WOMEN WHO WON & LOST FORTUNES

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 3, Issue 9, 2 March 1925, Page 51

WOMEN WHO WON & LOST FORTUNES

THOUSANDS STAKED BY FAMOUS GAMBLERS

'T'HE women of France were at one time the most ardent gamblers in the world. In Louis XlV.'s reign so many families were ruined through the passionate love of the mothers and daughters for a game known as "hoca" that it was forbidden by law on pain of death. At Versailles an exception was made to this rule, and here the Queen herself frequently lost large sums of money. The frenzied gambling of Mme. de Montespan has become proverbial in France. At basset she would play for as much as £50,000, and would grumble heartily, and the King also, if no one dared to cover her stakes."

/~\NE Christmas evening she lost an immense fortune, but recovered, with three cards, £75,000. Three months later she lost £l5O 000 but won it back almost immediately. In 1682 the crash came. At "hoca" alone she had plaved awav as much as £200,000. In Louis XV.'s time matters were in much the same state. On June 25, 1765, for instance, the Due de Richelieu undertook to teach Mme. de Barry lonsquenet ; in her boudoir. Within a few minutes, however, she had lost no less than £20.000. This immensely amused the King, who was looking on. and was delighted with his favourite's good luck.