LOT 
clnes as tend to correct the morbid ftate of the conftitu- 
tion from whence they arife. 
Lotion, in pharmacy, denotes a preparation of medi¬ 
cines, by waffling them in fome liquid, either made very 
light, fo as to take away only the dregs; or (harp, fo as to 
penetrate them, in order to clear them of fome fait, or cor- 
rofive fpirit, as is done to antimony, precipitates, magif- 
teries, See. or intended to take away foine foulnefs or ill 
quality, or to communicate fome good one. 
LO'TIS, or Lo'tos, a beautiful nymph, daughter of 
Neptune. Priapus offered her violence j and, to fave her- 
felf from his importunities, fhe implored the gods, who 
Changed her into a tree called lotus. Ovid. 
LO'TO AFFI'NIS. See Anthyllis, Cassia, Ebe- 
fcius, Medicago, and Psoralea. 
LO'TO SIM'ILIS. See Hedysarum. 
LOTOPH'AGI, in ancient geography, a people of the 
Regio Syrtica, fo called from theirliving on the lotus; 
inhabiting between the two Syrtes, from the Cinyphus 
to the Triton. The lotus was faid to be a food fo lufci- 
ous, as to make ftrangers forget their native country. A 
fweet wine was expreffed from it, which did not keep 
above ten days. Pliny. 
LOTOPH'AGI of Homer. See Meninx. 
LOT'TERY, f. [from lot .] A kind of public game 
at hazard, frequent in Britain, France, and Holland, in 
order to raife money for the fervke of the ftate ; being ap¬ 
pointed with us by the authority of parliament, and ma¬ 
naged by commiffioners appointed by the lords of the trea- 
fury for that purpole. It confifts of feveral numbers of 
blanks and prizes, which are drawn out of wheels, one 
of which contains the numbers, and the other - the corre- 
fponding blanks or prizes. 
The Romans invented lotteries to enliven their Saturna¬ 
lia. This feftival began by the diftribution of tickets which 
gained fome prize. Auguftus made lotteries which confided 
of things of little value; but Nero eftablifhed fome for the 
people, in which tooo tickets were diftributed daily, and 
feveral of thofe who were favoured by Fortune got rich by 
them. Heliogabalus invented fome very Angular; the 
prizes Were either of great value or of none at all ; one 
gained a prize of fix flaves, and another of fix flies ; fome 
got valuable vafes, and others vafes of common earth. A 
lottery of this kind exhibited an excellent pifture of the 
inequality with which Fortune diftributes her favours. 
The firft Englifh lottery we find mentioned in hiftory 
was drawn A. D. 1569. It confifted of 400,000 lots, or 
tickets, at 10s. each ; the prizes were plate ; and the pro¬ 
fits were to go towards repairing the havens of the king¬ 
dom. It was drawn at the weft door of St. Paul’s cathe¬ 
dral. The drawing began on the nth of January, 1569, 
and continued inceflantly, day and night, till the 6th of 
May following; as Maitland, from Stowe, informs us in 
bis hiftory, vol. i. p. 157. There were then only three lot¬ 
tery-offices in London. The propofals for this lottery 
were publidied in the years 1567 and 1568. It was at 
firft intended to have been drawn at the houfe of Mr. De- 
ricke, her majelty’s fervant, i. e. her jeweller, but was af¬ 
terwards drawn as above mentioned. In the year 1612, 
James I. granted permiffion for a lottery to be held alfo 
at the weft end of St. Paul’s, of which the higheft prize 
was of the value of 4000 crowns, in fair plate; this was 
for the affiftance of the Virginia company, who were li- 
cenfed to open lottery-offices in any part of England, by 
which means they raifed 29,0001. At length thefe lot¬ 
teries came to be confidered as public evils, and attract¬ 
ed the attention of parliament; they were reprefented by 
the commons as a grievance, and were fupprefied by an 
order of council. In 1630, however, Charles I. granted 
a fpecial licenfe for a lottery or lotteries, according to the 
courfe of other lotteries hitherto ufed orpraftifed, for de¬ 
fraying the expenfe of a project for conveying water to 
London. Lotteries alfo were inftituted by patent foon 
after the reftoration, for the purpofe of creating a fund 
/or the fuffering loyalifts-; and books were often the fpe- 
;V«L.XIII. No. 935, 
LOT 
077 
cies of property held out as a lure to the /venturer. 
