portmanteau without suspicion, and the next morning sailed for
Dublin. On his arrival he waited on the lord-lieutenant and
privy council, to whom he made a speech on the subject of his
mission, and then presented the box to his Lordship; but on
opening it, there appeared only a pack of cards, with the knave
of clubs uppermost. The doctor was petrified, and assured the
council that he had had a commission, but what was become of it
he could not tell. The lord-lieutenant answered, "Let us have
another commission, and, in the mean while, we can shuffle the
cards." Before the doctor could get his commission renewed Queen
Mary died, and thus the persecution was prevented. We are
further informed that, when Queen Elizabeth was made acquainted
with the circumstances, she settled a pension of L40 per annum on
Mrs Edmonds, for having saved her Protestant subjects in
Ireland.'[62]

[62] The Book of Days, Dec. 28.


All the pursuits of life, all the trades and occupations of men,
have, in all times, lent expressions to the languages of nations,
and those resulting from the propensity of GAMING are among those
which perpetually recur in daily conversation, and with the
greatest emphasis. Thus we have:--'He has played his cards well
or ill,'--applied to the management of fortune or one's interest;
jacta est alea, 'the die is cast,' as exclaimed Julius Caesar
before crossing the Rubicon; 'he has run his RACE--reached the
GOAL' a turf adage applied to consummate success or disastrous
failure; 'a lucky throw or hit;' 'within an ACE,' meaning one
point of gaining a thing; 'he HAZARDS everything;' 'chances are