Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II.
been to Tallyho, had made an engagement to introduce him to some of
his dashing acquaintances in the West. Nods and winks were interchanged
between them, and could not but be noticed by Tom and Bob, though
Sparkle was so intent upon the amusements of the moment, and the company
of the lovely Caroline, as to appear immoveable.
Mr. Merrywell at length stated that he must be compelled to quit the
party. Young Mortimer also apologized; for as he and his friend were
engaged for an early excursion in the morning, he should take a bed at
his habitation, in order to be fully prepared. This was the first step
to breaking up the party.
Merrywell called Sparkle on one side, saying he had something of
importance to communicate. It was twelve o'clock, and the gentlemen,
after taking a formal leave of the ladies and the Colonel, and a promise
on the part of Sparkle to meet them again the next morning at twelve, to
escort them to the Exhibition, left the house.
“I am really happy,” said Merrywell to Sparkle as they passed the
door, “to have had the honour of this introduction, and shall have much
pleasure in becoming better acquainted with Mr. Sparkle, who, though
personally unknown to me, his name and fame are familiar.
~190~~Mr. Mortimer and myself are going to take a review of the
neighbourhood of St. James's, probably to shake an elbow.”
“Excellent,” said Tom; “here is a fine opportunity for Mr. Tallyho to
take a like survey, and, if agreeable, we will join the party. 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. Gaming is an estate to which all the world has a pretence,
though few espouse it who are willing to secure either their estates
or reputations: and these Hells may fairly be considered as so many
half-way houses to the Fleet or King's Bench Prisons, or some more
desperate end. The love of play is the most incurable of insanities:
robbery, suicide, and the extensive ruin of whole families, have been
known to proceed from this unfortunate and fatal propensity.
“_Greeks, Gamblers, Knowing Ones, and Black-legs_, are synonimous terms,
applied to the frequenters of the modern Hells, or Gaming-houses,
and may be distinguished from the rest of society by the following
peculiarities in pursuits and manners.
“The _Greeks_ of the present day, though they may not lay claim to, or
boast of all the attributes of the _Greeks_ of antiquity, must certainly
be allowed to possess that quality for which the latter were ever so
celebrated, namely, _cunning and wariness_: for although no modern Greek
can be said to have any resemblance to Achilles, Ajax, Patroclus, or
Nestor, in point of courage, strength, fidelity, or wisdom, he may
nevertheless boast of being a close copier of the equally renowned
chief of Ithaca. You will find him in most societies, habited like a
gentleman; ~192~~his clothes are of the newest fashion, and his manners
of the highest polish, with every appearance of candour and honour;
while he subsists by unfair play at dice, cards, and billiards,
deceiving and defrauding all those with whom he may engage; disregarding
the professions of friendship and intimacy, which are continually
falling from his lips.
“To become a good _Greek_ (which, by the way, is a contradiction) it
will be found necessary to follow these instructions:
“In the first place, lie should be able to command his temper; he should
speak but little, and when he does mingle in conversation, he should
most decidedly deprecate play, as a source of the greatest evil that
can prey upon society, and elucidate its tendencies by striking examples
which are well known to himself, and which are so forcibly impressed
upon his recollection, that he is determined never to play deep again,
but has no objection to a sociable and friendly game now and then, just
to pass the time away a little agreeably. By this means he may readily
mark down his man, and the game once in view, he should not appear too
eager in the pursuit of it, but take good care, as the proverb says,
to give a sprat, in order to catch a herring. This should be done by
allowing some temporary success, before he make a final hit.
“There is perhaps no art which requires so much of continual practice as
that of _Greekery_. It is therefore necessary, that the professor should
frequently exercise himself in private with cards and dice, in order
that his digits may be trained to a proper degree of agility, upon which
the success of his art principally depends. He should also be accustomed
to work with some younger man than himself, who, having once been
a pigeon, is become a naute, that is enlightened and will not
peach--consequently, he serves as an excellent decoy to others.
“To ascertain the property of the pigeon he intends to pluck, is another
essential requisite; and when this important information is obtained,
(which should be before he commences operations) he should affect the
utmost liberality as to time, &c. and make a show of extending every
honourable facility to his opponent, even by offers of pecuniary
assistance; by which means, (if he should be fortunate enough to have
it accepted) he may probably, by good management, obtain a legal
~193~~security from him, and thus be enabled to fasten on his prey
whenever he pleases.
“The title of a military man, such as Captain, is very useful to the
Greek, as it introduces him well to society, and if he has once held a
commission in the army, so much the better. If not, it can be assumed,
so that if any unpleasant regimental peculation should be introduced,
he may place his hand on the left side of his breast, declare he is
astonished and alarmed at the calumnious spirit of the times, shake his
head, and interlard his conversation with common-place ejaculations;
such as the following--Indeed--No--Why I know Harry very well--he's a
bit of a blood--can it be possible--I should not have thought it--bless
my heart--exactly so--good God--a devilish good joke tho'--that's very
true, says I--so says he, &c. &c.
“A Greek should be a man of some personal courage, never shrink from
a row, nor be afraid to' fight a duel. He should be able to bully,
bluster, swagger and swear, as occasion may require; nay, in desperate
cases, such us peaching, &c. he should not object even to assassination.
He should invite large parties to dine with him frequently, and have a
particular sort of wine for particular companies. He should likewise be
able to swallow a tolerable quantity of the juice of the grape himself,
as well as know how to appear as if he were drinking, when he is merely
passing the bottle, and so manage it passing, as to seem drunk at proper
times. When good opportunities present themselves for the exercise
of his art, and when a hit is really to be made, he should positively
refuse to suffer play of any kind in his house, alleging that he has
seen enough of it, and cut the concern. This serves to increase the
desire for it in others. On any decisive occasion, when a train is known
to be well laid, he should appear to be drunk before any one of the
party; in which case he should take care beforehand to instruct his
decoy to pluck the pigeon, while he, as a supposed observer, is betting
with some one in the company, (of course an accomplice) and is also a
loser.
“Greeks, who know each other, are enabled to convey information by means
of private signals, without uttering a word, and consequently without
detection. At whist, or other games on the cards, fingers are admirable
conveyancers of intelligence, and by dexterous performers ~194~~are
so managed, as to defy the closest scrutiny, so as to have the natural
appearance of pliancy, while, among the _knowing ones_, their movements
are actually deciding the fate of a rubber.”
“Egad!” said Mortimer, “you seem to understand the business so well, I
wonder you don't open shop.”
“My knowledge,” continued Sparkle, “is but theoretical. I cannot boast
of much practical information, for it is long since I shook the lucky
castor.”
“O, then, you are discontented because you have no luck.”
“Not so,” said Sparkle, “for I never play very deep, so that, win or
lose, I can never suffer much; but I am willing to give information to
others, and with that view I have detailed the nature of the houses
and the general character of their frequenters, according to my own
conception of them. The _Levanter_ is a _Black-leg_, who lives by the
_broads_{l} and the _turf_,{2} and is accustomed to work as it were by