\ HISTORY OF English Lotteries , 0\V VOix iHP: FIRi r T'.vlE WRITTEN. By JOHN ASHTON. EXTENSIVELY ILLUSTRATED. Grand State Lottery "* BEGINS DK»WTNO JUNE m. 1808. ^G; Ions' BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF iienrg 13. Sage 1891 A..^A. p: rS---^- ^gg^i-^^lE :ciz leiz ' A LOTTERY is a Taxation ■"^*- Upon all the Fools in Creation ; And Heaven he prais'd It is easily raised, Credulity's always in Fashion .• For Folly's a Fund, Will never lose go-ound, While Fools are so rife in the Nation." 2 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS. So sang Henry Fielding in Ms play of " The Lottery," which was first acted at Drury Lane Theatre, January 1, 1732 ; and I think those who have patience to read these pages will endorse his words. Gambling, in some shape, is inherent in man, and dice for the casting of Lots have been found belonging to the Egyptians and Assyrians, in the tombs of prehistoric man, were used alike by the refined Greeks and Eomans, and by the bar- barous Northmen. The Bible teems with notices of the Lot. It was recommended by Solomon as a means of deciding disputes. " The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty" (Prov. xviii. 18). It was used as a means of dividing land. " Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot : according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few " (Numb. xxvi. 55, 56). Nay, one of the Apostles, Matthias, was chosen by Lot (Acts i. 26). But if any one is curious to know how often the Lot is mentioned in Holy Scripture, let him look at Cruden's Concordance. A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES, 3 In this short sketch we see the antiquity of the Lot ; but the Lotteey, the form of gambling of which this book treats, is of comparatively modern invention. The Eomans had something of the kind, but it partook more of our presents from Christmas-trees than the modern lottery. First of all were the Apophoreta, gifts which were presented to the guests at table, and which they carried home with them- — a custom which obtained during the Saturnalia (something like a Silver King presenting his guests with a silver menu card, or the presents given to guests at City Companies' dinners) ; and this was sometimes done in a whim- sical manner, as is on record that Heliogobalus, at a banquet, presented one guest with a ticket for a gold vase, and another for six flies. Other prizes, which were drawn haphazard, were ten bears, ten pounds of gold, or ten ostriches ; and, whilst one might draw a thousand pounds, another would gain a prize of a dead dog. It is said that lotteries began in Italy in the sixteenth century, and that its name is derived from the Lotto of Florence ; but I beg leave to traverse both propositions. There is no doubt bi^t that the Venetian and Genoese merchants 4 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. made use of the lottery as a vehicle whereby to dispose of their stale goods, or to get rid of a valuable thing for which they could not obtain a purchaser ; but the earliest I can find recorded was that of the widow of Jan van Eyck, which took place at Bruges, on February 24, 1446, where the town archives record a payment to her of two livres for her lottery.* As for the name. I think that there can hardly be two opinions about it. Long before the Italian Lotto, was the Anglo-Saxon Hleot-an, sortiri, to cast lots. In the Dutch the same meaning is expressed hj Lot-en, Loot-en; in Swedish, Lotta; whilst the Lot itself is in Gothic, Hlauts ; Anglo- Saxon, Hlot ; German, Los ; Dutch, Lot ; Swedish, Lott ; French, Lot ; and Italian, Lotto. So that there can be very little doubt of its northern deri- vation, the Latin synonym, Sors, being so totally diiferent. There is no doubt but that the lottery was im- ported into England from abroad ; and the first of which we have any record was one in the reiwn of * Crowe and Oavalcaselle, Early Flemish, Painters (London 1857), p. 68 ; Messager des Sciences et des Arts (London, 1884) p. 51 ; and M. Gilliodt's dissertation in La Flandre (Bruo-es 1867). A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 5 Queen Elizabeth, projected in 1566, but not drawn till 1569, As far as is known, there is but one authentic record of this lottery in existence, which has been happily preserved in the muniment-room at Loseley House, in Surrey. It is in black letter, interspersed with ordinary text and italics, and the bill is five feet long by nineteen inches wide ; and the text is surrounded by a border of ornamental type. At top, it has an illustration of the prizes in plate, tapestry, and money — and it is twenty inches in depth. As it is such an unique curiosity, I give the bill at length. "A verie rich Lotterie Generall, without any blancks, contayning a number of good prices, as wel of redy money as of plate, and certaine sorts of marchaundizes, having ben valued and priced by the comaundement of the Queene's most excellent majestic, by men expert and skilfuU ; and the same Lotterie is erected by her majesties order, to the intent that such commoditie as may chaunce to arise thereof, after the charges borne, may be con- verted towardes the reparation of the havens and strength of the Eealme, and towardes such other publique good workes. The number of lots shall be foure hundreth thousand, and no more ; and 6 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. every lot shall be the summe of tenne shillings sterling onely, and no more. "Three "Welcomes. " The first person to whome any lot shal happen, shall have for his welcome, (bysides the advantage of his adventure,) the value of fiftie poundes sterling, in a piece of sylver plate gilte. " The second to whome any lot shall happen, shall have in like case for his welcome, (bysydes his adventure) the summe of thirtie poundes, in a piece of plate gilte. "The third to whome any price shaU happen, shall have for his welcome, besides his adventure, the value of twentie pounds, in a piece of plate gilte. " The Prices. " "Whoever shall winne the greatest and most excellent price, shall receive the value of five thousande poundes sterling, that is to say, three thousande pounds in ready money, seven hundred poundes in plate gilte and white, and the rest in good tapisserie meete for hangings, and other covertures, and certain sortes of good linen cloth.* * All the following lots are abbreviated. A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. 7 " 2nd, ' great price ' £3500, ie. £2000 in money, £600 in plate, the rest in good tapisserie, &c., as above. "3rd, £3000, ^■.e. £1500 in money, £500 in plate, the rest, &c. " 4th, £2000, i.e. £1000 in money, £400 in plate, the rest, &c. "5th, £1500, i.e. £750 in money, £300 in plate, the rest, &c. "6th, £1000, i.e. £500 in money, £200 in plate, the rest, &c. " 7th, £700, i.e. £400 in money, £100 in plate, the rest, &c, "8th, £500, i.e. £250 in money, £100 in plate, the rest, &c. "9th, £400, i.e. £250 in money, £100 in plate, the rest, &c, " 10th, £300, i.e. £200 in money, £50 in plate, the rest, &c. "11th, £250, i.e. £150 in money, £50 in plate, the rest, &c. " 12th, £200, i.e. £150 in money, the rest in good tapisserie and linen cloth. " 13th, £140, i.e. £100 in money, £40 in plate, tapisserie, or linen cloth. 6 A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTBEIES. every lot shall be the summe of tenne shillings sterling onely, and no more. "Three Welcomes. " The first person to whome any lot shal happen, shall have for his welcome, (bysides the advantage of his adventure,) the value of fiftie poundes sterling, in a piece of sylver plate gilte. " The second to whome any lot shall happen, shall have in like case for his welcome, (bysydes his adventure) the summe of thirtie poundes, in a piece of plate gilte. "The third to whome any price shall happen, shall have for his welcome, besides his adventure, the value of twentie pounds, in a piece of plate gilte. " The Prices. " Whoever shall winne the greatest and most excellent price, shall receive the value of five thousande poundes sterling, that is to say, three thousande pounds in ready money, seven hundred poundes in plate gUte and white, and the rest in good tapisserie meete for hangings, and other covertures, and certain sortes of good linen cloth.* * All the following lots are abbreviated. A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. 7 " 2nd, • great price ' £3500, i.e. £2000 in money, £600 in plate, the rest in good tapisserie, &c., as above. "3rd, £3000, i.e. £1500 in money, £500 in plate, the rest, &c. " 4th, £2000, i.e. £1000 in money, £400 in plate, the rest, &c, "5th, £1500, i.e. £750 in money, £800 in plate, the rest, &c. "6th, £1000, i.e. £500 in money, £200 in plate, the rest, &c. " 7th, £700, i.e. £400 in money, £100 in plate, the rest, &c. "8th, £500, i.e. £250 in money, £100 in plate, the rest, &c. "9th, £400, i.e. £250 in money, £100 in plate, the rest, &c. " 10th, £300, i.e. £200 in money, £50 in plate, the rest, &c. "11th, £250, i.e, £150 in money, £50 in plate, the rest, &c. "12th, £200, i.e. £150 in money, the rest in good tapisserie and linen cloth. " 13th, £140, i.e. £100 in money, £40 in plate, tapisserie, or linen cloth. 8 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. " 12 prices, every price of the value of XlOO, that is to. say, 3 score and 10 pounds ready money, and £30 in plate, tapisserie, or linen cloth. " 20 and 4 prices, every price of £50, £30 in ready money, £20 in plate, tapisserie, &c. " 3 score prices of 4 and 20 pounds and ten shillings (£24 10/-), £17 in ready money, and £7 10/- in plate, &c. " 4 score and 10 prices, every price of £22 10/- i.e. £15 in money, £17 10/- in plate, &c. "One hundreth and 14 of £18, i.e. £12 in money, £6 5/- in plate gilte and white. "120 prices of £12 10/-, i.e. £7 10/- in money, £5 in like plate. " 150 prices of £8, i.e. £5 in money, £3 in linen, cloth. "200 prices of £6 10/-, i.e. £4 in money, 50/- in linen cloth. "300 prjces of £4 10/-, i.e. 50/- in money, 40/- in linen cloth. " 500 prices of £3 10/-, i.e. 40/- in money, 30/- in linen cloth. " 500 prices of 50/- in money. " 2000 prices of 40/- in plate. " 6000 prices of 25/- in money. A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 9 "10,000 prices of 15/- in money. "9418 prices of 14/- in money. "And all the rest, to the accomplishing of the aforesayd number of lottes, shall be allowed for every adventure at the least 2 shilP and 6 pens in ready money. " Conditions ordained for the advantage of the Adventurers in this Lotterie, bysides the Prices before mentioned in the Charte. " The Queenes Majestie, of hir power royall, giveth libertie to all maner of persons that will adventure any money in this Lotterie, to resort to the places underwritten, and to abyde and depart from the same in manner and forme follow- ing ; that is to say, to the Citie of London, at any time within the space of one moneth next following the feast of S. Bartholomew this present yeare 1567, and there to remain seven days. And to these cities and towns following : York, Norwich, Exceter, Lincoln e, Coventrie, Southampton, Hull, Bristol, Newcastell, Chester, Ipswich, Sarisbury, Oxforde, Cambridge, and Shrewesbury, in the Eealme of Englande, and Dublyn and Waterforde 10 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. in the Realme of Irelande, at any time within the space of three weekes next after the publication of the Lotterie in every of the sayd severall places, and there to remaine also seven whole days, with- out any molestation or arrest of them for any maner of offence, saving treason, murder, pyracie, or any other felonie, or for breach of hir Majesties peace, during the time of their comming, abiding, or retourne.* "And that every person adventuring their money in this Lotterie may have the like liberty in comming and departing to and from the Citie of London, during all the time of the reading of the same Lotterie, untUl their last adventure be to them answered. "Also, that whosoever under one devise, prose or poesie, shall adventure to the number of thirtie lottes and upward, within three monethes next following after the sayd feast of Saint Bartholomew, and by the hazarde of the prices contained in this Lotterie gaineth not the thirde pennie, or so much * This, however, was not acted on, for in the Domestic State Papers in the Eolls Office is one dated April 30, 1569, endorsed, " I. Aldaye to Cecil], Is a prisoner in the Coanter for debt. Thought he should have been protected under the Proclamation for the Lottery, but it was made a jest of." A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 11 as wanteth of the same, shall be allowed unto them in a yearely pencion, to begin from the day when the reading of the sayd Lotterie shall ende, and to continue yearely during their life. " Whoever shall gaine the best, second, and third great prices, having not put in the posies whereunto the sayd prices shall be answerable into the Lotterie within three moneths next after the said feast of Saint Bartholomew, . shall have abated and taken out of the summe of money contained in the said best price, one hundreth and fiftie pounds, and of the sayd second price, one hundreth pounds, and out of the said third price four score pounds, to be given to any towne corporate or haven, or to any other place,' for any good and desirable use, as the partie shall name or appoint in writing. " And whosoever shall gaine a hundreth poundes or upwarde in any price, saving the three severall best prices next aforementioned, having not put in his lots, whereby he shall gaine any such price, within three moneths next following the sayd feast of Saint Bartholomew, shall have abated and deducted (as above is sayd) out of every hundred pounds, five pounds, to be employed as is next before sayd. 12 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. " Whosoever, having put in thirtie lottes under one devise or posie, within the sayd three moneths, shalle winne the last lot of all, if, before that lot wonne he have not gained so much as hath ben by him put in, shall for his tarying and yll fortune be comforted with the reward of two hundreth poundes, and for every lot that he shall have put in besydes the said thirty lots, he shall have twentie shillings sterlyng. " And, whosoever having put in xxx lots under one devise or posie, within the sayd three moneths, shal win the last lot save one, and have not gayned so much as he hath put in, shal likewise be com- forted for his long tarrying with the reward of C< pounds, and for every lot that he shal have put in above xxx shall receive ten shillings sterling. " Item, whosoever shall adventure from fortie lottes upwarde, under one devise or posie, shall have libertie to lay downe the one halfe in readie money, and give in bond for the other halfe to the Commissioner that in that behalfe shal be appointed to have the charge for that citie or towne where the partie shal thinke good to pay his money, with condition to pay in the same money, for the which they shal be bound, six weekes at the A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES, 13 least before the day appointed for the reading of the lotterie, upon payn to forfaite the money payde, and the benefit of any price. Which day of reading shall begyn within the Citie of London the XXV day of June next coming. " A.nd in case it shall fortune the same day of the reading to be prolonged upon any urgent nedeful cause to a further day, the parties having adventured and put their money into the lotterie, shall be allowed for the same after the rate of ten in the hundred from the day of the prorogation of the sayd readyng untill the very day of the first reading of the lotterie. " Item, every person to whome, in the time of reading, any price shall happen and be due, the same price shal be delivered unto him the next day following to dispose of the same at his pleasure, without that he shall be compelled to tary for the same until the ende of the reading. And, being a straunger borne, he shal have libertie to convert the same, being money, into wares, to be by him transported into foraine parts, paying only halfe custome for the same and other duties that other- wise he should answer therefore. "Whosoever at the time of the reading shall 14 A UISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. have three of his owne posies or devises, comming together successively and immediately one after another, the same having put in the sayd three posies within thre moneths (as before), shall have for the same posies or devises so comming together one after an other, three pounds sterling over and besides the price answerable therfore. " And whosoever at the time of the reading shall have four posies or devises comming together suc- cessively and immediately one after another, having put in his sayde posies within three monethes (as before mentioned) shall have for the sayd foure posies and devises six poundes sterling, besides the prices. " And whosoever at the time of the reading shall have five posies or devises comming together suc- cessively and immediately one after another, having put in his lottes within thre moneths (as before), shall have for the sayd five posies or devises ten pounds sterling, besides the prices. " And whosoever shall have the like adventure six times together, having put in his lots, as afore, shal have for those vi posies or devises xxv pounds sterling and the prices. " And whosoever shall have the like adventure A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 15 seven times together, having put in his lots as afore, shall have for those seven posies or devises a hundreth pounds sterling, and the prices. " And whosoever shall have the like adventure eight times together, having put in his lots as afore, shall have for those eight two hundreth pounds sterling, and the prices. " And so the posies or devises resorting together by increase of number, he to whom they shal happen in that sorte, having put in his money, as afore is said, shal have for every tyme of increase one hundreth poundes sterling, and the prices. " The receipt and collection of this present Lotterie shall endure for the rest of the Realme besides London, until the xv"" day of April next coming, which shal be in the yere 1568. " And the receipt and collection of the City of London shal continue unto the first day of May next following ; at which dayes, or before, all the collectors shal bring in their bokes of the collection of lottes to such as shal be appointed to receive their accomptes, upon paine, if they do faile to do so, to lose the profite and wages appointed to them for their travell in that behalfe. Finally, it is to 16 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. be understanded that hir Majestie and the Citie of London will answere to all and singular persons havyng adventured their money in this Lotterie, to observe all articles and conditions contained in the same from point to point inviolably. " The shewe of the prices and rewardes above mencioned shall be set up to be seene in Cheapsyde in London, at the signe of the Queen e's Majesties' arms, in the house of M. Dericke, goldsmith, servant to the Queene's most excellent Majestie. " God save the Queen. " Imprinted at London, in Paternoster Eowe, by Henrie Bynneman, anno 1567." CHAPTER II. Posies and mottoes — Forcing the subscriptions — Towns and their mottoes — Lottery for armour in 1585 — A Royal lottery at HarefieM in 1602. "IT7E see by this bill that in order that the sub- scribers should be anonymous, their shares were not to be taken in their names ; but, as in some competitions nowadays — notably in archi- tecture — the competitors are only known by their mottoes, so every subscriber to this lottery was to use a devise or posie. Of the posies of this par- ticular lottery one at least remains, and it may be found in Geffrey Whitney's " Choice of Emblemes " (Leyden, 1586), p. 61. " Written, to the like effecte, vppon Video, & taceo Her Maiesties poesie, at the great Lotterie in London begon M.D.LXVIII. and ended M.D.LXIX. I see, and houlde my peace : a Princelie Poesie righte, For euerie faulte, shoulde not provoke, a Prince, or man of mighte. 18 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. For if that lovE shoulde shoote, so oft as men offende, The Poettes sale, his thunderboltes shoulde soon bee at an ende. Then happie wee that haue, a Princesse so inclin'de, That when as iustice drawes hir sworde, hath mercie in her minde, And to declare the same, how prone shee is to save : Her Maiestie did make her choice, this Poesie for to have. Sed piger ad posnas princeps, ad praemia velox : CvAque doles, quoties cogitur esse ferox." In a little black-letter book in the Loxley col- lection, intituled "Prises drawn in the Lottery, from tlie XVI to tbe xxvi day of February," which is considered to relate to this lottery, are very many of these posies, with the names of the persons, etc., whose ventures they represented, the number of the lots, and the prizes they gained, which were, naturally, in most cases under the ten shillings subscribed. " If Fortune be forward my Angell * is gone. But if Fortune be f rendly with encrease it cometh home. " Alice Orewe, London (268,223), Is. Sd." " Cast the grapple over the bote If God wil, for the great lot. " By me Nicholas Martin, free of the Companie of Merchauntes of Exon. (18,236), 5s." * The gold coin so called. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 19 " I woulde be contente with a hundred pounde, In my purse it would give a sounde. " Per Thomas Ohamberlayne, Horsted Teynes, Sussex (1129), Is. 2d:' " Wee put in one lott, poor maydens we be ten : We pray God send us a good lotte, that all we may say, Amen. " Per Dorothie Hawes of Cheapside (44,963), Is. 2d." " God send a good lot for my children and me. Which have had twenty by one wife truly. "Per William Dorghtie de Westholme (195,315), 2s. 3d" " I am a pore maiden and f aine would marry, And the lacke of goods is the cause that I tarry. " Per Sibbel Cleyon (51,832), 2s. Id." " Although I can not wel see, Yet I will venture in the Lottery. " Per Sir Thorn. Woodhouse of Warham (109,608), 2s. Id." " What chaunce to me befal I am content withal. " Sir George Speake of Whitlackington in Somerset- shire, Knight (193,066), 5s. lOd." The highest prize drawn during these ten days seems to have been £16 13s. 3d., and the "devise" or naotto was, " Not covetous." The public generally evidently did not take kindly to this venture, for on September 13, 1567, 20 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. the Lord Mayor foiind it necessary to supplement the foregoing Proclamation of the Queen, of August 23, by one of his own, guaranteeing the honesty of the scheme. "Nowe to avoyde certaine doubtes since the publication of the sayde Lotterie, secretely moved concernyng the answering thereof, wherein though the wiser sort may finde cause to satisfie themselves therin, yet to the satisfaction of the simpler sorte, the Lorde Maior of the sayd Citie, and his brethren the Aldermen of the sayd Citie, by assent of the Common Councell of the same, doe signifie and declare to all people by this proclama- tion that, according to the articles of hir Majesties order conteined in the sayd charte so published, every person shal be duly answered accordyng to the tenour of hir highnesse sayd proclama- tion." Still the public looked askance at it, and the subscriptions came in but slowly ; so the Queen issued another proclamation on January 3, 1568, postponing the drawing, or "reading," as it was called, giving her reasons therefor thus : " For- asmuch as in sundry parts of the realme, the principal persons that were appointed to be the treasurers for the money that shovild be gathered A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIES. 21 in the severall shyres of the realme, had not received their instructions and charge in such due time as was requisite, by reason that upon the first nomination of them, there were, after sundry alterations of some by reason of sicknesse, of others by reason that they were dead aboute the time of their nomination ; and of some others, that after- ward were so otherwise occupied in publike offices, as the said service could not be by them executed, so as of the sayd space of three moneths, there passed over a good part, to the detriment of the adventurers." Yet it did not go off", and, to further stimulate the prosecution of the scheme, the Earl of Leicester and Sir William Cecil, as Lords of the Council, on July 12, 155$, sent a circular "To all and every the Queue's Ma't's Justices of the Peace, Treasurers, and Collectors of the Lottery, and to all Mayors, Sheriffs, Bayliefes, Constables, and to all others her highnes officers, ministers and subjects, spirituall and temporale, as well as w*in corpora- tions, lib'ties, and franchises, as w'out, in the Counties of Kent, Sussex, Surry, Southehampton and the Isle of Wight," apprising them of the appointment of a Surveyor of the Lottery, and 22 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEKIES. enjoining them to do all in their power to get subscribers. This surveyor certainly did put the screw on most unmercifully, visiting and writing to the country gentlemen, giving them " to understonde what waie is devised for a further collection, and for animat- ing or moving the people, desiring you to put the same in practise as sone as possible you may." This certainly did stimulate the subscriptions, and we find by entries in their archives and by their posies that the towns all over England con- tributed municipally. Winchester.—" J nly 30, 1568. Itm. That £3 be taken out of the Coffers of the cytie and be put into the lottrey, and so moche more money as shall make up evyn Lotts w*"^ those that are contrybutory of the cytie, so that it pass'* not 10s." Wells.—" Oct. 15, 1568. At this Convoc'on the M'r and his brethrene w'the the condiscent of all the burgesses, hath fully agreed that ev'y occupacon w'thin the Towne aforesayde shall make their lotts for the Lottery accordynge, as well to the Queene's Ma'ty's p'clamacon as to her p'vy L'res assigned in that behalf." Yarmouth seems to have sent two subscriptions. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS. 23 " To the fifteen founds of the town's money. Yermouth haven, God send thee spede, The Lord he knoweth thy great nede," " To the fifteen pounds collected anbongst the four cmd twenties and the eight- and forties. Yf Yermouth great in Fortune's favour be, The greteste lott may change to fall to me." " Louth linct in love. Lucky be thy lot." In good hope, poor East Greenwiche, God send us to remain, And of some good lotte to have the gaine." " Armouth for a haven is a fit place. And a haven it may be, if it please the Queenes grace." " ' Be meeke in spirite,' per the parish of Southfleete Kent." " Give the best prise, I pray thee, good fortune. Unto the Queene's Majesties towne of Launston." " For the hamlet of Radclife. Mariner, hoist up thy saile. If God sende us a good lot, it may usprevaile." " Topsham is buylded upon a red rydge, I pray God sende a good lot to maintayne the kay and bridge." " Draw Brighthemston a good lot Or else return them a turbot." 24 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. " From Hastings we come, God send us good speed ; Never a poor fisher town in England, Of y" great lot hath more need." All the City Companies subscribed, and, at last, the lottery was drawn, as Holinshed tells us (1569) that "A great lotterie being holden at London in Poules Church yard, at the west dore, was begun to be drawne the eleuenth of Januarie, and continued daie and night till the sixt of Maie, wherein the said drawing was fuUie ended." Let us hope that the ports and havens benefited therefrom. The next lottery of which we have any know- ledge is mentioned by Stowe in his " Annales," under date of 1585. "A lotterie for marvellous rich and beautifuU armor was begunne to be drawne at London in S. Paules Churchyard, at the great West gate (an house of timber and boord being there erected for that purpose) on S. Peters day in^ the morning, which lotterie continued in drawing- day and night, for the space of two or three dayes." In 1602 Queen Elizabeth visited Sir Thomas Egerton, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, at his mansion at Harefield, Middlesex. She had a particular liking for presents, and on the preceding A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS. 25 New Year's Day he had given her an amulet of gold garnished with sparks of rubies, pearls, and half-pearls, and his wife, dame Elizabeth, presented her Majesty with " a round kirtell of velvet satten, cut and embroidered all over like Esses of Venice gold, and a border embroidered like pyramids; and a doublet of silver chamlett, embroidered with pearls like leaves, flourished with silver." He was well aware of her proclivities, for when she paid him this visit, he presented her with a divertisse- ment called " a Lottery." Enter— " A Marriner with a boxe under his arme, eon tayning aU the severall things following, supposed to come from the Carricke,* came into the Presence, singing this Song : — r " Cynthia, Queene of Seas and Lands, That Fortune euery where commands, Send forth Fortune to the Sea, To try her Fortune euery way : There did I Fortune meet, which makes me now to sing. There is no fishing to the Sea, nor service to the King.f * A small merchant vessel. f When Queen Elizabeth visited Cowdray, in Aiigust, 1591, whilst walking in the garden, a pseudo-angler met her, and made a long speech, in the course of which he said, " Madame, it is an olde saying, ' There is no fishing to the sea, nor service to the King ; ' but it holdes when the sea is calme, and the King vertiious." 26 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. " All the Nymphes of Thetis' traine, Did Ointhia's Fortune entertaine : Many a lewell, many a lem, Was to her Fortune brought by them. Her Fortune sped so well, as makes me now to sing, There is no fishing to the Sea, nor service to the King. " Fortune, that it might be seene That she did serue a Royall Queene ; A franke and royall hand did beare. And cast her favors euery where. Some toyes f el to my share ; which makes me now to sing, There is no fishing to the Sea, nor service to the King." " And tlie Song ended, lie uttered tMs short speech : God save you, faire Ladies all ; and for my part, if ever I be brought to answere my sinnes God forgive me my sharking, and lay usury to my charge. I am a Marriner, and am now come from the sea, where I had the Fortune to light upon these few trifles. I must confesse I came but lightly by them ; but I no sooner had them, but I made a vow, that as they came to my hands by Fortune, so I would not part with them but by Fortune. To that end I ever since carried these Lots about me, that, if I met with fit company, I might devide my booty among them. And now (I thanke my good Fortunes) I am lighted into the best company of the world, a company of the A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 27 fairest Ladyes that ever I saw. Come, Ladyes, try your Fortunes; and if any light vpon an vnfortunate Blanke, let her thinke that Fortune doth but mock her in these trifles, and meanes to pleasure her in greater matters." There were thirty-three lots, of which five were blanks, and the "Marriner" had an appropriate couplet to say to all. The prizes were as follow : — 1, Fortune's "Wheel (?) ; 2, a Purse ; 3, a Maske ; * 4, a Looking Glasse ; 5, a Hand-kerchiefe ; 6, a Plaine Ring; 7, a Ring with this posie : ''As faithfull as I finde ; " 8, a Paire of Gloves ; 9, a Dozen of Points ; t 10, a Lace; 11, a Paire of Knives; 12, a Girdle; 13, a Payre of Writing Tables; 14, a Payre of Garters; 15, a Coyfe J and Crosse Cloath;§ 16, a Falling Band; 17, a Stomacher; 18, a Paire of Sizzers ; 19, a Chaine ; 20, a Praier Book ; 21, a Snuftkin ; || 22, a Fanne ; 23, a Paire of Bracelets; 24, a Bodkin; 25, a Necklace ; 26, a Cushinet ; IF 27, a Dyall ; 28, a Nutmeg with a blanke parchment in it.