PRometheus having laboured all night to prepare a monument for o­lympius, being as sad and melancholy as he was poore, and mise­rable, called to Monopoly, saying, what dost thou think of the advancement we are like to injoy? Consider now upon a sure ground they goe, who seek to recover their own by Law. To whom he answered, Sir, I see how things are carried, for I have beene an eyewitnesse of what hath past, but what remedy is there to be had a­gainst the passions and private interests, and force and power of the potent.

Whilst they were thus in private discourse Curtius Decus came in and interrup­ted their further proceedings, who were challenged by Hephestion, to play at Cards; to play they goe, (and taking the first stoole that came to hand) Prome­theus sat down, and for the space of two houres, or more, he viewed Hephestions hand: The money went to and fro, but little lost; fortune had shewed her self so equall; and indeed he that was but a spectator had a shrewder pull for the stakes in his own bosome then the gamesters themselves; they stirred up a greater gri­ping in him, then was in them; they both played to win, and to increase their stock, but he was not able to behold without passion, thinking it lesse evill to play then to view anothers game so eagerly.

A game at Cards is a battle that is fought between two wits, or more, both be­ing confident of good successe: both stake, and both defend themselves the best they can: and after these gamesters had still some few houres, more continued at their sport, the Sea began to swell, the waves grew high, and the money began to swim from one side of the board to the other, their bloud waxed hot, and their choller began to kindle, they were now at their close fights, watching but ad­vantage to boord each other, they grapled on each side for it hard, the Cards were shuffled, cut, and dealt oft, where they played their parts on both sides, bestirring themselves lustily, at last Clubs being turnd up trump, one lost in that fight above an hundred crownes, whose game Prometheus viewing, was as sensible of grief for it, as himself, fearing that his eyes was the instrument of ill fortune to his game.

When gamesters bend themselves to play for gain, they are like Pyrates that put themselves upon the Sea purposely to catch some prise, Capiat qui capere potest catch he, that can catch; let every one arm his own ship as well as he can, and have [Page 2]an eye to the bullets that flie about his eares, and those other warlike weapons which are usefull in such fights.

The Cards themselves point out unto us, to tell us, who are fitly entertained in this play: not every common fellow; for if we shall but consider the Kings, the Queens, and Knaves, or according to the Spaniard, Kings, Knights, and Souldiers, for so they call them, which are pictured and painted forth unto us, from the up­permost of all the other, to the lowest, which is the Ace, we shall find no other portraitures or shapes, giving us to understand thereby that none should play there­at but Kings, Queenes, and Knaves, or rather as the Spaniard, Kings, Gentry, and Souldiers, I can assure you, that in all the whole pack of Cards, you meet not with any Merchants, Tradesmen, Lawyers, nor Divines, they befit not such professions. The very Aces speak as much unto us, for from the knave which is Sota the Souldier down to the Ace, which is the least and last Card, there is no­thing, but spots or Aces too, which tells us that all (except the aforesaid onely) that shall offer to play at Cards, are but asses, and such an asse was the young man before spoken of, that played so long till clubs knocked him from off his stoole.

Yet will I not strain this string so hard, that I shall quite debarre men of those noble entertainments, for I will not call him a gamester that playes but now and then, for recreation, foure, six, ten, a dozen times in a year, or at a Christmas, cannot hurt him much for sport and pastime, out to return to the former discourse.

The quarrell being ended, to supper these gamesters went, with a fresh chal­lenge to return againe. When they had done, the winners went to supper to refresh their hungry stomackes with meat, as they had done with money; the looser to get more coyne, to supply his stock, who was more earnest to gather a supply for the fresh onset, then ever he was to pay his debts: but poore man his losses were sunk so low, he could not get it up again; but returnes at the houre appointed, though both heartlesse, and monilesse; who being more vext at those who would not aid his fresh quarrell with supply, then with them to whom he lost before: He walk­ed in a great rage, up and downe the roome, puffing and blowing like a Bull, as if the whole chamber had been too little for him: one while he walkes athwart it, another while from end to end, then from corner to corner, finiging, and huffing, and chafing, nothing could content him; one while he railes against the City, ano­ther while against those traitors that drew him on to play, and those that were the cause of his comming thither; this is a base place (quoth he) a company of thieves, and cut throats. God damm- me (quoth he) I could runne my knife into their guts, what never a friend to furnish me?

Prometheus seeing Hephestion in such a chafe, he calls for Monopoly; now quoth he is our time, either to get out of trouble, or to be sent to the Hospitall, our estates now are but small; we cannot long sustain with it, let us take our for­tune, [Page 3]either to sup well, or to goe to bed with a jarre of water, all is one, as good to day, as to morrow, for to hold out much longer we cannot possibly expect; will it not doe well to put in for a third man after supper, adventuring to run my Lance among the rest? yea said Monopoly, if you hold it fit, and I will martiall things in that manner, that both with safety, and subtilty, I will view the field and give you notice of your adversaries forces, how and where their strength lies when it is your best to charge them home, & when it is your best to make retre [...]t still keeping a true account of their Cards and the numbers wherewith they are set upon you.

