Though I am by no means a friend to gaming, I conceive it necessary that every person should see the haunts of its votaries, and the arts they make use of, in order to avoid them." "You are right, and therefore let us have a peep at them." With this they 'walk'd on, listening with attention to the following lines, which were recited by Sparkle: "Behold yon group, fast fix'd at break of day, Whose haggard looks a sleepless night betray, With stern attention, silent and profound, The mystic table closely they surround; Their eager eyes with eager motions join, As men who meditate some vast design: Sure, these are Statesmen, met for public good, For some among them boast of noble blood: Or are they traitors, holding close debate On desp'rate means to overthrow the State?
For there are men among them whose domains And goods and chattels lie within their brains.
No, these are students of the blackest art That can corrupt the morals or the heart; Yet are they oft in fashion's ranks preferred, And men of honour, if you take their word.
But they can plunder, pillage, and devour, More than poor robbers, at the midnight hour; Lay deeper schemes to manage lucky hits, Than artful swindlers, living by their wits.
Like cunning fowlers, spread th' alluring snare, And glory when they pluck a pigeon bare.
These are our gamesters, who have basely made The cards and dice their study and their trade."{1} 1 Gaming is generally understood to have been invented by the Lydians, when they were under the pressure of a great famine.

To divert themselves from dwelling on their sufferings, they contrived the balls, tables, &c.

and, in order to bear their calamity the better, were accustomed to play for the whole day together, without interruption, that they might not be rack'd with the thought of food, which they could not obtain.

It is not a little extraordinary that this invention, which was originally intended as a remedy for hunger, is now a very common cause of that very evil.
~191~~"True," said Merry well, as Sparkle concluded, though he did not like the satire upon his own favourite pursuit; "those delineations are correct, and the versification good, as far as it applies to the worst species of the gaminghouse." "O," said Tom, "then pray, Sir, which is the worst ?" "Nonsense," said Sparkle, "there is neither worse nor best; these Hells are all alike.

_Sharks, Greeks, Gamblers, Knowing Ones, Black-legs, and Levanters_, are to be met with at them all, and _they meet to bite one another's heads off_." "An admirable description, truly, of the company you are about to introduce us to, Gentlemen," said Tallyho.
"I don't understand Greeks, Hells, and Black-legs," said Mortimer, "and should like an explanation." "With all my heart," replied Sparkle--"_Hell_ is the general title now given to any well-known gaming-house, and really appears to be well chosen; for all the miseries that can fall to the lot of human nature, are to be found in those receptacles of idleness, duplicity, and villany.