** * Used instead of a veil when in the open air. t Staylaces. J A lady's head-dress. § To wrap round the head or bosom. II A small muff. % A pin-oushion. ** Davison's " Poems." London, 1621. CHAPTEE III. The Virginia lottery of 1612— Private lottery— Licence for lottery to supply London with water — Two otlaer scliemes — Lottery in beliaK of fisMng vessels — Irish. Land Lottery — One for redeeming English slaves — One for poor maimed soldiers — Gambling lottery, concession for—" Royal Oak " Lottery— Evils of lotteries—" Royal Fishing Company " Lottery — Patentees. TIHE nest public lottery of whicli we hear was that of 1612, when " the King's maiestie in speciall favor for the present plantation of English Colonies in Virginia, granted a liberall Lottery, in which was contained five thousand pound in prizes certayne, besides rewardes of casualitie, and began to be drawne, in a new built house at the West end of Fmd's the 29th of June, 1612. But of which Lottery, for want of filling uppe the number of lots, there were then taken out and thro^\Tie away threescore thousande blanckes, without abating of any one prize ; and by the twentith of July all was drawne and finished. This Lottery was so plainely carryed, and honestly performed, that it A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 29 gave full satisfaetion. to all persons. Thomas SharpUffe, a Taylor, of London, had the chiefe prize, viz. foure thousand Crownes in fayre plate, which was sent to his house in very stately manner : during the whole tyme of the drawing of this lottery there were alwaies present diuers worshipfuU Knights and Esquiers, accompanied with sundry graue discreet Cittizens." In 1612, one Cornelius Drebbel wrote a letter in Latin to Prince Henry, complaining that the Lord Mayor had refused him permission to hold a lottery ; that he had no other means of subsistence, and he begged the Prince to use his influence with the Lord Treasurer (Salisbury) for leave to have one beyond the jurisdiction of the city. He also wrote to the Lord Treasurer, enclosing a scheme of the proposed conditions of his lottery. In 1620 the holding of lotteries was suspended by Order in Council; but on March 31, 1627, a licence was given to Michael Parker and Everard Mainwaring to raise money by means of a lottery, to be employed in carrying out the object indicated in the grant of same date to Sir Nicholas Saunder, Henry Saunder, and Michael Parker, which gave them power to convey water by a covered aqueduct 30 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEBIES. from certain springs near Hoddesdon, in co. Herts, and to disperse the same through the streets and houses, paying to the Crown a rent of £4000 per annum. And again, on February 11, 1831, Parker and Mainwaring obtained a licence to set forth lotteries for raising money for bringing springs of water to London. It is said, though I can find no warrant for it, that the first lottery with money prizes was drawn in 1630. There was another scheme for bringing water to London, for in 1637 the Eegent and Professors of the MusGBum Minerva) petitioned the King for money, and proposed several schemes for raising the same, the third of them being, " By the Lottery granted to George Gage and others for bringing a river to London, much money was collected, but, the undertaking failing, the money remains in deposito, to be disposed to Sir Edward Peyto and Colonel Hambleton upon the like project. It is proposed that either this money be employed for the building of an academy, or that another lottery may be granted for that purpose." Yet another water scheme. " Jan. 14, 1689. Warrant to pass the Privy Seal appointing Sir Robert Pointz, K.B., and Edward Rudge, A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS. 31 alderman of London, for the just carriage and managing of the lottery authorized by the King for the use of the aqueduct undertaken by Sir Edward Stradling, Sir "Walter Eoberts and others." On February 9, 1640, the Earl of Pembroke sent a remonstrance to the King about the damage the "Dunkirkers and other subjects of the King of Spain " had done to the English busses, or fishing vessels, and suggesting that " towards the cost of setting out their busses the next summer, they pray a grant of a standing lottery, as the Virginia Company had in 1612, to be managed by the most discreet of their association ; " and this his Majesty, Charles I., was graciously pleased to grant. In 1653, according to the Perfect Account of the Daily Intelligence, November 23 of that year, a lottery was held, and this is the " Advertisement At the Committee for Claims for Lands in Ireland. Ordered, That a Lottery be at Grocers Hall, London, on Thursday, 15 Decern. 1653, both for Provinces and Counties, to begin at 8 of the clock in the forenoon of the same day; and all 32 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. persons concerned therein are to take notice thereof. "' There was a lottery scheme August 7, 1660, which was granted. "The Petition of Capt. Thomas Gardiner to the King, to empower him to hold a lottery in England and Wales for three years, for ransom of English slaves in Tunis, Algiers, or the Turkish galleys, or for any other charitable use, paying in a third of the profits, and reserving the rest for his expenses, and repair of his fortunes, ruined by loyalty." In November, 1660, Captain William Pleydell petitioned " for leave to sell by lottery, during one year, some plate which he and others have procured, in order to gain relief for himself, and to obtain £10 each per annum for 12 poor maimed soldiers, named, of Lord Cottington's life-guard, who live by begging in the street." This was a comparatively worthy object, although the "relief for himself" might be capable of a very broad construction ; but Charles 11. was liberal in his concessions. There was one man, Francis, or Francisco, Corbett who was groom of the Privy Chambers to the Queen, who obtained A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 33 a licence for a gambling lottery — possibly some- thing like roulette at Monte Carlo, called L'Ocha di Catalonia. On November 23, 1661, an order was made forbidding a lottery carried on by Francisco Finochelli, as being the same with the L'Ocha di Catalonia, for which the sole licence was granted to Francisco Corbett, of whom we shall hear more ; but it is best to proceed chronologically, if possible. "We next hear of him in connection with the famous "Eoyal Oak Lottery," for_ on August 25, 1663, when a licence was granted to Captain James Eoche, Adjutant of the Guards, and Francis Corbett to set up and exercise the lotteries of the Royal Oak and Queen's Nosegay, in any place in England and Wales ; none else to set up the same, or any lottery that approaches it, except Sir Anthony Des Marces, Bart., and Lawrence Dupuy, to whom a similar licence has already been granted. Mean- ' while, Corbett and Finochelli had become partners, as -ke see by the docket on the memorial of August 28 of same year, of one Simon Marcelli, of money transactions between Captain Eoche, Francis Cor- bett, and Jean Francisco Finochelli, relative to the lottery of the Eoyal Oak set up at Smithfield Fair. 34 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. Captain Eoche furnished £95, on condition of not giving the company the patent till repaid ; but, the sum being paid, he gave up the patent. Corbett must have found the lotteries profitable, for on December 3 of the same year, a grant was made to Francis Corbett of licence to set up lotteries of a new invention, called the Eoyal Oak and Triomfo Imperiale, in any city in the kingdom, permitting no others to exercise the same except Sir Anthony Des Marces, Lawrence Dupuy, and Captain James Eoche, to whom a similar privilege is given, on paying five shillings weekly to the poor where the lotteries are. But as soon as he got the concession, Corbett seems to have sold out ; for there is a petition of Sir Anthony Des Marces, Bart., Lawrence Dupuy, and Eichard Baddeley, for a licence to exercise the lottery of the Eoyal Oak and all others in England, Wales, and Ireland, as they had purchased the other partners' interests, spent large sums of money thereon, and were checked in the exercise of them. Yet, still later on in the same month, in order to obtain this licence, they had to sign an indenture by which they agreed to pay a certain sum yearly to Sir John Crosland and Captain Edward Bennett, in A niSTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 35 consideration, of the services of Secretary Bennet in procuring for them the licence. On that indenture being signed came at once, the warrant for them to set up the lotteries of the Eoyal Oak and L'Occa di Catalonia, applying the whole profits to support the fishing trade only, the patentees receiving Jit recompense for their trouble. So that we see that there were small " Panama scandals " in those days. Indeed, this lottery seems to have been a swindle ; for, in a letter, January 6, 1664, from Nathaniel Cale, who had been Mayor of Bristol, to Joseph Williamson, secretary to Sir Henry Bennet, and afterwards keeper of State Papers, he says he " will forward any lottery at the Bristol fair, except the Eoyal Oak, which broke half the cashiers in Bristol, when last there." Yet, on the 11th of the same month, he writes to the same that he has prevailed with the Mayor, Sir John Knight, to allow the Eoyal Oak Lottery during the eight days of the fair ; and, perhaps, the leave may be extended. But he has a pre- judice against it ; for, at its last being there, " many young men ruined themselves, and his own son lost £50. The sequel to this story is told later on. On 36 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. February 14, 1664, Sir John Knight wrote to Williamson that he had received his letters in behalf of the Eoyal Oak Lottery men, who have spent three weeks there. Last year they were there five months, and the cry of the poor sort of people was great against them, because, not being allowed by the great seal, they were clear against law. Will tolerate them some longer, but thinks they will soon be warped out. Nathaniel Gale writes that the Mayor has granted fourteen days to the Eoyal Oak, and then will grant more. It would be impossible to close the notice of this lottery without quoting from a very rare little 12mo book,* as it gives us the inner life of the scheme ; and, besides, is amusing. The indictment, as the wont of such documents, is cumbrous and heavy, and was terrible. The first witness called was Captain Pasthope, who was examined by one of the managers. "Man. Sir, do you know Squire Lottery, the prisoner at the Bar ? " Pasthope. Yes, I have known him intimately * " The Arraignment, Trial, and Condemnation of Squire Lottery, alias Eoyal Oak Lottery." London, 1699. A HISTOBY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 37 for near 40 years; ever since the Eestoration of King Charles. " Man. Pray, will you give the Bench and Jury an Account of what you know of him ; how he came into England, and how he has behav'd ever since ? " Pastliope. In order to make my Evidence more plain, I hope it will not be judg'd much out of form, to premise two or three things. " Man. Take your own method to explain your- self; we must not abridge or direct you in any respect. '^ " Pasthope. In the year 60 and 61, among a great many poor Cavaliers, 'twas my hard fate to be driven to Court for a Subsistence, where I continued in a neglected state, painfully waiting the moving of the waters for several months ; when, at last, a Eumour was spread that a certain Stranger was landed in England ; that, in all probability, if we could get him the Sanction of a Patent, would be a good Friend to us. "Man. You seem to intimate as if he was a Stranger; pray, do you know what Countryman he was 1 " Fasthope. The report of his Country was very 38 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. different; some would have him a Walloon, somft- a Dutchman, some a Venetian, and others, a Frenchman ; indeed, by his Policy, cunning Design, Forethought, etc., I am very well satisfied he could be no Englishman. " Man. What kind of Credentials did he bring- with him to recommend him with so much advantage ? " Pasthope. Why, he cunningly took upon him the Character of a Royal Oak Lottery, and pre- tended a mighty friendship to antiquated Loyalists ;■, but, for all that, there were those at Court that knew he had been banish'd out of several Countries for disorderly Practices, till at last he pitch'd upon poor easy credulous England for his Refuge. " Man. You say, then, he was a Foreigner, that he came in with the Eestoration, usurp'd the Title of a Royal Oak, was establish'd in Friendship to the Cavaliers, and that for disorderly Practices he had been banish'd out of several Countries ; till, at last, he was forc'd to fix upon England as the fittest Asylum. But, pray, Sir, how came you so intimately acquainted with him at first "? " Pasthope. I was about to tell you. In order to manage his Affairs, it was thought requisite he A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 39 slioiild be provided with several Coadjutors, wlucli were to be dignify'd with the Character of Patentees ; amongst which number, by the Iielp of a friendly Courtier, I was admitted for one. " Man. Oh ! then I find you was a Patentee. Pray, how long did you continue in your Patentee's Post 1 and what were the Eeasons that urg'd you to quit it at last ? " PastJiope. I kept my Patentee's Station nine years, in which time I had clear'd £4000, and then, upon some Uneasiness and Dislike, I sold it for £700." Francisco Corbett seems to have regretted the sale of his portion of this lucrative lottery, for, in 1663, he petitioned for a share, at least, in the lottery granted him by his Majesty, of which he was deprived by the interposition of others during his late absence ; also for restoration to his place as groom of the Privy Chambers to the Queen, into which another had intruded, and for payment of some part of a pension promised him by his Majesty. We hear of him once more in a petition to the King written in Italian, probably in 1&64, in which he said he was ill, on his journey to Paris, and too ill on his arrival to see Madame. His 40 A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. Majesty promised him favour, if, owing to the impediments that Sir Henry Bennet makes to his game, he cannot profit by his promised letter of change. Had received no profit, and failed to obtain the money he hoped for in Paris, and begged that he might return to throw himself at his Majesty's feet ; but what became of him, I do not know. That these lotteries were an acknowledged evil is well shown by the Domestic State Papers. Take, for instance, "July 11, 1663.— The King to the Mayor, Sherifis, etc., of Norwich. Is informed of the ill consequences resulting from the frequency of lotteries, puppet-shows, etc., whereby the meaner sort of people are diverted from their work. Empowers him and his successors, magistrates of the city, to determine the length of stay of such shows in the city, notwithstanding any licences from his Majesty, or the Master of Eevels." In 1664 this permission was relaxed, for Secretary Bennet wrote to the Mayor of Norwich, that, although the King had given authority to the magistrates of that town to allow or disallow the keeping of shows, games, and lotteries, in order to avoid abuses happening by their licentious A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 41 exercise ; but now he signified his pleasure that no lotteries are to be allowed, except as appointed by Sir Anthony Des Marces, to whom the management of the same is granted for the benefit of the Eoyal Fishing Company, Yet we find Court favour superseding this arrange- ment, for the same year a warrant was made out for a licence to Thomas Killigrew to set up a lottery for three years, after the expiration of the three years' lottery granted to the Royal Fishing Company, called the Pricking Book Lottery, on rental of £50, to be paid to the said company. But Killigrew could not wait, and wrote ofiering £600 at once, or £650 in two payments, for the Pricking Book Lottery, of which Sir Anthony Des Marces had the power of disposal, and suggested that it was about the best offer he could expect. However, there were others in the field hanker- ing after this profitable gamble, for there is a letter from some person unknown to Killigrew, asking him to prevail with Sir Henry Bennet that some friends may have liberty from Sir Anthony Des Marces and Co, to use the Pricking Lottery, paying £200 a year as long as Sir Anthony has the management of it ; which, excepting £100 42 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. fine, is as much as the Fishing Commissioners ever offered. The reasons why they offered no more were — that there were never more than, eight- lotteries in England, and they were licensed by the Master of the Eevels, and let at such rent as from £25 to £30 a year. Another person offered to give Sir Anthony £1000 for the reversion of the two unexpired terms in the lottery. I fancy all this lusting after the profits of lotteries was noticed in high places, for there is a proclamation dated from Whitehall, July 21, 1665, forbidding any persons to use or exercise lotteries in Great Britain or Ireland, except Sir Anthony Des Marces, Louis Marquis de Duras, Joseph Williamson, Lawrence Dupuy, and Eichard Baddeley, to whom the sole right of managing them is granted, in order to raise a stock for, the Eoyal Fishing Company. But Sir Anthony was not content with this concession. He petitioned in 1666, together with his partners, for a grant for seven years of all lotteries in Scotland, and the foreign plantations. It seems possible that the interests of these patentees, or monopolists, was sold; for, on February 25, 1667, the Marquis of Blanquefort and George Hamilton petitioned the A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 43- King for the sole licence of holding lotteries in his Majesty's dominions, giving as a reason that the Royal Company to whom it was granted, in 1664, for three years now expired, were indifferent to the renewal of their licence. And this must evidently have been arranged, for, on the same date, a warrant was issued giving them the sole licence of all sorts of lotteries in the kingdom of England and Ireland and the plantations for seven years. CHAPTER IV. A book lottery — One for poor military officers — Lottery for Prince Rupert's jewels — A penny lottery — First State lottery — Anotlier in 1697 — Private lotteries suppressed ^^State lottery in 1710 — Curious history of a private lottery — State lotteries in the reigns of Anne and George I. — Private lotteries again suppressed — Raine's Charity — Marriage by lottery. T/^ERY numerous were the unfortunate Cavaliers who had been ruined by supporting the Royal -cause, and who could get no compensation from the Government. To help them, some asked to get rid of their plate, etc., by lottery, as we have seen in 1660, and, for their assistance, in 1668 a book lottery was established. In the Gazette ■of May 1 8 of that year is the following advertise- ment : — " Mr. Ogilby's lottery of books opens on Monday, the 25th instant, at the Old Theatre between Lincoln's Inn Fields and Vere Street, where all persons concerned may repair on Monday, May 18, and see the volumes, and put in their money." On May 25 is announced, "Mr. Ogilby's A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 45' lottery of books (adventures coming in so fast that they cannot, in so short a time, be methodically registered) opens not till Tuesday, the 2nd of June ; then not failing to draw, at the Old Theatre," etc. Letters patent, in behalf of the Loyalists, were from time to time renewed, and from the Gazette of October 11, 1675, it appears, by those dated June 19 and December IV, 1764, there were granted, for thirteen years to come, " all lotteries whatsoever, invented, or to be invented, to several truly loyal and indigent officers, in consideration of their many faithful services and sufferings, with prohibition to all others to use or set up the said lotteries," unless deputation were obtained from those officers. Prince Eupert died November 29, 1682, and his jewels were to be disposed of by means of a lottery, but the public had been so cheated by previous schemes, that they would not subscribe unless the King consented to see that all was fair, and that Francis Child, the goldsmith (or banker) at Temple Bar, should be trustee on their behalf. The London Gazette, September 27 — October 1, 1683, has the following notice of this lottery : " These are to give Notice, that the Jewels of his late Highness Prince Eupert, have been particularly^ 46 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES, valued and appraised by Mr. Isaac Legouch, Mr, Christopher Rosse, and Mr. Richard Beauvoir, Jewellers, the whole amounting to Twenty Thousand Pounds, and will be sold by way of Lottery, each Lot to be Five Pounds. The biggest Prize wUl be a great Pearl Necklace valued at £8000, and none less than £100. A printed Particular of the said Appraisement, with their Division into Lots, will be delivered gratis by Mr. Francis Child, Gold- smith, at Temple-bar, London, into whose hands, such as are willing to be Adventurers, are desired to pay their Money, on or about the first day of November next. As soon as the whole sum is paid in, a short day will be appointed (which 'tis hoped will be before Christmas) and notified in the Gazette, for the Drawing thereof, which will be done in His Majesties Presence, who is pleased to declare, that he himself will see all the Prizes put in amongst the Blanks, and that the whole shall be managed with all Equity and Fairness ; nothing being intended but the Sale of the said Jewels at a moderate Value. And it is further notified for the satisfaction of all such as shall be Adventurers, that the said Mr. Child shall and will stand •obliged to each of them for their several Adventures, A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIES. 47 till the said Lottery be drawn. And that each Adventurer shall receive their Money back, if the said Lottery be not drawn and finished before the first day of February next." There are three other notices of this lottery, one of which {London Gazette, November 22-26, 1G83) tells us the modus operandi of its drawing. " As soon as the Money is all come in, a day will be prefixed, and published for the drawing thereof, as has been formerly notified. In the morning of which day His Majesty will be pleased, publickly, in the Banquetting- House to see the Blanks told over, that they may not exceed their Number, and to read the Papers (which shall be exactly the same size with the Blanks) on which the Prizes are to be written ; which, being rolled up in his presence, \ His Majesty will mix amongst the Blanks, as may filso any of the Adventurers there present, that shall desire it. This being done, a Child appointed by His Majesty, or the Adventurers, shall, out of the Mass of Lots so mixed, take out the number that each Person adventures for, and put them into boxes, (which shall be provided on purpose) on the covers whereof, each Adventurer's Name shall be written with the number of Lots He or She 48 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. adventures for ; the Boxes to be filled in succession as the Moneys was paid in. As soon as all the Lots are thus distributed, they shall be opened as fast as may be, and the Prizes then and there delivered to those that win them ; all which, 'tis hoped, will be done and finished in one day." I cannot find whether this lottery was ever drawn. Perhaps the smallest sum ever adventured in a regular lottery was a penny, which was drawn at the Dorset Garden Theatre, near Salisbury Square, Fleet Street, on October 19, 1698, with a capital prize of a thousand pounds. There was a metrical pamphlet (price threepence) published thereon in the same year, entitled " The Wheel of Fortune ; or. Nothing for a Penny," etc., "written by a Person who was cursed Mad he had not the Thousand Pound Lot." He thus describes the drawing — " So a Lord of high Title and Birth, First vow'd he was just, And in, Sirs, he thrust The Tickets, which caus'd mighty mirth. Those who were before sad, Look'd jocund and glad, Not doubting but right would be done ; Since a Peer who laid claim To Honour and Fame, Swore that all should be paid that was won. How to get Married DEAR Madam, atyoQrfecl 1 bow A very humble «n&iO , Be ifina enough to tell m« h*« Your haod ud bevt to gam Gtiod Sir, jrou need oot bead m low : But pny attend to me : My hetTt to gam, jrou'll pleaie to kao« There are conditwoa three I'm all attfntioD. prav proceed For be they what lne> will, ri) fly oa wings of liEhtjiiDg apeed, Yourpleaiure to fiufi) Fint, yoa muit love me warm aod tniL Yo'jr love by actions prove, Aod next, tio rival muat I view I Gcotn diTided )oye Both ^hne conditions, lovely ftlr, I can Willi eaie fulfil ; Tba ih*rd condition now declare, And ihew me all yoar wiU. Cut, you'll obKrvc'lbal in «y b^dd 1 Twtuty Thanaand bold i That auA^yon likewise must cowuiMmd X«n wkJuwt wealth ii cold a.laa ! then there'* ao hope, that you i4ay, dun't deauair, man, tro *a Bl^Sd , Will bleu taa«.wiih jrtmr hand , A iiotterv Ticket buy , for'tbou^h my lient ta warn#aiul tntt. And he periiapi may crowa yon iruh. No wealth can I coaanand At all ev«nts, I'd try The fair'* adrke the lover took, ATicket beobtaiD'd, aad by consulttnj Fortaoe'i book. \ 'Tuemy TbouaaQd gain d. Join^j) heart and baad to Bymen'sciiam. Nobounds their pleacnivknew , Be wiae like htm, and you may pun A w^Ce nSd foilase too A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 49 For tho' we all knew Twas certain and true, That the Tickets should all be drawn out, Yet some were afraid They would never be paid. And, at what time they will's, yet a doubt.' But not long after this, the State began to see what a profitable business lottery -keeping was, and applied it to its own purpose. In 1694, by Act of Parliament (5 Will, and Mary, c. 7), a loan of £1,000,000 was authorized to be raised by lottery in shares of £10 each, the contributors being entitled to annuities for sixteen years from September 29, 1694, charged on a yearly fund of £140,000, appropriated out of certain salt and beer duties named in the Act. Holders of the blanks received 10 per cent, on every share, and 2500 fortunate ticket-holders a larger payment ; of which the principal prize was £1000 a year. The contributors were allowed 14 per cent, for prompt payment from the day of payment to September 29, 1694. In 1697 (8 WiU. III. c. 22) a loan of £1,400,000 was authorized to be raised by a lottery of 140,000 tickets of £10 each. Of these, 3500 were to be prizes of from £10 to £1000 ; the holders of E 50 A HISTORY OF BNaLISH LOTTEEIBS. 136,500 blanks, and of 2800, £10 prizes, were to receive back £10 with interest from June 24, 1697, at the rate of ^d. per day {i.e. 2J per cent, per day, or £3 16s. Ojd. percent, per annum) until the whole was paid. Then came a virtuous wave, and by 10 and 11 Will. III. c. 17 lotteries were suppressed after December 29, 1699, the preamble to which Act sets forth that, " Whereas several evil-disposed persons, for divers years past, have set up many mischievous and unlawful games, called lotteries, not only in the Cities of London and Westminster, and in the suburbs thereof, and places adjoining, but in most of the eminent towns and places in England, and in the Dominion of Wales, and have thereby most unjustly and fraudulently got to themselves great sums of money from the children and servants of several gentlemen, traders and merchants, and from other unwary persons, to the utter ruin and impoverishment of many families, and to the reproach of the English laws and government, by cover of several patents or grants under the great seal of England for the said lotteries, or some of them ; which said grants or patents are against the common good, trade, welfare and peace of His A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 51 Majesty's kingdoms : for remedy whereof be it enacted, adjudged and declared, and it is hereby enacted, adjudged and declared by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That all such lotteries, and all other lotteries, are common and publick nuisances, and that all grants, patents and licences for siich lotteries, or any other lotteries, are void and against law." But this show of virtue only lasted a very short time, for in 1710 (8 Anne, c. 4) a loan of £1,500,000 was negotiated by means of a lottery — of ^£1 50,000 tickets at £10 each, every ticket-holder becoming entitled to an annuity for thirty-two years, the blanks to 14*. per annum, and the prizes to greater annuities, from £5 to £1000 per annum. Previous to this there was a private lottery, the story of which Hutchins tells in his " History of the County of Dorset."* The Sydenham here spoken of was the nephew of the celebrated Thomas Sydenham, M.D., who adopted the cool treatment in small-pox, and used quinine (or bark, as it was * Ed. 1864, vol. ii. p. 706. 