action. At this moment, Solomon
Eagle, the weird plague-prophet, with his burning brazier on his head,
suddenly turned the corner of the street, and, stationing himself before
the dead-cart, cried in a voice of thunder--'Woe to the libertine! Woe
to the homicide! for he shall perish in everlasting fire! Woe! woe!'

Such is this English legend, as related by Ainsworth, but which I have
condensed into its main elements. I think it bids fair to equal in
interest that of the Hindoo epic; and if it be not true in every
particular, so much the better for the sake of human nature.

CHAPTER III. GAMBLING AMONG THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS, PERSIANS, AND GREEKS.

Concerning the ancient Egyptians we have no particular facts to detail
in the matter of gambling; but it is sufficient to determine the
existence of any special vice in a nation to find that there are severe
laws prohibiting and punishing its practice. Now, this testimony not
only exists, but the penalty is of the utmost severity, from which may
be inferred both the horror conceived of the practice by the rulers of
the Egyptians, and the strong propensity which required that severity to
suppress or hold it in check. In Egypt, 'every man was easily admitted
to the accusation of a gamester or dice-player; and if the person was
convicted, he was sent to work in the quarries.'(19) Gambling was,
therefore, prevalent in Egypt in the earliest times.

(19) Taylor, _Ductor Dubitantium_, B. iv. c. 1.

That gaming with dice was a usual and fashionable species of diversion
at the Persian court in the times of the younger Cyrus (about 400 years
before the Christian era), to go no higher, is evident from the anecdote
related by some historians of those days concerning Queen Parysatis, the
mother of Cyrus, who used all her art and skill in gambling to satiate
her revenge, and to accomplish her bloodthirsty projects against the
murderers of her favourite son. She played for the life or death of an
unfortunate slave, who had only executed the commands of his master.
The anecdote is as follows, as related by Plutarch, in the Life of
Artaxerxes.

'There only remained for the final execution of Queen Parysatis's
projects, and fully to satiate her vengeance, the punishment of the
king's slave Mesabetes, who by his master's order had cut off the head
and hand of the young Cyrus, who was beloved by Parysatis (their common
mother) above Artaxerses, his elder brother and the reigning mona