Post by Admin on Oct 9, 2016 10:15:34 GMT
CHAP. XIV.
Of the Art of Dicing.
THE Art of Dicing is one of those Arts that de∣pends wholly upon Chance; wherein, he that is most studious, and most expert, becomes so much the more vile and wicked, while out of covetousness of ano∣ther mans, he bears no reverence to his own Patri∣mony. This is the Mother of Lies, Perjury, Thefts, Quarrels, Injustice, and Murther; rightly an Inventi∣on of Evil Spirits, which after the overthrow of the Asian Empire, was carried away Captive into Greece among the Spoils of those Cities; where afterwards 〈◊〉 enslav'd and bewitch'd the Conquerors themselves. It is said, that Attalus King of Asia was the first In∣ventor of that Game, having found it out by his skill in Arithmetick. Among the Romans, it is reported that Claudius the Emperour wrote a Treatise there∣of: He, together with Augustus Caesar, being great Ad∣mirers of this Game. An Exercise most Infamous, and forbidden by the Laws of Nations, insomuch,
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that Cobilon the Lacaedemonian being sent to Corinth for the obtaining a mutual League and Friendship between those two Cities, when he saw the Captains and Sena∣tors of Corinth playing at Dice, return'd without doing any thing, saying, that he would not so much defile the Glory of the Spartan's, as that it should be said, they had made a League with Gamesters. This Art was so much dis-esteem'd among the greatest of men for∣merly, that the King of Parthia is reported to have sent a Bale of Golden Dice to Demetrius, on purpose to upbraid his Inconstancy. Now adayes it is a Game in the greatest Request, even among the greatest Prin∣ces, and the chief Nobility. How do I say, a Play? Yea, the only Wisdom, and highest Knowledge of Men most carefully and wickedly bred up to Cheat and Cozen
Of the Art of Dicing.
THE Art of Dicing is one of those Arts that de∣pends wholly upon Chance; wherein, he that is most studious, and most expert, becomes so much the more vile and wicked, while out of covetousness of ano∣ther mans, he bears no reverence to his own Patri∣mony. This is the Mother of Lies, Perjury, Thefts, Quarrels, Injustice, and Murther; rightly an Inventi∣on of Evil Spirits, which after the overthrow of the Asian Empire, was carried away Captive into Greece among the Spoils of those Cities; where afterwards 〈◊〉 enslav'd and bewitch'd the Conquerors themselves. It is said, that Attalus King of Asia was the first In∣ventor of that Game, having found it out by his skill in Arithmetick. Among the Romans, it is reported that Claudius the Emperour wrote a Treatise there∣of: He, together with Augustus Caesar, being great Ad∣mirers of this Game. An Exercise most Infamous, and forbidden by the Laws of Nations, insomuch,
Page 52
that Cobilon the Lacaedemonian being sent to Corinth for the obtaining a mutual League and Friendship between those two Cities, when he saw the Captains and Sena∣tors of Corinth playing at Dice, return'd without doing any thing, saying, that he would not so much defile the Glory of the Spartan's, as that it should be said, they had made a League with Gamesters. This Art was so much dis-esteem'd among the greatest of men for∣merly, that the King of Parthia is reported to have sent a Bale of Golden Dice to Demetrius, on purpose to upbraid his Inconstancy. Now adayes it is a Game in the greatest Request, even among the greatest Prin∣ces, and the chief Nobility. How do I say, a Play? Yea, the only Wisdom, and highest Knowledge of Men most carefully and wickedly bred up to Cheat and Cozen