52 A HISTORY OF ENQLISH LOTTERIES. then called) and laudanum in agues. "This manor and farm continued in the Sydenhams, till William Sydenham, the last of the family, esquire of the body to King William III, and the last that held that office, put up his estate at a private lottery. It was generally supposed that there was some trick designed ; for it was contrived, or at least hoped, that the fortunate ticket would fall to the share of a confidant in the family, who they imagined would have been prevailed upon to return the estate upon a small consideration. That ticket happened to be hers ; but, to their great disappointment, she immediately married Doyly Michel, Esq. But, it being necessary that Mr. Sydenham and his two daughters should make a formal surrender of the estate to the vendee, on their refusal they were committed to Dorchester prison about IT 09, where they ended their days." In 1711 there were two State Lotteries. The first (9 Anne, c. 6) was for a loan of £1,500,000 by the sale of 150,000 lottery tickets at £10 each ; the whole money to be repaid, both on blanks and prizes, in thirty-two years, with interest at 6 per cent, per annum, payable half-yearly ; and the additional sum of £428,570 to be divided amongst the A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS. 53 prizes, and paid with the same interest in thirty- two years. The second (9 Anne, c. 23) was a loan of £2,000,000, by the sale of 20,000 lottery tickets at £100 each, divided into five classes with the chance of receiving from £10 to £135, according to the class drawn, with interest at 6 per cent, until paid off. This lottery consisted of all prizes, these being formed by dividing an additional sum of £602,200 among the subscribers, those in the lowest class obtaining a profit of £10. There were also two in 1 7 1 2. One (10 Anne, c. 1 9 ) was a loan of £1,800,000 by the sale of 180,000 tickets at £10 each ; the whole sum advanced, with an additional capital of £541,740, to be repaid in thirty-two years, with interest at 6 per cent., payable half-yearly. The other (10 Anne, c. 26) was for the same amount, only they were to be £100 tickets divided into five classes, with an additional capital of £541,990, to be repaid with interest at 6 per cent, in thirty-two years. Next year, 1713 (12 Anne, stat. I. c. 11), there was a comparatively small lottery of half a million, granted to discharge the debt and arrears of the civil list, raised by the sale of 50,000 lottery tickets at £10 each ; the whole sum, with 54 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. an additional capital of £133,010, to be repaid with interest at 4 per cent, in thirty-two years. In the last year of the reign of Queen Anne, 1714 (12 Anne, stat. II. c. 9), a loan was negotiated of £1,400,000, by means of 140,000 lottery tickets at £10 each, the blanks to have their whole money repaid, with interest at 5 per cent, in thirty-two years, and the prizes to be formed by an additional capital of £476,400 ; the whole capital of the prizes to bear 4 per cent, interest. Whether Jacobite trouble was the cause or not, there was no State lottery until 1719. But private lotteries seem to have been to the fore, so much so that in 1718 they were again made Ulegal by Act of Parliament (5 Geo. I. e. 9, s. 43), whereby a fine of £100 could be inflicted on the trans- gressors, but the Act was a dead letter. In 1719 two State lotteries were launched (5 Geo. I. c. 3), both for the same amount, and under similar conditions, except that the first was to bear interest at 4 per cent, until redeemed by Parlia- ment, and the second was to be paid at the expira- tion of thirty-two years. They were each for half a million, to cover which, 168,665 tickets of £3 each were issued, making a total of £505,995, A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 55 the excess over the half-million being taken for the expenses of the lottery. In 1719 was instituted a very curious lottery, which exists to this day, and is thoroughly legal. It is no less than a marriage portion given by lottery every year to a girl who has been brought up in Raine's School, in the parish of St. George- in-the-East, London. I take the following news- paper cutting, which, though not dated, the occurrence it narrates must have taken place between 1842 and 1862, during the time the Eev. Bryan King was rector, " Wednesday, being the first of May, a most interesting ceremony took place connected with the asylum and schools founded in 1719 by Mr. Henry Eaine, formerly a brewer, near Parson's Island, Wapping. This gentleman, having amassed a princely fortune, endowed, by deed of gift, the above charity. There are vested in trustees, formed into a corporation, a perpetual annuity of £240 a year, and the sum of £4000, which is laid out in a purchase. The charity combines two objects. It provides for the scriptural education of fifty boys and fifty girls ; and in the asylum provision is made for forty other girls, who are taught needle and house 56 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTBEIBS. work, in order to qualify tliem for service, to which they are put when they have been put upon the foundation three or four years. During the whole of this time they are entirely maintained ; and, after the age of twenty-two years, six of them, producing certificates of their good behaviour during their servitude, and continuing unmarried, and members of the Episcopal Church of England, draw twice a year for a marriage portion of £100, to settle them in the world, with such honest and industrious persons as the majority of the trustees shall approve of, " The bridegrooms must belong to the parish of St. George-in-the-East, St. John, Wapping, or St. Paul, Shadwell, and be members of the Church of England. " On Wednesday morning, at nine o'clock, Sarah Salmon and Mary Ann Pitman were married in consonance with the terms of the will ; after which the whole of the trustees and children of both establishments attended Divine Service. The pro- cession to and from the church was most orderly, and thousands assembled to witness the interesting scene. Immediately after the return of the governors and children to the asylum, the process of 'drawing' took place. There were four can- A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 57 didates, and four pieces of paper being rolled up by the governors, three of which were blanks, were dropped into a wide-necked tea-canister, and shaken well together. After a hymn had been sung, each candidate was taken by the arm by a governor, and led to the drawing. Having taken out one roll each, they were led to the opposite end of the room. The rector, the Eev. B. King, then desired each of them to open their tickets, and the prize of £100 was discovered to be in the possession of Jane McCormack. The successful candidate was then addressed in a most touching manner by the rector, and exhorted to seek a partner for life who would strive to make her happy by his affection, and keep her comfortable by his industry. Those who were unsuccessful, he also addressed with much earnestness and feeling, bidding them not despair, as they would have the opportunity of trying again. To witness this part of the ceremony, not fewer than a thousand persons were present, in- cluding the principal families in the neighbourhood, and a great number of ladies." Since the above was written, this charity has been revised, and, by the scheme of January 26, 1886, the governors are empowered to set apart 68 A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. the yearly sum of £105 out of tlie income of the foundation, to provide marriage portions, according to the will of the founder ; but they may, in any year, intermit the payment of any marriage portion, and they may, at any time, by resolution, altogether abolish the payment of marriage portions, and devote the money to educational purposes under the scheme. CHAPTER V. Penalties on private lotteries — State lottery not subscribed for — ^Lapse in State lotteries — Private lotteries — Westminster Bridge lottery — State lotteries — Discredit thrown on tbem — Britisli Museum lottery — Lebeup's fraud. /^NCE more came a wave of virtue against private lotteries, and in 1721, by the 36th sec. of 8 Geo, I. c. 2, was prescribed a penalty of £500 for carrying on such lotteries, in addition to any penalties inflicted by any former Acts; the offender being committed to prison for one year, and thenceforward until such times as the i6500 should be fully paid and satisfied. Yet the Government themselves, the very same year, brought out a lottery to raise £700,000 by 70,000 tickets at £10 each; 6998 prizes from £10,000 to £20 ; 63,002 blanks at £8 each, about nine blanks to a prize, paid soon after being drawn. And there were lotteries for the same amount and on the same terms in 1722, 1723, and 1724. After that a curious thing in the history of 60 A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTBBIBS. lotteries happened, the reason whereof may be that the offer was not sufficiently tempting. In 1726 a lottery was launched for raising a million, by 100,000 tickets at £10 each, the prizes to be made stock at 3 per cent. But 11,093 of these tickets were returned into the Exchequer unsold, and drawn in prizes and blanks only £103,272 10s., whereby £7657 10s. was lost to the Exchequer. This may probably account for there being no other State lottery till 1731 (4 Geo. 11. c. 9), when £800,000 was raised by 80,000 tickets of £10 each, the blanks being entitled to &7 10s. each, and the whole bearing interest at 3 per cent. This capital was merged (25 Geo. 11. c. 27) into the Consolidated Three per Cents., and this course of converting into stock, instead of paying the money, was adopted in many subsequent lotteries. Once more they were prohibited by legislation, for " An Act for the more effectual preventing of excessive and deceitful gaming" was passed in 1739 (12 Geo. II. c. 28), the first section of which dealt with private lotteries. Yet the Government acted on Shakespeare's dictum — " That in the Captain's but a cholerick word — Which in the soldier is flat blasphemy ; " A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 61 and, as we shall see, kept lotteries to themselves, whilst condemning them as sinful in the hands of private speculators — which was perhaps necessary, as in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1739, p. 329, I find a private lottery for £325,000, in which there were two prizes of £10,000 each (and in number 16,310), down to £10, whilst there were 48,690 blanks. "The State Lottery." This was a lottery drawn between December 10, 1739, and January 25, 1740, for building the first bridge over the Thames, in lieu of the old Horse- ferry — 12,500 tickets at £5 each, not more than three blanks to a prize. It really was drawn at Stationers' Hall, but there is no doubt but that the illustration is meant for the Guildhall. Below the design are the following verses, which show the valuation put upon the lottery even then : — " The Name of a Lott'ry the Nature bewitches. And City and Country run Mad after Riches : My Lord, who, already, has Thousands a Year, Thinks to double his Income by vent'ring it here : The Country Squire dips his Houses and Grounds, For tickets to gain him the Ten Thousand Pounds : The rosie-jowl'd Doctor his Eectorie leaves, In quest of a Prize, to procure him Lawn Sleeves. 62 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. The Tradesman, whom Duns for their Mony importune, Here hazards his All, for th' Advance of his Fortune : The Footman resolves, if he meets no Disaster, To mount his gilt Chariot, and vie with his Master. The Cook Maid determines, by one lucky Hit, To free her fair Hands from the Pot-hooks and Spit : The Chamber-maid struts in her Ladies Cast Gown, And hopes to be dub'd the Top Toast of the Town : But Fortune, alas ! will have small Share of Thanks, When all their high Wishes are bury'd in Blanks. For tho' they for Benefits eagerly watch' d. They reckon'd their Chickens before they were hatch'd." "The Lottery." This has connection with the same lottery, but a description would be too long for these pages, so I only quote the three concluding lines of the verses under the engraving, to show how, in the height of its folly, they could moralize on the lottery — " To Knaves and Fools the Wheels turn round ; The various kinds do come and go With five to one 'tis Thro' Bridge Ho." * "The Lottery; or. The Characters of several in genious, designing Gentlewomen, that have put into it. A Noted lottery Pachter." f * Shooting the arches of London Bridge at high tide was always a dangerous experiment, t Factor — a dedler, maker of bargains. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 63 This was probably intended as a satire upon Cox, who kept a lottery office near the Royal Exchange, and was a bookseller, which is shown in his portrait (a very fat man, with his coat buttoned all down, and a sash round his body), where in his sash is stuck a book, marked " Book Sold." Up to the early eighteenth century, the only communication between Westminster and the Surrey side of the river was by a ferry (still commemorated in Horse-ferry Eoad), which was the property of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and for the privilege of which he paid an annual rent of twenty pence. The landing-place on the Surrey side was close to the Episcopal palace. This ferry, however, was inconvenient, and, in 1736, an Act of Parliament was procured (9 Geo. 11. c. 29), after much opposition on the part of the city of London, " For building a bridge cross the river Thmnes, from the New Palace Yard, in the city of Westminster, to the opposite shore in the County of Surrey." Commissioners for building the bridge were to be chosen, to meet in the Jerusalem Chamber, June 22, 1736, and adjourn to appoint in what manner and with what materials the bridge shall be built. No houses to be erected thereon. 64 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTEBIES. The result of their deliberations was another Act (10 Geo. II. c. 16) for explaining and amending the above. By this ^700,000 was to be raised by way of lottery, the residue of the money after payment of the prizes to be applied towards the building of the bridge, and tolls might be levied at the following rates : — " Every coach, etc., drawn by six horses, 2s. ; by four horses, Is. 6d. ; by less than four horses. Is, For every waggon, etc., drawn by four horses. Is. 6d., and by less than four horses, Is. For every horse, etc., not drawing, 2d. For every foot passenger on Sundays, Id., and on every other day, ^d. For every drove of oxen. Is. per score. For every drove of calves, hogs, sheep, or lambs, 6d. per score." I have before me the originals of two schemes for the erection of this bridge. One is " For raising £60,000 without any Tax upon the Inhabitants of the City of Westminster, for the building a Bridge cross the Eiver of Thames, the Legs of Stone, and the Arches turn'd with Bricks (made on purpose, like those us'd in the Dome of St. Paul's which is 110 Foot wide) after the manner of the Brick- Bridge of Thoulouse, the greatest Arch of which is 100 Foot span ; and to become a free Bridge, in A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 65 twenty-one years, except a small Duty to keep it in repair." It was proposed to raise a loan of £60,000 at 5 per cent, interest on the security of the tolls to be levied, which, it was calculated, would be repaid within the period specified, the tolls being estimated to produce ^6000 per annum. The other is " A Plan of a Lottery to raise upwards of £100,000, free of all Expences and Deductions, for Building a Bridge at Westminster," and it was proposed to have a lottery of ^6625,000, in 125,000 tickets at £5 each, only three blanks to a prize, and to deduct 16 per cent, from all prizes, which would amount to £100,000. There was another Act passed in 1738 (11 Geo. II. c. 25) respecting this bridge, which provided that the bridge should be built from the wool staple at Westminster, of what materials the Commissioners should think fit, and they were to account yearly. On January 29, 1739, the first stone was laid by Henry, Earl of Pembroke, and the same year another Act was passed (12 Geo. II.' c. 33), which not only empowered the Commissioners to make compulsory purchases of houses and land, but allowed them to issue a lottery of £325,000, and to take 15 per cent. 66 A HISTOEY OF BNaLISH LOTTEEIES. of that sum, amounting to ^48,750, for tlie pur- pose of building the bridge. An Act confirming this was passed (13 Geo. II. c. 16), and on December 8, 1740, the drawing of the Bridge Lottery began at Stationers' Hall. The total cost of the bridge, which took eleven years and nine months to build, was £389,500, and it was opened on November 17, 1750. There were State lotteries in 1743-4-5-6-7-8, for sums varying from £1,000,000 to £6,300,000, all of which were converted into stock by Acts of Parliament in the reign of George III. In 1751 the next State lottery was authorized by Parlia- ment (24 Geo. He. 2), £700,000 in tickets of £10 each; but, somehow, this did not go down with the public. The Gentleman's Magazine for July, 1751 (p. 328), says, "Those inclined to become adventurers in the present lottery were cautioned in the papers to wait some time before they purchased tickets, whereby the jobbers would be disappointed of their market and obliged to sell at a lower price. At the present rate of tickets the adventurer plays at 35 per cent, loss." This was further illustrated by some figures which appeared in the London Magazine for A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 67 August, same year, giving the following odds against winning, the chances being — 34,999 to 1 against a £10,000 prize. 11,665 „ }} 5,000 „ or upwards. 6,363 „ >} 3,000 „ 3,683 „ ,, 2,000 „ 1,794 „ „ 1,000 „ 874 „ ,, 500 „ 249 „ >} 100 „ 99 „ „ 50 „ 6 , }} 20, „ or any prize. In fact, such discredit was thrown upon this lottery, that a Mr. Holland publicly offered to lay four hundred guineas, that four hundred tickets, when drawn, would not, on an average, amount to more than £9 15s. each, prizes and blanks; and his offer was never accepted. As Adam Smith observed, it was an incontrovertible fact that the world never had seen, and never would see, a. fair lottery. Hone, in his " Every-Day Book," gives the two following illustrations of the drawing of this lottery. Unfortunately, I have been unable to verify them, but it strikes me that the first one is of earlier date, judging by the costumes, and that the halls in which the lottery is drawn are totally different. Drawmfi: of Dio Luueiy m (iiuldljall, 1751. A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 69 By an Act of Parliament (26 Geo. II. c. 22), passed in 1753, the nation purchased for £20,000 the library and collection of Sir Hans Sloane, and incorporated with it the library of Sir Eobert Cotton, and that known as the Harleian library, thus forming the nucleus of the British Museum. The next thing was to find a house wherein to keep this collection, and to raise money for the same, at the least cost. This was done, in the same Act, by means of a lottery, the managers and trustees of which were, singularly enough, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, and the Speaker, each of whom was to have ,£100 for his trouble. The subscription to the lottery was £300,000, in tickets of £3 each. £200,000 was to be distributed in prizes varying from £10,000 to £10, and the remainder was to go towards the purchasing of the Sloane collection and library, and ^the Harleian library, finding suitable cases for the property acquired, house-room and attendants. The lottery was to be drawn on November 26, 1753, and all prizes were to be paid by December 31, 1754, when those not presented would be forfeited. And this Act is the only trace I can find of this lottery, although I have had the willing and zealous 70 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. aid of the officials of the British Museum in searching after it. In connection with this lottery was a gross fraud, into which the House of Commons caused an inquiry to be made, and the committee eventually reported that Peter Leheup, Esq., had privately disposed of a great number of tickets before the office was . opened, to which the public were directed, by an advertisement, to apply ; that he, also, delivered great numbers to particular persons, upon lists of names which he knew to be fictitious ; and that, in particular, Sampson Gideon became proprietor of more than six thousand, which he sold at a premium. The House resolved that Leheup had been guilty of a violation of the Act and a breach of trust, and the Attorney-General was instructed to prosecute him. On June 9, 1855, he was found guilty, and sentenced to pay a fine of £1000, which he could well afibrd, as it is said he had made £40,000 by his rascality. STATE LOTTERY, BEGINS DRAWING l^th MAY, 1806. SCHEME. 1- of £25,000 is £23=000 2 .. 20,000 -- 4«,W)0 2 -- 10,000 -• 20,000 3 -• 5,000 -• 15,000 10 -- 1,000 •- 10,000 10 -. 500 -- 5,000 20 •• .100 -- 2,000 56 •- 50 -- 2,800 6,200 .. 21 -. 130,200 £250,000 25.000 Tickets Capitals DeterminahU Five lirEl>d'nwB '}A' OOOeich !,0Q0 ncK I 1st D»,y, FWc Grst-d'rawn ) ^, * SdDty, J*''° First-drawn 4th Day, ;£IO,(X)0 Ditto - . S^h'Diy; 30,000 Ditto - - «tli D«jr, 25,000 TICKETS AND SHARES ARE SELLING AT & Co.'s OLD OFFICE, No. 11, PDULTRY, LONDON, Where in the late Lotteries the following Capitals wiere shared and sold : No. 6,791, £20,000, No. 226 £10,000 8,041 .— ^ 10,000 9,362 ...; 10,000 18,539 •----. 10*000 20,953 " 10,000 No. 23,S24 --.,. £10,000 7,951 5,000 11,599, 5,000 19,556 5.000 20,430 5,000 Besides many others of ^2,fl00, ^1,000, jf400, fcc. ^ r ■ ' : ■ Ethw & RiSf, Ptaitn, ti, Sud; e Sow, TrtUtnwk. CHAPTER VI. Crowd at a lottery — Another State lottery, eighty-sevea blanks to a prize — A ticket sold twice over — Ex- travagant prices paid for tickets — Praying for success — A lucky innkeeper — Lottery for Cox's Museum — Adam's Adelphi Lottery — Blue-coat boys and the lottery — > Future arrangements for drawing. TN 1755 there was a State lottery (28 Geo. II. c. 15) for £1,000,000, tickets £10 each, the drawing of which commenced on October 6. At this lottery the crowd at the Bank, willing and eager to subscribe, was so great that the counters were broken by their eagerness to get at the books* In the next year, 1756, one was started for £500,000 (29 Geo. II. c. 7). Then comes a lottery in 1757 (30 Geo. II. c. 5), called " The Guinea Lottery," by which it was sought to raise £1,050,000 by the sale of tickets at one guinea each ; half the amount to be applied to the service of the year, and the other half to be returned in prizes. But it was only partially 72 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS. successful, less than half the full number of tickets being sold. The prizes ranged from £10,000 to £10. Blanks received nothing ; eighty-seven blanks to a prize. The prizes were paid in ready money ; but, as one half of the subscription only was divided into prizes, these tickets were worth only half a guinea each, notwithstanding the avidity with which they were bought up. The drawing at the Gruildhall commenced on Sep- tember 5 and ended on October 15. Connected with this is a sad story, which I find in the Gentleman's Magazine for the year, p. 528. " No- vember 5. — Mr. Keys, late clerk to Cotton & Co.,^ who had absented himself since the 7th of October, the day the £10,000 was drawn in the lottery (supposed to be his property), was found in the streets raving mad, having been robbed of his pocket-book and ticket." There were State lotteries in 1758 (31 Geo. 11. c. 22) for £500,000 ; in 1759 (32 Geo. II. c. 10) for £660,000; in 1760 (33 Geo. 11. c. 7) for £240,000, in £3 tickets ; in 1761 (1 Geo. III. c. 7) for £600,000, in £10 tickets, prizes from £10,000 to £20, blanks £6, about four blanks to a prize ; in 1763 (3 Geo. III. c. 12) for £350,000 in £10 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 73 tickets, prizes from £10,000 to £20, blanks £5, about five blanks to a prize; in 1765 for £600,000, in £10 tickets, prizes as usual, £6 blanks, wbich were as four to one to the prizes ; and another in 1766 (3 Geo. III. c. 39), precisely similar in amount, etc. There was an incident connected with this lottery, which was that a ticket was sold twice over. No. 2099 was purchased in Change Alley for Pagen Hale, Esq., of Hertfordshire, and the same number was divided into shares at a lottery office near Charing Cross, and some of the shares actually sold. The number purchased in the Alley was the real number, but that divided by the office-keeper was done in mistake, for which he had to pay a considerable sum. In 1767 (7 Geo. III. c. 24) was another £600,000 lottery, with rather more stringent terms. In the interval between the purchase of a ticket and the drawing of the lottery, the speculators were in a state of intense excitement. On one occasion a fraudulent dealer managed to sell the same ticket to two_persons, and it came up a five hundred pounds prize. One of the two went raving mad when he found that the real ticket was, after all, not held by him. Circumstances excited the 74 A HISTOBY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. public to such a degree that extravagant biddings were made for the few remaining shares in the lottery, until one hundred and twenty guineas were given for a ticket on the day before the drawing. Nay, a lady residing in Holborn had a lottery ticket presented to her by her husband, and, on the Sunday preceding the drawing, her success was prayed for in the parish church in this form : " The prayers of this congregation are desired for the success of a person engaged in a new under- taking." The great prize of £20,000 fell to the lot of a tavern-keeper at Abingdon. We are told that he gave the broker who went from town to carry him the news, £100. All the bells in the town were set a-ringing. He behaved very generously with his new-found fortune. He called in his neighbours, and promised to assist this one with a capital sum, that with another ; gave away plenty of liquor, and vowed to lend a poor cobbler money enough to buy leather to stock his stall so full that he should not be able to get into it to work ; and, lastly, he promised to buy a new coach for the coachman who brought him down the ticket, and to give a set of as good A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 75 horses as could be bougbt for money. Yet another anecdote of this lottery. During its progress Mr. Hughes, a stockbroker, had his pocket picked in Jonathan's Coffee-house of fifty lottery tickets, the value of which — at the then current price — was £800. On the same evening three other stockbrokers had their pockets picked. A man was afterwards apprehended, on whose person was found thirty-five of the stolen tickets. The others were never recovered, and it was supposed they had been sent to Holland. There was a State lottery in 1768 (8 Geo. III. c. 31) for £600,000, another in 1769 (9 Geo. III. c. 33) for £780,000, and one in 1771 (H Geo. III. c. 47) for £650,000. In 1773 were two private lotteries. Cox's Museum and the Adelphi, the first being legalized by Act of Parliament (13 Geo. III. c. 41). James Cox was a jeweller in Shoe Lane, who delighted in making automata, which he hoped to dispose of in the East Indies ; but he found that " on account of the great value and price thereof, and also on account of the present distress and scarcity of money in the East Indies, as weU as in Europe, it cannot easily be disposed of in the common way 76 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. of sale." He therefore, as he had contracted large debts in completing the said Museum, petitioned Parliament to grant him facilities for a lottery by which he might dispose of his "White Elephant ; and his prayer was granted. This was the scheme of the lottery. 2 prizes of the value of £5000 = £10,000 2 3000 — 6,000 12 1500 = 18,000 18 750 = 13,500 52 450 = 23,400 100 300 = 30,000 212 150 = 31,800 2 60 = 100 2 - first drawn 100 = 200 2 last drawn 750 = 1,500 120,000 tickets of admission to the Museum at 10s. 6d. = 63,000 £197,500 60,000 tickets marked A ) j. r? , n pi oc Ann 60,000 „ „ bI'2^'*^^*^^*^^^^'- ^^^^'^^^ Balance in favour of the public 71,500 £197,500 There were two automata of " a pair of bulls, with clocks, chimes, mechanism and pedestal eight feet high," which have been immortalized by Sheridan in llie Rivals — " And her one eye shall roll like the bull's in Cox's Museum." He even A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 77 included in his collection the larger forms of animal life, for he had " a Ehinoceros, with time- piece, musick and mechanism," and " an Elephant and silver temple, with musick, mechanism, clock and pedestal ; " in fact, there were two of both these. It is impossible to give the whole of the prizes in this curious Museum : two must serve as illustrations. " An automaton figure of a Chinese, that plays on the flute with musical chimes and mechanism, upon a commode of lapis and gold stone, which contains an Organ, and in front, artificial water works, with a water mill and bridge ; and terminates with a spiral star ; nine feet high." " A swan, large as life, formed of silver, filled with mechanism, beating time with its beak to musical chimes, seated on artificial water, within reflecting mirrors; under the swan are water works, terminating at the top with a rising sun, upwards of three feet in diameter ; the ■whole eighteen feet high." COX'S LOTTEEY. A Song, to the Tune of "The Eoast Beef of Old England." Whoe'er in this season of public distress, Would court Lady Fortune with certain success, To her shrine let him now with alacrity press, 78 A niSTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. For tickets in Cox's new lottery, Let him haste, and buy tickets of Cox. The sly slippery Goddess here plays you no tricks. Nor smiles in your face, while your pocket she picks : A method is found out her wheel how to fix, If we buy into Cox's new lottery. Then let us buy tickets from Cox. In his matchless Museum, the boast of our land, For a guinea, a ticket we all may command ; Then, if for our country we'd gloriously stand, haste, and buy into the lottery. Let us haste, and buy tickets of Cox. Whoe'er in this Lott'ry judiciously buys. Will give a most exquisite feast to his eyes. And is sure in that feast of a capital prize : Then haste, and buy into the Lott'ry, Let us haste and buy tickets of Cox. But besides this luxurious regale to the sight, (Worth ten times the price, did we pay for delight) Their own obvious int'rest should all men excite To buy into Cox's new Lott'ry, Then haste, and buy tickets from Cox. You may get for your guinea, it plainly appears, Five thousand hard pounds, or an income for years. Or earrings worth more than a whole head and ears : Then haste, and buy into the Lott'ry, O haste, and buy tickets from Cox. A HISTOEY OP ENGtlSH LOTTERIES. 79 Here, birds made of jewels their plumage unfold ; Here fly ruby lizards, here chase snakes of gold. And wonders too mighty in words to be told, Are prizes in Cox's new Lott'ry, Then haste, and buy tickets from Cox. If genius or splendor with pleasure you view, See here more than Athens or Rome ever knew. And feel for those Arts, which pour honour on you ; O haste then, and buy in the Lott'ry, haste, and buy tickets from Cox. Thus Britain's white sails shall be kept unfurl' d, And our commerce extend, as our thunders are hurl'd. Till the Empress of Science is Queen of the World, If we haste to buy into the Lott'ry, If we haste to buy tickets from Cox. A fraud was attempted with regard to the drawing of this lottery. On June 1, 1775, a man was brought before the Lord Mayor, charged with attempting to bribe the two Blue -coat boys who drew the lottery tickets, to conceal one, bring it to him, and he would return it to them next day. His intention was to insure it in all the offices, with a view to defraud the ofl&ce- keepers. The boys were honest, gave notice of the intended fraud, and pointed out the delinquent ; who, however, was discharged, there being no law to punish the offence. 