Vermin, that had cunningly twisted themselves into the business under the shadow of Cavaliers. Man. Pray, what Opinion had the World of the Prisoner when he first came to be known in England? Pasthope. The same that it has of him now: all wise men look'd upon him as a Cheat, and a dangerous Spark to be let loose in publick among our English Youth: and indeed I have heard a great many sober men pass very sharp Censures upon the Wisdom of the Court for intrusting him with a Royal Authority. Man. What kind of Censures were they that they past? do you remember any of em particularly? Past. Yes, I remember several things that I am almost ashamed to mention. I have heard 'em often reflecting what an intolerable Same and Scandal it was, that a whole Kingdom should be sacrificed to the Interest of two or three Courtiers, and three or four scurvy mercenary Patentees; that so many thousand Families should be ruin'd, and no notice taken of it; that so many Wives should be seduc'd to rob and betray their Husbands, so many Children and Servants their Parents and Masters, and so many horrid Mischiefs transacted daily under the shadow of this pretended Royal Oak Lottery, and no manner of means used to suppress it. 2d Man. But, Captain, did you never hear of any Person that got money of the Prisoner in the main? Past. Not one. I defy him to produce one single person that's a Gainer, against a hundred thousand he has ruin'd. I'm confident I have a Catalogue by me of several thousands that have been utterly undone by him, within the compass of my own Experience. Man. What does the Town in general say of him? Past. The town, here-a-late, is grown so inveterate and incens'd against him, that I am very well assur'd that if he had not been call'd to account in the very nick, the Mob would have speedily taken him into their correction. Man. Well, Sir, you hear what the Witness has said against you; will you ask him any Questions? Lottery. Only one; and leave the rest till I come to make my general Defence. Sir, I desire to know whether you was not one that was turn'd out upon the last Renewal of the Patent? Past. No, Sir, I was not. You might have remember'd that I told you I saw so much of your Falshood and Tricks, and so many innocent People daily sacrific'd, to support a Society of lewd, debauch'd, impertinent, and withal imperious Cannibals, that I thought it my best way to quit your Fraternity, and pack off with that little I had got, and leave you to manage your mathematical Balls, &c. by your self. Man. I suppose, Sir, you will ask him no more Questions, and so we'll call another Witness. Lottery. No, Sir, I have done with him. Man. Call Squire Frivolous, the Counsellor: Sir, do you know Squire Lottery, the Prisoner? Frivolous. I have been acquainted with him several years, to my great Cost and Damage. The first time I had the misfortune to know him, was at an Act at Oxford about twenty years ago; where among abundance of other young Fools that he entic'd to sell their Books for Money to play with him, &c. I was one.. Man. What, I hope, he was not so barbarous as to decoy the poor young Gentlemen out of their Books? Frivolous. Yes, out of every thing they had, and out of the College to boot: For my own part I have reason to curse him, I'm sure; He flatter'd me up with so many Shams and false Pretences, and deluded me with so many chimerical Notions and cunning Assurances, and urg'd me so long from one deceitful Project to another, till at last he had trick me out of all I had in the world, and then turn'd me over to the scorn and laughter of my Friends and Acquaintance. Man. Can you give the Bench any particular Names of Persons he has ruin'd? Frivolous. I have a Collection of Names in my Pocket, which I'm sure he can't object against, that have lost fourteen or fifteen thousand Pound per Annum, within my own Knowledg and Acquaintance. Man. That's a round Sum: But, pray, Mr. Frivolous, for the satisfaction of the Jury, mention a few of their Names. Frivolous. I suppose, Squire Lottery, you must remember the Kentish Squire in the Blue Coat, that you won the six hundred Pound per Annum of, in less than five months. You remember the Lord's Steward that lost an Estate of his own of three hundred Pouna per Annum, and run four thousand Pound in Arrears to his Lord beside. You remember, I suppose, the West-India Widow, that lost the Cargo of two Ships, valued at fifteen hundred Pound, in less than a month. I know you can't forget the honest Lady at St. James's, that sold all her Goods, Plate, and China, for about seven hundred Pound, and paid it all away to you, as near as I remember, in three mornings. I know you can't forget the three Merchants' Daughters that play'd away their whole Fortunes, viz. fifteen hundred Pounds apiece in less than two months. You remember the Silkman from Ludgate-hill; the young Draper in Cornhil; the Country Parson; the Doctor of Physick's Daughter; the Lady's Woman; the Merchant's Apprentice; the Marine Captain; the Ensign of the Guards; the Coffeeman's Neece; the old Justice's Nephew; and abundance of others, which I have in my Catalogue, that you have cheated out of large Sums, and utterly ruin'd. Lottery. I desire that he may be