---------

The annual profits are. . . . . . . . . . . fr.1,886,174



---------

Thus giving the annual profit at L7860 sterling.



We omit the profits resulting from the watering-places,

amounting to fr. 200,000.



One of the new conditions imposed on the Paris gaming houses is

the exclusion of females.



Thus, at Paris, the Palais Royal, Frascati, and numerous other

places, presented gaming houses, whither millions of wretches



crowded in search of fortune, but, for the most part, to find

only ruin or even death by suicide or duelling, so often



resulting from quarrels at the gaming table.

This state of things was, however, altered in the year 1836,



at the proposition of M. B. Delessert, and all the gaming houses

were ordered to be closed from the 1st of January, 1838, so that



the present gambling in France is on the same footing as gambling

in England,--utterly prohibited, but carried on in secret.



CHAPTER VI.

THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF MODERN GAMING IN ENGLAND.



It seems that the rise of modern gaming in England may be dated

from the year 1777 or 1778.



Before this time gaming appears never to have assumed an alarming

aspect. The methodical system of partnership, enabling men to



embark large capital in gambling establishments, was unknown;

though from that period this system became the special



characteristic of the pursuit among all classes of the community.

The development of the evil was a subject of great concern to



thoughtful men, and one of these, in the year 1784, put forth a

pamphlet, which seems to give `the very age and body of the time,



his form and pressure.'[64]

[64] The pamphlet (in the Library of the British Museum) is



entitled:--`Hints for a Reform, particularly of the Gaming Clubs.

By a Member of Parliament. 1784.'



`About thirty years ago,' says this writer, `there was but

one club in the metropolis. It was regulated and respectable.



There were few of the members who betted high. Such stakes at

present would be reckoned very low indeed. There were then



assemblies once a week in most of the great houses. An agreeable

society met at seven o'clock; they played for crowns or half-



crowns; and reached their own houses about eleven.

`There was but one lady who gamed deeply, and she was viewed in



the light of a phenomenon. Were she now to be asked her real

opinion of those friends who were her former _PLAY_-fellows,



there can be no doubt but that they rank very low in her

esteem.



`In the present era of vice and dissipation, how many females

attend the card-tables! What is the consequence? The effects



are too clearly to be traced to the frequent _DIVORCES_ which

have lately disgraced our country, and they are too visible in



the shameful conduct of many ladies of fashion, since gambling

became their chief amusement.



`There is now no society. The routs begin at midnight.

They are painful and troublesome to the lady who receives



company, and they are absolutely a nuisance to those who are

honoured with a card of invitation. It is in vain to attempt



conversation. The social pleasures are entirely banished, and

those who have any relish for them, or who are fond of early



hours, are necessarily excluded. Such are the companies of

modern times, and modern people of fashion. Those who are not



invited fly to the _Gaming Clubs_--

"To kill their idle hours and cure _ennui!_"



`To give an account of the present encumbered situation of many

families, whose property was once large and ample, would fill a



volume. Whence spring the difficulties which every succeeding

day increases? From the _GAMBLING CLUBS_. Why are they



continually hunted by their creditors? The reply is--the

_GAMBLING CLUBS_. Why are they obliged continually to rack their



invention in order to save appearances? The answer still is--the

_GAMBLING CLUBS!_



`The father frequently ruins his children; and sons, and

even grandsons, long before the succession opens to them, are



involved so deeply that during their future lives their

circumstances are rendered narrow; and they have rank or family



honours, without being able to support them.

• passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)


• diminish [di´miniʃ] v.减小，缩小 (初中英语单词)


• foundation [faun´deiʃən] n.建立；基金；地基 (初中英语单词)


• resort [ri´zɔ:t] vi.求助；乞灵；诉诸 (初中英语单词)


• additional [ə´diʃənəl] a.附加的，额外的 (初中英语单词)


• height [hait] n.高度；顶点；卓越 (初中英语单词)


• excitement [ik´saitmənt] n.兴奋；骚动；煽动 (初中英语单词)


• desperate [´despərit] a.拼死的；绝望的 (初中英语单词)


• evident [´evidənt] a.明显的，明白的 (初中英语单词)


• minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)


• income [´inkʌm] n.收入，所得 (初中英语单词)


• institution [,insti´tju:ʃən] n.建立；制定；制度 (初中英语单词)


• economy [i´kɔnəmi] n.经济；机制；组织 (初中英语单词)


• emperor [´empərə] n.皇帝 (初中英语单词)


• contribute [kən´tribju:t] v.贡献出；投稿；捐献 (初中英语单词)


