But in fine, being quite out of Conceit with the short Commons I met with in this Mountainous Country, which was much inferiour to the delicious Dainties of Water-Gruel, Bread and Butter, and Small Beer, allow’d to the poor Lunaticks of _Bedlam_, after they come to pig in Straw, and have their Heads shav’d as an Introduction to Phlebotomy, three or four Times a Week, I e’en bade adieu to the miserable _Taffies_, and made the best of my Way to _England_ again, to recover that Flesh in a plentiful Nation, which I had lost in a Land of meer Poverty and Famine.
Being returned out of _Wales_ into _England_ again, I was no sooner got into _London_, but thro’ an avaricious Temper, I soon began to haunt most of the Gaming-Houses in Town, which Day and Night were as well cram’d as the Groom-Porter’s Table. In these Schools of inevitable Ruin and Destruction, I lost a great deal of Money, and when too late to recover it, I began seriously to reflect with myself, that let a Man be ever such a good Gamester at Cards or Dice, yet so many Sharpers were always flocking about him, that they would drain his Pockets in spite of all the greatest Favours of Fortune; or else how could these Gaming-Houses clear sometimes 100 Pounds, but never less than 50 or 60 Pounds a Night, besides paying Salaries to the several Officers depending solely on them? For there _Commissioners_ are maintain’d by whom the Weeks Accompt is Audited, _viz._ _Directors_, who Superintend the Room. _Operators_, or Dealers at Faro. _Croupees_, to watch the Cards, and gather the Money for the Bank. _Puffs_, who have Money given them to play, in order to decoy others. _Clerks_, who are Checks upon the Puffs, to see that they sink none of that Money. _Squibs_, who are Puffs of a lower Rank, having half their Salery; _Flashes_, who sit by to Swear how often they have stript the Bank; _Dunners_, or Waiters; _Attornies_, or Sollicitors; _Captains_, who are to Fight any Men that are Peevish, or out of Humour at the loss of their Money; _Porters_, who at most of the Gaming-Houses are Soldiers; _Ushers_, who take care that the Porters at the Door suffer none to come in but those they know; and _Runners_, to get Intelligence of all the Meetings of the Justices of the Peace, and when the Constables go upon the Search: Besides giving half a Guinea to any Link-Boy, Coach-man, Chairman, Drawer, or other Person, who gives Notice of the Constables being upon the Search.