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get himself legitimated。 Curiously enough; it is said that the
greater part of this sum had been won in England。'47'
'47' Amelot de la Houss。 _Mem。 Hist_。 iii。
HENRY IV。Henry IV。 early evinced his passion for gaming。 When
very young and stinted in fortune; he contrived the means of
satisfying this growing propensity。 When in want of money he
used to send a promissory note; written and signed by himself; to
his friends; requesting them to return the note or cash itan
expedient which could not but succeed; as every man was only too
glad to have the prince's note of hand。'48'
'48' Mem。 de Nevers。 ii。
There can be no doubt that the example of Henry IV。 was; in the
matter of gaming; as in other vices; most pernicious。 ‘Henry
IV。;' says Perefixe; ‘was not a skilful player; but greedy
of gain; timid in high stakes; and ill…tempered when he
lost。' He adds rather naively; ‘This great king was not without
spots any more than the sun。''49'
'49' Hist。 de Henri le Grand。
Under him gambling became the rage。 Many distinguished families
were utterly ruined by it。 The Duc de Biron lost in a single
year more than five hundred thousand crowns (about L250;000)。
‘My son Constant;' says D'Aubigne; ‘lost twenty times more
than he was worth; so that; finding himself without resources; he
abjured his religion。'
It was at the court of Henry IV。 that was invented the method of
speedy ruin by means of written vouchers for loss and gainwhich
simplified the thing in all subsequent times。 It was then also
that certain Italian masters of the gaming art displayed their
talents; their suppleness; and dexterity。 One of them; named
Pimentello; having; in the presence of the Duc de Sully; appealed
to the honour which he enjoyed in having often played with Henry
IV。; the duke exclaimed;‘By heavens! So you are the Italian
blood…sucker who is every day winning the king's money! You have
fallen into the wrong box; for I neither like nor wish to have
anything to do with such fellows。' Pimentello got warm。 ‘Go
about your business;' said Sully; giving him a shove; ‘your
infernal gibberish will not alter my resolve。 Go!''50'
'50' Mem。 de Sully。
The French nation; for a long time agitated by civil war; settled
down at last in peace and abundancethe fruits of which
prosperity are often poisoned。 They were so by the gambling
propensity of the people at large; now first manifested。 The
warrior; the lawyer; the artisan; in a word; almost all
professions and trades; were carried away by the fury of gaming。
Magistrates sold for a price the permission to gamblein the
face of the enacted laws against the practice。
We can scarcely form an idea of the extent of the gaming at this
period。 Bassompierre declares; in his Memoirs; that he won
more than five hundred thousand livres (L25;000) in the course
of a year。 ‘I won them;' he says; ‘although I was led away by a
thousand follies of youth; and my friend Pimentello won more than
two hundred thousand crowns (L100;000)。 Evidently this
Pimentello might well be called a _blood…sucker_ by Sully。'51'
He is even said to have got all the dice…sellers in Paris to
substitute loaded dice instead of fair ones; in order to aid his
operations。
'51' In the original; however; the word is piffre; (vulgo)
‘greedy…guts。'
Nothing more forcibly shows the danger of consorting with such
bad characters than the calumny circulated respecting the
connection between Henry IV。 and this infamous Italian:it was
said that Henry was well aware of Pimentello's manoeuvres; and
that he encouraged them with the view of impoverishing his
courtiers; hoping thereby to render them more submissive! Nero
himself would have blushed at such a connivance。 Doubtless the
calumny was as false as it was stupid。
The winnings of the courtier Bassompierre were enormous。 He
won at the Duc d'Epernon's sufficient to pay his debts; to dress
magnificently; to purchase all sorts of extravagant finery; a
sword ornamented with diamonds‘and after all these expenses;'
he says; ‘I had still five or six thousand crowns (two to three
thousand pounds) left; _TO KILL TIME WITH_; pour tuer le temps。'
On another occasion; and at a more advanced age; he won one
hundred thousand crowns (L50;000) at a single sitting; from M。
De Guise; Joinville; and the Marechal d'Ancre。
In reading his Memoirs we are apt to get indignant at the
fellow's successes; but at last we are tempted to laugh at his
misery。 He died so poor that he did not leave enough to pay the
twentieth part of his debts! Such; doubtless; is the end of most
gamblers。
But to return to Henry IV。; the great gambling exemplar of the
nation。 The account given of him at the gaming table is most
afflicting; when we remember his royal greatness; his sublime
qualities。 His only object was to _WIN_; and those who played
with him were thus always placed in a dreadful dilemmaeither to
lose their money or offend the king by beating him! The Duke of
Savoy once played with him; and in order to suit his humour;
dissimulated his gamethus sacrificing or giving up forty
thousand pistoles (about L28;000)。
When the king lost he was most exacting for his ‘revanche;' or
revenge; as it is termed at play。 After winning considerably
from the king; on one occasion; Bassompierre; under the
pretext of his official engagements; furtively decamped: the king
immediately sent after him; he was stopped; brought back; and
allowed to depart only after giving the ‘revanche' to his
Majesty。 This ‘good Henri;' who was incapable of the least
dissimulation either in good or in evil; often betrayed a degree
of cupidity which made his minister; Sully; ashamed of him;in
order to pay his gaming debts; the king one day deducted seventy…
two thousand livres from the proceeds of a confiscation on which
he had no claim whatever。
On another occasion he was wonderfully struck with some gold…
pieces which Bassompierre brought to Fontainebleau; called
_Portugalloises_。 He could not rest without having them。 Play
was necessary to win them; but the king was also anxious to be in
time for a hunt。 In order to conciliate the two passions; he
ordered a gaming party at the Palace; left a representative of
his game during his absence; and returned sooner than usual; to
try and win the so much coveted _Portugalloises_。
Even loveif that name can be applied to the grovelling passion
of Henry IV。; intensely violent as it wascould not; with its
sensuous enticements; drag the king from the gaming table or
stifle his despicable covetousness。 On one occasion; whilst at
play; it was whispered to him that a certain princess whom he
loved was likely to fall into other arms:‘Take care of my
money;' said he to Bassompierre; ‘and keep up the game
whilst I am absent on particular business。'
During this reign gamesters were in