Laid up in God, with equall paines,
Who seekes, who doth pursue?
CHAP. XXVIII.
Of their Gaming, &c.
Their games (like the English) are of two sorts, private and publike; A Game like unto the English Cards, yet, instead of Cards, they play with strong Rushes.
Secondly, they have a kinde of Dice which are Plumb stones painted, which they cast in a Tray with a mighty noyse and sweating: Their publique Games are solemnized with the meeting of hundreds; sometimes thousands, and consist of many vanities, none of which I durst ever be present at, that I might not countenance and partake of their folly, after I once saw the evill of them.
| Ahânu, | Hee laughes. |
| Tawhitchahânean, | Why doe you laugh? |
| Ahânuock, | They are merry. |
| Nippauochâumen, | We are dancing. |
| Pauochaúog, | They are playing or dancing. |
| Pauochaútowwin, | A Bable to play with. |
| Akésuog, | They are at cards, or telling of Rushes. |
| Pissinnéganash, | Their playing Rushes. |
| } | I am a telling, or counting; for their play is a kind of Arithmatick. |
| Ntakèsemin, } | |
| } |
Obs: The chiefe Gamesters amongst them much desire to make their Gods side with them in their Games (as our English Gamsters so farre also acknowledge God) therefore I have seen them keepe as a precious stone a piece of Thunderbolt, which is like unto a Chrystall, which they dig out of the ground under some Tree, Thunder-Smitten, and from this stone they have an opinion of successe, and I have not heard any of these prove loosers, which I conceive may be Satans policie, and Gods’ holy Justice to harden them for their not rising higher from the Thunderbolt, to the God that sends or shoots it.