erloo there appeared a French
work entitled '_L'Academie des Jeux_, par Philidor,' which was soon
translated into English, and here published under the title of 'Rouge et
Noir; or, the Academies.' It was a denunciation of gambling in all its
varieties, and was, no doubt, well-intentioned. There was, however, in
the publication the following astounding statement:--

'Not long ago the carriage of the heir-apparent to the T***** of
England, in going to his B****'s levee, was arrested for debt in the
open street. That great captain, who gained, if not laurels, an immense
treasure, on the plains of Wa****oo, besides that fortune transmitted
to him by the English people, was impoverished in a few months by this
ignoble passion.'

There can be no doubt that the alleged gambling of the great warrior and
statesman was the public scandal of the day, as appears by the duke's
own letters on the subject, published in the last volume of his
_Dispatches_. Even the eminent counsel, Mr Adolphus, thought proper
to allude to the report in one of his speeches at the bar. This called
forth the following letter from the duke to Mr Adolphus:--

'17 Sept., 1823. 'The Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Mr
Adolphus, and encloses him the "Morning Chronicle" of Friday, the 12th
instant, to which the duke's attention has just been called, in which Mr
Adolphus will observe that he is stated to have represented the duke as
a person _KNOWN SOMETIMES TO PLAY AT HAZARD, WHO MIGHT BE COMMITTED AS A
ROGUE AND VAGABOND_.

'The duke concludes that this paper contains a correct statement of what
Mr Adolphus said upon the occasion, and he assures Mr Adolphus that he
would not trouble him upon the subject if circumstances did not exist
which rendered this communication desirable.

'Some years have elapsed since the public have been informed, _FROM THE
VERY BEST AUTHORITY_, that the duke had totally ruined himself at play;
and Mr Adolphus was present upon one occasion when a witness swore that
he had heard the duke was constantly obliged to sell the offices in the
Ordnance himself, instead of allowing them to be sold by others!! The
duke has suffered some inconvenience from this report in a variety of
ways, and he is anxious that at least it should not be repeated by a
gentleman of such celebrity and authority as Mr Adolphus.

'He therefore assures Mr Adolphus that in the whole course of his
life he never won or lost L20 at any game, and that