what was become of it he could not tell.
The lord-lieutenant answered, "Let us have another commission, and, in
the mean while, we can shuffle the cards." Before the doctor could get
his commission renewed Queen Mary died, and thus the persecution was
prevented. We are further informed that, when Queen Elizabeth was made
acquainted with the circumstances, she settled a pension of L40 per
annum on Mrs Edmonds, for having saved her Protestant subjects in
Ireland.'(62)

(62) The Book of Days, Dec. 28.

All the pursuits of life, all the trades and occupations of men, have,
in all times, lent expressions to the languages of nations, and
those resulting from the propensity of GAMING are among those which
perpetually recur in daily conversation, and with the greatest emphasis.
Thus we have:--'He has played his cards well or ill,'--applied to the
management of fortune or one's interest; jacta est alea, 'the die is
cast,' as exclaimed Julius Caesar before crossing the Rubicon; 'he
has run his RACE--reached the GOAL' a turf adage applied to consummate
success or disastrous failure; 'a lucky throw or hit;' 'within an ACE,'
meaning one point of gaining a thing; 'he HAZARDS everything;' 'chances
are for and against;' 'he was PIQUED,' from the game of piquet, meaning,
angry at losing something; 'left in the lurch,' from the French game
l'Ourche, wherein on certain points happening the stake is to be paid
double, and meaning, 'under circumstances unexpected and peculiarly
unfavourable;' 'to save your bacon or gamon,' from the game
Back-gammon(63) a blot is hit,' from the same; 'checked in his career,'
that is, stopped in his designs from the game of chess.

(63) The etymology of the word Back-gamon has been disputed. Hyde seems
to have settled it. A certain portion of the hog is called in Italian
gambone, whence our English word gambon or gammon. Confounding things
that differ, many think that 'gamon' in the game has the same meaning,
and therefore they say--'he saved his gamon or bacon,' which is absurd,
although it is a proverbial phrase of sufficient emphasis. The word
Backgamon seems to be derived from the very nature of the game itself,
namely, back-game-on, that is, when one of your pieces is taken, you
must go back--begin again--and then game on--'Back-game-on'.

The fabrication of cards is a most important manufacture of France; and
Paris and Nancy are the two places where most cards are made. The annual
consumption of