THE ANATOMY OF PLAY, Written by a worthy and Learned Gent.  
Dedicated to his Father, to show his detestation of it.  
London, Printed by G. P. for Nicholas Bourne and are to be sold at the South entrance of the royal Exchange. 1651.   

To the Ingenious Reader.  
THis brief but pithy discourse concerning Gaming, as it had a speedy birth, so was it by the Author of it, doomed to perpetual oblivion. But it by accident coming to my hands, and persuading myself the divulging of it might be beneficial to others: I hav● made bold to bring it out of the grave of obscurity: wherein it hath long been, into the view of the Sun that by its community, it may work the greater effect in the minds and hearts of such, as shall peruse it, and have been addicted to that vice of vices.  
The Author, if he take notice of the publishing of it without his leave or knowledge, cannot deservedly blame me, intending it not any way to his hurt, but the common good, which if it reclaim any, as I hope it may, I have my ends, he the honour, and they the benefit.  
Farewell,   

To my Father.  
Sir,  
I Am emboldened to present this small treatise to you, as being due to you by divers obligations, first by that natural bond whereby I owe unto you myself, my actions, my endeavours.  
Secondly because I owe to your advice and persuasions, (but especially as I make no question) to your prayers, that present detestation which I have of gaming, whereof this is a consequent effect. Disdain not then to accept this small work, and to acknowledge it as the issue and offspring of your prayers and counsels, as the Author thereof is of your natural body: who offers it to your hands with that reverence and humility which becomes,  
Your most dutiful Son.   

The Anatomy of Play.  
The Preface.  
I Discourse not of Play as some gownemen have done of foreign Wars, or discoveries, who, never traveled out of their studies to see either, but speak upon other men's knowledge and fidelity, which must needs weaken their credit, but what I write comes all within the sphere, and compass of my own knowledge and observations; I write nothing but as the Poet, says quaeque ipse miscrrima vidi et quorum pars magna fui  
And therefore justly challenge the better acceptations and belief. But here may be objected that my own particular losses may make me more bitter, and satirical than the case requires.  
To this I answer, that I have not lost any so great sums either of money, credit, or times, as to sharpen my pen, either to passion or invection, neither doth the vexation of any late received losses, strive to vent, and evaporate itself into a satire, but I write upon an even and indifferent temper void both of prejudice and passion; one only caution I will add, that you must not expect any flourishes of wit or eloquence, for those are proper to works of fancy, and imaginations, but this is a work only of observations and experience, and therefore I can promise nothing but truth. Play was first invented, for the recreation of man's mind, and the refreshing of his spirits, having been tired and spent with any serious affairs, that so being as it were a bow unbent, they might recover their former strength and vigour; certainly in this respect, moderate recreation is not only allowable, but commendable; being of the same use (though in an inferior degree) as rest, sleep, or meat. But your sensuality easily suffers itself to be overcome by vice, and that is turned to an ill habit, which was first intended for a lawful exercise, so that Play when it breaks this rule and passeth beyond its due bounds, being no longer {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not recreation but a profession, it is infancy, wickedness, theft; being seldom unattended by these attributes. I speak then of professed gamesters who spend their whole time and faculties therein, as in a trade or office; for when Play grows to this excess, it is so far from good, that it loseth all similitude or resemblance of good, for most vices want not a colour and likeness of some good to shadow and palliate themselves.  
Saepelatet vitium proximitate boni.  
As covetousness hath a resemblance of thrift, prodigality of bounty, drunkenness of mirth, and gaming of recreation, that nothing can cause greater anxiety or vexation: what broken sleeps, what raving passions, both of body and mind, what secret gnawing, and fretting discontents doth it procure: so that (as I said before) losing this name of recreation, it loses all likelihood and similitude of good. To define than what play is (not in the concrete, for so it is a mixture of almost all vices but in the abstract) Gaming is an evil from which arises a most certain loss, and this loss is threefold, of time, of credit, of money; the first and second unavoidable, the last only casual but rashly avoided: these three losses have a respective relation to the three parts of man his soul, his person, his Estate.  
