bait, the next time they come, 'tis odds but they not only lose their Interest but their Prin∣cipal too. I think there was an honest Gentleman, one that got some Money of 'em, and kept it too, but then he was forc'd to have a Mathematical Ball made on purpose, and truly if he had made no worse use of his Mathematical Dice than he did of his Mathematical Ball, I should not be very much out of Conceit with his Mathematicks. This Game has got a wonderful repute lately among the La∣dies, especially among the Citizens Ladies, who, they say, that they might not lose time, do commonly two Businesses there at once, i. e. first, make their Husbands Cuckolds, and then Beggars; whether they do the first or not, I will not be positive, tho, by the way, considering what company they meet there, there's shrewd Grounds for Suspicion; but for the latter they do it effectually. I have seen, my self, an or∣dinary Citizen's Wife lose her Seven or Eight Pieces in a Morning, and at the same time swear solemnly she has had the same bad Fortune for a Month together successively. How such Citizens Ladies, and indeed all other Ladies that frequent

such sort of Diversions ought to be ma∣naged, I think lies pretty ready, we have Mad-houses about Town, and thi∣ther I'd have 'em all sent and kept under a strict Diet and Discipline, till they had either absolutely forgot or solemnly for∣sworn the Folly; and after that if they should relapse, let 'em be commited to the Tuition of a Gentleman in a Blew Coat, and let him try if he can Whip it out of 'em. What it is that bewitches both Men, Women, and even Children, to follow this unhappy Game, I cannot guess; 'tis true, 'tis recommended to 'em under the false pretence and Coverture of a great deal of Equality and Advantage; but then if they would but turn themseves a∣bout and look backwards a little, they must needs see their Mistake with a Witness. I can produce hundreds that have lost their Estates, and been ruin'd by it; but let them bring but one single Person that has pursu'd this Game for any conside∣rable time, that will own, or rather prove that he's a Winner in the main, and I'll give up the Argument, and grant that what∣ever I, or any body else can say against it, is utterly false, and groundless. I know, Sir, this cannot be done, and 'tis Nonsence, and a Contradiction to ima∣gine it; but still I am the more at a loss

to find out what it can be that seduces the World to follow it on, notwith∣standing the Strong, and Repeated Con∣viction of the Disadvantage and Ruine that attends it. Nay, what's more admi∣rable still, that Men of Sence should be catcht. I have known several that in most other things would have past Muster well enough; by their Foolish Projects, and false Assurances, which they had form'd to themselves, how to win Mony at this delusive Game, have rambled from one Notion to another, and try'd so many Experiments, that they have projected themselves out of all that they have, and are forc'd now to hang upon it, to try if they can pick up a Shilling now and then, at the best of the Ley, or get a Mug of Ale, or the Dregs of a Bottle of Wine a∣mongst 'em.

Well then, Sir, not to trouble you with too many of these kind of Reflections; there were always Fools, and always will be; let a Man say what he will, there are some People so bigotted to their Folly, and so fond of their own way, that they will not be put out of it, though they know it leads 'em directly to Ruine and Destruction. I hope you will not fall un∣der this Character; you see the Rock, and if you will voluntarily run upon it, and

dash your self to pieces, I have, however, discharg'd the Office of a Friend, in shew∣ing you where it lies▪ and can do no more, except it be to lament a Misfortune, I could not prevent.

But now I think on't, I won't part with these Gentlemen, without taking my Leave of 'em neither; there are still some memo∣rable Qualifications amongst 'em, that I'm confident ought not to be past by, with∣out some sort of Ceremony. And first: These Gentlemen keep an open Table; that's true enough, and a Person that has twenty or thirty pound in his Pocket to lose with 'em at Night, may dine with 'em at any time; but withal I have seen a poor Gentleman that has lost some thou∣sands with 'em formerly, basely and dis∣gracefully thrust out of Doors, for but calling for a Glass of their Brandy: nay, and they pretend to be very charitable to the Poor too; Secret Charity, I confess, is the most meritorious, and I suppose, that's the way they communicate theirs, for I never heard of any that they did in publick.