ask'd, what it was that influenc'd him at first to make such a Catalogue? Man. He desires to know upon what account it was that you made, this Collection of Names? Frivolous. I had once a design to have him call'd to an Account, and forc'd to a Restitution; in which case I thought the Names of these Persons might be of some use to me. Man. What Method did you propose to your self to bring him to a Restitution ? Frivolous. I had a Notion, that if I drew up the Case, and got it recommended to the Honourable House of Commons, they would have thought the Prisoner worth their correction: But this he got intelligence of, and employ'd one of his Agents to make up the matter with me. Man. What, I suppose you mean he brib'd you with a Sum of Money to decline the Prosecution? Frivolous. Truly you have hit of the very thing; he knew that I was poor, and he was guilty, and so compounded with me for a few Guineas to let the thing fall: And indeed, if I am not misinform'd, his Art of Bribing, &c. has guarded him so long from the Punishments which the Laws of the Land, and common Justice, have provided for such notorious Of-` fenders. Other witnesses having been called, the arraigned defended himself as follows: Lottery. Sir, I intend to spend as little of your time as I can: I perceive, that, let me say what I will, you are prepar'd to over-rule it, and so I'll only say a few words, and call three or four Witnesses to prove my reputation, and then leave the good Men and true of the Jury, upon whose Verdict I must stand or fall, to use me as they shall best judg the nature of my Case deserves. I know, Gentlemen, the tide of Prejudice runs very fierce against me; so that let me say what I will, I'm satisfy'd it will be all to very little purpose; an ill Name to a Person in my condition is certain Death, which indeed makes me a little more indifferent in making my defence. But, Gentlemen, look upon me, I am the very Image of some of you, a married Protestant; upon which account I'm confident I may rely upon a little of your Justice, if not your Favour. The Crimes I am charged with are indeed very great, and, what's worse, there's some of 'em I can never expect to evince. But then, Gentlemen, I hope you'l consider, that whatever I did, was purely in the prosecution of my occupation; and you know withal what Authority I had for it; so that if by chance, in this long tract of time, every thing should not be so nicely conformable as you expect, I hope you'l take care to lay the Saddle upon the right Horse. You all know that Covetousness and Cheating are the inseparable Companions of a Gamester; divide him from them, and he's the most insignificant Creature in Nature. And, Gentlemen, I appeal to your selves, if a little useful lying and falshood be not (in some cases) not only tolerable, but commendable. I dare say you will agree with me in this, that if all the Knaves and Cheats of the Nation were call'd to the Bar and executed, there would only be a few Fools left to defend the Commonwealth. But, Gentlemen, as I told you before, I won't spend your time, and therefore I'll call myWitnesses. Call Captain Quondam. Cryer. Call Capt. Quondam. Lottery. Sir, I desire you would give the Court an account what you know of me, as to Life and Conversation. Quondam. I have known the Prisoner for several years, and have been often in his company upon particular occasions, and never saw any thing that was rude or unhandsome by him. Man. Pray, noble Captain, what Countryman are you? Quondam. Sir, I am a West-Country man. Man. An English West-Country, or a West-India Man? or what? Quondam. I am a West-Countryman of his Majesty's own Dominions, of the Kingdom of Ireland, in the County of Cork, and Parish of Durrus in the Barony of West-Carbury, near the great Bogg of Longuar, Gent. Man. You're a West-Countryman with a Witness. And, pray, how long have you been in England? Quondam. Ever since the last year of my Soveraign Lord King James. Man. And, pray, how long have you been a Captain? Quondam. I was born so; my Father, my Grandfather, great Grandfather, and most of my Kin, were all Captains before me. Man. You say you have been often in the Prisoner's Company; pray where have you been in his Company, and upon what account? Quondam. I have been in his Company at Epsom, Tunbridge, Lambeth, Islington, and at several other places both in Town and Country. Man., Well, but you ha'n't told what was the occasion that brought you so oft into his Company. Quondam. He desired me to go along with him to help him to divert and entertain his Guests, especially the Ladies that us'd to visit him. Man. I suppose you're one of his Dependents: had you never no salary from him? After other witnesses called in his behalf, whose testimony, however, tended to inculpate Squire "Royal Oak," the evidence was summed up. "Then the jury withdrew to consider of their verdict, and afterwards they returned into the court, and the prisoner was brought again to the bar and found guilty, according to the indictment, and afterwards received sentence, together with Mr. Auction and Dr. Land-Bank, who were both tryed, convicted, and condemned; and their trials will be published with all possible speed. FINIS." There is no