Youth. Is not this gaming condemned likewise by the holy Scriptures ?
Age. Yes, truly, most manifestly.
Youth. I pray you, let me heare howe it is forbidden by the holy Scriptures.
Age. First, it is ordeyned against the express and thirde commandment of God, which sayth: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde in vaine; so that whosoeuer vseth this chaunce of lottes in ydle and trifling things taketh the name and prouidence of God in vaine. For the lot is one of the principall wittnesses of Gods power, (as Salomon recordeth) (Prou. 16, 33)(Cap. 18,18) that it is ruled and gouerned immediately by his hande, power, and prouidence: and therefore we maye not vse lottes so triflinglie, as it were to tempt God, and to trie what care he hath of the worlde, but onely in matters of great importance, and where his diuine will should be extraordinarilye known and vnderstoode, as in diuiding of goodes and choosing of magistrates, and such (Acts 1, 26) lyke, to ende all quarrels or corruption of voyces, and not in sleyght things, as thoughe wee woulde make God seruant to our pastymes and sportes, and trye what care he hadde of them.
Secondly, this playe is instituted contrarye to the true nature and ende of that which we in Englishe call play or pastime, and the Latines call ludus; and therefore the playe at dice is a very corruption of God's holy permission, and of true and honest play. For all playes are appointed and lyked of men for two causes onely; either for the exercise of the bodye (whereof diceplay is wholy contrarie, being a sporte of a sorte of ydle vnthriftes) or else play should serue for the recreation of the minde, and refreshing of our bodies, whereunto diceplaye is wholy repugnant and contrarie, for therein is no exercise of our wittes, but we onely stay vpon the chaunce of the dice, whyle as well he that winneth, as he that loseth, is amazed and vnsure of his chaunce, but alwayes gapeth for the chaunce of his happe, without anye pleasure, but onely a couetous desire to gayne : also we see, that the more they play at such games, the more they may, without anye such contentment or pleasure of the rninde, as is founde in other honest and lawfull games.
Thirdly, the forbidding thereof by the ciuill lawes, and commaundments of magistrates, maketh these playes offensiue, wicked, and vnlawful, though of their owne nature they were not so ; for Saint Paule sayth thus: (1 Cor. 8, 13) Though I shoulde forbeare from eating of fleshe all the dayes of my life, rather than offende my brother, I ought to doe it: much more ought we for feare of offence to forbeare this play, in that it is nothing necessarie for the sustayning of man's lyfe, nor of like commodity to the vse of fleshe, which S. Paule willeth vs yet to forbeare, if occasion serve; for there are other wayes to pastime and
sport vs, than by those playes.
Fourthly, the spirit of God commaundeth vs by Saint Paule to redeeme the time (Ephe. 5, 16; Colos. 4, 5; 1 Pet. 4, 2) that we haue loste in ydle and unprofitable things, and to bestow the time present in good and holy things to edification, bicause the dayes are euill. For when God giueth vs leysure, eyther to reade his holy worde, to visit the poore, to comfort the afflicted, or to doe such like dutiful deedes, (Mat. 25, 36; Iames 1,27) we ought to doe it quickly, bicause that incontinently one let or other may happen, which may withdrawe our mindes therefrom: a thousande afflictions are present before vs, and it will be harde to recouer that whiche we so sleightly ouerslippe (Gal. 6, 10). But I pray you, is that well spending the time and leysure which God giueth vs to doe good in, to lose it in playing at dyce, which I haue declared to be so offensiue?
Fiftly, the beggerly and greedy desire in that game doth so farre exceede all other, that there is nothing that doth more entice and encourage a man to play, than this dyceplay doth; and the reason thereof is manifest, that seeing the loser perceiueth that such losse happeneth not by the cunning of the player, but rather by his happe and chaunce for that time, he hopeth to recouer his mony by the said hap, which is lykely to chaunge, being naturally chaungeable, and therefore playeth on hoping for better chance, and so continueth feeding himselfe with looking for the chaunge of the dice: so as this game is proued to be the verye occupation of loyterers and vagabondes; but in plays of skill and cunning, the cause of the losse is soon espied, and to be perceiued, and therefore hee that perceyueth himselfe to bee the weaker doth immediately leaue playe.
What shall I speake of the insattable couetousnesse that is in this play, while eyther partye seeketh to winne others mony, or rather the one of them to vndoe the other, and also go about to deceyue the other? Some play away their houses, horses, clothes; some all that euer they haue, or can borowe, ere they can leaue off, till all be gone, so enticing and alluring is this game aboue all other, which causeth so many come to beggery, stealing, and finallye to that vntimely death of the gallowes. To this effecte, a certaine poet and a doctor of both lawes, sayth:
The damnable lust of cardes and of dice,
And other games prohibite by lawe,
To great offences some fooles doth attice;
Yet can they not themselues therefro withdrawe:
They count their labors and losse not worth a straw,
Caring naught else, therein is their delite,
Till Christ and health be scaped from them quite.
