individual who delighted in the first words
and in the sunny looks of childhood; whose friendship seems to have
partaken of all the softness of female affection; and whose heart
was never hardened against the wretched and depressed. Such was the
"original" George Selwyn.'

This celebrated conversational wit was a devoted frequenter of the
gaming table. Writing to Selwyn, in 1765, Lord Holland said:--'All that
I can collect from what you say on the subject of money is, that fortune
has been a little favourable lately; or may be, the last night only.
Till you leave off play entirely you must be--in earnest, and without
irony--_en verite le serviteur tres-humble des evenements_, "in truth,
the very humble servant of events."'

His friend the Lord Carlisle, although himself a great gambler, also
gave him good advice. 'I hope you have left off Hazard,' he wrote to
Selwyn; 'if you are still so foolish, and will play, the best thing I
can wish you is, that you may win and never throw crabs.(117) You do not
put it in the power of chance to make you them, as we all know; and till
the ninth miss is born I shall not be convinced to the contrary.'

(117) That is, aces, or ace and deuce, twelve, or seven. With false
dice, as will appear in the sequel, it was impossible to throw any of
these numbers, and as the caster always called the main, he was sure to
win, as he could call an impossible number: those who were in the secret
of course always took the odds.

Again:--'As you have played I am happy to hear you have won; but by this
time there may be a _triste revers de succes_.'

Selwyn had taken to gaming before his father's death--probably from
his first introduction to the clubs. His stakes were high, though not
extravagantly so, compared with the sums hazarded by his contemporaries.
In 1765 he lost L1000 to Mr Shafto, who applied for it in the language
of an 'embarrassed tradesman.'

'July 1, 1765.

'DEAR SIR,--I have this moment received the favour of your letter. I
intended to have gone out of town on Thursday, but as you shall not
receive your money before the end of this week, I must postpone my
journey till Sunday. A month would have made no difference to me, had I
not had others to pay before I leave town, and must pay; therefore must
beg that you will leave the whole before this week is out, at White's,
as it is to be paid away to others to whom I have lost, and do not
choose to leave town till that is done. B