80 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIES. The preamble to the other Lottery Act of this year (13 Geo. III. c. 75) sets forth that "Whereas John, Eobert, James, and William Adam . . . have erected many great and expensive buildings, with commodious wharfs and warehouses, upon a piece of ground formerly called Durham Yard, now called the Adelphi, situate in the parish of St. Martin in the Fields, and adjoining to the river TJiames ; and have, by means of subterraneous streets, pointed out a new and effectual method to keep the access to the houses distinct from the traffick of the wharfs and warehouses, thereby connecting grandeur and magnificence with utility and commerce ; and have also erected some great and expensive buildings in Queen Anne Street and Mansfield Street in the Parish of St. Mary le bon, and are possessed of several shares of Stock in the Carron * Company, and of many valuable statues, pictures and antiquities," etc. They found them- selves in debt, and in want of money to complete their works ; so they petitioned that they might sell such of their property as they wanted to, and * A large iron foundry and engineering works at Larbert, CO. Stirling, principally employed in founding ordnance. Can-owades were first made here. A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 81 that they might have a lottery, not to exceed £224,000, in tickets of £50 each. Their prayer was granted, and it was duly drawn : there were 110 prizes — the first drawn ticket receiving £5000, and the last drawn £25,000. It is singular that two similar cases of swindling should have been perpetrated in the same year; but, on December 5, 1775, a man appeared before the magistrates at Guildhall, charged, with another man not in custody, with defrauding a lottery office keeper of a large sum of money. " The latter said that, about a fortnight previously, the prisoner insured No. 21,481 six times over, for the following day of drawing ; that the conversa- tion he had with the prisoner at that time, and the seeming positiveness there appeared in the latter that the ticket would come up, caused him to inquire at other lottery offices, when he found the same number insured in the prisoner's name at all the principal offices about the 'Change ; that the ticket was drawn the first hour of drawing the subsequent day ; that this, with his former suspicions, alarmed him, and he im- mediately went to Christ's Hospital and saw the boy who drew the ticket ; that he interrogated G 82 A HISTOBY OP ENaLISH LOTTERIES. him whether he had clandestinely taken that number out of the wheel, or whether he had been solicited to do so ; which the boy positively denied; and that, observing that he answered rather faintly, he importuned him to tell the truth, which, after some hesitation, produced an acknowledgment of the fact. The next witness was the Blue- coat boy. He said that, about three weeks ago, the person who is not in custody, and whom he had known before he went into the hospital, took him to a coffee-house, where they breakfasted together ; that he wanted to know of the witness whether it was possible to get a ticket out of the wheel, to which the latter answered, No ; that, being afterwards solicited by him for the same purpose, to secrete a ticket, he, at length, promised to do it ; that he took two at one time out of the wheel, gave one to the person who called it over, and put the other in his pocket ; that the person who induced him to do it, was then in the gallery, and nodded his head to witness to signify when was a proper time ; that, after witness came out of the hall, he gave the ticket to the person who sat in the gallery, and who was then waiting for the witness in Guildhall Yard; A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 83 that next time the witness drew the lottery, the person returned him the ticket, which the witness put into the wheel, and drew out the same day ; that he did this three several times, and received from the person for whom he did it, several half- guineas ; that he had heard the prisoner's name mentioned by him, but never heard the latter acknowledge any connection between them in insurance, and had never before seen the prisoner." The prisoner acknowledged that he had insured the ticket seventy-nine times for one day, but — he was discharged ! To prevent, for the future, a repetition of such frauds, the Lords of the Treasury (on December 12, 1775) issued an Order, from which the follow- ing is an extract: "It is therefoeb ordered, for preventing the like wicked practices in future, that every boy, before he is suffered to put his hand into either wheel, be brought by the pro- claimer to the managers on duty, for them to see that the bosoms and sleeves of his coat he closely buttoned, his pockets sewed up, and his hands examined; and that, during the time of his being on duty, he shall Tceep his left hand in his girdle behind him, and his right hand open, toith his 84 A HISTORY OP BNOLISH LOTTERIES. fingers extended : and the proclaiuier is not to suffer him, at any time, to leave the wheel, with- out first being examined by the Manager nearest him." It was also "requested of the Treasurer of Christ's Hospital, not to make known who are the twelve boys nominated for drawing the lottery till the morning the drawing begins ; which said boys are all to attend every day, and the two who are to go on duty at the wheels are to be taken promiscuously from amongst the whole number, by either of the secretaries, without observing any regular course or order; so that A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTBBIES. 85 no boy shall know when it will be his turn to go to either wheel." Here we have a very good representation of the Blue-coat boy with his hand in his girdle behind his back, and also of the lottery wheel and boxes. They were in those days marked A and B ; later on they had the King's cypher crowned.* * The earliest lottery ticket I have seen, is in the collec- tion of Miss Sophia Banks, sister of the famous Sir Joseph (Brit. Mns. 1890, e). It represents an eighth share in the lottery of 1775. CHAPTER VII. Oonnterfeiting lottery tickets — Curious lotteries — Suicide — ^Method of starting a State lottery — Lottery oifioe- keepers to be licensed— Charles (or " Patch ") Price. TN 1776 was a lottery for £600,000 (16 Geo. III. c. 34), and in 1777 was one (17 Geo. III. c. 46) for £500,000. On January, 6, this year, two Jews, Samuel Noah and Joseph Aarones, were examined before the Lord Mayor, charged with counterfeiting the lottery ticket, No. 25,590, a prize of £2000, with intent to defraud Mr. Keyser, an office-keeper, knowing the same to be false and counterfeit. Mr. Keyser had examined the ticket carefully, and had taken it into the Stock Exchange to sell, when Mr. Shewell came into the same box, and desired to look at the ticket, having, as he recollected, purchased one of the same number a day or two before. This fortunate discovery laid open the fraud, and the two Jews were committed to take their trial for their ingenuity. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 87 It was SO artfully altered from 23,590 tliat not the least erasure could be discovered. Aarones had but just come to England, and Noah was thought to be a man of property. On February 21, Joseph Aarones and Samuel Noah were tried for forging and counterfeiting a lottery ticket; their defence was that the prisoner Aarones found it, and persons were brought to swear to the fact'; on which they were acquitted. The figure altered was so totally obliterated by a certain liquid, that not the least trace of it could be perceived. The numbers being written in ordinary ink rendered this extremely easy. On February 24, 1777, Daniel Denny was tried for forging, counterfeiting, and altering a lottery ticket, with intent to defraud ; and, being found guilty, he was condemned. He, probably, was not prepared with false witnesses as were the Jews — a custom which, unfortunately, as regards the foreign importations, exists to an alarming extent in our own time. With regard to this lottery, the Annual Register for 1777 says (p. 206), "The following is a true state of the different methods of getting money by lottery-office keepers, and other ingenious 88 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. persons, who have struck out different plans of getting money by the State lottery of 1777. First, His Majesty's royal letters patent for securing the property of purchasers. Secondly, a few office- keepers who advertise 'By authority of Parlia- ment' to secure your property in shares and chances. Thirdly, several schemes for shares and chances, only entitling the purchasers to all prizes above twenty pounds. Fourthly, a bait for those who can only afford to venture one shilling. " Then come the ingenious sett of lottery merchants, viz. Lottery magazine proprietors, Lottery taylors, Lottery stay-makers, Lottery glovers, Lottery hat-makers, Lottery tea-merchants, Lottery snuff and tobacco merchants. Lottery hand- kerchiefs, Lottery bakers. Lottery barbers (where a ma,n, being shaved, and paying threepence, may stand a chance of getting ten pounds). Lottery shoe-blacks. Lottery eating-houses (one in Wych Street, Temple Bar, where, if you call for sixpenny- worth of roast, or boiled beef, you receive a note of hand, with a number, which, should it turn out fortunate, may entitle the eater of the beef to sixty guineas). Lottery oyster stalls, by which the fortunate may get five guineas for threepenny- A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 89 worth, of oysters. And, to complete this curious catalogue, an old woman, who keeps a sausage- stall in one of the little alleys leading to Smith- field, wrote up in chalk, ' Lottery sausages, or five shillings to be gained for a farthing relish.' " Sad to say, this year's lottery led to at least one suicide, for, on January 10, the body of a young man, clerk to a merchant in the city, was found in the river, below bridge ; he had been dabbHng in the lottery with his master's money, and chose this method of settling his accounts. In 177'8 there was a lottery for ^480,000 (18 Geo. III. c. 22), another in 1779 (19 Geo. III. c. 18) for ^6490,000, one in 1780 (20 Geo. III. c. 16) for £480,000. At this time, and afterwards, the State lotteries became a regular institution. At first they were spasmodic, and were of help to the Government at a time when rates were hardly known ; they now developed into a volun- tary taxation, appealing to the national taste for gambling, and fostered by the Government, in order to help out the annual supplies. The modus operandi was that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would invite a few of the leading stockbrokers to 90 A HISTORY OF BNaLISH LOTTERIES. a conference, in which he would state his views. That he intended to issue a lottery for, say, £500,000 in £10 tickets — all to be distributed in prizes; and then he asked them at what price they would tender for them. In the competition that ensued, a final offer would be accepted, and the whole lot disposed of at, say, five pounds premium per share, which would give the Govern- ment a clear profit, without risk, of £250,000. Of course, those who got the concession put up the price of the tickets at once, but, as single shares were seldom bought — most people taking a fourth, an eighth, or a sixteenth of a ticket — ^the rise was not much felt by the public, and at this time they seem to have been thoroughly sub- scribed for. In 1780 and 1781 were drawn lotteries (20 Geo. III. c. 16, and 21 Geo. III. c. 14) for £480,000 each, and in 1782 another for £405,000 (22 Geo. III. c. 8). Private lotteries, although illegal, still flourished, and the Government, in order to keep up its own monopoly in this lucrative gambling, got an Act passed in 1782 (22 Geo. III. c. 47) whereby lottery- office keepers were to pay £50 licence, under a A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIBS. 91 penalty for not doing so of £100. In 1783 there was a lottery (23 Geo. III. c. 35) for £480,000, and one in 1784 (24 Geo. III. c. 10) for £360,000 ; but this seems to have been rather unfortunate, as not more than a third of the tickets were sold before drawing. From this time lotteries, as aids to State revenue, were disconnected from loans, with which they had hitherto been associated, and in 1785 (25 Geo. III. c. 59) was one for £650,000, of which £500,000 was given in prizes, and it yielded a net profit to the Government of £137,250. Next year, 1786 (26 Geo. III. c. 65), one for £688,750, prizes £500,000, net profit £176,000. An episode of crime in the annals of the lottery may well be introduced here, for on January 25, 1786, Charles, alias "Patch," Price hanged him- self, and so terminated his worthless life. The following particulars respecting him are condensed from the very lengthy biography in Hone's " E very- Day Book." He was the son of a tailor, who came, about 1702, from South Wales to London, where, in 1710, he settled in Monmouth Street (a famous place for cheap tailors and second-hand clothes) as journeyman to a salesman there, He afterwards 92 A HI8T0EY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. set up for himself in the Seven Dials. Charles was sent to school when six years old, and when twelve years of age had to help his father ; but he developed such cunning and roguery that he had to be apprenticed to a hatter and hosier, whom Charles Phioe. Ordinary Dress. Disguise. he tricked, and, being discovered, he ran away. His father died, disinheriting him ; but before his death Charles went as servant to two gentlemen, with one of whom he went [the tour of Europe. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 93 He became a brewer, then set up a distillery, defrauded the revenue, was sent to the King's Bench, released by an Insolvent Act, again turned brewer, and defrauded a gentleman out of £6000. He then became a lottery office-keeper, courted a Mrs. Pounteney, and ran away with her niece. He practised innumerable frauds, became an adept at swindling, and had the effrontery to avow his depredations and laugh at those he injured. Price was intimate with a Mr. K , a grocer retired from business, with whom he had, for a long time, passed as a stockbroker. Price, who then lived at Knightsbridge, frequently used to request the favour of Mr. R to take a bank- note or two into the city, and get them changed into small ones. In this he had a twofold plot. He informed his friend that he was intimately ac- quainted with a very old gentleman, exceedingly rich, who had been an eminent broker in the Alley, but had long retired ; that his monies in the funds were immense ; that the only relation he had in the world was one sister, to whom he intended to bequeathe the best part of his property ; and that his sister was near fifty years of age, had never been married, and was determined never to marry ; 94 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. and that it was impossible that the old gentleman could live long, as he was very old, very infirm, and almost incapable of going out of doors. This old gentleman, Price said, had often asked him to become his executor ; and besought him to recom- mend another person, in whose fidelity, character, and integrity he could repose an entire confidence, and that he would make it well worth their while if they would undertake so friendly and solemn an ofiice. "Now," said Price to Mr. E , "here is an opportunity for us to make a considerable sum in a short time, and, in all probability, a very capital fortune in a few years ; for, the sister being determined not to marry, and having no relations in the world, there is no doubt but she will leave us the whole of the estate ; and, after his decease, she will become totally dependent upon us. I shall see the old gentleman, Mr. Bond, to-day, and, if you will join in the trust, the will shall be im- mediately made." To this proposal Mr. R consented. In the evening Price returned to Knightsbridge. He told Mr. E that he had visited Mr. Bond, who expressed great happiness and easiness of mind on such a recommendation, and desired to A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS. 95 see Mr. E the next day. Price appointed to meet him at twelve o'clock at Mr. Bond's. At the appointed hour Mr. R knocked at the door. He was shown upstairs by the aforementioned sister, and introduced to Mr, Bond, seated in a great chair, his legs in another, and his head covered with a night-cap. The poor, infirm, weak, debilitated old gentleman regretted the absence of his ever dear friend, Mr. Price, the most worthy man in the world, and rang a peal on his friendship, honour, honesty, integrity, etc., accompanied with emaciated coughs — was obliged to go to a City coflfee-house — a punctual man — never failed an appointment — it was the soul of business ; and he then told Mr. E that his dear friend desired to meet Mr. E there, exactly at one o'clock. He approved highly of Mr. Price's recommendation, and was now quite happy in his mind ; it wanted but a quarter to one, he believed, and he hoped Mr. E would not fail, as his dear friend was very exact indeed. The usual compliments passed ; the sister conducted Mr. E to the door, who posted away to the City coffee-house, and left old Mr. Bond, who was in reality no other than Price, and his maiden sister, who was Mrs. Pounteney, 96 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIBS. to laugh at Mr. K—-r—'s credulity.:-: Mr. K. — — bad not been five. minutes in the cofiee-house before he was joined by his friend Price, to whom Mr. R recapitulated what had passed; andj as soon as Price had despatched sonae pretended business, he proposed calling on Mr. Bond. This wais readily acquiesced in by Mr. R- — -, and away they droye to I^eather Lane, When they got there, they we;re informed by the lady that her brother had just gone out in a coach, on an airing, to Highgate^ /In short. Price carried on the scheme completely •for several days, during which time Mr, R had twice or thrice seen the old gentleman. The will was made, and, qn the .strength of the joint executorship and expectancy^ Mr. - R- was swindled out of .very nearly a: thousand pounds in cash, and bonds to the amount of two .hundred pounds. . This seems to have been his first atteijipt at disguise. - ■ / As a lottery office -keeper he continually cheated his clients, a,nd, to gifYoid their clamour aid' im- portunity, he had to shift his offices frequently, the last he had being at the corner of King Street, Covent Garden, from which he privately decamped. Having a wife and eight children to support. ■■»• ^^^^ Roll dniiB memly. mwch ;*»y. Weidtb mA n«ory i»y •>«••»* y*' PoTtniM hemJf will the Prwe-moMJ kiJS^ yowbrow. with glory. TWO of JE20.200 BcsMci 3,000 other PriMt, The 14t»» of JUNE. NO CLA8SBS! a^ r.EedgnJ>eeiititledtollichi5e«^«a/ ' CfezjzfisasfliaUteking fli«a:eto jnthelOTJ litOrtDbedrawiib)ffirtae'of4g.sEdd ACT -^^-^ 1799 (39 Geo. III. c. 91) 500,000 191,385 8 8 1800*(39 & 40 Geo. III. c. 52) 500,000 311,191 19 11 1801 (41 Geo. III. c. 27) 500,000 185,589 6 11 The Eigtt Hon. George, Lord Pigot, died, and, among his other property, was a large diamond of the estimated value of £30,000. As his pro- perty had to be divided amongst his heirs, and no purchasers could be found for a diamond of this size, an Act was passed (39 and 40 Geo. III. c. 102) to enable his heirs to dispose of it by lottery — 11,428 tickets at two guineas each, or £23,998 16s. This lottery was drawn on January * Biah's price in. December, 1800, for a ticket in this lottery was £16 18s., and be says, " Tickets and Shares will rise gradually, as the Drawing approaches." ALL IN ONE DAY, I4''' JUNE. IIM0UJ' 3of£30,300^ Betides 3,000 other Prize*, Will ail be decided the U'" JUNE NO CLASSES! Erei7 Tiekel dnwB lh..Salurday, .Frti. H iSlh . ..ThumltJ. .-Feb. if 7lh.-. Sutirda)', ..Mvch I «lh; .Wc^lncsday, March & 9lh . . fruivf March 7 idlh'. . Monday, . . March la »ART OP TBE ABOVE. PAPITALS. Firsl-dravn.Tickcl Ijl Day ^10,000 I Fjrsi. diu»r> Ti^nei 6ir) Day .,f?0,0OO DitlD .'. 4ih Day ' JO.OOO | niito Uin Day a.OOO Fiiil-ilruiriT T>c«cl lOih Diy Ji,»Oi> Begins MONDAY, 3" FebruafyT 1806. tvjmtnd Rudy, Pirmers, S9," BudgirRo», WallbreoH, 25,000 Tickec* ^250,000 i^a,20<> >'J X On due PourtecBUi of iaae Fortntae ImMs her levee, W ben r moBgit the gmy crowd of 0O ^4,000 a»,OOOT.ckto. 10,000 5,000 i2,000 1,000 SOO 100 50 22 IS 20,000 10,000 e,ooo fi,000 3,500 8,000 1,500 32.Cro$s. CHAPTER XL Lanncliing a lottery — " The City " Lottery for houses — Poetic handbills thereon — Parliamentary Committee on the lottery — Repoi-t and evidence. "DY the i7 Geo. III. sess. 2, c. 9, July 25, 1807, another lottery was legalized. £700,000 was given in prizes, and a profit resulted of £308,888 18s. 5d. And here we may note the method of starting a lottery, which is taken from a newspaper cutting of February 15, 1807. " On Thursday morning, the gentlemen who had given in their proposals for the ensuing lottery, waited upon the Minister to receive his answer. To the former lists were added those of Messrs. Walsh and Nesbit, and they then stood as follows:— " Messrs. Bish and Co. ; Messrs. Cope and Co. ; Messrs. Richardson, Swift, and Co.; Messrs. Hensley, 148 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. Pulley, and Co. ; Messrs. Towgood and Co. ; Messrs. Walsh, Nesbit, and Co. " Lord Grenville opened a sealed paper, which mentioned the lowest price at which Government would dispose of the lottery, namely, at the rate of £16 10s. per ticket. Upon examination of the several biddings, it was found that the five former lists had ofiered each the sum of £16 2s. 6d. per ticket, and "Walsh and Nesbit £16 Is. Id. per ticket ; consequently, the proposals falling short of the lowest sum which Government had deter- mined to take, the gentlemen were informed that none of these would be accepted. It was suggested, on the part of the Minister, that the contractor for the late lottery took it at several shillings above the prices now proposed ; and, from the present appearance of things, it was likely to turn to a beneficial account. This was answered by saying that the City Lottery (as it was called), being about to be drawn, would materially aifect the next regular lottery by diminishing the sale of tickets. " The conversation terminated without any future day being proposed for a fresh bidding. " If no proposition should be made equal to the A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 149 sum expected by Government, it is, we understand, intended that the tickets should be sold to the public at the bank." That they did come to terms is evident, for I find in another newspaper cutting of March 22, 1807, that the present price of — Whole tickets £19 17s. Od Half „ £10 3s. Od. = 20 6 Quarter „ 5 3 = 20 12 Eighth „ 2 12 = 20 16 Sixteenth „ 16 6 = 21 4 "The City Lottery," alluded to above, was a large affair, which took three drawings, the first of which, consisting of house property valued at over £100,000, at Temple Bar and Snow HUl, the approaches to both places having been improved. The scheme of the first drawing is as follows : — Scheme. First drawn ticket a capital, substantial Freehold Dwelling House, with extensive warehouses and manu- factory, valued at — £10,000. Being No. 44 in Skinnek Street. 2nd draw, a ditto. No. 13, Skinner St., on lease at £250 per annum. 3rd „ „ „ 46 „ not occupied. 4th „ „ „ 10 „ on lease £225 per annum. 150 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTBBIBS. 5th draw, a ditto. No. 6, Skinner St., on lease £185 per annum. 6th „ 7th „ 8th „ 9th „ 10th „ nth „ 12th „ 13th „ 14th „ 15th „ 16th „ 17th „ 18th „ 19th „ 20th „ 21st „ 22nd 16 f} not occupied. 47 7> It If 2 }} on lease £200 per annum. 27 )J £180 „ 3 „ not occupied. 12 f} J) if 1, Pickett Street, Temple Bar, not occupied. 8 J) )? 3> }} 9 Jj >} >} i) 3 }} )? }> J> 2 )J }} }} }) 6, Skinner Street, on lease £160 per annum. 7 if not occupied. 1 i} ■ on lease £155 per annum. 11 > „ £120 Is. „ 28 ?) at the corner o£ Green Arbour Court in the Old Bailey, on lease £105 per annum. 14 J) onlease£893s.4d. per annum. The next drawing took place on April 26, 1808, of which twenty lots, amounting in value to £104,000, were prizes ranging from the Grand A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. 151 ONE OF THE CAPITAL PRIZES. Ill 111 III in III III Kl HI HI HI III m III HI III III ill lit I^ilir Hill "Mil ■ ■ HliillMK IHH iinii mil inn ■ ■ ' ~ ~ lllli Hill lilHiBi iliVi >iiit ■■HF \u r mill mil IHH HHi imi iiiik HDII HHV mil GRAND ' CIT Y ' LOTTERY Of FREEHOLD HOUSES, T^iSdnxifO ofJtUno 2ra;r. aO,000 Tickets, to be Drawn in GUILDHALL in Four Days. «,(KK1 TICKETS EACH DAY.— NO FIXED' PniZE. CERTIFICATE: WE, whose Names, are hereumo .libsciibid, liav'e carefully survey^ and valued the several Frceheld Buildinfea alloltid as Priics in the Thiid CITY LOTTERY, and we adjudge Ifae sepsraie Value cf each to be as foUows. ■ (Sea Scheme.) F. Paynltr, . Tkvmas SKitkijlf D. R. Jtaptr. tmloii, Ati;. ti, isi>9. Tlltt Pnjpcrty is so rapidly improiing, that there caa beno duuht it will be worth Double Its Resent ValjB ill a vtryfeff Years- Present Price.— Ticket, ,fa. 151. ib».... jet 13 1 Eighth..,. :fl 4 Quarter. ... 2 7 I Sixieemli 12 SCHEME. !,.■• i;i5,70*) ..is ...,£15,700 1 9,900 9>90O 1 9,300 0,300 1 6,900. 6.900 1 • . ■ 4,100 ; 4,100 1 4,000 ,4,000 1- 3,800 3,800 1 3,300 3»500 3 3V300 9,900 3 •.. 3,lOO 9,300 3. 3,000.. 9,eoo 1 2",90O 8,900 1 ...2,700 SJIOO 1 ,...£,600 2,6fXI I 8,300. i. . , 2,300 1 .,.. 1,900.. J 1,900 1 1,800 1,800 1. ......:,:.. 1,400 1,400 1 500 50O TICKETS and SHARES are SeUjog by Sir J. Branscomb Sf C 11, Holbsfj »7, Coraiill, 38, Haymarket, aail 269, Strand. 152 A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIBS. Hotel, No. 9, Skinner Street, appraised at £25,000, to property worth £2500. The third and last portion, valued at £101,500, was disposed of on December 4, 1808, the chief prize being premises said to be worth £15, TOO, and the lowest a house put down at £500. Bish naturally burst into verse on this occa- sion — his earliest effort in this direction, as far as I am aware, but the pioneer of countless rhymes. " Freeholds and Fortunes. By Peter Pun. Tune — ' Drops of Brandy.' Dame Fortune is full of her tricks. And blind, as her portraits reveal, sir ; Then the best way the Goddess to fix, Is by putting a spoke in her wheel, sir ; Her favours the Lott'ry unfolds, Then the summons to Bish's don't scorn, sir ; For, as her Cornucopia he holds, He's the lad for exalting your horn, sir. Rwrn ti iddity, etc. With Poverty who would be known, And live upon oris in a garret, sir ; Who could get a good house of his own, And fatten on roast beef and claret, sir ; A HISTOET OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 153 In the Gity Scheme this you'll obtain, At Bish's where all folks pell-mell come ; By a Ticket a ^ree-hold you'll gain. And it cannot be more free than welcoyne. Rum, ti iddity, etc. This House, when you once realize it. Upholders will look sharp as lynxes. For an order to Egyptia/nize it, With Catacomb fal-lals and sphynses. Chairs and tables, a mum,m.y like crew, With Crocodile Grooms of the Stole, sir, Sarcophagus coal scuttles too, And at Bish's you'll fill them with cole,* sir. Rum ti iddity, etc. For, when you're thus furnish'd in state. And a pretty establishment got, sir. Ten to one but it pops in your pate. You'll want sticks to be boiling the pot, sir ; Then to Bish's away for supplies. For m,opiJbsses * they are so plenty, You may chuse a Ten Thousand Pound prize, And, if you don't like it, a Twenty. RuTTi ti iddity, etc. Then Bish for my money, I say. The likes of him never was known, sir ; As Brulgruddery says in the play, ' That mean's the philosopher's stone, sir.'. * A slang term for money. 154 A HISTORy OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. Then what shall we do for this man, Who makes all your fortunes so handy ? Buy his Tickets as fast as you can. And drink him in Drops of Brandy. RuTTi ti iddity, etc." Pickett Street owed its name to Alderman Pickett, who, in 1789, propounded a plan for making it ; and between the years 1795 and 1811, Acts of Parliament were obtained, and, at an expense of over ^250,000, the houses were pulled down, the street widened, and the site let for long terms to contractors for the new buildings. But, unfortunately, as Leigh Hunt observed, " They turned out to be on too large a scale," the lease- holders being fast ruined, for they had soon expended £850,000 on the buildings, which, since 1802, had remained unlet. At last they hit upon a plan to release themselves, which was to obtain an Act of Parliainent to enable them to dispose of their interest in their property, and also other property in Skinner Street and Fleet Market, by means of a lottery. "THE TRADESMAN. The man who depends on the profits of trade, When debts are collected and bills are all paid, May think himself happy to find he stands clear, With Credit still good at the end of the year ; A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 155 Or, should his endeavours, and constant attendance, Obtain in the end but a small independence^ 'Tis more than is likely, while many as willing. Strive hard all their lives, and can ne'er save shilling. How diflf'rent the Chance of the Lott'ry from this, By vent'ring a trifle, you scarcely can miss : Your business is done, you may rise beyond bounds, Possess'd of Ten, Twenty, or Five Thousand Pounds. Some ground would you gain, with No Land Tax to pay? 'Tis time to look out, and get rich while you may ; New Houses you'll have, when in April they deal Estates at Guildhall, from the City's Rich Wheel." 156 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. The usual Lottery Act was passed on June 30, 1808 (48 Geo. III. c. 139), but it was only for £600,000^for a reason given below — and tbe net profit thereon was £146,527. This year a Committee of the House of Commons was appointed, to inquire how far the evils attend- ing lotteries had been remedied by the laws passed respecting the same, and to report their observations thereon, as well as upon such further measures as might be necessary by way of remedy. Pending- the completion of the evidence, the committee reported resolutions to the House, of which the following is the first — the others being more or less stringent. " That (if it was thought expedient to continue State Lotteries) the number in each year should be limited to two lotteries of not more than 30,000 tickets each ; that the number of days allowed for drawing should be reduced from ten to eight ; that the number of tickets to be drawn each day should be uncertain, and left to the discretion of the Commissioners of Stamp Duties, and kept secret till the close of the drawing each day, care being taken, as the lottery proceeded, not to leave too great a number undrawn on the latter days of A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 157 drawing, but that one moiety or upwards, be drawn on the four first days thereof." In the report of this Committee, various in- stances were adduced of the most serious evils arising from lotteries, by most respectable wit- nesses, some of which are so striking, that mention must be made of them. One case, which was attested by the Eev. W. Gurney, is particularly interesting, as it shows to what an amazing extent this kind of gambling will carry persons, who, had it not been for the temptations held out by lotteries, might have lived with comfort and respectability, but who, from these kinds of specu- lations, have been reduced to the most abject state of poverty and distress. " I knew," said Mr. Gurney, " a widow in a good line of business as a silk dyer, which, I suppose, brought her in about ^£400 a year, clear. She kept a very good house, and I was in habits of intimacy with the family. The foreman she had was in the habit of insuring in the lottery ; he was led astray by an acquaintance, and he and his mistress insured to the amount of i^300 to .