Among thefe, Blome’s Recreations, and GwillinTs Heral¬ 
dry, firft edition, may be remembered. In the Gazette of 
May 18, 1668, is the following advertifement. “Mr, 
Ogilby’s Lottery of Books opens on Monday the 25th in- 
ftant, at the Old Theatre, between Lincoln’s-Inn Fields 
and Vere-ftreet; where all perfons concerned may repair 
on Monday, May 18, and lee the volumes, and put in 
their money.” On May 25th is announced “ Mr. Ogilby’s 
Lottery of Books (adventurers coming in fo faft that they 
cannot in fo fhort a time be methodically regiltered) opens 
not till Tuefday the 2d of June; then not failing to draw; 
at the Old Theatre between Lincoln’s-Inn Fields and 
Vere-ftreet.” A catalogue of the prizes, with fome other 
curious particulars, may be feen in the Gentleman’s Maga¬ 
zine, Suppl. for Junelalt, p. 646.—The letters patent were 
from time to time renewed ; and by thofe dated June 19, 
and Dec. 17, 1674, there was granted for thirteen years 
to come, all lotteries whatfoever, invented or to be in¬ 
vented, to feveral truly loyal and indigent officers, in con- 
fideration of their many faithful fervices and fufferings, 
with prohibition to all others to ufe or let up the faid lot¬ 
teries, unlefs deputations were obtained from thofe offi¬ 
cers. Gazette, Oft. 11, 1675. 
After the revolution, lotteries u - ere again reforted to, 
among other expedients, for railing part of the extraor¬ 
dinary fums neceflary for the public fervice ; by which 
means the difpofition for this fpecies of gambling was 
greatly encouraged and extended. Of all the fchemes, 
the moft popular one was that drawn at the Dorfet-Gar- 
den Theatre, with the capital prize of a thoufand pounds 
fora penny. The drawing began Oft. 19,1698 ; and in the 
Proteftant Mercury of the following day, “ its fairnefs (was 
faid) to give univerfal content to all that were concerned.” 
In the next paper is found an inconfiftent and frivolous 
liory as to the pofieflbr of the prize : “ Some time fince a 
boy near Branford, going to fchool one morning, met aii 
old woman, who alked his charity ; the boy replied, he 
had nothing to give her but a piece of bread and butter, 
which Ihe accepted. Some time after Ihe met the boy 
again, and told him Ihe had good luck for his bread and 
butter, and therefore would give him a penny, which, 
after fome years keeping would produce many pounds i 
he accordingly kept it a great while; and at laft, with 
fome friend’s advice, put it into the penny lottery ; and we 
are informed that on Tuefday laft it came up 1000I, prize.” 
However abfurd this relation appears, it muff: be recol- 
lefted thofe to whom it was principally addrefled, had 
given proof of having fufficient credulity for fuch a tale, 
in believing that two hundred and forty thoufand ffiares 
could be difpofed of and appropriated to a fingle number, 
independent of other prizes. The fcheme was afterwards 
attacked in a pamphlet, which was not fufficient to pre¬ 
vent a further attempt at a fraud upon the public. In 
1698, 9, fchemes were ftarted, called “ the Lucky Adven¬ 
ture, or Fortunate Chance, being 2000I. for a groat, or 
3000I. for a ffiilling ;” and “ Fortunatus, or another Ad- 
ventureof ioool. forapenny.” But purchafers were more 
wary, and the money was returned in both cafes.—The 
patentees alfo advertifed againft the “ Marble-board, alias 
the Woolwich-board lotteries; the Figure-board, alias the 
Whimfey-board ; and the Wyre-board lotteries.” This 
nefarious fyftem was at length ftruck at by aft of parlia¬ 
ment in the 10th and nth of William III. c. 17. which 
declared fuch lotteries unlawful after 29th December, 
1699 ; and by which a penalty of 500I. was laid on the 
proprietors of any fuch, and 20I. upon every adventurer 
in them. Notwithftanding which, the difpofition to fraud 
on the one hand, and/or adventure on the other, conti¬ 
nued to prevail; and finall lotteries were carried on under 
the denomination of fales of gloves, fans., cards, pla-te, See. 
This was attempted to be checked by a claule in an aft 
pafled 1712; but which only gave rife to a new mode of 
carrying on this kind of gambling. Government-lotteries 
were ftiil praftifed 3 and the adventure was now made to 
8 E depend 
