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Having thus far cleared the Gamefter from those Imputations, that might affect him in his private and public Capacity, I fhall now proceed to mention fome Advantages that refult from this Practice.

One great Advantage of Gaming is, that it teaches us to bear up against the Charms of Wealth, and Terrors of Poverty. For my own Part it hath seriously affected me to reflect, that Money, the grand Source and End of all human Counfels, the Corruptor of Patriots, and Divider of Princes, for which Beauties languish, Heroes fight, and Sages write upon Virtue; should come to be utterly disregarded as a Thing of no Efteem amidst a general Diffolution of Morals, and in the Dregs of Time. There have been Philofophers who have defpifed Riches, when they could not get at them; and, fome, who have advised the World to defpife them, while they have been hoarding themfelves. But no Age, except the present hath produced Spirits afpiring, to this high Perfection; that have courted Poverty in the midst of Plenty; renounced. Eafe, when they were born to Luxury; and harraffed their Conftitutions to effect Designs, which the rest of Mankind, wholly blinded by Prejudice, are fure to confider as infamous and detestable.

Having mentioned Philofophers, I cannot find in my Heart to proceed, without confidering from what Sect among the Ancients, the Principles and Tenets of our modern Gentlemen seem to be de rived; and upon mature Reflexion, I find they are built upon the Ruins of the Cyrenaic, the Founder of which was Ariftippus, the finest Gen

tleman.

tleman of his Age; and no doubt a Gamefter. And whoever has turned his Thoughts to examine the Conduct and Opinions of that Philofopher, as they are delivered to us by the most authentic Writers, will find the Parallel striking enough to justify a longer Digreffion than I at prefent defign to make.

And first, Aristippus was celebrated for his uncommon Contempt of Money; for being on a Journey, and finding his Attendants lag behind, too heavy laden with Treasure, he ordered them to leave it in the Defart, and purfued his Way without it.

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The Slaves at his Command

Scatter'd his Gold on Libya's barren Sand.

In Imitation of which Proceeding, his Followers among us fhew the utmoft Forwardnefs to diveft themselves of that Incumbrance as fast as possible.

Some Perfons have been furprised, how our modern Gentlemen can fuftain that Character under the ftrange Variety of Drefs that Fabion prescribes. What a different Appearance is made by the fame Individual, when you see him fauntring in the Mall, and lounging in the Play-house? Yet ftill the Gentleman appears through all. Alf which is directly traced from the Pattern of Ariftippus: Sometimes he made a Figure in purple Robes; and often, as [b] Diogenes Laertius obferves, he would walk about with a Newmarket Switch in his Hand, his Hair in Papers, and his Hat in the Ancaster Cock:

[6] In Vit. Ariftippi.

Quidlibet indutus celeberrima per loca vadet,
Perfonamque feret non inconcinnus utramque. Hor.
His Dress, tho' varied, fix'd the public Eyes,
And fhew'd an Elegance that mock'd Disguise.

Ariftippus had a wonderful Penchant toward the Fair Sex He would ride Post at any Time, rather than baulk his Affignations: And once it is recorded he made a long Voyage, for the Pleafure of converfing with the celebrated Lais, the F-nny M-rry of her Age. But here the Scholars have far out-stripped their Master, if we except the Sailing Expedition, which Fortune hath put out of the Question, by providing them with Miftreffes, as well as Surgeons, in every Street.

It will not appear strange, after what was faid in the last Paragraph, that Aristippus had feveral natural Children; but there being no Foundling Hofpital in those Days, he told their Mothers in his eafy Way, Procreation was not what he defired or intended; that for his Part, he confidered Children as mere bodily Secretions: However, if the Parish chose to provide for them, he had no Objection. Our Proceeding, till of late, was the exact Counter-part of this: Now indeed the Cafe is altered; and Gentlemen commit Fornication in the Spirit of Patriotism, in order to raise Supplies for the Herring-Fifbery.

However, there is one thing which it would be unfair in me to fupprefs: Horace introduces Ariftippus holding a Converfation with Diogenes the Cynic, wherein he says of himself, what History hath likewife confirmed;

-Equus

Equus ut me portet, alat rex,

Officium facio

I fell my Flattery for Gain

And fawn for Luxury which Kings maintain.

The Philofopher, it seems, not being born to an independent Fortune, condefcended to accept certain Gratuities from the Princes and Great Men of his Time; and, for fear of lofing his Penfion, was their very obfequious and devoted humble Servant; which is the only material Point, wherein his Character differs from that of our Nobility, to whom nothing of this Sort can, with any Colour, be objected.

But to return to my Argument, (which I do with the fame Pleafure that a Gentleman who has cut out, returns to a Rubber) another Advantage of Gaming is, that it clears the Mind of many uneafy Paffions. Tully has left us a Treatife against Perturbations; but, in my Opinion, Mr. Hoyle has published a much better for Ufe and Practice: For whoever has ftudied the Works of this Philofopher, enjoys a State of most bleffed Infenfibility: He is in perfect Charity with all Mankind, forgiving Injuries, and forgetting Benefits: He has a Wife and Children, Relations and Friends; but he has neither Fears for their Welfare, nor Tears for their Diftrefs: He bears their Afflictions with the moft Chriftian Patience, and kiffes the Rod with which Providence hath chaftifed them: Conforming precisely to that Divine and Stoical Precept of Epictetus, "If thy "Friend be in Extremity, thou mayest say thou

"haft

"haft Pity on him; but be fure not to feel any, "because that is an Infirmity beneath the Dignity "of Man."

A third Advantage refulting from this Practice is, the Influence it hath upon the Military Establishment. It must give Pleasure to every Lover of his Country, to obferve us exactly tracing the Plan, which Horace prefcribes in that folemn Ode addreffed to his Friends, for the restoring warlike Discipline among the Roman Youth: Speaking of whom he fays;

Anguftam, amici, pauperiem pati
Robuftus acri militia puer
Condifcat, & Parthos feroces

Vexet eques metuendus baftâ.

Let the brave Youths, whofe Souls for Glory pant,
Suftain the manly Difcipline of Want,

They ne'er fball fhrink from Death's impending Blow,
Nor breathe from Slaughter, 'till they've quell'd the Foe.

Horace appears to have been very fond of this Doc-. trine; for, in another Part of his Works, he tells a Story of a Soldier in Lucullus's Army, who had been robbed of all his Money by Thieves. The Fellow was in a violent Rage, fwore like a Trooper; and, fully determined neither to give nor take Quarter, runs to the Head of the Forlornhope, storms a Castle, and fhielded by his Defpair, came off without Lofs of Life or Limb; but when he had reimbursed himself by Plunder, his Courage by no means feconded the Motion his General made to him foon after, to go upon

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