• annual [´ænjuəl] a.每年的 n.年刊 (初中英语单词)


• administration [əd,minis´treiʃən] n.管理(事务等)；经营 (初中英语单词)


• principal [´prinsəpəl] a.主要的 n.负责人 (初中英语单词)


• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)


• pursuit [pə´sju:t] n.追踪；追击；事务 (初中英语单词)


• reform [ri´fɔ:m] v.&n.改革；改良；革除 (初中英语单词)


• parliament [´pɑ:ləmənt] n.议(国)会 (初中英语单词)


• writer [´raitə] n.作者；作家 (初中英语单词)


• consequence [´kɔnsikwəns] n.结果；后果；推断 (初中英语单词)


• frequent [´fri:kwənt] a.常见的，频繁的 (初中英语单词)


• lately [´leitli] ad.近来，不久前 (初中英语单词)


• visible [´vizəbəl] a.可见的；明显的 (初中英语单词)


• absolutely [´æbsəlu:tli] ad.绝对地；确实 (初中英语单词)


• invitation [,invi´teiʃən] n.邀请；请帖；吸引 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• succession [sək´seʃən] n.继任；继承(权) (初中英语单词)


• disorder [dis´ɔ:də] n.杂乱 vt.扰乱 (高中英语单词)


• dismal [´dizməl] a.灰暗的；阴郁的 (高中英语单词)


• agitation [,ædʒi´teiʃən] n.鼓动；摇动；焦虑 (高中英语单词)


• regularly [´regjuləli] ad.有规律地；经常地 (高中英语单词)


• revenue [´revinju:] n.税收；收入 (高中英语单词)


• combat [´kɔmbæt] v.&n.斗争；战斗；争斗 (高中英语单词)


• procedure [prə´si:dʒə] n.过程；手续；方法 (高中英语单词)


• restoration [,restə´reiʃən] n.恢复；复辟；重建(物) (高中英语单词)


• saloon [sə´lu:n] n.大厅；餐车 (高中英语单词)


• expenditure [ik´spenditʃə] n.消费；经费；费用 (高中英语单词)


• suicide [´su:isaid, ´sju:-] n.&a.自杀(者)(的) (高中英语单词)


• proposition [,prɔpə´ziʃən] n.提议；主张；陈述 (高中英语单词)


• partnership [´pɑ:tnəʃip] n.合伙关系 (高中英语单词)


• phenomenon [fi´nɔminən] n.现象；奇迹；珍品 (高中英语单词)


• painful [´peinfəl] a.痛(苦)的；费力的 (高中英语单词)


• nuisance [´nju:səns] n.损害；讨厌的人(事) (高中英语单词)


• relish [´reliʃ] n.滋味；风味 v.品尝 (高中英语单词)


• necessarily [´nesisərili] ad.必定，必然地 (高中英语单词)


• continually [kən´tinjuəli] ad.不断地，频繁地 (高中英语单词)


• artisan [,ɑ:ti´zæn] n.手艺人；技工 (英语四级单词)


• observance [əb´zə:vəns] n.遵守；惯例；仪式 (英语四级单词)


• trivial [´triviəl] a.琐碎的；不重要的 (英语四级单词)


• ordinance [´ɔ:dinəns] n.法令；条令；条例 (英语四级单词)


• arisen [ə´rizn] arise的过去分词 (英语四级单词)


• corruption [kə´rʌpʃən] n.腐化；贪污；贿赂 (英语四级单词)


• virtuous [´və:tjuəs] a.道德的；善良的 (英语四级单词)


• pamphlet [´pæmflit] n.小册子 (英语四级单词)


• metropolis [mi´trɔpəlis] n.首都；大城市 (英语四级单词)


• shameful [´ʃeimfəl] a.可耻的；猥亵的 (英语四级单词)


• whence [wens] ad.从何处；从那里 (英语四级单词)


• applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)


• illegal [i´li:gəl] a.不合法的，非法的 (英语六级单词)


• extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)


• pernicious [pə´niʃəs] a.有害的；有毒的；致命的 (英语六级单词)


• prevailing [pri´veiliŋ] a.占优势的；主要的 (英语六级单词)


• withheld [wið´held] withhold过去式(分词) (英语六级单词)


• vigilance [´vidʒiləns] n.警惕，警戒 (英语六级单词)


• equilibrium [,i:kwi´libriəm] n.平衡；均势 (英语六级单词)


• exclusion [ik´sklu:ʒən] n.拒绝；逐出，排除 (英语六级单词)


• footing [´futiŋ] n.立脚点；基础；地位 (英语六级单词)