These are, it seems, large congregations of men and
women, who, instead of assembling together to hear something that is
good, nay, or to divert themselves with gambols, which might be
allowed now and then in holiday times, meet for no other purpose but
that of gaming, for a whole guinea and much more at a stake. At this
married women sit up all night, nay, sometimes till one or two in the
morning, neglect their families, lose their money, and some, Mr Wilson
says, have been suspected of doing even worse than that. Yet this is
suffered in a Christian kingdom; nay (_quod prorsus incredibile
est_), the holy sabbath is, it seems, prostituted to these wicked
revellings; and card-playing goes on as publickly then as on any other
day; nor is this only among the young lads and damsels, who might be
supposed to know no better, but men advanced in years, and grave
matrons, are not ashamed of being caught at the same pastime. _O
tempora! O mores!_
When grace was said after meat, and the damsels departed, the lad
began to grow more wicked. Sir John, who is an honest Englishman, hath
no other wine but that of Portugal. This our _bowe_ could not
drink; and when Sir John very nobly declared he scorned to indulge his
palate with rarities, for which he must furnish the foe with money to
carry on a war with the nation, the stripling replied, "Rat the
nation!" (God forgive me for repeating such words) "I had rather live
under French government than be debarred from French wine.
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