o considerable that
the princes of the blood were in danger of being undone; and after many
persons of distinction were ruined the court of France thought fit to
forbid Basset. Then Faro was invented; and both were soon introduced
into England, and after three or four years' play here, they
impoverished so many families, that Parliament enacted a suppression
of both games, with severe penalties. The two games are, therefore, of
historical interest, and deserve an explanation.

Basset was a sort of lottery. The dealer who kept the bank at Basset,
having the sole disposal of the first and last card, and other
considerable privileges in dealing the cards, had a much greater
prospect of gaining than those who played. This was a truth so
acknowledged in France that the king, by public edict, ordered that the
privilege of a talliere, or banker at Basset, should only be allowed to
the 'chief cadets,' or sons of noblemen--supposing that whoever kept the
bank must, in a very short time, acquire a considerable fortune.

In this game there was: 1. The Talliere, the banker, who laid down a
sum of money to answer every winning card which might turn up. 2. The
Croupiere, the assistant of the former, standing by to supervise the
losing cards,--so that when there were many at play he might not lose by
overlooking anything which might turn up to his profit. 3. The Punter,
or every player. 4. The Fasse, that is, the first card turned up by the
talliere, by which he gained half the value of the money laid upon every
card of THAT SORT by the punters or players. 5. The Couch, which was the
first stake that every punter laid upon each card--every player having
a book of 13 cards before him, upon which he must lay his money, more
or less, according to his fancy. 6. The Paroli: in this, whoever won the
couch, and intended to go on for another advantage, crooked the corner
of his card, letting his money lie, without being paid the value by the
talliere. 7. The Masse, which was, when those who had won the couch,
would venture more money on the SAME card. 8. The Pay, which was when
the player had won the couch, and, being doubtful of making the paroli,
left off; for by going the pay, if the card turned up wrong, he lost
nothing, having won the couch before; but if by this adventure fortune
favoured him, he won double the money he had staked. 9. The Alpieu was
when the couch was won by turning up, or crooking, the corner of the
winning card. 10.