To begin with the first, and most unavoidable loss, which is of time; being the greatest loss, both in respect of itself, as (being rightly considered) the most precious, of all other things, and in respect of what it hath relation unto, the soul being the most precious part of man. It cannot but seem a paradox to set this loss of time in the first place, as the greatest and most important, because it is so far from being accounted so by the lovers of Play, that the mere purpose and resolution of losing time is often the cause of all their other losses, is it not their ordinary question, how shall we spend the time? it being thought a matter of that little worth and value, that it seems rather a thing troublesome, and tedious, so that men do even study how to cast it away.  
At so low a rate is this inestimable jewel prized. But how happens it, that time if it be so precious, comes to be so neglected and undervalued. Certainly it proceeds only from ignorance: for the use of time is only to attain to knowledge, now there being that antipathy between knowledge and ignorance, knowledge is not only despised, but the means also of attaining it, which is time: so that time to the ignorant, is as pearl to swine; they know not the value of it, and therefore trample it under foot; but that it is otherwise esteemed by those who know the use of it, the practice and testimony of all learned men will easily evince. It is the saying of a heathen, and spoken to the shame and scandal of most Christians; Conteritur vita inter errores brevis, etia●fi dies noctesque bonae menti laboremus.  
Our life is consumed in errors, even too short, though we should labour day and night in the ornament of our minds; it was the complaint of another, Ars longa, vita brevis, that our life is too short, for the attaining to the perfection of any of the liberal Arts. Had those heathens but known the great Art which our great Schoolmen daily teach us, the Art of living and dying well, an Art that can never be too through learned, nor sufficiently practised, how carefully would they have husbanded every minute of their lives. But so far are our Gamesters from learning or practising this art, that if happily before their falling into this vice, they had learned any part part thereof, they now learn and practice to forget it, so that they bring upon themselves that curse which our Saviour denounces in another case, from them, that have not shall be taken away even what they have. Of the little time that is lent us, half or more is spent in the necessary service of the body, for the other moiety, few there are who do therein what they should do: many who do nothing at all, and most who do what they should not do, and of this sort are gamesters: and I dare say there is no man who hath wit enough to play, but hath wit enough to know he should not play, being forced in his conscience to say with the Poet: Video meliora proboque, deteriora sequor.  
Certainly for this talon of time that God hath lent us, he will call us, he will call us to an account, and if the servant that brought his talon in a napkin, without any improvement were cast into utter darkness: what shall become of him who not only improves not his talon, but brings not to his Lord so much as his own again, having wasted it upon his lusts and pleasures? And this certainly is the only account that most of our gamesters can give either of their talon of time, or money; I am unwilling to lose time, in lamenting the loss of time, but the loss is so inestimable, and yet so little esteemed off, that it cannot be too much lamented.  
To pass then to the second loss, arising from Play, which is credit, and principally respects the second part of man his person. The word credit, as we use it, is of some latitude and admits a threefold Construction, first the report, suffrage, or opinion which the world conceives of any man, more properly and strictly called good name or reputation, secondly that trust or confidence which one man hath in an others honest dealing and good courage; thirdly a mixed credit, having a relation both to a man's person and estate, as for what sums a man's word or bonds may be taken. Take then credit severally or jointly, in all these senses, and a Gamester forfeits it in them all: first, for reputation or good name, doth not the very name of Gamester stink in the nostrils of all honest men: although unaccompanied by any of its ordinary attributes, as cheating, lying, blaspheming, and the like. Tully when he declamed against Catiline, objecteth as one of his greatest crimes that he did aleà pernoctari: and the Synod of A●sburgh doth expressly forbid from the blessed Sacrament, amongst whores and Panders: Omnes qui alearum usui perpetuo vacant.  
