led to theft, to supply losses and disappointments, occasioned by speculating on its chances; and that illegal insurances continued to be effected:" there are," he says, "people in the back ground who having got 40, or 50,000l. by that, employ people of the lowest order, and give them a commission for what they bring; there is a wheel within a wheel?" Another magistrate, giving evidence before the same committee, said, "it is a scandal to the government thus to excite people to practice the vice of gaming, for the purpose of drawing a revenue from their ruin; it is an anomalous proceeding by law to declare gambling infamous, to hunt out petty gamblers in their recesses, and cast them into prison, and by law also to set up the giant gambling of the State Lottery, and encourage persons to resort to it by the most captivating devices which ingenuity, uncontrolled by moral rectitude, can invent."*

CONCLUSION.

Incredible efforts were made in the summer of 1826 to keep the "last lottery" on its legs. The price of tickets was arbitrarily raised, to induce a belief that they were in great demand at the very moment when their sale was notoriously at a stand; and the lagging attention of the public of the metropolis was endeavoured to be quickened, by all sorts of stratagems, to the 18th of July, as the very last chance that would occur in England of gaining "Six 30,000l. besides other Capitals," which it was positively affirmed were "all to be drawn" on that fatal day. Besides the dispersion of innumerable bills, and the aspersions on government relative to the approaching extinction of the Lottery, the parties interested in its preservation caused London and its environs to be paraded by the following

4. A large purple silk banner carried by six men, inscribed in large gold letters "All Lotteries end for ever on Tuesday next, six, 30,000l."

5. A painted carriage, representing the Lottery wheel, drawn by two dappled grey horses, tandem fashion; the fore horse rode by a postillion in scarlet and gold, with a black velvet cap, and a boy seated in a dickey behind the machine, turning the handle and setting the wheel in motion.

6. Six men with other Lottery labels. 7. A square Lottery carriage, surmounted by a gilt imperial crown; the carriage covered by labels, with "All Lotteries end on Tuesday next;" drawn by two horses, tandem, and a postillion. 8. Six men with labels.

9. Twelve men in blue and gold, with boards or poles with "Lotteries end for ever on Tuesday next."

10. A large purple silk flag, with "all Lotteries end on Tuesday next."

This procession with its music drew the heads of the servant maids from the windows in every suburb of the metropolis, and was followed by troops of boys, till they tired on its frequency. It sometimes stopped, and a man with a bell cried "O yes !" and "God save the king!" and, between the two, proclaimed, in set words, the "death of the Lottery on Tuesday next!" The event was likewise announced as certain in all the newspapers, and by cart-loads of bills showered down areas, and thrust under knockers; when, behold, "the Lords of the Treasury were pleased to order" the final drawing to be postponed to Thursday the 18th of October; but all the good people so informed were wisely uninformed, that this "order" was obtained by the lottery-office folks, to give them a long day to get rid of their unsold tickets.

After this, the streets were cavalcaded by men, whose bodies were concealed between long boards on each side of their horses (as represented in the engraving on page 1407) to announce the next "last of the Lottery on the 18th of October" aforesaid; and men on foot walked with labels on their breasts and backs, with the same never-dying intelligence, according to the further figure in the engraving of the lottery wheel (on page 1439,) which cut, it may be here observed, represents one of the government wheels, and the sledge it was drawn upon from Somerset-house to Coopers'-hall, at

the commencement of the drawing of every Lottery; on which occasion there were four horses to each wheel, and about a dozen horse-guards to protect the instruments of Miss-Fortune.

But the most pageant-like machine was an octagon frame work, covered by printed Lottery placards (as exhibited in the engraving on page 1405) with a single horse, and a driver, and a guard-like seat at the back. When drawn along the streets, as it was at a most funereal pace, it overtopped the sills of the first-floor windows. Its slow motion, and the route it chiefly took, evidenced the low hopes of the proprietors. St. Giles's and the purlieus of that neighbourhood seem to have been selected as the favoured spots from whence favours were mostly to be expected. An opportunity offered to sketch it, while it was pelted with mud and stones, and torn and disfigured by the unappreciating offspring of the sons of fortune whose regards it courted. The artist's letter describes the scene: "As I was walking up Holborn on Monday the 9th instant, I saw a strange vehicle moving slowly on, and when I came up to it, found a machine, perhaps from twenty to thirty feet high, of an octagon shape, covered all over with Lottery papers of various colours.