reason to doubt, that the representations in the preceding satire are substantially correct. Private and fallacious lotteries were at this time become so general, not only in London, but in most other great cities and towns of England, whereby the lower people and the servants and children of good families were defrauded, that an act of parliament was therefore passed 10 and 11 William III. c. 17, for suppressing such lotteries; "even although they might be set up under colour of patents or grants under the great seal. Which said grants or patents," says the preamble" are against the common good, welfare, and peace of the kingdon, and are void and against law." A penalty therefore of five hundred pounds was laid on the proprietors of any such lotteries, and of twenty pounds on every adventurer in them. Notwithstanding this, the like disposition to fraud and gaining prevailed again, till fresh laws were enacted for their suppression.* It is observed, that if the lottery office keepers of the present century could be credited, their adventurers enjoyed greater gaming privileges than the world ever produced; and yet it is an indubitable fact, that in the early state lotteries the advantages offered were eminently Quondam. I have had several Favours from him, and I must own I love him very well; and, by my Shoul, I believe he's a very honest Man, and a good Christian. Man. Who's your next evidence? Lottery. I desire Mr. Scamper may be superior to those of recent times. call'd. Cry. Call Mr. Scamper. Lottery. Pray, Mr. Scamper, give the Court an Account what you know of me, as to my manner of living and behaviour in the World. Scamper. You know, Squire Lottery, your Acquaintance and mine is but of a late Date; I never saw you till last May at Lambeth Wells, and then 'twas but by accident too. The Post Boy of December 27 says, "We are informed that the parliamentary lottery will be fixed in this manner :150,000 tickets will be delivered out at 107. each ticket, making in all the sum of 1,500,000l. sterling; the principal whereof is to be sunk, the parliament allowing nine per cent. interest for the whole during the term of thirty-two years, which • Anderson. terest is to be divided as follows: 3750 tickets will be prizes from 1000l. to 51. per annum during the said thirty-two years; all the other tickets will be blanks, so that there will be thirty-nine of these to one prize, but then each blank ticket will be entitled to fourteen shillings a year for the term of thirty-two years, which is better than an annuity for life at ten per cent. over and above the chance of getting a prize." Such was the eagerness of the public in subscribing to the above profitable scheme, that Mercers-hall was literally crowded, and the clerks were found incompetent to receive the influx of names. 600,000l. was subscribed January 21; and on the 28th of February the sum of 1,500,000l. was completed. The rage for lotteries reigned uncontrolled; and the newspapers of the day teemed with proposals issued by every ravenous adventurer who could collect a few valuable articles; and from those, shopkeepers took the hint, and goods of every description were converted into prizes, even neckcloths, snuff-boxes, toothpick-cases, linen, muslin, and plate. The prices of tickets were generally sixpence, a shilling, half a crown, &c. At the latter end of the year just mentioned, the magistrates, being alarmed, declared their intention of putting the act of William and Mary in force, which levied a penalty of 5001. on the proprietor, and 201. on each purchaser. Matthew West, a goldsmith, of Clarestreet, Clare-market, appears to have been the man who first divided lottery tickets into shares. He advertised, in 1712, that he had sold 100 tickets in the million and an half lottery in twentieths, and purposed pursuing his plan, which was well received. The lottery for 1714 contained 50,000 tickets at 101. each, with 6982 prizes and 43,018 blanks; two of the former were 10,000, with one of 5, another of 40007., a third of 3000l., and a fourth of 20007., five of 1000l., ten of 5007., twenty of 2001, fifty of 100l., four hundred of 501., and six thousand, four hundred, and nine ty-one of 201. Besides the drawing for prizes and blanks, there was another for the course of payment, and each 1000 tickets was called a course. The payments to the receivers were on the 10th of November and 10th of December, 1713. When the tickets were drawn, they were exchanged for standing orders, and thus rendered assignable by endorsement; all the blanks were repaid the 10l. per ticket at one payment, in the order their course of payment happened to fall, and they bore an interest of four per cent. from Michaelmas 1713. The prizes were payable in the same manner: the first drawn ticket had 500.; the last 10007. besides the general chance; 35,0001. per annum was payable weekly from the Exchequer to the paymaster for the discharge of the principal and interest, and the whole funds of the civil list were chargeable for thirty-two years for 35,000l. per annum. One of the schemes which preceded the bubbles of 1720 was an insuranceoffice for lottery tickets, opened at Mercers-hall; and 120,000l. was actually subscribed on the