And the sixth council of Constantinople peremptorily decrees, that none whatsoever should play at dice, threatening degradation to all Clergy men, and excommunication to all laymen, that should thenceforth attempt it; The words of that council are Can 50. Nullum omnium sive Clericum sive laieum ab hoc deinceps tempore alea ludere decrevimus, siquis autem hoc deinceps facere ab hoc tempore aggressus fuerit, si sit quidem clericus, deponatur, si laicus segregatur.  
Many are the counsels Cannons: and Statutes of this and other realms to forbid it, yea even Mahomet himself, in his Koran, who otherwise allowed all sensuality.  
Judge then whether the bare name of a Gamester be not of itself sufficient to blast any man's reputation.  
Take then credit in the second sense, for trust or confidence reposed by one man in another, which also is of three sorts: either of a Prince to his subject, of a father to his son or a Master to his servant.  
For the first, how unfit gamesters are for the managing any affairs of Estate, I cannot omit two notable examples of the ancients.  
Chilon being sent from Lacedaemon to Corinth to Treat of a league between these two commonwealths, and finding the Rulers Playing at Dice, returned without speaking of his Commission, saying, that he would not stain the glory of the Spartans, with so great Ignominy, as to join them in society with gamesters. The second was a law amongst the Thebans, that Merchants should not have to do in the Government of the Commonwealth.  
And if Merchants were forbidden, consequently Gamesters who are the meanest sort of Merchant adventurers, and I am sure the reasons my Author gives serve better against gamesters than any other Merchants. Primam quia Consuetudine, & inclinatione avari ideo que facile, publicam rem in suam vertune.  
2. Quia parum magnanimi & splendidi, & ut ait Aristoteles parum generosa hac ratio vitae, & virtnti adversa Tertio quia in publica persona authoritatem inminuit. First because, by custom and inclination they are covetous, and therefore apt to convert the public wealth to their own private secondly, because they are seldom nobly minded, and as Aristotle saith, this course of life is nothing generous, and is repugnant to virtue thirdly, because in a public person it diminisheth authority: for the second sort of trust, which is from a father to his son: what wise Parent will trust a son either with the fruition of a present or the possibility of a future estate, whom he sees addicted to Gaming, unless he be willing to behold the utter subversion and ruin of his family and estate, and the fruit of all his labours and cares vanish into nothing.  
This I need not seek to prove, so many woeful examples make it to manifest and nourious.  
For the third sort of trust which is of a Master to his servant, what Master would give bread to a servant that is a Gamester, for if he manage his Master's affairs and have either money of his in his hands, or other his goods committed to his charge, and that he chance to lose his own, he will play upon his Master's purse hoping to recover himself, and if peradventure he continue still on the losing hand, and hath not where withal to pay, he runs himself into greater danger than before, hoping that luck will turn and so come to relieve his losses: But say he is not trusted with any thing of his Masters, nor hath aught of his to lose, yet it is not possible that he should assist at these hours when he ought to give attendance, nor will he be in the way to be found, when need requires.  
Thus much for the second sort of credit, which is a trust or confidence reposed by one man in another, and is threefold; either from a sovereign, to a subject, a Father to a son, or a Master, to a servant, of all which a Gamester makes himself uncapable.  
The third sort of credit, which is for what sums a man may be trusted either upon word or bond comes now to be spoken of: A gamester certainly of all men is most unfit to be trusted, because his estate is so uncertain, for though it be never so great this day, it may be nothing to morrow; as the Poet said well.  
Quem dies vidit veniens superbum, hunc dies vidit fugiens jacentem.  
A gamester is homo fluxae fidei a man of a fleeting credit, and as Jacob said of his first born Reuben, is like the waves of the sea, which as they are either raised into mountains or sunk into valleys by every gust of wind: so is a Gamesters Estate, and credit by every gust of fortune.  
