Such was play in those days! It is said
that the duke had afterwards to pay the fine, from losing the stipulated
sum at Newmarket.
He displayed as much honesty with the young Lord Townshend, who lost him
his whole fortune, his estate, and even his carriage and horses--what
madmen are gamblers!--and actually cancelled the whole debt, on
condition my lord should pay him L5000 whenever he chose to claim it. To
Nash's honour it must be said that he never came down upon the nobleman
during his life. He claimed the sum from his executors, who paid
it.--'Honourable to both parties.'
But an end was put to the gaming at Bath and everywhere else--_except in
a royal palace_, and Nash swore that, as he was a king, Bath came under
the head of the exceptions--by an Act of Parliament. Of course Nash and
the sharpers who frequented Bath--and their name was Legion--found means
to evade this law for a time, by the invention of new games. But this
could not last, and the Beau's fortune went with the death of the dice.
Still, however, the very prohibition increased the zest for play for a
time, and Nash soon discovered that a private table was more comfortable
than a public one.
Pages:
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284