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the company's boots。
‘When I was a boy； not so very longsay twenty years
since； the West…end of London swarmed with illicit gambling
houses； known by a name I will not offend your ears by repeating。
On every race…course there was a public gambling booth and an
abundance of thimble…riggers' stalls。 These； I am happy to
state； exist no longer； and the fools who are always ready to be
plucked； can only； in gambling； fall victims to the commonest and
coarsest of swindlers； skittle sharps； beer…house rogues and
sharpers； and knaves who travel to entrap the unwary in railway
carriages with loaded dice； marked cards； and little squares of
green baize for tables； and against whom the authorities of the
railway companies very properly warn their passengers。 A
notorious gambling house in St James's StreetCrockford's；
where it may be said； without exaggeration； that millions of
pounds sterling have been diced away by the fools of fashion； is
now one of the most sumptuous and best conducted dining
establishments in Londonthe 〃Wellington。〃 The semipatrician
Hades that were to be found in the purlieus of St James's； such
as the 〃Cocoa Tree；〃 the 〃Berkeley；〃 and the 〃stick…shop；〃
at the corner of Albemarle Streeta whole Pandemonium of
rosewood and plate…glass densnever recovered from a razzia made
on them simultaneously one night by the police； who were
organized on a plan of military tactics； and under the command of
Inspector Beresford； and at a concerted signal assailed the
portals of the infamous places with sledge…hammers。 At the time
to which I refer； in Paris； the Palais Royal； and the environs of
the Boulevards des Italiens； abounded with magnificent gambling
rooms similar to those still in existence in Hombourg； which were
regularly licensed by the police； and farmed under the
municipality of the Ville de Paris； a handsome per…centage of the
iniquitous profits being paid towards the charitable institutions
of the French metropolis。 There are very many notabilities of
the French Imperial Court； who were then _fermiers des jeux_； or
gambling house contractors； and only a year or two since Doctor
Louis Veron； ex…dealer in quack medicines； ex…manager of the
Grand Opera； and ex…proprietor of the 〃Constitutionnel〃
newspaper； offered an enormous royalty to Government for the
privilege of establishing a gambling house in Paris。 But the
Emperor Napoleonall ex…member of Crockford's as he is
sensibly declined the tempting bait。 A similarly
〃generous〃 offer was made last year to the Belgian Government
by a joint…stock company who wanted to establish public gaming
tables at the watering…places of Ostend； and who offered to
establish an hospital from their profits； but King Leopold； the
astute proprietor of Claremont； was as prudent as his Imperial
cousin of France； and refused to soil his hands with cogged dice。
The lease of the Paris authorized gaming houses expired in 1836…
7； and the municipality； albeit loath to lose the fat annual
revenue； was induced by governmental pressure not to renew it；
and it is asserted that from that moment the number of annual
suicides in Paris very sensibly decreased。 〃It is not generally
known；〃 as the penny…a…liners say； 〃that the Rev。 Caleb Colton；
a clergyman of the Church of England； and the author of
〃Lacon；〃 a book replete with aphoristic wisdom； blew his brains
out in the forest of St Germains； after ruinous losses at
Frascati's； at the corner of the Rue Richelieu and the
Boulevards； one of the most noted of the _Maisons des Jeux_； and
which was afterwards turned into a _restaurant_； and is now a
shawl…shop。＇71＇ Just before the revolution of 1848； nearly
all the watering…places in the Prusso…Rhenane provinces； and in
Bavaria； and Hesse； Nassau； and Baden； contained Kursaals； where
gambling was openly carried on。 These existed at Aix…la…
Chapelle； Baden…Baden； Wiesbaden； Ems； Kissengen； and at Spa；
close to the Prussian frontier； in Belgium。 It is due to the
fierce democrats who revolted against the monarchs of the defunct
Holy Alliance； to say that they utterly swept away the gambling…
tables in Rhenish…Prussia； and in the Grand Duchy of Baden。 Herr
Hecker； of the red republican tendencies； and the astounding
wide…awake hat； particularly distinguished himself in the latter
place by his iconoclastic animosity to _Roulette_ and _Rouge et
Noir_。 When dynastic 〃order〃 was restored the Rhine gaming
tables were re…established。 The Prussian Government； much to its
honour； has since shut up the gambling houses at that resort for
decayed nobility and ruined livers； Aix…la…Chapelle。 A motion
was made in the Federal Diet； sitting at Frankfort； to constrain
the smaller governments； in the interest of the Germanic good
name generally； to close their _tripots_； and in some
measure the Federal authorities succeeded。 The only existing
continental gaming houses authorized by government are now the
two Badens； Spa （of which the lease is nearly expired； and will
not be renewed）； Monaco （capital of the ridiculous little Italian
principality； of which the suzerain is a scion of the house of
〃Grimaldi〃）； Malmoe； in Sweden； too remote to do much harm；
and HOMBOURG。 This last still flourishes greatly； and I am
afraid is likely to flourish； though happily in isolation； for；
as I have before remarked； the 〃concession〃 or privilege of the
place has been guaranteed for a long period of years to come by
the expectant dynasty of Hesse…Darmstadt。 〃_C'est fait_；〃 〃It
is all settled；〃 said the host of the Hotel de France to me；
rubbing his hands exultingly when I mentioned the matter。 But；
_Quis custodiet custodes？_ Hesse…Darmstadt has guaranteed the
〃administration of Hesse…Hombourg； but who is to guarantee
Hesse…Darmstadt？ A battalion of French infantry would； it seems
to me； make short work of H。 D。； lease guarantees； Federal
contingent； and all。 I must mention； in conclusion； that within
a very few years we had； if we have not still； a licensed
gaming house in our exquisitely moral British dominions。
This was in that remarkably 〃tight little island〃 at the mouth
of the Elbe； Heligoland； which we so queerly possessPuffendorf；
Grotius； and Vattel； or any other writers on the _Jus gentium_；
would be puzzled to tell why； or by what right。 I was at Hamburg
in the autumn of 1856； crossed over to Heligoland one day on a
pleasure trip； and lost some money there； at a miniature
_Roulette_ table； much frequented by joyous Israelites from the
mainland； and English 〃soldier officers〃 in mufti。 I did not
lose much of my temper； however； for the odd； quaint little place
pleased me。 Not so another Roman citizen； or English travelling
gent。； who losing； perhaps； seven…and…sixpence； wrote a furious
letter to the 〃Times；〃 complaining of such horrors existing
under the British flag； desecration of the English name； and so
forth。 Next week the lieutenant…governor； by 〃order；〃 put an
end t