facts and speculations on the origin and history of playing cards
TRANSCRIPT
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FACTS AND SPECULATIONS
ON THB
ORIGIN AND HISTORY
OF
PLAYING CARDS.
BT
WJLIAAM. ANDREW CHATTO.
H0BOmihichartanuces, haeoestmihichartafcitillTia."Mahtiau
With CardsI whilemy leisurehoursaway.And cheatoldTime; yetneitherbetnor play.
,A^i'
LONDON:
JOHN RUSSELL SMITH,
4, OLD COMPTON STREET, SOHO SQUARE.
MDCCCXLVIIl.
C
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w'jacTvu ^
PLAYINGCARDS
9m5
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PLAYING CARDS.
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ai
i'':M
"' iiSWrifeiliifcJ^
"
PRINTSD BT 0. AND J. ADLARD, BARTHOLOMIW 0LO8B.
PREFACE.
Should a personwho has never bestowed a thought on
the subjectask, '*What can there be that is interesting
in the History of Cards?" itisanswered, "There may be
much/' There isan interest,of a certainkind, even in the
solutionof a riddle,or theexplicationof a conundrum; and
certainlearned men, such as Pere Daniel, and Court de
GebeJin,having assumed thatthe game of Cards was origi-nally
instructive,and that the figuresand marks of the
suits are emblematic, speaking to the intelligentof
matters of great import, theiramusingly absurd specula^
tions on the subject" set forthwith allthe gravity of a
"budge doctor" determining ex cathedra" impart to the
History of Cards an interestwhich, intrinsically,it does
not possess. But puttingasideallthat may relateto their
covert meaning, Cards, considered with respect to what
they simply are " ^theinstruments of a popular game, and
the productions of art" suggest severalquestions,the in-vestigation
of which is not without interest: Where and
when were they invented,and what is the origin of their
names ? When were they introducedintoEurope ? What
has been their progress as a popular game ; and what
influencehave they had on society? What changes have
they undergone with respectto the figuresand the marks
of the suits; and to what purposes have picture and fancy
cards been made subservient,in consequence of those in
common use being so generallyunderstood? And lastly,
what have been the opinionsof moralistsand theologians
VI PREFACE.
with respectto the lawMness of the game?" Such axe
the topics discussed,and questions examined, in the
followingpages.
Of the works of previouswriters on the originof Cards
I have freelyavailedmyself; usmg them as guides when
I thought them right, pointing out their errors when
I thought them wrong, and allowing them to speak for
themselveswhenever theyseemed instructiveor amusing.
Having no wish to appropriatewhat was not my own, I
have quoted my authoritieswith scrupulousfidehty; and
am not consciousof an obUgation which I have not
acknowledged. Should the reader not obtain from this
work allthe informationon Cards which he might have
expected,it is hoped thathe willat leastacquirefrom its
perusala knowledge ofthe true valueof such investigations.
Between being well informed on a subject,and knowing
the realworth of such information,there is a distinction
which isoftenoverlooked,especiallyby antiquaries.In the Illustrationswill be found a greatervarietyof
Cards than have hithertobeen given in any otherwork on
the same subject,not exceptingthe splendidpubUcationofthe SocietyofBibliophilesErangais,entitled
' Jeux de Cartes
Tarots et de Cartes Numerales du Quatorzieme au Dix-
huitieme Siecle.' All the cards" ^withthe exceptionofthe French Valets,at p. 250, and the Portuguese Cheva-liers,
at p. 252," have been copiedby Mr. P. W. Fairholt;
and allthe wood-engravings" with the exceptionof the
tail-piece,by W. J. Linton,at p. 330," have been executedby Mr. George Vasey.
W.A. C.London ;
17M^j?n7, 1848.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGB
Op TH2 Osionr AiTD Name Of Cabds . . . . .1
CHAPTER n.
iNTRODUCnOH OP CaBDS INTO EUKOPE. . . .
60
. CHAPTER m.
PB06BES8 OP CaSD-PlATINO . . " . .
.92
CHAPTER IV.
Op the dippebeni Kdtds of Caeds, and the Masks op the Suits .189
CHAPTER V.
The MoKAUTT OP Cabd-Playino . . . . . . 879
Appendix. . . . . . .
.331
Index. , . . . . . . . 337
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
The " Honours" of an eight-snitpack of Hindostanee Cards . . 42
Specimens of ChineseCards,of the kind calledTseen-wan-ch^-pie . . 67-8
A Card Party,from an illustrationin a manuscript of the Cit^deDieu,
apparently of the earlypart of the fifteenthcentury . .
.71Copies of Old StencilledCards in the BritishMuseum, apparentlyof a
date not laterthan 1440 88-9
Fac-simileof one of Mumer*s Cards for teachinglogic,1509 . .105
Copies of Four Small Cards,from Marcolini'sSorti,1540 . . . 117
Wood-cut, " Thus of Old" and" Thus Now," from Samuel Ward's Woe
to Drunkards, 1627 131
The Knaves of Hearts and Clubs; and the Knaves of SpadesandDiamonds, from the Four Knaves, by Samuel Rowlands, 1610-13 133-6
Fac-similcsof four Heraldic Cards, from a pack engraved in England
about 1078 . . . . . . . .152
Fac-similcsof the SignaturesofEdmund Hoyle and Thomas Osborne,
170
Copy of a platein Darly*s Politicaland SatiricalHistory,showing theCoat Cards for 1759 183
Copies of two of the painted cards,ascribedto Jacquemin Gringonneur,
preservedin theJ3ibliothbquedu Roi at Paris. .
198
Copies of four French Cards, coloured," the King of Diamonds; the
Queen and King of Spades ; and the King of Hearts," of the latter
part of the fifteenthccntuiy . . . . . .212
Copies of theFour Knaves, coloured," ^Lancelot,Hogier, Roland, andValery," of the latterpart of the fifteenthcentury. In the British
Museum........
214
Copies of Eight CircularCards belongmg to a pack engraved on copper
about 1480, with Hares, Parroquets,Pinks, and Columbines as the
marks of the suits ... . . . . .222
Four Cards of a pack en^ved on copper, apparentlyabout the end of thefifteenthcentury,with Swords, Clubs, Cups, and Pomegranates, as
the marks of the suits. In the BritishMuseum. . .
225
The Sevens of a pack of Tarots,with Swords, Cups, Batons, and Money
as the marks of the suits . . . . . . 227
The Second Coat Cards of the suitsof Acorns and Leaves" in a German
pack engraved on wood, 1511. . . . . 236-7
The Sevens of a pack of German Cards, with Bells,Hearts, Leaves, andAcorns, as tne marks of the suits . . . . .
239
CopiesofFour Small German Cards, of the seventeenthcentury . .239
The Valets of a pack of French Cards,of the time of Henry IV . .250
The Chevaliers,or Valets,of a pack of Portuguese Cards,of the date1693 252
Figure of" the realSpata," as shown in Baker's EclecticCards, 1813
.261
Tail-piece,Cheating Time with Cards..... 330
Cupid; from a cut relatingto Propheciesand Fortune-telling,inBagford'sCollection,HarleianMSS. 5966 336
The Four of Cups, from an old card,in the same collection . .343
ORIGIN AND HISTORY
OF
PLAYING CARDS
CHAPTER I.
OF THE ORIGIN AND NAME OF CARDS
Man has been distinctivelytermed "a cookinganimal ;**
and Dr. Franklin has definedhim to be "a tooUmahing
animal." He may also,with equaltruth,be definedto be"
a gambling animal ;" since to gamble, or venture, on
chance, his own property,with the hope of winning the
propertyof another,is as peculiarto him, indistinctionfrom
otheranimals,as hisbroilinga fishafterhe has*caught itwithhishands, or making forhimself a stone hatchetto enablehim to fella tree. Whether this gambhng peculiarityis
to be ascribed to the superiorityof his intellectualor ofhis physical constitution,others may determine for them-selves.
Other animals,in common with man, willfightformeat,
drink,and lodging; and will do battle for love as fiercely
as the ancient knights of chivahy, whose greatincitements
to heroic deeds " in plain English, kilUng and wound-ing" were ladye-love and the honour of the peacock.There is, however, no well-authenticatedaccount of any
of thelower orders of animals ever having been seen risking1
2 PLAYING CAEDS.
theirpropertyat**
odd or even/'or drawing lotsforchoice
of pasturage. No shepherd has ever yet succeeded in
teachinghis sagaciouscolleyto take a hand at cardswith
hun on the hillside; the most knowing monkey has never
been able to comprehend the mysteriesof" tossing\' and
even the learned pig, that tellspeople their fortuneby
the cards,isnever ableto learnwhat istrumps.
Seeing, then, that to gamble is exclusivelyproper to
man,^8ecun(Iu?n essentianiconsecutive^" and admitting
that,
" The properstudyofmankind isman,"
itplainlyfollows,thatas PlayingCards are the instruments
ofthe most fascinatingspeciesof gambling thatever was
devisedby the ingenuityof man, theiroriginand history
arc a verypropersubjectforrationaldiscussion.The cook-ing,
tool-making,gambling animal displaysitsrationality,
accordingto Dr. Franklin,by itsknowing how to findor
inventa plausiblepretextforwhatever ithas an inclination
to do.
Judging from the manner inwhich the originand history
ofPlayingCards havebeen treatedby variousauthorswithinthe lasthundred and fiftyyears,it is evidentthatthe sub-ject,
whatever they may have made of it,is one of great"
capabihty,''to use the favoriteterm of a greatdesigner
in the landscape-gardeningline; and it seems no less
evidentthat some of thoseauthors have been disposedto
magnify its apparent insignificanceby associatingitwith
othertopics,which are generallyallowedto be both interest-ing
and important. In this respectthey have certainly
shown great tact; for though many learned men have,atdifierentperiods,writtenlargelyand profoundly on verytriflingsubjects,yet it does seem necessaryfor a man,
however learned and discreet,to set forth,eitherin his
ORIGIN AND NAME. S
title-pageor in his proemium, something Uke an apologyfor his becoming the historiographerof PlayingCards,"
things in themselvesslightlyesteemed even by thosewhouse them most, and frequentlytermed by pious people" thedevil'sbooks." i..eexample which has thusbeen set
I am resolvedto follow;for though, in the title-page,I
announce no othertopic for the purpose of castinga bor-rowed
lighton the principalsubject,I yet wish the readerto understand that I am writing an apology foritnow ;
and in the progressof the work I doubt not thatI shallbe found as discursiveas most of thosewho have previously
eitherreasoned or speculatedon Playing Cards.
A historyof PlayingCards,treatingof them in alltheir
possiblerelations,associations,and bearings,would fonn
nearlya complete cyclopaediaofscienceand art; and would
stilladmit of being furtherenlargedby an extensivebio-graphical
supplement, containingsketchesof the livesof
celebratedcharacterswho have played at cards," or at any
other game. Cards would form the centre" the point,
having position,but no space," from which a radius ofindefiniteextent might sweep a circlecomprehending not
only allthat man knows, but allthat he speculateson.
The power of reach,by means of the pointand the radius,
being thus obtained,the operator has his choiceof topics;
and can arrange them round his centre, and colourthem
at hiswill,as boys at schoolcolourtheirfancifidsegments
of a circle.To exemplifywhat hasjustbeen saidabout thecapabiHty
of cards as a subjectofdisquisition:" One writer,Pere
Menestrier, preluding on the invention of cards,says,
apropos to the term Jeu " Indus,a game " ^that,to the
Supreme Being the creationof the world was only a kind
' Bibliotliequecurieuseet instructive,torn,ii,chap.xii.Des Principesdes
Scienceset des Arts,disposeen forme de Jeiix.Trevoux,1704.
4 PLAYING CARDS.
of game ; and that schoolmasterswith the Romans were
calledLudi Magistri" masters of thegame or sport. Here,
then,is a fineopportunityfor a descanton creation; and
forshowing that the whole businessof human life,from
the cradleto the grave,isbut a game ; that allthe world
is a great"
gaming-house,"" to avoid using a word
ofiensiveto ears pohte,"
"And allthe men and women mereijplayers."
Illustrativeof this view of human life,a couple of
pertinentquotations,from Terence and Plutarch,are sup-pliedby anotherbrotherofthe same craft,M. C. Leber.
According to Pere Daniel,^" a reverend fatherof the
order of Jesuits,who wrote an elaboratehistoryof the
French MilitaryEstablishments," the game of Piquet is
symbohc, allegorical,military,political,and historical,and
contains a number of important maxims relatingto war
and government. Now, granting,for the sake of argu-ment,
thatthe game, with respectto itsesotericprinciples,isreallyenigmatic,itmay be fairlydenied thatPere Daniel
has succeededin explainingitcorrectly; hisfancieddisco-veries
may be examined in detail,and shown, with verylittletrouble,to be the mere seethingsof his own workingimagination; othersmay be proposed,and, as a matter ofcourse, supportedby authorities,ancientand modem, on
theorigin,use, and meaning ofsymbols and allegories,and* Itavitaest hominum quasicum ludasTesseris;
Si illud,quod maximb opus estjactu,non cadit,Illudquod ceciditforte,idarteut corrigas.
Tekent. Adelph. act.iv,sc. 7.
"Ludo TesserarumPlatovitam comparavit,in quo et jacereutiliaoportet,etjacientemutibeneiisqua ccciderunt."" Plut. Op. Moth.EpisL ad Paceium,
"Etudes Listoriquessur IcsCartesa Jouer,par M. C. Leber,p. 63." In a paper entitled,L'Originedu Jeu de Piquet,trouv6dans THistoirede
Francesous larcgne dc CharlesVII, Printed inthe M"$moires pour THis-touredes Sciences,"c.~Trevoux ; inthe vol.forMay, 1720,p. 934-968.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 5
illustratedwith maxims of war and state policy,carefully
selectedfrom the bulletins,memoirs, and diplomaticcorre-spondence
of the greatmilitarychiefsand statesmen of all
nations: thus a respectablevolume " in point of sizeatleast" might be got up on thesubjectofPiquet alone,with-out
trenchingon the wide fieldof cardsin general.Court de Gebelin,\aGnostic,at leastin the philosophic,
ifnot in the rehgious,sense of the word, findsin the oldItahan Tarocchi cards the vestigesof the learningof the
ancient Egyptians,somewhat mutilatedand disguised,in-deed,
by Gothicignorance,which suspectednot theprofoundknowledge concealedinitsplaythings,but stillintelligibleto
the penetratinggeniuswhich initiatesitselfintoallancient
mysteries,isfond of exploringthe profoundlyobscure,andbecomes oracular,tallcingconfidentlyof what itsees, whenitisonly groping in the dark. Court de Gebelin'stheory
suggestsat once a generalhistoryof scienceand art,which,
as eveiybodyknows, had theircradleinancientEgypt, and
induces dim, but gloriousvisionsof the ancientEgyptian
kings," Sesonch, Rameses, and Amonoph: the chrono-
logers,Sanchoniathon, Manetho, and Berosus, follow,as
a matter,of course, whether originallyknown from Bishop
Cumberland, or from Mr. Jenkinson, in the 'Vicar of
Wakefield.' Then who can think of the knowledge ofthe
ancientEgyptians,and ofitsessence being containedin the
symboliccharactersof a pack ofcards,withouthieroglyphic
" In a dissertation"Du Jeu de Tarots,ou Ton traitcde son origine,oilTon
explique ses allegories,et oilI'onfaitvoir qu'ilest la source de nos Cartes
modemes ^jouer,""c. This dissertationiscontainedm hisMonde primitif,
analyst et compart avec le Monde modeme." Dissertationsmelees,torn,i,
p. 3G5-394. Paris,1781. It is not unlikelythat he was led to make this
discoveryfrom the noticesof a philosophicgame of the ancientEgyptians,
quoted by Meursius, in.his treatiseDc Ludis Graicorum,p. 53. Lugduni
Batavorum, 1622. A summary of Court de Gebelin'sconceitson the subjectof Tarots isto be found in Pcignot'sAnalyse do Recherches sur lesCartes ^
jouer,p. 227-237.,
6 PLAYING CARDS.
writingcoiningintohismind?^ and thissubject,being once
started,leadsnaturally,in chronologicalorder,to Clemens
Alexandrinus,Horapoilo,AthanasiusKircher,Bishop War-
burton,Dr. Thomas Young, and Mons. ChampoUion. To
writeproperlya historyof PlayingCards in connexion with
the learningof the Egyptians,as suggested by the disser-tation
of Court de Gebelin,would requirethe unwearied
energy of one of those brazen-bowelledscholarswho flou-rished
at Alexandriawhen ancientscienceand art,sinkingintoa stateof second childhood,had again found a cradlein Egypt. Oh, Isis,mother of Horus, how isthy image
multiphed! Though changed in name, milhons stillwor-shipit,ignorantofthetype of thatbeforewhich theybow.^
Allissymbol : the cardsofthe gamester are symbolic; full
of meaning of high import, and yet he isignorantof it,
cares not to know it,though Court de Gebelinwould teach
him ; isindifferentabout his soul,and prays only thathe
may hold a good hand oftrumps," symbol again!^
As cards are printedon paper,from engraved blocks of
* He shallhave a bell,that'sAbel;
And by itstandingone whose name isDee,
In a rug govni; there'sD and Rug, that'sDrug;
And rightancnst him a dog snarlinger;There'sBruggett
-^belDrugger. That'shissign.
And here'snow Mystery and Hieroglyphic!
The Alchemist,aetii.
" See an imageof Isis,homed, with the infantHorus on herknee; and note,thatantiquarieshave not settledwhy theVirginMary issometimes representedwith the crescenton her head. Isiswas the protectressof seafaringpeople;and her image, as we learnfrom Petrouiusand other writers,was frequently
placedinships.' The hand occurs frequentlyin Egyptian hieroglyphics: itwould be super-fluous
to tellthe learnedreaderwhat itmeans. The hand holdinga hammer,in the hieroglyphicusuallyknown as the Blacksmiths'Coat of Anns, issuffi-ciently
explainedby the motto,
" By Hammer and Hand,
AllArts do stand."
ORIGIN AND NAME. 7
wood, and as wood-engraving appears to have suggestedthe art of typography,or printingfrom moveable types,
Breitkopfcombines in one generalessayhisinquiriesinto
the originofplayingcards,the introductionof linenpaper,
and thebeginningof wood-engraving inEurope ;^ thisessaybeing but a portion of the author'sintended History ofPrinting. Singer^ followsvery nearlythe same plan as
Breitkopf;but though hisResearchesform a goodlyquarto,both in pointof sizeand appearance,he yet has not looked
into every corner. The wide fieldof Playing Cards still
admitsof furthercultivation; for,though oftenturned upby the heavy subsoilplough of antiquarianresearchand
wellharrowed by speculation,itremains undrained.In the 'NouvellesAnnales desVoyages,' we finda disser-tation
by M. Rey, on Playing Cards, and the Mariner's
Compass ; apparentlytwo incongruousthings,yetindissolu-
blyconnectedby the fleur-de-Us,which isto be seen on the
draperyof some of the court or coat cards,and which also
forms an ornament to the northpoint. Itappearsthatthis
dissertationon cardsand the compass isbut a fragmentof a
work composed by M. Rey, on theflag,colours,and badges
ofthe French monarchy. Judging ofhistalents,from this
" fragment,"he appears to have been admirablyfittedto
write a general historyof cards; and it isto be regretted
thathe did not giveto hisso-called" fragment,"that com-prehensive
title,and introducethe essayon the mariner's
" Versuch, den Urspnmg der Spielkaken,die Einfuhrung des Leinenpa-
pieres,und den Anfang der HolzschneidekunstinEuropa zu erforschen.Von
J. G. I.Breitkopf. 4to. Leipzig,1784." Researches into the Historyof Playing Cards ; withIllustrationsof the
OriginofPrintingand Engraving on Wood. By Samuel Weller Singer. 4to.
London, 1816." Tome deuxieme de Tannde 1836. 'Originerran9aisede laBoussoleetdes
Cartes a jouer.'Fragmens d'un ouvrage sous presse,intitule,'Histoiredu
Drapeau, des Couleurs,et des Insignesde la Monarchic Fraufaise,*"c. Par
M. Rey. Livre X" Umversalit6des Fleursde Lis.
8 PLAYING CAED8.
compass and the historyof the French flagas incidental
illustrationsof the fleur-de-lis,for certainlythe fragment
on cards,"rent from a historyof the French flag," does
seem a littleout ofplace,in a generalcollectionof voyages
and travels,unless,indeed,it be there introduced as a
'
traveller'stale.
Mons. C. Leber, one of the most recent writerson
Playing Cards,^ is an author,whom it is very difficult
to followin his deviouscourse ; for though he is always
picb'ng up something that appearsto relateto his sub-ject,he yet does not seem to have had any clearidea of
what he was seekingfor. The grand questions,he says,are,
" Where do cardscome from ; what are they;what do
they say; and what ought we to thinkof them ?" These
questions,however,Mons. Leber, by no means undertakesto answer. He confineshimself,as he says,to a verynarrow path" a veiycrookedone too,he might haveadded"
avoidingthe wide and floweryfieldof conjecture,but dili-gently
amassingfactsto guideotherinquirersintothe originand primary use ofPlaying Cards. He iscertainthatthey
are of ancientorigin,and of Easterninvention; and that
primarilythey constituteda symbolicand moral game. He
professesto be guidedin his researchesby the evidenceof
cardsthemselves; but though a diligentcollectorofcardsof
allkinds,he does not appearto have been successfulin ex-tractinganswers from hiswitnesses. They allstand mute.
In short,Mons. Leber, notwithstandinghis diligenceas a
collectorofcards,and hischifibnier-likegatheringof scraps
connectedwith them, has lefttheirhistoryprettynearlythesame as he found it. In the genuine spiritof a collector,he
stilllongsformore oldcards,"but then,how to findthem ?
' Etudes historiquessur les Cartesa joucr.Par M. C. Leber. Originally
printedm the sixteenthvolume ofthe 'Memoires de laSocietyroyaledes Anti-
quaircsde Trance/and subsequentlypublishedseparately. Paris,1842.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 9
Such preciousreliquesare not to be obtainedby mere
labour; they turn up fortuitously,mostlyin the covers of
old books,and as none that have hithertobeen discovered
explaintheiroriginand presumed emblematicmeaning, itis
a chance thatthe materialsfora fulland complete history
of Playing Cards will ever be obtained." In the mean
time," says Mons. Leber, "we must wait tillthiswork
of time and perseverance shallbe accompUshed/'^ To
interprethis words from his own example," to wait,"
may mean, to keep moving without advancing, like a
squirrelin a wheel. Notwithstanding allthe old cards
thathave been discovered,and allthathas been collectedon the subject,from both taleand history,"how farare we
from possessing,'exclaims Mons. Leber, "
and who shall
ever amass, allthe elementsnecessaryfora positivehistory
of playingcards."^ Thus much may serve by way ofintro-duction,
and as evidenceofthe"
capability"of thesubject.Man, as a gambling animal, has the means ofindulging
in hishopefulpropensity,as soon as he has acquireda pro-perty
eitherrealor personal,and can distinguishodd from
even, or a shortstraw from a shorter. The firstgame that
he playedat,in the golden age of happy ignorance,would
naturallybe one of pure chance. We have no positive
informationabout this identicalgame in any ancient or
modern author; but we may fairlysuppose,forno one can
I ". . . .
Ce n'estpas I'affairede quelquesarmies,ni des travaux,ni
des sacrificesd'lineseulevie,quede rassemblertant de cli^tifsdebris,de pieces
egarees,souill6es,mutilees,iuformes,et dont la decouverten'estplussouvent
qu'un capricedu hasard,une bonne fortuneplutotqu'une bonne action. H
fautdone attendreque cetteoeuvre du temps et de laperseverancesoitaccom-
plie.""Etudes Historiqnes,p. 60.
a Cataloguedes Livresimprimis,Manuscrits,Estampes,Dessins,et Cartes
a jouer,composant le Bibliotliequede M. C. Leber, torn,i,p. 238. Paris,
1839. This library,the Catalogueof vi^hichconsistsofthreevolumes, now
belongsto the city of Rouen. The cards are describedin the firstvolume,
pp. 237-48.
10 PLATING CARDS.
provethesuppositiontobe false,thatitwas either"drawing
lots/'or guessingat"
odd or even/'*Imaginationsuggests
thatthestakesmight be acorns, or chesnuts; and though
reason may"
querythefact,"yet she cannot controvertit.
Itisevidentthatat eitherof the two simple games above
named, a player,when itcame to his turn to hold,might
improvehischanceofwinning,by means of a littledexterous
management, vulgarlycalledcheating,and thus,to a certain
extent,emancipatehimselffrom thelawsofblindFortune,"
a personificationofchancewhich a gambler,most assuredly,
firstelevatedto the rank of a divinity. That cheating is
nearlycoevalwith gaming, cannot admit of a doubt ; and it
is highlyprobablethat thismode of giving an eccentric
motion to Fortune'swheel was discovered,ifnot actually
practised,atthefirstregularbout,under theoaksofDodona,
or elsewhere,beforethe floodof Thessaly.*
Man, havingleftthe woods forthe meadows, progressingfrom the sylvanor savagestateto that of a shepherd,now
not only roastshischesnuts,but also eats a bitof mutton
to them ; and afterhaving picked the leg clean, forms
of the small bones, between the shank and the foot,new
instrumentsof gaming. Taking a certainnumber of those
bones, three for instance,he makes on four sides of
* With the Latins,Ludere par impar ; with the Greeks, 'apuaZeiv;nai^eiv,'apTia'ijiripiTra. "Nempe ludentes,sumptis m manu talis,fabis,nucibus,amygdalis,interdum etiam nummis, intcrrogantesalterum divinarejubebant,*'apTia 'tj
trepiTTai*paria,nempe, an impariahaberent."" Meursius, de LudisGracorum, p. 5, edit.1C22.
* Fortune is a parvenue, m the Olympian circle,"of greatmeans, but no
family:Di chifigluolafusse,b diche seme
Nasccsse,non sisa; ben sisa certoCh'infinoa Giove sua potentiateme.
IkLLCCHiAVELLi,Capitolodi Fortuna.* Dr. Thomas Hyde isinclinedto think that the game of Astragaliwas
known from the timeof the generalDeluge."De Ludis Oricntalibus.Oxon.1G91.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 11
each a certainnumber of marks: on one sidea single
point,and on the sideoppositesixpoints; on anothersidethree points,and on the oppositefour. Putting these
bones into a cow's horn, he shakes them together,andthen throws them out ; and accordingly,as the pointsmayrun high,or as the cast may be of threedifferentniunbers,so does he count hisgame.^ Conventionalrulesforplayingare now estabhshed; definitevalues,independent of the
number of points,are assigned to differentcasts; some
beingreckonedhigh,whileothersare countedlow,and some-times
positivelyagainstthe player,although the chance
oftheirturningup be the same as thatoftheformer. The
game now becomes more compUcated; and the chancesbeing more numerous, and the odds more various,a know-ing
gamester who plays regularly,and makes a calculation
of the probabilityof any given number, or combinationof
points,being thrown, eitherat a singlecast,or out of a
certainnumber, has an advantagein bettingover hismore
simple-minded competitors." Luck is all!" exclaimsthe
novice," and guesses; the adept mutters, "Knowledge
ispower,"" and counts.
The cuttingof bones intocubes,or dice,and numbering
them on all their six sides,would probablybe the next
stepin gaming; and there are grounds forsupposingthat
the introductionof dice was shortlyfollowed by the in-vention
of something hke backgammon ; a game which
affordsgreaterscope for calculationthan dice,and allows
also of the playerdisplayinghis skillin the management
of his men. Should it be asked,what has any of those
games to do with the originof cards? I answer, in the
' The ancient Greek game ofAstragalior Astragalismos"the Tali of the
Bomans" appears to have been playedin a manner similarto thatdescribedin
the text. The names givento the differentcastsare to be found in Meursius,
De Ludis Grrecorum,under the word ASTPAI'AAISMOS.
12 PLAYING CARDS.
words of an Irishguide,when pointingout to a traveller
severalplaceswhich he was not wanting to find," " Well,
then,none ofthem's it."
The next game, which it seems necessaryto notice,is
the UtTTua oftheGreeks,and theLatrunculioftheLatins;
as in the sequelit may perhaps be found to have some
positive,though remote, relationto the game of eards.
It would be superfluoushere to inquireif the game of
UiTTtia,or Latrunculi,were reallythatwhich was invented
by Palamedes duringthe TrojanWar; itmay be sufficient
to remark, that it is mentioned by Homer, who, in the
firstbook of the Odyssey, representsPenelope'ssuitors
playingat it:
" Before the doorthey were amusmg themselvesat tables,
Sittmg on the skinsof oxen which theythemselveshad killed."*
In whatever countrythe game may have been invented,
or however it may have been originallyplayed,it was
certainlynot a game of chance. It was a scientificgame
' nt990nn irpoirapotOtOvpautv OvfiovIrtpirovi
*EfitvotIv pivoiffi(iouvove Uktuvov "vroi." Odt/$i,A. 107.
The word used by Homer, 7r""r"rot," ^whichproperlymeans the pebblesor
piecesemployedinthe game," ishe^etranslatedtables; a term, which having
now become nearlyobsoleteas signifyingdraughts,may be usedto denotean
ancientcognategame.Itmight be plausiblyurgedby a commentator fondofdiscoveringHomer's
covertmeanings,thatthe poet intendedto censure thegames ofAstragalismus
and Pettcia,"theformeras a cause ofstrife,and thelatteras a fittingamuse-ment
for idleand dissipatedpersons, likethe suitorsof Penelope. In the
twenty-tliirdbook oftheIliad,v. 87, Patroclusisrepresentedas havingkilled,
when a boy,thoughunintentionally,a companionwithwhom he had quarrelled
when playingatAstragalior Tali:
. . . " iratdaKaruravov 'Afx^iiafiavroe,"Stjmoe, "K 'i9i\uv,'aynp'iorpayaXoKrixo\u9iic.
Itisnot imlikelythatan ancientpieceofsculpture,inthe BritishMuseum,
"representing a boy bitingthe arm ofhiscompanion,withwhom he has quar-relled
atTali" ^rchitesto thispassage.
ORIGIN AND NAME. IS
requiringthe exercise of the mind, and whollydependentas to itsresulton the comparativeskillof the two players;he who displayedthe greatestjudgmentin moving his
pieces,accordingto therulesofthe game, beingthewinner.^This game appears to have been similarto that de-scribed
in Strutt's'Sports and Pastimes,'under thename of Merrels, which is stillplayedin many partsofEngland, and which was, and may be still,a common
game in almost everycountryin Europe. It appears to
have branched out intoseveralspecies,with the Greeks andRomans ; and though,in some ofthem, thegame was veryintricate,it yet never attainedwith those people to the
perfectionof chess. One of thosevarietiesof Petteia,or
Latrunculi,seems to have been very likethe game ofdraughts; it was played with pieces or men, of two
differentcolours,placed on a board dividedinto several
squares,and a man of one partycould be taken by the
opponent when he succeededin inclosingit between two
ofhisown.^
Whatever may have been the originof chess,itseems to
be generallyadmittedthatthe game, nearlythe same in its
prmciplesas itisnow played," with itsboard of sixty-four
squares,and men of differentgrades," ^was firstdevisedin
India; and, without giving implicitcreditto the well-known account of itsinventionby an Indiannamed Sissa,
we may assume thatthe dateassignedto it,namely,about
the beginningof the fifthcenturyof the Christianera, is
sufficientlycorrect for allpracticalpurposes: a difierence
oftwo or threehundred years,eitherone way or the other," See a work by thelateMr. James Christie"more generallyknown to the
world as an auctioneerthan as a man oflearningandofgreatresearch"entitled"An EnquiryintotheancientGreek game supposedto have been inventedby
Palamedcs antecedentto the Siege ofTroy; with Reasonsforbelievingthe
Game to have been known from remote antiquityinChina,and progressivelyimproved into the Chinese,Indian,Persian,and EuropeanChess." London,
,1801.' JuliusPollux,Onomasticon,lib.ix,cap.7.
14 PLAYING CARDS.
isofverylittleimportancein a conjectureabo^t the game,
as connectedwith Playing Cards. Having now arrivedat
Chess,we fancythatwe see somethingUke" land,"though
itmay be but a fog-bankafterall.To speak withoutfigiu-e,
it seems likelythat the game of cards was suggestedby
thatof chess.The affinityofthe two games, and the similaritybetween
the coat cards and the principalpiecesin the game of
chess,have alreadybeen pointed out by Breitkopf;^ and
he isso copiousoii the lattertopic,thathe has leftbut little
for any of his successors to do,in thisrespect,except to
condense his diffusenotes; for,as was said of William
Prynne,hisbrainsare generallyto be found scatteredabout
themargin ofhisworks,and not in the text.
A side,or suit,ofchessmen consistsof sixorders,whichintheoldorientalgame were named " 1, Schach,theking;
2, Pherz, the general;,3, Phil, the elephant;4, Jspen^
mar, thehorseman,or chevalier;5, ^wc^, the camel; and,6, Beydel or Beydak, thefootmen or infantry.In thissuit
therewas no queen,as the introductionof a femaleintoa
game representingthestratagemsof war would have been
contraryto theorientalideasof propriety; and long aftertheintroductionofchessintoEurope,thesecondpiece,now
calledtheQueen,retaineditsEasternname under theform
ofFierce,Fierche,or Merge, even afterit had acquireda
femininecharacter. Fiergeat lengthbecomes confounded
* " As the militaiygrotmdwork ofthegame ofcards,and itssimilarityto
chess,cannot be denied; so a closerexaminationof thisaffinitymay readilyleadto the originof the change in theirfiguresand colours.""
^Breitkopf,Ueber den Ursprung der Spielkarten,s. 30.
" "Le traducteurdu PoiJmede laVielle,end^crivantlesEchecs,s'exprimeainsi;
* La Reyne,que nous nommous Fierge,
Tientde Venus, et n'estpasVierge;Aimableestct amoureuse.*
" "c.
" L'Originedu Jeu desEchecs,par Mons. Ereret. Hist,de TAcad^mie des
Inscriptions,torn,y, p.255.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 16
with the French Tierge,a maid ; and finally,thepieceis
calledBame^ the lady,and so becomes thoroughlyEuropean,
both in name and character. With respectto the changes
which the other pieceshave undergone in the European
game of chess,itis only necessaryto observe thatPliil^
the elephant,isnow the Fol or Fou of the French, and the
Bishop of the English ; Aspen-mar, the horseman, isthe
French Chevalier, and the EnglishKnight; Much, thecamel,
isthe French Tb^^r,and the EnglishJ?oo^or Castle;andthe Beydel or Beydak, the footmen, are now the French
Pions,and the EnglishPawns,
Now the very same change that has takenplacein the
secondpieceinchess" ^namely,from a male to a female"
has alsohappened to the second principalfigurein French
and Englishcards. Among the oldestnumeral cards that
haveyet been discoveredno Queen is to be found; the
threeprincipalfiguresor coat cards beingthe King, the
Knight,and the Valet or Knave. There was no Queen in
theold Spanishpack ofcards; nor was thereusuallyin the
German in the time of Heineken and Breitkopf. In the
Spanish,the coat cardsof each suitwere theKing (-B^),theKnight {Cavallo),and the Knave, groom, or attendant
{Sota)\ in the German, the King {K6nig\a chiefofficer
{Oher\and a Subaltern(JJnter)}The Italians,insteadof
making any change intheoldcoat cards,sometimesaddedthe Queen to them, so thatthey had fourinsteadofthree,
namely.Re, Beina, Cavallo,and Fante,
The followingextracts from an Essay on the Indian
Game ofChess,by SirWilliam Jones,printedin the second
volume of the * AsiaticResearches,'seem to estabUshmore
* " Comme c'estun jeumilitaire,ily a danschaque couleurun roi,nn officier
supdrieurou capitaine,nomm^ Ober,et un bas-officierappel^ Unter. On ap-
pelaitencore de nos joursdans rEmpire, oillesmots Franjois ne sont pas en
vogue, les officierssup^rieursOherUute, et les bas-officiersUnterkute"'^
Heineken,Id"ieGen^raled'uneCollectiond'Estampes,p. 241. Leipsic,1771.
16 PLAYING CARDS.
clearlythan anything that has been expresslywrittenon
thesubject,eitherby Breitkopfor others,the affinitybe-
tween cardsand chess:" Ifevidencebe requiredto prove
thatchesswas inventedby the Hindus, we may be satisfied
with the testimonyof the Persians; who, though as much
inclinedas othernationsto appropriatethe ingeniousin-ventions
of a foreignpeople,unanimouslyagree,that the
game was imported from the west of India,togetherwith
the charming fablesof Vishnusarman in the sixthcentury
of our era. It seems to have been immemorially known
in Hindustan by the name of Chatur-anga,thatisthe four
angoBy or members of an army, which are said,in the
Amaracosha, to be elephants,horses,chariots,and foot-
soldiers; and in thissense the word is frequentlyused by
epicpoetsin theirdescriptionsofrealarmies. By a natural
corruptionof the pure Sanscritword, it was changed by
the oldPersiansinto Chatrang; but the Arabs, who soon
aftertookpossessionoftheircountry,had neitherthe initial
nor finalletterof thatword in theiralphabet,and conse-quently
altereditfurtherinto Shatranj}which found its.
way presentlyinto the modern Persian,and at length into
the dialectsof India,where the true derivationof the name
isknown onlyto the learned. Thus has a very significant
word in the sacredlanguage of the Brahmans been trans-ferred
by successivechangesintoAxedras,Scacchi,Echecs,
Chess; and,by a whimsicalconcurrence of circumstances,
given birthto the Englishword check,and even a name
to the Exchequer of Great Britain.
" Itwould appear that the etymologyof thisname was a matter of great
uncertaintyeven among people of orientalrace. According to some, it was
Sad-rengh,thehundred turns,or wilesof the players; accordingto others,itwas
Sad-rangiythe hundred vexationsof the game. A thirdderivationwas from
Shesh-rengh,six colours,as ifeach of the six ordersof pieceshad beiendistin-guished
by a separatecolour."Hyde, De Ludis Orientalibus.Par. 1. Historia
Shahiludii,cap.De Nomme Shatrangi. Oxon. 1694.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 17
" Of thissimplegame, so exquisitelycontrived,and so
certainlyinventedin India,I cannot findany account in
the classicalwritingsof the Brahraans. It isindeedcon-fidently
assertedthatSanscritbooks on Chess existinthis
country; and ifthey can be procured at Benares, they
willassuredlybe sent to us. At present,I can onlyexhibita descriptionof a very ancientIndian game of the same
kind; but more complex,and, in my opinion,more modemthan the simplechess of the Persians. This game isalso
calledChaturanga,but more frequentlyChaturaji,or the
Four Kings, sinceitisplayedby fourpersons,representingas many princes,two alliedarmiescombating on each side.The descriptionis taken from the Bhawishya Puran, in
which Yudhist'hiris representedconversingwith Vyasa,
who explains,at the king'srequest,the form ofthe fictitious
warfare,and the principalrulesof it. ' Having marked
eightsquareson all sides,'saysthe sage,'placethe red
army to the east,thegreen to the south,thegellowto the
west, and the blackiothenorth.'"^
" Itisworthy ofremark,
thatthesecoloursformthegroundoffourofthesuitsofone
of the divisionsof an eight-suitpack of Hindostaneecards.Itappearsthat in thisgame the moves were determined
by casts withdice,as inbackgammon, so thatitwas one of
chance as well as skill. On thispointSirWilUam Jones
observes;" The use ofdicemay, perhaps,be justifiedin a
representationof war, inwhichfortunehasunquestionablya
greatshare,but itseems to excludeChessfrom therankwhich
has been assignedto itamong the sciences,and to givethe
game beforeus the appearanceof Wldst,exceptthatpieces
are used onlyinsteadofcards,which are heldconcealed."
" That the suitsof cards were formerlydistinguishedby an emblem which
was suggestiveof a particularcolour,as wellas representinga particularform,
iscertain. The Germans stillcalltwo of theirsuitsRoth and Grim^rcd and
green" and the emblems are a heartand a leaf.
2
]8 PLAYING CARDS.
Though SirWilUam Jones mentions Whist in particular,
itisyet apparent,from his own description,that the simi-larity
of Chaturajito any othergame of cards played by
fourpersons is preciselythe same. This evidenceof the
similarity,between a game of cardsand an ancientIndian
game ofchess,isthemore important,as the factappearsto
have forceditselfupon the noticeof the writer,ratherthan
to have been sought for.
It may herebe observed,thatinthewardrobe accounts ofEdward I,thereisan item,of money paid for the use of
the king forplayingat the Four Kings " Quatuor Reges "
and thatit has been conjecturedthatthe game was cards.
The Hon. Daines Barrington,who appearsto have been of
thisopinion,says: "the earliestmention of cards thatI
have yet stumbledupon is in Mr. Anstis'sHistoryofthe
Garter,where he citesthe followingpassage from the
Wardrobe Rolls,in the sixthyear of Edward the First,
[1278]:* Waltero Sturton,ad opus regisad ludendum ad
quatuorregesviii^.v^.' From which entryMr. Anstiswithsome probabilityconjectures,that playing cards were not
unknown at the latterend of the thirteenthcentury; and
perhaps what I shalladd may carry with it some small
confirmationof what he supposes."^ As thisis not the
placeto discussthe question,if playingcards were known
in England so earlyas the reign of Edward I,it may be
sufficientto remark thatthe substanceof what Mr. Barring-
ton has adduced in confirmationof Anstis'sconjectureconsistsin a statement ofthe factof Edward having been
inSyria,and thathe might have learnedthe game of cardsthere^" taking it for granted that cards were of Eastern
' Observationson the Antiquityof Card-playingin England. In the Archseo-"logiji,vol.viii.
" " Edward theFirst,when Princeof Wales,servednearlyfiveyearsin Syria,
and therefore,whilstmilitaryoperationswere saspended,must naturallyhave
wished some sedentaryamusement. Now, the Asiaticsscarcelyever change
ORIGIN AND NAME. 19
invention,and known in Syria at that period,"and in a
second-hand referenceto Breitkopffor a passagein theGiildinSpil,wherein it isstatedthat a certaingame
cardsbeing unquestionablymeant " ^firstcame intoGermany
about the year 1300.
From SirWilliam Jones'saccount ofthegame of Chatur-
anga or, more specifically,chaturaji" the Four Rajas,orKings" therecan scarcelybe a doubt thatthe game of theFour Kings played at by Edward I, was chess,and that
this name was a literaltranslationof the Indian one.
Assuming this,then, as an establishedfact,we have evi-dence
of the number four being associatedin Europe at
thatperiodwith the game of chess,which, as has been pre-viously
shown,bore so greata resemblancetoa game pfcards.Now, whatevermay have been theoriginofthe name of
cards,itisundeniable thatthe idea of the number fouris
very generallyassociatedwith them; there are four suits,
and in each suitthereare fourhonours,reckoningthe ace ;
" to say nothing of the very old game of AllFours,which
may have originallymeant winning in each of the four
Angas or divisions,now representedby High, Low, Jack,
and the Game. It isalsocertainthat,inthiscountry,cardswere calledthe Books of the Four Kings, long beforethe
passagerelatingto thegame of QuatuorBeges,which mighthave suggestedthe name, appearedinAnstis'sHistoryofthe
Garter. They are so calledby SirThomas Urquhart, in his
translationofRabelais,inchapter22,book i,which contains
an account of the games thatGargantua playedat: "After
supper,were brought intothe room thefairwooden gospels,
and the books of the Four Kings, that is to say,the tables
theircustoms : and as they playat cards,though in many respectsdifferent
from ours, itisnot improbablethatEdward might have been taughtthisgame,
ad quatuor reges,whilsthe continuedso long in thispart of the globe.""
Archaeol.viii,p. 135.
20 PLAYING CARDS.
and cards."^ Cards are not indeedcalledthe Books ofthe
Four Kings in the originaltext of Rabelais; though itis
certainthatthey were known in France by that name, and
that the Valets or Knaves were also calledfom " a term
which, as Peignotremarks, corroboratesBreitkopf's theory
of the analogy between chess and cards.^ Mrs. Piozzi,
speaking of cards,in her Retrospection,publishedin 1801,
says," It is a well-known vulgarityin England to say,
' Come, Sir,willyou have a stroke at the historyof the
Four Kings ?' meaning, Will you play a game at cards?''
A writerin Eraser'sMagazine, forAugust, 1844, alsocalls
cards the books of the Four Kings, as ifthey were wellknown by thatname.
Now as cltaliar,cliatur,or, as the word is sometimes
writtenin English,chartah, signifiesfour in the Hindos-
tanee language, as it enters into the composition of
cliaturanga,and as chess probably suggestedthe game of
cards,I am incKned to thinkthatboth games were invented
in Hindostan, and that chahar or chatur in the language
of that countryformed a portion of the originalname of
cards. The common term for cards in Hindostan, isTaj
* "Apr^s soupcr vcnoicnten placeIcsbcaulxEvangilcsdc bois,c*est-a-direforcetablicrs,ou Icbeau flux,ung, deux,trois."" Rabelais,livrei,chap.22.
' The followingverses relatingto thispointare quoted by Peignot,in his
Analyse de Rccherchcs sur les Cartes^ Jouer, from a poem intituled"La
Magdeleineau Desertde laSamte-Baume en Provence,Pocme spiritueletChre-tien,
par leP. Pierrede St.Louis,religieuxCarme." Lyons, 1668.
'* Voilaquant a Teglise: aliensa lamaisonPour voirapres celasima rime a raison.Les livresque j*yvoy de diversepeinture,Sont lesLiVEES des Roys, non pas de TEscriture.
J*yremarque au dedansdilTcrcntescouleurs.Rouge aux Carreaux,aux Cocurs,noiraux Piques,aux Fleurs;Avecque ces beaux Roys,jevoisencore desDames,
De ces pauvrcsmarislesridiculesfemmes.
Battez,battezlesbien,battez,battezlestons,
N'^pargnezpas lesRoys, lesDames, nilesPOUS."
