VERS DE SOCIÉTÉ, ETC. THE BASSET-TABLE.' AN ECLOGUE. CARDELIA. SMILINDA. CARDELIA. THE Basset-table spread, the tallier come; SMILINDA. Ah, madam, since my Sharper is untrue, This Eclogue was first published as Pope's in Warburton's edition of 1751. Warburton says it is the only one of the Court Poems that was written by the poet. The game of Bas. set was played thus: Each punter, or player, had thirteen cards, upon each of which he placed his stake, according to his fancy. The tallier then, taking the whole pack in his hand, turned up the bottom card, which was called the Fasse, and each player had to pay him half of the sum which had been staked on that particular card. He then proceeded with his deal, and the next card won for the player whatever he had put upon it. After this, two cards being taken together, 5 the first that appeared was a winning, and the second a losing one for the punters. 2 i.e. the keeper of the Bank, who laid down a sum of money before the players, to answer to every winning card that appeared in the course of his dealing. 3 Alpeu, or Paroli, was when the punter having won the couch, or money staked on the first card, declined to take the stake from the tallier, but crooked the corner of his card, and let his money lie on it, to show that he intended to go on to the sept-et-le-va, for which see note to ver. 12. CARDELIA. Is this the cause of your romantic strains? SMILINDA. Is that the grief, which you compare with mine? Would all my gold in one bad deal were gone, CARDELIA. A lover lost, is but a common care; And prudent nymphs against that change prepare : SMILINDA. See Betty Lovet! very à propos, She all the cares of love and play does know : 10 15 20 25 LOVET. Tell, tell your griefs; attentive will I stay, Tho' time is precious, and I want some tea. 1.e., the first great chance in the game, when the punter, having won the first stake, and made a paroli by crooking the corner of his card, won again on the second card, when the stake due to him was called "Septet-le-va," being seven times the amount he had laid upon his card. CARDELIA. Behold this equipage, by Mathers wrought, Jove, Jove himself, does on the scissors shine; 30 355 SMILINDA. This snuff-box,-once the pledge of Sharper's love, When rival beauties for the present strove; At Corticelli's he the raffle won ; Then first his passion was in public shown: Hazardia blush'd, and turn'd her head aside, A rival's envy (all in vain) to hide. This snuff-box,-on the hinge see brilliants shine: This snuff-box will I stake; the prize is mine. 40 CARDELIA. Alas! far lesser losses than I bear, Have made a soldier sigh, a lover swear. And oh! what makes the disappointment hard, 1 Cotton, who gives in his Booke of Games (1709) the only account of Passet that I have met with in 45 50 English, does not mention this term. |