£400 in a night, although the foreman had only £30 a year wages. It appeared, on his decease, he 158 A HISTOBY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. had insured immense sums of money within the last year of his life. I found that he had expended upwards of 100 guineas in the lottery, purchasing one ticket at ,£16, and insuring away the rest. It came up a blank at last, and I verUy believe the disappointment was the cause of his death. He died insolvent, and I acted as his executor, and paid three or four shillings in the pound to his creditors. He had received a great many bills for his mistress which he had never accounted for, and was the ruin of her also. She was not able to pay three shillings in the pound, was obliged to go into an almshouse, and died there in four or five months. They would send all the plate she possessed to raise money to carry on an in- surance, which had, perhaps, begun at a low rate. The gentleman who drew the foreman into this practice was also ruined by it. His wife had an annuity of ,£400 per annum settled upon her ; he sold her life-interest, and she was obliged to live afterwards upon charity, while her husband, who had formerly kept his carriage and lived in a good house in Queen Square, spent the last hours of his miserable existence within the rules of the Fleet Prison." A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 159 Various other instances of a similar kind were mentioned in the Appendix to the Eeport of the Committee, where the parties, formerly in re- spectable circumstances, were reduced to misery and distress. What, however, served to mark the evil of lotteries the stronger is— that it was not only the unsuccessful adventurer that was ruined by the failure of his speculation, but there were many cases where a successful speculator had reason to deplore his first connection with this species of gambling. Kobert Baker, Esq., deposed that "he remem bered one very strong instance of distress arising out of the transactions in the lottery four or five years ago. It was the case of a journeyman who belonged to a Club, which Club purchased a ticket which came up the great prize. The share of this man was JElOO, or thereabouts ; he had been an industrious working man previously, and he was persuaded by his friends to invest the money in the Stocks, in the joint names of himself and wife, in order to prevent his making away with it. He did so, but soon fell into habits of idleness after he became possessed of the money ; and he wanted his wife to join in the transfer of it. This 160 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. occasioned quarrels, which proceeded to assaults ; he changed his habits of industry to those of drunkenness and idleness, he destroyed all his domestic comfort, and was the ruin of the peace of his family." Many other cases of a similar description are given in this Appendix. In some of them, mothers had neglected their children, and left them desti- tute of the common necessaries of life, while the money by which those necessaries could have been purchased, had been gambled away in the in- surance of certain numbers in the Lottery. In other cases, the wife had robbed an industrious and careful father of the small and hard-earned savings of many months, and even of many years ; and he, instead of finding his little treasure in the drawer in which it was deposited, and which he was about to increase by another small addition, found that the whole had been gambled away in lottery speculations, and every article of his clothes, which were not likely to be immediately wanted, had been pawned, in order to recover the former loss. In other cases, children had robbed their parents, servants their masters ; suicides had been committed, and almost every crime that can be A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 161 imagined had been occasioned, either directly or indirectly, through the baneful influence of lot- teries. The Committee, in the course of their Eeport, declared that, " the foundation of the lottery system is so radically vicious, that your Committee feel convinced that under no system of regulations which can be devised will it be possible for Parlia- ment to adopt it as an efiicacious source of revenue, and, at the same time, divest it of all the evils of which it has, hitherto, proved so baneful a source." M CHAPTER XII. "'The Lottery Alphabet "—" The Philosopher's Stone"— " Fortune's Ladder " — Enigmatical handbill — ^Lottery drawn on St. Valentine's Day — ■" Pnblic Prizes " — and other poetical handbills. fTHEEE of Bish's handbills belong to this lottery. "THE LOTTERY ALPHABET. A stands for All who for Affluence wish, B means Be sure Buy a Ticket of BiSH. C Cash in plenty by BiSH you may gain ; a Don't Delay soon a Chance to obtain ; U Shows that Every One, if he is wise, F would Find out where to purchase a Prize ; a Gives the place ; it is 4, in Comhill ; H Has a prize, for Have it who will, I Independence by Bish you may gain ; J Join with me, a grand Prize to obtain ; K Keep in view, in October's the day L Lott'ry draws ; then no longer delay. 31 Many prizes the Scheme has in view ; N No one knows but a winner are you. shows that Opulence there may be found ; P Proves that Prizes in Plenty abound. A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 163 ft Questions not but the Scheme will delight ye ; R most Respectfully begs to invite ye. S Stands for Shares, if a Ticket don't suit ye, T Turns your Luck, and with Treasure recruits ye U shows that all, with Unanimous wishes, V Vow they'll Venture and purchase at Bish's. W Would Wish in a Club to unite ye ; X Ten to One but good luck will requite ye. Y hopes that You have, like others, a wish, Z with Zeal to adventure and purchase of BrsH." "THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE. By an Alchymist. TuNE^ — ' Golden Days of good Queen Bess.' Ye Alchymists, attend my lay, and occult speculators, I've made a grand discovery, according with your natures ; I ha'n't found out the longitude, nor motion that's perpetual, But the Stone that's called Philosopher's, a Thousand Pounds I'll bet you all. And merry be his memory, who such a thing invented, Tho' some folks, if they could make gold, would never be contented. Perhaps you might have read about an ancient sage philosopher. Whom Hudibras informs you had read Alexander Ross over ; Who Alick Ross was, I don't know, and you are not much wiser ; But he first gave the hint of what I mean to advertise here. And merry, etc. 164 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. It isn't Loan — it isn't Scrip — nor long, nor short Annuities, But, if I don't explain the thing, what matter what to you it is ? In short, then, 'tis the Lottery, from which this fact's deducible. It makes Gold ten times faster than the Alchymist's fam'd Crucible. And merry, etc. The 5th of October they draw, and when the wheel goes round, sir. If you're lucky, you may gain a Twenty Thousand Pound, sir ; Ye souls of Venture, then, who hope to share the Lott'ry's riches, To Fortune straight your suit unfold, and She'll befriend your wishes. And merry, etc. And should you wish to get a Prize, if 'tis but Twenty Thousand, You'll not be disappointed much ; and would you know the house, and The owner'sname,itBlSH is, and he, with zeal quitefervent. Declares himself to be, kind sir, your very humble servant. And merry, etc. And, if you doubt of buying Prize, you are only to be told, sir. That Three of Twenty Thousand Pounds, last Lottery he sold, sir. And so disinterested he, if you your luck would try it, He says he hates to sell a blank, as much as you to buy it. And merry, etc." A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 165 "FORTUNE'S LADDER. (to be read from the bottom.) The drift of this Ladder, to well comprehend, Take a Paddy's advice and begin at the end. (3) She answer'd thus, " If you are wise, You'll try at Bish's for a Prize." The thought inspir'd with hope the man, Who off to Bish's quickly ran. (Go to JSFo. 4.) (2) "My dearest wife, the times are bad, And, as to Cash, it can't be had, In this sad plight, what what shall we do ? Or, pray, what plan can we pursue ? " (Go to No. 3.) (1) A wight, by poverty oppress'd, By duns and creditors distress'd, Thus to his dame in dudgeon said, While dreams of horror fiU'd his head. (Go to No. 2.) 166 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. (6) Not long he waits, the lucky youth Who drew the Prize, proclaims the truth. And in his breast " fond hopes arise, It is a Twenty Thousand Prize ! " {Go to No. 7.) (5) At home arriv'd, he tells his dear, And anxiously expects to hear The glorious, heart-in- spiring sound, " 'Tis drawn, a Twenty Thousand Pound ! " (Go to No. 6.) (4) And, passing by, he saw the Scheme, Of universal praise the theme ; Then went to BiSH, a Ticket bought, In hopes that Fortune he had caught. (Go to No. 5.) A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS. 167 (9) His friends, relations, uncles, cousins, To wish him joy, flock in by dozens ; And those, who 'gainst him clos'd their door, Obsequious bend unto the floor. {Qo to No. 10.) (8) And, now, behold how chang'd the scene, To what it formerly had been ; No duns to vex — of gold a hoard. While wealth and plenty crown his board. {Go to No. 9.) (7) To BiSH he goes with Prize in hand, Who pays the Money on demand. With many thanks for favours past. And hoping that his luck may last. {Go to No. 8.) 168 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. (10) Possess'd of all that wealth can give, In style he now begins; to live ; His carriage keeps, but yet can spare A Fortune to his son and heir. Finis. On June 10, 1809, sanction was given by Parliament to a lottery (49 Geo. III. c. 94), for the £600,000 recommended by the Committee, and the net profit derived therefrom was £327,006 Os. 10c?. In this year Bish produced an enigmatical hand- bill, such as were very popular about that time, and for ten years later. The solution to the handbill on p. 169 is, "If you are a man struggling to get through the world, or surrounded hy crosses ; or if you wish to lay by a fortune for your children, go to BiSH or his agents, who may make you independent, and above the frowns of the world." A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 169 WHO MAY MAKE TOU THE irowjfis of the This other one (p. 170) is notable principally for the costumes. 170 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. STATE LOTTERY BEGINS DRAWING THIS MONTH, APRIL 13, 1808, SCHEME 4 Pn»ei of ^620,000 «" ;e80,000 A Ticket may gain a ..-. 10,000 20,000 a .... .6,006 6 .... 1,000 ;•• 10,000 6,000 £100,000. 10 ,-.. aoo so :■' 100 6,000 2,*0 A Half may gain: 44 .-., ao 2.200 100 ■-•• 35 4.820* ...- 15 2,500 ••■• 73.300 £50,000-. 20,000 TicKctib ;£200,000 A Q uarter may gain( Free Gipt of 1,000 Whoi,e Tickets £25,000. -For (be Fint^drawn Pri» nbora. £is°. Pint Dtg, Nnmben u filtow : S,001 to S,10l> 7,001 to T,100 10^1 to ioe«o An Eighth maV gaia^ 4.301 to 4,«» 8,901 to 0,«)0 lljOOl to 11,H» '■'t • o . S/Wl to 9,100 «,wi to «,6aa 9,001 M 9,100 11,301 10 lijun £12.500. Febe Gift pf tfOO.Ws OLE TlCHETS A Sixieenth maj gain., For the First-drnwii Frizt abo»« ^l$,.S«:oiidDaj, NiimlMn as follot »i £6,250 tlflOt to 13.lon 1 tS,001 to 1S,10( 9 17,001 to 17,100 14,301 Iff 14.600 18,501 to 16,60 »l Gvs aqd Balnb, Piiuten, 38, (^cnliurcb SUteb A HISTOBY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 171 The 15 th June, 1810, brought its lottery (50 Geo. III. c. 94). Prizes £600,000, profit £186,886 8s. Judging by this small amount of profit, the public interest in the lottery was waning, and it would seem to be so, by the extra stimulus given to the handbills issued this year, which were more numerous than heretofore, especially for that drawn on 14th February. An Engraver's design for heading to a Lottery Handbill. 172 A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. #^#f^'??^>^"i?^#A^'^H#>^^f#v^-4'^=t^#i^'^ A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. A VALENTIltfK 173 No fresh Damask Rose, when held to the Nose, No Cowslip or Daffy-down- dilly, No Hyacinth's bloom,or Pink's rich perfume. Nor Jessamine sweet, nor the Lily; These Emblems of Love, this Knot or this Dove ; This I'air, or this One with a Letter, This Torch and these Darts, these two wounded Hearts, Nor Cupid, nor Hymen's round Fetter; Not all these Devices can match the great Prizes, N or can Bacchus or Venus so brisk. Afford such a boon As next Valentine's Noon, When the Prizes are gained ,, without risk. jy 174 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. The inevitable Bish comes to the fore with "PUBLIC PRIZES. By a Prize-Master. Tune—' Ye Scamps, ye Fads, ye Bivers.' In London Town, are Prizes for ev'ry thing that's made, In every profession, manufactory, or trade ; Prize Cattle long have noise made, but don't the frice decrease. But I can tell of Prize Sheep, each with a Golden Fleece. With a tol, etc. How oft you'll advertis'd see a Prize Boot or a Shoe, Which Crispin's sons to gain, must either strap or buckle to ; To " buckle Fortune on your back," you'd scrape your shoe to do't I'll tell you, and for a Prize, to make a leg to hoot. With a tol, etc. Prize Flow'rs you hear of in plenty, of every kind and hue. The best of them but fade at last, however fine to view ; Your Florist's of Carnations, Pinks, and Tulips forth may hold, The Prize Flower I present to you, is Fortune's Marigold. With a tol, etc. Prize Themes they write at College, in ev'ry style and tongue, Producing Wisdo'-m, greatest Prize, enlightening the young ; A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTBEIBS. 175 My Theme is, too, a Prize Theme, a richer scarce is found, I mean the Prize, for that may turn out Eighty Thousand Pound. With a tol, etc. The Theme I mean's the Lottery, on Valentine they draw, With Prizes full 5,000, a Scheme to gain eclat ; Two Hundred Thousand Pounds in all ; among them too you have Twelve =eiOOO's, Four £5000's and Four £20,000's— brave. With a tol, etc. And BiSH is the Prize-Master, who sells most of them well. At Charing Cross, No. 9, or Blue Coat Boys, Cornhill ; For Thousand Twenties, Five and Twenties, Thirties, Forties too. He more has sold than all the Trade, and he'll sell one to you. With a tol, etc." Hazard and Co. give us the three foUowiDg : — " The Prize Bird of Venus, commissioned by Love, The bounties of Fortune this Month to display, Announces to all who her favours would prove. That the Lottery draws on St. Valentine's Day. Young Maidens for Lovers no more need despair, Since Fortune and Love have together combin'd. To bestow their best gifts on the youth and the Fair, Who by Hymen's soft fetters would wish to be join'd." 176 A HISTORY OF ENaLISH LOTTERIES. " SWEETHEARTS ; AND GOLD ; OR, The Matrimonial Recipe. , Sweethearts, blithesome, spruce and gay, Haste ye, haste ye, haste away, Soon is Fortune's holiday ! ■'- Why so loiter thus your time ? 'Tis, indeed, a monstrous crime. Thus to waste your youth and prime ! Haste then. Sweethearts, haste away, Soon is Fortune's Holiday ! Prizes may be had by all. Rich and Poor, and Great and Small. If you have a mind to call ' 5 Where they always may be had ; And M^here, too, they're' always glad To assist where Luck's been bad ! Haste ye. Sweethearts, haste away. Soon is Fortune's Holiday ! If you would to church be led. By the Man you'd wish to Wed, • (Ne'er to part till one is dead,) Here the way I'll surely show, How most likely to do so. Get a Prize — he'll ne'er say 'No !' Haste then, Sweethearts, haste away Soon is Fortune's Holiday ! If your lovely Lass has charms, To excite your Love's alarms, Lest she fly to others' arms. A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. 177 Buy a Share — a Prize go buy — Then for you she'll heave a sigh, And with pleasure soon comply ! Haste then, Sweethearts, haste away, Soon is Fortune's Holiday ! Fifty Thousand Guineas rare. May be had, and I know where, They'll the Prizes doubtless share ! Hazard's House, with fame o'er grown, Has for Prizes long been known, As the House of greatest tern. Haste then. Sweethearts, haste away, Soon is Fortune's Holiday ! Never hesitate, nor stand, For the time is close at hand, When this Holiday is plann'd ; Good St. Valentine, you see. And Dame Fortune, both agree In the closest harmony. Haste then, Sweethearts, haste away, Soon is Fortune's Holiday ! " "THE DOUBT. To buy, or not to buy, that's the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the purse to suffer The mournful emptiness of Fortune's daughter, Or to buy Tickets at a Lott'ry Office, And by a Prize to end them. A Prize ! Hard Cash ! And by possession of that Cash to end The heart-ache, and a thousand cruel shocks That Poverty is heir to. 'Tis a consummation 2sr 178 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES, Devoutly to be wish'd — Guineas — Bank-Notes — A Prize — perchance a Blank * — aye, there's the rub, That makes necessity of so long life ; For who would bear the scorn of empty pockets; The insolence of riches, and the spurns That ragged small-clothes from the well-drest take When he, himself, might a fine fortune make With a mere Share ? Thus Prudence doth make cowards of us all And Lottery Prizes of great pith and moment. By sad delay are flown from us for ever. And lose the name of benefits ! " One * The present Lottery contains only half the nsnal pro- portion, viz. Not two Blanks to a Frwe. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 179 CHAPTER XIII. ' Twenty Thousand; or, Tom Truelove's Journal " — " London and tbe Lottery" — " The Persian Ambassador"; — "An Enigma " — " Gently over the Stones." "TWENTY THOUSAND; OB, Tom Teuelove's Journal. 'nnWAS past meridian, half-past four, J- Good Luck, I thought I'd try to nick it. At six, up Cornhill channel wore. And bought of BiSH a Lott'ry Ticket ; At seven, home with my ticket sped, At eight, in air built many a house, and At nine I supp'd and went to bed. And dreamt at ten of Twenty Thousand. 'Eose six a.m. with hope agog. In hopes of having pretty pickings, O'erhaul'd, at seven, Fortune's log. And counted, tho' not hatch'd, my chickens. At eight, absorb'd by Fancy's power. For breakfast scarcely cared a sous, and At nine, heard Church clock strike the hour I hop'd would bring me Twenty Thousand. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 181 At ten, I went to Cooper's Hall, To see them draw the Blanks and Prizes, Eleven, my number heard 'em call — Here, in my bosom transport rises. The Hall, I, ere meridian, left, ' (Your expectation I arouse, and Will satisfy) of care bereft, I found my chance was Twenty Thousand. At one, I sought the gen' reus lass, Who long for me and love had tarried, And told her what had come to pass ; At two, we settled to be married ; At three, we bought the wedding-ring, At four, resolved to take a house, and Till five, did nought but dance and sing, For joy of getting Twenty Thousand. At six, saw BiSH, my prize he paid. In gold, with such polite behaviour. It seem'd — the' he'd my fortune made, As if I'd done him some great favour At seven, with cargo, sail I set, (My thoughts in Hope's delights carouse) and At eight again my girl I met, And, in her lap, threw Twenty Thousand. Next morn, at nine (the licence bought), I rigg'd, and in my house I waited ; At ten, in consort Church we sought. And, at eleven, we were mated. And I, while rapture fill'd each sense. At twelve saluted Polly's hows, and With grateful heart thank'd Providence, Who gave me her, and Twenty Thousand." 182 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. Here is another of Bish's Handbills for 1810 : — "LONDON AND THE LOTTERY. By a Rarity Hunter. ! London's a wonderful city, In wonderful wonders abounding, Some astonishment raise, and some pity. And all faculties some are confounding ; For instance, there's Westininster Hall, Where at puzzle-cap pleaders play well, sir ; Black white and white black often call. By the rule of the oyster and shell, sir. Rum ti iddity, etc. Guildhall, too, with wonder one treads. Where the two wooden giants stand guard, sir And besides theirs, enough wooden heads You'll find, if you search every Ward, sir ; These giants are guards of the clock, And you'll own that's a time-serving station ; But each sticks to his place like a stock. As all time servers do in the nation. Rum ti iddity, etc. At the new Auction Mart you next stare, Which, a fine place we're bid to consider ; Like political consciences, where All things are knock'd down to best bidder ; The fam'd StocJc Exchange then you view, Where there's plenty of bother and bubble, And 'twere well if Stock Jobbers, a few, Were set in the Stocks for their trouble. Rum ti iddity, etc. A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTBEIBS. 183 The Bank your attention receires, Where Fortune holds court for her minions ; And Bank Notes, like fam'd Sybilline Leaves, Faith makes current for " golden opinions." The Parliament House awe creates, That guard 'gainst the strong of the weaker ; Where they hold ev'ry day long Debates, Which is odd, as they have but one Speaker. Eum ti iddity, etc. There's St. Paul's, too, and Westminster Abbey, To the curious to see 'em a feast 'tis ; There's the Monument, crazy and shabby, And the Tower where they show the wild Beastes. The British Museum, Fame sings, All rarities there they receive 'em ; And they tell you such wonderful things ! And you, if you like, may believe 'em. Rum ti iddity, etc. There's one Cooper's Hall I forgot. Where the Lott'ry they draw every year, sir ; And the 8th of next June, on that spot. They'll draw it again, as I hear, sir ; And then there's a house on Gornhill, Where a man they call BiSH advertises, That he there, or at Charing Gross will Sell most of the Capital Prizes. Rum ti iddity, etc." To show liow keenly Bish looked after anything on which he could hang an advertisement, read the following, which must have been written before 184 A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIES. June 8, 1810, as that date is given on the back of the handbill, as the drawing of the lottery. No doubt the coming of an ambassador from Persia created almost as great a sensation as that of the Shah in June, 1873, and his Excellency Mirza Abdul Hassan, envoy extraordinary from the Shah of Persia to the Court of Great Britain, 'reached these shores on November 30, 1809, had an audience of George III., and presented his credentials on December 20. Sir Gore Ouseley, the celebrated Persian scholar, attended on him during his stay in this country. " The Persian Ambassador. By the Town Crier. Tune — " The Frog in an Opera Hat!' The Persian Ambassador's come to town ; Heigho ! says Boney ; He's a person of rank and renown, Says in Persia they'll knock all French politics down, With their Parlez vous, Voulez vous, gammon and spinach too ; Heigho ! says Emperor Boney. To see the Ambassador all the folks run, Heigho ! says Boney ; ' He has sixty -three cliildren,' says Boney, ' well done ! What a devil of a fellow ! while I haven't one ! A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIES. 185 With my Parlez vous, Voulez vous, Josephine and others too/ Heigho ! says Emperor Boney. Till presented he'd been he could not go about ; Heigho ! says Boney. So he went to the Court, while the folks made a rout, And being presented, had leave to go out, With a Parlez vous, Voulez vous, Johnny Bull, how d'ye do? Heigho ! says Emperor Boney. To the Op'ra the Persian Ambassador went ; Heigho ! says Boney ; He said, to go often it was his intent. For he liked it so much, he scarce knew what it meant. With his Parlez vous, Voulez vous, Naldi and Vestris too, Heigho ! says Emperor Boney. To the Play-house the Persian Ambassador hied ; Heigho ! says Boney ; At the sorrows of Lear he sobb'd and he sigh'd. And then at the Pantomime laughed till he cried, With their Parlez vous, Voulez vous, Joey Grimaldi too, Heigho ! says Emperor Boney. With the East India Company next he din'd ; Heigho ! says Boney ; To shew him all honour their Worships designed. So some walked before him, and others behind. With their Parlez vous, Voulez vous, tit-bits and turtle too, Heigho ! says Emperor Boney. 186 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. At the Baiik he found Specie was scarce in the place ; Ho ! ho ! says Boney ; But they shew'd him a vast many ' Notes on the case,' By that learned Annotator on Cash, Henry Hase, With his Parlez vous, Voulez vous, Water Mark Promise too, Heigho ! says Emperor Boney. To what place next will his Excellence hie ? Heigho ! says Boney ; Perhaps, if he means his good fortune to try. To Bish's, a Lottery Ticket to buy, With his Parlez vous, Voulez vous, good lucky Number too, Heigho ! says Emperor Boney. If a Prize the Ambassador chances to bank, Heigho ! says Boney ; And no doubt Mr. Bish, to a man of his rank. Wouldn't so impolite be as to sell him a blank : With his Parlez vous, Voulez vous. Capital prizes too, Heigho ! says Emperor Boney. If a best Prize he gets, in A, B, C, or D, Heigho ! says Boney ; Won't matter, no doubt quite contented he'll be. And at going, say, ' Johnny Bull, thank ye for me,' With a Parlez vous, Voulez vous, 'Bish, I'll remember you,' Heigho ! says Emperor Boney." A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. 187 An ENIGMA. To one-fourth of a passion which governs mankind Add a circle, and part of my meaning you'll find ; To these let one-fourth of the killer of kings, The subverter of empires, and all human things. Be united ; and then if two-thirds of a drink Used in Europe and China, is added, I think The best part of the puzzle you'll guess very well. One-third of a West Indian spirit then tell ; And if, to all these, the last letter but one In the Alphabet's added, the puzzle is done. If you place all these rightly, the means will be clear. How an income to gain of five thousand a year. Explanation. Soft Love is the passion which governs mankind. And an L is the fourth of that word you will find. The circle's an ; and the killer of kings, The subverter. of empires and all human things. Is Time ; now the fourth of this word is a T ; And the drink used in Europe and China is Tea, Two-thirds of which word are explain'd by TE. The West Indian spirit is Rum, I declare, One-third of which word by an R is made clear : And, as the last letter but one is a Y. The whole put together will form Lottery. Now Five Twenty Thousands the Scheme doth contain. And the whole of these Prizes iive Tickets may gain, If bought of one number : and thus, it is clear, That an income you'll gain of five thousand a year. 188 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. " Gently over the Stones." The Ancients vised to mark all lucky Days with a White Stone ; now Blachstone was a Judge, and could tell you that Blue Stone is not half so corrosive as poverty, which brings a man's nose to the Grindstone, while Riches make his Happiness durable as Free Stone. Now, under this heap of Stones a Truth is hidden, which will be powerfully elucidated on the 8 th of June, the near approach of which should be a Whetstone to all who intend purchasing a lucky Number, which, as the Scheme proves, may produce Mill-Stones in Gold, Precious Stones in Jewels ; and, in short, holds out so many astonishing advantages, that no Stone should be left unturned to procure a Share of them. CHAPTER XIV. " Master and Man "— " Altogether "—Dr. Thornton's " Royal Botanical Lottery "— " Two Gold Finches "— " Dennis Brnlgrnddery " — " Shakespeare's Seven Ages." T^HE State lottery for 1811 was passed June 26 (51 Geo. III. c. 113), £600,000 in prizes— net profit, £208,007 17s. Sd., about five blanks to a prize. Of this year there are one or two good handbills. "MASTER AND MAN. A Dialogue. Q. Well, Richard, and what brings you to town 1 A. Why, I'd a wee bit business to do for mysen, and the like for your honour's lady, so I've kill'd two birds with one stone, you see. Q. Well, well, sit down and rest yourself a bit ; you seem tired ? 190 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. A. A small matter, your honour, 'case, d'ye see, I walked all the way up. Q. The Devil you did ! Why didn't you ride old Dobbin ? A. I couldn't, your honour, 'case he's dead. Q. Dead ! and how came that about ? A. 'Twere my own fault, poor beast ! — I rode so hard from Doncaster, to tell Dame Bridget, our Housekeeper, the good News. Q. What News? 4 ' Why, that she had got a share in a Capital in the Lottery, Q. And how came she to buy Lottery Tickets ? A. Oh ! bless you, mun ! she didn't buy it at all. Q. Didn't buy it ? Why, how then ? A. Why, Mistress guv'd it to her, like. Q. She'd better have sav'd the money to pay off the Mortgage, A. Oh, that's all settled. Q, Settled? A, Yes ; she paid it all off on the same day. Q. What day ? A. Why, the day they paid her the money. Q. What money ? A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 191 A. Why, the Lottery money, from t' Office. Q. I thought you said, just now, that Bridget had got the Prize ? Your head's wool-gathering. A. So she did, but Mistress got one too, Q. And it was drawn a . . . A. A Prize of Twenty Thousand ! — and now your Honour knows all about it." For a wonder, the above has no lottery oflfice- keeper's name attached to it — unlike the following. " ALTOGETHER ! Tune — ' Reuben, he had wit and grace.' ■ Ebubejst, he had wit and grace ' Altogether. And much esteemed Henry Hase * Altogether. Quoth he, ' Dear Ruth, a wish I have, A little store of cash to save, That Fortune's frowns we both may brave, Altogether.' Now Ruth, she was a charming maid. Altogether. And unto Reuben then she said, Altogether, ' The Spirit moveth me to say. If we'd be put in Fortune's way, * Secretary or tead^cashier to the Bank of England. 192 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. To Bish's we must go this day, Altogether.' Then Reuben lifted up his eyes, Altogether ; And to the Damsel thus replies, Altogether ; ' Friend Ruth, thy counsel likes me well, I know friend BiSH doth Prizes sell. So, unto him, our mind we'll tell. Altogether.' Then, unto BiSH they straightway went, Altogether ; And of their walk did not repent Altogether; Quoth Reuben, 'Damsel, verily, We acted right our luck to try, I love the Mammon heartily. Altogether.' " On May 21, 1811, was passed an Act (51 Geo. III. and the first year of the Regency, c. 113) to enable Dr. Thornton to get rid by lottery of his very expensive works on botany, which were warranted " entirely of British Manufacture." The scheme was 20,000 tickets at two guineas each, and there were to be 10,000 prizes. "Britons ! join Hand and Heart in promoting the Arts and Sciences of your Country, by the Immediate Purchase of a Ticket." -' <'^^-a^ P I'll r'^?^^^ -r'-T cieitce. CoDsistIng of 90,000 Tickets. 10,000 PRIZES! ONLY ONE BLANK TO A PRIZE. To tic Drawn early in the SeaMn with the State Lottery. FOR A WHOLE TICKET THE PRICE IS NOW ONLY TWO GUINEAS, BUT EXPECTED SHORTLY TO BEAR AN HIGH PREMIUM. Tbia LoTTSAT wu pasacd with the Uoanimous Consent of PARLlAftfcVT Britons! jpin Hand aoil Heart in promoting the Ants and! Scitjtcs* of yuurCoUHTnr, by the Iumediate Fukcuasc of a Ticiiet. r»rTntiGUI^EAS, aPriwrtulhabo'e FIVE THOUSAND POUNOS miy be clit.in,4 I mi Mm* C^mm M ilBagM itLfiit UltCfyOaMi la A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES, 193 Royal BOTANICAL LOTTERY. First, The Geand Prize. (Intitled the LiNNiEAN Gallery), Being all the Original Paintings of the choicest Flowers, Allegorical Subjects, and Heads of Botanists, executed by the most eminent Painters, Opie, R.A. dec, Russell, R.A. dec, HowABD, R.A., Reinagle, R.A., Henderson, &c., &c., accompanied with a superb Copy of each of the other prizes, most elegantly bound, valued together at upwards of £5,080 Also 199 Capital Prizes, Each containing The Temple of Flora, being representations of the choicest Flowers of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, New Illustrations of THE LinnjEAn System and Philosophy OF Botany, making together Five Grand Volumes, including several Hundred Plates, by those most eminent Artists Bartolozzi, Eaelom, Landseer, Mil- ton, Lowry, Tomkins, Dunkarton, Ward, &c., &c. (the Plates afterwards to be destroyed, according to Act of Parliament) ; each set of these Grand Jfational Works is valued at £80 ... 15,920 Also 200 Capital Prizes. Each being a Copy of the Botanical Coloured Plates in the Temple of Flora, forming a most elegant Port- folio of Botanical Flower Plates, with 194 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEBIES. a Descriptive Catalogue in 8vo, value £30 each Copy T.. ... 6,000 Also 609 Capital Prizes. Each being the Temple of Flora 4to Size, richly coloured, and Letter Press, valued at £15 each 9,000 Also 2000 Capital Prizes. Viz. Flora of the United Kingdom, being a Description of every British Plant, and their Virtues, 400 Plates, Five Volumes 8vo, valued at £10 each 20,000 Also 7000 Capital Prizes. Viz. Elements of Botany, Two Volumes 8vo, with 200 Plates, valued at £3 each 21,000 Total Value of all the Prizes in the Royal Botanical Lottery ...£77,000 " Address to the Public. DR. THORNTON Respectfully informs the Nobility and Gentry, that, after a labour of upwards of Twenty Years, he has accomplished a series of Botanical Woeks, which he hopes are honourable to the Nation. The House of Commons, and the Lords, were so well satisfied with them, from examination, that a Lottery for the sale of the same was unanimously A HISTORY OF ENaLISH LOTTERIES. 