In England, the outcry against gaming is loud, and deservedly so; and
the extent to which it is stated to be curried in the higher circles is
rather underrated than exaggerated; but the severity of our laws on this
crime, and recent visitations of its rigour, confine it to the saloons
of wealthy vice. With us it is not a national vice, as in France, where
every license, facility, and even encouragement presents itself.
Lotteries, which have been abolished in England, as immoral nuisances,
are tolerated in France, with more mischievous effect, since, the risk
is considerably less than our least shares formerly were, the lotteries
smaller, and those drawn three times every month. The relics of
_our_ gaming system are only to be found on race-courses; but in
France, half the toys sold at a fair or _fête_, where mothers win
rattles for their children, are by _lottery_, whilst our gaming at
fairs is restricted to a few low adventurers for snuff-boxes, &c.
Despair is the gloomiest feature of the French character, and of which
gaming produces a frightful proportion, notwithstanding all that our
neighbours say about _our hanging and drowning in November:_
witness their suicides:--

In 1819: Suicides, 376; of which, 126 women.
1820: do. 325; do. 114 do.
1821: do. 348; do. 112 do.


Of the suicides of these three years 25, 50, and 36, were attributed to
love, and 52, 42, 43, to despair arising from _gaming, the
lottery_, &c. In the winter of 1826, several exaggerated losses by
gaming were circulated in Paris with great _finesse_, to enable
bankrupts to account for their deficiencies, many of whom were exposed