He was at that time in
possession of very little money; this small stock he increased by
borrowing upon the security of some valuable jewellery which he took out
from his creditors in this country. With this sum he commenced his career
as player at the public gaming-tables in Paris, more particularly that at
154 in the Palais Royal. The system upon which he played was at once bold
and original, and attended with great success. I have good authority (his
own) for stating, he was at one period a winner of upwards of L10,000. He
subsequently lost nearly half this sum, and he expended the remainder in
paintings by the ancient masters, of which, in the year 1828, he had a
splendid collection. These pictures he intended for the English market;
but in the latter part of the same year, he became unfortunate at the
gambling tables, and they were parted with by degress, the proceeds lost,
and their late owner, in a short time, reduced to beggary, or nearly so.
His last literary labour, if it is worthy of the name, was a history of
the Three Days of July, published by Galignani.
In person, Mr. Colton was ungainly; he stooped much, his gait was slovenly,
and his dress mean and dirty; the reason he assigned for not removing the
dirt that accumulated on the lower part of his trousers and upon his boots,
was that none but shoeblacks looked below the knee in so dirty a city as
Paris.
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