195 granted ; for it was seen, that few could afford to give Eighty Pounds for a book, who would cheer- fully venture Two Guineas for the same. To con- vince a generous Public of the Value of the Prizes in the Eoyal Botanical Lottery, he begs leave to present Extracts from the Eeports laid before the Honourable House of Commons, being Letters from Persons of Eminence. Certificates. " Sir, — I very; readily comply with your request to certify, that His Majesty's Library, and also that of Her Majesty the Queen, have been enriched with your elegant Works ; and I heartily wish you may succeed in your endeavours to recover some of the expense you have so liberally incurred, in bringing them to their present degree of perfection. " I am, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant, " Fred. Aug. Barnard, " Librarian to the King. " Queen's Palace, Feb. 20, 1811. "Sir, — His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Eussia, having, with much satisfaction, received your splendid and elaborate Botanical Works, has 196 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. directed me to transmit to you the Eing sent here- with, as a mark of his benevolence, and a proof of his regard for everything which is of public utility. " I have the honour to be your most obedient, humble Servant, " N. KOVOSSILSOFF, " Pres. of the Imp. Acad. " Deo. 30, 1807." Here follow other letters, etc., not worth quoting, and the prospectus winds up thus : " Dr. Thornton concludes this Address with confidence, that every Englishman who has a love for the honour, glory and prosperity of the British Name, will encourage the Fine Arts and Science of the Country, by entering into this Botanical Lottery, which is intended to be drawn before the 4th of June, 1812, provided the encouragement from the Public has been such, that One Third of the Tickets are disposed of by that time ; which, from the present generous patronage the Public has already ex- hibited, Dr. Thornton cannot entertain one moment's hesitation about. As the Tickets in all the other Private Lotteries have risen, at the conclusion, from three to six, or eight guineas, ;^:!^^> '5i<^:; ■«I4 to4«M "iiiaiSij tAwflMj / - ■03 OSV Xq aujHSs Sin »Jetis p"^ "IsiISli OOO'O^ 009'S oors 000*8 ©ore OOO'^ ooor ooor 000*8 oooif^ ooor 000 Ol oocrsi^ 0000^^ luaj^jp HB 'si»Tpr|^ OOO'Cl W> 91 ' 000 5? 9^ :- ' t|l 00 • 001 01^ 01 m: ^ • ' m mi '• :- - OS ■ OOS 551 008 or OOf' 8 oor o 0001 f 000 1; r. 000 e I ooof I 000'^ t 000*01 I OOO&l I O0o'or-3f p I s» "iiaiv lELMOMSIHJLOS SMVHo 3a nv Ttt»' AHadutoi axvxs A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTBEIES. 197 each, the present is the most favourable moment for the purchase of a Ticket in the Royal Botanical Lottery." The^ State lottery of 1812 was passed on July 13 (52 Geo. IIL c. 125). Prizes, £600,000, net profit, £221,260 3s. Id. I know not by whom the following handbill was drawn : — " Two Gold Finches, vis-a-vis, Are now perching on a Tree. " I explain the above Motto thus — the two Gold Finches are the two Twenty Thousand Pound Prizes, one of which is the First-drawn Prize above £25, entitled to £20,000, Next Friday, the 27th, the Second Day of Drawing; and the other Gold Finch is the other £20,000 the lucky Sports- man thinks his Ticket will be drawn ; so that with getting one, and being entitled to the other, he means of his £20,000, to make a Forty Thousand Pound Prize. This would indeed be killing two Birds with ONE STONE." 53 Geo. III. c, 93, passed July 2^ was the Lottery Act for 1813. Prizes, the usual £600,000; net profit, £212,285 12s. 6d. For a few years the 198 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. stimulating handbills are scarce ; still, one or two more can generally be found. "Mrs. B. Why, Dennis Brulgruddery, surely you're mad ! Are these times, I wonder, to laugh and be glad? I suppose that, as usual, you've been in the cellar. And, beast as you are, with the ale have got mellow. Dennis. Be quiet now. Mistress Brulgruddeey, dear, And let me just whisper a word in your ear ; Be aisy, my darling, and open your eyes ; Don't you see I've got hold of a Capital Prize ? A HISTOEY OP BNGLI&H LOTTEEIBS. 199 Mrs. B. A capital fiddlestick ! — Dennis, you're crazy. Dennis. My Jewel !— I tell you again, now, be aisy ; Don't bother my gig, and I'll tell you the matter ; But paice now, and let's have no more of your clatter. Mrs. B. Well, tell your fool's tale, and, for my part, I'm dumb; You know I hate talking — I always am mum ; You should hear Mrs. Gabble — she . . . Dennis. Will you be quiet ? Mrs. B. Oh, certainly, Sir; — there's no need of a riot; I was only a saying, — but on with your tale.^ Dennis. You know who it was sav'd the Brazier | from jail. And 10 Thousand Pounds paid him " down I on the nail." Mrs. B. Mr. Peeegeine, sure . . . Dennis. T'other day, in the thicket. He slipp'd in my hand, faith! a Lottery Ticket ; A reward for our kindness to Maet, my dear ; Little share of that matter was yours, though, I fear ; I thank'd him, be sure, and now, by the pow'rs, A fortune of Ten Thousand Pounds, dear, is ours! Mrs. B. A Ten Thousand Prize is a Capital thing ; But better luck still, the next venture may bring : 200 A HISTOEt OF ENGLISH LOTTERIEg, I've a Scheme in my pocket, by which it m plain, That a trifling sum may twice Ten Thousafid gain ! Dennis. Good luck to the craturs ! and who would'! say, nay ? I'm off for a Ticket as sure as the day ; Oeh ! this is the saison for making of hay ! ,■ Exeunt!' The Lottery for June 17, 1814 (54 Geo. III. c. 7i), was for £600,000 ; but the net profit was small, only £174,533 Is. 3d THIRD LOTTEKY FOR THE YEAR 18U. Ticket W Sixteenth. ^; tllK BEflREIl-of,yila Shale will be enllOtilSo ono SIXTEEWTH Partof anch BcMOtas fiban ;& ■^. beloDB lo ilieVlcMI numbered ai above lu ilieffUIItU Lolltry, in Ik diomi by Virtue of aii Art 'W g: pusicci \fi ibe Finr-ruurlh Year of |he laltp vi his piKsmti aiaicsty la Great Brliain. ;& Sixteeath. TMr«i,18I4 "SHAKESPEARE'S SEVEN AGES. A Paraphrase. All the World's a Lottery, And men and women mere Adventurers : As planets rule, do mortals play their parts Throughout life's seven ages. First the Infant— ~ For him, his mother, anxious to obtain An independence, buys a Lottery Chance, And marks the Ticket with her darling's name. A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 201 The School Boy next — with Christmas Box well stored, And face all shining with the rays of hope, Creeps, in his way to school, t 'a Lott'ry Fane, Empties his hoard, and buys a Sixteenth Share ; Then sums his Fortune by the Golden Rule. The Sighing Lover, fond, but poor in purse, A woeful ballad sings to Beauty's Goddess, To crown his purchas'd Chance with plenteous wealth ; That he may speedy gain, in wedded bands, 202 A HISTOEY 0¥ ENGLISH LOTTBEIBS. The greatest Prize — the maiden he adores. The daring Soldier next — full of ambition To acquire honor, fame, and high command, Woos the blind Goddess— fav'rer of the bold— And swears he'd brave the loaded cannon's mouth, T' obtain a Prize of Twenty Thousand Pounds. A Justice: now — full anxious to support, With Capons fat, and turtle season'd high, His big round belly, a, Ticket buys, in hope To gain promotion, and ennobled blood. The sixth Advent' rer, is the Pantaloon — A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 203 He eager views, by aid o£ spectacles, The luring Tickets — buys — and hopes to pouch A Capital — it rises to his wish — His shrunk shank lengthens — and his deep fault'ring voice, With shrilly pipe proclaims the joyful news. But, last of all — to crown advent' rous life. Would be no second childishness ; to gain A Prize that comfort yields— when age becomes — Sans teeth — sans eyes — sans taste — sans everything. Would every Age know Where, with prospect bright. Of great success, is Fortune's fav'rite Fane, Fame tells 'tis kept by Bish — who never fails, In each new Scheme to Sell — Pbizes Immense." CHAPTER XV. A lucky Spaniard — Miss Mitford's prize' — The Spectator on lucky numbers — Other anecdotes on luck — " Gretna Green"— "A Prize for Poor Jack," 1815, of course, had its State lottery, June 7 (55 Geo. III. c. 73), in which £624,400 was given in prizes, and it resulted in a net profit of £224,311 18s. Id.; but this may be partly owing to the fact that there was one prize ofi'ered of £40,000, the only other instance of such an enormous prize being in the lottery of 1807. There is a curious story about this prize (1815). During the drawing of the lottery, a Spaniard, Don Tomas Isturity, was walking near the Royal Exchange, when the inclination to spend some twenty pounds in dabbling in the lottery came strongly upon him. He entered the office of Martin and Co., Cornhill, but was unable to make up his mind what numbered ticket to choose. At last he settled on the number of days he had been A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 205 absent from Madrid, which, on reference to his pocket-book, he found to be 261. He therefore asked for the ticket bearing that number, but it was nearly half an hour before it could be obtained, and only after a strict search among the lottery offices in the City. At length a half-ticket of No. 261 was procured at two o'clock, and at five it was drawn the £40,000 prize, so that the lucky don lay down that night a richer man by £20,000 than he had risen in the morning. This is not a solitary instance of luck attending the choosing a lottery ticket. Miss Mitford, in her " Literary EecoUections," tells a good story of the old lottery days. Speaking of her father, she says, " In the intervals of his professional pursuits, he walked about London with his little girl [herself] in hand ; and one day — it was my birthday, and I was ten years old — he took me into a not very tempting-looking place, which was, as I speedily found, a lottery office. An Lish lottery was upon the point of being drawn, and he desired me to choose one out of several bits of printed paper (I did not then know their significance) that lay upon the counter. " ' Choose which number you like best,' said my 206 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. dear papa ; ' and that shall be your birthday present.' " I immediately selected one, and put it in his hand— No. 2224. " ' Ah ! ' said my father, examining it, ' you must choose again. I want to buy a whole ticket, and this is only a quarter. Choose again, my pet.' " ' No, dear papa ; I like this one best.' " ' Here is the next number,' interposed the lottery-office keeper— ' No. 2223.' "'Ay,' said my father, 'that will do just as well. Will it not, Mary ? We'll take that.' " ' No,' returned I, obstinately, ' that won't do. This is my birthday, and you know,' papa, I am ten years old. Cast up my number, and you'll find that makes, ten. The other is only nine.' "My father, superstitious, like all speculators, struck with my pertinacity, and with the reason I gave, which he liked none the less because the ground of preference was tolerably unreasonable, resisted the attempt of the office-keeper to tempt me by difi"erent tickets, and we had nearly left the shop without a purchase, when the clerk, who had been examining different desks and drawers, said to his principal — A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 207 " ' I think, sir, the matter may be managed if the gentleman does not mind paying a few shillings more. That ticket, 2224, only came yesterday, and we have still all the shares — one-half, one- quarter, one-eighth, and two-sixteenths. It will be just the same, if the young lady is set upon it.' "The young lady was set upon it, and the shares were purchased. The whole affair was a secret between us, and my father, whenever he got me to himself, talked over our future twenty thousand pounds — just like Alnaschar over his basket of eggs. Meanwhile time passed on, and one Sunday morning we were all preparing to go to church, when a face I had forgotten, but my father had not, made his appearance. It was the clerk of the lottery office. An express had just arrived from Dublin, announcing that 2224 had been drawn a prize of twenty thousand pounds, and he had hastened to communicate the good news. " Ah, me ! In less than twenty years, what was left of the produce of the ticket so strangely chosen ? What, except a Wedgwood dinner- service, that my father had made to commemorate the event, with the Irish harp within the border 208 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. on one side, and his family crest on the other ? That fragile and perishable ware long outlasted the more perishable money." This belief in lucky numbers in the lottery was of old standing; for in No. 191 of the Spectator, October 9, 1711, is the following: — "... When a man has a mind to venture his money in a lottery, every figure of it appears equally alluring, and as likely to succeed as any of its fellows. They all of them have the same pretensions to good luck, stand upon the same foot of competition, and no manner of reason can be given- why a man should prefer one to the other before the lottery is drawn. In this case, therer fore, Caprice very often acts in the place of Eeason, and forms to itself some groundless, imaginary motive where real and substantial ones are want- ing. I know a well-meaning man that is very pleased to risk his good fortune upon the number 1711, because it is the year of our Lord. I am acquainted with a tacker that would give a good deal for the number 134.* * "In the year 1704 a bill was brought into the House of Commons against occasional conformity; and, in order to make it pass through the House of Lords, it was proposed to tack it to a money bill. This occasioned warm debates. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 209 " On the contrary, I have been told of a certain zealous Dissenter, who, being a great enemy to popery, and believing that bad men are the most fortunate in this world, will lay two to one on the number 666 against any other number, because, says he, it is the number of the Beast.* Several would prefer the number 12,000 before any others, as it is the ntimber of the pounds in the great pri^e. In short, some are pleased to find their own age in their number ; some, that have got a number which makes a pretty appearance in the cyphers ; and others, because it is the same number that succeeded in the last lottery. Each of these, upon no other grounds, thinks he stands fairest for the great lot, and that he is possessed of what may not be improperly called ' the golden number.' " These principles of election are the pastimes and extravagances of human reason, which is of so busy a nature, that it will be exerting itself in the meanest trifles, and working even when it wants materials. The wisest of men are some- and at lengtli it was put to the vote, whea 134 were for tacking ; but a large majority being against it, the motion was overruled, and the bill miscarried. * Rev. xii. 18. 210 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. times acted * by . such unaccountable motives, as the life of the fool and the superstitious is guided by nothing else. " I am surprised that none of the fortune-tellers, or, as the French call them, the Diseurs de honne Aventure, who publish their bills in every quarter of the town, have turned our Lotteries to their advantage. Did any of them set up for a caster of fortunate figures, what might he not get by his pretended discoveries and predictions ? " I remember, among the advertisements of the Post'Boy of September the 2/th, I was surprised to see the following one : — " ' This is to give notice, that ten shillings over and above the market price will be given for the ticket in the £1,500,000 lottery, No. 132, by Nath. Clifi", at the Bible and Three Crowns, in Cheapside.' " This advertisement has given great matter of speculation, to coffee-house theorists. Mr. Cliff's principles and conversation have been canvassed upon this occasion, and various conjectures made why he should thus set his heart upon No. 132. I have examined all the powers in those numbers, broken them into fractions, extracted the square * Actuated. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIES. 211 and cube roots, divided and naultiplied tliem all ways, but could not arrive at the secret, until about three days ago, when I received the following letter, from an unknown hand, by which I find that Mr. Nath. Clifi" is only the agent, and not the principal, in this advertisement : — " ' Mr. Spectator, " 'I am the person that lately adver- tised I would give ten shillings more than the current price for the ticket No. 132 in the lottery now drawing ; which is a secret I have communi- cated to some friends, who rally me incessantly upon that account. You must know that I have but one ticket, for which reason, and for a certain dream I have lately had more than once, I resolved it should be the number I most approved. I am so positive that I have pitched upon the great lots, that I could almost lay all I am worth upon it. My visions are so frequent and so strong upon this occasion, that I have not only possessed the lot, but disposed of the money which in all proba- bility it will sell for. This morning, in particular, I set up an equipage which I look upon to be the gayest in the town ; the liveries are very rich, but 214 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIES, numbers of his rooms will be the lucky cyphers at the next drawing of the lottery. An illustration of this recently occurred on the death of the late Sir W. Stirling Maxwell at one of the best-known hotels, when, immediately on his decease, the employes subscribed to take shares in the numbers of the two rooms occupied by the late Member for Perthshire, both of which numbers, strangely enough, were afterwards drawn prizes. In talking over the matter with the writer, a person con- nected with the hotel bitterly lamented that he had been prevented, by sudden illness, from taking the whole of the lucky numbers, and thus realizing a handsome fortune at one stroke. On the opposite page we give a lottery handbill, but with no name of an office-keeper attached to it. It is called, " Gretna Green ; or, The Elopement." "A PEIZE FOR POOR JACK. By Jack Junk. Tune — ' Poor Jack.' ' Go, patter to lubbers ' o£ Blanks, do you see ; Let them catch at Fortune who wish ; The chance of a Lottery Ticket give me, But, mind, I must buy it of BiSH. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 215 GRETNA green; Or, The JELOPJEJfrJEJTT. " Oil, Charmer divine " If yon'll only be mine, I Vow to adore you for life ; " While your old Dnddy there, " Lies asleep in his chair, " Let's to Gretoa, and be man and wife " Good-bye to old Dad ' ■And now they're as glad As pria'nera eacap'd from a juil ■ In the chariot and four 7*hat stands at the door, They tip t"be old fellow leg bail And now all alive, Helter skelter they drh"e, The carriage nil sraothcr'd in dust Birt in spite of their wheels, The old boy's at their heels , And it's almost a doubt who'll be first. t Safe at Gretna nt last, Now the knot they tie fast ; And Just fls the broomstick they're cross'd Old Daddy pops io, But he's too late to win, For the race by tn-o accondi he's lost. Now his wrath to appease, See the i>nir on their knees ; Aod Fortune, as umpire^ who cries. " Dear Sir, don't be raah^ *' Here is plenty of cash, "In the shape of a Lottery Prize! 216 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. I know very well it may come up a Blank, And then I'm but where I begun ; But if it should happen to come up a Prize, Then ' hey for the fiddle ' and fun ! The ocean of Fortune may quicksands conceal, But that never takes me aback : There's a nice little Blue Coat Boy stands at the Wheel, To pull out a Prize for Poor Jack. Last Lottery, BiSH Twenty Capitals sold. And why mayn't he sell Twenty more ? Why not one to me (if I may be so bold), To pocket of Thousands a score ? You'll say, as to that, it's all twenty to one. About counting our losses and gains ; ■ You advise, and if chance I the Twenty should get, I'll give you the One for your pains. On the ocean of Fortune my vessel may reel, But still I shall keep to my tack: For the nice little Blue Coat Boy stands at the Wheel, To pull out a Prize for Poor Jack. Of a new Packet launch'd too, moreover, they tell. Her lading a rare one, you'll say ; Four Hundred Whole Tickets, and that's pretty well ! And I'd like 'em to come in my way. If they were not all Prizes, why, I'd be content ; For ' Enough is as good as a Feast ; ' And a man, sure, might count on, and not be much out, k? Half the Capitals getting, at least. Then the ocean of Fortune I'll plough with Hope's keel, BiSH the Pilot shall be on each tack. While the nice little Blue Coat Boy fix'd at the Wheel Will pull out a Prize for Poor Jack." CHAPTER XVI. Beginning of the end of lotteries — Curious handbills. 56 Geo. III. c. 61, passed June 20, was the Act for the lottery of 1816, in which the prizes were £609,730, and the profit £164,686 15s. 8d Year after year the introduction of the annual Lottery Act was the occasion of an endeavour to induce the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discontinue the practice of raising revenue by this means ; but, for a long time, all such pleadings were in- effectual. The reply vouchsafed was invariably to the same effect, that it was impossible for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to consent to renounce a sum which must be supplied by some other tax, which would in all probability operate even more oppressively on the people. And now we come to a very singular series of handbills, which are so curious that I am loth to leave out one. Some are undoubtedly issued by 218 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOrTBEIES. BisH, and I should feel inclined to ascribe the others to him, only they are too modest in not making full use of his name. FORTUNE'S TEAIN, OR THE ROAD TO RICHES! Go where Fortune leads I'm the wisest, you'll the way, , declare. Gain her favours while For I have bought of you may. BISH a share. At your feet a suppliant I'm the wisest of the pair, Two, Lott'ry riches hope to A Ticket here behold to share. ' view. ■^i While other people make I'm the luckiest of the wry faces. Three, We'll dance ourselves in A £20,000 he sold Fortune's graces. me ! A HISTOBT OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 219 Madam, will you join the The same to me, but best Train ? o£ all, Fortune's never sued in For another I shall call. vam. The Lottery Act for 1817 was passed on May 23 (57 Geo. III. c. 31), when ^599,643 Is. U. was distributed in prizes, at a profit to Government of ^217,966 5s. Here is a rather clever skit on the newspapers of the day. "WAYS AND MEANS; Ob, Fortune's Budget. Tune — ' Lunnun is the Devil.' Times are hard, they say. Gazette's with Bankrupts full, Sir, The Patriot mourns the Day, And pities Johnny Bull, Sir, The Englishman complains Bad debts his Ledger fill, Sir, And all the Statesman's pains. Can't remedy the ill. Sir. But search the Glohe around. The Traveller will tell us. Examiners have found Worse woes than have befel us ; 220 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. And all this Hue and Cry A keen Observer 1\ find, Sir, Is spread by some deep Spy, Who wants to raise the wind, Sir. But Echo spreads the News, September's Fortune's Budget; Dispatch, then prithee use. Express to BISH'S trudge it ; For Fortune's Herald, BISH, Your Oracle, advises. If opulence you wish. Take Post, and buy his prizes. Review the Scheme, say I, Of wealth its Advertiser, Your lucky Star then try. And BISH'S Tickets buy. Sir ; Each Journal tells his name. To Luck he is conductor, He'll Pilot you to Fame ; Take him as your Instructor. Buy Shares, if wealth you wish Of Fortune's own Selector ; A Phoenix, Sir, is BISH, Of Prizes, he's Inspector ; Try him, if wind you'd raise, A Monitor advises — His Register displays A Chronicle of Prizes." SPORT FOR THE FANCY. SET TO. A rACBB. Rifiag both hart caoiuh, 'Of ■MuMment Mmin,' The; fittto •Uk* hmnSt and be While the conqueror erica, ' "Jack.aLoU'rjrPriir, ** Will mtk* for mj Jibbing amcn^.'* CHAPTER XVII. Protests against lotteries — Epitaph on Vansittart^ — " Three Royal Weddings" — More opposition to .the lottery — " Twelfth Night Character " handbills— Ditto of trades- AN June 3, 1818, was passed the Lottery Act (58 Geo. III. c. 71) when £606,200 were given as prizes ; net profit thereon, £212,551 1 6s. 8d. But legislators were getting disgusted at the immorality of the lottery, and during the passage of this Bill, Mr. Parnell protested against great questions of justice and morality being sacrificed to expediency, and, in the coiirse of his speech, made the suggestion that the following humorous epitaph should be inscribed on the tomb of the Chancellor of the Exchequer : — " Here lies the Right Hon. Nicholas Vansittart, once Chancellor of the Exchequer ; the patron of Bible Societies, the builder of Churches, a friend to the education of the poor, an encourager of Savings Banks, and — a supporter of Lotteries ! " 222 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. Bish took advantage of every public event to force himself into notoriety, but why be should only record three Eoyal marriages in 1811, when there were four, I cannot tell, April 7, Princess Elizabeth to Prince of Hesse Homburg; June 1, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were re-married according to the rites of the Church of England ; and on July 13, the Duke of Kent married Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg, mother of our Queen ; and the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV,, married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. " 3 EoYAL Weddings and 8 £30,000 Peizes. 0, did you hear What glorious cheer There's for the land providing, ! O, there's to be Such Jubilee And many a merry briding, ! Three Royal Weddings there will be, To meet the Nation's wishes, ! And Frizes, Thirty Thousands, Three, And these you'll meet at Bish's, 'Tis loudly said, With Danish maid, Bold Clarence will be billing, ! A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 223 For better, for worse, They'll find a Purse, And Purses, they want filling, ! The way to fill it, found have I, To meet the Nation's wishes, O ! A Thirty Thousand Pound Prize, buy. And that they'll buy at Bish's, ! Then Cambridge, he From Germany, Across Old Neptune's gutter, O ! A maid will wed. Then for their bread. They'll want some Cambridge butter, O ! And I know where there is a churn Will make it to their wishes, ! For Thirty Thousand Pounds 'twill turn. And may be bought at Bish's, ! The fair Princess, A Prince of Hesse, Has chosen for her hubby, ! And John Bull ne'er To please the fair. Is ungallant, or scrubby, O ! He'll volunteer them, fair supplies, And John, to meet your wishes, ' Another Thirty Thousand Prize You now may buy at Bish's, ! 'Tween you and I, They mean to buy. And, if all three, they get 'em, ! 224 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. For you and me Now left will be, So take care you don't let 'em, ! But make ^rsi choice, in luck you'll be, Two leaving for their wishes, ! You'll get One Thirty, out of Three, That's if you buy at Bish's, ! " There are very few more lotteries left to chronicle ; that of 1819 (59 Geo. III. c. 65) was passed on July 2. £681,758 lis. 6d. in prizes, £213,324 15s. 2d. net profit; and the following resolutions were moved in the House of Commons by Mr. Lyttleton : — " 1. That by the. establishment of State lotteries, a spirit of gambling, injurious, in the highest degree, to the morals of the people, is encouraged and provoked. " 2. That such a habit, manifestly weakening the habits of industry, must diminish the permanent sources of the public revenue. "3. That the said lotteries have given rise to other systems of gambling, which have been but partially repressed by laws, whose provisions are extremely arbitrary, and their enforcement liable to the greatest abuse. " 4. That this House, therefore, wiU no longer *a* Ticket and Siian Cbxaees iu-e sdliag *t all the Lolterj OSiecg in LMiIca r taA iy t^tisit Agtatiia tin Coantrj. A Military \AJrECDOTE. It was customary with Marshal Basomptere, when any of Ijis soldiers were brought before him for heinous offences, to say to them — " Bro- ther, you or I will certainly be hanged " — which wag a sufficient denunciation of their fate. A spy, who was discovered in his camp was ad- dressed in this language; and next day, as the wretch was about to be led to the gallows, be pressed earnestly to speak with the marshal, al- leging that he had somewhat of importance to communicate. The marshal being made ac- quainted with his request, said, in his rough manner — "It is always the way of these ras- cals ; they pretend some frivolous story, merely to reprieve themselves tor a few moments • how- ever, bring the dog hither." Being introduced, the marshal asked him what he had to say — "Why, my lord," said the culprit, "when first I had the honour of your conversation, you were pleased to say that either you- or I should be be hanged ; now I am come to know whether it is your pleasure to be so, because, if you won't, / must ; that's all." The marshal was so pleased with the fellow's humour, that he ordered him to be released. I have told you this for your amusement; now let me impart something which may prove to your advantage. The new State Lottery, which will soon be driawn in 0»e 2?fly, contains Forty Capital Prizes, aniounting with smaller oneis, to the iinmense sum of \£20O,O00, besides Four Extra Prizes of Tickets, with all the Prizes they may contain, by which plan One Ticket may produce the good round sum of i£100,000 ! ! ! The great advantages of the Scheme are unpa- ralleled—Tickets will (from the very great de- mand at all the offices) most likely be raised in price— therefore you should not be tardy in avail- ing yourself of an opportunity of realising a princely fortune, by purchasing either a Ticket or Share ; and should it prove fortunate, you will, I hopie, remember the story of Marshal Basompiere. Jamei Whiting, Frimtar, Piiubur; Pliice, London. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 225 authorize the establishment of State lotteries under any system of regulations whatever." The Chancellor of the Exchequer saw no reason for abandoning so lucrative a branch of the revenue without having some equivalent held out, by which the public would derive an equal benefit. He thought it unfair to attribute the principle of gambling to the lottery, and stated that arguments might be readily adduced to prove that the spirit of gambling existed independently of the State lottery. It must be confessed, however, that, in the course of the debate, very forcible arguments were adduced in favour of the discontinuance of State lotteries ; and, although the resolutions of Mr. Lyttleton were negatived by a considerable majority, it was clear that the death-knell of the lottery had sounded, and that its hours were numbered. Some of the lottery handbills are very difficult to place, owing to their giving no date of the year ; and this is the case with the following, which were a set of " Twelfth Night Characters " taken from popular plays. 