I02.

vanity to a flame, by setting him at every turn a talking of himself; to which discourse, how impertinent soever, Wheedle gave an applausive attention, still throwing praises in Youth's way, and never finding any fault with him but for his vertues: As, dear sir, you are too good, too just, too honest, &c.

Father. Praise makes a wise man modest, a fool arrogant.

But

103. Flattery is compounded of the most sordid hateful qualities incident to mankind, viz. lying, servility, and treachery.

104. A man that flatters his neighbour spreads a net for his feet.'

105.

"Mel in ore, verba lactis,

Fel in corde, fraus in factis."

106. A pretence of kindness is the universal stale to all base projects; by it men are robbed of their fortune, women of their honour.

107.

This every one knows, and that a supine credulous facility exposes us at once to be a prey and a laughing-stock; yet the heart has no avenue SO open to any thing as to flattery, which, like some enchantment, lays all its guards asleep.

1 Prov. 29. 5.

e that reviles me, it may be, calls me fool ne that flatters me, if I take not good heed, nake me so.

en flatter'd remember the Spanish proverb. "Menca la cola el can

No por ti, sino por el pan."

;

e dog wags his tail, not for thee but for the

we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of s could do us little harm.

Go on.

D

113.

114.

GAMESTER.

Son. ONE that, after losing his patrimony, had, for setting his friends and companions, been taught cards and dice; to sleep a days, and how to diet and prepare his body, so as to quaff whole nights without being drunk, or drousy, came past ten a clock, well dress'd and powder'd, to enquire for Knave at the club.

Gamester was a pretty fellow, much upon the compliment, and his discourse agreeable enough to such as delighted in frothy and idle tales; but his old acquaintance being stript, or shy, Knave,

115.

116.

it seems, was to go snacks for introducing to

new.

These brethren in iniquity using finger-shade, mouth-spirt, or shoulder-dash, drank little 'till the company grew mellow, but then would not suffer the glass to stand still, continually toasting, or calling for new healths.

About eleven Knave whisper'd the drawer to place cards and candles on the little table; to which removing, Buffoon, Critic, and Gamester follow'd, and to whisk they went.

117. At first Buffoon and Critic being suffered to win, high tides of joy o'erflow'd their faces; but shortly after Knave and Gamester stripping them of all their money, rings, and watches, from the gulphs of despair in their aspects, Angelo might have finish'd his famous piece of the last judgment. 118. Father. The Olympic and other games of Greece, were instituted merely for honour and exercise; but now play renders a man incapable of prosecuting any serious matters, success lifting him up to the top of mad joy, or misfortune plunging him to the bottom of despair: And generally speaking, play finds a man a cully, and leaves him a knave, and is a means to rob those that use it of time, money, and conscience.

119.

120.

121.

I22.

123.

The learned Puffendorf observes, That for an equality in gaming, it's not only requisite the venture on each side should be equal, but also the danger of losing and probability of winning should bear proportion to the thing contended for, viz. In a game that depends upon skill, if one man is twice as skilful as the other, it is fit he should lay down a double stake.

Now Considering that gamesters, like Solomon's wicked man,' wink with their eyes, speak with their feet, and teach with their fingers. And

Considering all their combinations and tricks, to make their bubbles drunk, very drunk, and then to put upon them, suppose at Putt.

3

The bent, the slick, the breef, the spur."

Guess then the numbers of frauds there are at

1 Prov. 6. 13.

2 Bending one, to know where to cut a good Putt-card. 3 When all the Putt-cards are so slick'd, that by laying the fore-finger indifferently hard upon the top of the pack, and giving a slurring jerk, the cutter secures the smooth card to himself.

4 Of these there be two sorts, of the one the edges, of the other the ends, of all the Putt-cards, are cut a little narrower or shorter than the rest; so that by lightly setting off, either at the sides or ends, according as such cards are breef'd, a Puttcard is always secured.

5 Marking Putt-cards on the edge with the nail, as they come to hand, the better to know them again.