Again, a Gamester resembles the waves of the sea in another property, for naturally they are always either ebbing or flowing, so is a Gamesters Estate and credit, though with this difference, that in the sea after a ebb, constantly follows a flood, but a Gamesters Estate commonly ebbs many times before it flows once.  
Again, no man will take the word of a Ward or I●eot, though their Estates be responsible, because they are under their Guardians; thus fares it with Gamesters, who make themselves wards to fortune, giving over the managing and disposing of their whole Estates to this their goddess guardian, who commonly deals as ill with them as any guardian the King or Law imposeth. Thus have I run over the second general and unavoidable loss arising from Play which is of credit, and principally hath relation to the second part of man: his person.  
To pass then to the third loss springing from Play, which is of money, and principally respects a man's Estate, though I have before noted it, as only casual, yet so great an odds there is that where one man hath raised or augmented their estates by Play, more than an hundred have utterly ruined themselves: I speak here of Gentlemen who either have present, or are heirs to future Estates, not of those professed cheaters who like robbers upon the spoils and ruin of the Commonwealth, this affection of mine though it may seem strange, yet is it confirmed by daily examples, and if rightly considered stands not without good reason. The first and chiefest reason of which I shall have more occasion to speak of hereafter, is the want of God's blessing upon money so ill gotten.  
2. Because great store of money is as a lure to draw together all the birds of prey, so that if a man of Estate be addicted to Play though he understand the ways thereof never so well, yet so many Stratagems, plots and traps, will be laid to ensnare him, that it is impossible to escape them.  
Thirdly because men that are either of good parts or Estates and have any nobler thing than Play to busy their wits, or set their minds on work, Play upon great disadvantage with those whose wits studies, and faculties, are only bent that way.  
Fourthly, Because men of quality have always some respect to their reputation, and having lost any reasonable sum will rather let it go, then seek any indirect means for the regaining it, whereas needy Gamesters having little or no credit, upon loss, will not forbear any shift though never so base, or unworthy for the recovery of their losses.  
5. And lastly winning commonly brings a man into a vein of great expense, and draws together many needy persons to attend on him, for money that comes so lightly, goes as lightly; but upon loss nobody will either help him or pity him, for losses that come by a man's own neglect or folly (as loss by play doth) are less compassionated, than those that come by casualty; and here I cannot but relate a story of mine observation, which I think will not be impertinent. I was wont to accompany a Gent. to the house of a great Lady, where commonly meeting other company they fell to play, the Gentleman upon winning was very free and open handed to the servants, so that if they sat up all night, not a servant would go to bed, but when they broke up Play, the Butlers would be ready to present him with wine or beer, the Pages and lackeys one would hold up the hanging, another hold open the door, another light him down the stairs, and be ready to do all offices expecting their reward.  
But if the Gentleman were a looser, and like to continue so, they all get them to bed, and he might stumble and break his neck down the stairs, for any help he should have of them, not one of them being to be seen, making good that of the Poet.  
Nullus ad amissas ibit amicus opes, so that a man's winnings are as it were in jest, but his losses always prove in earnest.  
The examples of families and Estates ruined by Play so far confirm this that (I verily believe) that all others of expense laid together have not been the overthrow of so many Houses as Play alone. I have observed these five ordinary ways of wasting men's Estates: drink, Women, carelessness, great expense, Gaming, not mentioning those Casualties which are unavoidable and proceed not through a man's own neglect, as loss by fire, loss by Sea, Law suits, and the like, but to speak of these five which proceed from a man's own folly.  
First, as for drink no great Estate was ever spent therein, without the concurrence of some other vice, it being rather prejudicial to the body than the Estate.  
For Women 'tis certain they have been the ruin of many houses, but seldom unless accompanied by other vanities, as b●ave apparel, rich presents, sumptuous banquets, and the like. By carelessness 'tis true many Est●tes are sunk which commonly happens by the neglect or dishonesty of servants and Officers, but this comes but by little and little; and if in time perceived, is easily redressed.  
