The Virginia Gazette

To the Printer of the Virginia Gazette.

SIR,

Gaming is at present become very fashionable among the young Men of your Colony, your publishing my Thoughts on that Subject, will, I hope, be of Service to your Countrymen, and taken as a Legacy due to them, from

Dated in Charles-Town, South-Carolina.

Robert Crichton.

Men now a-days make what should be their Diversion their Trade, and from a Pretence of being entirely idle, they become entirely wicked. Gaming for Money is owing both to Idleness and Avarice, yet it frequently cheats the Intentions of both: For who are more busy or more intent than they who are engaged with the Management of their Cards, or at the Cast of the Dice. Their Senses, their very Souls seem lost to every Thing but their Play, and instead of the proposed Gain with which they flatter themselves, they often lose what they were before possessed of: How often does the Gamster throw away in a few Moments what his Forefathers had been gathering in many Years; instead of obtaining an additional Plenty, he entails Want, Beggary, and Ruin, on himself and his Posterity. Two Things that are most conducive to the Good of Mankind he lavishes away, viz. Time and Treasure. A Man who loves Gaming may think it a sufficient Excuse, that every Man has some Failing, and that is his; and if he indulges himself at Play, he is neither a Drunkard nor a Whoremaster; but let me tell him, his one Vice has all the Inconveniences of the other two; he who is a Cully to a Gaming Table, may as well be one to a Harlot: He minds as fondly some lucky Spots on the Dice, as the other could doatingly admire the alluring Eyes of a Woman; for that he neglects all other Things, his Business and his Friends; and tho' he may not be intoxicated with Wine, he does at Play what the Drunkard does at Drinking, plays down the Evening Star, and plays up the Morning one. There is a Folly in this Vice which makes it exceed all others, that is, there is no sensible natural Satisfaction in the Action of it; for what Pleasure can it convey to the Ear or Eye, to hear two Pieces of Bone rattle together in a Box, or to see the Fortune we were possessed of, thrown away, or to try whether we can hold it any longer or no. Neither is a Gamster an honest Man, for he injures all about him, forfeits his Word with his Tradesmen, his Tranquility with his Family, his Ease, Content and Happiness with himself: Whoever games high, be he never so rich, commits a Folly if he wins, and a Vice if he loses: For Wealth is not to be imprudently wantoned away, there is some Share of it due to Society, to his distressed Fellow Creatures, and to the publick Good of his Country. I should think it a proper Antidote to this Malady or a Man go be Witness to what Heats, what Fears, what Disorders, what Madness and Vexation, an unlucky Hand at Play plunges some Men into. After such a View, surely, no one would ever hazard their Peace of Mind, and run the Danger of such Phrenzies by Gaming, since it obviously discomposes the whole Frame of our Nature, and renders Men incapable of their Reason, their Honour and Humanity: What Mischief does it produce? What a Chain of the worst Ills immediately flows from it? From a Chagrin, it raises Anger; from Anger flow Oaths, Imprecations and Rage; from Rage, Injuries, Quarrels, Wounds and Death.

Before I conclude I must observe, That as severe as I may seem against Gaming, I am not an Enemy to Recreation: The Cares and Labours of the World require it; but all that I would have Mankind beware of is, that they would not make their Recreation a Trade; nor play for more than they can lose with Content, and without Prejudice to themselves or others. This is the whole Intent of my writing to you; which, if it has any Effect on the rational Part of Mankind, will be a sensible Pleasure to Your unfortunate humble Servant,

RC.