ORIGIN AND NAME. 21
or Tas; and itsprimary meaning, as I am informed,isa
leaf,folium.But as itisalsoused in a figurativesense to
signifya diadem or crown, and as the term signifyinga
crown isfrequentlyused in most languagesto signifyregal
authority,the compound term c/ia/iar-taj,or c/ia/tar-tas,
would be suggestiveof nearlythe same ideaas" theFour
Kings," and be almostidenticalin sound with theLatin
cliartcBor chartas. The name, whatever it might be,
would be liableto change in passing from Hindostan,
through othercountries,intoEurope ; in the same manner
as we find Chaturan(/a,the Sanscritname of chess,trans-formed
into the PersianCliatrangytheArabic Shatranj,the
Greek Zatrikion,the Spanish Axedrez, the ItalianScacchi,
the German Schach^ the French Echecs, and the Enghsh
Chess,
The name given to cards by the earhestFrench and
German writerswho mention them, is,respectively.Cartes
and Karten " in Latin, Chartce;but as Charta signifies
paper, and as cards are made of paper,ithas generallybeen supposed that they receivedtheir name from that
circumstance. But ifa partof theiroriginalname signified
the number four,whether derivedfrom an eastern root,or
from the Latinquarta,itcan scarcelybe doubted thatthey
acquiredthe name of charta,not in consequenceof their
being made of paper, but because the Latinword which
signifiedpaper had nearlythe same sound as anotherword
which signifiedfour," in the same manner as Pherz, the
General, in chess,found a representativein Fier(;ie,and
subsequently became confounded with V%erge\ the ideal
change of Viergeinto Dame, the wifeofthe king,followed
of course, like"
wooed," an' marriedan' a'."
It is deservingof remark, that in severalold French
works, writtenwithin fiftyyearsof the time when we have
positiveevidence of the game of cards being known in
22 PLAYING CARDS.
France,theword issometimes spelledquartzor quartea,as
if,in the mind of the writer,itwas rather associatedwith
the idea oifourthan with that oipaper. The possible
derivationof cards from quarta, was suggested by Mr.
Goiigh,in hisObservationson the Invention of Cards,in
the eighthvolume of the ' Archoeologia,'though he was of
opinionthat they obtainedtheirname from the paper of
which theywere made.*' Perhaps,'*says he,
'* it may be
too bold a conjcctiurethatthe *
quarieStludus quartarum
sivecartarum,' by which Junius [inhis Etymologicon]explainscards,may be derived from quarta, which, Du
Cangc says,isused simply forthefourthpartof any thing,
and so may be referredto the quatuor reges; but as Du
Cangc expresslysays,thatquartaand carta are synonymous,I layno stresson this,but leaveitto the critics.*'
To carry stillfurtherthis speculationon the Indian
originof PlayingCards," both name and thing," itisto be
observedthatcardsare calledNaihiyby the earliestItalian
writerswho mention them ; and thatthey have alvvaysbeen
calledNaypes, or Naipes^in Spain,sincethe time of their
firstintroductioninto that country. Now in Hindostan,
where we findthe word Chahar, Chatur, or Chartah,they
have alsotheword Na-eeb,or Naib,which,judgingfrom the
sound only,appearsatleastas likelytohave been theoriginal
of naibiand naipCfas itisof theEnglishNabob} ThiswordNa-eeb signifiesa viceroy,lieutenant,or deputy,who rulesover a certaindistrict,as a feudatorywho owes allegianceto a sovereign. Now, as the game of chess was known in
Hindostan by the name of the Four Kings, ifcards were
suggested by chess,and invented in the same country,* *'Tlicb and v in Persianare constantlyused for each oilier;one instance
willsuffice" the pluralof na-eebya viceroy,is equallypronounced nu-vaub and
nu-baub, or, accordingto our pronunciation,nabob" " A PersonalNarrativeofa Journey from India to England,by Captainthe Hon. George Keppcl, vol.ii,
p. 80. Secondedit.1827.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 23
thesuppositionthat they might have been calledChatur-
Nawaub " the Four Viceroys,as the cognate game ofchesswas calledtheFour Kings " and thatthisname subsequentlybecame changed intoChartah-Naib,is,at least,as probableas the derivationof Naipesfrom N. P.,theinitialsofNicolas
Pepin,theirsupposedinventor. Though thislastetymologyhas verymuch theappearanceof a conundrum, propoundedinjestforthe purpose of ridiculinga certainclassof ety-mologists
who always seek for roots at the siu-face,itis
neverthelessthat which receivedthe sanctionof theroyalSpanishAcademy, and which is givenin theirDictionary.^
SeveralSpanish writers,however,of high reputationfor
theirknowledge of the formationof theirnativelanguage,
have decidedlyassertedthat the word Naipes, signifying
cards, whatever it might have originallymeant, was
derivedfrom theArabic; and ifthetestimonyofCovclhizzo,
a writerquoted in Bussi'sHistory of the Cityof Viterbo,
could be rcUed on, the questionrespectingthe word Naibi
or Naipes,and cardsthemselves,having been brought into
Europe through the Arabs,would appearto be determined.
His words are ;" Anno 1379, furccato inViterboelGioco
DELLE Carte, che venne de Seracinia, e chiamisitra
loro Naib.''^ That is," In the year 1379, was brought
* "Naipe, carton,"tj. Tamarid quicreque sea nombre Arabigo,y lo mismo
elBroccnsc\ pero comunamcntc so juzgaque sc losdid cste nombre por la
primercifraque se laspuso,que fue una N y una P, con que se siguificabacl
nombre de su inventor,Nicolao Pepm : y de ahi eon pcquena corrupcionse
dixoNaipe."" Diccionariode laAcademia Espauolo,edit.1734." IstoriadcllaCitta diViterbo,da PclicianoBussi,p. 213. Roma, 1743.
The passage relatingto cardsappears to have been firstpomted out by Leber,
in his Etudes Historiques sur lesCartes a jouer,p. 43. "Though we have
no informationrespectingthe precisedateof Govelluzzo'sbirthor death,"says
Mons. Leber,in a note at p..17 of Mens. Duchesne'sPrecisHistorique,"it
isyet certainthatthischronicler,whose name isproperlyGiovannideJuzzo de
Covelluzzo,wrote in the fifteenthcentury,and thatwhat he relatesaboutcards
beingbroughtintoViterboin1379,was extractedfrom thechronicleofNicholas
24 PLAYING CARDS, i
into Viterbo the game of cards,which comes from the
country of the Saracens,and is with them calledNaib."
It may be observed, that the very word here given as
the Arabic name forcardsstillsignifiesin Arabia a deputy
of the Sultan. Even though it may not be a word of
Hindostanee origin,it may have been introducedintothat
language when a greatportionof Hindostan was subjectedto the Mahometan yoke,and when many of the Rajahsofnativerace were superseded by the Naibs or deputiesof a
]\Ialiomctansovereign.^There appears reason to believe
thatthe word Naipe or Naipes,as appliedto cards,did not
primarilysignifycards generally,but was rathera designa-tion
ofthegame playedwith cards; in the same manner as
" the Four Kings" signifiedthe game at cards,in conse-quence
of a king being the chiefof each of the four suits.
In Vieyra'sPortugueseDictionary,1773, one of the expla-nations
of the word" Naipe" is, "
a Suit of Cards ;" and
the phrase," Nao tenho nenhuma daquellenaipe,"istrans-lated,
" I have none ofthatsuit/' ,
It is not unlikelythatthe Greek word x"P^vc," Latin,
Charta,paper," was derivedfrom the East,and thatitwas
originallyassociatedwith the ideaof" four,"as expressiveof
a square" quarrc" of paper,in contra-distinctionto a long
stripofpaper or parchment,which, when rolledup, formed
an '(viiXtfia,or volume. In middle-age Greek, the word
yraprapiov,OX y^apriov,^" which is Unquestionablyderived
from the same root as x^p^'/c," appears to have been used
dc Covclluzzo,one ofliisancestors,who, as well as liimself,was an inhabitant
of Viterbo,and who possiblymight have residedthereat the periodwhen cardswere firstintroduced."
' Mahmoud, the Gasnevide,firstinvadedHindostan in a. d. 999.
^"Xaprapiov; Gallicum,qnartier; scutulum quadratura. Extat. apudCo-dinum dc Ofiic.aulieConstantinop. x"P''*o"'"idem quod x"^Pf^piov" " Meursii
GlossariumGrajco-Barbarum,4to,Lugd. Batavor.,1605." Quartierde dots, A
quarter,or square pieceof timber."Cotgrave'sFrencliand English Dictionary.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 25
to convey the ideaof a square,or four-sidedpieceofwood,
and to have specificallysignifieda squarewooden trencher:
the top of the trencher-capworn at the UniversitiesofOxford and Cambridge, and at some of our pubUc schools,
may be consideredas a representativeof the generalform
of the thing. Itiscuriousto trace how a word primarily
expressiveof the nxxmherfourhas,in Greek,Latin,French,
and EngUsh, been employed to signifyeitherpaper gene-rally,or a portionof paper. From the French Ca/iieror
cayer^" which may be traced through carre or quarre,to
the Latin quarfus,from quatuor" we have the old English
quair,a littlepaper book consistingof a few sheets;andthe modern quire,now signifyinga definitenumber of
sheetsofpaper.In Hindostanee the word c/iitsignifies,I believe,a note
or letter,and is in this sense synonymous with the Latin
Episfola,and the German Briefe. Should it also signify
paper,^ eitherin general, or of a particularkind, andbe cognate with chahar, chaiur,or chartah^
"
" four,""
" " Cayer, A quire of written paper; a piece of a written book,divided
intoequal parts."" Cotgrave. The cayer appears to have been sjnonjmous
withthej55c/flof monkish writers. It may be Observed that from chartary a
Persianword literallysignifying*four-strings,"the Rev. Stephen Weston has
tracedthe descentof Ki9apa; cithara; chitarra; and guitar. To these de-
rivatesthe oldEnglishgitternmay beadded."" Specimens of the Conformityof
the European Languages, especiallythe English,with the Orientallanguages,
especiallythe Persian. By Stephen Weston, B. D. 12mo, 1802.
* Itmay be here noted thatthe word Wuruk or Wumq, used by theMoslems
inHindostan to signifya card,signifiesalsothe leafof a tree,a leafoipaper,beinginthe lattersense identicalwith the Latinfolium.See Richardson's
ArabicDictionary,word "Card;" and the word" Wuruf inthe listofterms
used at the game of cardsas playedatHindostan,givenin a subsequentpage.
3 Should I be toldthatthe correctword for"/o/^r,"inHindostanee,ischatur^
chatta,or cattah," not chartah."d.ndibe requiredto account forthepinx"f""'ic"
supposingthe latterword to be derived from the same root,I shouldanswer
by giving a case in point" the derivationof quartus from quatuor," leavmg
others to assign the reason. I subjoinhere,by way of contrast, a different
etymology of (?";"/""Epistola,a letter. "Quieren algunos que.este nombre
2G PLAYING CARDS.
the preceding speculationson the primary meaning of
Xa^Trjg,c/iaria,and cards,willbe materiallycorroborated.
I leave,however,the investigationof thispoint to those
who understand the Hindostanee language, as all the
knowledge thatI have of the word in question,is derived
from one of Theodore Hook's tales,Passion and Principle,
in the firstseriesof' Sayings and Doings.' Wliereverhe
might have pickeditup, the effectwith which he uses itis
peculiarlyhis own.
Breitkopf,who is decidedlyof opinionthat cards are of
Eastern invention,and of greatantiquity,considersthat the
name Naibc, or Naipcs, by which they were firstknown to
the Italiansand the Spaniards,is derived from an Arabic
word " ]Va6aa" signifyingdivination,foretellingfuture
events, fortune-telling,and such like. In this opinion he
sayshe isconfirmed by the expositionofthe Hebrew wordNaihes, which he seems to think cognate with the Arabic
Nabaa.* He, however, produces no evidenceto show that
cards were known eitherto the Arabians or theJews by the
name of Naibe, and from a subsequent passage in hiswork,itisevidentthatthe conjecturewas suggestedmerely from
the circumstanceof cards being occasionallyemployed for
the purposes of fortune-telling.
Heineken, who contends that cards were invented in
Germany, allegesthe name " Briefe" given to them in that
Casicllano,Carta,se derivasscdc laciudaddc Carta insignepor aver sidocuiia
de larcynaDido, y atribuycna estaciudadlactimologia,por aver sidolapri-mcra que dib materiaen que lasCartas sc cscriviesscn."" Seneca impugnado
dc Seneca,"c. Por Don Alonzo Nunez dc Castro,p. 220, -Ito.Madrid, IGGl.
" Is thereany evidenceto show thatthe form of ancientCarthage\.'as Square?' " Im Arabischen heistNahaa : er hat einen leisenTon, wie die Zauberer
thun, von siehgegeben ; davon Iifada,dieZaubertrommel,uhd Nadi, cin Pro-
plict,Wahrsager, hcrkommt. Eiclihorncrkliirt,in der Einleitungzum A. Tcs-
tamente, diehebriiischenWortc Nadi, Nabiini,durch gottlieheEingebung, uuddurch Lcute, die durch gottlieheElugebuug liandelu."" Ueber den Ursprung
dcr Spiclkarten,s. 15.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 27
countryin supportofthe presumed fact." PlayingCards,"
he observes,"
were calledwith us Briefe^ thatisletten,in
Latin,Bpistola and they are calledso still.The common
peopledo not say,'give me a pack of cards,'but 'a Sjpiel
Briefe (unjeude lettres); and they do not say' I want a
card,'but* I want a Brief(aletter).We should,at least,
have preservedthe name cardsy iftheyhad come to us from
France ; forthe common people always preservethe names
ofallgames that come from othercountries."^ This argu-mentiscontradictedby the factof cards having been called
Karten in Germany, beforethey acquiredtherethe name of
Briefe; and thisvery wovd Briefe, which ismerely a trans-lation
of the Latin C/iarta,ispresumptive evidenceof the
Germans having obtained theirknowledge of cards from
eitherthe French or the ItaUans,with whom the name
cards,when" done" intoLatin,had the same meaning as
the German word Briefe,With respectto theterm Naibes,or Naipes, thereare two
etymologieswhich seem deservingof noticehere; the one
propounded by Bullet,in his ' Recherches Historiques sur
lesCartes a jouer;' and the other by EloiJohanneau, in
his * Melanges d'Origines Etymologiques.' Mons. Bullet
thinksthatcardsare ofFrench origin,and thatthey were not
invented beforethe introductionof linenpaper," hischief
reason forfixingthisepoch as a ne-plus-ultrabeingevidently
founded on theirLatinisedname, c/iarfa. From France he
supposes thatthey passed intoSpain by way of Biscay,and
acquiredin theirpassagethe name of Naipes. This word,
accordingto Mons. Bullet,isderivedfrom theBasque term
napa, signifying"plat, plain,uni," which very properly
designatescards,and corresponds with the Latin charta.
This ety:-iologyisfancifulratherthan felicitous; if charta
" Hcinekcn, Idee Gcncrule d'liuccomplete Collectiond'Estampes,p. 210.
Lcipsic,1771.
28 TLAYINO CARDS.
"
were synonymous with ^nensa, " a table," theBasque term
napa would appear to correspond more nearlywith it.But
the Basque language, like the Celtic,is one peculiarly
adaptedforetymologicalspeculation; a personwho under-
standsa littleofit,may readilygrub up in itswildfertility
a root for any word which he may not be able to supply
with a radicalelsewhere.^Mons. EloiJohanneau isof opinion that cards are of
much higherantiquitythan they are generallysupposed to
be, and with respect to then*Spanish name, Naipes, the
originofit,is,to him, too plainand simple to requirethe
aid ofany scarce or voluminous works to prove it; itis,in
short,one of those truthswhich,to be perceived,requires
only to be enounced. This incontestabletruth is,that the
word naipey a card,comes from the Latin inappa, the in
being merely changed into an n. Of this antithesis,or
change of a letter,severalexamples are produced ; as the
French najjpe,a table-cloth,also from mappa; nefleand
nejlierfrom mespilum ^\A mespilus; and fairela Sainte
Mitouche,forfairela Sainte Nitouche, Then naipe and
mappa have an analogousmeaning. Naipes,Playing Cards,
scarcelydifferfrom a mapy " which isa geographiccard,"
or, except in point of size,from a nappey which isspread
' " The Abb6 Bullet,previousto theappearanceofhislittlebook on Cards,in
1757,had commcneed the publieationof a CeltieDictionary.In the former
tlicreare many tracesofhis mind having acquireda bent from hisCelticre-searches.He findsthe originof the term as or ace inthe Celticas; and in the
same languagehe findsthe true meaning of the names of the Queens of Clubs
and Hearts, Argine and Judith. Argine is formed otar, la,the, and ^//2,belle,beautiful;and Judithis a corruptionofJudic," which isformed oijud,a queen,and dye,twice. Both tliosequeens, accordingto liisfancy,are in-tended
to representAnne of Bretagnc,wifeof CharlesVIII and Louis XII.
Accordingto Perc Daniel,Argine isan anagram of Rcgina, and is meant for
Mary ofAnjou,wifeof CharlesVII ; and Judithisnot the lieroineof the Old
Testament,but the wife of Louis-le-Debonnairc.Though those doctorsdis-agree,
yet each appears to have equalliigood reasons for his opinions. The
consequence isthatwe can put no faithin either.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 29
likea chart on the table. In ancient times,too, mappa
signifiedthe tessara,or signal,which was displayedat the
games of the circus.Tertullian,speakingofthosegames in
his ' DiatribeDe Spectaculis,'says :" Non videntmissum
quid sit. Mappam putant; sed est diaboliab altoprseci-
pitatigula,""
" They perceivenot what isdisplayed.They
thinkitthe mappa, but it isthejawsofthe devil." It is
evidentfrom this,thatin Tertullian'sestimation,therewas
something very wicked in the mappa ; and the bad odour
which, even at that earlyperiod,the word was in,appears
to have been retainedby itspresumed derivative,naipes,
ever since: Servavitodorem diu. But then forthe granddiscovery: Mons. Johanneau finds,in Ducange's Glossary,
a passagecitedfrom Papias,^ lexicographerof the eleventh
century,which provesthatthe word mappa then signifieda
Playing Card, and that the game of cards was known at
leastthreecenturiespreviousto the period assignedto its
inventionby the Abbe Rive.^ "Mappa," accordingto
Papias," isa napkin; a picture,or representationof games,
isalsocalledmapa ; whence we say mapa mundi,"" a map
ofthe world. An ancientLatin and French glossary,also
citedby Ducange, explainsthe passagefrom Papiasto the
followingeffect:" Mapamundi, a mapemunde (orgeographic
map); and it is derivedfrom mapa, a nappe, a pictureor
representationof games."^ Though it may be admitted
* The Abb^ Rive, grounding his opinion on an interpolatedpassage in
GutenysFrench translationof Guevara'sEpistles,ascribesthe inventionof
cardsto theSpanijirds,and placesitaboutthe year 1330.With respectto the
origm of the name Naipes, he adoptsthe N P etymology of the SpanishAca-demy.
The Abb6*8brochureon cardsisentitled*EclaircissemcntsHistoriques
ct Critiquessur llnvcntiondcsCartes" joucr.*Paris,1780.* "Mappa, ditPapias,togillay(c-cst-ii-dirc,touaille,nappe);Mapa ctiam
diciturPiCTURA velPorma Ludorum, unde diciturMapamuudi. Un vieux
glossairelatm-franpaisde laBibliothbquede Saiut-Germain-des-Pres,cit6par
Ducange, reproduitet expliqueainsice passage precieux,en le traduisant:
* Mapamundi, mapemunde; et dicitura Mapa, nappe ou picture,ou form de
30 PLAYING CARDS.
thatnappe, a table-cloth,or napkin, isderivedfrom mappa,
and thatthe latterword was sometimes used to signifya
pictureof some kind ofgame ; ityet does not appear to be
incontrovertiblytrue, eitherthat mappa, as explainedby
Papias, signifieda card,or a game of cards,or that the
word naipes was derivedfrom it. What Mons. Johanneau
considersto be a self-evidenttruth,appearsin realityto be
no betterthan one ofthoseconfidentassertionsentitled,by
courtesy,moral truths,in consequence of the sincerityof
the author'sbelief. A greatmany truthsofthiskind pass
current in the businessof life,and maintain theirnominal
value,long aftertheirrealcharacteris known, upon the
creditofthe indorscrs.
Wherever cards may have been firstinvented,and what-ever
may be the etymologyofthe words charta and naipes,
or naihi,it is certainthat cards are now well known in
Hindostan,where they form the amusement of the natives,both Hindoos and Moslems. That theywere inventedthere,
may be a matter ofdispute; but thattheyhave been known
therefrom an earlyperiod,and were not introducedthere
from Europe, appearsto be undeniable. The Hindoo cardsarc usuallycircular; the number of suitsis eight,and in
some packsten ; and themarks ofthe suits,though in some
instancesshowing an agreement with those of European
cards,are evidentlysuch as are peculiarto thecountry,andidentifiedwith the customs, manners, and opinionsof the
people. They coincidewith the earliestEuropean cardsin
having no queen,the two coat cards" being a king and his
principalministeror attendant" and in the suitsbeing dis-tinguished
by the colouras wellas by the form of the markor emblem.
It appears necessaryhere to notice an objection,which
jcux.'"
" Melangesd'OriginesEtymologiquesct dc QuestionsGrnmmaticalcs.Par M. EloiJohanneau,p. 40. Paris,1818.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 31
readilysuggestsitselfto the supposed derivationofcharta,
cards,from a word of eastern origin,signifying"four."
Itisthis: ifthe ancientHindoo pack consistedof eigJdor
even ten suits,would it not be preposterousto derivethe
European name from a word which impliesthattherewere
ovA.yfoiir.Factsmost assuredlyare stubbornthings,and no
speculation,whether lame of a leg, or going smoothly on
"
allfours,'can standagainstthem. It is not, however,
provedthatthemost ancientHindoo cardsconsistedofeightor ten suits; and tillthisbe done, the speculationmust
justpassforwhat it isworth. Whether therewere eight,ten, or twenty suits,the derivationof y^a^rnQ,charta,paper,from a word of Eastern origin,would stillbe unaffected.Ifthe game of cards were suggestedby thatof chess,I am
inclinedto think that the earliestpack would consistof
only two suits,and that more were subsequentlyadded to
satisfythe wants of" busy idleness,"fora more complicated
game. Be thisas itmay, cards did not arriveat Europe
from Hindostan "per saltum;" it is probable that their
pi-ogressthroughtheinterveningcountrieswas comparatively
slow; and even iftheylefthome with a"
suite"ofeight,it
isnot impossiblethattheymight losehalfof them by the
way. But,to meet theobjectionby a fact: from a description
of a pack of Hindostanee cardsto be subsequentlynoticed^
and of the game playedwith them, itappearsthattheei^ht
suitsare not consideredas a singleseries,but as two di-visions
oifoiirsuitseach.^ This partitioncorroboratesboth
the theoryof the game ofcardsbeing suggestedby thatof
chess,and of the name being derivedfrom a word primarily
signifyingthe number four.
On the supposition,then,thatcardswereinventedinthe
East, itfeeems advisableto firstgive some account of the
" The descriptionalludedto willbo foundat p. 41.
32 PLAYING CARDS.
cardsnow usedinHindostan,beforeenteringintoany inves-tigation
of the period when the game was firstbrought
into Europe. A high antiquity,indeed,no lessthan a
tliousandyears,isclaimedforone of the packssubsequently
described; but rejectingthis as a pure fiction,which the
apparent newness of the cards themselvescontradicts,it
may be fairlyassumed,seeingthat in the East customs are
slowlychanged,thatthe figuresand symbols, or marks, on
thosecardsare, in theirforms and significationgenerally,of
at leastas earlya date as those which are to be found on
theoldestEuropean cards.There isno collectionof Hindostaneecardsin the Mu-
scum of the East IndiaCompany ; the purveyors,itwouldseem, not consideringthem likelyto be interestingeven to
the Lady Proprietors,who, though they have no voice,atleastin LeadenhallStreet,yethave considerableinfluence,
by theirvotes,in the choiceof Directors. The nativesofHindostan always speak of "the Company" as if,in the
abstract,the great body of proprietorswere a female,"" Mrs. Company ;"* and itwould appear that the
" direc-tion*'
ofthingsat home, israpidlyapproximatingto a pureGynccocracy.^
" The 8CX of theCompany appearsto be a matter of interesteven witlitheladlesof AlTghanistan."At night the ladiesof Maliomed Shah Khan, and
othereliicfswho were travellingin our company, invitedMrs. Eyre to dinner.
She found them exeeedinglykind in manner and prepossessingin outwardappearance, being both well-dressedand good-looking." They asked the old
questionas to thegenderof the Company."" Lieut.Eyre*8 Journalof Impri-sonmentinAffghanistan.
* "Apropos debottes,"""Now you speak of a Gun :" Moore, in hisLifeofSheridan,observesthatbut a very imperfectreportof Sheridan'scelebratedspeechon the impeachment ofWarren Hastings ispreserved. The foUowing
piquant passage relatingto the East IndiaCompany, as then constitutedandactingsoccurs in a report of the speech publishedin an oldMagazine, for
February,1787. "He remembered to have heard an honourableand learned
gentleman (Mr.Dundas)remark, that therewas something in the firstframe
and constitutionof the Company, which extendedthesordidprinciplesoftheir
ORIGIN AND NAME. 83
In the Museum of the Royal AsiaticSociety,thereare
threepacks of Hindostanee cards,one ofthem consistingoften suits,and the other two of eight suitseach. In each
suit,when complete,the number of cardsistwelve; thatis
two coat cards,or honours, and ten others,whose numerical
vdue isexpressedby the number of marks upon them, in a
mode similarto thatby which English cards,from the ace
to the ten, are distinguishedby the number ofthe"
pips."The cardsof allthe packs are circular; the diameterof the
largestis2finches,and of thesmallestabout 2ginches. The
materialof which they are formed would appear to be
canvas,* but so stiffenedwith varnish,that each singlecardfeelslike a piece of wood. All the figuresand marks
appear to be executed by hand, not printednor stencilled;
each pack iscontainedin an oblongbox, the cards being
placedon theiredges;and on thetopand sidesofthebox,the
marks or emblems of the severalsuitsare depicted. From
the styleof theirexecution,I should conclude that card-
paintingin Hindostan, was a regular profession,though
possiblycombined with some other,to"
make ends meet,"
justas card-paintingwas combined with wood-engraving
generally,in Germany in the latterpart of the fifteenth
century; or justas shaving and hair-cuttingmight, in
originover alltheirsuecessiveoperations,connectingwith theircivilpolicy,
and even with theirboldestachievements,the meanness of a pedlarand the
profligacyof pirates. Alike in the politicaland the militaryline could be
observedauctioneeringambassadors and tradinggenerals; and thus we saw a
revolutionbrought about by affidavitsj an army employed inexecutingan arrest;
a town besiegedon a note of hand; a prince dethronedfor the balanceof
an account. Thus it was they exhibiteda government which united the
mock majestyof a bloody sceptre, and the littletrafficof a merchant's
counting-house,wielding a truncheon with one hand and picking a pocket
with another."" It isexpresslystatedthatthe cardsof one of the packs are made of can-vas,
in a memorandum wluch accompanies them. This is the pack which is
saidto be a thousand years old. On firsthandlingthem they seemed to me to
be made of thin veneers of wood.
84 PLAYING CARDS,
former times,afforda decent subsistencewhen eked out
with a littlesurgery,such as blood-letting,tooth-drawing,"
" Qiiceprosunt omnihm artes"
In giving a separatedescriptionof each of thosepacks,
it seems most proper to begin with that for which the
highestantiquityisclaimed. This pack is one of the two
which consistof eight suits;and, from a memorandum
which accompanies it,I have obtainedthe followingpar-ticulars
respectinga former possessorand the presumed
antiquityof thecards. They formerlybelonged to Captain
D. Cromhne Smith, to whom they were presented,about
the year 1815, by a high-casteBramin, who dwelt at
Guntoor, or some otherplacein one of the northernSircars
of Southern India. The Bramin consideredthem to be
a greatcuriosity,and informed Capt. Smith that theyhad
been handed down in his familyfrom time immemorial.
He supposed thattheywere a thousand years old,or more ;
he did not know if they were perfect,but believedthat
originallytherewere two more coloursor suits. He saidthey were not the same as the modem cards; that none
knew how to play at them ; and that no books give any
account ofthem. Such isthe sum of the Bramin's infor-mation.
The writerof the memorandum," lookingat the
costume of the figuresand the harness of the animals,and
consideringthat the Mahometans do not toleratepaintedimages,'"concludesthatthesecardsare Hindostanee.
The pack consistsof eight suits,each suit containingtwo honoursand ten common cards" in allninety-sixcards.In allthe suitsthe King is mounted on an elephant; andin six,the Vizier,or second honour, is on horseback; but
in the blue suit," the emblem or mark of which is a red
' Though Mahometans might objectto paintfiguredcards,itappears thattlieydo "tolerate"them, and thatvery amply,by using them. See a descrip-tion
of the Gunjcefu,or cardsused by the Moslems, at page 41.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 85
spotwith a yellow centre" ^heridesa tiger; and in the
white suit," the mark of which appearslikea grotesqueor fiendishhead," he ismounted on a bull. The backs of
allthe cards are green. The followingare the coloursoftheground on which the figuresare painted in the several
suits,togetherwith the difierentmarks by which the suits
and the respectivevalue of the common cards were alsodistinguished.
COLOUES. MAUKS.
1. Fawn . . . Something likea pineapplein a shallowcup.2. Black
. . .A red spot,with a white centre.
3. Brown. . . A " tulwar,"or sword.
4. White... A grotesque kind of head.
5. Geeen , . . Somethinglikea parasolwithout a handle,and withtwo brokenribsstickingthroughthe top.
6. Blue.... A red spot,with a yellow centre.
7. Bed. . .
.A parallelogramwith dots on it,as ifto represent
writing(shortestsidevertical).8. Yellow
... An oval.
On everyone of the common cardsthereisalsodepicted,
in additionto the mark of theirrespectivesuits,somethinglikea slenderleaf,tapering upwards, but with the top
curvingdown. Of thispack of cardsI have nothingfurther
to observehere than that if they are even a hundred years
old,they must have been preservedwith great care ; and
that I am inclinedto think that the Bramin, who gave
them to Capt. Smith, had over-ratedtheir antiquityand
rarityin orderto enhance the valueof hispresent.In a second pack, consisting,likethe preceding,ofeight
suitsof twelve cards each,the King appears seated on a
throne; while the Vizier,as in the former,ison horseback,
except in three of the suitswhere he appears mounted on
an elephant,a single-humped camel, and a bull. Though
therebe a diSerencebetween thispack and the former,in
86 . PLAYING CARDS.
the marks of some of the suits,there can be no doubt that
the same game might be played with each. In the pack
now under considerationthe backs of allthe cards are red.
The followingare the coloursof the ground and the marks
ofthe severalsuits.
The thirdpack ofHindostaneecardsin the possessionof
theRoyal AsiaticSociety,to whom itwas presentedby the
lateSirJohn Malcolm,ismuch more curiousand interesting
thancitherof the other two previouslynoticed. It con-sists
of ten suits,of twelve cardseach; and the marks of
thesuitsare theemblems of the ten Avatars,or incarnations
of Vichnou, one of the three principaldivinitiesin the
religioussystem ofthe Hindoos. The King isrepresentedby Vichnou,seatedon a throne,and in one or two instances
accompanied by a female; and the Vizier,as in most of the
suitsof the othertwo packs,ismounted on a white horse.
In everysuittwo attendantsappear waiting on the secondas well as on the principal
" honour." The backs of allthe cards in this pack are red; and the coloursof the
ground and marks of the severalsuitsare as follows:"
^
* In a note to the articleon Wliist,intheForeignQuarterlyReview,No. 48,
previouslyreferredto, thispack of cardsisnoticed,and the suitsare thus enu-merated:
" While thisarticlewas in the press,we have been favouredwith a
sightoftwo packs ofcardsin the possessionofthe Royal AsiaticSociety: and,as truthismore strangethan fiction,one ofthese,consistingofTen Suits,cer-
ORIGIN AND NAME. 37
COLOUBS. MABKS.
1. Red,
..
.
.Afish.
2. Yellow. .
.
"
..
A tortoise.
3. Gold. .
.Aboar.
4. Green, .
. .Alion.
6. Bhottnish Gbxen. A man's head.
6. Red. .
.Anaxe.
7. Brownish Gbeen. An ape.
8. Pr.-^B. . , A goat or antelope.
9. Brick Red.
.A cattashalor umbreUa.10. Green
. .
.A white horse,saddledand bridled.
The followingdescriptionof the ten Avatars,or incar-nations,
of Vichnou, as representedin a seriesofdrawings,^
willexplainthe meaning of neariyevery one of themarks of
tainlydoesrepresentthe Ten Avatars or incarnationsof theVistnof, or Vish-
nava^ sect The suitsare :
1. The Fish. 6. The Hatchet.2. The Tortoise.
^7. The UmbreUa (orBow.)
.3. The Boar. 8. The Goat.4. The Lion. 9. The Boodh.5. The Monkey. 10. The Horse.
"The Dwarf of the 5th Avatar issubstitutedby the Monkey ; the Bow andArrows of the 7th by the Cattashalor Umbrella,which givespreciselythe same
outline; and the Goat there,as oftenelsewhere,takesthe placeof the Plough."
On the pack of eight cards,which was probablyone of those previously
noticedin the present volume, the writerof the articlemakes the following
observations:" The otherpack haseightsuits,of eightcardsand two court cards
each; eightyin all. [Thenumber of cards,inclusiveof the honours, in each
suit,istwelve, as has been previouslyobserved.]The Parallelogram,Sword,
Mower, and Vase, answer to the Carreau,Espada, Club,and Copa of European
suits: the Barrel(P),the Garland(?),and two kindsof Chakra (quoit)completetheset."" ^TheSword isplainenough,and so isthe parallelogram.The Flower
and the Cup, I confess,I have not been ableto make out ; and I questionmuchifthe Parallelogram" which inanother pack,subsequentlydescribed,representsa royal diploma or mandate " be the originalof the Carreau or Diamond on
European cards. The " two kindsof Chakra" are simplytwo circularmarks.* Engravings of thosesubjects,as wellas theirdescription,willbe foimdin
'Religionsde 1*Antiquityconsiderdesprincipalementdans leursformes sym-boliques et mythologiques; ouvrage traduitde TAllemand du Dr. Frederic
Creutzer,par J. D. Guigniant.' Planches,premier cahier,p. 11, 8vo; Paris,
1825.
S8 "PLATING CARDS.
theten suitsof cards. The onlysuitswhich do not exactly
correspondwith theAvatars,as representedin the drawings,
are those numbered 8 and 9, the emblems of which are a
goat and an umbrella. It is,however, to be observedthat
Hindoo authors do not agree in their accounts of the
differentAvatarsof Vichnou, though they generallyconcur
in representingthem as ten in number, thatis,nine passed
and one to come. Itisalsopossiblethatthe goat" which
appearscouchantas ifgivingsuck" and theumbrella,which
in the east isfrequentlythe sign of regal dignity,may be
symbolicalof the eighthand ninth Avatarsin the descrip-tion
of the drawings. Though the Bramin Dwarf, in the
fifthAvatar of the drawings, carriesan umbrella,there
can scarcelybe a doubt that the Man's head,in No. 5 of
the cards,isthe symbol ofthisAvatar.
THE TEN AVATAES OF VICHNOU.
1. Matsyavatara. The firstAvatar of Vichnou, as a
Fish; representedas thebody of a man with the tailof a
fish. The human partiscolouredblue; the rest iswhite.In two ofhisfourhands he holdsthe ChaJcra,or Soudarsana,
which here appearssomething like a quoitwith rays pro-ceedingfrom it.^ In the palm of anotherof hishands the
diamond " carre mystique" isdisplayed. According to the
Bhagavat Purana, the precious stone or diamond calledCdstrala,isa sort of talismanwhich illuminatesallthings,
and in which allthings are reflected. It is the perfect
mirrorof the world,and Vichnou generallywears iton his
breast,or holdsitin the palm of thathand which israisedin the act ofbenediction.
' " Esp^ce de roue cnflammde,symbolede laforcevivantequi p6ii^treet
meut ruiiivcrs."
ORIGIN AND NAME. 39
2. KouRMAVATARA. The secondAvatar,as a Tortoise;
theupper partofthe figure,man, the lower,tortoise.The
Cliakraappearspoisedon the fingersof one ofthe hands.
3. Varahavatara. The thirdAvatar ofVichnou, as a
Ferratyor wild boar, to destroythe giant Hiranyakcha.
Vichnou appears with the head of a boar, but with the
body and limbsof a man. In thecards,thehead of the
boarisblue.
4. Narasinhavatara. The fourthAvatar ofVichnou,
as a Lion,to destroythe giantHiranycasyapa. Vichnou
appearswith a lion'shead,but with a human body,holding
the Chakra in one ofhishands.
5. Vamanavatara. The fifthAvatarofVichnou, as a
Bramin Dwarf, to avenge the gods on the giantBali. In
one hand he holds a kind of narrow-necked pot,with a
spoutto it,and in anothera cattashal,or umbrella.
6. Parasou-Rama. The sixthAvatarof Vichnou,as a
Bramin, armed with an axe, to chastisekings and warriors.The colourof the figureisgreen, and in one of his hands
he holdseithera flower,or a kind ofleaf.
7. Sri-Rama, or Rama-Ichandra. The seventhAvatar
of Vichnou,in the familyof the Kings of the race of the
Sun, to avenge the gods and men ofthetyrannyof Havana,
King ofLanka or Ceylon. The figureof Vichnou in this
Avatar,isblue or green; and he is seatedon a couch or
thronewith hiswife Sitabesidehim, whilemonkeys appear
ofieringhim adoration. In thecards,the colourof Vichnou
isblue,and a femaleshareshisthrone,which isveiymuchlikea fontor shallow bath. Monkeys alsoappear before
him.
40 PLAYING CARDS.
8. Chrishna. The Eighth Avatar of Vichnou, as an
Infantsuckledby hismother Devaki. Rays of glory sur-round
theheads ofthe mother and child.
9. Bouddha, the Son of Maya. The ninthAvatar ofVichnou, who appearsrichlydressed,seated in an attitude
of meditationon a throne,the back of which isof a shell-likeform" "espece de conque'^" and is adorned with
Lotus flowers.
- 10. CalkI'AVatara. The tenth,and futureAvatarofVichnou,as a Horse, or Man-horse,armed with sword andbuckler,to destroythe world at the end of thepresentage.The figurehas a human body, and a horse'shead.
As there are differentaccounts of the incarnationsofVichnou,as has been previouslyobserved,the followingis
givenwith the view of throwing a littlemore lighton the
subject:"Vichnou, the second person in the Hindoo
trinity,issaidto have undergone nine successiveincarna-tions
to delivermankind from so many periloussituations.The first,theysay,was in the form of a lion;the second of
a hog ; thethirda tortoise;thefourtha serpent; thefifth
thatof a Bramin (adwarf,afootand a halfhigh); thesixtha monster, namely,halfman halflion;the seventha dragon;
the eightha man born of a virgin; and the ninth an ape.Bemier adds a tenth,which isto be thatof a greatcavalier.
(Voyage,vol.ii,p. 142.) A very particularand a verydifferentaccount of thesetransformationsisgivenby Mr.
Sonnerat (Voyages,vol.i,p. 158),with curiousrepresenta-tion
ofeach of them."* In thisaccount we have both a lion,
* The InstitutionsofMoses and thoseof the Hindoos compared. By Joseph
Priestly,LL.D. p. 56. 8vo. Philadelphia,1799.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 41
and a man Jion, which are probably symbols of the same
Avatar; and a dragon and a serpent,alsoprobablysymbols
ofthe same thing,though neitherofthem occur inthecards,nor in the descriptionof the drawings.
I shallnow present the reader with a descriptionof
another pack of Hindostanee cards,and of the game played
with them: it forms an articleentitled 'Hindostanee
Cards,'in the second volume of the CalcuttaMagazine, "
1815; and is accompanied with two plates,fac-similesof^
which are here given.'' The words Gunjeefuand Tas are used inHindostanee
to denote eitherthe game, or a pack of cards. I have in
vain searched the* AsiaticResearches,'' AsiaticAnnual
Register,'Sir William Ouseley's * OrientalCollections,'and
the ' OrientalRepertory,'by Dalrymple,forsome account or
descriptionof the mode of playingthe cardsin use among
the nativesof Hindostan; and further,from thetotalsilence
of the French and English Encyclopaedias,conclude that
they have never engaged the attentionof any inquirer. A
descriptionof the gunjeefu,or cards,used by the Moslems,
may thereforebe acceptableto oiir readers." In the ' Dictionary,Hindostanee and English,'edited
by the lateDr. Hunter, the names of the eight suitsare
to be found under the word Taj,the name of the first
suit.
''The pack iscomposed of ninety-sixcards,dividedinto
eightsuits. In each suit are two court cards,the King,
and the Wuzeer. The common cards,likethoseofEurope,
bearthe spotsfrom which the suitsare named, and are ten
in number.
"Four suitsare named superior,*and fourthe inferior^
suits.
' Beshbur* Kumbur.
.
42
"Plate I representsthe [honoursof the]four superiorsuits,calledBeshbur; and Plate II,the inferior,Kumbur.
The kings are easilydistinguished,and are here numbered
from 1 to 8.
"In the superiorsuits,the ten followsnext in value to
theking and wuzeer ; and the ace is the lowest card. In
the inferiorsuits,the ace has precedenceimmediatelyafter
the wuzeer, then the deuce,and othersin succession,the
ten beingofleastvalue.
"The game isplayed by threeor sixpersons: when six
play,three take the superior,and three the inferiorsuits.
The pack being dividedintoparcelsafterthe cardsare well
mixed,the playerscut forthe deal; and he who cuts the
highestcard deals.^ When threeplay,the cards are dealt
by fours. In the firstand lastround thecards are exposed,
and thus eightcards of each person'shand are known to
the adversaries.The cardsare dealtfrom ri^Jdixyleft,the
reverse ofthe European mode." The Lead. When the game isplayedby day,he who
holdsthe red king,{Soorkh,the sun,)must lead that and
any smallcard. Should ho playtheking alone,itisseizedby thenext player. The adversariesthrow down each two
common cards,and the trickistaken up. When thegame
* The names of the suitsare thus explained: Taj,a crown. Soofed,white,abbreviatedfrom the originalappellation,zur-i-soofed,a silvercoin; figuratively,
the moon. Shumsher,a sabre. Gholam, a slave. CAnn^, a harp. Soorhh,red,or zur-i-ioorhh,gold coin; figuratively,the sun. Burat, a royaldiploma,or
assignment. Quimash,merchandize." In cuttingforthe deal,Tajisthehighestsuit,and theresthave precedence,
afterthatsuit,intheorderaboverecited.
Plate I
ORIGIN AND NAME. 43
isplayedby nightythe white king, {Soofed,the moon,)is
ledin likemanner. The cards are then played out at the
option of him who leads,the adversariesthrowing away
theirsmallcards,and no attentionispaid to the following
suit,unlesswhen one of the adversaries,having a superior
cardofthe suitled,choosesto play itto gain the trick." In orderto guard a second-ratecardwhich may enable
you hereafterto recover the lead,itiscustomary to throw
down a small one of that suit,and callthe card you are
desirousto have played. With this callthe adversaries
must comply. As in Whist, when the person who has the
lead holdsnone but winning cards,they are thrown down.
Afterthecardshave been aU played,thepartiesshuifletheir
tricks,and the lastwinner,drawing a card,challengesone
ofhisadversariesto draw out any card from the heap be-fore
him, naming itthe fourthor fifth,"c. from the top or
bottom. The winner of thistrickin likemanner challengeshis right-hand adversary. The number of cards in the
possessionof each party is then counted,and those whohave fewest are obliged to purchasefrom an adversaryto
make up their deficiencyof complement. The greatest
winner at the end of fourrounds has the game.
"The followingterms used in the game may be accept-able
to those who desireto understand it when played by
natives: I think theyunequivocallyprovethatGunjeefuisofPersianor Arabian origin.
" Zubur-dust,the right-handplayer.Zer-dust,the left-handplayer.Zurb, a trick.
Ser,a challenge.Ser-k'hel,the challenginggame.Ekloo, a sequenceofthreecards.Khurch, the card playedto one led; not a winningcard.
44 PLAYING CARDS.
N
KlielJava,to laydown the winning card at the end of a
deal.
Chor,the cardswon at the end of a deal; the sweep.
Ghulutee,a misdeal.Wuruq, a caxd.Durhum-kuma, to shuffle.Wuruq-turashna, to cut the cards.
" From my observationof the game when played,I do
not think itsufficientlyinterestingto cause itsbeing pre-ferredby Europeans to the cardsin vogue in Europe. The
number of the suitsare too great,and the inconvenient
form of the cards (thesizeand shape of which are repre-sented
by the plates^)are greatobjections.The Hindoos-
tanee cards are made of paper,wellvarnished; the figures
appropriatelypainted,and the ground and backs of every
suitof one colour. The Slavestandingbeforethe King in
No. 3, isthe figureused as the spot or crest on allthe
common cardsofthatsuit The traditionregard-ing
the originofthe Hindoostanee cardsis,that they were
inventedby a favoritesultana,or queen, to wean her hus-band
from a bad habithe had acquiredof pullingor eradi-catinghisbeard.'^
With respectto the word Gunjeefu,which, accordingto
the preceding account, appears to be a generalname for
cards,I am informedthatitisof Persianorigin,and thatit
signifiesboth a pack of cards and the game. In Bengal,
cardsare more generallyknown by the name of Tas,whichisa Hindoo word, than thatby Gunjeefu,or Gangeefah,as
it is otherwisewritten. Prom the reference,in the pre-ceding
account, to the 'Dictionary,Hindoostanee and
* "By an oversightof the engraver,a native Bengalee artist,the Moon in
No. 2,PlateI,isrepresentedas crescentinsteadof full. [Theerror has been
faithfullyretainedin our fac-similes.]The priceof the pack was two rupees."