But then, what kind of Poor are they, as they are thus beneficial to? Why, doubt∣less, they must be the Poor of their own Making; and, by the by, if they were forc'd to provide for their own poor, as all other Honest Corporations are, they'd

be soon compell'd to quit their Country-Houses, and return to their respective Employments to get their Livelihoods, as well as the rest of their Neighbours. Well, but (they say) they have one point of Civility, which every body must allow to be very extraordinary, i. e. that when they have won a Gentleman's or a Lady's Mony, they'll give 'em Half a Crown, or a Crown for a Coach; that I must needs own to be a very high point of Ci∣vility indeed, and who would not after such a Favour, come within a Night or two, and lose thirty or forty Pound more, to make 'em Amends? And this they call a Paratto, or a Parato, you may call it which you will▪ but it seems most Na∣tural to me to be a Parato; the English of which is, Prepare thou, that is, Go, and provide more Mony, and come hither again, and play it away; that's the true Intent of the Business, I believe; and this they do too, to a poor Gamester, with so many Curses, and so much Insolence, that none but a Despicable, Mean-spirited Wretch will accept of it from 'em. Well, but, Sir, I must not spend all my Time and my Paper about 'em: In short, I don't think 'em worth it. Besides, I have some other of their Dependants, to make a short Visit to; and therefore, I'll leave them to Re∣form

and Repent, or, what I rather wish, to be Reform'd, or Abolish'd.

Having done with this Grand Lottery, I suppose you expect I should say some thing in course of all the rest: As for the Mony Lotteries, that are now so much in Vogue in Town, I declare I neither like, nor understand 'em, and therefore will have nothing to do with 'em. If you can get a thousand Pound for a Penny, or ten thousand Pound for twenty Shillings, I will own you have good Luck; but I must tell you, that 'tis ten thousand Pound to a Penny, whether you do or not. I believe a Man might find some matters in the Secrets of their Manage∣ments, that might deserve a little Re∣flection, as well as the rest; but since they say, and some People believe they have only ten per Cent, for all their ex∣pence and Diligence, for my part I won't trouble my self to disprove 'em; e'en let 'em take it, and if they and the World are satisfied, I must own I never had, nor ne∣ver will have any cause to complain. But now, for these little Sucking Lotteries, Plate Lotteries, I think they call 'em, they're but poor Soundrel Cheats, that will pass upon none but the Country Fools, and Town Mob. A few Bables, some false Dice, and a little Sham-plate behind

a Glass, sets up one of them; besides, they are only Feuditaries to the former, and derive their Priviledge from their Depu∣tation. Indeed, a Man may, if he will, go to one of them, and throw away four or five Pound, to get a Nutmeg-grater, or a Tobacco-stopple, for a Curiosity; as I know those that have at a Bartholomew Fair; but then I think Merry Andrew ought to be made acquainted with it, 'twill serve him for a good Subject to di∣vert the Rabble with. Indeed, there is a late Invented Lottery, where there's no∣thing to be won but Mony, nor that nei∣ther, that deserves a short Observation. This, it seems, is to be managed with ten Dice; and truly the Projecters have so carefully settled their Prices, that none of those that are considerable, are reconci∣leable with the Numbers upon the Dice; a Man may in the hazard of thirty or forty Shillings get a Hit of Half a Crown, or so; but unless he has got the Art to reconcile Impossibilities, he can never come at any of their twenty or thirty Pounds, which they pretend to In short, all these are but Down-right Cheats, and Devices, to deceive Ignorant People out of their Mony; and many a child has been tem∣pted to rob his Parents, and Apprentice his Master, upon the Account of 'em: I

must confess, I think they are so much be∣low a Gentleman, that he needs not be caution'd against 'em; they are not only exaltedly Foolish, and Ridiculous, but Scandalous too, and certainly, under those two Qualifications, a Man must be either a perfect Madman, or an Idiot, that will concern himself with 'em; a Man may indeed by such inconsiderate Actions as these, expose himself to the Laughter and Scorn of the Town; but let him take this along with him, when he has once done it, he'll find it a little difficult to reco∣ver the Loss of his Reputation. A Good Name may be lost in the Quest of Bables and Trifles, as well as in the pursuit of deep and deliberate Follies. A Gentle∣man may as well squander away his E∣state and Reputation at a Nine-pin Yard, and a Shovel-board Table, among Journey∣men Shoomakers and Porters, as at the Groom Porter's, amongst Gentlemen and Sharpers; there's no difference that I know of, but only the One does his Business at once, and the other's a little longer about it: They are equally dangerous and dis∣graceful, and both infinitely beside the Pra∣ctice and Character of a Gentleman.