Lucrative
Gambling

This gambling man was of low birth, his parents keeping an ordinary in
Holland, where he was born, as stated by the old chronicler, `in the happy Revolution of 1688.'

His career is remarkable on account of his connection with Lady Mary Mordaunt, wife of `the Duke of Norfolk, who, proving her guilty of adultery, was divorced from her. She then lived publicly with Germain.'

This Germain was the first to introduce what was called the Spanish Whist at gambling, stated to be `a mere bite, performed after this manner:--Having a pack of cards, the four treys are privately laid on the top of them, under them an ace, and next to that a deuce; then, letting your gambling adversary cut the cards, you do not pack them, but deal all of them that are cut off, one at a time, between you; then, taking up the other parcel of cards, you deal more cards, giving yourself two treys and a deuce, and to the other persons two treys and an ace, when, laying the remainder of the cards down--wherein are allowed no trumps, but only the highest cards win--so they are but of the same suit, whilst you are gambling, giving your antagonist all you can, as though it is not in your power to prevent him. You seem to fret, and cry you have good put-cards; he, having two treys and an ace, will be apt to lay a wager with you that you cannot have better than he; then you binding the wager, he soon sees his mistake. But in this trick you must observe to put the other three deuces under yours when you deal.'

It seems that this Monsieur Germain is not only remarkable for the above precious addition to human knowledge, but also on account of his expertness at the game of Ombre_, celebrated and so elegantly described by Pope in his `Rape of the Lock.'

He appears to have lived with the Duchess of Norfolk ever after the divorce; and he died a little after Lady Mary, in 1712, aged 46 years.[140]

[140] _ubi supra_.

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