For great expense it is commonly the error of youth, coming suddenly to great Estates (as hungry stomachs coming to plenty of meat) to surfeit and over shoot themselves ere they are aware, and though some Estates have fallen by it, yet time and experience many times make up the breach.  
Last of all comes Play, which being laid in the scale, will outweigh all the rest. All this above named are like consumptions and lingering diseases, that weaken and waste a man's body by degrees, and if taken in season may be prevented, but play like an Apoplexy, or Pestilent infection strikes a man dead at a blow, and is not unfitly compared to gunpowder at one blast, blowing up whole families and Estates: Other ways of spending have some correspondence with the ways of getting, for as money comes in by little and little, so it goes out and may be as long in spending, as it was in getting, But by Play, the labours and fruits of many years, may in one night be dissolved and come to nothing; for play brings to a man, as Aristotle saith, sudden destruction; Lastly as other ways of expense cannot without a kind of Harmony and agreement amongst themselves ruin a man, this of Play, (be he otherwise never so temperate, never so chaste, so wise, so thrifty) of itself is able irrecoverably to undo him.  
Thus I have gone over the three most notorious and general effects and consequents of play, loss of time, loss of credit, loss of money.  
There remains some other inconveniences, which come not under any of these three general heads, yet are they not so great and intrinsic, but that they fall under popular observation.  
The first of these, is the great disadvantage which arises from the very end of Play.  
The end of Play is either to win or lose, but if there be more unhappiness in losing then happiness in winning, this makes the disadvantage: but that it is so is most apparent: consider if a man have a competent Estate wherewith to live plentifully and contentedly, suppose he double this Estate by Play, it adds but little, nay it rather diminishes his former Estate; but if he lose half of what he had before, what daily occasions of discontent arise, when he sees himself abridged of his wonted plenty.  
But to make this more apparent, by an example; suppose a man have a 1000 li. whether if he make this one an 100000. li. is his happiness greater, than his misery would be, if he lost all and should make it nothing? no questionless, nay the misery is as much greater, than the happiness would be, as the 100000. li. is greater, than the 1000 li. for happiness and misery being only comparative, all men that have more, nay many men that have not so much, may be more happy than he, but no man can be more miserable, therefore is the misery greater than the happiness. This rule holds good also in Philosophy: For it is a maxim that there is a nearer proportion between something and something, then between something and nothing; so that the proportion is nearer between a 1000 li. & a penny, then between a penny & nothing; therefore to be brought from a small estate to none is more bad, then to come from a small one to a very great one is good, then is the disadvantage, in the very end of Play, more than 100 to one.  
Secondly, Another inconvenience is, that the continual use of Play, robs a man of all pity, charity, and natural affection, being hardened by daily seeing one another undone, and ruined, as soldiers being continually used to blood, grow thereby merciless.  
No man comes amiss to a gamester, whether, Brother, kinsman, or friend, of whom he may make any advantage, being so remote from all pity, that when they see one falling, they will rather precipitate, and throw him headlong, then offer to help, or hold him up.  
Thirdly, Another inconvenience, is that he that wins is bound to give the loser leave to speak; to endure many bold and intemperate Actions, to bear with many indiscreet words, and uncivil behaviour; which he is tied to suffer, only as a Winner, not as a man of honour, who in things of another nature would resent the least wrong that is done to him; besides many suspicions and traducements of his Play be it never so fair.  
Fourthly, Another inconvenience is, that when a man hath lost he is liable to be insulted over, laughed at, and scorned by them who have won, which is worse to be endured, than the loss of the money itself, verifying that of the Poet, Nil habet infaelix paupertas durius in se quam quod ridiculos homines facit.  
And with this will I close the first part of my discourse, wherein I have only spoken of Gaming as it trenches upon morality, and civility; Now will I speak in a word, how heinously it is offensive to God.  