226 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. FARMER ACRES. Furrtier Acres, he stupidly stares^ And laughs without wherefore or why ; He's one of the rudest- of bears, And filthy as hogs in a sty. "But still he a merit attain'd, Which with some hides whatever is base, ji Prhc of Ten Thousand he gain'd, And that you know alters the case.. A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 227 SIR GABYXiUTTLE, Sir Gahy Guttle, you're a beast. To stuff the turtle so ; You'll one day rue each pois'nous feast From head to aching toe. Bless me, jour very eye-balls glare; In LoiVry chances you had better share, -Than wasteyour money on such gouty fare. 228 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. MOTHER GOOSE. TTiOugh 'twixt my hooked nose and chin 1 scarce can get my dinner in ; Though deaf, half-blind, decrepid, bald, And simple Mother Goose am calTd ; Yet wit and worth re6p'd, if •poor, Get but half the-notice I procure. And why ? — I'm rich. My Gooje, to me,- Is worth a rich Stals 'Lottery. A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 229 SAM SWIG. Sam Swig, he drinks such a dcaJ, That his face is like Syllii's, the Romau, 'Tis mulberry pepper'd with meal, To water he is a sworn foe man. T'afford so much money' to spend, Though only a jockey's liis trade, He purchas'd a Share with a frieud — In 3 twinkling hi« fortune was made', 230 A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. LADY BETTY MODISH. At every rout 1 must be seen, C)ad in dresses fine and thin. Nevier happy — always gay, Run in debt — nor hope to pay ; Had a husband — forc'd to part, Broke his fortune — and his heart. Laugh at trifles such as these, Fashion should be quite at ea^e ; But if the Lott'ry don't befriend me.| in spire of all— a jail will ead me. A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 231 COWSLIP. .Mr. Lingo of old musty poets may speak, And endeavour his learning to prove ; But, I think, ere he makes me an adept in Greek, I shall teach him the language of love. And if in next Lott'ry hegets a good prize, I'll speak to some tune with a pair of black eyes. 232 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. QUEEN DOLLALOLLA. Give me, roffues, a glass of gin, And put a little bitters in, And give a glass to Mr. Noodle, To drink a Prize to Mr. Doodle. Where's my royal husband too? Do pryihee call him — Doodle, do. But if directly come he won't, Then don't stay for him — DotJdlCj don't A HISTOEY OP ENQLISH LOTTEEIES. 233 MISS VIXEN VINEGAR. Not want of wit, or want of charms. Has kept a husband from my arms ; But ali the men are grown so greedy. They'll wed no maid, though fair — if needy. But should I get a Lott'ry Prize, I need not eniry Cowslip's eyes, F'or I'm in hopes of Mr. Noodle — But if not him — I'm sure of Doodle. 234 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. JOLLY DICK. I'm Jolly Dick, a happier wight There surely cannot live ; My heart, as well as heels, are light ;-, So cheerful I, 1 cheer the night. And pleas'd, I pleasure give. Thus of my happy lot aware, I've but one wish — a LoiCri) Share. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIBS. 235 LADY MARY MOUSETRAP. I'm Lady Mary Mousetrap, round Where'er I live the mice abound : They even jump upon my lap. And mount ray shoulders while I nap The reason's plain why thus they teaze ; 'Tis this — I smell like haul gaul cheese. J'11 purchase Shares, get rich, and see, If rermin then will croud roufid me. 236 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. CALEB QUOTEM. Caleb Quotem looks wond'rons wise : To hear him some gaze with surprize ; But oft he's pronoTinc'd a great pest, And then he says — " Hie niger est." Mis lips he ne'er opens to speak But out flies some Latin or Greek ; They'd be better employ'd lond to call Each Frize that is drawn in the hail. Jwnca 'WUCEBj. Printer, ^tKstiurj Place, Loadoa. A HISTOBY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIES. 237 CAPTAIN BOBADIL. I'm sure I'm notic'd by the fair, Because where'er I go, they stares And when 1 swear what feats I've done. How many thro" the body run, I'm sure the girls are quite delighted. They scream so loud, aud look so frighted. But bragging, swearing, and red jacket , Won't even do for Lady Racket. Tho' they love soldiers best of all clothea. There mu§t be money in the smallclothes. $o I must get a Lott'ry Prize, To be complete in female eyes. 238 A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. 1820 brings us to 1 Geo. IV., and on July 15 an Act (c. 72) was passed, authorizing another State lottery, of ^718,606 As. in prizes, which gave a net profit of £199,643 16s. Here are two shares in the lottery tickets. YEAS. 1820. J^ SECOmSXOTTER'S' FOR. 7b ig Drajcn in TTtree J)a\ 14lh Februaiy, 1st March, aiH ITthMiWli. mteen Vbe heatbiW t(b£terenmbe«nfltlcd to OD£)3)xleenthurfor4di floras Jlotlti^^ ai tboji ]6 tlK S*conii Lauaj to hfTinwaha^rrtoeolf'jm Art jaiaeaa tbo Yiat Year of tl* ^^ f^/A-) « ^-X-'Z-.&t^ C0NT3SACT0ES. 57, Comkill, 11, Solliom, ^ 38, Basmaricel. THIRD K.OTTER'^ FOR 1820. BEGINS 17i}> MAT 1821. CONTRACTORS. The Lottery Act of 1821 (1 and 2 Geo. IV. c. 120) was passed on July 11. £600,000 in prizes ; profit £184,409 3s. ; and in this year there is almost an etnharras de richesses in the illustrated lottery handbills, all of them relating to the drawing A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS. 239 which took place on June 14. The following fourteen cuts are very quaint : — Here's glorious news for the 14th of June, I needn't remind you the day will he soon ; In the rich horn of plenty are prizes in store, For those who the favors of Fortune implore. Come buy my Cross-buns ; but that is all stuff ; Perhaps you will say, you've had crosses enough ; If your crosses and troubles you wisb at an end, Buy a Lottery chance, and your fortune may mend Come buy my young lambs for a trifle apiece. And, believe me, they're clad in a fine golden fleece ; Here are two, and to keep all your spirits in tune. There are 3000 more on the 14th of June. 240 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. Tho' a dab, I'm not scaly — I like a good plaice, And I hope that good luck will soon smile in my face ; On the 14th of June, when Prizes in shoals Will cheer up the cockles of all sorts oi soles. My rabbits, come buy — but a rare bit I see, Which the wealth of the Lottery Wheel may give me If fortune I catch, and I finger the cole. By the powers ! I'll then bid adieu to the pole. I hope, very soon, to get rid of my yoke, For a prize in the Lottery Wheel I've bespoke ; And who knows how high in the world 1 may rise, If Fortune should butter my bread with a Prize ? ,^' Tho' the gay Frnite of Natnre ar^ tempting uid aweet. Yet I know by fsr a more exc«IIeat treat ^ T's^e ^fl» golden Pniit in the Lottery^ Which Fortnne, N«xt Month,, to al! ranks will reveal. TWO of £20,200! BESIDES; 3,000 OTHER PRIZES, .Wai ail be decided 14*hof JUKE NeCUuMl-Ever, ticket dmm o.t ,i»g|,, each deciding it, «wo ftte and ao otlier. *,• Ticket lad Shast: Cbaoees an selliog al all the Lotlorr Office* ialoBdoo;. ^drf iy atttttir aQSNTS bt tAt COVNTRT. A HISTORY OF BNaLISH LOTTERIES. 241 For the gay fruits of nature what wish can you feel, When compar'dwith the fruits of the Lottery Wheel ? My basket of fruit I'd exchange with great glee, If one golden pi/ppin they'd only give me. In a country town, Of no little renown,. Some good fellows met to debate, As the times looh'd so blue. What course to pursue, And how they should Tnend their estate. I'm a Tailor, good Lord, Just eseap'd from the board, With the times I am angry and wroth, I'm cross-grain' d to-day. Things go the wrong way, And I can't cut my coat to rny cloth. R 242 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. I'm a Baker, you see, By the shape of my knee. And I'm crusty, as well as yourself ; In riches some roll, But for me, on my soul, I could ne'er get a cruvib of the pelf. The shoe pinches tight. And affairs are not right, Tho' I peg morn and night in my stall ; My sole, it quite melts, For we're off of the welts, And I fear I shall soon lose my awl. I'm a paTies-taking man. But, do all that I can, No daylight will shine on my cares ; A HISTORY OJP ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS. 243 The tables, I fear, Are turn'd, it is clear, And adversity's broken all squares. I've felt like yourselves, (For we're unlucky elves,) The times are mis-shapen, and queer ; But though, on my hloch, I give many a knock. No hopes for the better appear. I'm a sharp little blade, And a Cutler's my trade, But though, like a razor, I'm keen, Fate's Scissors, I dread. Will sever my thread Before better times will be seen. 244 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. I've a Motion, d'ye see, To which you'll agree. An escapeTnent from care I espy ; That you'll hold up both hands, To do Fortune's commands, And Lottery Chances to buy. They agreed, to a m,an, And for Chances they ran, And you'll do the same if you're wise ; For the Lottery in June Will soon he in tune, And you may come in for a prize. CHAPTER XVIII. "A Dialogue"— "The Race of Tortune "— " Tte Wish"— Enigmatical handbill. "A DIALOGUE. Pat. The top of tlie morning to you, Judy. WJiere are you trotting to, my darlin' ? Faith ! you skip over the bogs as nately as a butterfly on a frosty morning. Judy. Och ! none of your blarney, Mister Pat ! Don't I know you for a deceiver ? and would you be coming over me when I'm going to be made a lady of? Pat. A lady, sure ! And the raison, Judy ? Judy. Because another lady, though she's hlind, poor soul I has looked kindly on me. Pat. Good luck to her bright eyes ! And what's that scrap o' paper you're scrumpling about so in your hand ? Judy. It's a charm, Pat, that the lady gave me, after I j>a{d for it. Pat. A charm, sure ! and what's that ? Judy. A small matter of a Lottery Ticket. 246 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. Pat. And who gave you the money, Judy ! Judy. A rake, Pat. Pat. A rake, Judy ! Oh ! fie upon you ! Judy. A hay-making rake. Didn't I save the money in the hay saison ? And, och I won't I look down now upon Mrs. Maloney, the cratur, who turns her nose up at me, because she's got a silk petticoat that I belave is nothing but worsted f And won't this bit o' paper bring me a good Thousand Pounds to make these bog-trotters trimble ? Pat. Don't be plucking your parataes before they are sown ! May be you'll gain a loss, Judy. Judy. And how can that be, Paddy, seeing it's drawn a Capital ? Pat. You'll be forgetting your poor Paddy, now you're a lady. Judy. Mayhap I shall, and mayhap I shan't ; but I must be trotting off for the money ; and, d'ye hear, Pat ? if you'd marry the lady, you must be after making yourself a jintleman ; — and here's a bit o' paper will shew you the way. Pat. A Lottery Scheme ! and all on the 1 4th of June ! I'll be off for a Chance : for if Judy should get a husband, we'd be an awkward pair, the three of us ; and I'd be after making it a couple, by telling him a piece of my mind with a shellalagh." A BISTOBY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 247 !^ 05 O O o P5 W H el o3 ©. o o d =§ •^ S-l Oh i^ 3 o .3 > ™ S rg ^ § .3 I 1=1 ,^3 q-H CD ri2 o S o o CO 03 o a rd 1^ - 1 03 (D ,J3 „ o ^ -^ o 03 CO o o T-t 03 03 o o i=i s-l o 1>> fl -l^ 00 -" > ^ -2 o o o 03 -4^ W 03 rJ2 03 CO CO 03 ^ d S S S -j:? ^ O ?5 03 •'—^ CO 1^ 03 ■TS f^ 03 03 %>. o d o § m O -+3 03 Is i o CO o" r o 1^ s 03 O m c3 d O O oi '% ^ d a §> 03 !:zl 03 o 03 03 o CO 1=1 :^ N ^ 6 rd -+J "03 &= "u ^ -+J ^ ^ d d (D 03 03 u -S -s r-l a j3 o 03 fciO o cS M CO "03 1 o 2 !5 o ■13 J CO fq o d O o -d i !=l o 1 O d" rJ2 1^ d 'o H-l d o ■1^ a a o o 248 A HISTORY OF BNaLlSH LOTTBEIES. "THE WISH. A Dialogue between Petee Penuey and Paul Positive.. Peter. ' I've often wish'd that I had clear For life Three Hundred Pounds a year.' So sang a better bard than me, Or all the modern progeny Of sonnet- writing, rhyming elves. Whose hot-press'd works should grace the shelves Not of the learned and the wise, But those who deal in puffs and pies. PauL Stop. I Stop ! — You're running on like mad ; Stick to- your point, my honest lad. And don't abuse the modern school, 'T has lin'd the purse of many a fool ; And you would think your poem fine. If you could get a Crown a line. These are the poets' golden days. They write for money, not for hays. But come ; your text : — let's know your mind. If this good fortune you should find ; What would you do, if you had clear For life, ' Three Hundred Pounds a year ? ' Peter. What I would do's another case ; Stop till this bright event takes place : But when and how, — I must confess, I'm really at a loss to guess. Paul. Then I'm the wisest of the two, For if you my advice pursue. A mSTOEY OF BNaLISH LOTTEEIBS. 249 I'll lay a plan befoi-e your eyes, And you may gain the wish you prize. ' The 14iA of June', you here may read Peter. I'm all attention, pray proceed. Paul. ' The Lott'ry draws ' — behold the Scheme, Of universal praise the theme, The Prizes great — the Chances cheap, If you'd the golden harvest reap. And thrice Three Hundred pounds per ann Peter. Enough ; I see Paul, I'm your man ; I'll realize this vision bright, That comes across my dazzled sight ; Let poets toil with pen and brains — I envy not their splendid gains. Although they get a Crown a line, A brighter prospect now is mine ; To make it sure, this very day I'll place myself in Fortune's way." 250 A HISTORY OP EN6LISH LOTTBEIBS. A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTBBIES. 251 Is on the 14" of JUNE.— Behold her EXPLANATlON.-^yime is on the ^ifng-, and FUe^^to share in Fartune^t Famtsrsg \i^^ of June. — Behold her Treasaret unlocked. CHAPTER XIX. Tomkins's picture lottery — The lottery abolished — Handbills. ^HEEE was a private lottery drawn July 24, 1821. " TOMKINS'S PICTUEE LOTTERY of tlie BRITISH Gallery op PicxtxEES, comprising 16,550 Prizes, Valued at ^152,225 ! This Lottery consists of highly finished Paintings from the most valuable pictures of the old Masters, in the Collections of Noblemen and Gentlemen ; a Set of Paintings faithfully representing the Marquis of Stafi"ord's Splendid Gallery; Fifteen exquisite Oil Paintings by Hamilton, illustrative of Thomson's Seasons ; Beautiful Water Colour Paintings from the old Masters ; several thousand A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 253 Impressions of the Selections from the old Masters, exquisitely coloiired ; the same in black, Prints and Proofs ; the Lease of the Premises, 54, New Bond Street, where the above Pictures are now exhibiting Gratis, &c., &c. The whole forming a complete Chefd'CEuvre of the Arts. Tickets, Price £3 Ss. Each, are now on Sale at No. 54, NEW BOND STREET, Where the Prizes are exhibiting gratis. — And also at all Lottery Offices, Printsellers' , and Booksellers'. A Perfectly Novel Scheme. " One half of the Tickets are printed in Black, and the other half in Red Ink ; and the drawing is so arranged, that if the last-drawn Ticket in the State Lottery, (which is to decide this) be an even number, then the Red Tickets will be all Prizes ; but if an odd number, then the Black Tickets will be all Prizes ; so that one Colour must be all Prizes, and the other Colour all Blanks, by which arrangement 254 A EISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. The Purchaser of a Red Ticket and a Black Ticket is suee to gain a Prize. Among many other POINTS OF ATTEACTION Which this Lottery presents to the Public, are the following : — "1. The Price of Tickets is considerably below their Estimated Value. " 2. The certainty (as above stated) of gaining a Prize, by purchasing two Tickets of different Colours. ''3. The great beauty and interest of all the Prizes, even the smallest, to every individual possessing a taste for the fine Arts. "A. The original Pictures from which the above are taken, are acknowledged to be the finest in the world, and are executed by the following admired Masters : — Raphael, Claude, Rubens, Correggio, Titian, Poussin, Gerard Douw, Paul Potter, Cuyp, Rembrandt, &c., each picture valued at from dGlOOO to £10,000. "5. The exquisitely finished Copies of these masterly productions are unique, and permission to copy them could only be obtained for the above Grand National Work. A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 255 " 6. The Copper-Plates will be destroyed, by Act of Parliament, which wUl, of course, add to the value and scarcity of the Pictures. " 7. The encouragement afforded to the fine Arts. " 8. Trustees are appointed by Act of Parliament, for the faithful performance of the Conditions of the Act. " 9. Testimonials in approbation of these beauti- ful imitations of original Paintings have been re- ceived from the first and most distinguished Artists in the world. SCHEDULE OF THE PRIZES. 1 FiBST Grand Pkize, consisting of 291 Pictures, in elegant Frames, representing the Marquis of Stafford's magnificent Gallery of Pictures ; also the Lease of the Premises, where the same are exhibited ; also a set of coloured Impressions of the Marquis of Stafford's Gallery, making Four Grand Folio Volumes, superbly bound in Russia : likewise Proofs and Etchings of the above Works in Black ; also a large Painting in Oil Colours by Hamilton, R.A., value £7,500 1 Second Grand Prize, consisting of Fifty Two highly finished Paint- ings, in elegant Frames, of a Selec- tion from the most valuable Paintings of the Old Masters, in the Collections of Noblemen, 256 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. Gentlemen, and eminent Collectors £ s. d. in the United Kingdoms ; together with a set of highly finished Coloured Impressions, bound in Russia : likewise a set of the Mar- quis of Stafford's Gallery, finely coloured; likewise Proof Impres- sions and Etchings of both Works in Black, value 3,760 1 Third Grand Prize, comprising Ten Pictures, in elegant Frames, exquisitely painted in Water Colours, from the Old Masters ; together with a set of the Mar- quis of Stafford's Gallery, finely coloured ; with Proofs of both Works in Black, value ... ... 939 10 girt" The other Prizes consist of sets of the Work, in Colours, Proofs, or Prints, value as under : 40 Capital Prizes, each comprising a set of Prints of the Marquis of Stafford's Gallery, finely coloured ; value of each Prize £171 14 6,868 150 Ditto, Proof Impres- sions of ditto, each value £71 8 10,710 10 1000 Ditto, Print Impres- sions of ditto, each value £35 14 35,700 40 Ditto, each comprising a Set of the Selec- tions from the Old A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 257 25 4 2,520 12 12 5,027 8 Masters, exquisitely coloured, each value 151 4 6,048 100 Ditto, Proof Impres- sion of ditto, each value 399 Ditto, Print Impres- sions of ditto, each value 350 Ditto, each being a set of 21 Engravings, illustrative of Thom- son's Seasons. Print Impressions, value 8 8 2,940 1000 Prizes, being miscel- laneous subjects from the above Works, exquisitely coloured, value 4000 Ditto, finely coloured, each value ... 9466 Ditto, Proof and Print Impressions, each value 1 Grand Capital Prize, being Four highly finished Paintings in ele- gant Frames, with sets of both Works in Black, value 1 Last Grand Capital Prize, being 15 Pictures handsomely framed, finely painted in Oil, by the late W. Hamilton, E-.A., purposely to embellish Thomson's Seasons ; to- gether with a copy of Thomson's Seasons, Imperial Folio, elegantly 6 6 6,300 5 5 21,000 4 4 39,757 4 165 258 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES; bound in Russia, embellished with 21 Engravings by F. Bartolozzi, R.A., and P. W. Tomkins, value 3,000 16,560 Prizes Grand Total £152,225 12 Letters commendatory of tlie Pictures and Scheme were received from Benjamin West, P.R.A., Sir Thos. Lawrence, R.A., Sir Wm. Beechy, E.A., J. Ward, E.A., M. A. Shee, R.A., R. Smirke, R.A., T. Stothaxd, RA., J. Flaxman, E.A., J. NoUekens, R.A., and others. The Lottery Act for 1822 (3 Geo. IV. c. 101) was passed on July 21. It distributed £593,411 17s. 6d. in prizes, and made a profit to the Government of £183,056 9s. 3d The end of the Lottery had now virtually come, for, in the Lottery Act of 1823 (4 Geo. IV. c. 60), passed July 9, provision was made for its dis- continuance after the drawing of the lottery sanctioned by that Act, the Treasury being em- powered to retain the services of the Lottery Commissioners and their officers for three years longer, to enable them to wind up all outstanding business. This lottery was for a much larger sum than heretofore, prizes being given to the amount of £1,453,875 ; but the net profit thereon was less A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 259 than that of the previous year, which was for a far smaller amount — in fact, less than half. " Run, Neighbours, run, the Lottery's expiring, When Fortune's merry wheel it will never turn more ; She now supplies all NUMBERS you're desiring. All Prizes, No Blanks, and Twenty Thousands Four. Haste, Neighbours, haste, the Chance will never come again, When, without pain, for little Gash, you'll all be rich ; Prizes a plenty of, and such a certain source of gain, That young and old, and all the world, it must bewitch." 260 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. " Though the Lotteries soon will be over, I'm told That now is the time to get pailsful of Gold ; And if there is any real truth in a dream, I, myself, shall come in for a Share of the Cream. We hail, ere the Sun, the first breath of the morn. And 'tis said, ' Early birds get the best of the Corn,' Of the Four Twenty Thousands, perhaps Fortune may Have in store One for me, as they're drawn in One Bay." Here are four of Bish's handbills, the woodcuts of whicli are better executed tlian usual. A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 261 RAPTURE. A Memher rehearsing his Speech SIR WILLIAM COURTEOUS. Hear Mm ! hear him i Order ' Order .' All the Courtis in disorder* I echo. Sir, the Public voice— What I hold here's the People's choice A num'rons liost stood forth "f late. And BISH was chosen candidate The loans of Fortune to supply From the rich New Year's Lottery, In Sterlmg Mouey— (Near him^ hear hlTH*) The Ayes have got it. (Chair hhn, chair him !) LotI«ry hegtns 21" This Month (Jan.)— 2 of 20,0fl0 C.uineab, and 40 other Capitals— all Sterling Money (no Stock Prizfis.) 262 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. CURIOSITY. jerry Sneak feeping at his iVife mdlhe itl ,the .Govern- till Government ment. pays. £ s. d. £ s. d. A Half 8 11 9 A Quarter ... 4 5 6 4 10 An Eighth ... 2 2 9 2 5 A Sixteenth 1 1 4^ 12 6 A Thirty Second 10 81 11 3 A Sixty Fourth 5 4 5 7i "At least, this is what they come to." ^25,000 FOR THE First-drawn Ticket NEXT WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4th. Tickets and Shares^ Warranted Undrawn, ARE SELLING BY COHNHILL, And CHARING-CROSS, London. Eruu ud Rtiff>', Prislen, K, Btid(e Ro'i Wellbroak. CHAPTEE XXIV. The lottery wheels — Anecdotes connected with the lottery ■ — The Glasgow lotteries — Advertising foreign lot- teries— " Art Union" Act— Dethier's "Twelfth Cake Lottery " — Tontines — Raffling — Pious lotteries — Sweet- staff lotteries for children — Hamburg lotteries T^HE place where the tickets were manipulated by the managers was afterwards changed from Whitehall to Somerset House, and the accom- panying illustration shows the manner of conveying the lottery wheels from Somerset House (or Place, as it was then called) to Cooper's Hall, in 1808. There were four sledges employed, two carrying the wheels containing the tickets, and the other two the cases for the wheels. They were escorted by a detachment of Life Guards, dismounted, who had to do police duty, there being no police, as we know them, in those days. Here, too, may be found room for two or three anecdotes re the lottery, which have no appointed place. 326 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTEBIES. A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 327 "Dr. B , a physician at Lime (Dorset), a few days since, being under pecuniary embarrass- ment, and bis bouse surrounded by bailiffs, made bis escape by a window into a neighbour's bouse, from whence he fled to London. The furniture was seized, and the sale actually commenced, when it was stopped by a letter, stating that the doctor, on his arrival in London, found himself the proprietor of the £20,000 prize. We guarantee the truth of this fact " {Times, December 27, 1797). " The £20,000 prize, drawn on Friday, is divided amongst a number of poor persons: a female servant in Brook Street, Holborn, had a sixteenth ; a woman who keeps a fruit-stall in Gray's Inn Lane, another; a third is possessed by a servant of the Duke of Eoxburghe's ; a fourth by a Chelsea carrier of vegetables to Covent Garden; one- eighth belongs to a poor family in Eutlandshire ; and the remainder is similarly divided " {Times, March 19, 1798). " Mansion House. A lady named Free, who had come up from the country to try her fortune in the lottery, came to complain to the Lord Mayor that she had been deprived of her property, the sixteenth share of a £30,000 prize, by the 328 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS, miscouduct of those engaged in conducting the drawing. She stated that she chose the ticket No. 17,092. " The Loed Mayoe. — You had some particular reason, then, for selecting that number 1 " The complainant replied it was true, she had : she wished to have a ticket with the number of the year in which she was born ; and, finding she could not get that precise number, she took one of 17,000, instead of 1700, as the most fortunate approach. So, indeed, it turned out to be, for she was sitting in the hall when the lottery was drawn, and heard her number distinctly cried out as one of the £30,000 prizes ; and, with her own eyes, she distinctly saw the officer stamp it. Nevertheless, another ticket had been returned as the prize. " The Loed Mayoe doubted, from the manner in which the tickets were well known to be drawn^ whether the complainant's anxiety had not made her mistake a similar number for her own. " The complainant. — Oh no ! my lord, it is impossible I can be mistaken, though other people say that I am. I shall not give up my claim on the word of lottery-office clerks. If A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTEKIES. 329 there's any mistake, it is on their part ; I trust to my own senses. " The LoED Mayok observed that there was scarcely any trusting even to the senses on such occasions, and asked her whether she did not almost feel the money in her pockets at the same time she fancied she heard her number announced. " The complainant assured his lordship that she heard the announcement as calmly as could be expected, and that she by no means fainted away. She certainly made sure of having the property ; she sat in the hall, and went out when the other expectants came away. " Mr. Cope, the marshal, who stated that he was in attendance officially 9.t the drawing, to keep the peace, declared that he heard all the fortunate numbers announced, and he was sorry to be com- pelled to state his conviction that this, belonging to the lady, was not one of them. " The Lord Mayor said he was afraid the com- plainant had deceived herself. He dismissed the application, recommending her to go to the Stamp Office, and apply to the Commissioners, who would do anything, except pay the money, to satisfy her" {Times, November 3, 1826). 330 A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIBS. Although lotteries were declared illegal after that of 1826, the good people of Glasgow did not think that it applied to them when municipal improve- ments were in question, and went into them gaily, until stopped by an Act in 1834 (4 and 5 Geo. IV. c. 37), passed July 25, 1834, the preamble of which states the case thus : " Wseeeas an Act passed in the First and Second Years of the Eeign of His Present Majesty, intituled An Act to amend certain Acts passed in the Reign of his late Majesty, King George the Fourth, for Opening a Street from the Cross of Glasgow to Monteith Eow : And, whereas Lotteries have been drawn, and advertised to be drawn, under colour of the said Act, called Glasgow Lotteries ; And, whereas it is expedient to prohibit the drawing of any further, or other Lottery, after the Lottery an- nounced and advertised to be drawn as a Third and final Glasgow Lottery in July in this year," etc. — it was enacted that any further addition to the lottery advertised to be drawn in July in that year, or any further continuance of sach lotteries, was illegal. On August 13, 1836, was passed an iAct (6 and 7 Geo. IV. c. 67) which had been found A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 331 necessary, " to prevent the advertisiDg of Foreign and other illegal lotteries," and the penalty for advertising them was full costs of suit and a fine of £50, one-half of which was to go to the informer. The laws respecting lotteries then slumbered until September 5, 1844, when was passed an Act (7 and 8 Vict. c. 109) "to indemnify Persons con- nected with Art Unions, and others, against certain Penalties." Certainly, the Art Union of London and similar institutions were clearly lotteries, but as they were for a good purpose, and not for money-making, this short Act was passed where- by art unions and the members thereof, and other persons, were discharged from all suits, etc., to which they might be liable, touching the purchase or distribution of works of art by chance, previous to the periods mentioned in the Act. The guardians of the law did not go to sleep, as we see by the following lottery for Twelfth Cakes, when, on December 26, 1860, Louis Dethier, a Frenchman, appeared before Mr. Henry, at Bow Street, to answer a summons under the Act (42 Geo. III. c. 119) for keeping an office at the Hanover 332 A HISTOET OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. Square Eooms for the purpose of carrying on a lottery, "under the name, device, and pretence of a distribution of Twelfth Cakes." A police inspector deposed that he went to the Hanover Square Rooms on November 6, and saw the defendant there, with another person and four clerks, who were engaged in selling tickets for the proposed distribution of Twelfth Cakes. On the walls were bills and placards similar to one produced, which was as follows : — " Dethier's Second Extraordinary Distribution of Twelfth Cakes.— £10,000 worth of Twelfth Cakes will be drawn for on 10 successive days, £1000 each day, commencing Wednesday, December 26, 1860 (Sunday excepted). 20,000 tickets now on sale for each day's draw, at Is. each, can be obtained at the chief oflice, Hanover Square Eooms, open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The following is a list of prizes for each day's draw : — 1 at £25 ; 50 at £5 ; 100 at £2 ; 250 at £1 ; 800 at 10s. ; 500 at 5s. ; total, 1201 prizes, amounting to £1000 for each day. All prizes to be delivered on the follow- ing morning after each day's draw, from 9 to 12 a.m. The successful numbers will be advertised each day in the morning papers, L. Dethier, son A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 333 of the late proprietor of the Great Northern Hotel, King's Cross, and late Cook to the Emperor of Eussia, begs to return thanks for the kind patronage he received at the last distribution, during the Exhibition of 1851, ■which gave such general satis- faction (see the public press of that period), and trusts the nobility and gentry will render him the same patronage as upon that occasion. L., D. having just arrived from the Continent, where he has purchased a large quantity of goods, of the best quality, and the most recherche description, for beautifying this splendid and most magnificent display of Twelfth Cakes, feels assured that this will meet with general approbation. The Hanover Square Eooms will be open (free) for inspection from Wednesday, December 19, 1860, to January 6, 1861. Tickets sent to any part of the United Kingdom on receipt of 13 postage stamps. Post QjQ&ce Orders made payable to L. Dethier, Old Cavendish Street, W." The case against Dethier was clearly proved ; but it was ultimately agreed that the lottery should be stopped at once, and that, in the event of this condition being fulfilled, the prosecution should be allowed to drop. 334 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. But the lottery, as already described, was not its only form — take the " Tontine," for instance. This was a scheme by which an annuity, after a certain rate of interest, is granted to a number of people, divided into classes, according to their respective ages ; so that the whole annual fund of each class is regularly divided among the survivors of that class, until at last it falls to one, and, upon the extinction of that life, reverts to the power by which the Tontine was erected. It has a singular name, which is derived from its projector, Lorenzo Tonti, a Neapolitan, who first proposed his scheme in 1653, but did not then succeed in launching it. This form of lottery is now, I believe, illegal in England, as is also " raffling," which is dependent on the casting of three dice. It is very old, as Chaucer uses the word " rafles," and as a gambling transaction. Dryden thus speaks of it [The Moch Astrologer, act iii.) — " Wild. What is the ladies' game, Sir ? " Lop. Most commonly they use rafle. That is, to throw in with three dice, till duplets and a chance be thrown ; and the highest duplet wins, except you throw in and in, which is called raffle; and that wins all." A HISTOBY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. 