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evils。 At the marriage of Louis XIV。 a lottery was organized to
distribute the royal presents to the peopleafter the fashion of
the Roman emperor。 Lotteries were multiplied during this reign
and that of Louis XV。 In 1776 the Royal Lottery of France was
established。 This was abolished in 1793； re…established at the
commencement of the Republic； but finally all lotteries were
prohibited by law in 1836；excepting ‘for benevolent purposes。'
One of the most remarkable of these lotteries ‘for benevolent
purposes' was the ‘Lottery of the Gold Lingots；' authorized in
1849； to favour emigration to California。 In this lottery the
grand prize was a lingot of gold valued at about L1700。
The old French lottery consisted of 90 numbers； that is； from No。
1 to No。 90； and the drawing was five numbers at a time。 Five
wheels were established at Paris； Lyons； Strasbourg； Bordeaus；
and Lille。 A drawing took place every ten days at each city。
The exit of a single number was called _extrait_； and it won 15
times the amount deposited； and 70 times if the number was
determined； the exit of two numbers was called the _ambe_；
winning 270 times the deposit； and 5100 times if the number was
determined；the exit of three numbers was called the _terne_；
winning 5500 times； the _quaterne_； or exit of four numbers； won
75；000 times the deposit。 In all this； however； the chances were
greatly in favour of the state banker；in the _extrait_ the
chances were 18 to 15 in his favour； vastly increasing； of
course； in the remainder； thus in the _ambe_ it was 1602 against
270； and so on。
The first English lottery mentioned in history was drawn in the
year 1569。 It consisted of 400；000 lots； at 10_s_。 each lot。
The prizes were plate； and the profits were to go towards
repairing the havens or ports of this kingdom。 It was drawn at
the west door of St Paul's Cathedral。 The drawing began on the
10th of January； 1569； and continued incessantly； _DAY AND
NIGHT_； till the 6th of May following。＇146＇ Another lottery was
held at the same place in 1612； King James having permitted it in
favour of ‘the plantation of English colonies in Virginia。' One
Thomas Sharplys； a tailor of London； won the chief prize； which
was ‘4000 crowns in fair plate。'
＇146＇ The printed scheme of this lottery is still in the
possession of the Antiquarian Society of London。
In 1680； a lottery was granted to supply London with water。
At the end of the 17th century； the government being in want of
money to carry on the war； resorted to a lottery； and
L1；200；000 was set apart or _NAMED_ for the purpose。 The
tickets were all disposed of in less than six months； friends and
enemies joining in the speculation。 It was a great success； and
when right…minded people murmured at the impropriety of the
thing； they were told to hold their tongues； and assured that
this lottery was the very queen of lotteries； and that it had
just taken Namur！＇147＇
＇147＇ This town was captured in 1695； by William III。
At the same time the Dutch gave in to the infatuation with the
utmost enthusiasm； lotteries were established all over Holland；
and learned professors and ministers of the gospel spoke of
nothing else but the lottery to their pupils and hearers。
From this time forward the spirit of gambling increased so
rapidly and grew so strong in England； that in the reign of Queen
Anne private lotteries had to be suppressed as public nuisances。
The first _parliamentary_ lottery was instituted in 1709；
and from this period till 1824 the passing of a lottery bill was
in the programme of every session。 Up to the close of the 18th
century the prizes were generally paid in the form of terminable；
and sometimes of perpetual； annuities。 Loans were also raised by
granting a bonus of lottery tickets to all who subscribed a
certain amount。
This gambling of annuities； despite the restrictions of an act
passed in 1793； soon led to an appalling amount of vice and
misery； and in 1808； a committee of the House of Commons urged
the suppression of this ruinous mode of filling the national
exchequer。 The last public lottery in Great Britain was drawn in
October； 1826。
The lotteries exerted a most baneful influence on trade； by
relaxing the sinews of industry and fostering the destructive
spirit of gaming among all orders of men。 Nor was that all。 The
stream of this evil was immensely swelled and polluted； in open
defiance of the law； by a set of artful and designing men； who
were ever on the watch to allure and draw in the ignorant and
unwary by the various modes and artifices of ‘_insurance_；' which
were all most flagrant and gross impositions on the public； as
well as a direct violation of the law。 One of the most
common and notorious of these schemes was the insuring of numbers
for the next day's drawing； at a _premium_ which （if legal） was
much greater than adequate to the risk。 Thus； in 1778； when the
just premium of the lottery was only 7_s_。 6_d_。； the office…
keepers charged 9_s_。； which was a certain gain of nearly 30 per
cent。； and they aggravated the fraud as the drawing advanced。
On the sixteenth day of drawing the just premium was not quite
20_s_。； whereas the office…keepers charged L1 4_s_。 6_d_。；
which clearly shows the great disadvantage that every person
laboured under who was imprudent enough to be concerned in the
insurance of numbers。＇148＇
＇148＇ Public Ledger； Dec。 3； 1778。
In every country where lotteries were in operation numbers were
ruined at the close of each drawing； and of these not a few
sought an oblivion of their folly ill self…murderby the rope；
the razor； or the river。
A more than usual number of adventurers were said to have been
ruined in the lottery of 1788； owing to the several prizes
continuing long in the wheel （which gave occasion to much
gambling）； and also to the desperate state of certain branches
of trade； caused by numerous and important bankruptcies。
The suicides increased in proportion。 Among them one person made
herself remarkable by a thoughtful provision to prevent
disappointment。 A woman； who had scraped everything together to
put into the lottery； and who found herself ruined at its close；
fixed a rope to a beam of sufficient strength； but lest there
should be any accidental failure in the beam or rope； she placed
a large tub of water underneath； that she might drop into it； and
near her also were two razors on a table ready to be used； if
hanging or drowning should prove ineffectual。
A writer of the time gives the following account of the
excitement that prevailed during the drawing of the lottery：
‘Indeed； whoever wishes to know what are the 〃blessings〃 of a
lottery； should often visit Guildhall during the time of its
drawing；when he will see thousands of workmen； servants；
clerks； apprentices； passing and repassing； with looks full of
suspense and anxiety； an