ORIGIN AND NAME. 45
English/editedby the lateDr. Hunter/I am inclinedto
think that Tajand- Tas have the same signification,with
referenceto cards; and that the only difierencebetween
them consistsin the pronmiciationand mode of spelling.Now, the word Tajissaidto signifya crown ; but ifitbe
alsoused figurativelyfor a king,the wearer of a crown "
justas "crown" is figurativelyused to signifyempireor regal power " the Hindoo name for cards would be
synonymous with" Kings/' That cards were known in
England by thename of the" Four Kings" has been already
shown; and ifmy speculationson the terms ChartceandNaipes be correct,itwas by a name originallysignifyingfourkings,or four viceroys,that cards were firstknown in
Europe.
With regard to the game describedin the preceding
account, itappears to bear some resemblance to thatwhich
theFrench call"TOmbre a trois,"" three-handedOmbre.*
In both games the suitsappear to be consideredas rangedin two divisions: in the Hindostanee game, as the Red
and the White ; and in the European, as the Red and the
Black. In the Hindostanee game there are eight suits,
and six or three players; and when three play,the cards
are dealtby fours. In the European game of four suits
* " In the DictionaryHindostanee and English,edited by the late Dr.
Hunter, the names of the Eight Suitsof Cards are to be found under theword
Taj,the name of the firstsuit.""On the authorityof a gentleman of eminent
attainmentsin Hindostaneeliterature,I am informedthatthere isno Sanscrit
word forPlaying Cards.* A particularaccount of the mode of playingthe game of "L*Hombre k
trois,"willbe found in the firstvolume of the 'Academic des Jeux.' The au-thor
observes,"D est inutilede s'arretera I'etymologiedu jeude I'hombre; 11
suffitde direque lesEspagnols en sont lesauteurs, et qu'ilse sent du flegme
de lanationdont iltireson origine." According to the same authority,"Z"i
Cluadrillen*est,a proprement parler,que I'hombre a quatre,qui n*a pas, a la
verite,labeaute,ni ne demande pas une si grande attentionque I'hombrea
trois;uiaisaussifaut-ilconvenirqu'ilest plusamusant et plusrecrdatif."
46 PLAYING CARDS.
and fortycards" thetens,nines,and eightsbeingomitted"
thereare threeplayers,and the cards are dealtby threes.
A personwho can playat Ombre willscarcelyfailto perceive
severalotherpointsof similaritybetween the two games.
From the terms used in the game of Ombre " Spadillo,
Basto,Matador,Punto, "c." therecan scarcelybe a doubt
that the other nationsof Western Europe derivedtheir
knowledge of itfrom the Spaniardji.The Hon. Daines
Barrington,in his ' Observationson the Antiquityof Card
Playing in England,'derivesthe names of the game from
tlicSpanish," hombre," a man ; and there is reason to
bcUevethatitwas one of the oldestgames at cardsplayed
at in Europe. If the game of cardswere introducedinto
Europe by the Arabs,it is in Spain that we might first
expectto find them. PietrodellaValle,in hisTravels in
the East,between 1614 and 1626, speaks of the people
playingat cards,though differingfrom ours in the figures
and number of suits;and Niebuhr, in his Travels,also
speaks of the Arabiansplayingat cards,and saysthatthe
game is calledLab-el-Kammer.^ It is,however, to be
observed,thatthegame of cards is not once nientionedin
the Arabian Nights; and from thissilenceit may be con-cludedthatat thetimewhen thosetaleswere compiledcard-
playingwas not a popular pastimein Arabia. The com-pilation,it is believed,isnot earlierthan about the end of
the fifteenthcentury,though many of the talesare of a
much higherantiquity.Leaving out ofconsiderationthe pack of ten suits,with
the emblems of the ten incarnationsof Vichnou, as being
of a mythologicalcharacter,and probablynot in common
use forthe purposesofgaming, itisevidentfrom the otherthreepacks,of eight suitseach,that the cards known in
' Barringtou'sObservationson "hcAntiquityofCard-playinginEngland."Arcbacologia,vol.viii,1787.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 47
Hindostanare not unifonn in the marks of the dijQTerent
suits,though itis obvious that any game," depending on
sequencesand the conventionalvalueofthe severalcards,"
which can be playedwith one of the packs,may be also
playedwith eitherof the othertwo. The dijSferencein
the marks is,indeed, much lessthan is to be observedin old French,Spanish,and German cards,which presentso many differencesas to render it impossibleto derive
them from one originaltype. The mere mark or emblem,
whateveritmight originallysignify,appearsto have had no
specificmeaning or value,beyond what might be assignedto itby the conventionalrulesof the game; whether it
were a sword or a chalice,a club or a pieceof money,a heart or a diamond, a green leafor a hawk's bell,in
playingand countingthe game, itwas a *'pip/'and no-thingmore.
Whether the two packs of eight suitseach,in thepos-session
of the Royal AsiaticSociety,are consideredby the
nativesof Hindostan as consistingof two divisionsof four
suitseach,as in the pack describedin the extractfrom the* CalcuttaMagazine,* I have not been able to ascertain.In allthe.threepacks the sword isto be found as the mark
of one of the suits; and the soofedand soorhh of the one
pack" silvercoin and gold coin,figurativelythe moon and
thesun " I considerto be representedby the circularmarksintheothertwo ; and the oval in theseisnot unHke the
mark of the suit named Quimash" merchandise" in the
former. The mark of the suitBurat, see PlateII,No. 7"
which is saidto mean a royaldiploma or assignment,cor-responds
very nearlywith a parallelogramcontainingdots,
as ifmeant forwriting,in the pack formerlybelongingto
Capt. D. Cromline Smith; but though a parallelogram"
crossedby two lines,and with the longest side vertical"
alsooccurs in the otherpack, itsagreement with theBurat
48 PLAYING CARDS.
isby no means so apparent. The marks of the suitsTaj,a Crown, and C/iupjf,a Harp.* (secPlateI, fig.1, andPlateII,fig.5,)I am unable to recognise,eitherby name
or figure,in the othertwo packs; though I am inclinedto
think that,in one ofthem, the placeof the Tajissupphedby a kind of fruit,and in the otherby a flower. It willbe observedthat,in the plate,the mark of the suitcalledC/imff,a harp,is a bird. In the other two packs,the
suitswhich I considerto be the substitutesof the C/iunff
have a mark which I have not been able to make
out ; but in one of them the Vizier,as in the C/iunffyis
mounted on a single-humped camel. In the suit calledG/iolam,a slave" PlateT,fig.4 " I cannot make out whatisintendedforthemark," whether theMa/iut,who appears
guidingthe elephant,or the kind of mace carriedby the
Vizier; whatevermay be the mark, I considerthe suitto
be representedby thatwith a white ground in Capt.D. C.
Smith'scards,the mark of which is a grotesquehead,as
in both suitsthe Vizierismounted on a bull. The cor-responding
suitin the otherpack I conceiveto be the one
which has foritsmark a man's head.
With respectto the marks of the severalsuits,in the
differentpacks of Hindostanee cards,previouslydescribed,
" what objectsthey graphicallyrepresent,what they might
' Chung isalsothe Chinesename fora kiudof harp." ^Inthreeothorpacks
ofHindostaneecards,of the same kind,which I have had an opportunityof
examining,the harp occurs both in the honours and the numeral cards. I
suspectthatthebirdhasbeen substitutedthrougha mistakeofthenativeartist
who engravedthecards. In one ofthepacksjustalludedto,the cardsarc not
circular,but rectangular,likeEuropean cards,but of much smallersize. In
anotherpack ofHindostaneecardswhich I have seen, the marks inalltheeight
suitsare birds; infour ofthe suits,they are allof the same form" somethinglikethatof a starling"but differingin theircolour; in three others they are
allgeese,and ofthe same colour,so thatthe suitisonlyto be distinguishedby
the ground on which they are painted. The mark of the eighthsuitisa
peacock.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 49
have been intended to signifyby the person who devised
them, and what allegoricalmeanings may have assignedto
them by others," much might be said; and a writerofquickimagination,and hieroglyphicwit,likeCourt de Gebelin,
might readilyfind in them not only a summary of allthe
knowledge of theHindoos " theological,moral,political,and
scientific" but alsoa great dealmore than theycitherknew
or dreamt of. As I feelmy inabilityto perform such a
task,or ratherto enjoysuch pleasuresof imagination; andas the present work does not affordspace for so wide a
discursus,I shallconfine my observationsto such marks
as appear to have, both in theirform and meaning, the
greatestaffinitywith the marks to be found on earlyEuropean cards. The marks in the pack consistingof ten
suits,representingthe incarnationsof Vichnou,I shallonlyincidentallyreferto, as I am ofopinionthatthosecardsare
not such as either are or were generallyused for the
purposesof gaming, but are to be classedwith thoseemble-matic
cards which have,at differentperiods,been devised
in Europe forthe purpose of insinuatingknowledge intothe
minds of ingeniousyouth by way of pastime.In referringto any of the marks to be found in the three
eight-suitpacks of Hindostanee cards,which appear to be
intended forthe purposes of play only,itseems imnecessaryto specifythe particularpack to which they belong,as my
objectismerely to callattentionto the apparent agreement
between some of the marks of Hindostanee cards,and those
which are either known to have been the marks of the
earliestEuropean cards,or are to be found on such old
cards as are stillpreservedin public libraries,or in the
collectionsof individuals.
In the earlyEuropean cards,which have cups, swords,
piecesof money, and clubs or maces forthe marks of the
50 PLAYING CARDS.
foursuits/thesword and pieceof money oftheHindostanee
cards are readilyidentified; and ifwe are to suppose that
in these cards certainemblems of Vichnou were formerly
represented" ^butwhich are not to be found eitheron the
ordinaryPlaying Cards, or on those displayingthe ten
incarnationsofVichnou " itwould not be difficultto account
forthe cups, and clubs or maces ; for,according to Dr.
FrederickCreutzer, the mace or war club is frequentlyto
be seen in one of the hands of Vichnou; and Count von
Hammer-Purgstal remarks, that*^ the sword, the club,and
the cup, are frequentemblems in the Eastern Ritual."^ As
themarks inEuropean suits,cups,or chalices,swords,money,
and clubs,have been supposed to representthefourprincipal
classesof men in a European state,to wit.Churchmen ;
Swordmen, or feudalnobiUty; Monied men, merchants or
traders; and Club-men, workmen, or labourers," itisjustas
easy to run a parallelin the four superiorsuitsof one ofthe
packs of Hindostanee cards,givenin Plate I ; there may.befound Taj,a crown, royalty;Soofedy^As^xmoney, merchants;
ShwrnheTy a sword, fightingmen, seapoys; and Gholam, a
slave,the cooliesboth ofhilland plain. It may not be un-necessary
hereto obsen^ethat thefourgreathistoricalcastes
oftheHindoos are, 1, Bramins, priests;2,Chetryas,soldiers;3, Vaisyas,tradesmen and artificers; and 4, Sudras, slaves,
and the lowestclassoflabourers. Of thesefourcastes the
Bramins aloneremain unmixed ; the otherthree,as distinct
* These are stillthe marks of the suitsin Spain :" Copas, Espadas,Oros,y
Bastos." The "Oros," literallygolden money, are also calledDineros, that
is,money in general. The same marks are also to be found on old Italian
cards,and the names forthem were, Coppe, Spade,Danari, and Bastoni. The
discrepancybetween the names, Spades and Clubs,and themarks of thosesuits,inEnglishcards,willbo noticedin itsproper place.
* Religionsde I'Antiquitd; traductionFran^aisode Guigniant.* Von Hammer's Mines ofthe East.
ORIOIN AND NAME. 51
castes,existonly in name, for they have become so inter-mixed,
thatthe subdivisionscan neitherbe ascertainednor
reckonedby the learnedpundits themselves.^
In the oldeststencilled,or printed,European cards,whichare probablyof as earlya date as the year 1440, the marks
ofthesuitsare bells,hearts,leaves,and acorns ; and in the
Hindostanee cards we finda leafor a flower,as the mark ofone of the suits; and I am inclinedto think that,in the
latter,the figuresof the oval,and of that which appears
something likea pine-applein a shallowcup, were thetypes
ofthe bellsand the acorns. When those marks are com-pared,
without referenceto their being representationsof
specificobjectsof which themind has alreadya preconceivedidea,the generalagreement of their forms is,to the eye,
more apparent. For the heart,I have not been able to
discoverany corresponding mark in the Hindostanee cards.Should I be toldthat the form of the heart might be sug-gested
by that of the leaf,I have to observe that the
form of the leaf in Hindostanee cards, is not the same
as thatwhich occurs in European, and thatinthe latter,the
colourof the so-calledheart appears always to have been
red.Between the marks of the suitson old French cards,"
Coeur,Carreau,Trefle,and Pique," and those to be found
on Hindostanee cards,1 shallnot venture to make any direct
comparison. It,however, may be observedthattheform of
' This isMr. Colebrooke'sconclusion. Sir John Malcolm gives a different
account, the correctness of which may be veryjustlydoubted, both as regards
thepresenttime and the past :" The fourdivisionsof Hindoos, viz.thepriests,
soldiers,merchants,and labourers,appear to have existedineveryhuman society,
at a certainstage of civilization;but in Indiaalonehave they beenmaintained
forseveralthousandyean with prescriptivevigour."-'Essayon theBhiUs (Beels)
by SirJohn Malcolm, in theTransactionsof the Koyal AsiaticSociety,vol i,
p. 65, 1824.
52 PLAYING CARDS.
the Pique" the spade in English cards" is almost precisely
the same as thatof the leafin other European packs; and
that the Trefle" the club, in English cards" in its out-line
bears a considerablelikenessto the acorn. Those who
pleasemay derivethe Carreau, or diamond, from the Cos-
traluyor mystic diamond, worn on the breast, or held in
the palm of the hand of Vichnou ; it does not, however,
occur as the mark of a suitin any of the Hindostanee cards
that have come imder my observation; and the mark to
which itbears the greatestresemblance is that of the suit
Burat, as shown in Plate II,No. 7. An examination of a
greatervarietyof Hindostanee cards, and more extensive
knowledge of the names and significationsof the marks of
the suits,and of the differentgames played,would probably
leadto the discoveryof more points of resemblance than I
have been ableto perceive.The differentthings signifiedby marks, apparentlyagree-ingin theirgeneral forms, on Hindostanee and European
cards, may be partly accounted for on the following
grounds, which will also in some degree serve to explain
the difference,both in form and name, of the marks of the
suitsin differentpacks of old European cards.Graphic forms of allkinds,whether symbolic, or positive
jepresentationsof specificobjects,which are readilyunder-stood,
both in theirfigurativemeaning and directsignifica-tion,by the people with whom they originated,are, when
brought into a differentcoimtrywithout theirexplanations,
ofteninterpretedby thatpeopleaccordingto theirknowledge
and opinions; and forms forwhich they have no correspond-ing
originals,or which they failto identify,are referredto
objectsof similarshape with which they are familiar,andare calledby theirnames. Similarchanges in the meaning
of symbolic figuresalsotake placewith the same people,in
ORIGIN AND NAME. 53
consequence of the originalmeaning becoming obsolete,
throughchangeofcustoms and opinions,inthecourse oftime.
In thismanner a figureofthe homed Isis,with theyoungHorus in her lap,appearsto havebeen taken forarepresen-
tationof the Virgin Mary, with the crescent moon on her
head, nursing the infantJesus; and thus the figuresofJupiterand Minerva have passedforthoseofAdam and Eve.
In the sixteenthcenturyitappearsthatin Italythe suitofBastoni" clubs,or maces, proper" was alsocalledColonnSy
pillars; and the suitofDanari" ^money" SpeccU, mirrors;^
merelybecausetheclubor mace as depictedon thesuits,bore
some resemblance to a slenderpillar,and thatthe form ofDanari,likethatof an ancientmirror,was circular.Among
thepitmen in theneighbourhood of Newcastle-on-Tyne,the
diamonds on the cards are frequentlycalledPicks^from
theirsimilarityto the head of a pick,the toolwith which
they dig the coals; a writerUke Court de GebeUn, mightdiscoverin this connexion between picks and
" black
diamonds" "a type with a pair of handles." It may be
hereobserved,thatthe suitwhich the French term piques,
isthatwhich we, improperly,callspades.But, even admittingthe agreement,both
in figureand jmsignification,of severalof the marks of the suitsin early^European cards,and those which occur in the cardsnow
used in Hindostan, it may be said that thisfactby no
means proveseitherthatcards were inventedin the East,
or thatthe marks ofsuitson the Hindostanee cardswere
actuallythe models of thoseresembling them which are to
be found on earlyEuropean cards; for cards might find
theirway intothe East from Europe as wellas intoEurope
from the East. When St.FrancisXavier was in the East
' InnocentioEinghieri,Cento Giuochiliberaliet d'Ingegno,p. 132. 4to.
Bologna,1551.
54 PLATING CAEDS.
Indies," ^from1541 to 1552," card-playingwas a common
amusement with the European residents and traders;^
and it is very Ukely that the firstPortuguese ship that
arrivedthere,about half a century before,had a pack of
cards on board. That European cards were sent to the
East,among otherarticlesofmerchandise,towards the end
of the sixteenthcentury,appears evident from a passage in
a narrativeof the firstvoyage of the English,on a private
account, begun by Captain George Rajrmond, and finished
by Captain James Lancaster;* and we learn from Sir
Alexander Bumes, thatcommerce has imported cardsinto
the Holy City of Bokhara, thatthe pack consistsof thirty-
sixcards,and thatthe games are strictlyRussian.^
Looking,however,at allthe circumstances,"the proba-bihtyof Cards having been suggestedby Chess,the names
ChartcB and Naipes, the marks to be found on them, andthe traditionof their having been known in Hindostan
from a veryearlyperiod," ^thebalanceof evidenceappearsdecidedlyin favour of the conclusionthat cards were in-vented
in the East. The writer of an articleon Cards,in
No. xlviiiof the ' Foreign QuarterlyReview,' previously
referredto, speaks confidentlyof the great antiquityof
* The Lifeof St.FrancisXavier,by Father Bouhours: translatedby John
Dryden,pp. 71,203, 697." "The Cth October,[1592]they met with a Malacca shipof700 tons,
which,afterhermain-yardwas shotthrough,yielded. ....They found
on boardfifteenpiecesofbrasscannon, 300 buttsofCanaryand Nipar or Pahn-
wine,withverystrongraisinwine; allsortsofhaberdashery-wares,as hats,redknitcaps,and stockingsof Spanishwool; velvets,taffeties,camblets,and silks;
abundance of suckets,rice,Venice glasses,counterfeitstones (broughtby an
Indian from Venice, to cheatthe Indians),Playing Cards, and two or three
packs ofFrench paper." The prizewas taken in the Straitsof Malacca; andthearticlesofEuropean manufacture appear to have been brought to Malaccaby the Portuguese." The Naval Clironicle; or Voyages of the most celebratedEnglishNavigators,vol.i,p. 392. Svo. 1760.
" Barnes'sTravelsintoBokhara,vol.ii,p. 169. Second edit.1835.
ORIGIN AND NAME.'
55
cardsin Hindostan, but does not giveany authoritiesfor
thefact." We know," he says,
" that the Tamuli have
had cardsfrom time immemorial ; and they are saidto be
ofequalantiquitywith the Brahmins, who unquestionably
possessthem still,and claim to have inventedthem." The
statement of the Bramin who gave the cards to Captain
D. Cromline Smith, though certainlynot true with re-spectto thatindividualpack,may yet be receivedas con-firmatory
of the traditionalevidence in favour of cards
generallyhaving been known in Hindostan from a veiy
earlyperiod.^PlayingCards appear to have been known from an early
period in China. In the Chinese dictionary,entitledCldng-tsze-tung,compiled by Eul-koung,and firstpublishedA.D. 1678, itissaidthatthe cards now known in China as
Teen4sze-pae^ ox dotted cards,were inventedin the reign
of Seun-ho, 1120 ; and thattheybegan to be common in
the reign of Kaou-tsung, who ascended the throne in
1131. " According to tradition,they were devisedforthe
amusement of Seun-ho's numerous concubines. M. Abel
" Card-playingappears to be a very common amusement in Hindostan."
"I could remind or perhaps inform the fashionablegamestersof St.James's
Street,that beforeEngland ever saw a dice-box,many a main has been won
and lostunder a palm-tree,in Malacca,by the half-nakedMalays, with wooden
and pamted dice; and tliathe couldnot passthrough a bazaarinthiscountry
[Hindostan]without seeingmany partiesplayingwith cards,most cheaply
suppliedto them by leavesof the cocoa-nut or pahn*trce,dried,and theirdis-
tinctivecharacterstracedwith an ironstyle At the comer of
every streetyou may see the Gentoo-bearersgamblingover chalked-outsquares,
with smallstones formen, and withwooden dice; or Cooliesplayingwithcards
of the palm-leaf. Nay, in a pagoda under the very shadow ofthe idol,I have
seen Brahmins playing with regularpacks of Chinese cards.""Sketches of
India: writtenby an OfficerforPiresideTravellersat Home, pp. 68 and 100.
Fourth edition,1826.' For the referenceto the Ching-tsze-tung,and the explanationof the
passage relatingto cards,I am indebtedto Mr. 8. Birch,of the British
Museum,
66 PLATING CARDS.
Remusat, probablyon the authorityofthe Ching-tsze-tung,
has alsoobservedthatcardswere inventedby the Chinese
in 1120.^ Mons. Leber,however,considersitto be more
likelythattheygot theirfirstcards from Hindostan ; and
that,likethe Europeans, they merely changed or modified
the types,and inventednew games.
The generalname for cards in China is Che-pae,which
literallysignifies"papertickets/' At firstthey are saidto
have been calledYa-pae, bone or ivory tickets,from the
materialof which they were made. A pack of dottedcards
consistsofthirty-twopieces,and the marks " smallcirculardots of red and black" are placed, alternately,at two of
the comers; forinstance,in a card containing eight dots,
fourare placedinone comer and fourin theotherdiagonally
oppositeto it. Ten of thosecardsare classedin pairs; the
firstpair are calledChe4mn, " "the most honorable,""
and are superiorto allthe others; thesemay be consideredas coat cards, as the one containsthe figure of a woman,
and the other thatof a man ; both these cards are also
marked with blackand red dots," ^thatof the woman with
six,and thatof the man with twelve. The second pairare
calledTien-pae,""
celestialcards;"each containstwenty-
fourdotsof blackand red,correspondingwith the twenty-
fourterms in the Chinese year. The third pair are calledTe-pae," " terrestrialcards;" each containsfour red dots
correspondingwith the fourcardinalpointsofthe compass.The fourthpairare calledJin-pae,"
" human cards;" each
containssixteenred dots,relatingto benevolence,justice,order,and wisdom in a four-folddegree. The fifthpairare
calledIlO'pae; each card containseightblackdots,relatingto a supposed principleof harmony in nature extending
" " Second U6mo'irosur IcsRelationspolitiqucsdcs Hois do Prance avec Ici
HinpercursMongols,"dansIcJournalAsiatiquc,dc Scptcmbre,1822, p. 02.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 57
itselftowardsallpointsof the compass. The remaming
twenty-twocardshave distinctnames, which itisneedlesshereto give: theaggregateof the dots upon them issaidto havereferenceto thenumber ofthe stars.
The cardsmost commonly used inChina,are thosecalledTseen-wan-che-pae,"
"a thousand times ten thousand
cards." There are thirtycards in a pack ; namely,three
suitsof ninecardseach,and threesinglecardswhich are
superiorto allthe others. The name of one of the suitsis
Kew-ko-wan; thatis,the nine ten-thousands,or myriadsofKwan " stringsof beads,shells,or mpney. The name of
theothersuitisKew-ho-ping,""
nineunitsofcakes;" andthat of the third is Kew-ko-so," "
nine unitsof chains."
The names of the three singlecards are, Tseen-wan, a
thousandtimes ten thousand; Hunff-hwa,\hQ red flower;
and Pih'hway the whiteflower.
In theannexed specimensof Chinesecards,Nos. 1 and 2
are thefirstand thirdof the suitofnine myriads ofKwan ;
No. 1. No. 2.
58 PLAYING CARDS.
No. 3. No. 4.
r^oooco
jJM^MttiMiiMtJiiII I
No. 5. No. 6.
ORIGIN AND NAME. 59
Nos.8 and 4 are theone and the threeofthe suitofcakes;No. 5 isthe one ofthe suitof chains; and No. 6 isthatofthe threesuperiorcards,which iscalledthe white flower.
Besides those above described,the Chinese have several
othervarietiesof cards : one pack or set iscalledPih-Uze-^
pae, thehundred boys'cards; another,Tseen-wan-jin-pae,"
"a thousandtimesten-thousandmens' names cards,"contain-ingthe names of personsfamous in Chinese history; and a
thirdhas the same name as Chinese Chess, Keu-ma-'paou^
chariots,horses,and guns. This lattername corroborates
what has been previouslysaidabout the probabilityof the
game of cardshaving been suggested by that of chess.The marks to be found on Chinese cards scarcelyafford
a gleam of lightby which we might judgeof theirrelationto the cards of other countries: in a pack of such as are
chieflyused in Cochin China, I have observed the form of
the diamond nearlythe same as itappearson Englishcards;
and in a pack of the Chinese cardscalledTseen-wan-che-pae,
themark of the suitof Nine Cakes is nearlythe same as
thatof the old ItalianDanari, which GaleottusMartius"
in histreatise'DeDoctrinapromiscua,' writtenabout 1488
" considersto have been meant for a loaf.
The cards commonly used in China, are much narrower
than ours ; an idea of their sizemay be formed from the
specimens given,making allowancefor a small margin of
white paper all round, but rather wider at the top and
bottom than at the sides. The Chinese name for a card,
consideredsingly,or as one of the piecesof a pack or set,
appears to be Shen, a fan.
60
CHAPTER 11.
INTRODUCTION OF CARDS INTO EUROPE.
At what periodPlaying Cards firstbecame known in
Europe," whether as an originalinvention,or introduced
from some other quarter of the world," ^hasnot yet been
ascertained.From the silence,however, of allauthorities
by whom we might expect to find them distinctlynamed
ifthey had been in common use, itmay be fairlyconcluded,
that,though theypossiblymight be known to a few persons
beforethe year 1350, they did not begin to attractnotice
nor come intofrequentuse tilltowards thelatterend ofthe
fourteenthcentury. Packs of cardsare distinctlymentionedby the name which they stillretain in France " Jeux de
Cartes" in an entrymade in his book of accounts, about
1393, by Charles Poupart, treasurer of the householdto
CharlesVI ofFrance. Considering,then, thisentryas an
establishedfactin the historyof cards,I shallnow proceedto laybeforethe reader some of the grounds and evidenceson which ithas been assertedthat cards were well known
in Europe beforethat period.Severalwritersofthesixteenthand seventeenthcenturies,
in discussingthe lawfulnessof card-playing,gratuitously
assuming that the game was included under the generalterm Alea}have spoken of cardsas iftheyhad been known
i "Alese nomeh quamvis pro omni ludo,qtiiin varietatefortunseconsistat,
suiniqucatjuxtasententiam,vel opinionem aliquotscriptorum; quorum ^ nu-
mero est Joannes Azorius in tertiaparte InstitutionumMoralium, dicens:
'Alcailudus comprehendit Ludum Chartarum Lusoriarum, Taxillorum,Tabu-
larum,et Sortium.' Proprietamen, ut aitJacobus Spiegelius,accipisoletpro
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 61
from time immemorial. The easymode of derivingaliquidde diquo by means of a comprehensivegenus^
isoffrequent
use with those decisivecharacterswho deh'ghtin settlingcases ofconsciencewith a stronghand ; and who, envelopedin the dust of the Schools,lay vigorouslyabout them, both
rightand left,with weapons borrowed from '^ the old Horse
Armoury of the Fathers,"and re-ground, for presentuse,
on the Decretals. He who can discovercards,implicite,as
Oleariushas it, in St. Cyprian'stract,De Aleatoribus,or
in the injunctionsagainstgaming in the canons of anyCouncilor Synod previousto 1390, willhave no difficulty
infinding " Roulette" and" E or O," impKed under the
generalterm Tahulce. Having thus indicatedthe valueof
thehypotheticevidencein favourof cardsbeing known in
earlytimes," ^becausethe game was subsequentlycompre-hended
under a schoolman'sdefinitionofthe term Alea^" it
may be leftto passforwhat itisworth.Mons. EloiJohanneau's proof thatcards were known in
Tesseris,quaeTalietiam,velTaxilli,et vulgo Dadi vocitantur: Tesseraeautem.
Tali,vel Taxilli,et Cubi, vel Dadi, sunt idem, diversivero quantum ad nu-
menun lateram et punctorum. Non desunt alii,qui Alea
nomen pro ChartisLusoriispassim intelligendumesse velint,ut Polydorus
Virgilius,et aliiscribunt.""Commentarius contraLudum Alearum, Chartarum
scilicetac Taxillorum; a FratreAngelo Roccha, Episcopo Tagastensi,p. 2,4to.
Romse, 1616.* "Bishop ofBamberg. What do you say is the name of the emperor who
wrote your Corpus Juris?
Olearius. Justinian.
Bishop. A cleverprince!" I drinkto hismemory. Itmust be a grandbook.
Olearius. It may indeed be styledthe book of books : a collectionof all
laws,ready forthe decisionof every case ; and whatever is now obsoleteor
doubtfulisexpounded by the comments with which the most learnedmen have
enrichedthismost admirablework.Bishop. A collectionofalllaws! The deuce!" Then theTen Commandments
are thereP
Olearius. Implicite,they are ; e:cplicile,not.Bishop. That isjustwhat I mean ;" therethey are, plainlyand simply,with
out explication.""G^o^^rvon Berlichingen,a Play,by Goethe,acti.
62 PLATING CARDS.
the eleventhcentury,from the testimony of Papias,pre-viously
noticed,neitherrequires,nor indeedadmitsofserious
refutation.If itcouldbe shown thatthe word Naijpe or
Naibe was ever used in Spain or Italyto signifya painted
cloth or a picture,before itwas used to signifya Playing
Card,itsafiinitywith Nappe and Mappam\^i be admitted
to be clearlyestablished.John of Salisbury,who was bom
in the earlypart of the twelfthcentury,says not a word in
hiswork 'De Nugis Curialiiim'"on theTriflingof Courtiers
" ^whichmight indicatea knowledge of cards,althoughone
ofthe chaptersis especiallydevoted to an examination of
the use and abuse of gaming.* Had cards formed one
of the common pastimesof the courtiersof his age,itis
highlyprobablethat he would have mentioned them, by
some name or other, so as to distinguishthem from the
othergames which he enumerates.
The 38th canon of the Councilof Worcester, held in
1240, containsthe followingprohibition: "Prohibemus
etiam clericis,ne intersintludisinhonestis,velchoreis,velludantad aleasvel taxiUos; nee sustineantludos fieride
Rege et Regina, nee arieteslevari,nee palaestraspublicasfieri:'*that is,"We alsoforbidclergymen to joinin dis-reputable
games or dancings,or to play at dice; neither
" John of Salisbury" Joannes Saresberiensis" ^fi^" bom in England about1110. He went to France when he was about seventeen years old,and re-mained
in that country severalyears. He subsequentlyvisitedEome in a
publiccapacity. On Ms return to England,he became thechaplainand acquiredthe friendshipofThomas IkBecket. After the murder of\ Becket" of whichhe was an eye-witness" ^hewithdrew to France, in orderto shun the hostility
of his patron'senemies. From hisattachment to a Becket, no lessthan from
hisreputationas a learnedand pious man, he was electedBishop of Chartres,
where he diedin 1182. The work by which he isprincipallyknown isthat
referredto in the text. The generaltitleof itis,'Policraticussivede Nugis
Curialium,et VestigiisPhilosophorum, libriocto.*. The chapteron gaming," De Alea,et usu et abusu illius,"isthe fifthof the firstbook. Edit.Leyden,
1639.
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 63
shallthey allow games of King and Queen to be acted
[fieri],nor permit ram-raisings,nor public wrestlings."^
Ducange, who quotes the passage in his Latin Glossary,
under the word Ludi, isinclinedto thinkthatthe game de
Bege et Eegina " King and Queen " might have been the
game ofcards.There are not, however,any justgrounds for
entertainingsuch an opinion. The conjectureseems tohave
been suggestedmerely from the circumstanceoftherebeing
a King and Queen in the cardswith which the writerwas
most familiar\ but had he known that no Queen isto be
foundin the earliestEuropean cards,he probablywould not
havemade so bad a guess. Besides,lookingat thecontext,
therecan scarcelybe a doubt that the games " not game "
of King and Queen were a kind of mumming exhibitions
which the clergyenjoyedas spectators,not as performers.Payments to minstrelsand mummers for theirexhibitionsforthe amusement of the monks, and ekeofthe lordAbbot
himself,are not of unfrequent occurrence in the account
books of old monasteries. In the same clause,the clergyare enjoinednot to allow of ram-raisingsnor publicwrest-
hngs" sportsin which they were as unlikelyto appearas
actors as in the games of the King and Queen. What
may have been meant by ram-raising" arieteslevari" the
cimous reader is leftto find,ifhe can, in the pagesofStruttand Fosbroke.
The next passage,supposed to relateto PlayingCards,
which demands attention,isthatwhich occurs intheWard-robe
accounts of Edward I, anno 1278, and which has
been alreadyquoted in the firstchapter. Itappearsneces-sary
to give it here again,togetherwith the Hon. Daines
Barrington'sremarks on it,in the chronologicalorderof
evidencesadduced infavouroftheantiquityof Card Plajing
" Archaeologia,vol.viii,1787.
64 PLATING CARDS.
in Europe. " The earKestmention ofcardsthatI haveyet
stumbled upon, is in Mr. Anstis's' Historyof the Garter'
(volii,p. 307),where he citesthe followingpassagefrom
the Wardrobe rolls,in the sixthyear of Edward theFirst:' Waltero Sturton ad opus regisad ludendum ad quatuor
lieffes,yiii.s.y.d.';from which entry Mr. Anstis,with some
probabilityconjectures,that Playing Cards were not un-
known at the latterend of the thirteenthcentury; and
perhapswhat I shalladd, may carrywith it some small
confirmationofwhat he supposes."
The simplefactthatthe game ofcards was known, both
in France and England, by the name of the Four Kings,
long before we had any specialdissertationsrespectingits
origin,isof more weight,in corroborationof Anstis'ssup-position,
than Mr. Barrington'ssupplementalconj(3ctures.The firstquestionto be determined,is the identityof the
game ofcards,and thatofthe QuatuorReges ; but,without
adducing the slightestevidence,he assumes the fact,andthenproceedsto speculatewhere Edward might havelearnt
thegame. But even admittingthatcardswere meant by the
term Quatuorlieges,itisjustas likelythatEdward learned
the game from his Queen,Eleanor of Castile,as thatho
learneditfromtheSaracensintheHoly Land; for,admittingitto be ofEasternorigin,and thatEuropeans firstobtaineda knowledge of itfrom the Saracens,or a peopleofArab
race, itmay be fairlysupposedthatSpain would be one of
thecountriesinwhich cardswould be earliestintroduced.
In the cards now in use in England, there are certain
peculiaritiesinthenames of two of the suits,as compared
with themarks, which seem to intimatethatwe obtainedour firstknowledge ofthe game from Spain,although sub-sequently
we might importour cardsfrom Franpe.
Seeing that chess was known in the East by a term
signifyingtheFour Kings,and thatitwas a favoriteamuse-
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 65
ment with the higher classesin Europe in the reign ofEdward I,therecan scarcelybe a doubt thatthiswas the
game to which Walter Sturton'sentryrelates." If cardswere indeed known in Europe in the earlypart of the
reignof Edward the First,the silencerespectingthem, of
allcontemporary writers,for about a centuryafterwards,
must be admittedas conclusive,though negative,evidence
of their not being in common use. Petrarch,though
hetreatsof gaming in one ofhisdialogues,never mentions
them ; and though Boccacio and Chaucer noticevarious
games at which both the higher and lower classesof the
periodwere accustomed to play,yet thereis not a single
passagein the works of either,,which can be fairlycon-struedto mean cards.
From thefollowingpassage,which occurs in a work on
the * Government of a Family,'inmanuscript,composed by
Sandro di Pipozzi,in 1299, it has been concluded by
Breitkopfthatcardswere at thatperiodwellknown inItaly:" Se giucheradidenaro,ocosi,o allecarte,gliapparecchierialavia,"c." Zani,however, opposes to the authorityofthe manuscript,the negativeevidenceof Petrarch,whoflourishedat a subsequentperiod,and who,ho thinks,would
not have failedto have mentioned cards if theyhad then
beenknown among thevariousgames whichhe enumerates
inthe firstdialogueofhistreatise* De Remediis utriusque
Fortuna3/^Mons. Duchesne alsoremarks,in his' Obser-vations
sur IcsCartesa joucr,'that,as the copy ofSandro
diPipozzi'swork, citedby Taraboscbi,and examined by
' Mons. Leber,inhisEtudesHistoriqucssur IcsCartes"jouer,remarksthatSingerrefersto thisauthoras PipozzidiSandro,and thatthe name thustrans-posed
has been copiedby otherwriterson thesubjectofcards.Itis,however,
to be observed that Breitkopftwice givesthe name in the same manner as
Singer.* Materialiper servirealiaStoriadell'Origineet de*Progressi
dell*Incizioni
inrame, inlegno,"c. p. 159. 8vo. Parma, 1802.
5
06 VLAYING CARDS.
Zani,isnot of an earlierdate than 1400, thereisreason to
believethat the express mention of cards in it,was the
interpolationof a transcriber.That suchinterpolationswere
frequentlymade both by printersand transcribers,will
appear evidentfrom the followingobservationson several
works,both printedand mannscript,which have been citedin proofof the antiquityofcard-playingin Europe.^
The Abbe Rive, who ascribesthe inventionof cards to
Spain,endeavoursto show that they were known therein
the earlypart of the fourteenthcentury. The evidenceof
this is,accordingto his statement, to be found in the
Statutesof the militaryorderof the Band, promulgated by
Alphonso,King of Castile,where thereisa passageexpresslyforbiddingthe members to play atcards.Whether cardsare
expresslymentioned in any oldSpanish manuscriptsofthe
Statutesin question,has not been ascertained;but of all
the differenteditions,originaland translated,of Guevara's' Golden Epistles,'the work from which the Abbe Rive
obtainedhis information,the firstin which cards are ex-pressly
named, isthatofthe French translationby Gutery,
publishedat Lyons in 1558.^ As the word is not to be
found in the originalSpanish editions,nor in the Italian
translationsmade from them, therecannot be a reasonabledoubtofitsbeing an interpolationof Gutery,who probablythought that a generalprohibitionof gaming necessarilyincludedcards; and thus, "
par consequent," the Abbe
" Those observationshave been chieflyderivedfrom Mons. Duchesne'spaper
on cardsabove referredto, and from a letterwrittenby Mons. PaulinParis,
assistantkeeperofthe MSS. m the Bibliothtiquedu Roi, in answer to certain
queriessubmittedtohim througha friendofthe writer.* TlieoriginalSpanislieditionofGuevara'sEpistleswas printedatValladolid
in 1539,and thework was severaltimesreprintedinSpainand inFlanders.The
letterswere alsotranslatedintoItalianand French ; and severaleditionswere
publishedbeforethe year ICOO. There is an English transitionby Geffery
Fenton,1582; and anotherby Edward Hellowcs,1584.
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 67
Rive isfurnishedwith positiveevidencethat the game of
cardswas common in Spain in 1332. Another authority,
referredto by the Abbe Rive in favour ofthe antiquityofSpanishcards,isof the same kind. In a collectionof the
'Laws of Spain,'printedin 1640, he findsthe following
passagein an Ordonnance issuedby John I, King ofCastile,in 1387 : "We command and ordainthatnone ofour subjectsshalldare to play at dice or at cards {Naypes)
eitherinpubhc or in private,and thatwhoever shallso play,"c."* There can, however, be no doubt that the word
cards(Naypes)isan interpolation; foritisnot to be found
inthe same Ordonnance as given in the collectionentitled
'Ordenangas Reales de Castilla,'printed at Medina del
Campo, 1*541. In thisearlieredition,playingat diceandtablesformoney isindeed forbidden" " de jugarjuegodedados ni de tables,a dinero'*" but cardsare not mentioned.
Jansen, in his 'Essai sur TOriginede la Gravure en
Boiset en Taille-douce,'citesthe fourfollowingverses from
the romance of Renard le Contrefait,pointed out to him
by the lateMons. Van Praet,in evidence of cards being
known in France atleastas earlyas 1341, theyear inwhich
theromance was finished:
" Si comme folset foUessont,
Qui pour gagner,au bordclvont;
Jouent aux dez,aux cartes,aux tables,
Qui a Dieu no sont delectables."
The manuscript containingthe verses as they are here
given is in the Bibliothequedu Roi ; but certainlyit is
not ofearlierdatethan 1450 ; whileinanothermanuscript,
of the same romance, apparentlyabout a hundred years
older,alsopreservedin the Bibliothequedu Roi,theword
* " Mandamos y ordenamos q ningunos de losde nucstrosreynos,sea osados
dejugardadosninaypes, en publicono en escodido,y qualquierq losjugare,""c." Recopilacionde lasLeyes destosRegnos, "c. Edit.1640.
68 PLATING CARDS.
" Cartes" is not to be found in the correspondingverse,
which isas follows:
" Jouentk geux de dezou de tables."
Meerman^ imagined that he had discovereda positive
datefortheearlyuse ofcardsin France,inthework known
as the Chronicleof Petit-Jehande Saintre,but which was,
in fact,writtenby Antoine de Lassale,in 1459.^ Saintre
had been one of the pages ofCharlesV, and on hisbeing
appointedcarver to theKing on account ofhisgood conduct,
the governor of the pages isrepresentedas giving them a
lectureon theirbad courses :" Observe your companion
here,who, through his good conduct, has acquired the
favourof the King and Queen, and of all; while you are
dicersand card-players,keepingbad company, and haunting
taverns and cabarets."^ The factof the work having been
composed in 1459, however,renders it of no authorityon
the question; and even if ithad been written by Jehan
Saintrehimself,there cannot be a doubt that the term
" Caries'isan interpolation.
The term **joueuccde cartes,*'card-players,isindeedto
be found in the earliestprintededitionsof the work, and
' Meerman, OriginesTjpograpliic",vol.i,p. 222. Edit.1765.* " Tout lemonde saitque ce charmant ouvrage a 6t^compost en 1459 par
Antoine de Lassalle."" Duchesne, Precis Historiquesur Ics Cartes a jouer,p. 5,prefixedto the * Jcux de Cartes Tarots/"c. Mons. Duchesne himself
doesnot appear to have known"
what allthe world knows" when he wrote his* Observationssur lesCartesa jouer/printedin theAnnuaire Historique,1837;forhe thereseems to admit thatthe work was composed by a person who lived
at the periodto which itrelates,and refersto two manuscripts in which the
word "cartes" isnot to be found. He says that a thirdmanuscript,which
containsit,appearsto have been transcribedaboutthe end of the fifteenthcen-tury,
but does not inform the readerthat the work itselfis a mere romance,
writtenin 1459.
" " Vcez civostrecompaignon qui,pour estrctel,a acquislagracedu Roy et
de laRoyne et de tons,et vous qui estesnoiseuxtijoueuxde carieset de dez,
ct sieuv^sdcshonnestesgens,tavemiers,et cabarets."
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 69
alsoin a manuscriptpreservedin the Bibliothequedu Roi ;
but then thismanuscriptdoes not appearto be of an earlierdatethan thelatterend of the fifteenthcentury,and there
isalsoreason to believethat it is the identicalmanuscriptfrom which the vrorkwas firstprinted. The word Cartes,
however,is not to be found in a manuscriptcopy of the
work in the libraryof the Sorbonne, nor in anotherin the
libraryof St. Germains. The latteris much olderthan
eitherof the others. Mons. Duchesne says that,in 1583,
itbelongedto Claude d'Expilly,and that thesetwo verses,
which show thatitwas even then consideredan old manu-script,are writtenin the firstfolio:
"Ce livresoitgard^non tantpour sa beauts.
Que pour lesaintrespectde son antiquity."
"From this examination,"says Mons. Duchesne, "we
may concludethatthe word Cartesisan interpolationmadeby a transcribera centurylater: consequentlyit cannot
be admitted as a proofthatcards were known in 1367."*
In an editionof William de Guilleville'sallegoricalpoem,
entitled' Le Pelerinaigede THomme,'^ printedat Parisby
Verard in 1511, the followingverses, in which cards are
named, were pointed out to me by my friendMr. N. Hill,
of the Royal Societyof Literature,to whom I am greatly
indebted for much curious and interestinginformation
relatingto the Origin and History of PlayingCards.
At folioxlv,a, Oysivetetempts the pilgrimto quit the
* Peignotconsidersthe passagesinwhich Cards are mentioned genuine,both
in the Chronicleof Petit-Jehande Saintr6and in the romance of Renard le
Contrefait.He had taken the passagesjustas he found them in Meerman and
Jansen, and made no furtherinquiry. Saint-Foixappears to have been the
firstperson in France who pointed out the passage relatingto cards in the
Chronicleof Petit-Jehande Saintr^. See Peignot'sRecherches sur lesDanses
dcs Morts, et sur TOriginedcs Cartesa joucr,pp. 211-262, 315." Tliiswork was composed about 1330
70 PLAYING CARDS.
rightway by recountingto him the pleasuresenjoyedbythosewho placethemselvesunder her guidance:
**, . .
Je meyne gens au bois,
Et laleurfais-jevcoirdnnscurs,
Jeux de bastcaulxet dejougleurs,Jeux de tableset ddschiquiers,
De boullesetmercilliers.De cartes,jeuxde tricherie,
Et de mainte autre muserie."
At folioIxxii,a, Quartes" for so the word is there
spelled" isnoticedas a prohibitedgame :
** Mains icuxquisontdenyez,
Aux mcrcllcs,quartes,ct dcz,""c.