The profession of Gaming is little less then professed atheism, for it is not only a manifest distrust, but an open contempt of God's threats, his promises, and his providences: If God speak nothing vainly, then much less falsely; and if all his promises are yea and Amen, is it not a strange presumption to slight and despise them; hath not God pronounced that goods ill gotten shall not prosper? yet the Gamester laughs in God's face, and says secretly to himself, I will try whether they will prosper or not, say God what he will: hath not God pronounced a woe to them who eat, drink, sleep and rise up to play? yet is this the whole life of a Gamester? hath he not promised to all that rely upon him, that they shall want nothing that is good? yet the Gamester makes flesh his arm, and relies upon his own Art and Fortune, neither imploring the Divine blessing, nor acknowledging any thing they obtain from thence, but that comes to pass with them, which the Prophet speaketh; Laetantur exultant, immolant plagis suis, & sacrificant reti suo. Certainly there is no one vice that so desperately affronts God in the breach of almost all his commandments. As for the first and second, Is not God pulled out of his Throne, and the Idol of fortune deisied, and set up in his stead?  
But for the third, oh how is that most precious name rent, and torn in curses, blasphemies, execrations, yea even to perjury itself? for the fourth, I never knew any Gamester a Sabbatarian; and although public Authority forbids the public exercise of Gaming, yet is it as frequently used in private on that day as any other; for the fifth, I know none that have any either Religious or honest Parents, but they dissuade and command them from Play; then consequently it is a disobedience to them: for the sixth, It is often the occasion of mental murder, yea sometimes of actual, and once (that I remember) of self murder.  
To pass to the eighth, Gaming is a kind of professed theft and little differing from that on the high way; only one is by force, the other by fraud.  
But for the tenth, it is so directly repugnant to that, that the most innocent play can scarce avoid the breach of it, for though a man play with his child or servant to whom he must restore more than he wins, yet is there a strange instinct of coveting and desire of winning.  
Thus have I briefly showed how play doth either directly or indirectly oppose eight of God's ten commandments: and if any other sin can be produced of so great a latitude to the making up whereof there is such a confluence and concurrence of so many other sins, I will be willing hereafter to think play no sin: I will only here add a quaere or two and so conclude.  
First, Why should play be more used in the night time then in the day, considering the night is a time of rest both to the body and mind.  
Play certainly is a work of darkness, and herein Gamesters are like beasts of prey, which rest all day and go abroad in the evening; as the psalmist saith.  
Thou madest darkness, that it might be night, wherein all the beasts of the forest do move. The lions roaring after their prey etc: the sun ariseth and they get them away together, and lay them down in their dens.  
Man goeth forth to his work and his labour until the evening.  
Thus fares it with Gamesters who turn day into night, and night into day: inverting the course of nature: herein rather imitating lions and beasts of the forest than men who follow their honest labours.  
My second quaere is, why in this as in most other dangers one man should not beware by another's example, nay not by their own, the fish will scarce come twice to the hook, nor the bird to the net; having once escaped.  
But men having been often taken in this snare have not the wit of fishes, or birds to avoid it: certainly this is a great master piece of the Devil, first to work upon the weakness of men's inclinations, being of themselves too prone to evil, having thus far prevailed to win a man to play, he than musters up all his Arts and Tentations fearing to lose so fast an hold, and so great an advantage, as when he hath made one a Gamester.  
So that a man having entered into this course cannot without Divine assistance retire; the way being like (if not the same way) that leads to hell, as Virgil well describes it.  
Facilis descensus Averni,  
Sed revocare gradus, superasque evadere ad auras.  
Hic labour hoc opus est.  
Thus have I performed this short exercise of my pen, having only deciphered this enchanting Circe, but in a small table, and in a draught, leaving it to some more curious hand, to draw her in a larger proportion, and in more lively colours, that so being the more discovered, she may be the more abhorred.   
FINIS.  

April 21. 1651.  
Imprimatur.  
John Downame.