When Monopoly had spoken thus unto him, a man might have pulled the skinne over his eares, and he would never have felt it for joy, he was ready to leap out of it himself: oh this will I hope quoth he, prove an happy night, wherein we shall recover all our losses. Then they fell to disputing a great while with themselves, what signes would be best, whereby they might clearly understand each other; at last it was resolved, that the best manner, of doing it would be by the buttons of his Jerkin, or the joynts of his fingers, according to the art of the Ga­muth when we learn first to sing, and having made tryall thereof three or foure times, they grew so ready, and so perfect therein, that they understood one ano­ther as well by their tokens as their tongues.

Now were the challengers entred the List, whilst Prometheus was walking up and down the roome with his Rosario in his hand like an Hermite, Monopoly going out of the roome, that he might be the freer from being suspected. They began to talk of falling afresh to play, and Hephestion told them what had happened, and that in truth he could procure no meanes to stake with them, except they would build upon his promise, which they refused, and parting again he gave the poore young man a coldheart-aking ultimum vale.

When Prometheus saw this good conversation was dissolving, leaving his beads to keep their owne reckoning, he stepped forth, and said unto them, since this Gentleman doth not play, so that you will not venter too great a game onely for entertainment, and to passe away some part of the night, that so good a work, may not sleep for want of company, I will put my self upon the Cards; the other two did gladly condiscend thereto.

Then Prometheus, to egge them on the more, unbuttoned his Jerkin, that they might see the gold chaine which was about his necke, which hee told them hee would venture before hee would let the cause lye still. Well, to play they went, and Prometheus began to lose, who like a swaggering blade bitten, began to bleed, yet not having the patience to give over, threw the candlestick after the pots, and the helve after the hatchet, till he had lost all that he was able to make.

Then he called Monopoly, to furnish him with a new supply of money as they [Page 4]had appointed, who drew out an hundred Riyals, which he had for the purpose, gave them him, and departed the roome againe: But by and by he called for him againe, and intreated him to stay and snuffe the candles, and help them a little, that they might not hinder their play; which hee did very willingly: the other little imagining what a cunning plot was laid against them, Monopoly said never a word, but stood still and held his peace, so that no man living could have suspe­cted him: for he never offered to cast so much as an eye upon him, nor did he re­move his hand from his bosome, which gave Prometheus true knowledge how their games went; yet hee would sometimes let them win purposely, lest they should not suspect him; but when they desired to seeme to give over the battell, and to retreat to leave the field & be gone, then he perswaded them to purpose, and followed the chase hotly; till he thought them safe in the net, to have them in his own hands, to doe what he pleased with them, then he set roundly upon them to bring them all under his subjection; in a short space and before many blowes were given in the battell, he had gained the field for that time, and appointed the field againe next morning.

The next day they met him againe, well charged with double Pistolets, and well prepared for the warre, they threw downe whole handfuls of that upon the boord, some peeces of eight, some of foure, and some of two; making no more reckoning of them then if they had been brasse, saying as they flung them downe, Coraggio coraggio (Senor Soldade) see you what here is to bee spent in your ser­vice?

Although I am not so rich (quoth Prometheus) as to bee able to doe you ser­vice with so large a supply of money; yet at least my good will shall not be wan­ting to tend upon you, as your servant. I was about to tell you, that I did not doubt, but did long to see this faire company of these glittering men at Armes, to come and march under my colours. Then with all the policie that possibly hee could imagine, hee endeavoured to weary them out by little and little, giving them so much line, as he thought fit, to run themselves out of breath; and when hee thought hee had an opportunity to strike them both dead at once, hee turned up Clubs, and let fly a whole volly of shot at them, and so gained in few houres above five hundred crownes into his owne hands, they yeelding themselves to his mercy, and gained quarter.

The maine battell being thus over-throwne, the two Captaines were faine to passe it over as patiently as they could, and try what fresh men they could levie, who were falne to raise new forces to encounter him the next day, who promised him new battell againe, if he durst abide it. At which hee being so well refresht, made little answer, onely he promised a meeting, and they met againe according­ly. [Page 5]and he permitted them to gaine a little at the first as he did before; but when he thought good, thundred bullets about their eares, so as they did admire. But at last the moving of Monopoly's fingers up and downe his breast, was suspected, and Decus desired that he might goe forth of the roome, and Curtius also: for in­deed brother Decus (said he) I must confesse I thought to have spoken of it once or twice before. Monopoly hearing this discourse, steps away, and carries part of the money with him, so much as he had; but Prometheus was forced to stay: and wanting his guide to aid him, as he did before, he was so unprovided, and grew so weake, that hee was no wayes able to withstand them; but perforce stayed whilst they had righted themselves upon him, who tooke all his weapons and ammunition from him, and sent him away a clean Gentleman.