As therewas reason to suspectthat the word Cartes
or Quartes,in the printedcopiesof De Guilleville'spoem,
was an interpolation,the same as itwas found to be in
otherworks examined by M. Duchesne, M. Paulin Paris,
assistant-keeperof the manuscriptsin the Bibliothequedu
Eoi, was requestedby a friendof Mr. Hill,to compare the
printedtext ^\iththat of the earliestmanuscriptcopiesof
the poem preservedin the collectionunder his care. The
resultof the collationwas that the suspectedwords had
been interpolated.The followingisa translationof a por-tion
ofM. PaulinParis'sletteron the subject."I have compared the verses of our MSS. of the Pil-grimage
of Human Life with the printededitions,andhave found the lattervery inexact. Cards are neither
named nor alluded to in the MSS. ; and in them the first
passage,pointed out by your friendMr. N. Hill,standsthus:
Ja leurfaisjeveoirbaleurs,Gieux de bastiauxet dejugleurs,De tableset de eschcquiers,De boulcset de mereliers,De dcz ct d*ciitrcgsterie,
Et de raaiiitcautre muscrie.MS, 0988, fol.44, verso.
(No.2),fol.47,veno.
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 71
" The other passage referredto is,in both MSS. as
follows:Tant Taime quo jeen suissote,Et quo en perssouvent ma cote,
A mainsjcuxquisont dcviScs,Aux merelles,tables,et dez."
As allthe differentinterpolationsreferredto appearto
have been made in good faith," not for the purpose of
showing the antiquityof card-playing,nor with any view
of deceivingthe reader,but merely to supply what the
transcriber,lookingat the manners of his own age,feltto
be an omission," ^theyaffordgood grounds forconcluding
that,at the time when the severalworks were firstwritten,
cardswere not a common game in eitherFrance or Spain;
for,had theythen been wellknown in thosecountries,itis
justas likelythat they would have been mentioned by the
originalwritersas thatthey should have been interpolated
by latertranscribers.
In an articleon Cards, in the 'Magasin Pittoresque'for
April,1836, an illustrationis given,of which the annexed
72 PLAYING CARDS.
cut is a fac-simile.The writer of the articlesays that
it is exactlycopied from a miniature in a MS. of the
Cite de Bieu, translatedfrom St. Augustine by Raoul de
Presle,who began the translationin 1371, and finishedit
in 1375. The writer,consideringthe MS. to be of the
same date as the translation,says thatthe miniaturerepre-sents
personsof distinctionof the reign of CharlesV.^ As
he adduces, however, no evidence to show that the MS.
isof so earlya date,his so-calleddemonstration thatcards
were well known in 1375, is essentiallydefective;for,in
transcriptsof books, nothing ismore common than to find,
in the illustrations,things which were unknown when the
works were firstwritten. The costume, indeed, appearsmore likethat of persons of distinctionabout the latter
end of the reignofCharlesVI, 1422, than ofthe reignofCharlesV, 13G4" 1380. From the kind of cardswhichthe partiesare seen playingwith,no safeconclusioncan be
drawn with respectto the age of the manuscript; forit is
not positivelyknown what kind of cards were chieflyusedin France between 1392 and 1440. But, whatever maybe the date of the manuscript, it is evident that numeral
cards marked with"
pips" and honours, similarlyto those
now in common use, were known in France at the time
when the drawing was made.The followingaccount of the introductionof cardsinto
Viterbo,in 1379, previouslyreferredto in Chapter I, is
* **... Voiciune demonstrationconcluante: c'est\gfac-similed*une
miniaturedn manuscritde latraductionde la Citede Lieu de SaintAugustin,
par Raoul de Preslcs,qui letermina en 1375. Cette miniature representedes
personnages de distinctiondu regne de CharlesV, debout autour une tableronde
etjouantaux cartes. Nous devonscetteminiaturea Tobligeancede M. leComte
H. de Vicl-Castel,qui nous I'acommuniqude, ainsique d*autresdocumens qu'il
avaitrdunissur lescartes. Le manuscritd*ou on a tir6la miniature,acliev6en
1375,avait^t^commence en 1371."" Magasin Pittoresque,QuatriemeAnnee,
Avril,1836, p. 131.
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 78
heregiven as it is to be found in Leber's ' Etudes Histo-
riquessur lesCartes a jouer/" FelicianoBussi relates,in
his* History of Viterbo/a work but littleknown, that in
1379, the epoch of the schism caused by the oppositionoftheanti-popeClement to Urban VI, the mercenary troopsof
each party com'mitt3d allmanner of annoyances and spolia-tionsin the Roman States,and that a great number of
cattle,which had been stolenby the marauders, and driven
to Viterbo for the provisionment of that city,were there
seized,and carriedoff in a moment.' And yet,'adds the
historian,' who could believe it! In this same year of
so much distressthere was introduced into Viterbo the
game of cards,or, as I would say,playingcards,which pre-viously
were not in the leastknown in thatcity\ thewords
of Covelluzzo,are, folio28, verso: 'In the year 1379,
was brought into Viterbo the game of cards, whichcomes from the country of the Saracens,and iswith them
calledNaib!"
As the introductionof cardsintoViterbo
is here directlyrecorded as a historicalfact,there can be
littledoubt, if the passage in Covelluzzobe genuine,that
cards were known to the Italiancondottieriin 1379. In
the chronicleof Giovan Morelli,of the date 1393, Naihi is
mentioned as a kind of game ; and, from the context, ithas
been concluded that it was one at which children only
played.^ At any rate itappears there as a game at which
olderpeople might playwithout reproach. Long aftercards
were condemned by-synods and civicordinances,as a game
of hazard, grave writersallowed that sober,decent people
might enjoythe game providedthat they played purelyfor
* IstoriadeUa Cittadi Viterbo,p. 213. Folio,Koma, 1742.* " Non giuocarea zara, ne ad altrogiuoco di dadi,fa de'giuochiche usano i
fanciulli;aglialiossi,aliatrottola,a* ferri,a' Naihi,fHcoderone,e simili,""
Cronica di Giovan. Morelli,in Malespini'sIstoriaFiorentina,p. 270. 4to,
Florence,1728.
74 PLAYING CARDS.
the sake of recreation,and not for the chance of winning
theirneighbour'smoney.Heineken quotesfrom the ' GiildinSpil/a book written
about the middle of the fifteenthcenturyby a Dominican
friar,of the name of Ingold, printed at Augsburg, by
Gunthcr Zainer,in 1472, the followingpassage relatingto cards :^
" Nun ist das Spil vol untrew ; und, alsich
gelesenhan, so ist es kommen in Teutschland der ersten
in dem iar,da man zaltvon Cristgeburt,tausend dreihun-
dertiar." That is:" The game is rightdeceitful; and,as
I have read,was firstbrought into Germany in the year
1300.'' The titleof' Guldin Spil,'"the Golden Game,"
appearsto have been given to the work by theauthor,on
account ofitsbeing a kind ofpioustravestyof the principal
games in vogue in Germany at the period when he wrote :
having giveneach game a moral exposition,thatwhich was
formerlydross is converted into gold : the "
old man" is
put off,and the reformed gambler,insteadof idlingawayhis precioustime at tric-trac,dice,or cards for beggarly
groschen,"goes" hiswhole soulat the' Guldin Spil'
That the author had read somewhere of cards having
been firstbroughtintoGermany in 1300, may be admitted
withoutquestion; forto suppose that he told an untruth,
would requireto be backed by a supplementaryconjec-tureas to his motivesforfalsifying," a mode of eliciting
the "truth," in frequent use indeed with philosophichistorianswhen discussingquestionsof greatimport inthe
historyofnations,but not exactlysuitablefordetermining
a triflingfact in the historyof Playing Cards. Having
admittedthe good faithof the authorofthe' Guldin Spil/
the next questionthatpresentsitselfis,whetherwhat he had
read abouttheintroductionof cards into Germany was in
' IdeeGeueraled'uncCollectioncompleted'Estampcs,p. 240.
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 75
itselftrue ; it is,however,unnecessary to discussit here,
foreven if cards were known in Germany at so early a
period,there is no satisfactoryevidence of theirhaving
been common in thatcountryuntilabout a centurylater.
Von Murr, who also citesfrom the * GiildinSpil'the
precedingpassage relatingto cards,thinksthattheepoch
assigned,1300, isatleastfiftyyearstoo early/He, however,
statesthat he found cards" Carten" mentioned in an oldbook ofbye-lawsand regulationsofthe cityof Nuremberg,
to which he assignsa date between 1380 and 1384. The
word occurs in a bye-law relatingto gaming "
' Vom SpiT"
fromthe penaltiesof which the followinggames are, under
certaincircumstances,excepted:" Horse-racing,shooting
withcross-bows,cardsyshovel-board,tric-trac,and bowls,at
whicha man may bet from two pence to a groat." Whether
the date assignedby Von Murr be correct or not, I am
unableto determine. His reason forconcludingthatit\vas
betweenthe years1380 and 1384, isas follows: " There is
indeedno date to thisbye-law,but itiswrittenin the same
hand as a law relatingto the Toll-housesbeforethe New
Gate; and at folio4 there isa precisedate,namely the
secondday beforeWalpurg's day,1384.'' The reason isnot
a very good one ; for,even admitting the identityof the
hand-writingintheordinancerelatingto gaming, and in the
actof 1381 relatingto the toll-houses,yet both might have
been copiedintothebook at a subsequentperiod. Itisalso
to be observed,that,accordingto Von Murr's own account,
thedate 1384 occurs inthe fourthfolio,whilethe ordinancein which cards are mentioned, isinthesixteenth
folio.But
though the dateassigned by Von Murr to the Nuremberg
regulation,may be a few yearstoo early,there is good
reason to believethat cardswere well known in Germany
' C. G. von Murr, Journal zur Kunstgcschiclitc,2tcr Thcil,s. 98. 8vo,
Nuremberg, 1776.
76 PLAYING CARDS.
towardstheconclusionofthefourteenthcentury. Accord-ing
to Mons. Neubronner,administratorat Ulm, (about1806,)therewas in the archivesof that cityan ancient
parchment volume, calledthe Red Book, on account ofits
red initialletters,which contained a prohibitionagainstCard Playing,dated 1397.'
Having now laidbeforethe reader theprincipalautho-rities
which have been allegedby variouswriters," ^whetherforthe purposeof showing the antiquityof card-playingin
Europe generally,or with the design of supportingtheir
own opinionas to the inventionof cardsin some particular
country" itis now time to enter on what may be termed
thepositivehistoryofcards,beginningfrom theyear 1393.
CharlesVI ofFrance losthisreason in consequenceofa
coup'de-soleilyin 1392; and during the remainderof his
lifecontinuedinsane,though with occasionallucidintervals.
In eitherthe same or in the followingyear, 1393, this
entry occurs in the accounts of his treasurer, Charles
Poupart,or, as he isnamed by Monstrelet,Charbot Poupart:" Given to Jacquemin Gringonneur,painter,forthreepacks
ofcards,giltand coloured,and variouslyornamented,forthe
amusement oftheking,fifty^sixsolsofParis."^Menestrier,
who was thefirstto pointout thispassage,concludedfrom
* Jansen,Essaisur TOrigme de laGravnre en Bois,"c.,quoted by Peignot,
p. 256.* ** Donnd h Jacquemin Gringonneur,pcintre,pour troisjeuxde cartesa or
et h.diversescouleurs,om^s deplusieursdeviaes,pour porterdeversleSeigneur
Roi,pour son Abatement,cinquante-sixsolsparisis."" Menestrier,Bibliothcque
curieuseet instructive,torn,ii,pp. 168-91. 12mo, Trevoux,1704. According
to Barrois,the name Gringonneur signifieda maker of Grangons." Ce nom a
faitprendrelechange ; ilsignifiefaiseurde grangons.* Grangium certustesse-
rarum Indus.* Voir Glossariumde Ducange, Supplement, t.ii,col.651. Les
premierescartesse vendaienth Paris,chez Jacquemin, gringoncur,fabricantde
dds,parceque lesd^s et lescartess*employaientsimultandmcnt. (VoirMinia-ture
de notre cabinetdansTAbusd en Court,manuscritde XV sicclc.)D'oii
d^gringolcr,roulcren sautillantcomme lesdcs.""^Ei^mcns
Cariovingicns,lin-
guistiqucsctlitt^raircs,p. 265. 4to,Paris,1846.
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 77
it that the game of cards was then firstinventedby
Gringonneurforthepurposeofdivertingtheking'smelan-choly;
and his account of the inventionlong passed as
authenticin the politelylearnedworld. That the game of
cardswas inventedby Gringonneur isin thehighestdegree
improbable; forthe generaltenor of the passagein which
theyare named by Poupart impliesthatthe game was then
alreadyknown, though from the noticeof the gildingand
colouringofthe cards,itmay be supposedthatGringonneur
had a specialorderforthem, and thattheywere not then
ingeneraluse." If,"saysPiegnot,
" Pere Menestrierhad paidattentionto the manner in which the passageis drawn up, he wouldhaveperceivedthattheexpression
' forthreepacksofcards,'" "
^
pour troisjeuxde cartes" clearlyannounces, from its
verysimplicity,that cards were alreadyknown, and that
theirinventionwas of a much earlierdate. The writer
would not have mentioned so simply a collectionoffigures,
justconceivedand paintedby Gringonneur on small pieces
ofpaper,and veryremarkable,as wellfrom theirsymmetry
and regularity,as from the charactersrepresentedon them."^
The Hon. Daines Barrington,inhis ' Observationson the
AntiquityofPlayingCards inEngland,'doubtsifPoupart's
" The following" slirewdreply,"which owes itspointto Menestrier'saccount
oftheinventionofcards,appearedin a weekly journalabout threeyears ago." SirWalter Scottsays,thatthe allegedoriginof the
inventionof cardspro-duced
one oftheshrewdestreplieshe had ever heardgiveninevidence. Itwas
made by thelateDr. Gregory,at Edinburgh,to a counselofgreateminenceat
the Scottishbar. The doctor*stestimony went to prove the insanityof the
party whose mental capacitywas the point at issue. On a cross-interrogation
he admitted thatthe person in questionplayedadmirablyat whist.*And do
you seriouslysay, doctor,*saidthe learnedcounsel,'that a person having a
superiorcapacityfor a game so difficult,and which requires,in a pre-eminent
degree,memory, judgment,and combination,can be at the same time deranged
in his understanding?' 'I am no card-player,"said thedoctor,with great
address,*but I have read in historythatcards were inventedforthe amuse-ment
of an insaneking/ The consequencesofthisreplyweredecisive."
78 TLAYINO CARDS.
entryactuallyrelatesto PlayingCards. He isof opinionthatthe words
" iroiajeuxde cartes* mean threesetsofilluminationsupon paper, ''carte originallysignifying
nothing more/' If Mr. Barrington had produced any
authorityto show that,eitherin the time of CharlesVI, or
at any otherperiod,"
\mjeude cartes" was used to signifya set ofilluminations,or that the term ever signifiedany-thing
elsethan a pack,or a game, of cards,hisdoubt would
not have had so much the appearance of a starvedconceit.Though in 1893 cardsmight have been but littleknown
and seldom played at, except by the higher classes,the
game in a shorttimeappearsto have become common ; for
in an edictofthe provostof Paris,dated 22d of January,
1397, working people are forbidto play at tennis,bowls,
dice,cards,or nine-pins,on working days. From the
omissionof cards in an ordonnance of Charles V, dated
13C9, forbiddingcertaingames and addressedto allthe
seneschals,baiUies,provosts, and other officersof the
kingdom, it may be safelyconcluded that if cards were
known in France in 1369, the game was by no means so
common as in 1397. Duchesne indeed says that it is
between 1369 and 1397, a period of twenty-eightyears,
thattheinventionof Playing Cards,or at leasttheirintro-duction
intoFrance,ought to be placed.Cards having been presented at the court of France for
the amusement of the king, and prohibitedin the cityofParis,eitheras too good or too bad forthe amusement of
workingpeople,appearforthwithto have become fashionable;
but,besidesthe recommendations alludedto,the game pos-sesses
charms of itsown which could scarcelyfailto renderit a favoritewith gamesters of allclasses,as soon as its
principlesshouldbe known.^ To ladiesand gentlemen who
* About the bcginniiigof the fifteenthcentury thepassionforgaming appearsto have been very prevalentinFrance; and persons who were addictedto
it
INTRODUCTION INTO EtJROPE. 79
. might play,merely as a relaxationfrom the more seriousbusiness of hunting and hawking, dressing and dining,
no game couldbe more fascinating;whileto thosewho might
playforgain,what other game could be more tempting?
The great infirmityof human nature, with the noble as
wellas the ignoble,as old storiesplainlyshow, isthe too
eagerdesireto obtain money, or money's worth,in a short
time and at littlecost ; and, hence, to riska certainsum on
thechanceof obtaininga greater,whether at dice,cards,statelotteries,or art-unionlittle-goes:inthe latter,indeed,under
theprudent directionof what may be called*' handicap"
legislators," from theiralways coming out strong towards
the end of the session,like the beaten horses for a
handicap at the end of a race week, " the spiritof gamingisrefined,and made subservientto the purposes of pure
charityand the promotion of the finearts. He who devised
thegame ofcards,as now usuallyplayed,appearsto havehad
a thorough perceptionof at leasttwo of the weak pointsofhuman nature ; fornext to man's trust in his "luck," in all
games of chance, ishis confidencein himselfin allgames of
skill.The shuffling,cutting,and dealingat cards,together
with the chance afforded by the turn-up of the trump,
placethe novice, in his own conceit,on a par with the
endeavouredto guard themselvesfrom itsfascinationsby voluntarybonds,with
a penaltyin case of infraction.The followingaccount of a bond of thiskind is
extractedfrom the Memoirs of the Academy of Dijonfor 1828. "Mons.
Baudot a trouv^ deux actes de ce genre, qui mdritentd'etireconservesh cause
de leursingularity.Le premier est tir^.duprotocolede Jehan Lebon, notaire,
et de ses clercsJehan Bizot, Guyot Bizot de Charmes, et Jehan Gros. On y
lit.qu*en 1407, ily eut convention de ne pas jouerpendant une annde, entre
Jehan Violier de VoUexon, boucher, a Dijon;Guillaume Garni, boucher,
Huguenin de Grancey, tournestier(employaux toumois),Vivien le Picardet,
patissier,et Gorant de Barefort, coustellier,tons de Dijon,a peinede d6ux
francsd'orau profitde ceux qui n'auront pas joue,et de deux francsd*or a
leverpar leProcureur de laVilleet Commune de Dijon,au profitde laVille.*'
" The second was a similarengagement, in the year 1505.
80 PLATING CARDS.
experiencedgamester; who, on theotherhand, isaptto
underratehisopponent'schance,fromhisover-confidencein
hisown skill.During the middle ages,theclergy,notwithstandingtheir
vows and theirpretensionsto superior sanctity,appearto
have been not a whit more exempt from the weaknesses ofhuman nature than the unsanctifiedlaity; nay, from the
historyof the times,itwould seem thattheirvows rendered
them not only more susceptibleof temptation,but more
Ukely to fall. Their preaching pointed one way, and their
livesanother; and hence the old proverb," Mind what the
friarsaySy not what he doesJ' The vicesof the times are
indeed writtenin the canons of synods and councils,and in
the penitentialsof bishops directed againstthe immo-ralities
of the clergy; and from the experienceofthe past,
thus recorded,we have ample proof that clericalvows are
not always a certaincharm againstsecularvices.Aftercards
were once fairlyintroduced,itwould appear thatthe clergy
were not longin *'
cuttingin;" for,accordingto Dr. J.B.
Thiers,they were expresslyforbidto play at cards,by the
synod of Langres, 1404.^
Menestrierrefersto the statutesof Amadeus VIII, Duke
of Savoy, 1430, forbiddingallkinds of gaming formoney
within his territories,though his subjectsare allowedto
amuse themselves at certaingames, provided they play
* Thiers,referringto the Synod of Langres of 1404, Tit.de Ludibus prohi-bitis,thus givesthe prohibition:
" Nous d^fendonsexpressement aux Eccle-
siastiqucs,principaleraenta ceux qui sont dans lessaintsordres,et sur toutaux
pretrcset aux cur^s,de joucraux dez,au triquetrac,ou aux cartes."" Traits
des Jcux etdes Divertisscmens,par M. Jean BaptisteThiers,Docteur en Thdo-
logie,p. 193. 12mo, Paris,1686. Though this synod is alsoreferredto by
Menestrier,Bullet,and others,it is overlooked by Mons. Duchesne, who,
speaking of the prohibitionof cardsto the clergy,says," C'estseulement au
synode de Bamberg, in 1491, qu*au titrexvi on trouve ladefense: *Ludosque
taxillorumet chartarum,et his similes,in locispublicis.*"
" Observationssur
lesCarteslijouer,dans TAnnuaire Historique,pour Tannde 1837,p. 176.
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 81
onlyformeat and drink.* "With respectto cards,they
are forbidden;nevertheless,theyare allowedto women, with
whom men may alsoplay,providedthattheyplayonlyfor
pins,""" dum Indus jBattantum cum spinulis." In this
passagea juristwould not construe the word"
spinuHs**"
pins" ^hterally,but would take itto mean any small articles
of pins'worth. In France,about 1580, the douceiu*givenby a guest to a waiter at an inn was called"his pins""
"
epingles;"^ and the proverbialphrase," Tirerson epingle
du jeu,"seems to alluderatherto"
pin-stakes,"'thanto the
game of "push-pin."
Early in the fifteenthcentury,card-making appears to
have become a regular trade in Germany, and there is
reason to beUeve thatitwas not of much laterdateinItaly.
In 1418 the name of a card-maker"
" Kartenmac/ter/'"
occurs intheburgess-booksofAugsburg. In an oldrate-book
of the cityofNui-emberg, the name "FIL Kartenmac/ierin'
occurs under the year 1433 ; and in the same book under
theyear 1435, the name *'Mis.Kartenmac/ierin,"probably
the same person. In the year 1438 the name" Margret
Kartenmalerin^ occurs.^ From thoserecordsitwould appear
thattheearliestcard-makersand card-paintersofNuremberg
were women ; and that cards were known in Germany by
the name of" Karten" before they acquired the name of
" Briefe." Heineken, however, maintains that they were
firstknown in Germany by the lattername ; for as he
claimedthe inventionfor his countrymen, the factof the
" Peignot,who affectsgreat precisionin datesand names, saysthatthe Sta-
tnta Sabaudifflwere "publi^es en 1470 par Am^dee VIII, Due de Savoie."
Amadous VIII, the amateur hermit" who was electedPope by the Councilof
Baslein 1439, and who took the name of Pope FelixV" diedm 1451.
* " Donnez nous du lingeblanc. Paictesque nons ayons des linceuxblancs,
et vous aures demain voz espingles.""J. T. Pregii Psedagogus, p. 112..
Basle,1582.
Von Murr, Journalzur Kunstgeschichte,2er Theil,s. 121, 122.
6
82 PLAYING CARDS.
name being derivedeitherfrom the French or Italianwas
adverseto histheory.
Nuremberg, Augsburg, and Uhn appear to have been
the chieftowns in Germany for the manufacture of cards
about the middle of the fifteenthcentury; and, from the
followingpassage,citedby Heineken from a manuscript
chronicleof the cityof Ulm, ending at 1474, it would
appear that the German manufacturers,besidessupplying
the home market did alsoa largeexport business:" Play-ing
cards were sent in small casks [leglenweiss]intoItaly,
Sicily,and alsoover sea, and bartered for spicesand other
wares."^ Itwas probably againstthe German card-makers
and painter-stainersthat the magistracy of Venice issued
an order in 1441, forbidding the introductionof foreign
manufactured and printed coloured figuresinto the city
under the penalty of forfeitingsuch articles,and being
finedXXX liv.xiisoldi. This order appears to have been
made in consequence of a petitionfrom the fellowshipof
paintersat Venice,wherein they had set forth that " the
art and mystery of card-making and of printingfigiu*es,
which were practisedin Venice,had fallenintototaldecay
through the great quantityof foreignplaying cards,and
colouredprintedfigureswhich were brought intothe city."*The magistrates'order,in which this passage occurs as the
* Heineken, in his French version of this passage, in the Idee GenMe,
erroneouslytranslatesthe word legUnweiss^ "en ballots." In his Neue
Nachrichten, however, he gives the correct explanation," das ist,in kleinen
Fassem"" "that is,in small casks." Though the word Lagel, a barrel,is
obsoletein Germany, yet itsdiminutive,"leglin,""as ifLageHn" isstillused
in Scotlandforthe name of the ewe-milker'skit. It is needlessto citethe
work from which I copy this bitof information,as the author,I am sure, will
not findany faultwith me forany libertiesthatI may take.* " Consciosciache Tarte e mestier dellecarte e figurestampide,che se fano
in Venesia h vegnudo a totaldeffaction,e questo siaper la gran quantitade
cartea zugur e figuredcpentestampide,le qual vienfatede fuorade Venezia."
" Algarotti,LettcrePittoriche,torn,v, p. 320.
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 83
preamble, was discovered by an Italianarchitect,of the
name of Temanza, in an old book of rules and ordersbelonging to the company or fellowshipof Venetian
painters. Temanza sent an account of his discoveryto
Count Algarotti,who publisheditin the fifthvolume ofhis
*LetterePittoriche/
As ithas been assumed thatthe earliestprofessionalcard-
makers were wood-engravers, and that the engraving of
cards on wood led to the execution of other figures,it
appears necessary to trace the Briefmaler'sprogress,andto show how he came to be identifiedwith the "
wood-
engraverin general." That the earlycard-makers or card-
paintersof Ulra, Nuremberg, and Augsbiu-g,from about1418 to 1450, were alsowood-engravers,isfounded entirelyon the assumption that the cards of that period were en-graved
on wood, and that those who manufactured them,
both engraved and colouredthe figures.It isnot, however,
certainthat the figuresof the earliestcards, not drawn by
hand, were engraved on wood ; in the oldestcards,indeed,
which I have had an opportunityof examining, and which
appearto be of as earlya date as the year 1440, itisevident
thatthe figureswere executed by means of a stencil. From
the circumstance of so many women occurring as card-
paintersin the town books of Nuremberg between 1433
and 1477, there appears reason to conclude that they,
at least,were not wood-engravers.The name of a wood-engraver proper" Formschneider"
firstoccurs in the town-books of Nuremberg, under the
year 1449; and as for twenty years subsequently,itfre-quently
occurs on the same page withthatofa card-painter"
* A stencilisa thin piece of pasteboard,parchment, or metal,in which tho
ontlinesand generalforms of any figuresare cut out,forthe purpose of being
"
stencilled"on cards,paper,pasteboard,plasteredwalls,"c.The operationis
performed by passingover the stencila brush charged with colour,which enter-ing
intothe cut out linesimparts the figureto the materialbeneath.
84 PLATING CARDS.
Kartenmder " there cannot be a doubt that therewas a
distinctionbetween the professions,although,Uke the bar-bers
and surgeons of former times,they both belongedto
the same fellowshipor company.
A few yearssubsequentto the Formschneider,theBrief-
maler occurs; but though his designationhas the same
literalmeaning as thatof theKartenmaler,yethisbusiness
seems to have been more general,includingboth thatofthe card-painterand wood-engraver. About 1470 we find
the Briefmalers not only employed in executingfigures,
but alsoin engravingthe text of block-books; and about
the end of the fifteenthcentury the term seems to have
been generallysynonymous with that of Formschneider.
Subsequentlythe latterterm prevailedas the properdesig-nation
of a wood-engraver,while that of Briefmalerwasmore especiallyapplied,likethatoftheoriginalKartenmaler,
to designate a person who coloured cards and other
figures.^
Though we have positiveevidencethat,about the year1470, the Briefmalerwas a wood-engraver as well as a
colourerof cards; and though it be highlyprobable that
the outUnesofthe figureson cards were then engraved on
wood, and that,from this circumstance,the Briefmalerbecame alsoa wood-engraver,yet we have no proofthatthe
* In a work entitled" HANOHAIA omnium illiberaliummechanicarum aut
scdcntariarumartiura,""c., with cuts designedby Jost Amman, and descrip-tions
inLatinverse by Hartman Schoppcr,Frankfort,1568, thereisa cut ofa
Briefnf^tlertand anotherof a Formschneider; the former appears to be colour-ing
certainfiguresby means of a stencil;while the latterappears to be
engravingon wood. There are alsoeditionsofthe work, with the descriptions
in German verse by Hans Sachs,thecelebratedMeistersangerand shoemakerof
Nuremberg. Though itappearsevidentthatat the time of the publicationof
thiswork the businessof a Briefmalerwas consideredas distinctfrom thatofa
Formschneider,thereisyetreason to believethatthe oldBricfmalersstillcon-tinued
both to engrave and printwoodcuts. On severallargecuts withthe
dates1553 and 1554, wo findthe words'" Gcdrukt zu Niimberg durch Hanns
Glascr,Briefiraalcr."
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 86
earliestwood-engraversin Europe were the card-makers.Von Murr indeed confidentlyaffirms
" thatcard-makersand
card-painterswere known in Germany eightyyears before
the inventionof typography,and thatthe card-makerswere
at firstproperlywood-engravers,but that,afterthe art of
wood-engraving was applied to the executionof sacred
subjects,a distinctionwas made."* He who can thus
persuadehimselfthatthe germ ofwood-engravinginEurope
isto be found in cards,wUl doubtlessfeelgreatpleasurein
tracingits interestingdevelopment; the firstterm, cards
engravedon wood, being assumed, we then have figuresof
saintswith theirnames, or shortexplanations,engraved on
wood ; next block-booksconsistingof sacredsubjectswith
copious explanatorytext; and lastlytypography and the
press:"
ce n'est que lepremier pas qui coute."^
At what period the art of wood-engraving vras first
introduced in Europe, or in what country it was first
practised,has not been preciselyascertained. Not the
slightestallusionis made to itsproductionsby any writers
of the fourteenthcentury; and the earliestauthenticdate
that has hithertobeen observed on any wood-engraving,is1423. A wood-engraving saidto containthe date1418
was indeeddiscoveredat Malines in 1844, pasted in the
' " Kartenmacher,und Kartemnaler,oderwie siespater(1473)hiessen,Brief-
maler,sindsclionin Dcutschland80 Jahre vor derErUndung dcrBuclidrucker-
kunst gewesen. Die Kartenmacher waren anfangs die eigentlichcnForm-
schneider,ehe man geistlicheFiguren schnitt,da siedann ia der Folge der
Zeit eine besondere Innung ausmacliten."" ^Von Murr, Journal zur Kunst-
geschichte,2er Theil,s. 89." "L'homme le plus vers6dans la connaissancedes premiersproduitsde la
xylographie,leBaron de Heineken, 6taitint^rieurementpersuadeque la pre-miere
empreinte tir^esur un aisgrossibrementsculpts,qui parut en Europe,
itaitune carte. Dans son opinion,que nous croyons bien fondde,la gravure
des cartes^jouerconduisitk celledes images de Saints,quidonna I'iddede la
gravure des mscriptionsou Idgcndes,d'otinaquit riraprimerie."Ainsi,une
carte auraitproduit la presse! Quellem^re et quellepost^ritd!"" Leber,
Etudes Historiquessur lesCartesa jouer,p. 3.
86 PLATING CARDS.
insideof an old chest; but as the numerals have evidentlybeen repairedby means of a black-leadpencil,both the
genuinenessand the authenticityof thedatehave beenvery
justlyquestioned. The person by whom itwas found,the
keeper of a littlepublic-house,almost immediately soldit
to an architectnamed De Noter,of whom itwas purchasedby the Baron de Reiffenberg,for the Royal Library ofBrussels,ofwhich he isthe conservator, and where itisnow
preserved.^Beforethisdiscovery,the earliestwood-engriavingwith a
date,was the St. Christopher,in Earl Spencer'scollection,in which the date 1423, partlyin words and partlyin
numerals"
" Millesimo cccc' xx* tercio'*" is seen engravedin the same manner as the otherpartsof the subject.Thefirstpersonwho publishedan account oftheSt.Christopher,
was Hcineken. When he firstsaw it,itwas pastedon the
insideofthe cover of a manuscript volume in the libraryofBuxheim, near Memmingen in Suabia,within fiftymilesofAugsburg, a citywhich appearsto have been the abode of
wood-engravers almost from the very commencement ofthe
art in Europe, and in which we find a card-maker so early
as 1418. On the insideof the cover, Heineken alsoob-served
anothercut, ofthe annunciation,of the same sizeas
" The subjectofthiscut isthe Virgin with the infantJesus inher arms, sur-roundedby fourfemalesaints,namely, St.Catherine,St.Barbara,St.Dorothy,
ard St.Margaret. A fac-simileof itis given in the Athenaeum for the 4th
October,1845. The Baron de Reiffenberg,who publisheda particularaccount
of the cut,and ofthe circumstancesof itsdiscovery,entertainsno doubtofthe
authenticityofthedatej and considersthatthe costume of the fibresand the
generalstyloof drawing arc in perfectaccordancewith the period. Another
writer,however,questionstheauthenticityof the date,which he says has been
retouchedwith a black-leadpencil; and,from the costume, he concludesthatit
isnot of an earlierdatethan 1468. He supposes thatthe numeral 1may have
been omittedbeforexviiiin the date,which in the fac-simileof the cut standsthus : mutt "
xblil."See QuclquesMots sur la Gravure au Mill^Jsimcdc
1418, par C. D. B. 4to,Brussels,1846.
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 87
the St.Christopher,and apparentlyexecutedaboutthesame
time. The volume within whose covers those cuts were
pasted,was bequeathed to the convent by Anna, canoness
ofBuchaw, who was livingin 1427, but who probablydied
previousto 1435. The Annunciation,as well as the St.
Christopher,isnow in the possessionofEarl Spencer.
From the time of theirfirstintroduction,wood-cuts of
sacredsubjectsappear to have been known in Suabia andtheadjacentdistrictsby the name of Helgen or Helglein,a
corruptionof Heiligen,saints; and in course of time this
word alsocame to signifyprintsor woodcuts generally.It
would seem that originallythe productionsof the wood-
engraverwere consideredas imperfecttillthey were coloured;
and as the St.Christopher,the Annunciation,and othersof
an earlydate,appear to have been colouredby means of a
stencil,thereisreason to concludethatmost ofthe" Helgen"
of the same periodwere colouredinthe same manner. In
France the same kind of cuts,probablycolouredinthesame
manner, were called" Dominos^" a name which of itself
indicatesthe affinityof thesubjectswiththoseoftheHelgen.
Subsequently,the word "Domino" was used to signifycolouredor marbled paper generally; and the makers of
such paper,as wellas the engraversand colourersofwood-cuts,
were calledDominotiera,
Though we cannot reasonablysuppose that the cut of
St. Christopher,with the date 1423, was the very first
of itskind, there is yet reason to believethat the art of
wood-engraving was then but littleknown. As theearliest
wood-cuts are observed to be coloured by means of a
stencil,itwould seem thatatthetimewhen wood-engravingwas firstintroduced,the art of depictingand colouringfiguresby means of a stencilwas alreadywell known ; but
as there are no cards engraved on wood to which so early
a date as 1423 can be fairlyassigned,and as at that
88 PLAYING CARDS.
periodtherewere professionalcard-makersestablishedatAugsburg, itwould appear that wood-engraving was em-ployed
on the executionof" Helgeri'before itwas applied
to cards,and thattherewere stencilledcards before there
were wood-engravings of saints. Though thisconclusion
be not exactlyin accordancewith an opinionwhich I have
expressedin anotherwork,^itisyetthatwhich, on a further
investigationof the subject,appears to be best supportedby facts,and most stronglycorroboratedby the incidental
noticeswhich we have of the progressof the Briefmaleror
card-pointerfrom hisoriginalprofessionto thatof a wood-
engraverin general.The annexed cuts are fac-similesof some oftheoldcards
to which I have alluded at page 83. The originalsare
preservedin the print-room of the BritishMuseum ; andfrom a repeatedexamination of them, I am convinced that
they have been depictedby means of a stencil,and not
printednor"
rubbed off"from wood blocks. They are not
coloured,nor cut intosinglecards; but appear justas they
are shown in the fac-similes. They formed part of the
covers or" boards" of an old book, and were sold to the
BritishMuseum by Mr. D. Colnaghi. Looking at the
marks of the suitsinthosecards,the ch^acter ofthefigures,
and the manner in which they are executed,I should say
thatthey are not of a laterdatethan 1440. Though cards
ofonlythreesuitsoccur, namely.Hearts,Bells,and Acorns,
" " It has been conjecturedthat the art of wood-engravingwas employed on
sacredsubjects,such as the figuresof saintsand holy persons,beforeit was
appliedto the multiplicationof those 'books of Satan,' playing cards. It,
however, seems not unlikelythat itwas firstemployed in the manufacture of
cards; and that the monks, availingthemselvesof the same principle,shortly
afterwardsemployed the artof wood-engraving for the purpose of circulating
the figuresof saints; thus endeavouringto supply a remedy for the evil,and
extractingfrom the serpent a cure forhisbite.""^ATreatiseon Wood Engrav-ing,
Historicaland Practical,p. 58. Publishedby Charles Knight and CJo.
Loudon, 1839.
V
V
'BrillI-g,
.-"-^'
INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 89
therecan be littledoubt thatthe fourthsuitwas Leaves,as
in thepack describedby Mr. Gough, in the eighthvolume
of the ' Archaeologia/ As in Mr. Gough's cards,so in*
these,thereisno Queen ; though, likethem, thereappearsto have been three "
coat" cards in each suit,namely, a
King, a Knight, or Superior Officer,and a Knave, or
Servant; in other words. King, Jack, and Jack's Man.
The lower cards,as in Mr. Gough's pack, appear to have
been numbered by their "
pips" from two to ten, without
any ace.
That those cards were depicted by means of a stencilis
evidentfrom the feeblenessand irregularityof the lines,as
well as from the numerous breaks in them, which, in manyinstances,show where a white isolatedspace was connected
with other blank parts of the stencil. The separationseen
in the heads of the figuresin No. 1 of the fac-simileshere
given,would appear to have been occasioned by the stencil
eitherbreaking or slipping
while the operator was
passingthe brush over it.
From the costume of the
figuresin these cards, I
am inclinedto think that
they are the production ofa Venetian card-maker. A
lion,the emblem of St.
Mark, the patron saintofVenice, and a distinctive
badge of the city,appears,as in the annexed cut, in
the suitof Bells; and a
similarfigure,with part
of a mutilatedinscription,
alsooccurs in the suitof Acorns.
90 PLAYING CARDS.
Card-playingappearsto have been a common amusement
with the citizensof Bologna,about 1423. In thatyearSt.
Beraardin of Sienna,who diedin 1444, and was canonizedin 1450, preaching on the steps in frontof the church ofSt.Petronius,describedso forciblythe evilsof gaming in
general,and of Card-playing in particular,to which the
Bolognese were much addicted,that hishearersmade a fire
in the publicplaceand threw theircards intoit. A card-
maker who was present,and who had heard the denuncia-tions
ofthe preacher,not onlyagainstgamesters,butagainst
allwho eithersuppliedthem withcards or dice,or in anymanner countenanced them, is saidto have thus addressedhim, in great afflictionof mind.^ *M have not learned,
father,any otherbusinessthan thatof paintingcards; andifyou depriveme of that,you deprive me of life,and mydestitutefamilyofthe means of earninga subsistence." To
thisappeal the Saint cheerfullyreplied:*' If you do not
know what to paint,paint thisfigure,and you willnever
* FatherTommasoBuoninsegni, inhis ' DiscorsodelGiuoco,'p.27,Florence,
1585, thus refersto the opinionof St.Bemardin and others on the subjectofgaming.
" Sono statialcunitanto scrupolosie severi,iqualihanno detto,chenon soloquegliche giuocanoa restituiretenutisono, ma dipiiiliheredi,e quel
che prcstanodadi,tavolc,carte,e chivende, e compera baratteriee bische,edinoltreliartcHci,iqualifannoe vcndono carte,o dadi,cd altristrumcntida
giuocare; c dipiu liUfficiali,Rettori,Magistratie Signori,i qualipotendo
prohibirecotaligiuochi,non liproibiscono."In thenoticeof thelifeof St.Bemardin, inthe Acta Sanctorum, citedby
Pcignot,ho issaidto have requiredthatcards[naibes]^dice,and otherinstru-ments
ofgaming shouldbe givenup to themagistratesto be burnt. The anec-dote
of the card-painterisgiven inBcmini*sHistoiredes Heresies,torn,iv,p.157. Vcnisc, 1784. Tliicrs,in his Trait($des Jeux, pp. 159-161, gives an
extractfrom a sermon of St.Bemardin againstgaming: liisreferenceto the
works of St.Bcmardm is "Serm. 33, in Dominic. 5, Quadra^,I jpari.princ"but he does not mention the edition.It may herebe observedthatthe opinionof Dr. Jeremy Taylor on thissub-jectisopposed to thatof St.Bemardin. See hisdiscussionof the Questionon
Gaming :" Whether or no the making and providingsuch instrumentswhich
usuallyministerto it,isby interpretationsuch an aid to the sin as to involv*
us intheguiltP"
,,INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 91
have cause to regrethaving done so." Thus saying,he
took a tabletand drew on it the figure of a radiant sun,
with the name of Jesus indicated in the centre by the
monogram I.H.S. The card-painterfollowed the saint's
advice; and so numerous were thepurchasersofthe reformed
productions of his art, that he soon became rich. In the
Bibliotheque du Roi at Paris,there is an old woodcut ofSt.Bernardin,with the date 1454, which has been supposedto have been engraved with referenceto thisanecdote,as
thesaintis seen holding inhisrighthand the symbol whichhe recommended the card-maker to paint. A fac-simileofthis figure of St. Bernardin is given in the * Illustrated
London News,* of the 20th of April,1844, and reprintedin a work recentlypublished,,entitled*The History andArt of Wood Engraving.'
John Capistran, a discipleof St. Bernardin, and also a
Franciscan friar,followed the example of his master in
preaching against gaming ; and his exhortationsappear to
have been attended with no less success. In 1452, when
on a mission to Germany, he preached forthree hours at
Nuremberg, in Latin, against luxury and gaming; and his
discourse,which was interpretedby one of his followers,
produced so great an effecton the audience, that there
were brought into the market-place and burnt, 76 jauntingsledges,8640 backgammon boards, 40,000 dice,aiid cardsinnumerable. Under an old portraitof Capistran,engraved
on wood by Hans Schauffiein,there is an inscriptioncom-memorating
the efiectsof hispreaching as above related.^
' Gcscbichto der Holzsclineidekunstvon den altestenbis auf die neuesten
Zeiten,ncbst zwei Bcilagen enthaltendden Urspmng dcr Spielkartcnimd einVerzeichnissder sammt xylographischenWcrke, von Joseph Haller,s. 313.
8vo, Bamberg, 1823.
92
CHAPTER III.
THE PROGKESS OF CAED-PLAYING.
Having now shown at what periodcardswere certainly
well known in Europe, and at what period card-makingwas a regularbusiness in Italy and Germany, I shall
proceedto laybeforethe reader a seriesof factsshowing
theprevalenceofthe game invariouscountries,both among
greatand littlepeople.From therepeatedmunicipalregulationsforbiddingcard-
pkying, to be found in the Burgher-books of severalcities
of Germany, between 1400 and 1450, itwould seem that
the game was extremelypopular in that country in the
earher partof the fifteenthcentury; and thatitcontinuedto gain ground,notwithstandingthe prohibitionsof men
in office.There are ordersforbiddingitin the council-books of Augsburg, dated 1400, 1403, and 1406; though
in the latteryear there isan exceptionwhich permitscard-
playingat the meeting-housesof the trades. It was for-bidden
at Nordlingen in 1426, 1436, and 1439; but in
1440 the magistrates,in theirgreatwisdom, thoughtproperto relaxin some degree the stringencyof theirordersby
allowingthe game to be played in public-houses.In the
town-books of the same citythere are entries,in the years1456 and 1461
, ofmoney paid forcards at the magistrates'
annual goose-feastor corporationdinner. In the books of
the company of" Schuflikker""cobblers
" of Bamberg,
thereisa bye-lawagreedto in 1491, which imposes a fine
of halfa pound of wax " not shoemakers',but bees'wax for
the company's holy candle, to bum at the altarof the
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 93
patronsaint," ^uponany brotherwho shouldthrow theback-gammon
pieces,cards,or diceout of the window.^ From
thisit may be concluded that the" Schuflikker"ofBam-berg
in 1491 were accustomed,Uke gamesters of a more
recentperiod,to vent theirrage,when losers,on the caids
and dice,
BaptistaPlatina,inhistreatise*De Honesta Voluptate'"
which isneithermore nor lessthan an antique" School of
Good Living,"teachinghow creature comfortsmay be best
enjoyed"
^mentionscardsas a game at which gentlemen
may play,afterdinner or supper,to diverttheirminds, as
deep thinkingaftera heartymeal impedes digestion.There
was, however,to be no cheatingnor desireofgain" whichisas much as to saythatthestakeswere to be merelynominal" lestbad passionsshould be excited,and the processofhealthyconcoctiondisturbed.^
GaleottusMartins,a contemporary of Platina,isperhaps
theearliestwriterwho"
speculated,^'or at leastpubUshedhis speculations,on the allegoricalmeaning of the marks
ofthefoursuitsof cards. I shallgivea translationof the
passage,which occui*s in chapterxxxvi of histreatise* De
Doctrina promiscua,' written,according to Tiraboschi,
between 1488 and 1490. I leave othersto divinethe
* Heller,Vom Urspnmg derSpielkarten,inderGcschichtodorHolzschneide-
kunst,8. 307.'"Interim vero jociset ludo,minime concito,vacandum, ne sensus cogita-
tioneoccupaticoncoctionemimpediant. Careatjocus(quemurbanum,facetnm,
modestum volo)dicacitate,scurrilitate,mordacitate.Nolo mimos ; non pro-
terviam; non dicteria;non convicia,unde ira et indignatio,et plenimque
magna rixaoritur.Ludus sittalis,tessera,saccho(utnostraappellationeutnr),carthisvariisimaginibiispictis. Absit interludendum omnis frauset avaritia,
qua illiberalioret destestandusfitludus,nee ullam affcrtludentivoluptatem;
cum timor,ira,et immensa habendicupiditasvariismodis ludentescruciet."
The firsteditionof Platina*streatise,De Honesta Voluptate,appeared at
Venice,1475. The preceding extract is from the secondedition,printedin
1480."-Platinawas bom in 1421, and diedin 1481.
