by I met with Mr. Brisband; and having it in my mind this Christmas to (do
what I never can remember that I did) go to see the manner of the gaming
at the Groome-Porter's, I having in my coming from the playhouse stepped
into the two Temple-halls, and there saw the dirty 'prentices and idle
people playing; wherein I was mistaken, in thinking to have seen gentlemen
of quality playing there, as I think it was when I was a little child,
that one of my father's servants, John Bassum, I think, carried me in his
arms thither. I did tell Brisband of it, and he did lead me thither,
where, after staying an hour, they begun to play at about eight at night,
where to see how differently one man took his losing from another, one
cursing and swearing, and another only muttering and grumbling to himself,
a third without any apparent discontent at all: to see how the dice will
run good luck in one hand, for half an hour together, and another have no
good luck at all: to see how easily here, where they play nothing but
guinnys, a L100 is won or lost: to see two or three gentlemen come in
there drunk, and putting their stock of gold together, one 22 pieces, the
second 4, and the third 5 pieces; and these to play one with another, and
forget how much each of them brought, but he that brought the 22 thinks
that he brought no more than the rest: to see the different humours of
gamesters to change their luck, when it is bad, how ceremonious they are
as to call for new dice, to shift their places, to alter their manner of
throwing, and that with great industry, as if there was anything in it: to
see how some old gamesters, that have no money now to spend as formerly,
do come and sit and look on, as among others, Sir Lewis Dives, who was
here, and hath been a great gamester in his time: to hear their cursing
and damning to no purpose, as one man being to throw a seven if he could,
and, failing to do it after a great many throws, cried he would be damned
if ever he flung seven more while he lived, his despair of throwing it
being so great, while others did it as their luck served almost every
throw: to see how persons of the best quality do here sit down, and play