ntitled, "L'Inganno non
conosciuto, oppure non voluto conoscere, nell'Estrazione del Lotto."
Muratori, in 1696, calls it, in his "Annals of Italy," "_Inventione
dell' amara malizia per succiare il sangue dei malaccorti giuocatori_."
In a late number of the "Civilta Cattolica," published at Rome by the
Jesuits, (the motto of which is "_Beatus Populus cujus Dominus Deus
est_,") there is, on the other hand, an elaborate and most Jesuitical
article, in which the lottery is defended with amusing skill. What
Christendom in general has agreed to consider immoral and pernicious in
its effects on a people seems, on the contrary, to the writer of this
article, to be highly moral and commendable.

The numbers which can be played are from one to ninety. Of these only
five are now drawn. Originally the numbers drawn were eight,
(_otto_,)--and it is said that the Italian name of this game, _lotto_,
was derived from this circumstance. The player may stake upon one, two,
three, four, or five numbers,--but no ticket can be taken for more than
five; and he may stake upon his ticket any sum, from one _baiocco_ up to
five _scudi_,--but the latter sum only in case he play upon several
chances on the same ticket. If he play one number, he may either play it
_al posto assegnato_, according to its place in the drawing, as first,
second, third, etc.,--or he may play it _senza posto_, without place, in
which case he wins, if the number come anywhere among the five drawn. In
the latter case, however, the prize is much less in proportion to the
sum staked. Thus, for one _baiocco_ staked _al posto assegnato_, a
_scudo_ may be won; but to gain a _scudo_ on a number _senza posto_,
seven _baiocchi_ must be played. A sum staked upon two numbers is called
an _ambo_,--on three, a _terno_,--on four, a _quaterno_,--and on five, a
_cinquino_; and of course the prizes increase in rapid proportion to the
numbers played,--the sum gained multiplying very largely on each
additional number. For instance, if two _baiocchi_ be staked on an
_ambo_, the prize is one _scudo_; but if the same sum be staked on a
_terno_, the prize is a hundred _scudi_. When an _ambo_ is played for,
the same two numbers may be played as single numbers, either _al posto_
or _senza posto_, and in such case one of the numbers alone may win. So,
also, a _terno_ may be played so as to include an _ambo_, and a
_quaterno_ so as to include a _terno_ and _ambo_, and a _cinquino_ so as
to include