94 PLATING CARDS.
author'sprecisemeaning, referringthem to the originaltextwhich isgivenbelow. The topicsof thischapterare :
" The greaterand lesserDog Star,Orion,theEvening Star,
the Pleiades,the Hyades, Bootes, the Kids, the planetVenus, and the game of Cards." Towards the conclusion,
afterhaving exhausted his astronomical topics,he thus
proceeds,apropos of the benign influenceof Venus." From the excellencyof thisplanetitis not surprising
thatthe ancientscalleda happy throw at diceVenus," not
Jove, though consideredof greater fortune. Thus Pro-
pertius:
"Venus I hoped with luckydiceto cast.
But everytime the lucklessDogs turnedup."
" An unluckycastwas calledthe Dog "" Canis''" and
alsothe LittleDog " '^Caniculd'" ^withreferenceto the
Stars. Thus Persius:
"Far as the lucklesslittleDog-star'srange."
*' What kind of stars the Great and LittleDog were,
has been abeady shown. Some persons,"indeed,mightlaugh at the invention of such kind of games being
ascribedto the learned,were itnot plainfrom reason that
the game of cardswas alsodevised by wise men. To say
nothingabout the Kings, Queens, Knights, and Footmen,
"
^forevery one knows the distinctionbetween dignityand
militaryservice," is it not evident,when we considerthe
significanceof swords, spears,cups, and country loaves,
thattheinventor of the game was a man of shrewd wit?
When thereisneed of strength,as indicatedby the Swords
and Spears,many are betterthan few ; in matters of meat
and drink,however, as indicatedby the Loaves and Cups,
a littleis betterthan a great deal,for it is certainthat
abstemiouspersonsare of more livelywitthan gluttonsanddrunkards, and much superior in the management of
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 95
business. What I callcountrykaves,from theirform andcolour,
" Plinyspeaksofbread of a yellowcolour" are the .
marks which are ignorantlysupposed to signifypiecesof \money. The Cups are goblets,forwine."*
The remainder of the passage cannot be literallytrans-
latedintoEnglish,as itrelateschieflyto the pronunciation \of the word
,''
Hastas" " Spears. The substance of it, "
however,isas follows: " The common peoplesay' Hastas,'
*
J
as the aspirationH, and the letterV are interchangeable,
and so are B and V, both in Greek and Latin. As Bastoni
[clubs]are vulgarlycalledHastoni,so have theysometimes \theform of spears[Hastarum],but mostly thatof bills,for \
" "Nou mirum ergo ob hujusplanetaeexcellentempraerogativamsiin taxillisfelicemjactum,non Jovem quimajorfortunaputatur,sed Venerem nuncupavit
"
antiquitas.Unde Propertius,
Mo quoque per talosVenerem quserentesecundos, 1
Semper damnosisubsilieroCaucs.'',
Canem vero et Caniculam damnosum jactumetiam siderum comparationeappellavenmt.SicPersius:
Damnosa caniculaquantum \
Raderet.
Canisvero et caniculaqualiasintsidcrasuperiuspatuit.Sed forsitanquidamriderenthujuscemodiludonun inventionem,doctisquoque viristribui,nisietludum quern chartarum nominant vulg6 et ^ Sapientibusfuisseexcogitatum "
ratiodictaret;nam, ut regum, reginaruia,equitum peditumque potentiampnc-teream (quilibetenim dignitatismilitisequedifferentiamnovit),nonne cum
ensium,hastarum,scypborum, paniumque agrestiumvim consideramus,perspi-
cacissimiingeniiinventoremesse cognoscimus? Cum viribusubiestopus, utinhastisensibusquevidetur,multitudosuperat paucitatem: in esculentisvero
poculcntisquc,ut per panesvinumque figuratur,paucitasmultitudinemTincit;
constatenim abstemioscrapulosisedacibusquevirisacriorisesse ingenii,etin
negotiisagendisforesuperiores.Panes autem rusticosvoco, propterformam
etcolorem,croceo enim coloreolimfuissePliniusnarrat,(namcuppa scyphi
sunt,ubivinum,)etillisunt panes,quosimperitenummos credunt. Hastas,sicdixitvulgus, quoniam H aspiratioet V convertantur,ut Hesper,Vesper. B
autem et V sibiinvicem sedem praebereGrsecusLatinusquetestantur;ut Bas-toni
Hastoni vulgbappellentur,itaut aliquandohastarum plerumque bipennium
fonnam gerant; utrumque enim militiseinstrumentumest."" GraleottusMartiua,
Be DoctrinaPromiscua,cap.xxxvi,pp. 477-8.16mo, Lyons,1652.
96 PLAYING CARDS.
both are military weapons." The originalpassage is jextremelyperplexing; and the only thing in itthatappears \
plainto me isthe writer'sdesireto convert Bastoni" Clubs
" into " Hastas," Spears. The Bastoni, which he says jare calledHastoni,or the Hastoniwhich are calledBastoni,
" for there ishere an ambiguity,as in the celebratedora-cular
response," Aio te, JEacida,Romanes vincereposse"
" can only relateto the figuresof the things as seen on
cards,and not to the things themselves; for the author
saysthatthey have sometimes the shape of spears,but more
frequentlythatofbills. The realmeaning of thisI taketo
be, that the Bastoni" Clubs" on cards were more like
billsthan spears,notwithstandingthat H and V, andV
and B, were interchangeableletters.From the account
of Galeottus,it is evident that the usual marks of the j
suits of Italiancards were in his time, Coppe, Spadi,
Danari,and Bastoni," Cups, Swords, Money, and Clubs.
In 1463 itwould appear that cards were wellknown in
England ; for,by an act of parliamentpassedin thatyear,
which was the thirdof Edward IV, the importationofplay-ing
cards was expresslyprohibited. This act, accordingto Anderson, was passedinconsequenceofthemanufacturers
and tradesmen of Loiidon, and other parts of England,
having made heavy complaintsagainstthe importationofforeignmanufactured wares which greatlyobstructedtheir
own employment.^ If we suppose thatcardswere included
" Anderson'sHistoryof Commerce, voL i,p. 483." ^Thepassage relatingto
cards,in the act referredto, was pointedout to the Hon. D. Barringtonby
Mr. John Nichols. Gough, inhis ' Observationson the Inventionof Cards,*in
the Eighth Volume ofArchseologia,says, that Mr. Le Neve produced before
the Societyof Antiquariesa minute to show tliatcardswere manufacturedin
England beforethe ]st ofEdward IV; forthen a person had hisname from
hisancestorhavingbeen a card-maker. Mr. Gough observesthatthe ancestori
of thisperson" Hugh Cardmakcr,priorof St.John the Baptist,at Bridgenorth
"was probablya maker of cardsfordressingflaxor wool. A Karter^" wool-
comber" occurs inthe town-booksof Nuremberg, in 1397.
PROGRESS- OP CARD-PLAYING. 97
inthe prohibitionforthe above reason, itwould followthat
card-makingwas then a regularbusinessin England.
Whether cards were home-manufactured or obtainedfrom*abroad,they appear about 1484 to have been,as they
are at present,a common Christmas game. Margery
Paston thus writes to her husband, John Paston,in a
letterdated Friday,24th Dec, 1484 :" Right worshipful
husband, I recommend me unto you. Please it you to
weet that I sent your eldestson John to my Lady Morley,
to have knowledge of what sportswere used in her house
in the Christmas next followingafterthe decease of mylord her husband; and she said that there were none
disguisings,nor harpings,nor luting,nor singing,nor none
loud disports; but playing at the tables,and chess,and
cards; such disportsshe gave her folksleaveto play,andnone other. Your son didhiserrand rightwell,as ye shallhear afterthis. I sent your younger son to the Lady
Stapleton; and she said according to my Lady Morley 's
sayingin that,and as she had seen used in placesof wor-ship
thereas [where]she hath been/'^ It may not be
improper here to caution the reader againstconfounding
"places of worship,'*with "houses of prayer,"and hence
inferringthat cardswere then a common game in churches,
with gentlemen'sservants,at Christmastime. By "
places
of worship" are meant the dwelling-placesof worshipful
persons,such as lords,knights,and justicesof the peace :
in those days there were no stipendiarypolice-magis-trates,
and every Shallow on the bench was"
a gentleman
born."
Whether Richard III,in whose reign the letterabove
quoted was written,added dicing and card-playingto his
other vices,we have no account eitherin pubKc history
" renn*s Paston Letters,vol,ii,p. 333, edit.1778.
7
98 PLAYING CARDS.
which deals,or ought to deal,wholesale,in"
greatfacts,*'
or in privatememoirs, which are more especiallydevoted
to the retailingof littlefacts. His successor, however,
Henry VH, was a card player; forBarringtonobservesthat
in hisprivy-purseexpenses there are three severalentries
of money issued for his majesty'slossesat cards. Of his
winnings there is no entry; though his money-grubbing
majestykept hisaccounts so exactlyas to enter even a six-
and-eightpenny bribe" given to propitiatehis mercy in
favour of a poor criminal," thus turning a penny by traf-ficking
with hisprerogativeof pardoning :
" To have the power to forgive.
Is empire and prerogative."
Itwould appear that cards was a common game at the
coiui of Henry the VH, even with the royalchildren; for,
in 1503, his daughter Margaret, aged 14, was found play-ing
at cards by James IV of Scotland,on hisfirstinterview
with her,afterher arrivalin Scotland for the purpose of
being marriedto him.^ James himselfissaidto have been
greatlyaddicted to card-playing;and in the accounts of
his treasurer there are severalentriesof money disbursed
on account of the game. On Christmas night,1496, there
are deliveredto the king at Melrose, to spend at cards," thirty-fiveunicornis,eleven French crowns, a ducat,a
ridare,and a leu"" in allforty-twopounds. On the 23d
August, 1504, when the king was at Lochmaben, he ap-pears
to have lostseveralsums at cards to Lord Dacre, the
warden of the EngUsh marches ; and on the 26th of the
" "Tlie kjngc came privilyto the saidcastell[ofNewbattle],and entred
withinth6 chammer with a smallcompany, where he founde the qucne playing
at the CARDEs."" Leland'sCollectanea,vol.iii,Appendix, p. 284. Cited by
Warton, in his Historyof English Poetry, who also observesthat cardsare
mentionedin a statuteof Henry VII, in the year 1496.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 99
same month, thereisan entryof fourFrench crowns given"to Cuddy, the InglisInter,to louse his cheyne of grotis,
quhilkhe tintat the cartis,'*" to redeem hischainof groats
which he lostat cards.^M. Duchesne, in his ' Observations sur lesCartesa jouer,'
says, somewhat inconsistently,that cards are of" Italian
origin,and that itwas eitherat Venice or at Florence,that
the Greek refugeesfrom Constantinople,firstmade them
known. M. Duchesne is as incorrectin his chronology,as he issingular in his notionswith respectto the ItaHan
origin of playing cards," firstbrought to Venice or Flo-rence,
by Greeks.^ The refugees to whom he apparently
alludeswere the Greeks who sought an asylum in Italy,
when Constantinople was taken by the Tm-ks, in 1453,
which is sixtyyears afterthe time that we have positive
evidenceof cards being known in France. But though no
evidencehas been produced to show that cards were first
brought intoEm-ope from Constantinople,it is yet certain
that they were known to the Greeks, before the end of
the fifteenthcentury; for Ducange, in his Glossary of
Middle-Age Greek, under theword" XAPTIA, Ludus char-
tarum,^ quotes the following verse from a manuscript ofEmanual Georgillason the Plague at Rhodes :
"Kai Ta ravXia, xai ra xapria, rat Kapia KaraKavasv."
"Burn the tables,cards,and dice."
" Priyate Life of James IV of Scotland,in Chambers'sEdinburgh Journal,
Nos. 9 and 10, 1832.* "Les cartes,comrae tout ce qui tientaux arts,ont une origineItalienne;
c*esta Venise ou a Florence que lesGrecs r^fugiesde Constantinoplelesont
d'abordfaitconnaitre."" Annuaire Historiquepour Tannee 1837,p. 188.
' Ducange, Glossaqum ad ScriptoresmediaeetinfimceGracitatis.Folio,1688.
Under the words AKupia and Xapria. TavXia is merely a differentmode of
spellingTa"\ia^talfula, tables,a kind of backgammon board with itsappend^
ages.
100 PLAYING CARDS.
"It appearsfrom this,"saysDucange, "that the.game
of cards,the originof which is uncertain,was at least
known in 1498, theyearinwhich thismortalityhappened."
In the 'Journal des Dames,' for the 10th April,1828,"
a pubhcation,which I have not had the fortuneto see,
but which is referredto by Brunet the younger, in his' Notice Bibliographiquesur les Cartes a jouer,'" ^thereis
a detailedaccount ofthe modem Greek cardsmanufactured
at Frankfort.^
Towards the closeof the fifteenth,and in the earlypart
of the sixteenthcentury,beforeLuther had sounded the
tocsinofreligiousreform,and given a new impulseto both
the busy and the idle,the Germans appear to have been
greatlyaddicted to gaming. Woodcuts of this period
showing men and women playing at cards and dice are
common. John Geilerof Kaisersberg,a famous preacherin hisday,who, likeLatimer,was accustomed to season his
scnnons with a littlehumour " not to say fun" rings a
peal againstgaming in his * Speculum Fatuorum,' first
printedat Strasburgabout 1508. He says that thereare
some games at cardswhich are purelyof chance,such as
^' der offenBusch unciSchantzenJ'^while others,such as
" The followingisMons. Brunct'sprefatorynote to hisbrochure,which was
publishedat Paris,in 1842. "Les curieux,lesamateurs de livresrechcrchentavcc empresscmcnt tout ee qui a rapportaux cartes; c*estce qui m*a port acon-
sacrcr un instantdc loisirtilatraductionde ee que jevcnaisdc lire,ticct6gard,
dans un ouvragc allemand,vaste repertoirede Tdruditionbibliographiquelaplus4tcndue (LehrbucheinerLiterargeschichteder beriihmtestenVolkcr des Mit-
telaltcrs,von J.G. T. Grasse,Dresden und Leipsig,AnioldischeBuchhandlung,
1842,Band ii, s. 879-85);j'ajoutequclqucsindicationsnouvcllcsa cet apcrpu,
que jen'imprimed'ailleursqu'iquclqucsexemplaires."' Geilcr'ssecondbell" hispeal consistsof seven " ringsto thistune.
" Sc-
cunda nolaest: luderealeadissimilibus.Tangitha;c nola feminas nobileset
saccrdotes:feminas,inquam, quae immiscent se turbisvirorum et cum eis
ludunt,contra c. iide judiciis,lib.vi; saccrdoteset prelatesludentcscum
laicis,"laicisunt clericisoppidoinfesti,undo seandalizantur; nobilesquiludunt
cum nebulonibuset lenonibus,ut in spcculonostrovulgarihabcs.""Speculum
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 101
" de9 KamefflimI*depend on both chance and skill.In
treatingof the lawfulnessof playingat cards,dice,and
similargames" forthe sakeofrecreation"" a savingclause
which appears to have been introduced in favourof the
laboriouslystudiousand devout," he citesauthoritiesboth
pro and con, A certaingloss says that to play at such
games, whether for money, or"
gratis,"is a deadly sin;
and Hostiensissaysthatto playforrecreation,formoney, "
*' to killthemselves for love,with wine" " is a deadly sinin the laityas well as the clergy. Angelus,however, says
thatitislawfulforboth clergyand laityto playforrecrea-tion,forsmall stakes:
^'
pro modico non notahiUy Geiler's
own conclusionis that,as doctors differ,there is danger.
Gaming in his time,as in our own, appears to have level-led
alldistinctions: lords and ladies,and even clergymen,dignifiedor otherwise,eager to win money, and confidingin then*luck,or theirskill,caredbut littleforthe rank or
characterof those with whom they played,providedthey
could but post the stakes; and feltno more compunctionin winning a rufflingburgher'smoney, than a peer wouldin receivingthe amount of a bet from a cab-man, or a
wealthy citizen,a few yearsago, in renderingbankrupt the
wooden-legged manager of a thimble-rigtableat Epsom or
Ascot." The *' thimble-rig,"however, is now numbered
with the things that have been" "//^eV."Lord Stanley
brought itintopoliticaldisrepute; and SirJames Graham
put it down, justabout the time that the railwayspecu-lation
began to be the "rage" under the auspicesof a
knowing Yorkshireman.
Thomas Murner, a Franciscan friar,avaiUng himself
Fatuorum, auctore Joanne Geiler de Keisersberg,conciouatoreArgentorense,
sect.Lxxvii. Lusorum turba (/"?A?/iVirrri?).Edit.-Strasburg,1511. It maj
here be observed that Geiler'sbellsare intendedby himselffor the caps of" SpielNarre" "
^gamblingfools.
.
102 PLAYING CARDS.
apparentlyofthepopularityofcard-playing,introducedtheterm " Chartiludium"as a
"
caption"in the titleof his
'LogicaMcmorativa/printedat Strasburg,in 1509.* The
work is evidentlythat of a scholasticpedant,who might
possiblybe expertenough in ringingthe changes on verbaldistinctions,but who had not theleastknowledge ofthings,
nor any idea of the right use of reason. The book is
adorned with numerous cuts,which representcards,inas-much
at thetop of each there is an emblem, justas there
isthe mark of the suitin each of our coat cards. The
cuts and the text taken together,for they mutuallyrender
eachother more intelligible,form such a mass of compli-catednonsense as would puzzle even a fortune-tellerto
interpret.In his prologue,Murner asks pardon for the
titleof his book; and assures the studiousyouths,for
whose instructionitwas devised,that he had not been led
to adopt itfrom any partialityto card-playing;that,in
I fact,he had never touchedcards,and that,from his very
childhoodhe had abhorredthe perversepassionforplay.In 1518 Murner, apparentlystimulatedby the success ofhislogicalcard-play,published an introductionto thecivillaw,writtenand pictoriallyillustratedin the same manner
as theformer.^
" " LogicaMcmorativa: Chartiludiumlogice,sivedialecticemeraoria; etnovus
PetriHjspani textus emendatus. Cum jucundopictasmatisexercitio: eruditi
viriP. TliomjBMurucr, ordbis minorum, theologiedoctoriseximii." 4to,
Strasburg,1509 Leber says that the book was firstprintedat Cracowin
1507; and that an editionof it,in octavo, was printedat Paris in 1C29.
Murner was one ofLuther'searlyopponents ; and one of the pamphlets which
was publislicdduringtheircontroversybearsthe followingtitle: "Ant wort dem
Murner, uffseinefrag,ob der Kiinigvon Engellanteinliignersey,odcrdcr
gotlichcdoctor Mart.Luther,1523." "An answer to Munier on hisquestion,
'Whether the King of England, or the reverend Doctor Martin Luther,is
a liar?'"' " ChartiludiumInstitutesummarie,doetoreThoma Murner memorante et
ludentc." 4to, Strasburg,1518. A copy ofthisbook was soldat Dr.Kloss's
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 103
As I have not been ableto make anythingof Mumer's
logicalcard-play,eitheras regards the instrumentsor the
matter professedto be taught,I willinglyavailmyselfof
what Mons. Leber has said on the subjectin his* Etudes
Historiquessur lesCartes a jouer.'" "These cards,*'saysMons. Leber, "made much noisein theirtime; and this
might well be, forthey were a noveltywhich itwas easierto admire than to comprehend. At firstpeople fanciedthat
they saw in them the work of the devil; and itwas even a
question whether the author should not be burnt, seeingthathe could be nothing more than a conjurerwith the
logiciansof thatage. But the conjurer'spupilsmade such
extraordinaryprogress,that peoplecriedout"
wonderful !*'
and Mumer's book was pronounced divine. Although those
cards are fifty-twoin number, theyhave nothingin common
with our pack. They differfrom allothercards,whetherfor gaming, or of fancifuldevice,in the multiplicityand
thedivisionofthe suits,which the inventorhas appliedto the
divisionsof logic,aftera method of his own. Of these suits
thereare no lessthan sixteen,correspondingwith the same
number of sectionsof the text,and having the following
names and colom-s:
salein 1835 ; and in the Catalogue/No. 2579,we are informedthat"thisvery
rare and curiousvolume containsvery many wood-engravings,illustrativeof four
distinctgames playedby the ancientswith paper." Such games, we may pre-sume,
as are played at with the Statutesat large. If Murner understoodany
game, he must have learntitsubsequent to the publicationof hisLogicalCard-
play; and ifhe were ableto make itsubservientto the explanationof anytiling
else,he must have improved himselfgreatlybetween 1508 and 1518.
104
"Such isthewhimsicalityofthosesigns,and suchtheoddity
of then*relationto the things signified,that the learned
Singerhas been deterredfrom the attempt to make them
known ; at any rate, he declaresthat he will not undertake
to explain that which even the most profound logiciansof
the day might not be able to comprehend. This iseasily
said,but we see no impossibilityin explaininghow the
authorunderstoodhimself. One example willbe sufficientto give an idea of Murner's figured language, and of the
the partswhich might be played by serpents,cats, acorns,
and crayfishin the chairof Aristotlewhen itsoccupant was
a friarof the sixteenthcentury.
"The figureof a man with a crown on his head, a patchover one of hiseyes, a book in one hand, and a trowel in
the other,relatesto section,or" Tractatus,'*x, appellatio.
It displaysthree symbols, the objectof which isintelligence
or definition: 1, the logicalappellation; 2, relativeterms or
ideaswhich have become connected in the mind ; 3,privative
terms, expressiveof privationor exclusion. The open book,
[whichappears shut]is the symbol of the definition;the
trowel indicatesconnexion ; and the patch over the eye
signifiesprivation. The star,which occupies the placeof
the mark of the suit,and casts its lighton all the other
three symbols, signifiesthat clearnessis the firstmerit in
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLATING. 105
everydefinition."The cut here given is a fac-simileofthatreferredto.
Rogers,availinghimselfof the poeticlicense,though but
to a small extent,has representedthe followersof Columbus
as playingat cardsin his firstvoyage of discovery,to the
West Indies,in 1492.
" At daybreakmight the caravelsbe seen,
Chasing theirshadows o'er the deep serene ;
Their bumish'd prows lash*dby the sparklingtide.
Their green-crossstandardswaving farand wide.
And now once more to betterthoughts inclined.
The seaman, mounting, clamoui'*din the wind.
106 PLAYING CARDS.
The soldiertoldhistalesof loveand war;
The courtiersung " sung to hisgay guitar.Round, at Primero, sate a whiskered band ;
So Fortune smiled,carelessof sea or laud.""
Garcilassode laVega, to whom Mr. Rogers refers,says
nothingabout Primero or the followersof Columbus playing
atthegame; he onlymentions,in his'HistoryoftheConquest
of Florida,'that the soldierswho were engaged in that
expedition,having burnt alltheircardsafter-the battleofMauvila,[about1542],made themselvesnew ones ofparch-ment,
which theypaintedadmirably,as ifthey had followed
the businessalltheirlives; but as they eithercould not, or
would not, make so many as were wanted, players had the
cardsintheirturn fora limitedtime.^ Although we have no
positiveevidenceof the fact,itisyet not unlikelythat there
were cardsin theshipsof Columbus ; unlessindeed theyhad
been especiallyprohibitedto the crews on thisoccasion,as they
were to the soldiersand sailorsof the Spanish Armada in
1588.' Herrerahas recordedinhis* Historyofthe Spanish
* TlicVoyage ofColumbus,iuPoems by Samuel Kogcrs. Mr. Uogers'snoteon the passageabove quotedis: "Among those who went with Columbus were
many adventurersand gentlemen of the court. Primero was then thegame in
fashion. See Vega, p. 2,lib.iii,c. 9."* " Y porque decimos, que estos Espaiiolesjugavan,y no hemos dicho con
que ; es de saber,que despues que en la sangrientabattaliade Mauvila los
quemaron losnaypes,que Uevavan con todo lo demas que aliiperdieron,hacian
naypcs de pergaraiuo,y lospintavana lasmilmaravillas; porque en qualquiera
ncccssidadque se losofrcscia,se animavan a hacerlo que avianmenester. Y
saliancon ello,como sitoda su vidahuvieran sidoMaestros de aquelolicio;y
porque no podian,6 no querianhacer tantos, quantos eran menester, hicieronlos
que bastavan,sirviendopor lioraslimitadas,andando por rucda eutre losjuga-dorcs; de donde (6de otro paso semejante)podriamos dccir,que huvicsenascido
elrefran,que entre losTahures se usa dccirjugando: Demouos priesaseiTores,
que viencnpor losnaypes ; y como los que hacian los nuestros eran de cuero,
duravanpor penas."" La FloridadelInca [Garcilassode la Vega],PartePri-mcra delLibro Quinto,capituloi,p. 198. Polio,Madrid, 1723.
' "Also I orderand command thattherebe a care that allsoldiershave their
room clean,and unpcstercdof chests,and otherthings,withoutconsentingiri
any case to havecards;and,iftherebe any,to be takenaway presently: neither
PR0GRKS8 OF CARD-PLATflNO. 107
DiscoveriesinAmerica,'thatMontezuma, emperorofMexico,
who was made prisonerby Cortes in 1519, took great
pleasurein seeingthe Spanish soldiersplay at cards.Barrington,inhis ' Observationson theAntiquityofCard-
playingin England,'says,"During thereignsofHenry VIII
and Edward VI, this amusement seems not to have been
common in England, as scarcelyany mention of it occurs
eitherin Rymer's Fcedera, or the statute book." Had
Mr. Barringtonbeen as wellread in oldpoems and playsas he was in the more ancient statutes,it is hkely thathe
would have been of a dilBFerentopinion. He says," It is
not improbable,however, thatPhilipthe Second, with his
suite,coming from the court of CharlesV, made the use of
cardsmuch more generalthan it had been,of which some
presumptiveproofsare not wanting." The suppositionis
plausible; but as the presumptiveproofswhich he alleges,were as likelyto be found in the reignof Edward IV, as in
the reignof Mary, they are of no weight in the deteimina-
tionofthequestion. As Catherine,thewifeof Henry VIII,
was a Spanishprincess,and as itisrecordedthat,amongsther otheraccomplishments,she could
"
play at tables,tick-
tack,or gleek,with cardesor dyce," thepersonsformingher
suitewere justas likelyas thoseof the suiteof PhilipII,
to have brought intoEngland Spanish cardswith themarks
of swords and clubs proper" Esjpadas and Bastos: but
therecan scarcelybe a doubt thatsuch cards were known
in England long before. Mr. Barrington'spartialityto his
permit them to themariners; and ifthe soldiershave any,letme be advertised."" Orders set down by the Duke of Medina to be observed in the Voyage
towards England, 1588 ; reprintedin the HarlcianMiscellany.' Strutt,wlio quotes this passage in his Spoits and Pastimes,refersto Sir
William Forrest,and V^'arton'sHistory of English Poetry,vol.iii,sect,iii,
p. 311. SirWilliam Eorrest'swork, entitled* The Poesye of PrincelyePractise,'
was writtentowards the conclusionof the reignof Henry VIU, and presentedto Edward VI. The author allowsthat a king;,afterdinner,may for a while
"repose" liimsclfat tables,chess,or cards;but deniesthe latterto labouring
people. Strutt saysthatthe M^orkisinmanuscript,inthe Royal Library.
108 PLATING CARDS.
theory about Spanish cards, and of the game becoming
much more generalin England afterthe marriage of Philip
and Mary, has probablycaused him eitherto entirelyover-look,or attachtoo littleimportanceto a presumptiveproof,
to be found inthe statute-book,of cards being a common
amusement in England in the reignof Henry VIII. In a
statuterelatingto plays and games, passed in the thu'ty-
thirdyearof thatking'sreign,1541, vre find the following
restrictions." No Artificer,or hisJourneyman, no Husband-man,
Apprentice,Labourer,Servantat Husbandry, Mariner,
Fisherman,Waterman, or Serving-man,shallplayat Tables,
Tennis,Dice, Cardsy Bowls, Closh,Coyting, Legating, or
any otherunlawfulgame out of Christmas; or then,out oftheirmaster's house or presence,in pain of 20^.; and none
shallplay at Bowls in open places,out of his gardener
orchard,in pain of 6*. 8c?."^ In the moralityof Hycke-
Scorner,reprintedin Hawkins's 'Origin of the English
Drama,' from a black lettercopy in Garrick^scollection,of
at leastas earlya date as thecommencement of the reignofHenry VIII, the followingare enumerated as forming part
of the company of the ships that came over with Hycke-
Scorner:
"Braulers,lyers,getters,and chyders,Walkers by night,and greatmurderers,Overthwartegyle,and jolycarders."
In themoralityofLusty Juventus,writtenby R. Wever,
in the reign of Edward VI, Hypocryse saysto Juventus,
whom he invitesto breakfast: ,
" I have a fumy cardein a place,!That willbear a tume besidesthe ace ;
She purvoycs now apace jFor my commyngc." .
' Sir Robert Baker,in hisChronicle,states that in the eighteenthyear of
Henry Vill a proclamationwas made againstallunlawfulgames, so that inall
places,tables,dice,cards,and bowls were taken and burnt; but thatthisorder
continuednot long,for young men, beingthus restrained,"felltodrinking,
stealingconies,and otherworse misdemeanours."
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLATING, 109
From a subsequent passage it appears thatthis" fumy
carde"^isthe naughty woman," litleBesse," the personifi-cation
of" Abhominable Livyng."
In the comedy of* Gammer Gurton's Needle/said to
have been firstprintedin 1551, old dame Chat thusinvites
two ofher acquaintanceto a game at cards:
" What, Diccon ? Come nere, ye be no stranger:
We be fastset at trump, man, hard by the fire;Thou shaltset on the king,ifthou come a littlenyer.Come hither,Dol ; Dol, sitdown and play tliisgame.And as thou sawest me do, see thou do even the same ;
There isfivetrumps besidesthe queen, the hindmost thou shaltfindher.**
In a Satireon CardinalWolsey and the Romish Clergy
by WilKam Roy, without date, but most likelyprinted in
1527,^ some of the bishops are charged with gaming in
additionto theirother vices:
" To play at the cardesand dyce,
Some of theym are nothynge nyce,
Both at hasardand mom-chaunce."
In the privypurse expenses,from 1536 to 1544, of the
PrincessMary, daughter of Henry VIII, afterwardsQueen
Mary, thereare numerous entriesof money deliveredto the
princessto play at cards. In a prefatorymemoir. Sir
FrederickMadden remarks: "Cards she seems to have
indulgedin freely; and thereisa sum generallyallottedas
pocket-money forthe recreationevery month."^ As Mary
' Fumy " Fienchf/oumi"
^prepared,sorted,furnished,incompletefashion,in
fullequipage. The card was a coai card,in a certainsense, though certainly
not an honour.* For some account of the author of this satire,the readeris referredto
Annals ofthe English Bible,by ChristopherAnderson,vol.i,pp. 63, 116, 136,
137. 8vo, 1845,' Privy Purse Expenses of the PrincessMary, daughterof King Henry VllI,
afterwardsQueen Mary. With a Memoir of the Princess,and Notes, by Fred.
110 PLAYING CARDS.I
is said to have been extremelydevout, we may presume
that,adoptingthe decisionsof the more indulgentcasuists,
she availedherselfof theirpermissionto play at cards as a
recreationwhen her mind was fatiguedwith the exerciseofher strenuous piety. The recordsof theburning of men
and women in her reignfor the sake of religion,form a
singularcontrast with the entriesin her privypurse ex-penses
of money deliveredto her to playat cards.
From the precedingincidentalnoticesof cardsin poems
and plays,as well as from the directevidenceof thestatute
book and the privypurse expensesof the PrincessMary, it
would appear that card-playingwas common in England
duringthe reignsof Henry VIII and Edward VI, both in
the cottageand the palace; and there is reason to believe
thatabout the same period the game was equallycommon
in Scotland. William Dunbar, who wrote in the reignsofJames IV and James V, in his 'General Satire,'exposing
the depravityof allclassesof people in the kingdom, thus
alludesto the prevalenceof dicingand card-playing:
" Sicknavisand crakkaris,to playat cartsand dycc,
Sichalland-scheckaris,qwhilk at CowkilbyisgryceArc lialdinof pryce,when lymarisdo convene ;
Sicstore of vyce, sae mony ^yittisunwyse.Within thisland was nevirhard nor sene."
In the poems of SirDavid Lyndsay, there are several
allusionsto card-playing; and in his ' Satireof the Three
Estaites,'which Chalmers says was firstacted at Cupar,
Madden, Esq.,F.S.A. 1831. From the followingreferencesin the index,the
readermay judgeofMary*s partialityto the game." Cards,money deliveredto the Prmcess to play at,p. 3, 10, 11,14, 19, 24,
25, 26, 27,28,29, 31, 32, 35, 49, 50, 55, 57,59,67,69, 73,1^,81,saj^e,101."
"Cards, money lent,to playat,4,13,29, 30."
The sums deliveredare mostly from 20*.to 40*. One entryisforso smalla
sum as 2*.2rf.,and anotherfor12*.6rf.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. HI
Fifeshire,in 1535, the Parson declareshimselfto be an
adeptat the game :
"Thoch I preichnocht,I can playat thecaiche:
I wot thereisnoclitane amang yow allMair fcryliecan playat the futc-ball;
And forthe cartis,the tabcls,and the dyse,
Above allparsouns I may beirthe pryse."
In Sir David's poem, entitled* The Cardinal,'exposing
the personal vices and tyrannicalconduct of Cardinal
Beaton,who was assassinatedat St.Andrews in 1546, that
prelateisrepresentedas a greatgamester :^
"In banketting,playingat cartisand dyce,
Into sicwyscdome I was haldinwyse ;
And spairitnocht to playwith king nor knicht,
Thre thousandcrowncs ofgoldeupon ane night."
In the examinationofThomas Forret,a dean oftheKirk,
and vicarof Dollar,on a charge of heresybrought againsthim by John Lauder, a toolof CardinalBeaton's,at Edin-burgh,
1st March, 1539, Forret'sanswer to one of the
chargesof hisaccuser, affordssome ideaof the manner in
* The charge of gaming isfrequentlyallegedagainstthe more wealthy mem-bers
of the Roman Catholicclergyby writerswho were in favour of the Re-formation." Item les grosses sommes de deniersqu'ilsjouentordinairement,
soita laPrime, a la Chance, a laPaulme, n*ont pas este mises en compte. Qui
estlebon Papistequi pourroit se contenter de voir son Prelatjoueret perdrepour une aprcs disnee,quatre,cinq,et sixmil escus ; pour une reste de Prime,
avoircouch(5cinq cens escus ; pour un Aflac en perdre millc; que la pluspartdes episcopaux,jusqucsaux moindrcs chanoines,tiennentbcrlandouvert ^ jouera tous jeuxprohibczet defendus,non seulementpar ledroitcanon, mais par les
ordonnances du roi? L*exces y est bien tel,qu'on monstrera qu*au simple
chanome, en achapt de cartes et de dez,a employ^ durantune annee cent,et six
vingtsescus, compris lachandelle et le vin de ceux qui lamouchoyent,"" ^Le
Cabinetdu Roy de Prance, dans lequelily a troisPerlesprecieusesd'inesti-
mable valeur,p. 65. 12mo, 1581. This virulentattack on the French clergyis ascribedby Mons. Le Duchat to Nicolas Proumenteau ; and by L'Islede
Salesto Nicolas Barnaud.
112 PLATING CARDS.
wliichmany bachelorpriestsof the periodwere accustomed
to spend theirtithes:
" Accuser. FalseHeretic,thou sayestitisnot lawfulto
Kirkmen to take theirteinds(tythes)and offeringsand
corps-presents,though we have been in use of them, con-stitute
by the Kirk and King, and alsoour holyfatherthe
Pope hath confirmedthe same ?
" Dean Forret, Brother,I said not so ; but I said it
was not lawfulto Kirkmen to spend the patrimony of the
Kirk, as they do, on riotousfeasting,and on fairwomen,
and at playingat cardsand dice/'^
Pinkerton,in his * History of Scotland,*says :" Stewart
the poet,in an address to James V, adviseslum to amuse
himselfwith hunting,hawking, and archery,justing,and
chess; and not to play at cards or dice,except with his
mother or the chieflords,as itwas a disgracefora princeto win from men of inferiorstation,and hisgains at anytime ought to be given to hisattendants/'
At a periodsomewhat later,itwould appear thatcard-
playing was a common amusement on the borders ofScotland,and that the sturdy rievers,whose grand gamewas cattlelifting,were accustomed to while away theiridle
hours at cards for placks and hardheads. The following
curious passage occurs in a letterdated Newcastle, 12th
January (]570),printedin the second volume of SirRalph
Sadler's' StatePapers.'The writerwas a gentleman namedRobert Constable, who appears to have been sent into
Scotlandto endeavour to persuade hiskinsman, the Earl ofWestmoreland, to return to England and submit himselfto
Elizabeth'smercy.'
* Anderson'sAnnals oftheEnglishBible,vol.ii,p. 500.* The Earlsof Westmoreland and Northumberland were the principalleaders
of the Rebellion,or "Rising in the North," in 15C9.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 113
" I leftFerniherst,and went to my osteshouse,*where I
found many guests of dyvers factions,some outlaws ofEngland, some of Scotland,some neighboursthereabout,at
cards; some forale,some forplacksand hardhedds[asmall
coin]; and after1 had diligentlylearnedand enquiredthat
therewas none ofany surname thathad me in deadlyfude,
nor none thatknew me, I satdown and plaidforhardhedds
among them, where I heard vox jpojpulithatthe Lord Regent
would not, forhis owne honour,nor for the honour of his
country,dehver the Earls,ifhe had them bothe,unlessit
were to have theirQueue deliveredto him ; and ifhe wold
agreeto make thatchange,the bordererswould startup in
hiscontrary,and reave both the Queue and the Lords from
him, for the like shame was never don in Scotland; andthathe durstbettereate his own lugs than come agen to
soke Farneherst; ifhe did,he shouldbe foughtwith ere he
came over Sowtray edge. Hector of Tharlows^hedd was
wishedto have been eaten amongs us at supper."In theoldballadentitled
' The BattleoftheReed Swire,'
giving an account of a frayat a Warden meeting,which
ended in a general fight,we find cards mentioned. This
meeting was heldin 1576 near the head of the riverReed,
on the Englishsideof the Carterfell; and appearsto have
been attended,likea fair,by peoplefrom both sidesof the
Border.
"Yet was our meeting meik enough.Began with mirrinessand mows ;
And at the braeabune the heugh
The clerksat down to callthe rows ;
' His hostwas George Pylc,of Millhcugh,on Ousenam water,aboutfour
milessouth-fiastwardfrom Jedburgh. The Earl of Westmoreland was tlicn
stayingwith Kerr of Eau^iherst.* Hector, or Eckie of Harlaw, as he iscalledin the Border Minstrelsy,deli-vered
up the Earl of Northumberland,who had sought refugewith him, to the
B^gent Murray.
8
114 PLAYING CARDS.
And sum forkyc,and sum forcwcs,
CallitinofDandrie, Hob, and Jock :
I saw come marcliingowre the knows
Fyc hundred Fennicks in a flock.
"With jackand spcir,and bowis allbent.
And warlikeweapons at theirwill;
Ilowbcitthey were not wcilcontent,
Yet be mc trothwc feirdna ill:
Some gaed to drink,and some studcsiill,
And sum to cardsand dycc them sped;
Wliileon ane Farstcintlicyfylda bill,"
And he was fugitivethat fled."
About the same periodthe game of cardswas a common
amusement in the south of Ireland. Spenser,in his ' View
of the State of Ireland/writtenabout 1590, speaks of an
idleand dissoluteclassof peoplecalled"Carrows," who, he
says,"
wander up and down to gentlemen's houses,living
only upon cardsand dice; the which, though theyhave but
littleor nothing of their own, yet will they play for much
money ; which,ifthey win, they waste most lightly; and
if they lose,they pay as slenderly,but make recompense
with one stealthor another; whose only hurt is not that
they themselves are idle lossels,but that through gaming
they draw othersto lewdness and idleness/'^
" The name ofthe person againstwhom the billwas filedwas Henry Robson,
probablyof Falstone. His non-appearance seems to have caused tliedispute
between the wardens.Sir J. Foster and Sir J. Carmichael,which ended in a
generalcombat between theirfollowers.' The above passage isquoted by Mr. T. CroftonCroker in a note on thefol-lowing
linesin "A Kerry Pastoral,"a poem publishedin Concanen's Miscel-lanies,
1724,and reprintedby the Percy Society:
"Dingle and Derry.sooner shallunite.Shannon and Cashan both be drainedoutright;And Kerry men forsaketheircardsand dice.
Dogs be pursued by Hares, and Cats by Mice,
Water beginto bum, and fireto wet.BeforeI shallmy collegefriendsforget."
The favoritegame ofthe Kerry men issaidto have been " Onc-and-thirty."
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 115
The counterpartto thispicturewas to be found in Spain
about the same period; and as the intercoursebetween the
two countrieswas frequent,and the favoritegame in both
was" One-and-Thirty/'it is not unlikelythat the Irish
obtainedtheirknowledge of cards from the Spaniards. In
Cervantes'' Comical Historyof Rinconctcand Cortadillo/a
young Spanishvagabond givesthe followingaccount ofhis
skillat cards:" I took along with me what I thoughtmost
necessary,and amongst the rest thispack of cards,(andnow I calledto mind the old saying,
' He cai-rieshisAll
on hisback,')forwith theseI have gained my livingat allthe publickhouses and inns between Madrid and thisplace,
playingat One-and-Thirty; and though they are dirtyandtorn, they are of wonderful serviceto thosewho understandthem, for they shall never cut without leaving an ace at
bottom, which isone good pointtowards eleven,with which
advantage, thirty-onebeing the game, he sweeps allthe
money into his pocket : besides this,I know some slight
tricksat Cards and Hazard ; so that though you are verydexterousand a thorough master of the art of cuttingbus-kins,
I am every bit as expert in the scienceof cheating
people,and thereforeI am in no fearof starving; forthough
I come but to a small cottage,there are always some whohave a mind to pass away time by playinga Kttle;^ and of
thiswe may now try the experiment ourselves: Let us
spreadthe nets, and see ifnone of thesebirds,the carriers,
' PascasiusJustus,in hiswork entitledAlea, firstpublisliedin 15G0, relatesthat though he frequentlyfeltdifficultyin obtaininga supply of provisions
when travellingin Spain,he never came to a village,however poor, in which
cardswere not to be found. The prevalenceof card-playmg in Spainabout the
middle of the sixteenthcentury isfurthershown in a work entitled* Satyra in-
vectivacontra losTahures : en que se dcclaranlosdanos que alcuerpo,y alalma y
lahaziendase siguen deljuegodc los naypes. Impressa en Sevilla,en casa de
Martin dc Montcsdoca, Auo dc m.d.lvii.' Tliiswork is erroneouslyascribedby Antonio,in hisBibliothccaHispana Nova, to Dominic Valtanas,or Baltanas,
a Dominican friar,at whose instancethe editionreferredto was printed. The
IIG PLAYING CARDS.
willfallinto them ; which is as much as to say that you
and I will play together at One-and-Thirty, as if itwas
in earnest; perhaps somebody may make the third,and
he shallbe sure to be the firstto leave his money behind
him/'
At what period cards were firstused in Europe for
the purposes of divinationor fortune-tellinghas not been
ascertained. In the 'Magasin Pittoresque'for1842, page
324, there is a cut entitled" Philippe-le-Bonconsultant
une tireusede cartes," copied from a painting ascribedto
John Van Eyck. Though it has been denied that this
pictureis reallyby Van Eyck, it is yet admittedthatthe
costume is that of the reign of Charles VIII, between
1483 and 1498.^ Supposing then thatthe picturebelongs
to the latterperiod,we have thus evidenceof cardsbeing
used forthe purposesof fortune-tellingbefore the closeof
the fifteenthcentury. The gypsies,who are unquestionably
of Asiaticorigin,appear to have long used them forthis
purpose; and ifthey brought cards with them in their
earliestimmigrationintoEurope, as Breitkopfsupposes,they
are justas likelyto have brought with them theiroccult
scienceof cards as to have acquireditsubsequentlyfrom
author was Diego delCastillo,who alsowrote anotherwork on the same[]sub-ject,entitled
* Reprobacionde los Juegos,*printedat Valladolidin1528.*"The
author derivesthe word Tahur^ a gamester, from HurtOy theft,robbery,by
transposingthe syllables,and changing o intoa :
" Tahur y ladron,
Una cosa son."
" "II existeen Belgiqueplusieurstableauxattribuds Jean Van Eyck, qu'il
est inutilede designer,et qui par les costumes des personnages dcnotent une
post6rioritdd*un grand nombre d'ann^jes.Nantes en posscde un, dgalement
attribuda ce maitre, dont les costumes sont ceux du r^gne de CharlesVHE.
Le sujct,sous letitrede Philippe-le-Bonconsultantune tireusede cartes,en a 6t6
donnd dans leMagasin Pittpresque,ann6e 1842, p. 324!."" QuelquesMots sur
laGravure au Millesimede 1418, p. 13. Philippe-le-Bon,Duke of Burgundy,
diedill1467 j John Van Eyck in 1445.
PROGRESS OP CARD-PiiAYING. 117
Europeans. The earliestwork, expresslytreatingof the
subjectappearsto be ' Le Sorti/written or compiled by
Francesco Marcolini,printed at Venice in 1540. In the
prologue,the author professesto explainthe mode of ap-plying
what he callshis pleasant invention" "piacevole
inventione;" but beyond the factthat certaincards are to
be used, I have not been able to make out his meaning.The only cards to be employed were the King, Knight,
Knave, ten,^ nine, eight,seven, deuce, and ace of the suitDanari or Money. Besides the smallcuts of cards,of whichthe followingare specimens, the work containsa number
of wood-engravings,some of which are designedin a spirited
manner. A work similarto Marcolini's,entitled' Triompho
di Eortuna,' by Sigismond Fanti, professingto teach the
art of solvingquestionsrelatingto futureevents,but without
using cards,was printedat Venice in 1527.
