the* Royal Oak.
The Royal Oak Lottery came in for a great share of public odium, it being regarded as the parent of all the others. A very curious tract of 1699 sets forth the various charges against it in the form of a trial. The pamphlet is called “The Arraignment, Trial and Condemnation of Squire Lottery, alias Royal-Oak Lottery.” The various charges, defences, and counter-charges are very funny, and we regret that we have only room here for the jury list, which shows that the “British palladium” possessed then many of its present features, judged by the characters and pretensions of the jurymen. The descriptions of these latter would fit pretty well even in these days:—
The Jurors’ Names.
- Mr. Positive, a Draper in Covent Garden.
- Mr. Squander, an Oilman in Fleet Street.
- Mr. Pert, a Tobacconist, ditto.
- Mr. Captious, a Milliner in Paternoster Row.
- Mr. Feeble, a Coffeeman near the Change.
- Mr. Altrick, a Merchant in Gracechurch Street.
- Mr. Haughty, a Vintner by Grays-Inn, Holborn.
- Mr. Jealous, a Cutler at Charing Cross.
- Mr. Peevish, a Bookseller in St. Paul’s Churchyard.
- Mr. Spilbook, near Fleet Bridge.
- Mr. Noysie, a Silkman upon Ludgate Hill.
- Mr. Finical, a Barber in Cheapside.
It is noticeable that during the whole of