following terms: for every ninety-six tickets insured, the proprietors agreed to allow to the company after the tickets were drawn) 16s. per ticket, and five per cent. on such prizes as occurred to the ninety-six tickets, the company returning the tickets, and in case the prizes did not amount to 2881. valuing the prizes at par; the company to make up the money 31. for every ticket. For every forty-eight tickets the proprietors agreed to allow 19s. per ticket, and five per cent. on the prizes as above; the company making up the tickets 1441. or 31. per ticket, and so on down to twelve tickets. The proprietors of the tickets to advance no money for this security; but, when drawn, to allow as above; the tickets to be deposited with the company, and placed by them under seal in the bank of England; if not called for in ninety days after the drawing, to be forfeited.†' and offices were subjected to a penalty of 5007. In 1716, the spirit of adventure was excited by the sale of chances and parts of chances of tickets, which occasioned parliament again to interfere: all such practices, and all undertakings resembling lotteries, or founded on the state lottery, were declared illegal, and prohibited under a penalty of 100l. beyond the penalties previously enacted against private lotteries.* LUCKY NUMBERS. The attention of "the Spectator" was directed to the lottery mania prevailing at this period. One of its writers observing, on the predilection for particular numbers, ranks it among the pastimes and extravagancies of human reason, which is of so busy a nature, that it will exert itself on the meanest trifles, and work even when it wants materials. He instances, that when a man has a mind to adventure his money in a lottery, every figure of it appears equally alluring, and as likely to succeed as any of its fellows. They all of them have the same pretensions to goodluck, stand upon the same foot of competition; and no manner of reason can be given, why a man should prefer one to the other, before the lottery is drawn. In this case there fore, caprice very often acts in the place of reason, and forms to itself some groundless imaginary motive, where real and substantial ones are wanting. I know a well-meaning man that is very well pleased to risk his good fortune upon the number 1711, because it is the year of our Lord. I am acquainted with a tacker that would give a good deal for the number 134. On the contrary, I have been told of a certain zealous dissenter, who being a great enemy to popery, and believing that bad men are the most fortunate in this world, will lay two to one on the number 666 against any other number; because, says he, it is the number of the beast. Several would prefer the number 12000 before any other, as it is the number of the pounds in the great prize. In short, some are pleased to find their own age in their number; some that they have got a number which makes a pretty appearance in the cyphers; and others, because it is the same number that succeeded in the last lottery Each of these, upon Anderson. no other grounds, thinks he stands fairest for the great lot, and that he is possessed of what may not be improperly called the golden number. I remember among the advertisements in the "Post Boy" of September the 27th, I was surprised to see the following one : This is to give notice, that ten shillings over and above the market-price will be given for the ticket in the 15000001. Lottery, N° 132, by Nath. Cliff, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside. This advertisement has given great matter of speculation to coffee-house theo rists. Mr. Cliff's principles and conversation have been canvassed upon this occasion, and various conjectures made, why he should thus set his heart upon N° 132. I have examined all the powers in those numbers, broken them into fractions, extracted the square and cube root, divided and multiplied them all ways, but could not arrive at the secret till the following letter from an unknown about three days' ago, when I received hand, by which I find that Mr. Nathaniel Cliff is only the agent, and not the principal, in this advertisement. I "Mr. Spectator, would give ten shillings more than the "I am the person that lately advertised current price for the ticket N° 132 in the lottery now drawing; which is a secret I have communicated to some friends, who You must know I have but one ticket, rally me incessantly upon that account. for which reason, and a certain dream I have lately had more than once, I was resolved it should be the number I most approved. I am so positive I have pitched upon the great lot, that I could almost lay all I am worth of it. My visions are so frequent and strong upon this occasion, that I have not only possessed the lot, but disposed of the money which in all probability it will sell for. This morning, in particular, I set up an equipage which I look upon to be the gayest in the town; the liveries are very rich, but not gaudy. I should be very glad to see a speculation or two upon lottery subjects, in which you would oblige all people concerned, and in particular "Your most humble servant, "P. S. Dear Spec, if I get the 120001. I'll make thee a handsome present." |