Juggling and fortune-tellingby means ofcards,whenever
introduced,appear to have had many professorsinthelatter
' Though the ten isonie of the cardsemployed inMarcolini*sSystem ofFor-tune-telling,
it appears to have been generallyomitted in the packs of cards
used by the Italianjugglersof the sixteenthcentury. Leber,who says thathe
had examined"
un grand nombre de tours de cartes"describedin the pamphlets
of the most famous Italianjugglersof the sixteenthcentury,yet refersonly to
two works on the subjectprintedbefore1COO ; one of them entitled
* Opera
nuova nou piu vista,nellaquale potrai facilmenteimparare molti giochi di
mano. Composta da Francesco di Milano, nominato in tutto il mondo il
Bagatello/ 8vo, circa 1550. The other,* Giochi di carte bellissimie di
memoria, per Horatio Galasso.* Venetia, 1593. The author of the following
work, also referredto by Leber, appears to have been the original" Pimper-
limpimp," whose fame as a mountebauk physician appears to have been still
fresh in the memory of the wits of the reign of Queen Anne: *Li rariet
mirabiliGiuochi di Carte,da AlbertoFrancese, dctto Peklimpimpim.' 8vo,
Bologna, 1622.
118 PLAYING CARDS.
halfof the sixteenthcentury. A trickperformed with
cards by a juggler,appears to have excited the inquisitive
genius of Lord Bacon when a boy ; and his biographer,
Basil Montagu, thinks that from this circumstance his
attentionwas firstdirectedto an inquiryintothe nature of
the imaghiation.* Reginald Scott, in his Discovery ofWitchcraft,firstpublished in 1584, has a chapter *VOf
Cards, with good cautionshow to avoid cousenage therein;
sj)ccialrules to convey and handle the cards; and the
manner and orderhow to acconiplishalldifficultand strange
tilingswrought with cards."" Having now," sayshe,
" bestowed some waste money
among you, I willsetyou to cards; by which kind ofwitch-crafta greatnumber of peoplehave juggledaway not only
theirmoney, but also theirlands,theirhealth,theirtime,
and theirhonesty. I dare not (asI could)show the lewd
jugglingthatcheaterspractice,lestitminister some offenceto the well-disposed,to the simple hurt and losses,and to
the wicked occasionof evildoing. But I would wish all
gamesters to beware,not only with what cards and dice
they play, but especiallywith whom, and where they
exercisegaming. And to letdicepass,(aswhereby a man
may be inevitablycousened,)one that isskilfulto make and
use Bumcards may undo a hundred wealthy men, that are
not given to gaming ; but ifhe have a confederatepresent,
eitherof the playersor standers-by,the mischiefcannot be
avoided. Ifyou play among strangers,beware of him that
seems simple or drunken ; forunder their habit the most
specialcouseners are presented ; and whileyou think by their
simplicityand imperfectionsto beguilethem, (andthereof,
perchance,are persuaded by their confederates,your very
' Life of Lord Bacon, p. 5. Lord Bacon rektes the circumstances,and a
cerluincuriousman's explanationof tlicm,in his Sjlva,Century xth,p. 215.
Eilit.1G3L
V PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 119
friendsas you think,)you yourselfwillbe most ofallover-taken.Beware alsoof the bettersby and lookerson, and
namely of them thatbet on your side; forwhilstthey look
on your game without suspicion,they discoveritby signsto your adversaries,with whom theybet and yet are their
confederates^Among the trickswith cardswhich he notices,are the
following: " How to deUver out four Aces and to convert
them into four Knaves. How to tellone what card he
seethin thebottom, when the same cardisshuffledintothe
stock. To tellone, without confederacy,what card he
thinketh. How to tellwhat card any man thinketh,how
to conveythe same into a nut-shell,cherry-stone,"c.,andthe same againintoone's pocket. How to make one draw
the same, or any cardyou list,and allunder one devise."
The two verses which he quotesin the margin shouldbe
inscribedas a motto on the dial-plateof everygamester's
watch." Of diceplay,and the likeunthriftygames, mark
thesetwo old verses, and remember them :
Ludens taxillis,benercspicequidsitinillis:
Mors tua, sors tua,res tua,spes tua,pendetinillis/*
Rowland, in his * JudicialAstrologyCondemned,' relatesthe followinganecdoteof Cuffe,the Secretaryof the EarlofEssex,"
a man of exquisitewit and learning,but of a tur-bulent
disposition,"who was hung at Tyburn, on the 13th
ofMarch, 1602, forhaving counselledand abettedthe Earl
in histreason. " Cuffe,an excellentGrecian, and Secretary
to the Earl of Essex,was toldtwenty yearsbeforehisdeath
thathe should come to an untimely end, at which Cuffe
laughed,and in a scornfulmanner, intreatedtheastrologerto
show him in what manner he should come to hisend ; who
' CuffeassistedColombani in the "editioprinceps" of the Greek text of the
romance of Daphuis and Chloe,printedat Floreuce,4to, 1598.
120 PLAYING CARDS.
condescendedto him, and callingforcards,intreatedCuffc
to draw out ofthe pack threewhich pleasedhim. He did
so, and drew threeKnaves and laidthem on thetablewith
theirfacesdownwards, by thewizard'sdirection,who then
toldhim, ifhe desiredto see the sura of his bad fortunes,
to take up those cards. Cuffe,as he was prescribed,took
up the firstcard,and looking on it,he saw the portraiture
of himself,cap-a-pie,having men compassing him about
with billsand halberds; then he took up the second,and
therehe saw thejudgethatsat upon him ; and takingup
the lastCard,he saw Tybiu*n,the placeof hisexecution,and
the hangman, at which he laughedheartily; but many years
after,being condemned for treason, he remembered anddeclaredthisprediction/*
.Queen Elizabeth,as well as her sister,Mary, was a card
p player; and even her graveLord Treasurer,Lord Burleigh,
appears to have occasionallytaken a hand at Priraero/That she sometimes losther temper,when the cardsran
against her, may be fairlyinferredfrom the following
passage,which occurs in a letter,writtenin the latterpart
of her reign,by Sir Robert Carey to his father,Lord
Hunsdon : her violentlanguage must have been the result
of her holdinga bad hand at the moment thatthe presence
ofyoung Carey reminded herofhisfather'sprocrastination." May itpleaseyour L. t'understandethatyesterdayyn the
afterauneI stood by hyr Ma**'as she was att Cards in the
presens chamber. She cawlde me to hyr, and askte me
" " Observationson a pictureby Zuccaro,from Lord Falkland'scollection,sup-posedto representthegame ofPrimero. By theHon. DaincsBarrington." In
the Archarologia,vol.viii.Mr. Barringtonsays,'* Accordingto traditioninthe
family,itwas paintedby Zuccaro, and representedLord BurleigUplayingat
cardswith threeotherpersons,who from theirdressappear to be of distinction,
each of them having two rings on the same fingersof both theirhands. The
cardsare marked as at present,and dilTerfrom thoseofmore modern timesonlyby beingnarrower and longer."
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 121
when you mente too go too Barwyke. I towlde hyr that
you determinde to begyn your jorneypresentlyafterWhytsontyd. She grew yntoo a greterage,begynnynge
with Gods wonds, thatshe wolde settyou by the feete,and
send anotherinyour placeyfyou dalyedwithhyr thus,for
she wolde not be thus dalyed withall."*Though the laityof allranks and conditions" except
apprentices^" appear to have played at cards and dice
without let or hinderance,notwithstandingany statuteto
the contrary,yet the clergyseem to have been rathermore
sharply looked after. In the ' Injunctionsgeven by the
Queues Majestic,as well to the Clergye as the Laity,'
printed by Richard Jugge and John Cawood, 1559, the
clergyare thus admonished :" Also the saydeecclesiastical
personsshallin no wyse, nor forany other cause then for
theyrhoneste necessities,haunt or resort to anye Tavernes
or Alehouses. And aftertheyrmeates, they shallnot geve
themselvesto any drynkyng or ryot,spendyng theyrtyme
idellyby day or by nyght, at dyse,cardes,or tablesplaying,or anye other unlawfull game."^ In the 'Injunctionsexhibitedby John, Bishop of Norwich, at hisfirstvisitation,in the thirdyearof our Soveraign Ladie EUzabeth,'printed
at London by John Daye, 1561, officialsare enjoinedtoinquire,"Whether 'any parson,vicare,or curate geve any
evellexample of lyfe; whether theybe incontinentparsones,
dronkardes, haunters of tavernes, alehouses,or suspect
" OriginalLetters Illustrativeof EnglishHistory,with Notes by SirHenry
Ellis. Second Series,vol.iii,p. 102.
' When the proliibitionto play at cards or dicewas firstintroducedinto
apprentices*indenturesI have not been ableto learn. It occurs, however, in
the form of an indenturefor an apprenticein 'A Book of Presidents,'printed
about 1565, and saidto have been compiledby Thos. Phacr,the translatorof
the seven firstbooks of the Jilneid.In the title-pageof his translation,1558,
rhaer describeshimselfas " Solicitourto the King and Qucenes Majesties."^3 Those injunctionswith respectto tavern-hauntingand gammg are embodied
in the seventy-fifthcanon of the Constitutionsaad Canons Ecclesiastical,1603.
122 PLAYING CAEDS.
places;dyccrs,tablers,carders,swearers, or vehemcntlie
suspectedthereof."
A noticeof a dramaticrepresentationofthe game ofcards
occurs in the accounts of Queen EHzabeth's* Master ofthe
Revels,'1582.^ In thatyear he and hisofficerswere com-manded
"to show on St.Stephen'sday at night,beforeher
Majestyat Wyndesore, a Comodie or Morral devisedon a
game ofthe cardes,"to be performed by the childrenofher
Majesty'sChapel. From the followingobservationsof Sir
John Harrington on this " Comodie or Morral," itwould
seem to have been a severe satireon those Knaves who
enrich themselves at the nation'sexpense: "Then for
comedies,to speake of a London comedie, how much good
matter, yea and matter of state,is there in that comedie
caldthe playofthe cards? in which itisshowed how foure
Parasiticalleknaves robbe the foureprincipallvocationsof
the Rcalme, videlicet,the vocationsof Souldiers,ScoUers,
Marchants,and Husbandmen. Of which comedieI cannot
forgetthe sayingof a notablewise counscUerwho is now
dead (Su*FrauncisWalsinghame),who, when some (tosingPlacebo)advised that it should be forbidden,because it
was somewhat too plaine,and indeed,as the old sayingis.
Sooth boord is no loord,yet he would have itallowed,adding
thatitwas fitthat ' They which doe that they should not,
shouldhearethatthey would not.'"^
* Extractsfrom the Accounts of the Eevels at Court in the Reigns of
Elizabethand James I. Edited by Peter Cunningham, p. 176. Publishedby
the ShakspereSociety.
A comedy intendedto displaythe evilconsequences of dicingand card-
playingwas performedbeforethe Emperor Maximilian II at Vienna,on New
Year'sDay, 1570." Sec the Collectaneaof Johannes a Munster,appended to
tlicAlca ofPascasiusJustus,edit.1017." A BricfeApologieof Poctrie,1591. Quoted by Mr. P. Cunningham, in
illsnotes toExtractsfrom Accounts of theRevels,p. 223. In dramaticrepre-sentations
of the game of cards we seem to have precededthe Prench. lu
1070, a comedy by Thomas Conieillc,called*Lc Triomphc des Dames,* was
PROGRESS 0" CARD-PLAYING. 123
The mention of a comedy shown beforethe Queen at
Windsor by the childrenofherMajesty'sChapel,naturally
suggests the recollectionof John Lyly's Court Comedies,
which were wont to be shown by the same children,as well
as by the "
childrenof Poules ;" and as in one of those
comedies," ^AlexanderandCampaspe," Lyly has committed
an anachronism with respectto cards, an opportunityis
thusaffordedof here introducingthe pleasantlyconceited
song that contains the error, " a song, which Elia wouldhave encored,and which even Mrs. Battle herselfwouldhave allowedto be sung at the card tableduring the inter"
missionof the game at the end of a rubber,when cuttingin fornew partners.^
" Cupid and my Campaspe play'dAt cardsforkisses; Cupid paid:
He stakeshisquiver,bow and arrows,
His mother'sdoves,and team of sparrows;
Loses them too : then down he throws
The coralofhislip,the rose
Growuig on *scheck (butnone knows how);
With thesethe chrystalon hisbrow,
And then tliodimpleofhischin:
All thesedidmy Campaspe win.At lasthe set her both hiseyes:
She won, and Cupid blinddoth rise.0 Love, has she done thisto thee?
Wliat shall,alas,become of me !"
Beforetaking leaveof the reignof Elizabeth,it seems
actedat Paris,in-thetheatreof the Hotel de Guegenaud,and the balletof the
Game ofPiquetwas one of the interludes." The fourKnaves firstmade their
appearance with theirhalberts,in orderto clearthe way. The Kings came in
succession,givingtheirhands to the Queens,whose trainswere borne up by-
fourSlaves,the firstof whom representedTennis,the secondBilliards,thethird
Dice,and thefourthBackgammon."" HistoricalEssaysupon Paris. Translated
from tlicPrench ofMons. dc Saintfoix,vol.i,p. 229. Edit.17C6.
' In an engravingof St. Peter denyingChrist,aftera paintingby Tenicrs,
two soldiersarc seen playingat cardsin the haU of thehighpriest;and,from
thechalkson the table,the game appearsto be PuL
' Sec Mr. IJattle'sOpinionson Whist, inEssaysby Elia(CharlesLamb).
124 PLAYING CARDS.
properto inserthere what PhilipStubbes saysaboutCards,
Dice,Tables,Tennis,and othergames, in his * Anatomie ofAbuses/* "As forCardes,Dice, Tables,Boules,Tennisse,
and such like,"says the moral dissector,speaking in the
person of Philoponus," thei are Furta qfficiosa,a certaine
kind of smothe, deceiptfuU,and sleightiethefte,whereby
many a one isspoiledof allthat ever he hath,sometimes of
his lifewithall,yea, of bodie and soule for ever : and yet
(moreisthe pitie)thesebe the only exercisesused in every
mans house, al the yere through. But especiallyin
Christmastime thereisnothyng elsused but Cardes,Dice,
Tables, Maskyng, Mummyng, Bowling, and such hke
fooleries.And the reason is,thei think thei have a com-mission
and prerogativethattyme to doe what theilist,alid
to foUowe what vanitiethey will.But (alas)doe theithinke
thattheiare privilegedat thattime to doe evill? the holier
the time is(ifone time were holierthen another,as itisnot)the holierought theirexercises.to bee."
He, however, thinks that at some games, under certain
circumstances.Christianmen may play for the sake of
recreation; for,in answer to the questionof Spudeus, " Is
itnot lawfuU for one Christianman to plaiewith an other
at any kinde of game, or to winne hismoney, if he can?"Philoponusthus replies:
" To plaieat Tables,Cardes,Dice,
Bowles, or the like,(thougha good Christianman willnot
so idelyand vainelyspendehisgolden daies),one Chiistian
" " The Anatomic of Abuses,containingA Discoverie,or brcifesummarie of
such notablevicesand corruptionsas now raignein many Christiancountrcycs
of the world; but especiallyin the countrey of Ailgna: [Anglia,England.]Together with the most fearefullexamples of God'sjudgementsexecuteduponthe wicked forthe same, as wellin Ailgna of late,as inother placeselsewhere.Made Dialogue-wise by Philip Stubs," p. 112. Edit, printed by Kichard
Jones, 1583." ^TheJew's suppositionthat a thunder-stormwas evidenceof the
divinedispleasureat hisbeingabout to indulgein a rasherof bacon,isnothing
compared with Master Stubbes'sannouncement of the wrath of heaven against
those-who
indulgeinstarchedcollars,finelinenshirts,and velvetbreeches.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 125
with an other,for theirprivaterecreations,aftersome op-pression
of studie,to driveawaie fantasies,and suche like,
I doubt not but theimay, using itmoderately,with inter-mission,
and in the feareof God. But forto plaieforlucre
of gaine, and for desireonely of his brotherssubstance,
ratherthen forany other cause, itisat no hande lawful!,or
to be suffered. Por as itisnot lawfullto robbe,steale,and
purloineby deceiteor sleight,so isitnot lawfullto get thy
brothers goodes from hym by Cardyng, Dicyng, Tablyng,
Boulyng, or any other kind oftheft,forthesegames are no
better,nay worser than open theft,foropen thefteveryman
can beware of;but thisbeying a craftiepolliticketheft,and
commonly doen under pretenceof freendship,fewe,or none
at all,can beware of it. The commaundement saieth.Thou
shallnot covet nor desireany thing that belongeth to thy
neighbour. Now, itis manifest,that those that plaie for
money, not onely covet theirbrothersmoney, but also use
craft,falshood,and deceiteto winne the same." " There are
doubtlessmany card-players,who, consciousof theirwant
of craft,can safelydeny the truth of Stubbes's sweeping
conclusion; but itisto be feared that most craftyplayers
will not lose if they can avoid it,eitherby hook or by
crook.In the reignof James I, the game
*'
went bonnilyon."
His son, Henry, Prince of Wales, who died in 1612, aged
nineteen, used occasionallyto amuse himself at cards,
but so nobly and likehimself,as showed that he played
only forrecreation,and not for the sake of gain.^ James
himselfwas a card-player; and hisfavoritegame was Maw,
which appears to have been the fashionablegame in his
reign, as Primero was in the reign of EUzabeth. His
^ A Discourse of the most illustriousPrince,Henry, latePrince of Wales.
Written in 1626 by Sir CharlesComwallis. Reprinted in the HarleianMis-cellany.
120 PLAYING CARDS.
Majestyappearsto have playedat cards justas he played
with affairsof State" ^inan indolentmanner, requiringin
both cases some one to hold his cards,ifnot to prompt him
what to play. Weldon, speaking of the poisoningof Sir
Thomas Overbury, in his ' Court and Characterof King
James,'says:" The next that came on the stage,was Sb
Thomas Monson ; but the night before he was to come to
his tryal,the King being at the game of Maw, said,' to-morrow comes Thomas Monson to his tiyal/ *Yea;'
saidthe King's card-holder,'
where if he do not playhis
master's prize,your Majestyshallnever trust me.' This so
ran intheKing's mind, that at the next game he saidhe was
sleepy,and would play out thatsetnext night." From the
followingpassagein a pamphlet,entitled' Tom Tell-troath,'
supposed to have been printed about 1622,^ itwould seem
thatthe writerwas wellacquaintedboth with hismajesty'smode ofplayingat cards,and with the manner in which he
was trickedin his dawdling with state affairs: "In your
Majestie'sowne tavemes, forone healthe thatis begun to
your-selfe,thereare ten drunke to thePrincesyour forraygn
children. And, when thewine isin theirheads.Lord have
mercie on theirtonges! Ever,inthe very gaming ordinaries,
where men have scarce leisureto say grace,yet they take a
time to censure your Majestie'sactions,and that in their
oulde schooleterms. They say,you have lostthe fairest
game at Maw thatever King had, forwant of making the
best advantage of the fivefinger,and playing the other
helpesin time. That your owne card-holdersplay bootic,
and givethe signeout of your owne hand. That hee you
played withallhath ever been knowne for the greatest
" *ToM Tell-tkoath: or a free Discourse touchiug the manners of the
time.' Reprinted in the Harician Miscellany. The king's "forraygn chil-dren"
mentioned in thispamphlet are his daughter Elizabeth and her family.
Elizabethwas married to Frederick,Elector Palatineof the RJiine,the com-
pctitoroftlieEmperor Ferdinand11 forthe cro\m of Bohemia.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 127
cheaterin Christendome.' In fine,thereis noe way to
recover your losses,and vindicateyour honour, but withfightingwith him that hath cozened you. At which honest
downe righteplay,you willbe hard enough forhim with allhistrickes/'
The followingverses, which might have been writtenby
Tom Tell-troathhimself,form partof an inscriptionbeneath
a caricatureengraving of the same period,representingthe
Kings of England, Denmark, and Sweden, with Bethlem
Gabor, engaged in playing at cards,dice,and tableswiththe Pope and hisMonks.2
"Denmarke, not sittingfarr,and seeingwhat hand
Great Brittaynehad, and how Rome's lossdidstand,Hopes,to win something too : Maw isthe gameAt which he playcs,and ehallcngethat the same
A Muncke, who stakesa ehaliee. Denmarke setsgold.And shuffles; the Muneke cuts : Denmarke being bold,
Deales freelyround ; and the firstcard he showes
Is the fivefinger,which, bemg tum'd up, goes
Cold to the Muncke*s heartj the next Denmarke sees
Is the ace of hearts: the Muneke criesout, I lees!
. Denmarke replyes.SirMuncke, shew what you have ;
The Muncke could shew him notliingbut the Knave."
From the allusionsto the five fingersand the ace ofhearts,in the preceding extracts,itwould appear thatthe
game of Maw was the same as that which was subsequently
calledFive-Cards,for,in both games, the fiveof trumps-
calledthe fivefingers" was the best card,and next to that
was the ace of hearts.3
* "The Kong of Spain,or Gondemar, hisambassador."' This engraving is preservedin a collectionof Proclamations,Ballads,"c.,
formed by the lateJoseph Ames, and now in the libraryof the Royal Societyof
Antiquaries. For the part played by Bethlem Gabor in the affairsofEurope,
between 1618 and 1628, the reader is referredto Schiller*8History of the
Thirty-Years'War.' " Five-Cardsisan Irishgame, and isas much playedinthatkingdom,and that
for considerablesums of money, as All-Fours is played in Kent, but there is
littleanalogy between them. There are but two can playat it; and therearc dealt
128 PLAYING CARDS.
From the frequent mention of cards by writersof the
time of James I, it would appear that the game was as
common a diversionwith hisMajesty'speaceablesubjects,as itwas with the fightingmen who followedthebanner ofWallensteinor Tillyin the Thirty-Years'War. Inordinate
gaming in one country, according to certainauthorities,
was the resultof long-continuedpeace and too much ease ;
accordingto others,itwas the naturalconsequence ofwar ;
in England, the devil,findingmen idle,gave them employ,
ment at cards and dice; and in Germany, where they were
busy in the work of destruction,he encouraged them to
play as a relaxationfrom theirregularlabours. Prodigals,
in each country,lightedtheircandleat both ends : English
gallantsused to divert themselves with cards at the play-housebefore the performance began ;^ and desperate
hazardcrsin the imperialcamp staked,on a cast at dice,
theirplunder,ere ithad well come into theirpossession.In the reign of James I, a controversyarose respecting
the nature of lots,in which the lawfulness" '* inforotheo-hgorum''"-oi deciding matters by lot,and of playing at
games of chance, such as cards and dice,was amply dis-cussed.
It was maintained by one party,that as lotswere
of divineordinance, forthe purpose of determining impor-tant
matters,^and of so ascertaining,as itwere, the divine
fivecardsa piece. . . . The five-fingers{aliasfiveof trumps)isthe best
cardinthe pack ; the ace of heartsisnext to that,and the next isthe ace oftrumps."" The Compleat Gamester, p.90. Edit.1709. Pirstprintedin 1674.
" Malone's Supplemental Observations on Shakspeare, citedby Barrington.
Dr. Moore, in hisViews of Societyand Manners in Italy,mentions the card-
playingat the opera at Tlorcnce." I was never more surprised,"says he,"than
when it was proposed to me to make one of a whist party,in a box which
seemed to have been made forthe purpose,with a littletablein the middle. I
hintedthatitwould be fullas convenientto have the party somewhere else;
but I was told,good musicaddcd greatlyto the pleasureof a wliistparty;that
itincreasedthejoyofgood fortune,and soothedthe aflllctionof bad."* Numbers, xxvi,55, 66 ; Proverbs,xvi,33 ; Acts,i,24-26.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 129
will,theiremployment forthe pmpose of amusement, was
a sinfulperversionof theirinstitution,and a disparagingofDivine Providence,which was thusmade the arbiterofidle
and immoral games.^ In oppositionto thisopinion,the
learnedThomas Gataker publishedhis treatise,historical
and theological,* Of the Nature and Use ofLots,'in 1619.
In thiswork he treats of casualevents in general,and of
thedifferentkinds oflots,which he thusclassesunder three
heads: 1, Lots which are commonly employed in serious
afiFairs; 2, Lots which enter intogames of chance; 3, Lots
extraordinaryor divinatory. The firstare generallyad-mittedto be innocent; but the third are absolutelycon-demnedby Gataker,exceptwhen they are expresslyrequired
to be used by a revelationor a divinecommand.^ With
regardto lotsof the second kind,he contendsthatthey are
neitherprohibitedin the Scripturesnor evilof themselves;
though,likethoseof the first,theyare Uableto greatabuse.The abuse he earnestlycondemns ; but at the same time
shows thatitisnot a necessaryconsequence ofthe employ-ment
oflotsin games of amusement. He alsorefutesthe
arguments of James Balmford, who, in a small tractwhich
appearsto have been firstpublishedabout 1593, had main-tained
that all games of chance were absolutelyunlawful.An account of the controversy on thissubject,between
Gataker on one side,and WiUiam Ames and GisbertVoet
' Thisappearsto have been one ofthe chiefgroundsofobjectionagainstcards
and dice-playin Scotland,about a century later. Adam Pefrie,"the Scottish
Chesterfield,"adopts Balmford's conclusion:"Lott isan ordinancewhereby
God oftenmade known his mind, and thereforeought not to be turnedinto a
play; but Cards and Dice are Lott; thereforethey ought not to be turned
into a play."^RuIes of Good Deportment, or of Good Breeding,printedat
Edinburgh,1710 ; reprinted1835." John Wesley,who sometimes
"
sought an answer** by lotsofthiskind,was
charged by the Rev. Augustus Toplady with "tossing up for his creed,as
portersor chairmen tossup fora halfpenny.""Letterto theRev. John Wesley,
p. 7. Edit.1770.
9.
130 PLAYING CARDS.
on the other,willbe found in the preface to the second
editionof Barbeyrac's'Traitedu Jeu/^
In the reignof James I,and in the earlypart ofthatofhissuccessor, ere the discussionof politicalgrievanceshad
produced a decidedeffecton the publicmind, the fashion-able
vices of excess in apparel,gaming, drinking,and
smoking tobacco,were fertilethemes of declamationwith a
certain classof reformers,both lay and clerical.Their
denunciationsof the vanityand wickedness of wearing fine
clothes are merely variationsto Stubbes's 'Anatomy ofAbuses ;' whiletheirfulminationsagainsttobaccoare gene-rally
pitched in the somewhat loud key of King James's
Counterblast. Their common-places against drunkenness
and gaming, are, in general,"
very common indeed,''" as
SirFrancisBurdett saidof a certaincommon lawyer,who,
since his elevationto the peerage,has been convictedof
a petty larcenyon the literarypropertyof Miss Agnes
Strickland,and who seems to be an adept at Cribbage,
though no card-player.In a woodcut on the title-pageof
' Woe to Drunkards,'
a sermon preachedby Samuel Ward, of Ipswich,1627, the
vicesof thatage are typicallycontrastedwith the virtuesof
a former one. In the upper compartment we are shown
what men were of old by the open Bible,the foot in the
stirrup,and the hand grasping the lance; while in the
lower, the degeneracyof theirdescendants is typifiedby
the leg and foot,decoratedwith a broad silkgarterand a
largerosette; by cards and dice,and a hand holdingat the
same time a lightedpipe and a drinking cup with a cocka-tricein it. Twenty years afterwards,these types would
' Traitddu Jeo,oh Ton examine lesprincipalcsquestionsde Droitnaturelet
do Morale quiont du rapporta cette matiere. Par Jean Barbeyrac,Profcsseur
en Droit a Groningue. Seconde Edition,revue et augmentde. En troistomes,
12mo. Amsterdam, 1737.
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLATING. 181
have been more strictlyapplicable,with the inscriptions
merelytransposed.
At what time the manufactm*eof cardswas establishedin thiscountry,has not been ascertained;though from
theirbeingincludedin an Act of Parliamentof 1465, pro-hibiting
theimportationof sundryarticles,as beinginjuriousto nativemanufacturersand tradesmen,itwould seem that
there were card-makers in England even at that early
period.* Barrington,referringto a proclamationofElizabeth,
* Towards the closeofElizabeth'sreign,Edward Darcy obtaineda patentfor
themanufactureof cards; and inthe reignof James I the importationof cardswas prohibited,after20th July,1615, as the art of making them was then
;brougIitto perfectionin thiscountry. As a duty or tax of fiveshillingsfor
every twelve dozen packs was leviedabout that time by the authorityof the
Lord Treasurer,the statement thatsuch a tax was firstleviedin 1031, inthe
reign of CharlesI, is erroneous.. Tliistax was one of the impositionscom-plained
ofby tlieCommons, inthe reignof CharlesI,"as arbitraryand illegal,
beingleviedwithoutconsent of Parliament." I am informedthatthefirstact
of parliamentimposing a tax on cardswas passed in 1711, in the reignof
Queen Anne. The company of card-makerswas firstincorporatedby letters
patent of CharlesI in 1629." See Singer'sResearches,pp. 223, 224,226,365.
182 PLATING CARDS.
and anotherofJames I,says," Itappearsthatwe didnot
then make many cards in England." In hispaper in the* Archaeologia/he givesa fac-simileofthe cover of an old
pack ofcards,as a decisiveproofthatcardswere originally
made in Spain. On thiscover was printeda wood engraving
ofthe arms of Castileand Leon, togetherwith a Club,a
Sword, a Cup, and a pieceofMoney, the marks ofthefour
suitsof Spanishcards. To an inscriptionpurportingthat
they were finecards,made by Jehan Volay " "Cartas
finnasfaictespar Jehan Volay"" therewas alsoadded,in
lettersof a differentcharacter,eitherby a stencil,or by
means of insertinga new piece of wood in theoriginalblock,the name "Edward Warman," probablythatofthe
Englishvendorofthecards. The maker'sname, Barrington
reads," Je (forJean or John)Hauvola," and thefinaly
he mistakes for the Spanish conjunction"and." The
whole of the inscription,he says, being rendered into
English, runs thus :" Superfine cards made by John
Hauvola, and (EdwardWarman)," the lastname being
substitutedforthatof a former partnerof John Hauvola.^
Mr. Barrington'sreadingofthemaker'sname, Je.Hauvola,
insteadofJehan Volay, and histhenintroducingEdward
Warman intothefirm,by means of thefinaly, construedas a copulativeconjunction,are fairspecimensoftheproofs
and illustrationswhich he adduces in favourofhistheory
aboutSpanishcards.Jean Volay,as I learnfrom Leber,^was one of themost
celebratedFrench card-makersofthesixteenthcentury; at
what time "Edward Warman" lived,whose name also
appearson the cover, is not known ; but Mr. Barrington
* Observationson the Antiquityof Card-playing,Arcliseologia,vol.viii.' Etudes Historiqucssur IcsCartes a jouer,p. 30. Mons. Leber had inhis
collectionsome cards of Jean Volay'smanufacture,which were discoveredin
the boardsof a book. Those cardsare describedinthe Catalogueofhisbooks,
torn,i,p. 241, Articlexvii. Tl"crearc alsocardsmanufactui'cdby Jean Volay
preservedintlicBibliothcqucdu Roi,at Paris.
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLATING. 133
says thata person of that name kept a stationer'sshop
somewhere about Norton Folgate,about fiftyyearsbefore
the date ofhispaper,thatisabout 1737. Any vogue that
Spanish cardsmight have had inthe more northerlycountries
ofEurope, during the times of Elizabethand James I,was
probably owing rather to the circumstance of so manySpaniardsbeing then i^esidentinthe Low Countriesthan to
any superiorityofthe cardsmanufactured in Spain. Until
a comparativelyrecentperiod,largequantitiesofcardsusedto be sent from Antwerp to Spain.^
From the followingverses, in " The Knave of Harts his
SuppUcation to the Card Makers," in Samuel Rowlands'
" The Netherlandsseem to have been famed at an earlyperiodforthe manu-facture
of cards. AlbertDurer, in the journalwhich he kept duringhis visit
to thosepartsin 1521, notes thathe bought halfa dozen packs forseven stivers:
" Item hab umb ein halb dutzetNiederlandischerKarten gebcn 7 Stiiber.""
Albrecht Durers Eeisejournal,in Von Murr's Journal zur Kunstgeschichte,
7terTheil,s. 96. From a passage in Ascham's Toxophilos,1515, quoted by
Singer,itwould appear thatthepriceof cardswas then about twopence a pack ;
" He sayd a payre of cardscost not past ii.d."
134 PLAYING CARD8.
satireentitled* The Knave ofHarts/1612, itwould appear
thatcards were then commonly manufactured in England,
foritcannot be fairlysupposedthattheKnave'ssuppUcation
was addressedto foreigncard-makers. The foregoingcut,
which isa fac-simileofthatprefixedto theeditionof 1613,
shows the Knaves of Hearts and Clubs in the costume
complained of." We are abusedin a greatdegree.
For there'sno Knaves so wronged as are we
By thosethatchieflyshouldbe our part-takers:
And thus itis,my maisters,you card-makers.AllotherKnaves are attheirown free-will.
To braveitout,and followfashionstillIn any cut,accordingto thetime,
But we poore Knaves (Iknow not forwhat crime),Are kept inpie-baldsuites,which we have wome
Hundred ofyears; thishardlycan be borne.
The idle-headedFrenche devis'dus first.
Who ofallfashion-mongersisthe worst;For he doth change farreoftncrthanthe moone;
Dislikeshismorning suiteinth'after-noone.The Englishishisimitatingape, _^
In every toy the tailors-shcarescan shape.Comes droppingafteras the divellentices.And puttethon the French-man'scastdevices;Ye wee (withwhom thuslong they both have plaid),.Must weare the suitesinwhich we firstwere made." " " " "
How can we choosebut have theitchinggift,Kept in one kindeofdeaths,and never sliift?
Or to be scurvy how can we forbcare.
That never yet had shirtor band to weare P
How bad I and my fellowDiamond goes.We never yet had garterto our hose.
Nor any shooe to put upoD our feete.
With such base deaths,'tise'en a shame to see't;My sleevesare likesome morris-dauncingfellow,
My stockingsidiot-like,red,greone,and yellow:
* The Four Knaves : a seriesofSatiricalTractsby Samuel Rowlands. Edited,
with an Introductionand Notes, by E. F. Eimbault,Esq. Reprintedfor the
Percy Society,1843. For the loan of the cuts of the Four Knaves the pub-lisherisindebtedto the Percy Society.
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLAYING. ]S5
Mj breechesb'kea paireoflute-pinsbe,Scarcebuttock-roome,as every man may see.
Like three-peniewatchmen threeof us doe stand.Each with a rusticbrowne-billinhishand:
And Clubshe holdsan arrow, likea clowne,The head-endupward,and thefeathersdowne.
Thus we are wrong'd,and thuswe are agriev*d.And thuslongtimewe havebecncunrelieved.But, card-makers,ofyou Harts reason craves.
Why we shouldbe restrained,aboveallKnaves,
To weare such patchedand disguis'dattireP
Answer butthis,ofkindnesse,we require." " " * "
Good card-makers(iftherebe goodnessinyou),Apparellus with more respectedcare.
Put us inhats,our caps are wome thread-bare;Let us havestandingcollers,inthefashion,
(Allare become a stiif-neckegeneration);
Hose hat-bandswith the shagged-raggedruffe.Greatcabbage-shoostrings(prayyou biggeenough),French dublet,and the Spanishhose to breechit,
Shortcloakes,oldmandilions*(webeseechit);Exchange our swords,and takeaway our bils,
Let us have rapiers,(Knaveslovefightthatkils);Put us inbootes,and make us leatherlegs:
ThisHarts,most humbly,and hisfellowsbegs."
In Rowlands' 'More Knaves Yet? The Knaves ofSpades and Diamonds/published afterhis 'Knave of
Harts/the Knaves of Spades and Diamonds are repre-sentedin a modernised costume, bestowed on them by the
printer,and the favouristhusacknowledged.
" Our fellowHartes didlatepetitionframe.
To cardmakerssome bettersutesto clayme.
And forus all,didspeake of allour wronges :
Yet they,to whom redressehereinbelongs
" On the word mandilions,Mr. Eimbaulthas the followingnote: "Mandig-
lione,a jacket,a Mandilion?" Plorio'sNew World ofWords^ed.1611.Stubbes
{apudStrutt,dressand habits,vol.ii,p.267)says that itcoveredthe wholebody down to the thighs;and Randle Holme describesitas
*a loosehanging
garment, much liketo our jacketor jumps,but without sleeves,onlyhaving
holesto put the arms through; yet some were made with sleeves,but for no
otheruse than to hang on the back.*"
136 PLAYING CAllDS.
Amend itnot,and littlehope appcarcs.
I thinkebeforethe conquest many yeares.We wore the fashionwliichwe stillretaine:
But seeingthatour sute isspentinvaine,Wecle mend our selvesas mcanes intime dothgrow.Acceptingwliatsome otherfriendsbcstowe.
As now the honestprinterhath binkinde,
Bootes and stockinsto our legsdoth finde,
Garters,poloniaheelesand rose shooe-strings.Which, somewhat, us two knaves infashionbrings;From the knee dowiicward,legsare wellamended.And we acknowledge that we arc befrendcd.
And willrequitehim foritas we can :
A knave some time may serve an honest man.
To do him pleasuresuch a chaunce may fall.
Although indeedno trustin knaves at all.He thatmust use them, take thisrulefrom mee^
'
Stilltrusta knave no furtherthan you see.
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLATING. 137
Well,otherfriendsI hope wee shallbeseech
For the greatlargeabhominablebreech.
Like brewershop-sackes; yet sincenew they be,
Each knave willhave them, and why shouldnot wee P
Some laundressewe alsowillintrcato.
For bandes and ruffes,which kindnesto be greatWe willconfesse,yea and requiteittoo.
In any servicethatpoore knaves can doe :
Scarffcswe do want, to hange our weapons by.
Ifany punck willdcaloso courteouslyAs in the way of favourto bestow them,
Rare cheatingtrickswe willprotestto owe them.
Or any pander with a ringin'scare.
That is a gentleman (ashe doth sweare).And willaffordus hats of newest blocke,
A payre ofcardesshallbe histradeand stocke.To get hislyvingby, forlackoflands.
Because he scomes to overworke hishandes.
And thus ere long we trustwe shallbe fitted,
Those knaves thatcannot shiftare shallowwitted."
By a proclamationof CharlesI,June,1638, itwas orderedthat afterthe Michaelmas next all foreign cards shouldbe sealedat London, and packed in new bindings,or covers.
A few yearslater,itwould appear thatthe importationofforeigncards was absolutelyprohibited; for,in July,1643,
upon the complaintof severalpoor card-makers, settingforth thatthey were likelyto perishby reason of divers
merchants bringing playing-cardsinto the kingdom, con-traryto the laws and statutes,order was given,by a com-mittee
appointedby parliamentfor the navy and customs,
thatthe oflScersof the customs shouldseizeallsuch cards,
and proceedagainstthe partiesoffending.^
' In 164-1,a pamphlet,in verse, againstmonopolizersand patentees,appeared
with the followingtitle:*A Pack of Patentees,opened, shuffled,cut, dealt,
and played.* The articlesmonopolized,or forwhich patents had been obtained,were coals,soap, starch,leather,salt,hops,gold wire,and horns.
" We'll shuffleup the pack ; those thatbefore
Did playat post and pair,must play no more."
138 PLAYING CARDS.
When the civilwar commenced, and the peoplebecame
interestedin a sterner game, card-playingappears to have
declined. The card-playinggallantwhose favoritehaunts
had been the play-houseand the tavern, now became trans-formed
into a cavalier,and displayedhis braveryin the
fieldat the head of a troop of horse; whilsthisoldoppo-nent,
the puritanicalminister,incitedby a higher spiritofindignation,insteadof holding forthon sportsand pastimes
and householdvices,now thundered on the " drum ecclesi-astic"
againstnationaloppressors; urged hiscongregation
to standup fortheirrightsas men againstthe pretensions
of absolutemonarchy and rampant prelacy,and to trythe
crab-treestaffagainstthe courtier'sdancing rapier.Among the numerous pamphlets which appeared during
the contest thereare a few whose titlesshow that the game
of cards,though not so much in vogue as formerly,was
stillnot forgotten.^ The followingare the titlesof three
of such pamphlets,allquartos,the usualform oftheUterary
lightinfantryof the period." ChartaeScriptse,or a New
Game at Cards, called Play by the Booke, 1645." "
"Bloody Game of Cards, played between the King ofHearts and hisSuiteagainstthe rest of the pack, shuffled
at London, cut at Westminster,dealtat York, and playedin the open field.""
" Shuffling,cutting,and dealing,in a
game at pickquet,being actedfrom the year 1653 to 1653,
" About the same periodthe game of cards seems to have furnishedtitlesto
politicalpamphlets in othercountriesas well as in England. The followingis
the titleofa Dutch pamphlet,without date,but apparentlypublishedaboutthe
time thatthe treatyof Westphalia was concluded,1648 :* Het hersteldeVer-
keer-bertverbetertin een Lanterluy-spel.*From a passage in thispamphletjtappears thatthe game ofLanter-loowas the same as thatcalledLabate^i)it
French La Bete,called" Beast,"in Cotton'sComplcat Gamester.
" Vlaming. Was spelis dat,Vader Jems P ick weet rietdat ick dat oyt
gheleaenheb,maer aldieghy genoemt hebt weet ick van.
" Vader Jems. 0 Brcdder! het is dat speldat veeltijtsgenoemt werdt La-
bate,ofteom beterte.seggen,Lanterluy"
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLAYING. 139
by 0. p. and others,1659/'^ In a 'Lentenlitany/a back-
ward prayerforthe Rump, writtenin the timeof the Long
Parliament,the appointment of threekeepersto the great
sealisthus commemorated :
"From Villanydressedin a doubletofZeal,
From threeKingdoms baked in one Commonweal,
Prom a Gleek of Lord Keepers of one poor sealLibera nos Domine."*
It was probably as much owing to the circumstanceof
regularplaying-cardsbeing in small request,as to anydesireto promote learning,that we have the "Scientiall
Cards" mentioned in the followingtitleof a work,in which
cards are made subservientto the purposes of instruction,
and which appearsto have been one oftheearliestofthekind
pubhshed in England.^ " The Scientiallcards; or a new
* The two followingare oflaterdatebut inthe same strain.* A Mumival of
Knaves : or "Whiggism plainlydisplayed,and ifnot grown shameless,burlesqu'd
out of countenance, a Poem. 1683.* 'Win at first,loseat last;or the Game
of Cards which were shuffledby PresidentBradshaw, cut by Col.Hewson the
Coblcr,and playedby OliverCromwell and Lreton tillthe RestorationofCharlesII.1707*" A Mumival, at the game of Gleek,was allthe four aces,
kings,queens, or knaves.* Poems on StateAffairs,vol.iii,p. 25. Edit.1704. "Tricon is,at cards,
that which we now calla gleek of Kings, Queens, Knaves, "c.,viz.threeofthem in one hand together.'*"
^Howell'sEdition of Cotgrave'sTrench and
EnglishDictionary,1673. The term Gleekisprobablyderivedfrom the German
Gleieh,signifyinglike; thus the Qleek was a certainnumber of cardsof a like
kind. See furtherillustrationsof the word Gleek in Halliwell'sDictionaryof
Archaic"Words.* William Maxwell, in a catalogueof hisworks prefixedto his'Admirable
Propheciesconcerning the Church of Eome,* 4to, 1615, insertsthe followingas
one abeady pubhshed :" Jamesanna, or a Pythagoricalplay at cards,repre-senting
the excellencyand utilityof Union and Concord,with the incommodities
of Divisionand Discorde,dedicatedto the most hopefullPrince Charles.**He
alsomentions another work of his,of the same kind,unpublished,written in
imitationof More*s Utopia. The author informs us, that his grandfather,
William MaxweU, son of the Lairdof Kirkconnel,was man-at-arms to the Most
ChristianKing, and had the honour to serve the mother of Mary Queen of
Scots,and alsoMary herself. The Maxwells are still" Lairdsof Kirkconnel,**
in Dumfries-shire. "Fair Kirkconnel Lea,**mentioned in the oldballad,"I
wish I were where Helen lies,**isone of the.most beautifulspotsin Britain.
140 PLATING CARDS.
and ingeniousknowledge grammaticallyepitomised,bothfor
the pleasureand profitof schoUers,and such as delightto
recoUect(withoutany labour)the rudiments of so necessary
an art as grammer is,without hinderingthem from their
more necessaryand graver studies,ofieringthem as a
second course unto you. Which, in allpoints and suits,
do representyour vulgaror common cards; so that the
perfectionof the grammer principlesmay hereby be easily
attainedunto, both with much delight and profit. To-gether
with a key showing the readyuse of them. Written
by a loverof ingenuityand learning. And are to be soldby Baptist Pendleton at his house, near St. Dunstan's
Church in the east,or by John Holden, at the Anchor in
the New Exchange. 1651." Of those cards, or of the
key, showing how they are to be used, I know nothingbeyond what iscontainedin the titleabove given,whichispreservedamongst Bagford'scollections,HarleianMSS.
No. 5947, in the BritishMuseum. I, however, greatly
suspect that the " lover of learning and ingenuity"whodevisedthem, was speciaUyemployed for the purpose by
the maker, Mr. Baptist Pendleton, who, sensibleof the
declineofhisregularbusiness,and noting the signs ofthe
times, might think it both for his interestand creditto
manufacture cards,which might serve indifierentlyforthe
purposes of instruction,but equally as well for play as
"your vulgar or common cards,"which were then in verybad repute. The Scientiallcards would appear to have
been well adapted for the use of personswho wished to
save appearances with the Puritans,and yet had no ob-jectionto play a quietgame with the profane.
In 1656 was pubUshed a littlebook intitled* The Schol-
lersPracticallCards,'by F. Jackson, M. A., containinginstructionsby means of cardshow to spell,write,cypher,
and castaccounts ; togetherwith many otherexcellentand
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYINO. 141
necessaryrules of calcidation,without eitherahnanack or
ephemeris." I am persuaded," says the author in his
preface,"that thecards,now incommon use, may be reducedto such a way of use as may not only contributeto know-
ledge and good learning,but may also remove the scandall
and abuse, which every tinkerthat can but tellhis peeps
[pips]exposeththem unto. To thatend I have framed, for
therecreationofsoberand understandingpeople,thatwhich
(althoughin form they represent common cards)in the
inside,as to the use that be made of them, affordsprofitablelearningand honest recreation: and herein thereismuchdifference; the common cards being meer fiction,hke the
foolishromances, not applicableto any morall,or anythingto be learnedby them that islaudable." His method, hke
allothers of the same kind, may be interesting,from its
complicated absurdity,to those who already understand
what he proposes to teach;but must have formed an almost
unsurmountable obstacle to the unlettered,unless they
were previouslywell grounded in Gleek, Ruff, Post and
Pair, Saunt,! Lodam, and Noddy, " the games to which he
chieflyrefersin hisinstructions.