335 There is no manner of doubt as to the illegality of raffling, yet it is most prevalent ; and at the seaside the evening used not to be complete without a raffle at the Assembly Eooms, or Library, where also [jou could, for a considera- tion, have a dip in the " Wheel of Fortune," which was a lottery pure and simple, as is also every sweepstake, a form of gambling which is most unblushingly and openly indulged in, and which sometimes, as in the case of the BycuUah Sweep, assumes enormous proportions. Nay, piety itself does not disdain the lottery when funds are needed for any purpose. No one sees any harm in a sawdust tub at a bazaar, who would shudder at taking a lottery ticket ; and I have heard of such a thing as a pious raffle, on the strict quiet, of the unsold things from a bazaar, or fancy fair, got up for the benefit of some religious purpose. In Ireland they go still further, and I suppose there are few of us who have not been pestered to take tickets in the religious lotteries which are freely drawn in the " distressful counthry." There is a great sameness in all the Irish schemes, and it is useful to note the lowness of the price of the ticket, which brings it within the 336 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIES. reach of all, and the bait held out to persons to tout for and sell them. " A complimentary Ticket is presented with each book of Twenty Tickets ; and, m Addition, each person purchasing, or sell- ing Two Books (Forty Tickets), will be presented with a Free Ticket for the Special 'All Peize' Drawing." — " Every Holder of an ' All Prize ' Ticket is certain to win a Prize." In my estimation, these pious lotteries are on a par with, even if they are not worse than, the prize-packets of sweets, a lottery which deludes the very babes ; and, though always unfair, gives them a zest for gambling which they might not otherwise obtain. Of these swindles, perhaps the following is the last " up to date " : — " NoETH London Police Court. — Egidio Fabrizi, an Italian confectioner of Balls Pond-road, Islington, was summoned for keeping premises for the pur- poses of a lottery not authorized by Act of Parlia- ment. The evidence of the police was that the Defendant sold certain sweetstuff ' turnovers,' some of which contained money ; and, at the time of the visit of Police-sergeant 35 J, there were four- teen or fifteen lads in the shops, buying the sweets, in the hope — as admitted — that they might get A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 337 a prize. The ' turnovers ' were a halfpenny each, and one lad, who purchased two, got a penny in one, and nothing in the other. A boy named James Dewis, who made the purchase, said he and others frequently bought the sweets, in the hope of getting prizes. — By Mr. Lushington (Magis- trate) : There was not a halfpenny-worth of sweet- stuff in the turnovers — the real value was about four for a halfpenny ; but the value was made up when they got pence. — The Defendant (to whom the evidence was interpreted) said he was not aware he was acting illegally. He bought the turnovers from Barrett's, and they told him how to sell them. Other shopkeepers in the same neighbourhood sold the same sort of sweets. — Mr. Lushington convicted the Defendant as a rogue and a vagabond, and ordered him to pay a fine of twenty shillings, or fourteen days in default " {Standard, April 24, 1893). But, as if we had not enough of our own sins to answer for, the foreigner must needs try to dip his hand in the rich " Englander's " pocket, and see if some of John Bull's fabled wealth cannot be made subservient to him. All sorts z 338 A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. of baits have been tried to allure him ; sometimes it would be an ancient castle, or schloss, that was dangled before his eyes ] sometimes it would be like a swindle I have before me, referring to German Municipal loans. First of all comes, by post, the scheme of the lottery. Some silly mortal swallows the bait, send 18s., and receives in return a letter of regret, and a ticket for a lottery in which the man was never asked to join — leaving a balance in hand of 10s., which, one might safely swear, would never be forthcoming if appHed for. To such proportions did this swindle grow, that the Post Office authorities had to step in and protect those silly sheep, who were offering their fleeces to the shearer, by refusing to cash the money orders ; and it must have been effective, as I have not heard of any foreign lotteries lately. CHAPTER XXV. The " Missing Word Competition " ; its rise and fall. T OTTERIES being universally known to be illegal in England and Scotland, no attempt has been made to revive them in their old form, since their illegality has been definitely pronounced ; but very many ways of evasion of the law have been practised, sometimes with much temporary success. Sometimes they developed into downright swindles, and then they cured themselves ; and this has been the fate of most of the so-called " competitions." But the greatest of these modern- times lotteries, and one which permeated the land throughout its length and breadth, was the "Missing Word Competition " which was so rife in 1892. It was eagerly taken up by several weekly periodicals, but, undoubtedly, the favourite com- petition was in Pearsons Weekly. For some time the public did not " catch on " to the scheme, and for the first nine months their interest in it was 340 A HISTORY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. comparatively languid, the sum subscribed by the one shilling entrance fees only averaging about £500 weekly; but, during the next three months (fifty-three competitions being issued in all), the competition waxed fierce, and when it was stopped, the proprietor of the magazine was in receipt, for the competition in the number for December 10, 1892, of nearly £24,000, which represented nearly half a million entries. No one doubts but that these amounts were fairly divided amongst the winners, the proprietor of the paper recouping himself by the enormously increased circulation of his periodical. In the case of Pearson's Weekly, its normal circulation was about 350,000 a week ; at the end of 1892 it stood at 1,050,000 copies. Nor was this all. The correct solution of the puzzle was not at once inserted in Pearson's Weekly. Oh dear, no ! if you were impatient to know your fate, you had to buy next Thursday's Society News, which thus got a fictitious circulation, to the great benefit of the conjoint proprietor's pocket. And it became of such importance, that as much as £350 a week was paid in salaries to persons employed in dealing in various ways with the selections sent in. A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTBEIBS. 341 It was, for a time, a rentable furore, which seized in its grip all sorts and conditions of folk, the old as well as the young, and formed such a topic of conversation as to be absolutely sickening. The modus operandi is best described by the paper itself. Let us take an extract from Pearsons Weekly of December 10, 1892, the competition therein contained being the one over which there was much litigation. "The correct word in this competition will be found in the number of Society Neivs, which is on sale at all newsagents first thing on the morning of Thursday, December 15. Full particulars will appear, as usual, in Pearson's Weekly of the following Saturday. "Missing Word Competition. No. 53. " On the third column of page 331 is a paragraph about an experiment with camphor. The last word is omitted. Readers who wish to enter this competition must cut out the coupon below, fill in this word, together with their names and addresses, and send, it with a postal order for one shilling, to reach us, at latest, by first post on Monday, December 12, the envelope marked ' Word.' 342 A HISTORY OB" ENGLISH LOTTERIES. "The correct word is in the hands of Mr. H. S. Linley, chartered accountant, 124, Chancery Lane, London, W.C, enclosed in an envelope, sealed with our seal. His statement with regard to it will appear with the result of the competition in the issue for the week after next. The whole of the money received in entrance fees will be divided amongst those competitors who fill in the word correctly. It is hoped that competitions will be posted to Temple Chambers, London, E.G., as early in the week as possible. Members of the same family may compete, if they like, and any one may send as many attempts as he or she chooses, provided that each is accompanied by a separate coupon and a sufficient remittance. All postal orders must be made payable to Pearsons Weekly. Coupons also appear in Society News and the Companion, which entitle purchasers to enter for Pearson's Weekly Missing Word Com- petition, on payment of the usual shilling." In the place indicated (third column of p. 301) we find the following paragraph, at the end of which the " missing word " has to be interpolated : " Here is a little experiment which is well worth showing to your friends. Procure a bit of ordinary camphor, A HISTOBT OF ENGLISH LOTTEEIBS, 343 and from it break off tiny pieces. Drop these upon the surface of some pure water, contained in any kind of vessel, and they will immediately begin to rotate and move about, sometimes continuing to do this for several hours. The water must be quite clean ; for if a drop of oil, or any grease, is in it, the experiment will not work. But, provided that nothing of this sort gets in, the little 'pieces of camphor will twirl about in a manner that is ex- tremely -." No fewer than 472,574 coupons were sent in for this competition, accompanied by remittances to the value of £23,628 14s. No very large sums were made at these competi- tions (except on one occasion). Sometimes the suc- • cessful competitor did not realize much more than a sovereign; at other times, judging from the experi- ence of one gentleman, they might get £8 9s. Sd., as in the "awkward" competition, or £13 4s. 6d., as in the following, when the missing word was " evolved " : — " Most of our readers will have noticed the fortune-telling automatic machine in the railway stations and at street corners, and will remember that the face of it is covered with various coloured triangles. It is, in short, a handy roulette table, 344 A HISTOEY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. and certain people have taken to dropping a penny in the slot, and betting upon what coloured triangle the finger of the gipsy girl will rest. It would seem as though a new form of gambling had been ." Although the sums won were not large, in com- parison with the lotteries of old, yet the price of the ticket — one shilling only — was not ruinous, and, as there were no limits to the number of coupons, any one might send as many as he or she pleased, and if you plunged a bit, and were lucky, the prize represented a sum well worth having. This was the plan adopted by one person (Mr. Andrew Tuer), who won the largest sum on record ; but it must be confessed that, previous to this stroke of luck, he was from £150 to JS200 " to the bad." The competition was in Pearsons Weekly for December 3, 1892, and finished up with a para- graph which dealt with the capacity of a brick for absorbing water, and engendering consequences which, if undetected, might be . The correct missing word was " awkward," on which the record- breaker had plunged seventy-five times, and as each correct answer was entitled to a prize of £8 9s. Sc^., A HISTOEY OP ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 345 he netted a total of £634 13s. 9c?.— not altogether an unmixed blessing, as he states in a letter to the Star of December 21, 1892. " As soon as my success became known, letters poured in from every- wliere — letters of abuse, letters from persons wantiBg to beg and borrow, and foolish letters — all from women these — asking me for the ' tip ' for next week." While these competitions were in their infancy, no one heeded them much ; but when they spread as a great social cancer — when every one was getting tainted with the fever of specu- lation, and the principal streets of London were literally strewn with Pearson's Weekly, not bought to read, but to tear out the coupon page and then throw the rest away — it was felt necessary that something should be done in the matter. At first there was a little difficulty, arising not only in the glorious uncertainty of the law on the matter, but from the fact that most of the periodicals publishing these competitions were printed and published within the precincts of the city of London, and the patres conscripti hesitated to commence litigation of which no man could foresee the issue. 346 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. At last one was found outside the sacred pale, and its prosecution was understood to be a test case; and on December 13, 1892, at Bow Street Police Court, before Sir John Bridge, the chief magistrate, Mr. Henry Reichardt, the proprietor, publisher, and editor of Pick-Me-Up, and Messrs. Wertheimer and Lea, the printers, appeared to answer six summonses for alleged infringements of the Lottery Acts. The summonses were : (a) for publishing in a certain paper called Pick-Me-Up a scheme for the sale of chances and shares in a lottery known as "The Missing Word Competi- tion," contrary to the statute 4 Geo. IV. c. 60, sec. 41 ; (b) for selling certain chances in a lottery known as the "Pick-Me-Up Missing Word Com- petition," contrary to the same Act ; (c) for pub- lishing in the said paper a scheme for certain chances in a lottery known as " The Weekly Art Competition," contrary to the same Act ; (d) for the sale of certain chances in such lottery ; (e) for keeping open at No. 11, Southampton Buildings, a lottery, namely, drawing by certain lots and coupons ia a lottery known as " The Missing Word Competition " of the same paper, contrary to 42 Geo. III. c. 119, sec. 2 ; and (/) for suffering A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 347 to be played and drawn, by means of coupons, a lottery called " The Weekly Art Competition," contrary to tbe same statute. In this latter com- petition it was requisite to send in lists of what the competitors thought were the best pictures in a particular issue of the paper in question, with, of course, the inevitable shilling. The proceedings were taken at the instance of the public prosecutor. The offence was proved, and the defence was that these competitions were no lotteries. The magistrate, however, thought differently, and, in giving his decision, said, that if the scheme was one of risking money, or gaining it by chance, then, undoubtedly, it was a lottery. On the other hand, if it was carried out by skill and judgment, it would not be one. The question whether it was chance or judgment must depend upon a proper construction of the facts of the case. With reference to the missing word competition, a good deal was to be said for the contention as to the question of chance or judgment depending on the selection of a particular word, or only of a proper word, which latter would require skill. The defendants did not pretend to say that they called for the selection of the proper word, or the 348 A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. word which would be suitable to complete the sentence. Therefore, on that ground, he thought that this case, as regarded the missing word com- petition, came within the scope of the Act. "With regard to the "Art Competition" the case appeared to be slightly different, as it might be said that the competitors might have to exercise judgment in deciding whether they were artistic or not ; but, looking at the whole case, it seemed to him that persons were induced to stake their money upon chance, and he must therefore convict, but should only impose the nominal penalty of a shilling fine upon each summons. An appeal against this decision was talked of, but never acted on. Now, then, dismay fell upon the other culprits. Mr. Pearson discontinued his competitions, and the money he had in hand was impounded, and paid into the Bank of England for safe custody. Then arose a curious state of things. Of course Mr. Pearson could not claim the money — he had no right to it — nor could it be paid to the winners, because it had been decided to be illegal. No one could keep it, because it was not theirs, nor could it be confiscated, or given, as some suggested, to hospitals and charities. The only remedy seemed A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 349 to be for some of .the prize-winners to enter suits in Chancery against Mr. Pearson for the payment of what they considered their due ; and this was done in two instances, which were tried on February 8, 1893, in the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, before Mr. Justice Stirling, who, at the end of a long and elaborate summing up, thus delivered himself :^ " As regards the defendant Pearson, no imputa- tion is, or can be, made on his good faith and honesty. He appears to have carried through a large number of competitions without any inter- ference, and the abrupt termination of the com- petition in question was brought about by the criminal proceedings against another person, to which I have already referred. He is in some difficulty, through having destroyed the coupons of the unsuccessful competitors, but no claim is now made to the fund by any person except those represented by the plaintiff, and the de- fendant Hearn. Under these circumstances, it would seem the best and simpler course that the fund should be returned to the defendant Pearson, who will then be able to defend himself, by means of it, against any legal claims, and to dispose of the 350 A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. surplus in such way as lie may deem himself, in honour, bound to apply it. If, however, this course should not commend itself to him, I am willing, in this particular case, and without estab- lishing a precedent, that the fund should remain in Court, whereby there will accrue a benefit, in the first place, to the legal profession, and, ulti- mately, I hope, to the public, in whose favour it may be fairly expected that there will result, at some date more or less remote, an extinguishment of some portion of the National Debt." The finale to this lottery took place on March 27, 1893, when the case of "Matthews v. Pearson" came before Mr. Justice Stirling in Chambers. It was ordered, by consent, that the sum of .£3566 4s., paid into Court in this action, being the amount contributed to the missing word com- petition. No. 7, in Pearson's Society News, should be paid out to the defendant Pearson, on his undertaking to pay the costs of all parties to the action, as between solicitor and client. It is understood that Mr. Pearson will pursue the same course with reference to this fund as in the previous cases, viz. will pay the prize-winners the amount due to them, less a deduction for costs. A HISTOET OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES. 351 It is said that Mr. Pearson has honourably fulfilled his pledge to the public. And now to wind up with an anecdote. It was where two roads bisected, and a matter- of-fact policeman was on the kerb, keeping watch on the four ways. Then there appeared upon the scene a " Salvation Army Man," who, after a little time, gathered an audience of two or three girls and boys. To them he addressed the message of salvation, inviting the juveniles to " come and be washed," etc. ; and, at the end of this exordium, he blossomed forth emphatically, emphasizing each paragraph with one fist in the other palm. "He spake the Word, and Peter spoke it " {pause). " And Paul spoke it" {pause). "Have you read the Word?" {pause). " Do you know the Word ? " (J.oTig pause). And then came the inevitable policeman who, ungently pushing the preacher on the shoulder, said gruffly, " You get away, young man ; you know it ain't right. We can't have no ' Missin' Word Competitions' 'ere. You know they're illegal, so just stow it." No Luck! " Throw Physic to the Dogs " for me. The best composing draught's a Fee ; For sinking Chest, low pulse, or Cold, There's no Specific equals Gold. INDEX. Aarones, Joseph, 86 AboEtion of Irish lotteries, 130 Adam's Adelphi Lottery, 80 Adelphi Lottery, 80 Alterations in drawing tickets, 130 "Altogether! "191 Anecdote by Theodore Hools, 311 Anecdotes of luck, 204, 205, 213 214 2 A 354 INDEX. Anecdotes of the lottery, 327 Annual Register, 87 Apophoreta gifts, 3 Armour lottery, 24 Armouth and the lottery of 1568, 23 Art Union Act, 331 Attempts to put down lotteries, 217, 221 B Baddeley, Richard, 34, 42 Baker, Eobert, and lottery gam- bling, 159 Baker's evidence before the Com- mission, 301 Ballad of 1826, 274 Banks, Miss Sophia, 85 Bank of England, fraud on the, 97 Bartholomew, Christopher, and insurance, 306 Bennet, Secretary, 35 Bennett, Captain Edward, 34 Bish, T., 127, 145 on the last lottery, 283 Bish's enigmatical handbill, 169 ■ lottery alphabet, 162 poetic effusions, 152, 180, 182, 191, 214, 218, 222, 261 ■ "Public Prizes," 174 Blue-coat boys and the lottery, 79, 82 Book lottery, 44 Bowyer's lottery, 139 Boydell lottery, 133 Shakespeare winner, 138 Branscomb, James, 127 Branscomb's agencies, 129 Brighthemston and the lottery of 1568, 23 British Museum, formation of, 69 Business of the offices of the lot- tery, 321 C Cale, Nathaniel, 35 " Caleb Quotem," 236 " Captain Bobadil," 237 Chances of winning, 67 Child, Francis, 45 City Lottery, 149 Clarke, John, 108 Corbett, Francis, 32, 33, 39 Counterfeiting lottery tickets, 86, 87 " Cowslip," 231 Cox's Museum lottery, 75 Crosland, Sir John, 34 Curious handbills, 218, 219 lotteries, 88 D D'Aguilar, Baron, 131 Daily News, extract from, on lot- terj' superstition, 213 De Duras, Marquis, 42 Death of the State lottery, 276 " Dennis Brulgruddery," 198 Denny, Daniel, 87 Des Marces, Sir Anthony, 33, 34, 42 Dethier's "Twelfth Cake Lottery," 331 " Dialogue," a, 245 Disposal of " Missing Word Com- petition "money, 350 Drawing of the lottery, description of, 312, 319 Drebbel, Cornelius, 29 Dupuy, Lawrence, 33, 34, 42 E Earliest lottery ticket, 85 Bast Greenwiohe and the lottery of 1568, 23 English slave-ransom lottery, 32 "Enigma," an, 187 Epitaph suggested for Vansittart, 221 ' on the last lottery, 285 Evil of lotteries, 40 Extravagant prices for tickets, 74 Eyck's lottery, 4 F "Farmer Acres," 226 Fielding's song of the lottery, 1 Finoohelli, Francisco, 33 First lottery in England, 5 Fishing vessels lottery, 31 Footman's plan to spend expected prize, 311 Foreign lotteries, 331 "Fortune's Ladder," 165 "Fortune's Train," 218 G Grage, George, 30 Gambling lottery, 33 Gentleman's Magazine, 61, 66, 72, 103, 109 " Gently over the Stones," 188 Glasgow lotteries, 330 "Gretna Green," 214 Guinea lottery, 71 Gumey, Rev. W., and lottery gambling, 157 H Hale, Pagen, 73 Hambleton, Colonel, 30 Handbills, 162, 180, 189 Historic lottery, 139 Holland's wager, 67 Holophusikon, 104 Hone's account of the last lottery, 267 Hook, Theodore, 311 Hornsby and Co., 119 Illegal insurance checked, 125, 130, 131 Insurance of lottery numbers, 296, 306 Insurmg lottery tickets, 120 Irish Land Lottery, 31 lotteries abolished, 130 — — religious lotteries, 335 Islington miser, the, 131 "Jerry Sneak," 262 " Jolly Dick, 234 K Killigrew, Thomas, 41 Knight, Sir John, 35, 36 " Lady Betty Modish," 230 " Lady Mary Mousetrap," 235 Last lottery, 265 , epitaph on, 285 " Last of the lotteries," 280 Launstonandth6lotteryofl568,23 Leheup's fraud, 70 Lever, Sir -Ashton, 103 356 INDEX. " Little Goes," 287 L'Ooha di Catalonia, 33 London Magazine, 66 London water supply lotteries, 29, 30 "London and the Lottery," 182 Loseley House, lottery record in, 5 Loss to the public by lotteries, 301 Lots, early history of, 2 Lottery alphabet, 162 anecdotes, 327 drawing, description of, 319, frauds, 79, 81 gambling, Parliamentary in- quiry, 156 Lottery handbills — A Prize for Poor Jack, by Jack Junk, 214 A Valentine, 173 Altogether, 191 An Enigma, 187 Bill of lottery in Queen Eliza- beth's reign, 5 Caleb Quotem, 236 Captain Bobadil, 237 Cook-maid, 279 Cowslip, 231 Cox's Lottery, 77 Dennis Brulgruddery, 198 Farmer Acres, 226 Freeholds and Fortunes, 152 Fortune's Ladder, 165 Fortune's Train, 218 Gardener, 280 Gently over the Stones, 188 Green-grocer, 280 Gretna Green, 215 Jerry Sneak, 262 Jolly Dick, 234 Kitchen-maid, 279 Lady Betty Modish, 230 Lady Mary Mousetrap, 235 London and the Lottery, 1 82 Lottery handbills — Master and Man, 189 Miss Vixen Vinegar, 233 Mrs. Pry, 263 Mother Goose, 228 Queen Dollalolla, 232 Public prizes, 174 Sam Swig, 229 Shakespeare's " Seven Ages," 200 Sir Gaby Guttle, 227 Sir Simon Slenderwit, 264 Sir WiUiam Courteous, 261 Sweethearts and Gold, 176 The Doubt, 177 The Lottery Alphabet, 162 The Persian Ambassador, 184 The PhOosopher's Stone, 163 The Pace of Fortune, 247 The Tradesman, 154 The Wish, 248 Three Eoyal Weddings, 222 Twenty Thousand, 180 Ways and Means, 219 Lottery numbers, insurance of, 296 office agencies, 129 keepers, 293 licensed, 90 , prosecution of. 114 • record in Loseley House, 5 • superstition, 213 • ticket, the earhest, 85 ■ advertisement in Post- Boy, 210 — tickets, 238 , counterfeiting, 86, 87 -, insurance of, 120 , the last, 265 wheels, description of, 312, 318 Lotteries, attempts to put down, 217, 221 INDEX. 357 •Lotteries, curious, 88 ' , derivation of, 3, 4 disoonneoted frora loans, 91 ■, disoontinuanoe of, 258 , earliest records of, 4 introduced into England, 5 , loss by, 301 , method of starting, 147 , Parliamentary inquiry into, 156 , suppression of, 50, 107 , suspension of, 29 , unauthorized, 108 Louth and the lottery of 1568, 23 Lucky lottery tickets, 205 Lyttleton's resolutions in the House of Commons, 224 M Maimed soldiers' lottery, 32 Mainwaring, Everard, 29 MarceUi, Simon, 33 ->, Margray, Mr., 112 Marriage portions by lottery, 56 "Master and Man," 189 Military officers' lottery, 45 " Miss Vixen Vmegar," 233 Missing Word Competition, 339 Mitford's (Miss) lottery ticket, 205 Morocco men, 298, 302 " Mother aoose," 228 " Mrs. Pry," 263 N Noah, Samuel, 86 Norwich and lotteries, 40 Ogilby's book lottery, 44 Parker, Michael, 29 Parkinson, James, 107 Parliamentary inquuy into lot- teries, 156 Pearson's Weekly competitions, 339 Penalties on private lotteries, 59 Penny lottery, 48 "Percy Anecdotes," 212 " Persian Ambassador," 184 Peyto, Sir Edward', 30 "Philosopher's Stone," 163 Physician's Fortune, 327 Pick-Me-TJp and Missing Word Competition, 346 Pickett, Alderman, 154 Pigot Diamond Lottery, 128 PleydeH, Captain William, 32 Pointz, Sir Bobert, 30 Posies, 17-19 Posie by Alice Crewe, London, 18 ' Dorothie Hawes, Cheapside, 19 Nicholas Martin, Exon, 18 Sibbel Cleyon, 19 Sir George Speake, Whit- laokington, 19 Su- Thorn. Woodhouse, War- ham, 19 Thomas Chamberlayne, Hor- sted Teynes, 19 William Dorghtie de West- holme, 19 Post-Bny, advertisement in, for lottery ticket, 210 Pounteney, Mrs., 93, 101, 102 Praying for success in lotteries, 74 Price (or " Patch "), Charles, 91 Pricking Book Lottery, 41 Prince Eupert's jewels lottery, 45 Prisoner's complaint, 114 358 INDEX. Prize, sharp practice over, 110 Prize-winners, 118 Prosecution of lottery-office keepers, 114 for insuring lottery tickets, 304, 305 " Public Prizes," 174 " Queen Dollalolla," 232 E Badoliffe and the Lottery of 1568, 23 Puaffling, 334 Kaine's Charity, 55 Eegtilations for lotteiy drawing, 83 Religious lotteries, 335 Richardson, Goodluck, and Co., 118 Roche, Captain James, 33, 34 Roman lotterjf, '3 Royal Fishing Company, 41 ■ Oak Lottery, 33 Rudge, Edward, 30 Sale of ticket twice over, 73 Salvation Army man and " Word Competition," 351 " Sam Swig," 229 Saunder, Henry, 29 , Sir Nicholas, 29 Servants and the lottery, 298 Shakespeare lottery, 135 Shakespeare's " Seven Ages," 200 Sharpliffe and the Virginian lot- tery, 29 Shergold and Co., 110, 112 " Sir Gaby Guttle," 227 " Sir Simon Slenderwit," 264 " Sir William Courteous," 261 Southfleete and the Lottery of 1568, 23 Spaniard's luck, 204 Spectator on lucky numbers, 208 State lotteries, 49, 51, 52, 63, 54, 59, 60, 66, 71, 72, 75, 89, 107, 110, 118, 120, 126, 145, 189, 197, 204, 238 , method of, 89 Story of a footman, 310 Suicides caused by the lottery, 89, 109, 310 Suppression of lotteries, 50, 54, 60, 107 Suspension of lotteries, 29 " Sweethearts and Gold," 176 Sweetstuff lotteries, 336 Sydenham lottery, 52 Tassie, the winner of the Boydell Shakespeare, 138 Ticket sold twice over, 73 Times on " Little Goes," 287 " The Doubt," 177 " The Race of Fortune," 247 " The Wish," 248 Theft of tickets, 75 Thornton's Royal Botanical Lot- tery, 193 " Three Royal Weddmgs," 222 Tomkins's picture lottery, 252 Tontine lottery, 334 Topsham and the lottery of 1 568, 23 Twelfth Cake Lottery, 331 " Twelfth Night Characters " handbills, 225 " Twenty Thousand," 180 " Two Gold Finches," 197 Tuer (Andrew) and the Missing Word Competition, 344 INDEX. 359 u Unauthorized lotteries, 108 V Valentine, a, 173 Vansittaft's suggested epitaph, 221 Virginia lottery, 28 W "Ways and Means," 219 Wells and the lottery of 1568, 22 "Wheel of Fortune," 335 — handbill, 48 Westminster Bridge lottery, 65 Williamson, Joseph, 36, 42 Winchester and the lottery of 1668, 22 Winners of prizes, 118 Yermouth and the lottery of 1568, 22 £10,000 Prize ! 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LONDON : The Leadenhall Press, Ltd I 50, Leadenhall-street, E.C. [One Shilling. A manual by means of which the Portuguese author, who has struggled with the difficulties of the English language bsr aid of dictionary and phrase-book, proposes to teach its complexities to his fellow countrymen. The solemn good- faith of the writer crowns the unapproachable grotesqueness of his composition. " Excruciatingly funny." — The World. ENGLISH AS SHE IS SPOKE: or a Jest in Sober Earnest. "Her Seconds Part." (new matter.) LONDON: The Leadenhall Press, Ltd : 50, Leadenhall-street, E.C. [One Shilling. An unlimited mine of salt for diners-out. " Deliciously humorous." — Detroit Free Press. 1 ,000 QUAINT CUTS FROM BOOKS OF OTHER DAYS, including Amusing Illustrations from Children's Story Books, Fables, Chap-books, fi-c, fi-c. ; a Selection of Pictorial Initial Letters and.:-; Curious Designs and Ornaments from Original Wooden Blocks be- - longing to The Leadenhall Press. 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