There is almost no maner of degree,
Man, childe, woman, pooreman, or estate,
Olde, or yong, that of this game are free,
Nor yet the clergie, both poore priest and prelate;
They use the same almost after one rate:
When by great losse they brought are in a rage,
Right fewe haue reason their madnesse to assuage.
And to be playne, great inconueniences
Proceedeth to many by this vnlawfull game,
And by the same oft youth doth sue offences
To his destruction, and all his friendes shame:
Often some by folly falleth to be a theefe,
And so ende in shame, sorowe, and mischiefe.
(Sebastianus Brant, in lib. Stultifera nauis)
Youth. What say you to carde playing ? is that to be vsed and allowed among men ?
Age. I tell you plainly, it is euen almost as badde as the other: there is neuer a barrell better herring (as the prouerbe is); yet of the two euils it is somewhat the lesse, for that therein wit is more vsed, and lesse trust in chance and fortune (as they terme it), and yet I say, therein is no laudable studie or good exercise. Dice playing is the mother, and carde playing is the daughter, for they draw both with one string all the followers thereof vnto ydlenesse, loytering, blaspheming, miserie, infamie, shame, penurie, and confusion.
Youth. Is there as much craft and deceit at carde playing, as there is at dice playing ?
Age. Almost one; I will not giue a straw to choose: they haue such sleightes in sorting and shuffling of the cardes, playe at what game ye will, all is lost aforehande, especially if two be confederate to cousin the thirde.
Youth. As how, I pray you ?
Age. Eyther by pricking of a carde, or pinching of it, cutting at the nicke; eyther by a bumbe carde finely vnder, ouer, or in the middes, &c. and what not to deceyue?
And therefore to conclude, I say with that good father, Saint Cyprian, the playe at cardes is an inuention of the deuill, which he found out that he might the easier bring in ydolatrie amongst men. For the kings and coate cardes that we vse nowe, were in olde times the images of idols and false gods which, since they that would seeme christians, haue changed into Charlemaine, Launcelot, Hector, and such lyke names, bicause they would not seeme to imitate their idolatrie therein, and yet maintaine the playe it selfe, the very inuention of Satan, the deuill, and woulde so disguise this mischeife vnder the cloake of such gaye names.
Youth. They vse to playe at cardes commonly after supper, &c.
Age. I will condemne no man that doth so; but Plato saith in his Banket, that players and minstrels that are Plato vsed after suppers is a simple pastime, and fit for brutish and ignorant men, which knowe not howe to bestowe their time in better exercises. I may with better reason say the lyke by all carders and diceplayers.
Youth. What say you to the play at tables ?
Age. Playing at tables is farre more tollerable (although in all respects not allowable) than dyce and cardes are, for that it leaueth partly to chaunce and partly to industrie of the mynde; for, although they cast in deede by chaunce, yet the castes are governed by industrie and witte (Plato). In that respecte, Plato affirmed, that the life of manne is lyke vnto the playe at tables; for even as (sayeth he) in table playe, so also in the life of man, if anything go not verye well, the same must bee by arte corrected and amended, &c. as when a caste is euill, it is holpen againe by the wysedome and cunning of the player.
Youth. What say you to the playe at chesse ? is that lawfull to be vsed ?
Age. Of all games (wherein is no bodily exercise) it is most to be commended, for it is a wise play (and therefore was named the philosophers' game); for in it there is no deceyte or guyle, the witte thereby is made more sharpe, and the remembrance quickened, and therefore maye bee vsed moderately. Yet doe I reade that that notable and constant martyr (John Hus) repented him for his playing at chesse, saying, I haue delighted to play (Acts and Monuments of the Church in the first volum. fo. 747) oftentimes at chesse, and haue neglected my time, and thereby haue vnhappily prouoked both myself and other to anger many times by that playe: wherefore (sayeth he) besides other my innumerable faultes, for this also I desire you to inuocate the mercie of the Lorde, that he would pardon me, &c. O mercifull Lorde ! if this good and gracious father, and faithfull martyr of Christ, did so earnestly repent him for his playing at chesse (which is a game without hurt), what cause then hath our dice and cardplayers to repent and craue pardon at God's hands for their wicked and detestable playing ? And I pray vnto God for his Christ's sake, that this good martyr may be a patrone and ensample for all them to followe.
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