William Sheppard,sergeant-at-law,a greatstickler,during
the ascendency of the Rump, forthe reformationofthe law
and the correction of manners, thus sets forth certain
grievances,and, likea good Samaritan,propounds a remedy
forthem in his work, entitled' Englands Bahne.'^
" Sau7ithe properlyexplainsby centum^ a hundred. Cientoiwas a Spanish
game, resemblingPiquet." Englands Balme : or, Proposalsby way of Grievance and Remedy, humbly
presentedto hisHighness and the Parliament; towards the Regulationof the
Law and better Administrationof Justice. Tending to the great Ease and
Benefitof the good People of the Nation. By William Sheppard,Esq. 12mo,
1657. The disregardof such good men as Mr. Sergeant Sheppard forthe feel-ings
and opinionsof those whom they were pleasedto consider bad^ and who
formed a great majorityof the nation,paved the way for the restorationof
Chai-lcsII.
142 PLAYING CARDS.
"It 18 objected," That there is no certainand clearlaw to punish pro-
phane jesting,fidling,ryming, piping,juggling,fortune-
telling,tumbling, dancing upon the rope,vaulting,ballad-
singing,sword-playing,or playing of prizes,ape-carrying,
puppet-playing,bear-baiting,bull-baiting,horse-racing,
cock-fighting,carding,dicing,or othergaming ; especially
the spending of much time,and the adventuringof greatsums of money herein.
" Itisofferedto consideration," That to the laws alreadymade : 1. That it be in the
power ofany two justicesofthe peaceto bindeto thegoodebehaivoursuch as are offensiveherein. 2. That theybe,
so long as they use it,uncapable of bearingany officein
the commonwealth. 3. That allpayments to the com-monwealthbe doubled on such persons."
His saintlydelicacy,if not his Christiancharity,isdis-played
in the following"
grievance"and"
remedy:^'" There are some other cases wherein the law alsoissaid
to be somewhat defective: as
" That thereisno law againstlasciviousgestures,wan-ton
and filthydallianceand familiarity,whorish
attire,strangefashions; such as are naked breasts,
bare shoulders,powdering, spotting,paintingthe
face,curlingand shearingthe hair; excess ofap-parelin servants and mean people.
.
" Itisofferedto consideration," 1. That thejusticesof the peace at theirQuarterSes-sions
may binde any such to the good behaivour." 2. That for a whorish attire,something of note be
writtenupon the door of her house to her dis-grace,
thereto continuetillshe wear soberattire."The characterof thispmitanicalreformer'sliberalitymay
be estimatedby hisproposed remedies for the abuses of the
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 143
press. As his partywere in power, therewas no longer
any occasionfor freediscussion. Milton was opposed to
such canting reformers as Sheppard, and maintained the
hbertyofunlicensedprinting." Itisobjected,
" That there are disordersin printingof books, for
which thereisno remedy." ItisoflFeredforthisto considerof thesethings:
" 1. That printing-housesbe reduced to a number.'^ 2. That no books be printedbut be firstperused." 3. That no dangerous books be printedhere,carried
beyond sea, and broughtin hither." 4. That the rightofeverymans copy be preserved." 5. That everyman shalllicencehisown book and be
answerableforit."
On the accessionof CharlesII,a reactiontookplace; and
peoplewho had feltthemselvescoercedin theiramusementsby the puritanicalparty,seem now to have gloriedin their
excesses, not so much from any positivepleasurethatthey
might feelin theirvicious courses, but as evincing their
triumph over those who formerlykept them in restraint.From the example of the king himself,a sensual,selfish
profligate,vice became fashionableat court, where gross
depravityof manners seems to have been admitteddL'"prima
fade evidenceof loyalprinciples.His majesty'spersonal
favorites,from the wealthy noble who had a seat at the
council-table,to the poor gentlemen who servedas a private
in the horse-guards,seem allto have been eager to divert
the "
merry monarch" by theirshameless profligacy.The
man of ton of the period,was professionallya rake and a
gamester,and oftena liarand cheat; boastingof an intrigue
with"
my lady,"while in truth he was kept by "
my lord's"
mistress; and pretendingthat he had won a hundred pieces
of" the duke," at the groom-porter's at St. James's,when
144 PLAYING CATIDS.
he had merely"
rooked" a gay city'prenticeof fivepounds
at a shillingordinary in Shire Lane. The morals and
manners of the country,generally,at thatperiod,are not,
however,to be estimatedby thoseof the court and theso-
called"fashionableworld." A numerous and influential
class remained uncontaminated by their example; andlabouredzealouslyto stem the torrentofvicewhich,issuing
from the court, threatenedto deluge the whole country.
Though " the saints"no longerenjoyedthe fatnessof the
land, they stillexercisedgreat influenceover the minds
of the middle classes,and fosteredin them a deep re-ligiousfeeling,and a strictobservance of decency,which
were in directoppositionto the principlesand practice
of the sovereignand hiscourt. At no period of our his-tory,
do the profligacyof one class and th piety of
another appear in more strikingcontrast. On looking
closer,however,itwould seem thatthiseffectis,in a greatdegree,produced by the approximation of the extremes of
each," of sinnerswho paintedthemselvesblackerthan they
reallywere, and ofsaintswho heightenedtheirhghts and
exaltedtheirpurity,while they were in truth but as"
a
whitened wall." A slightglance at the literatureof the
time of CharlesII,willshow that mankind do not become
worse as the world grows older: the depravitywhich existedin his reign, is generallydwelt on by historiansand
moralists,though but few take the trouble of informing
theirreadersthat correctivesforit,in the shape of goodbooks,were at no periodmore abundant. For a pictureof
the manners ofthe time, we are referredto licentiousplays
and obscenepoems, as if they formed the stapleliterature
of the day," as if allmen frequented the playhouse and
read Rochester,but never went to church or conventicle,nor readthenumerous moral and religiousworks which then
issued from the press. In the time of Charles II, the
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 145
representationof plays was almost exclusivelyconfinedto
London ; and itmay be questionedifeven one"ofthe licen-tious
comedies ofthe periodwas representedon a provincial
stage. The obscenebooks which were writtenin hisreignforthe entertainmentof the fashionableworld have simkintodisrepute,and are only to be fonnd in the hbrariesof
collectorsof what are termed '* Facetiae;*' while thoseofhigherpurpose are in constant demand, and are known to
milhons. More ^;opiesof Bunyan's 'Pilgrim'sProgress'
havebeen soldthai!ofallthebad books thatever were wTitten
throughthe encouragement of Charles II and his courtiers.
But to come from thisdigressionto the game we have in
hand. Barrington, who is singularlyunfortunate in his
speculationsabout cards,and who seems to have been prone
to draw generalconclusionsfrom specialpremises,says,
that " Ombre was probably introducedby Catherineof
Portugal,the queen of CharlesII,as Waller hath a poem' On a card torn at Ombre by the Queen/
" The game,
however, was introducedbefore the arrivalof the queen ;
fora work entitledthe' Royal game of Ombre' was pub-
Ushed at London in 1060,^ and Catherinedid not arriveat
Portsmouth till14th May, 1662. Charles,on hearing of
thequeen'sarrival,seems to have intrusteda rightreverend
prelatewith a delicatecommission : hismajesty,accordingto
Aurehan Cook, Gent., "having sent the Bishop of London
thitherbefore him to consummate the sacred rightsof
marriage,which was to be done in private."
' Though thispamphlet doesnot treatofthe game, but iswhollypolitical,it
camiot be doubted thatOmbre was well known in England at the time of its
publication.* TitusBritannicus: An Essay of HistoryRoyal,in theLifeand
Reign ofhis
lateSacred Majesty,Charles II, of ever blessedand immortal memory. By
AurelianCook, Gent. p. 296. Edit.1G85. Aurelian isloud in his praisesof
hisTitus forhispietyand religion.Accordingto his account, itwould seem
tliatin theserespectsthe "Martyr Charles"was notliingto "Old Rowley."
10
146 PLATING CARDS.
From the followingpassage in Pcpys'sDiary, under the
date 17th Feb. 1667, itwould appear thather majestywas
accustomed to play at cards on a Sunday," a crime of the
greatestmagnitude in the eyes of certainpersons,whoinsistthatthe ChristianSunday shouldbe observedlikea
Jewish Sabbath,and who yethave no objectionto roastpig.^" This evening,"saysMr. Pepys, "
going to the Queene's
sideto see the ladies,I did findethe Qucene, the Duchesse
ofYork, and another or two, at cards,with the room full
ofladiesand greatmen ; which I was amazed at to see on
a Sunday, having not believedit,but, contrarily,flatly
denied the same a littlewhile since to my coscn Roger
Pepys." The Duchess of York here mentioned, was Amie
Hyde, firstwifeofJames, Duke ofYork,afterwardsJames II.
Her daughter,Mary, afterwardsQueen of England, used
alsoto play at cards on a Sunday, as we learn from the
followingpassage in the diary of her spiritualdirector.
Dr. Edward Lake, printedin the Camden Miscellany,vol.i,
1847: "Jan. 9. 1677-8. I was very sorryto understand
thatthe Princessof Orange, since her being in Holland,
did sometimes playat cardsupon theSundays, which woulddoubtlessgive offenceto that people. I remember that
about two yearssincebeing with herhighnessinherclosett,
shee requiredmy opinionof it. I toldher I could,not say'twas a sinto do so, but 'twas not expedient; and, forfear
of givingoffence,I advisedher highness not to do it,nor
did shee play upon Sundays while shee continued here in
England." Card-playingon Sundays would appear to have
been equallycommon with the selectcirclewho had the
honour ofpartakingofhismajesty'samusements. Evelyn,
' In Heath'sClironiclcs,a rightloyalpublication,itissaidthatDr. Dorislaus,
" the Parliamentaryenvoy, who was assassinatedat the Hague in ^lay,1C49,"
was accustomedto playat cardson Sundays at SirHenry Mildmay's,inEssex.
" The Democracy, or pretendedfreeState,being the 2d partof the BriefChro-nicle
of tliclateintestineWar, p. 435. Edit.1G62.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 147
in hisMemoirs, writingon 6th Feb. 1685, the day whenJames II was proclaimed,says,
" I never can forgettheinexpressibleluxury and profaneness,gaming and alldis-soluteness,
and as it were totalforgetfulnessof God (itbeing Sunday evening),which thisday se nnight I was
witnessof,theking sittingand toyingwithhisconcubines,Portsmouth, Cleaveland,and Mazarine,"c., a French boy
singing love songs in that gloriousgallery,whilstabouttwenty of the great courtiersand other dissolutepersonswere at Basset*round a largetable; a bank ofat least"2000
in gold beforethem, upon which two gentlemen who were
with me made reflexionswith astonishment.Sixdays after,
allwas in the dust!"
In the sixteenthyear of the reign of CharlesII an act
was passed which might justlybe entitled"An Act to
legaliseGaming ; to preventwealthyPigeonsbeingpluckedby artfulRooks, and to discourageBetting or Playingfor
largeSums upon Tick." An act of the same kind,passedin the reign of Queen Anne, was repealedin 1844, in
consequence of itspenaltiesbeing likelyto fallheavy on
some eminent sportingcharacteriwho had been so indis-creet
as to receivesundry large sums in payment of bets
lostto them upon credit. Itsenactment and itsrepealai*e
significantindicationsof the stateof the sportingworld at
the two respectiveperiods. It seems to have been framed
* Bassetwould seem to have been a common game at the court of France
aboutthe same period." The King (LouisXIV) no\y seldom or never plays,
but contents himself sometimes with looking on ; but formerlyhe hath been
engaged,and has lost great sums. Mons. S. rookt him of near a millionoflivresat Basset by putting falsecards upon him, but was imprisonedandbanishedfor it some years."" Dr. Martin Lister,Journey to Parisin the year
1C98. Li 1091, Louis XIV issuedan ordonnance prohibitingFaro, Basset,
and othersimilargames. Whoever shouldbe convictedof playingat any of
those games was ta be fineda thousand livres; and the person who allowedthem to be playedin hishouseincurreda penaltyofsixthousandlivres.
Basset
and Flush" ilFrusso" appear to have been known in Italyin the fifteenthcen-tury.
They arc mentionedby Lorenzo dc Medici in liisCantiCarnascialeschi,
quoted by Singer,Bescarches,p. 26.
148 PLAYING CARDS.
on a presumptionthat,in gaming, noble and wealthy
sportsmenwould be most likelyto lose; and to have been
repealedbecause certainnobleand wealthysportsmenhad
won, and receivedtheirbets. The partiesin whose favour
theact was repealed,were saidto have been liableto penal-tiesto the amount of"500,000 : the law did not anticipate
that lordsand squireswoidd be winners,nor intendthat
needy prosecutorsshouldbe enrichedat theirexpense. The
preambleand some oftheprovisionsofthe act of CharlesII
are heregiven as" Curiositiesof Gambling Legislation."
" Whereas alllawfulGames and Exercisesshould not be
otherwiseused than as innocentand moderate recreations,
aridnot as constant tradesor callings,to gain a living,or
make unlawful advantage thereby; and whereas by the
immoderate use ofthem many mischiefsand inconveniences
do arise,and are daylyfound to the maintaining and en-couraging
of sundry idle,loose,and disorderlypersons in
theirdishonest,lewd, and dissolutecourse of life,and to
the circumventing,deceiving,cousening,and debauching
ofmany oftheyounger sort,both ofthenobilityand gentry,
and others,to the lossof theirprecioustime,and the utter
ruinof theirestates and fortunes,and withdrawing them
from nobleand laudableemployments and exercises." Be itthereforeenacted,thatif any person or persons,
of any degree or quaUty whatsoever,shallby any fraud,
cousenage,circumvention,deceit,"c. in playing at Cards,
Dice,Tables,Tennis,Bowls, Kittles,Shovel-board,or in or
by Cock-fightings,Horse-races,Dog-matches, or Foot-races
"c. or by bettingon the sidesor hands of such as play,win,
obtain,or acquireany sum or sums ofmoney or any other
valuablething; that then every person so offendingshallipsofactoforfeittreblethe sum or valueof money, or other
thing,so won, gained,or acquired.*' And forthe betteravoidingand preventingof allex-cessive
and immoderate playingand gaming forthe time to
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLAYING. 149
come, be itfurtherenacted,thatifany personshallplayat
any of the said games, or any other pastime whatsoever
(otherwisethan with and forreadymoney),or shallbet on
the sidesof such as play,and shallloseany sum of money
or other thing played for,exceedingthe sum of one hundred
pounds, at one time or meeting,upon ticketor credit,or
otherwise,and shallnot pay down the same at the time
when he shallso losethe same, the partywho loseththe
saidmoneys, or other thingsso playedfor,above the said
sum of one hundredpounds, shallnot, inthatcase, be bound
or compelled to pay or make good the same ; and that all
Contracts,Judgments, Statutes,Recognizances,Mortgages,
"c. made, given,acknowledged,or enteredforsecurityand
payment of the same shallbe utterlyvoidand ofnone effect.
And, lastly,it is enacted,that the person, or persons,so
winning the saidmoneys, or otherthings,shallforfeitand
losetreblethe value of allsuch sum and sums of money, or
otherthing which he shallso win (abovethe said sum of
one hundred pounds),the one moiety to the King, and the
otherto the Prosecutor/' The passionfor gaming at that
period,and its consequences to wealthy flats,are thus
describedby Dryden :
" What age so largea crop ofvicesbore,
Or when was avariceextendedmore P
When were the dicewith more profusionthrown ?
Tliewell-filledfob not emptied now alone.
But gamesters forwhole patrimoniesplay:
The stewardbringsthedeedswhich must convey
The lostestate. What more than madness reigns,
When one shortsittingmany hundredsdrains,
And not enough islefthim to supply
Board wages, or a footman'slivery?"
During the reign of Charles II, the businessof card-
making greatlyincreasedinEngland : and thegame appears
to have been so generallyunderstood as to induce many
ingeniouspersons to employ cards not only as a means of
diffusingusefuland entertainingknowledge,but alsoof
150 PLATING CARDS.
advertisingtheirwares. The same mode of instructionwas adopted about the same period in France; but in
England it appears to have embraced a wider range of
subjects; in France,scientificcards appear to have been
devisedfortheexclusiveuse ofthe nobilityand gentry,andto have been confinedto theirinstructionintheconundrums
of heraldryand the elements of historyand geography;i
while in England they were "adapted to the meanest
capacity;'* and in additionto the uses forwhich they were
employed in France,were made subservientto thepurposes
ofcommunicating knowledge in grammar, history,politics,
morality,mathematics,and the art ofcarving.A Mons. De Brainvilleinventedat Lyons, about 16G0, a.
pack of Heraldiccards,in which the Aces and Knaves, "les
As et Valets," were representedby the arms of certain
princesand nobles. Now as thiswas evidentlya breach
of etiquetteand a derogationof heraldicnobility" Mons.
De Brainville,likeMr. Anstis,does not seem to have rightly
understood hisown" foolishbusiness"^" the plateswere
seizedby the magistrates. As it appeared,however, that
he had given offencethrough pure inadvertence,and not
with any satiricalintention,the plateswere restoredto him
' The followingisthetitleof a pack ofgeographicalcards,now lyingbefore
me, which appear to liavebeen engravedin the reign of CharlesII." The
52 CountiesofEngland and Wales, geographicallydescribedin a pack ofCards,
whcrcunto isadded the length,breadth,and circuitof each county,the latitude,
scituation,and distancefrom Loudon of the principalCities,Towns, and llivcrs,
with other Remarks ; as plaineand ready for the playing of allour English
Games as any of the common Cards." The heads of the Kings are shown at
the top of the maps of Hereford, Monmouth, Middlesex, and Yorkshire;of
the Queens at the top of the maps of Durham, Huntingdon, Radnor, andWoreestersliire; and of the Knaves at the top of the maps of Anglesey,Glou-cester,
Leicester,and Rutland. If the deviserhad any particularmeaningin
his assignment of the coat cards,it is not easy to be discoveredj though it
may be "shrewdly guessedat" as respectsMonmouth and York.* Lord Chesterfieldisreportedto have saidto Anstis on one occasion,when
thelatterwas talkingto him aboutheraldry," You sillyman, you do not under-
standyour own foolishbushicss."
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 151
on conditionof hisalteringthe odious names of" As" and
"Valets" into Princes and Chevaliers. In 1678 Antome
Bulifon carriedthe same kind of cards to Naples,whereDon AnnibalAquaviva establisheda societyto playat Blazon,
under the name of" Armeristi,"with the map of Europe
fora device,and the motto," Pulchra sub imagine Ludi."^
About the same time thatHeraldiccardswere introduced
intoNaples, a pack of the same kind as theseofMons. De
Brainvillewere engraved in England. In these cards,
specimens of which are given in the annexed plate,the
honours of the severalsuitsare thus represented. Each of
the cards representinga Knave, is marked P, for Prince;
and a stamp appearson the Ace of Spades.
Clubs. "
King, by the arms of thePope.
Queen"
King of Naples.
PuiNCE (Knave) Duke of Savoy.
Ace"
Republicsof Venice,Genoa, and Lucca.
Spades.
King"
King of France. [andDuke ofOrleans.
Queen"
Sons of France, the Dauphin, Duke of Anjou,[andAienpon.
Prince"
Princesofthe Blood" Bourbon,Berry,Vcndome,
Ace"
EcclesiasticalPeers" Rheims, Langrcs,and Laon.
Diamonds.
King"
King of Spain.
Queen "Kmg of Portugal.
Peince"
Castileand Leon.
Ace"
Arragon.
Hearts.
King"
King of England.
Queen"
Emperor of Germany.
Prince"
Bohemia and Hungary.
Ace"
Poland.
In the annexed specimens,which are of the same sizeas
the originals,thehonours representedare theKing ofClubs,
' Menestrier,Bibliothequecurieuseet instructive,tom. ii,p. 180.
152 PLAYING CARDS.
the Queen ofHearts,the King of Diamonds, and the Ace
of Spades. The arms of the Pope, representingthe King
of Clubs,arc those ofClement IX, who was elected20th
June, 1G67, and died 9th December, 1669.
In another pack of Heraldic cards,relatingentirelyto
England, probably engraved about the same period,the
armorialensigns of the King and the nobilitywere thus
distributedamongst the Tetes and Pips} The King andQueen of Hearts were respectivelyrepresentedby the arras
of England and of the Duke of York ; of Diamonds, by the
arms of Ireland,and of Prince Rupert ; of Spades, by the
arms ofFrance, and of the Archbishops of Canterbury andYork ; and of Clubs, by the arms of Scotland,and of the
Dukes of Norfolk,Somerset, and Buckingham. In this
pack therewere no Knaves. The arms of the Earlswere
distributedamongst the sevens, eights,nines,and tens ; the
Viscountsfurnishedthe sixes;the Bishops were quarteredon the fives; and the Barons' coats armorial clothedthe
nakedness of the lower orders,from thefoursto the aces, "
the aces in the Heraldic game being low. From a kind
of title-page,or perhaps wrapper, preservedin Bagford's
collection,in the BritishMuseum, itwould appear thatthe
publicationof those cards was licensedby the Duke ofNorfolk,as Earl Marshal of England, and as such entitledto take cognizanceof allmatters relatingto heraldry.
In playing the game armorialwith Heraldic cards,the
players were required to properly describe the various
colours and charges of the differentshields;but as this
could not be done without some previous knowledge ofthe
scienceof heraldry,a Mons. Gauthier was led to devise,
about 1686, a new pack of Heraldic cards,simply explain-ingthe terms ofblazon,and thus servingas an introduction
" By card-makersthe coat cards" Kiug, Queen, and Knave" are teelinically
termed teies,and the otherspips.
The Pope
T^keCMPiROUHI
CastiileHLeon
WMS^\W^
"cleslasticks
DukesandPcirs
i
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 153
to the grand game.^ The Heraldicgame, however, never
was popular; and does not even appear to have been in
much esteem with the higher orders,forwhose instruction
and entertainmentitwas speciallydevised. Itwould seem
to have declinedin France with the gloryof Louis XIV,
and not to have survivedthe Revolutionin England.
About 1679, therewas publisheda pack of cards,con-taining,
accordingto the advertisement,** An Historyofall
thePopish Plotsthathave been in England,beginningwiththosein Queen Elizabeth'stime,and ending with thelast
damnable plotagainsthis MajestyCharles II, with the
manner of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey'smurder, "c. All
excellentlyengraved on copper-plates,with very large
descriptionsunder each card. The Hke not extant. Sold
by Randal Taylor,near StationersHall,and by most book-sellers,
priceOne Shillingeach pack." In a"
pufFcollu-sive,''^formhig a kind of postscriptto thisannouncement,
approbationofthesecardsisthus indirectlymade a testof
staunchProtestantism." Some personswho care not what
theysay,and to whom lyingisas necessaryas eating,have
endeavoured to asperse thispack by a mahtious Ubel,
intimatingthatit did not answer what isproposed. The
contraryis evident. Aspersers of thispack plainlyshow
themselvespopishlyaffected."^Such a pack ofcardsas thatannounced in the advertise-ment
referredto"
"
containingan historyofallthe popish
plotsthathave been in England, beginningwith thosein
* " Jeu d'Armoires,ou tous lestermes du Blazonsontexpliqudset rangdspar^
ordre. Dedid a Monseigneur le Due de Bourgogne. Se vend a Paris,cbez
Vallct,dcssinateuret graveur du Roy." The privilegeto the author,Sieur
Gauthicr,isdated15th December,1C8G.* "The PUFF COLLUSIVE isthe newest of any; foritaetsinthedisguiseof
determinedhostility.It is mucli used by bold bookspllersand enterprising
poets."" The Critic,act i. The "puff collusive"was not.an inventionof
Sheridan'stime,but merelytherevivalof an oldtrick.* Tiicadvertisementof thosecardsispreservedamongst Bagford'scollections,
HarleianMSS. No. 5947.
154 PLAYING CARDS."
Queen Elizabeth'stime"" I have never seen ; and fromthe
objectionwhich was made to it at the time,namely,that" itdid not answer what was proposed,"I am inclinedto
think that it was the same pack as that which relates
entii'clyto the pretended Popish plot of 1678, and the
murder of SirEdmundbury Godfrey.'
A pack ofthelatter
now beforeme appearsto have been pubHshed about 1680,
and certainlysubsequentto the 18th of July,1679; as on
the Four of Clubs is representedthe trialof SirGeorge
Wakeman and three Benedictinemonks, who on thatday
were arraignedat the Old Baileyon an indictmentof high
treasonfor conspiringto poison the king. The complete
pack consistsof fifty-twocards; and each containsa sub-ject,neatlyengraved,eitherrelatingto the plot or the
trialand punishment of the conspirators,with a briefex-planation
at the foot. At the top are the marks of the
suit;and the value of the low cards,from one to ten,
is expressed in Roman numerals. The suits of Hearts,
Diamonds, and Clubs consistchieflyof illustrationsofihc pretendedplot,as detailedin the evidenceof Titus
Dates and Captain Bedloe; whilethe suitof Clubs relates
entirelyto the murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey. An
ideaof thewhole pack may be formed from the following
descriptionof a few of the cardsof each suit. Hearts :
King : the King and privycouncillorsseatedat the council-
table; TitusGates standingbeforethem : inscriptionat the
foot,**Dr. Oatesdiscovereth / Plot to f King and Coun-
cell! The Eight:" Coleman writeinga declarationand
lettersto la Chess,''" Pere laChaise. The Ace : the Pope
with threecardinalsand a bishop at a table,and the devil
underneath:" The Plotfirsthatcht at Borne hy thePope
and Cardinalls,Sfd' Diamonds:. Knave: '' Pickerinat-tempts
to Mil / K. in S' James Park." The Four:" IFIdtehreadmade ProvintialC The Ace :
'* The consult
at thewhitehorseTaverneJ\Clubs : King :" Cap*Bedlow
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 155
examind by f secretComiteeofthe Home ofCommons ^The Nine :
" Father Comyers preaching againstjf oathes
ofalegiance8f supremacyy The Six :" Cap^ Berry and
Alderman Brooks are offerd 500" to cast theplot on the
Protestants'' Spades : Queen :*' The Club at ifBlow
Ale housefor the nfurtherofS. E. B. Godfree."TheNine :
" S''B. B. Godfreestrangled,Girald going to stabhimr The Five :
" The body ofS' K B, G, carryd to
Frimrose hillon a horseJ*
Another pack of historicalcards,apparentlypublishedin
the same reign,but of inferiorexecutionto the former,
appears to have relatedto the Rye-house plot. As these
cardsare of even greaterraritythan those relatingto the
Popishplot,the followingdescriptionof fourof them " allthat I have ever seen " is here given as a stimulusto col-lectors.
Queen of Hearts :" Tliompson one of if con-
spiratorstaken at Hammersmith.''* Knave of Diamonds:'' Rumhold the malstcr;' on a labelproceedingfrom his
mouth isthe inscription," They shalldye'* Ace of Clubs:
''Keelingtroubledin mind:** on a labelproceedingfrom
his mouth," King killingis damnable.** Ace of Spades :
'* Ho7ie taken prisoner at Cambridge!* Shortlyafterthe
Revolutionof IG88, one or two packs of cards appeared
with subjectsrelatingto the misgovernmcnt of James II,
and the birthofhis son thePrinceofWales. In the reign
ofcither.CharlesII or James II was publisheda pack of
mathematical cards, by Thomas Tuttell,"mathematical
instrument-maker to the King's most excellentMajesty.'*Those cards were designed by Boitard,and engraved by
J. Savage; they representvariouskinds of mathematical^
instruments,together with the trades and professionsin
which they are used. They were evidently"
got up" as an
advertisement. A few years afterwards,Moxon, also a
mathematicalinstrument-maker,followedsuit.
*' Itwould be difficult,'*saysMons. Leber, " to name an
156 PLAYING CARDS.
elementarybook of scienceor art,which had not a pack of
cardsas an auxiliary.Grammar, Rhetoric,Fable,Geography,
History,Heraldry,the principlesof Morals and Politics,"
allthesethings,and many othersbesides,were to be learnt
through the medium of play. The game of cards had
servedforthe amusement of a royal lunatic; and similar
games were comprehended in the plan forthe educationofone of our greatestkings.
^" Though France had a large
sharein the disseminationof such treasures of knowledge,
England showed herselfnot lessdiligentin working the
same mine ; if to us she owes the game of Piquet,it is
from her own proper resources thatshe has endowed the
culinaryart with a game of a differentkind, yet highly
interestingconsideredinitsrelationto the play of thejaws,the most ancientand highlyesteemed of allplay. It was
in December, 1C92, thattheLondon papersfirstannounced
to the worldthe inventionofthe game of Carving at Table.
Tliispreciousannouncement is conceive^din the following
terms: 'The Genteel Housekeeper's Pastime; or the
mode of Carving at the table,representedin a pack ofPlayingCards,with a book by which any ordinarycapacity
may learnhow to cut up, or carve in mode, allthe most
" "Principallygames ofgeography,history,and metamorphoses,engravedby
DeliaBella,from plansfurnishedby thepoet Desmarets,tofaeilitatethestudies
ofLouis XIV when a child. Tlieideaissaidto have been suggestedby Car-dinal
]\Iazarine.""
^Apack of militarycards,Avithinstructionsfor playingthe
game, devisedby the SicurDes Martins,and dedicatedto " Son AltesseleDue
de Maine, Colonel-gcn6raldes Suisscs,"appeared in 1676. His Highness the
Colonel-general,who was the son of Louis XIV and Madame Montespan, was
then sixyearsold.By the favourof P. IX.Atkinson,Esq., of Manchester, an assiduousand
intelligentcollectorofcuriousbooks,I have had an opportunityof examiningtwo setsofFrench HistoricCards,without date,but probablypublishedabout1G90. One ofthem is entitled
" Cartes des Rois de Prance. A Paris,chezP. Le Comte, rue St.Jaqucs,an Chifrcdu Roi." The titleof the otheris," Jeu des Rcyncs Renommces. A Paris,chez Henri leGras,Librairie,au 3*
pilierde lagrande Salledu Palais." Both setsappearedto have been designed
exclusivelyforthepurpose ofinstruction,and not forplay.
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLAYCNG. 157
usualdishesof flesh,fish,fowl, and baked meats, withthe
severalsawces and garnishes proper to each dish of meat.
Price 1^. 6d, Sold by J. Moxon, Warwick Lane/ "^ In
thosecards the suitof Hearts is occupied by flesh; Dia-monds
by fowl; Clubs by fish; and Spades by baked
meats. The King of Hearts presidesover a sirloinof beef;
of Diamonds over a turkey ; ofClubs over a pickledherring;
and of Spades over a venison pasty. A red stamp on the
Ace of Spades belonging to a pack which I have had an
opportunityof examining,containsthe words" Six pence."
Ifthiswas the duty on each pack,it was certainlygreatforthe period.
In the reign of Queen Anne and thatof George I,several
packs of satiricaland fancifulcardswere published. A pack
of the latterdescription,now in the possessionof Thomas
Heywood, Esq., of Pendleton, near Manchester, relates
entirelyto thesubjectof love. Each cardisneatlyengraved
on copper ; and, from the stamp on the Ace of Spades,it
appearsevidentthat they were manufactured and soldfor
the purposes of play. The subjectof thiscard is a Cupid
plucking a rose, with the inscription" In loveno pleasure
without pain/'and the followingverses at the foot:
"As when wo reachto crop y' blooming rose
From offitsby*r,y" thornswillinterpose;
So when we strivethe beauteousnym})h to gain,
Y" pleasureswe pursue arc mixed with pain."
" About the same periodMoxon, "glancingfrom heaven to earth,from earth
to heaven," published a pack of Astronomical Cards. In the lifeof Beau
Hewitt, in Lucas's Memoirs of the Lives,Litrigues,and Comical Adventures
of the most Famous Gamesters and Celebrated Sharpers in the reigns of
CharlesH, James n, WiUiam III,and Queen Anne, 1714, the Beau isrepre-sented
as having "most assiduouslystudiedthe use of the geometricalplaying-
cards,set forth by Monsieur Des Cartes,the famous French philosopherand
mathematician; but that findingthe demonstrationsof thatgreat man to be
founded on no certainty,he resolvedto try his luck at dice." It is saidthat
"
Pascal'sattentionwas firstdirectedto the calculationof chances inconsequence
of some questionsproposed to him by the Chevalierde Mere, a greatgamester.
158 PLATING CARDS.
Allthe othercardshave,inthe same manner, explanatory
verses at the foot. The mark of the suit is placedat the
top,to the left,and above it is engraved the valueof the
card,in Roman numerals. In the coat cards,the name of
each," King, Queen, or Knave " is engraved above the
mark of the suit. This pack has been in the possessionofMr. licywood'sfamilyforupwards of a century.
A pack of satiricalcards,belonging to W. H. Diamond,
Esq.,Frithstreet,Soho square,appear to have been executed
about the same time. Each subjecthas an explanatory
coupletat the bottom, and the value of each in the gameisindicatedby a smallcard engraved at the top,to the left.
As in the other pack, thereis a red stamp on the Ace ofSpades. All the subjectsare coarselyengraved, though
some of them displaypointsof charactervery much in the
style of Hogarth. In the Tln-ee of Spades there is a
billiard-table,atwhich a gentleman isplayingwith a curvedcue. The inscriptionis:
" Think not a losinggamester willbe fair,^
Who at y" bestne*re playdupon the square."
In the Ten of Spades,a Moorfieldsquack is seen pointingto hissign,with the inscription:
"To famed MoorfieldsI daylydo repair;Killworms, cure itch,and make y" ladiesfair.*'
In the Ace ofDiamonds, a ladyisseen showing her palmto a fortune-teller,with the inscription:
V "How can yon hope thisGipscydrabbshouldknow
The Fates decrees,and who was made foryou."
In the Four of Diamonds, a lady is seen exchanging some
of her clothesfor china ware, with an itinerantdealer.
The inscriptionis:
" Your pockets,madam, surelyare wondrous bare.
To sellyour very clothesforchina ware."
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 159
In the Ten of Diamonds, the interiorof a shop isshown,
with articlesofplateon the shelves. A woman isstandingbehind the counter, on which are a box and dice,and in
frontare a ladyand gentleman who seem to havejustthrown.The inscriptionis:
"At Epsom oftthese raflflingsI have seen.
But assignation'swhat they chieflyeacan."
In England, books containinginstructionsforplayingat
cards appear to have been firstpublished in the reignofCharlesII,to the great benefit,most assuredly,of alladepts
who had acquiredtheirknowledge by practice; forin card-
playing,as well as in chemistry,the experiencedmanipu-latorshave a greatadvantage over the merely book-learned
when matters are brought to the test. The realscienceof
playisnot to be acquired by the study of books,but by
frequent encounters across the table,with men, whose
keenness ensures attentionto the rules of the game. But,
even with the knowledge thus acquired,the proficientwill
gain but little,unlesshe alsobe skilledinthediscrimination
of flatsand sharps.In 1670, an editionof a book entitled
' Wits Interpreter,'
was enlargedwith directionsforplayingthe" Courtly Games
of L'Hombre, Piquit,Gleek, and Cribbage;" and in 1674
appeared Cotton's " Compleat Gamester ; or, Instructions
how to play at all manner of usual and most Gentile
games, eitheron Cards, Dice, Billiards,Trucks, Bowls, or
Chess." This book was severaltimesreprinted; and in an
editionpublishedin 1709, the followingare enumerated as
the principalgames at cards: Piquet; Glcek; L'Ombre, a
Spanish game ; Cribbage ; All-Pours; EngUsh Ruff and
Honours, aliasSlam ; Whist ; French Ruff; Kve Cards ; a
game calledCostly Colours; Bone-Ace; Put, and the High
Game ; Wit and Reason, a game so called; a Pastime called
the Art of Memory ; a game calledPlain-Dealing;a game
160 PLATING CARDS.
calledQueen Nazareen;Lanterloo;a game calledPenneecli;
Bankafalet; Beast ;* and Basset.^
The game of Whist, or Whisk, as it seems to have been
usuallycalled,isunquestionablyofEnglish origin,and ap-pears
tohave been popularlongbeforeitbecame fashionable.
"Let Indiavaunt her children'svast address,
Who firstcontrivedthe warlikesport of Chess ;
Let nicePiquettethe boast of France remain.
And studiousOmbre be the prideofSpain ;
Invention'spraiseshallEngland yieldto none,
While she can calldelightfulWhist her own.
But to what name we thisdistinctionowe,
Is not so easy forus now to know :
The Britishannalsallare silenthere.
Nor deign one friendlyhint our doubts to clear:
Ev'n Hume himself,whose philosophicmind
Could not but lovea pastime so refin'd:
UngratefulHume, who, tillhisdying day.
Continuedstillhisfav'ritegame to play;'
Tho* many a curiousfacthispage supplies.
To thisimportantpointa placedenies."*
Barrington'sobservationson theintroductionofthe gameinto respectablecompany, are as follows: " Quadrille(a
speciesof Ombre)obtained a vogue upon the disuseofthe
latter,which itmaintainedtillWhisk was introduced,whichnow [1787]prevailsnot only in England, but in most of
" In the text.Beast issaidto be calledby the French " La Bett" [LaBete],* The followingappear to have been the principalgames at cards playedin
England beforethe reign of Charles11 : the game of Trumps, in the time ofEdward VI ; Prunero, Maw, Lodam, Noddy, La Volta, and Bankerout,men-tioned
by SirJohn Harrington ; and Glcek, Crimp, Mount-Saint, Knave out ofDoors, Post and Pair, and RuiF, mentioned in Dodsley's Collectionof Old
Plays." See Barringtonand Bowie on Card-playing,intheArchxologia,vol.viii.* " Upon hisreturn to Edinburgh,though he found himselfweaker, yet liis
cheerfulnessnever abated; and he continued to diverthimself,as usual,with
correctingliisown works fora new edition,with readingbooks of amusement,
with the conversationof hisfriends;and sometimes,intheevening,witha party
at hisfavoritegame of whist."-"Dr. Adam Smith,Letter to Wm. Strahan.* Whist, a poem in twelve Cantos. By Alexander Thomson, Esq.,p. 21.
Second Edition,1792.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 161
the civilizedparts of Europe.* If it may not possiblybe
supposed that the game of Trumps (whichI have before
taken noticeof,as alluded to in one of the old playscon-tainedin Dodsley'sCollection)isWhisk, I ratherconceive
that the firstmention of thatgame is to be found in
Farquhar's ' Beaux Stratagem,*which was written in the
very beginning of the presentcentury.^ It was then played
with what were calledSwahhers which were possiblyso
termed, because they who had certaincards in theirhand
were entitledto take up a shareof the stake,independent
ofthe generalevent ofthe game. 'The fortunate,therefore,
clearingthe board of this extraordinarystake,might be
compared by seamen to the Swabbers (orcleanersof the
deck),in which sense the term is stillused. Be thisas it
may. Whisk seems never to have been played on principles
tillabout fiftyyearsago, when itwas much studiedby a set
of gentlemen who frequented the Crown coffee-housein
Bedford row : before that time it was confinedchieflyto
the servants'hallwith All-Foursand Put."
' Mr. Barrington seems to have obtained his informationrespecting the
successionof Whist to Quadrillefrom an authoritywhom he did not liketo
acknowledge, namely, Sir CalculationPuzzle, in the Humours of Whist.
"Egad, you remind me, Sir John, of an observationI have made too; which
is,that as long as Quadrilleand Ombre were the games in vogue, we certainly
were under French influence.Whereas sinceWhist has come in fashion,you
see our politicsare improved upon us."" The Humours of Whist. A Dra-matic
Satire,as acted every day at White's, and other Coffee-housesand
Assemblies. 8vo, 1743.' From the followingpassage in the 'Beaux Stratagem,*act ii,scene 1,
T^Tiiskismentioned by Mrs. Sullen in a disparagingmanner, as ifitwere fit
only for rustics:
Dorinda. You sharein allthe pleasuresthatthe country affords.
Mrs. Sullen. Country pleasures! racks and torments ! Dost think,child,
thatmy limbsare made for leapingof ditches,and clamberingover styles?or
thatmy parents,wiselyforeseeingmy futurehappinessincountrypleasures,had
earlyinstructedme inthe ruralaccomplishmentsofdrinkingfatale,playingat
whisk,and smoking tobacco v/ithmy husband ?"
" " * The clergymen used to play at Whisk and Swabbers*" ^vf'iii."
11
1G2 PLAYING CARDS.
From Mr. Barrington'sown referencesitwould appearto have been a favoritegame vrithcountry squiresabout
1707, the date of the Beaux Stratagem; and occasionally
indulgedin by clergymen about 1728, the date of Swift's
Essay on theFatesof Clergymen. Their example,however,
seems to have been unable to retrieveitfrom the character
ofvulgarity,untilit was seriouslytaken up by "a setof
gentlemen,"who appear to have commenced theirstudies
at the Crown coffee-house,in Bedford row, justabout thetimethattheTreatiseon Whist, by " Edmond Hoyle, Gent.,''
was firstpublishedby Thomas Osborne, at Gray'sInn.
The studiesof such gentlemen, and the celebrityof their
scientificinstructor,are thuscommemorated inthe prologueto the * Humours ofWhist,'a dramaticsatirequoted in the
precedingpage.
" Who willbelievethatman coulde*er existWho spent near halfan age in studying"Whist;
Grow grey with Calculation," Labour hard!"
As ifLife'sbusinesscentredin a cardP
That such thereis,letme to thoseappeal,Wlio with such liberalhands reward hiszeal.Lo 1 Whist liemakes a science; and our Peers
Deign to turn school-boysiiitheirriperyears;Kings too,and Vice-roys,proud to playthe game,Devour hislearnedpage in quest of Fame :
While lordlysharpersdupe away at White's,
And scarce leaveone poor cullforcommon bites."
Though Mr. Barringtonhas not assignedany groundsforsupposingthat Whist was the same game as thatwhich
was formerlycalledTrumps, or Trump, it is not unhkelythathe was induced to suggestthepossibilityoftheirbeing
the same from hishaving read,in* The Compleat Gamester,'
thatWhist differedbut littlefrom the game calledEnglish
Ruff and Honours, and in consequenceof hishaving learnt,
from Cotgrave'sDictionary,that RufF and Trump were
PROGRESS OY CARD-PLAYING. 163
the same.^ He says,in a note, that" In 1664, a book was
pubKshed, entitled' The CorapleatGamester,'which takes
no noticeof Whisk." Though it be true that " Whisk"
isnot named in the firsteditionof the book " printedin
1674, not 1664 "
^yetthe followingpassage,distinctlyassert-ing
thatWhist was then a common game in allparts ofEngland, appears in the second editionpublishedin 1680.
" Ruff and Honours (bysome calledSlam),and Whist,
are games so common in England, in allpartsthereof,that
everychildalmost, of eightyears,hath a competent know-ledge
in thatrecreation; and thereforeI am more unwillingto speak anything more of them than this,that theremaybe a greatdealof art used in dealingand playingat these
games, which differvery littleone from the other." In the
'Memoirs of the most Famous Gamesters,from the reign ofCharlesII,to thatof Queen Anne,' 1714, a sharpernamedJohnson, who was hanged in 1690, ismentioned as having
excelledin the art of securing honours for himself and
partnerwhen dealingat Whist ; and inthe works of Taylor
theWater-poet,printedin 1630, Whisk ismentioned among
the games at which the prodigalsquandershismoney :
" The prodigallsestateliketo a flux,
The Mercer, Draper,and the Silkman sucks:
The Taylor,Millainer,Dogs, Drabs, and Dice,
Trey-trip,or Passage, or the Most-at-thricc.
At Irish,Tick-tacke,Doublets,Drauglits,or Chesse,
lieflingshismoney freewitlicarclcssucsso:
At Novum, Mumchance, Mischance (chusoyo whicli),At Onc-and-thirty,or at Poor-and-rich,
RuiTc,SlamiTi-ump,Noddy, Whisk, Hole,Sant,New-cut.
Unto the keeping offourKnaves he'llput
Iliswhole estate; at Loadura or at Glceke,
At Tickle-mcquickly,he'sa merry Greek ;
" "Whist is a game not much differingfrom this"[EnglishRuff and Ho-nours]."
Compleat Gamester, p. 86. Edit.1709. "Triomphe, the card-game
calledRuffe, or Tinimp."" Cotgrave'sFrench and EnglishDictionary.Edit.
1611.
164 PLAYING CARDS.
At Primifisto,Post-andpayre,Primero,
Maw, Wliip-her-ginnv,he'sa liberalhero;'
At My-sow pigg'd: but (reader,never doubtye)lie'sskill'dinallgames, except Looke aboutye.Bowles, Shove-groat,Tennis,no game comes amiss.His purse a nurse foranybody is;
Carochcs,Coaches,and Tobacconists,
All sortsofpeoplefreelyfrom hisfiscs
His vaineexpensesdailysuckc and soake.And he himselfsuckcs only drinkeand smoake.And thus the Prodigall,himselfealone.Givessucke to thousands,and himselfsuekisnone.**'
In an editionof' The Compleat Gamester'of 1709, itis
saidthatthe game of Wliistis so calledfrom thesilencethatisto be observedin the play; and Dr. Johnson,from
the manner in which he explainsthe term, seems to have
favouredthisopinion:" Whist, a game at cards,requiring
closeattentionand silence." The name, however,appearsmore likelyto have been a corruptionof the olderone ofWhisk. As thegame of Whisk and Swabbers was nearlythe same as thatofthe stillolderone ofRuff and Honours,
itwould seem that the two former terms were merely the
ludicrous synonyms of the latter," introduced perhaps
about the time thatRufifswere going out of fashion,and
when the Honours representedby the coat cards were at a
discount. The factthat a game, so interestingin itself,
shouldbe so slighted,as it was, by the higherorders,from
the reignof CharlesII to thatof George II, would seem to
" Taylor'sMotto : Et habeo,et careo, et euro.
" The writerof an articleon Whist, in the Foreign QuarterlyReview, No.