It

had a broad brass band round the bottom, and moved on a pivot; it had a very imposing effect. The driver and the horse seemed as dull as though they were attending a solemn funeral, whilst the different shopkeepers came to the doors and laughed; some of the people passing and repassing read the bills that were pasted on it, as if they had never read one before, others stationed themselves to look at it as long as it was in sight. It entered Monmouth-street, that den of filth and rags, where so great a number of young urchins gathered together in a few minutes as to be astonishing. There being an empty chair behind, one of them seated himself in it, and rode backwards; another said, "let's have a stone through it," and a third cried "let's sludge it." This was no sooner proposed than they threw stones, oyster shells, and dirt, and burst several of the sheets; this attack brought the driver from his seat, and he was obliged to walk by the side of his machine up this foul street, which his show canvassed, halting now and then to threaten the boys, who still followed and threw. I made a sketch, and left the

scene. It was not an every-day occurrence, and I accompany it with these remarks."

This was the fag-end of the last struggle of the speculators on public credulity for popularity to their "last," dying Lottery."

At last, on Wednesday the 18th of October, 1826, the State Lottery expired, and its decease was announced in the newspapers of the next day by the following article:

STATE LOTTERY,

Yesterday afternoon, at about half past six o'clock, that old servant of the state, the Lottery, breathed its last, having for a long period of years, ever since the days of queen Anne, contributed largely towards the public revenue of the country. This event took place at Coopers'-hall, Basinghall-street; and such was the an xiety on the part of the public to witness the last drawing of the Lottery, that great numbers of persons were attracted to the spot, independently of those who had an interest in the proceedings. The gallery of Coopers'-hall was crowded to excess long before the period fixed for the drawing, (five o'clock,) and the utmost anxiety was felt by those who had shares in the Lottery for the arrival of the appointed hour. The annihilation of Lotteries, it will be recollected, was determined on in the session of parliament before last; and thus a source of revenue bringing into the treasury the sums of 250,000l. and 300,000l. per annum will be dried up. This determination on the part of the legislature is hailed by far the greatest portion of the public with joy, as it will put an end to a system which many believe to have fostered and encouraged the late speculations, the effects of which have been and are still severely felt. A deficiency in the public revenue to the extent of 250,000l. annually, will, however, be the consequence of the annihilation of Lotteries, and it must remain for those who have strenuously supported the putting a stop to Lotteries to provide for the deficiency.

Although that which ended yesterday was the last, if we are informed correctly, the lottery-office keepers have been left with a great number of tickets remaining on their hands-a pretty strong proof that the public in general have now no relish for these schemes.

The concourse of persons in Basinghall-street was very great; indeed the street was almost impassable, and every body seemed desirous of ascertaining the fortunate numbers. In the gallery the greatest interest was excited, as the various prizes were drawn from the wheel; and as soon as a number-ticket was drawn from the number-wheel every one looked with anxiety to his share, in order to ascertain if Fortune smiled on him. Only one instance occurred where a prize was drawn and a number held by any individual present. The fortunate person was a little man, who, no sooner had learned that his number was a grand prize, then he buttoned up his coat and coolly walked off without uttering a word. As the drawing proceeded, disappointment began to succeed the hopes indulged by those who were present. On their entrance to the hall every face wore a cheerful appearance; but on the ter

mination of the drawing a strong contrast was exhibited, and the features of each were strongly marked with dissatisfaction. The drawing commenced shortly after five o'clock, and ended at twenty minutes past six.

The doors of the various Lottery-offices were also surrounded by persons awaiting the issue of the drawing.

LOTTERY PUFFS.

It is not possible to go into the Literature of the Lottery without occupying more room than can be spared, but young readers and posterity may be amused and suprised by some figures, from among many hundreds of wood-cuts on the bills of schemes, and invitations to buy.

"T. BISH, 4 Cornhill, and 9 Charingcross, London, and by all his agents in the country," put forth the following.

This versified address and the engraving are from another bill. The verses may be presumed as sung by the footman, to excite his fellows of the party-coloured cloth to speculate in the never-enoughto-be-sufficiently -magnified - number of chances in favour of their gaining "Four of £20,000, and-Thirty other Capitals! No Blanks!-ALL IN ONE DAY!" Yet if the words, adapted from a popular duet, were regarded as an easy vehicle to effect VOL. II.-100.

Then run, neighbours, run, &c.

that benevolent purpose, they could only be so to those who, with the contractors, forgot, or perhaps, with them, did not know, that the original tells of

a day of jubilee cajolery." Surely this must have been a "worl of fear" to all except the contractors themselves, who alone would be the gainers by what the body of adventurers hazarded in the "grand scheme" of " cajolery."