INTRODUCTORY EXPLANATION. 21 



selves. The thoughtlessness of youth will be urged 

 against my opinion, that the latter number would be very 

 much the greatest. I reply, that, comparatively speak- 

 ing, and with respect to maturer years, young men 

 are thoughtless; but, absolutely speaking, they are not 

 so with respect to dangers of which they know the 

 risks. The ih 1 success of others does not deter them, be- 

 cause they attribute it to fortune ; and, because they have 

 superstitions hanging about them with respect to luck 

 which are tolerably prevalent in all classes. They think 

 they are trying their luck, as the phrase is; but if 

 they could be convinced that it is not their luck 

 which they are trying, but only a fraction of it, 

 their opponent having the rest in his pocket, they 

 would show themselves in this, as in other matters, 

 averse to risks in which it is more than an even 

 chance against them. They come to the consideration 

 of the subject fraught with wrong notions, which have 

 been carefully instilled as preventives. The character 

 of a gambler is represented as dishonest, in the com- 

 mon sense of the word. That is to say, the term 

 gambler is confounded with that of sharper, meaning a 

 person who would mark a card, or load a die. They 

 find the falsehood of this notion in their commerce 

 with the world : gamblers show themselves in the face 

 of day who really appear to be, and are, men of ho- 

 nour in the common sense of the word, and who would, 

 scorn any under-handed proceeding, under ordinary 

 temptation at least. What then becomes of the pre- 

 vious warning ? It is proved to be false in an essential 

 part ; and is therefore lost altogether. Add to this 

 that the principle of the occupation is misrepresented : 

 admonition is given against trying fortune, instead of 

 proof that fortune is not tried. A proposition is ad- 

 vanced which is an absurdity : equal play is supposed, 

 and yet it is maintained that the luck will generally be 

 against the inexperienced. Skill is considered as only 

 adding to the chances against the unskilful, instead of 

 creating a certainty, and arguments drawn from a single 

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