, so that about the year 1820 the monthly payments of Mr Hunt
alone, the card-maker of Picadilly, for the stamp-duty on cards, varied
from L800 to L1000, that is, from L9600 to L12,000 per annum. In 1833
the stamp-duty on cards was 6d., and it yielded L15,922, showing a
consumption of 640,000 packs per annum. Much of this, however, was sheer
waste, on account of the rule of gamesters requiring a fresh pack at
every game.

In the Harleian Miscellany(65) will be found a satirical poem entitled
'The Royal Gamesters; or, the Odd Cards new shuffled for a Conquering
Game,' referring to the political events of the years from 1702 to 1706,
and concluding with the following lines--

'Thus ends the game which Europe has in view, Which, by the stars, may
happen to be true.'

(65) Vol. i. p. 177.

In vol. iv. of the same work there is another poem of the kind, entitled
'The State Gamesters; or, the Old Cards new packed and shuffled,' which
characteristically concludes as follows--

'But we this resolution have laid down--Never to play so high as for a
Crown.'

Finally, as to allusions to gaming, the reader may remember the famous
sarcasm of the late Earl of Derby (as Lord Stanley) some thirty years
ago, comparing the Government to Thimble-riggers in operation.

CHAPTER X. PIQUET, BASSET, FARO, HAZARD, PASSE-DIX, PUT, CROSS AND PILE,
THIMBLE-RIG.

PIQUET

Piquet is said to have derived its name from that of its inventor, who
contrived it to amuse Charles VI. of France. The game was played with
thirty two cards, that is, discarding out of the pack all the deuces,
treys, fours, fives, and sixes. Regular piquet-packs were sold. In
reckoning up the points, every card counted for its value, as ten for
ten, nine for nine, and so on down to seven, which was, of course, the
lowest; but the ace reckoned for eleven. All court cards reckoned for
ten. As in other games, the ace won the king, the king the queen, and so
on, to the knave, which won the ten. The cards were dealt at option
by fours, threes, or twos, to the number of twelve, which was the
hand--'discarding' being allowed; but both the dealer and he that led
were OBLIGED to discard at least one card, let their game be ever so
good. When the cards were played out, each counted his tricks; and he
that had most reckoned 10 for winning the cards; if the tricks were
equal, neither reckoned at all. He who, without playing (that is,
according to the various terms of the gam