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The Gaming Table by Andrew Steinmetz, Volume II

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Oddities And Witticisms Of Gamblers

One day when Henry IV. was dining at the Duc de Sully's, the
latter, as soon as the cloth was raised, brought in cards and
dice, and placed upon the table two purses of 4000 pistoles each,
one for the King, the other to lend to the lords of his suite.
Thereupon the king exclaimed:--'Great master, come and let me
embrace you, for I love you as you deserve: I feel so comfortable
here that I shall sup and stay the night.' Evidently Sully was
more a courtier than usual on this occasion--as no doubt the
whole affair was by the king's order, with which he complied
reluctantly; but he made the king play with his own money only.
The Duc de Lerme, when entertaining Monsieur the brother of Louis
XIII. at his quarters near Maestricht, had the boldness to bring
in, at the end of the repast, two bags of 1000 pistoles each,
declaring that he gave them up to the players without any
condition except to return them when they pleased.[26]

[26] Mem. de Jeu M. le Duc d'Orleans.

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