48,discussingtheetymologyofthename, says:" The Irishinjunction,Whisht "
" be quiet,'may be thought to requireconsideration.It isthe exact form of
the word, barringonlythe pure * ; but thisisnot the Sibboleth,or touchstone,
here. At the utmost, the difficultyisbut a dialecticalvariety,elegantuscausa,
for the sake of elegance; justas shoup, for soup."" Nares, in hisGlossary,
tinderthe word Whist, an exclamationenjoiningsilence,says of the game,** That the name of Whist isderivedfrom this,isknown, I presume,to allwho
play,or do not play."
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLAYING. 165
intimatethatthey were well aware of theridiculeintended
to be conveyed by itspopularname of Whisk and Swabbers.
Looking at theconjunctionof theseterms, and considering
theirprimary meaning,^ there can scarcelybe a doubt that
the formerwas theoriginalof Whist, the name under which
the game subsequentlyobtainedan introductionto fashion-able
society,the Swabbers having been deposed and the
Honours restored.In playing the game. Swabbers seem to have signified
eitherthe Honours, or the points gained through holding
them. At the older game of Ruif and Honours, Ruff
signifiedthe Trump. Itwould appear thatwhen the Ruff
was called a Whisk, in ridiculeof the Ruff proper,the
Honours, or pointsgained through them were," in concate-nation
accordingly,designatedSwabbers." In the presentday, a Parisiantailorcalls,facetiously,the shirt-ruffleof a
shopmatc a damping clout; and PhilipStubbcs, in his* Anatomic of Abuses,' 1583, thus speaksof the ruffsofthe
gallantsof histime :** Thei have great and monsterous
ruffes,made eitherof cambricke, hoUand, lawne, or els
of some other the finestcloththat can be.got for money,
whereof some be a quarterof a yardedeepe,yea some more,
veryfew lesse: so thattheistande a fullquarterof a yarde
(andmore)from their necks,hanging over theirshoulder
pointsinsteadof a vaile. But ifiEolus with his blasts,or
Neptune with his stormes, chaunce to hit upon the crasie
barke of thek bruised ruffes,then they goeth flip-flapin
the winde, likeragges thatflew abroode, lying upon their
shoulderslikethe dishclouteof a slut."
In the reign of Queen Anne, card-playingseems to have
attaineditsfulltidein everypart of civihzedEurope. In
England, in particular,it was at once fashionableand
" A Whisk, a smallkind of besom : a swab or swabber,a kind of mop.
166 PLAYING CARDS.
popular; Ombre was the favoritegame of the ladies; andPiquet of the gentlemen,par excellence;clergymen and
countrysquiresrubbed on at Whist ; and the lower orders
shuffledaway at All-Fours,Put, Cribbage, and Lanterloo.
Subsequently some of the games may have been more
diligentlystudied,and the chances more nicelycalculated"
on principles,"but at no othertime,eitherbeforeor since,
was card-playingmore prevalent amongst people of all
classes.The more pious indeed did theirbest to discourage
the generalpassionfor play ; but their dissuasionsappear
to have produced but littleeffect; as indeed might be
expectedat a periodwhen one of the firststatesmen of the
time piqued himselfrather on his skillin gaming than on
hispoliticalreputation,and when kind landlords,of the
SirRoger dc Covcrlcyschool,used to send a stringofhog's
puddings and a pack of cards as a Christmas giftto every
poor familyin the parish.^ The characterof the statesman
alluded to" Lord Godolphin, who died 1712,^" is thus
sketchedby Pope in hisfirstMoral Epistle:
" Wlio would not praisePatricio*shigh desert.
His hand unstained,bisuncorruptcdheart,
His eomprehcnsivc head !allinterestsweighed.All Europe saved,yet Britainnot betrayedP
He thanks you not ; hisprideisin piquette,Newmarket fame,and judgementin a bet."
The followingparticularsrelatingto the manufactureof
cardsin the reign of Queen Anne, are derivedfrom a broad-side
entitled" Considerationsin relationto the Imposition
on Cards, humbly submitted to the Hon. House of
" "Whist; by an Amateur: itsHistory and Practice,"p. 28, 1843." A
beautifullittlebook,with appropriateillustrations,designedby Kenny Meadows,
and engraved on wood by Orrin Smith and W. J.Linton.* " Oldsworth upbraidedthe kte Earl of Godolpliinwith having a race-horse,
and the Earl of Sunderland with having a library,very Iionestlyinsinuatingthat
tlieformermade an iJluse of the one, and thelatterno use atidloftlieother.""The Censor censured; or Cato turned Cataline,a pamphlet,published
in 1722.
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLAYING. 167
Gommons." Itiswithout date,but was certainlyprintedin the reignof Queen Anne, for the purpose ofbeing cir-culated
among the members of the House of Commons on
the occasionof a proposalto lay a tax of sixpenceper packon cards.
" Nine partsin ten of the cardsnow made," itis
stated,"are soldfrom 6^.to 24^.per gross;and even these
at Gs.willby thisduty be subjectedto "3 12^. tax. This,
with submission, will destroy nine parts in ten of the
manufacture ; forthosecardswhich are now bought forSd.
[perpack]can't then be affordedunder lOd. or Is. Ifany
of your honours hope by thistax to suppressexpensivecard-
playing,itisenswered that the common sort who play for
innocent diversion will only be hindered; the sharp
gamesterswho playformoney willnot be discouraged; for
thosewho play formany pounds a game willnot be hin-dered
by 12"^.a pack." There were then 40,000 reams ofGenoa white paper annuallyimported,chieflyforthepurpose
of making cards. The businesswas in the hands of small
masters, mostly poor,of whom there were no lessthan a
hundred, in and about London. Their price to retailers,
one sort of cards with another, was tlu^eehdfpence a pack,
and their profitnot above a halfpenny. Though cards
were at that period much smallerthan they are at present,
itisdifficultto conceivehow they could be manufactured at
so low a price.
As Pope's descriptionof the game of Ombre in theRape
of the Lock has been so frequentlyreferredto by writersof
allkinds," whether treating,likeRichard Seymour, Esq.,
on Court Games, or, like Miss Mitford,on Coimtry Con-tentments,^
" the omission of a referenceto ithere might be
* "Mr.. Pope's beautifuldescriptionof the maimer of playingthisgame.""
Seymour's Court Gamester, 1722." "It isBelinda'sgame in the Rape of the
Lock, where every incidentin the whole deal isso described,thatwhen Ombre
is forgotten(anditisalmost so already)itmaybe revivedwith posterityfrom
that admirablepoem."" Barrington on the Antiquityof Card-playing.Pope's
168 PLAYING CARDS.
considereda grossoversight; but as itisimpossibleto go a
pitchbeyond the encomiums which have been bestowed on
it,the followingremarks by an old author may be intro-duced
as a variation:" Mr. Pope, too, most certainlyhas
hismerit ; yet the generalityof politemen heed him little
more than a pack-horseupon the road; they hear thejingleof hisbellsand pass on, without thinkingof the treasurehe
carries. I have frequentlythought it odd, that in allthe
good company I have kept,I never heard a linequoted from
any partof him, unless,now and then, an accidentalone,
from hisbeautifuland accurate descriptionof the game ofOmbre."^
During the greater portion of the " Georgian Era" it
would seem thatcards were as much played at by allclasses
as in thereignofQueen Anne. In the earlypartofGeorge I,
.Seymour published his * Court Gamester,' written, as the
title-pagestates,forthe use of the young Princesses.^ The
onlygames ofwhich Mr. Seymour treats arc Ombre, Piquet,
and the Royal Game of Chess. His instructionsforplaying
at Ombre and Piquet are minute and precise,and have all
the appearance of having been adapted for royalcapacities.At cards with princesses,he may have been a master, in
both senses of the word, and have played,in any company,
a" decent hand ;" but at Chess, it is evident,he was a
mere novice,""
aut caprimulgus,aut fossor." Though, in
the title-page,the work issaidto have been writtenforthe
use of the young princesses,yet,in the preface,the author
Grotto,and Hampton Court,excitein the mind of Miss Mitford "vividimages
of the fairBelindaand of the inimitablegame at Ombre." " Our Village,fourth
series.' SeriousReflectionson the dangerous tendency of the common practiceof
Card-playing;especiallythe game of All-Fours,as it hath been publickly
playedat Oxford inthispresent year of our Lord, 1754," The Princesseswere the daughtersof George Prince of Wales, afterwards
George II. One of them, Amelia, in her old maidenhood, was a regukr visitor
at Bath, seekinghealthat the pump, and amusement at the card-table.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 169
candidlyacknowledges that he had been inducedto compileitforthe fashionableworld at large,seeing that "
gaminghad become so much the fashionamong the beau-monde,
that he who in company should appear ignorant of the
games in vogue would be reckoned low-bred and hardlyfitforconversation." In hisexplanationoftheSpanish terms
'
employed in the game of Ombre, he is laudablyprecise;though when he rendersthe words,
'' Nose deve,por Bios'"
by ''Bis not lost,hy G"dl' he seems wishfulrather to
givethe spiritof the exclamationthan the simple meaning
of the phrase,and to be emphatic even at the risk of ap-pearing
profane. It is to be hoped that the princesses
confinedthemselves to the originalSpanish,and that they
were ignorant that it contained an oath, supposing the
objectionableEnglish words to be merely added, eleganticecausa, by theirpoliteteacher.
About the time that Seymour's.' Court Gamester' was
firstpublished,a spiritofgambling seems to have pervaded
allclasses. Skillin the games at cardsmost in vogue was
a test of gentility; stock-jobbing,or speculatingfor a riseor a fallin the public funds,had become a regular trade;
and even pious ministers,of high dissentingprinciples,wholooked on card-playing as sinful,scrambled as eagerlyas
the most profane for sharesof South Sea stock,and were
blindedto the sense of Christianduty by the dazzlinghope
of becoming suddenly rich. The South Sea bubble,
however, at length burst,and itspromoters and theirdupes
were appropriatelycaricaturedin a pack of cards.* The
South Sea directors,insteadof having thousands of pounds
presented to them by the shareholders,as a tributeto
theirspeculativegenius,were summoned before a parlia-
' About 1721, a pack of cardswas published,ridiculingthe principalbubble
schemes ofthe day,but more especiallythe South Sea project.About the same
time, a set of caricaturecards,ridiculingthe Mississippischeme, was publishedin Holland.
170 PLAYING CARDS.
mcntary committee to give an account of their estates.
Parliamentarycommitteeshave of latebeen employed fora
purposewidelydifferent:
"
multiCommittiinteadem diversecriminafato:
Illecrucem pretium scelcristulit,hiediadema.**
About 1737, Iloyle's'Treatiseon Whist' was firstpub-lished.The work, which seems to have been admirably
adaptedtothewants ofsocietyatthetime,was most favorably
received; and in the course of the succeedingten or twelve
yearsit ran through as many editionsas LindleyMurray's
Grammar, in the same period,in modern times. Itproveda "lucky hit,"both for the authorand the publisher,who
took everyprecautionto secure theircopyright: injunctionswere held up in terrorem againstpirates; and purchaserswere informed that no copies of the work were genuine
unless they bore the signaturesof
^m^r^ Jhy^AND
^TAd-.O^ijnM,The race of "Wits/'who had previouslyexercisedno
smallinfluenceon the world of fashion,was then on the
decline; thebeau-monde had acquiredthe ascendency over
Grub street; and gentlemen of rank and fashionformed
themselvesinto clubs,for the purposes of gaming and
socialintercourse,from which threadbarepoets and hack
pamphleteerswere excluded by the very terms of sub-scription,
to say nothing of the preliminaryordealof the
ballot. Those were the golden days of Beau Nash ; when
George the Second was king ; and his son, the Duke of
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 171
Cumberland, the patron of Broughton and Figg; whenGibber was Poet-Laureate, and when Qum's brutality
passed for wit ; when the Guards, the pride of the army,were such heroes as we see them in Hogarth^s March to
Finchley; and when such statesmen as Bubb Doddington
had the entree, by the back stairs,both at LeicesterHouse
and St.James's. Even those who professedto correct the
vicesof the age seem in some degree to have been infected
with its spirit; Richardson,the noveUst,writingwith the
ostensibledesign of reforming" Rakes'' and retaining
innocent young women in the paths of virtue,seems oftento indulge,more especiallyin Pamela and ClarissaHarlowe,
in describing scenes and suggesting circumstanceswhich
only could have been conceivedby a prurientimagination;
and even John Wesley appears to have encouraged hispoor
convertedsinnersto exaggeratetheirpettyvices,when speak-ing
their experience at a love-feast,and to dwell,with a
peculiarkind of complacency,on theirformer stateof carnal
wickedness as compared with theirpresentstate,of spiritual
grace," justas William Huntington, S.S., when in the
fulnessof sanctity,dwelt on the memory of his former
backslidings,and told allthe world, with ill-dissembled
pride,that his first-bornlove-begottenson was an exact
copy of hisfather,both in humoiu* and in person.
The reign of Beau Nash at Bath forms a" brilliant"era
in the annals of ostentatiousfrivolity.Under hisauspices
the City of the Sick^became the favoriteplaceof resort for
the fashionableand the gay; and in the pools where
formerlylepersalone washed to cleansethem of theirsores,
smooth-skinned ladiesdabbled for pleasure,to the sound
" " The Saxons calleditAkeman-ceaster,which has been interpretedtheCity
of Valetudinarians."" Bath Guide. It isworthy of remark thatmost watering-
placesmuch visitedby wealthy invalids,abroad as well as at home, are alsothe
haunts of gamesters." Where the carrionis,there are the vultures."
172 PLAYING CARDS.
of softmusic, while gentlemen, enraptured,looked on.^
The Beau was admirablyfitted,from hismercurialtalents,
to dischargethepeculiardutiesof purveyor of pleasureto
the fashionablesocietyof his age; he could administer
flatteryto a duchess while he pretended to reprove her ;
and could persuade the littlemadams, of the Would-be
family,that they were honoured by his patronisingcon-descension,
at the very time that he was endeavouringto
make them appear ridiculous,for the amusement of real
ladies. He displayedgreattact inbringingpartiestogether
who wished to be better acquainted, and denounced
scandalas the bane of fashionablesociety. lie promoted
play as a recreationfor the politeof both sexes ; and en-courageddancing, not only as a healthy exerciseper se,
but forthe benefitof the rooms, and forthe sake of aiding
the salutaryoperationof the waters. In his dresshe was
"
conspicuouslyqueer," as was requisitein a Master ofthe
Ceremonies : he wore a largewhite hat," cocked, be it
observed," thebuckle of hisstockbeforeinsteadof behind,
and, even in the coldest weather, his waistcoat unbut-toned,displayingthe bosom of his shirt. He drove six
greys in his carriage,and when he went in state to the
rooms he was always attended by a numerous escort and
a band of music,the principalinstrumentsof which were
French horns," "Sonorous metal,blowing martialsounds.'*On his decease,which took placein 1761, the corporation
of Bath, gratefulfor the benefitsconferredon their city
* " At thisperioditwas the fashionfortheladiesto adorntheirlieads,before
they enteredthe bath,with allthe luresof dress.By these means theircharmswere set offto such advantage,thatthe husband of a lady,who, with Nash and
otherspectators,was admiring the female dabblers,toldhis wife'
she lookedlikean angel,and he wished to be withher.*Nash seizedthe favorableoccasionto establishhis reputation as a man of gallantryand spirit,and therefore
suddenly taking the gentleman by the collarand the waistband of his breeches,
soused him over the parapetintothe bath."" Life of Beau Nash.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLATINO. 173
through hismeans, erected a marble statue of the Grand
Master of the Ceremonies in the Pump-room, between the
busts of Newton and Pope; and his good-naturedfriend,
the Earl of Chesterfield,in an epigram,"thus did justiceto
hismemory and the tasteofthe corporation;
** The Statue,placedthesebustsbetween,
Gives SatireallitsstrengthjWisdom and Wit are littleseen,
But Pollyat fulllength."
The Earl of Chesterfieldwas a frequentvisitorat Bath,
where he found many admirersofhiswit,and many oppor-tunitiesof exercisingit. Bath,indeed,was theveryplaceforsuch a genius to shinein,for in no other cityin the
kingdom were manners and morals,such as his lordship's,
more highly appreciated. His lordshipwas fond of playtoo; and was partialto the company of Mr. Lookup, one
ofthemost noted professionalgamestersoftheday. Lookup,
as well as ColonelCharteris," of notoriousmemory in the
annals of gaming and debauchery," was from the north
of the Tweed. He was bom in the neighbourhood ofJedburgh, and was bred an apothecary. On the expiration
of hisapprenticeship,he proceededsouthward,and obtaineda situationin the shop of an apothecaryat Bath. On the
death of his master, he wooed and won the widow ; and
having thus obtained possessionof about five hundred
pounds in ready money, he gave up the shop,and devoted
himselfentirelyto play,an itchforwhich he issaidto have
brought with him from his native country. In Lookup's
youth,and, indeed, for many years afterwards,a fondness
forcard-playingwas more prevalentin Jedburgh thaninany
other town on the Scottishborder.
Lookup, having determined to make gaming hisbusiness,
devoted,like a sensibleman, hiswhole attentionto it: he
calculatedthe odds coolly,playedsteadily,and, consequently.
174 PLAYING CARDS.
won considerablyfrom those fashionableamateurs whose
confidencewas not accordingto knowledge. He was not
only a proficientin allthe usualgames at cards,but also
playedwellat billiards.Lord Chesterfieldused sometimes
to amuse himselfat billiardswith Lookup ; and on one
occasionhad the laugh turned againsthim by a ruse of his
antagonist,who, afterwinning a game or two, asked his
lordshiphow many he would giveifhe were to put a patch
over one eye. His lordshipagreed to give him five-^and
Lookup having won severalgames in succession,hislord-
ship threw down his mace, declaringthat he thought
Lookup played as well with one eye as with two. "I
don'twonder at it,my lord,"repliedLookup," forI have
only seen out of one theseten years." The eye of which
Lookup had lostthe use appeared as perfectas the other,
even to a near observer. With the money which he had
at varioustimes won of Lord Chesterfield,chieflyat Piquet,
he built some houses at Bath, which he jocularlycalled" ChesterfieldRow.''
Lookup's gambling career, though successful,was not
uniformlysmooth ; and on one occasionhe gothimselfvery
awkwardly entangledinthe meshes ofthelaw. A gentleman,
who had lostbetween threeand four hundred pounds to
Lookup at Cribbage,being persuadedthattherehad been "a
* An analogouscase, at cards,of beggingfor a pointin order to inspirethe
adversarywith an erroneous opinionof the beggarbeingweak, is thus relatedby PaschasiusJustusof Pope Leo X. His holinessonce, when playing at a
game simikr to Primcro,heldsuch cards as made itimpossibleforhim to lose,
except from the circumstanceof hisbeing the lastplayer; but as hisadversary,
whose turn itwas to declarefirst,proposeda heavy stake,he concludedthathe
held as good cards as liimsclf.Being reluctantto yieldthe game,"
give me a
point," he cried,"
and I ^villsee you." The other, not suspectingthat the
Pope held such capitalcards,readilyassented,and consequentlylost."The
narratorsaysthathe couldapplaud the trick,if hisholinesshad returnedthe
loserhis stake."Pasc. Justi Alcae,lib.i, p. 50. Edit.Neapoli Nemetum
[Neustadt,inthe dioceseof Spires],1617.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 17o
puir*upon him,brought an actionagainstLookup fordouble
damages, accordingto thestatutemade and providedforthe
specialprotectionof the Tom-Noddy classof gamesters,"
pitiful,whimpering, greedy fools,who callupon the worldto commiserate theirlosses,though occasionedsolelyby their
attempts on the pursesof people more knowing, though not
a whit more knavish, than themselves. In the course ofsome proceedingsarisingout ofthisaction.Lookup, through
the blunder of hisattorney,itissaid,swore to the truthofa circumstancewhich was subsequentlyproved to be false.
Lookup was hereupon prosecutedforperjury,and imprisoned;
and only escaped the pilloryin consequenceof a flawin the
indictment: the blunder of his own attorneybrings him
intoperil,and the blunder ofhisopponent'ssetshim free;John a-Nokes'sbroken arm isa set-offagainstTom a-Styles'sbroken leg; each partyisleftto pay his own costs,and thus
the Law at leastissatisfied.The oysterisswallowed,andthe scalesof justiceare evenly balanced with a shellin
each.Lookup, likehiscontemporary,Elwes themiser,who was
also a great card-player,frequentlylost large sums by
projectswhich he was alluredto engage in by the tempting
baitofa largereturn forhiscapital;a correctiveoccasionally
administeredby fortune to her spoiledchildrenwhen they
leavetheirold successfulcourse of retailtrickery,to embark
as merchant adventurers on the sea of speculation. But
though fortunefrowned on him when he gave up gaming as
a regularprofession,to become the principalpartnerin a
saltpetremanufactory at Chelsea,she yet looked favorably
on some of his other speculationswhich wxre more in
accordance with his old vocation: the shareswhich he held
in severalprivateers,in theFrench war from 1758 to 1763,
paid well; and he was highlysuccessfulas an adventurerin
the slavetrade. He issaidto have died " in harness,""
176 PLAYING CARDS.
thatis,with cardsin hishand," when engaged in playing
at his favoritegame of Humbug, or two-handed Whist.
Foote" who issupposed to have representedhim in the
characterofLoader,in the farceof the Minor " issaid to
have observed,on learningthe circumstancesof hisdeath,
that " Lookup was humbugged out of the world at last."
He died in November, 1770, aged about seventy. His
biographerthus sums up hischaracter:" Upon the whole,
Mr. Lookup was as extraordinarya person as we have met
with forseveralyears in the metropolis. He possessed a
great shareof good sense, cultivatedby a long acquaintance
with the world ; had a smattering of learning,and a pretty
retentivememory ; was fluent in words, and of a readyimagination. We cannot add, he was either generous,
grateful,or courageous. In his sentiments, his cunning,
and his fate,he nearly resembles the famous Colonel
Charteris; a Scotchman by birth,and a gamester by pro-fession,he narrowlyescapedcondign punishment fora crime
that was not amongst the foremostof those of which he
probably might be accused."^ Had he livedin the railwayera, he would, most assuredly,have been eithera king or a
stagroyal;
"The craven rook and pertjackdaw.Although no birdsof moral kind.
Yet serve, when dead,and stuffedwith straw,To show us which way pointsthe wind."
The reign of George II is a historicalpicture of"
greatbreadth,^'abounding in stronglymarked characters,
strikinglycontrasted; but chieflyundignified,and generallylow. TlieCarnal man is a ruffianriotingin Gin Lane ;
whilstthe Spiritualis typifiedby a sinister-lookingper-sonage,
with lank hair,cadaverous visage,and a cock-eye,
* The LiteraryRegister,or Weekly Miscellany,p. 296, Newcastle on Tyne,
1771.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 177
preaching Free Grace from a tub to a miscellaneouscom-panyat Mile-end Green," the indifferenceof the unre-
generate being indicated by a prize fightin the back-ground.
Here a poor rogue isgoing,drunk, to Tybiu-u,
for having robbed a thief-taker'sjourneymanof a silver
watch, a steelchain,and a tobacco-stopper," worth alto-getherforty shillingsand threepence,the value required
by law to entitlethe thief-takerto hispriceof blood ; andthere a wealthy soap-boiler,who has made a fortune by
cheatingthe excise,is going in state to Guildhallas Lord
Mayor ofLondon. Here a young rake ismaking violentloveto hismother'smaid, who has been induced to encouragehis attentionsfrom her reading Pamela; and there his
aunt, a maiden lady of fifty-two,but having in her own
rightthreethousand a year,iscomplacentlylisteningto the
matrimonial proposals of a young New-Ught preacher.Here isColley Gibber sippinghiswine atthe tableof
"
mylord
y* and there sitsSamuel Johnson, behind the screen
in Cave's back shop, eagerlydevouring the plateof meat
which the consideratebooksellerhas sent him from his own
table. Here are Johnny Cope and the dragoons ridinga
race from PrestonPans ; and theresitstheyoung ChevaUer,
unkempt and bare-legged,smoking a shortpipe in a High-land
hut. Here hangs the signoftheDuke ofCumberland's
head ; and there,grinning down on itfrom the elevationof
Temple Bar, are the heads of the decapitatedrebels. Here
Ranelagh is seen shut up on account of the earthquake at
Lisbon;^and therea batch of gambKng senators are hurrying
" "Uninflammable as the times were, they carrieda great mixture of super-stition.
Masqueradeshad been abolished,becausetherehad been an earthquake
at Lisbon; and when the lastjubilee-masqueradewas exhibitedat Rxinclagh,
the alehousesand roads to Chelsea were crowded with drunken people,who
assembled to denounce the judgmentsof God on persons of fashion,whose
greatest sin was dressingthemselvesridiculously.A more inconvenientre-formation,
and not a more sensibleone, was seton footby societiesoftradesmen, "
12
178 PLAYING CARDS.
down to the House from the club at White's, to givetheir
votes in favourof a billto repressgaming.
The severalacts passed againstgaming, in the reignofGeorge II,appear to have had but Uttleeffectin restraining
the practice,eitherat the time, or in any subsequent reign;
forthough occasionallya soUtaryloose fish might become
entangledintheirmeshes,theynever interruptedthe onward
course of the greatshoal.
The shameless inconsistencyof many of the noble lords
and honorablegentlemen who were partiesto the enactment
of thoselaws,is cleverlyshown up in an ironicalpamphlet
entitled," A Letterto the Club at White's. In which are
setforththe greatExpediency of repealingthe Laws now in
forceagainstExcessiveGaming, and the many Advantages
that would ariseto this Nation from it. By Erasmus
Mumford, Esq.," 1750. The following passages appear
most worthy of transcription,both as showing the composi-tion
of a celebratedclub about a hundred years ago, and as
containingthe pithof the writer'sargument." The pertinencyof my address to you, my Lords and
Gentlemen, on thisoccasion,must be evidentto everyone
thatknows anythingofyour history; as thatyou are a Club
of about Five Hundred, much the greatestpartofyou Peers
and Members of Parhament, who meet every day at a
celebratedChocolate House, near St.James's, with much
greaterassiduitythan you meet in the Court of Requests ;
and there,all party quarrels being laid aside,all State
questions dropped, Whigs and Tories, Placemen andPatriots,Courtiersand Country Gentlemen, you allagree
who denouncedto the magistrateallbakersthatbakedor soldbreadon Sundays.Alum, and the varietyof spurious ingredientswith which bread, and,indeed,
allwares, were adulteratedallthe week round,gave not halfso much offenceas
the vent of thechiefnecessaryof lifeon a Sunday."~Earl of Orford*sMemoirs,
vol.ii,p. 283.
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLAYING. 179
for the good of the Public, in the salutarymeasures of
excessivegaming. But then as thisisagainstlaws ofyourown making, though now become old-fashioned,mustythings,it would save appearances a littleto the world
methinks, that they should be repealed in the same solemnform in which they were enacted. And as you are, by your-selves
and your relationsa greatmajorityof the Legislature,
and have no party bias whatsoever on this article,so it
would certainlybe as easy foryou, as it is,in my opinion,incumbent on you, to accompUsh such a repeal For,
whatever we mean in our hearts,the forms of government
should be carefullypreserved; and though gaming is ofthe highestadvantage to this nation,as I shallpresently
make appear,yet to practiseitindefianceofallorder,in the
very sight,as itwere, of the Government, and againstthe
spiritand letterof the laws which you made yourselves,is
entirelyinconsistentwith the characterof Patriots,Nobles,
Senators,Great Men, or whatever name of publichonour
you would chuse to callyourselvesby." Besides,we have some odd queermaxims in om* heads,
thatthe Law isthe same forthe King and the Cobler,"c.,
nor istherein any Act of Parliament thathas come to my
knowledge, any exceptionofthissame house calledWhite's
and the good company who frequentit. If you have any
act against Gaming with any such exception in it,be so
good as to produce it; forI believeverilythat, besides
yourselves,there is not a man in the kingdom who knows
any thing of it. I have read the lastAct over and over,
and I protestthat I can't see any such thing; and yet I
don't know how to persuade myself that so many noble
Lords and so many of the House of Commons, of allparties
and denominations, should everyday meet togetherin open
contradictionto such an Act, without a saving clause to
shelterthemselves under."
180 - PLAYING CARDS.
" But though itdoes no other harm at present,yet still
itcontinuesto be an act of the Lords and Commons of the
kingdom, (ofwhich you, to your eternal praise,are a great
part,)and which has had the Royal assent. And whilstit
does so continue,itnot onlyhinderstherestof thekingdom,
who are so sillyas to mind Acts of Parhament, from Gaming,
but itpreventsa scheme, which I have had in my head for
some time, from taking place; which is,that you should
use your utmost endeavourswith hisMajesty,that he would
be pleased,in considerationof the greatgood of hispeople,
to giveneitherplace nor pension to any Peer, howsoever
deservingin allotherrespects,who isnot ofyour body ; and
thata Billshould be brought in to render every one inca-pable
of sittingas a member ineitherHouse of Parliament,
how sound soever hispoliticalprinciplesmay be, who isnot
likewisea member ofthe Gaming Club at White's, This,
I apprehend,would be an effectualway of introducingthis
wholesome innocent diversioninto every house of Fashion
and Politenessin the kingdom, and make your illustrious
body more in vogue,ifthat can be, than itisat present."
" But thisscheme, which I apprehend to be of such
greatutility,can never be executed whilst these Acts ofParliament remain unrepealed There isone dif-ficulty
indeedwhich I am aware of,which, as I don'tknow
how to get over very well myself, I must submit to your
greaterwisdom ; and thatis,gettingthe king and hischief
ministers to consent. For as to the former, though he
allowsof the practicein hispalaceonce a year,from mere
antientcustom,^ yet itis well known that he discoiu'ages
itvery much ; and the moment he heard of a tableat his
house at Kensington, sent immediate orders to forbidit.
* The king not onlyallowedof gaming at the groom porter'sat theChristmas
holidays,but used to pay a formalvisitthere himselfat the commencement of
the "season."
X.
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 181
And as to the Secretariesof State,though they have thisdiversiononce a year or so at theirhouses,fortheentertain-ment
ofthe Foreign Ministers,yet they never playthem-selves,
nor show any other countenance to it,directlynor
indirectly."*
In the politicalpamphlets which appearedin oppositionto the ministryin the latterpart of the reignof George II,
the club at White's is frequentlyalluded to; and in 'A
Politicaland SatiricalHistory of the years 1756, 1757,
1758, 1759, and 1760, in a seriesof one hundred andfour Humourous and EntertainingPrints,' the gaming
propensitiesof Lord Anson, the circumnavigator,who was
at the same time a member of the club and of the govern-ment,are keenly satirised.In Plate 7 he is represented
" From an advertisementin the publicpapers,subsequentlyreferredto by
the author,itwould appearthatthiscomplimentto the secretariesof statewas
ironical.It is there statedthat a setof gentlemenof characterand fortune
had determinedto enforcethe actsof parliamentrespectingunlawfulgames of
play,whether with cardsor otherwisej and thatthey were firmlyresolvedthat
neitherthe sanctuaryat White's, nor the more sacredmansion of a secretary
of state,should prevent theirputtmg theirdesign in execution. It is not
^surprisingthat cardsshould be a favoritegame with diplomatists,seeingthat
theirregularvocation consistsin cutting and shufiling,and that theirgrand
game isusuallywon by a trick. Talleyrandwas a capitalplayerboth at cards
and protocols.Espartcro,when Tlcgcntof Spain,is saidto have playedat
cardswith the ministersas he layinbed. Cabral,the Portugueseminister,is
alsoa greatcard-player.' This collectionof caricaturesis containedin a smallvolume of a square
form,likethatof a pocket dictionary.In the title,the work is saidto have
been "digested and publishedby M. Darly,at theAcorn in Ryder's Cour^,
Cranboum Alley,LeicesterFields." Subsequently,Darly publishedanother
volume,ofthe same size,entitled* A Politicaland SatiricalHistory,displaying
the unhappy Influenceof ScotchPrcvalcncyin theyears1761,1762,and 1763 ;
being a regularseriesof ninety-sixhumourous, transparent,and entertauiing
prints. With an explanatoryKey to every print.' These two volumes con-tain
the most numerous and interestingseriesof politicalcaricaturesthathad
liithertoappeared in England. The caricatureswhich appearedinthe Political
Registerfrom 1767 to 1772 may be consideredas a continuationof the series
publishedby Darly.
182 PLAYING CARDS.
as a Sea Lion,with the body of a man and the taflof a
fish; in one hand he holds a dice-box,and in the other
a card; and on the wall are two pictures,the one showing
an E.O. table,and the other a table coveredwith money,
with the inscription*^ Blades and Whites/' In another
print he figuresas the Knave of Diamonds, with the in-scription
at the top, '^ Hie nigerest;'' and at the bottom,
"AcAPULCA." In the Key prefixedto the work the person
representedis thus denounced: "This caricatura'spro-pensity
to gaming tellsus at once how valuable he must
be to a shipwrecked state, and that he deserves (likea
drunken pilotin a storm)to be thrown overboard,to make
room for one of clearerbrains and more integrity." The
threeotherKnaves are : Spades, inscribed" Monsr. Dupe/*
and in the Key itis said that,by the flower-de-luces,seen
on the ground,isexpressed," how much thiscaricaturawas
connectedwith our enemies,and was even a Dupe to them
against the interestsof his country." Hearts, with a
fox'shead, and inscribed"Monsr. Surecard:" in the Key
itissaidthatthischaracter" infers,by the sliarpnessof the
nose, that craftand subtiltywhich is natural to creatures^
of a similarkind,known by the name of Foxes, and ishere
pointed out as a Knave." Clubs, with a broken yoke in
his hand, and inscribed"Null Marriage;" the Key says,
"this caricaturawas esteemed the most atrociousKnave in
the pack,and the worst of the black sort."Another platein the same seriesof caricaturesdisplays
the gamester'scoat of arms. The shieldis charged with
cards,dice,and dice-boxes,and is siurounded by a chain,from which hangs a labelinscribed"Claret." Supporters,
two Knaves. Crest,a hand holding a dice-box. Motto," Co(jitAmor nummi." In Plate 90, of which a copy is
lieregiven,the principalperformers figuringon the poli-
v..
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 188
ticalstagein 1759 are representedas coat cards.^ In the
suitof Hearts, the King, Optimus, isGeorge II; Queen,
Britannia; Knave, Pitt. Diamonds, King, the King ofPrussia;Queen, the Cityof London; Knave, PrinceFer-dinand.
Spades, King, the King of Poland ; Queen, the
Queen of Hungary ; Knave, Holland. Clubs, King, the
King of France ; Queen, Gallia; Knave, Marshal Broghe.
In the Key itissaidthat" the labelsand charactershere
representedare sufficientto explain the meaning of the
print,with the leastapplication."In a work relatingto the authorshipofJunius'sLetters,'
the followingaccount isgiven of the volume of caricaturesin question. It is not, however, correct in everypoint;forthough it may be true that the earlierplateswere at
firstprivatelydistributed,it is certainthat subsequently
they were publiclysold. The firstcollectionof them,
publishedin a volume, consistedonly of the caricaturesfor
1756-7 ; and appears to have been enlargedfrom time to
time, by the addition of such plates as had been pub-lished
separatelyin the preceding year. The editionof
the firstvolume which I have consulted,containing the
platesfrom 1756 to 1760, isthefifth,"a proofthatlatterly
those caricatureswere not privatelydistributed,whatever
they might have been at the commencement. Though Lord
George Townshend might have suppliedthe publisherwith
sketchesor hints, for some of the subjects,and even have
" In the same volume thereisanotherplateof the same kind, showing the
coat cardsfor1756.' A CriticalEnquiry regardingtherealAuthor ofthe
LettersofJunius,proving
them to have been written by Lord Viscount Sackville.By George Coventry,
p. 34, 1825. Copies of two of the caricatureson Lord George Sackvilleare
given in thiswork." At the footof the title-pageof the second volume, forthe years1761-2-3,
thereisa notice,that "sketches or liints,sent post-paid[tothe publisher],
willhave due honour shewn them."
184 PLAYING CARDS.
suggestedthe publicationof the series,itwould be absurd
to conclude thathe was the designerof the whole. There
are only foursubjectsin the volume relatingto Lord George
Sackville; and they are among the most worthless of the
series,both with respectto conceptionand design.
" Soon aftertheunfortunatemisunderstandingat Minden,
Lord George Townshend (whohad formerlybeen on friendly
terms with Lord George Sackville,particularlyat the battle
of Dettingen)joinedwith the court party in publiclycen-suringhisconduct. He had an ingenioustiun fordrawing,
and he even went so far as to caricatureLord George
flyingfrom Minden, which,with many others,he privately
circulatedamong his friends. This book of caricatures,
bearingdate from 1756 to 1762, isextremely curious. As
they were privatelydistributed,they are, of course, seldomto be met with. I never saw but one complete set,now in
the possessionof W. Little,Esq.,of Richmond, who has
obliginglyallowedme to copy the one in question,which is
submitted to the reader'sinspection. We have Lord
Orford'stestimonyto prove thatthisbook was the produc-tion
of Lord George Townshend. Lord Orford has described
the firstof the series,vol.ii,p. 68, 'A new speciesof this
manufacture now firstappeared,invented by Lord George
Townshend ; they were caricatureson cards. The originalone, which had amazing vent, was of Newcastle and Fox,
looking at each other,and crying with Peachum, in the
Beggar's Opera, 'JBrot/ier,brother,we are bothinthewrong!On the Royal Exchange a paper was affixed,advertising.' Three
-kingdoms to be let: inquire of Andrew Stone,
broker,in Lincoln'sInn Fields.'" The whole seriesforms a
curiouscollection.Those on Lord George Sackvillewere
very severe."
The example set by the club at White's appearsto have
been much more influentialin promoting gaming than the
PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING. 186
denunciationof an Act of Parliament to have been effectivein repressingit: the letterof the act was, indeed,killing,
but the spiritof the legislators,as displayedat White's,
kept the game aHve. New clubs of the same kind," ^n the
principleof mutual insurance against informers," were
establishedin the metropolis; and even in the provinces,
countrygentlemen and tradesmen,becoming aware of the
advantages of the socialcompact, formed themselvesinto
littleclubs forthe purpose of indulging in a quietgame at
cards or dice. Card-playingaboutthe same time,or a Uttle
later,was greatlypromotedby theestablishmentofassembly-rooms in country towns, where cock-fightingsquires,after
attendingthe pitin the morning, might enjoyintheeveningthe more refinedamusements of dancing and cards.^ The
example setby thehigherclasseswas followedby the lower ;
and at a "merry night" in a Cumberland village,some
fiftyyearssince,cards were as indispensableas at an assize
ballin the county town : with the exceptionofthedressof
the company and the arrangement of the rooms, the one
assembly, at the commencement at least,seems to have
displayedallthe essentialsofthe other.
"Ay, lad,sec a murry-neet we've had at Bleckell!
The sound o* the fiddleyet ringsi*my ear;
Aw reet cliptand heeledwere the ladsand the lasses,
And momiie a cleverlishhussey was there:
The bettermersortsat snug i'theparlour;
r th*pantrythe sweethearterscutteredsae soft;
The dancersthey kickedup a stour i*the kitchen;
At lanterthe caird-lakerssat i*the loft."".
*" "Et decusobpatrium, etstudiosffipubisin usus,
Construxeresacros chartisfidibusquepenates."
C. Anstey, ad C. W. Bampfylde, Epistola,1777.
"
* Balladsin the Cumberland Dialect,by R. Anderson. An explanationof a
few terms in the above verses willrender them more intelligibleto the reader
who has the misfortuneto be unacquaintedwiththeCumberlanddialect.Clipi
and heeled,prepared for the sport,likecocks for fightmg. Lishy sprightly,
active. Cuttered,cooed, likebillingdoves. Stour,dust. Lanter, three-card
186 PLATING CARDS.
The passionforcard-playingappears to have been ex-tremely
prevalentin the earlierpart of the reign of George
III.^ In almost every town where there isan assembly-
room, traditionalanecdotes are handed down of certain
keen playen;keepingup the game fortwenty-foursuccessivehours,tillthey were. up to theirknees in cards; and there
isscarcelya county in England thathas not a storyto tell
of two or three of itsold landed gentry being ruined at
cards by the Prince ofWales. Even villageshave their
annals of gaming; of once substantialfarmers turning
horse-coursersand riding headlong to ruin on a leather
plater; of othersgoing more quietlyoff at cards,staking
theircorn before itwas housed ; and of certaindesperate
cock-fighterslosingtheirwhole substanceat a singlematch,,
and then straightwayhanging themselvesin theirown bam.
The loveof card-playing,to the greathorrorof the inordi-nately
pious,seems even to have infectedladieswho were,
in other respects,irreproachable:" good wives,affectionate
mothers,teaching their children the Catechism, going re-gularlyto church on Sundays, and taking the sacrament
everymonth; yet,alas!dearlylovinga snug privateparty
of fouror fivetables,and immensely fond of Quadrille; and
making but a poor atonement for their transgressionby
never touching a card in Passion week, nor the night before
the Communion, nor even on the Wednesdays and Fridays
in Lent," whenever theycould avoidplaying,"consistently
withgood manners."^
loo. Caird-lakers,card-players.Lanter, or lant,so common in Cumberland
and Nortliumbcrland,appears to have been unknown to a deservedlyhigh
authorityon allsports and games :" The editordoes not know the game of
Ztf;/^.""BcU's Life in London, 4th March, 1838.* Some curiousparticulars" somewhat exaggerated" respectingcertaingreat
card-playersof thisperiodwillbe found in * The Adventures of a Guinea.'* An Address to Persons of Fashion relatingto Balls: with a few occasional
Hints concerning Play-houses,Card-tablcs,"c. By the Author of PietasOxonicnsis. Sixthedition,1771.
PROGRESS OP CARD-PLATING. 187
A discourseagainst gaming, preached in 1793, by Dr.
Thomas Rennell,Master of the Temple, seems tohavemade
much noise about the time,but no converts. ,The most
originalpassage in the work is the following,wherein he
asserts that the habit of card-playingrenders the mindinsensibleof Gospel evidence: in the present day, it maybe observed in passing, that a similar effecthas been
ascribedto the study of Oriel-collegelogic. " The mind
of one immersed in cards soon becomes vacant, frivolous,
and captious. The habitsform a strangemixture of mock
gravityand pert flippancy. The understanding,by a per-petual
attentionto a varietyof unmeaning combinations,
acquiresa kind of pridein thisbastard employment of the
facultyof thought,which isso farfrom having any analogy
to the real exerciseof reason, that we generallyfind a
miserableeminence in itattainableby the dullest,the most
ignorant,and most contemptibleof mankind. The game-ster,
however, frequentlymistakes this skillfor general
acuteness, and from that conceiteithertotallyrejectstheGospel evidence,or ifpoliticalor professionalconsiderations
renderthisindecentor inexpedient,he harboursallthatcon-temptible
chicane,allthatpettysophistry,allthat creeping
evasion,vsdthwhich a selfishheart,and a contractedunder-standing,
meets and embraces the prevailingheresyof the
times in which we live."'
The followingappears to be levelledat an individualof
no small reputationin hisday, and whose memory islikely
to outlastDr. Rennell's. " What isit thatconverts those
designed by Providence to be the guardians and protec-tors
into the bane and curse of theircountry ? I will
' "The causes of infidelityare varions. Before the improved sagacityof
Dr. Rennell had discoveredthat itowed itsoriginto Popery, hiswisdom had
detecteditssource, artfullylurking in the 'unmeaning combinations*of a pack
of cards."" Reflectionson the Spiritof Religious Controversy,by the Rev.
Joseph Fletcher,of Hexham, England,p. 192. 12mo, New York, 1808.
188 PLAYING CARDS.
answer, the gaming table. The reverses here every mo-ment
occurring unite beggared fortunes, mortified pride,
callous baseness, and inflamed appetites, directing their
jointoperations to the destruction of that common mother
which gave them birth. And here I wish to be rightly
understood " that with a frugal,active,dignifiedpoverty,
the discharge of public duty is perfectly compatible.
Such a poverty was highly reverenced in the best ages of
Pagan antiquity,as the nurse of every great and useful
exertion; but as distant as Ught from darkness is such a
poverty from that degraded, malevolent, abjectmendicity,
the offspringof vice,the organ of faction, and the parent
of universalprostitutionand venality.''
Dr. Parr, in his copy of this discourse,wrote the follow-ing
note, which may serve as a tail-pieceto the present
chapter: '*Dr. Rennell issaid,with his own hand, to have
put a copy of thisanimated sermon under the knocker of
Mr. Fox's door in South street. I could wish the story
to be untrue. But the eloquent preacher did not employhis great talents in a sermon against Sabbath-breaking,
though his illustriouspatron, Mr. Pitt, had latelyfought
a duel with Mr. Tiemev on Wimbledon Common."
189
CHAPTER IV.
OF THE DIFFEItENT KINDS OP CARDS AND THJEMARKS OP THE SUITS.
Having in the preceding chaptersendeavoured to trace
the origin of Playing Cards, and to show theirprogressfrom the time of their firstintroductioninto Europe, I
shallnow proceed to give collectivelysome account of the
differentkinds of cards,of thevariousmarks thathave been
employed to distinguishthe suits,and of the changes that
they have undergone at differentperiods.Most authorswho have expresslywrittenon the subject,
agi'eein distinguishingtwo kinds of cards, namely, those
which they callTarocchi,or Tarots; and those,consisting
offoursuits,which are in common use throughout Europe.
It is a subjectof dispute,among the learned in these
matters,which ofthosetwo kindsare ofthegreatestantiquity;Court de Gebehn considersthatTarocchicards were known
to the ancient Egyptians ;^ and Mons. Duchesne ispleasedto assume that certainso-calledTarocchiCards, preservedin the Bibhotheque du Roi, belonged to one of the three
packs painted forCharlesVI, by Jacquemin Gringonneur,
in 1393. Mons. Duchesne is also of opinion that these
cardswere the same as those which were formerlycalled
' He says that the name ispure Egyptian,and tliatit iscomposed of the
word Tar, signifyingroad,way j and tho word Ro, Ros, Roo, which means
royal: thus we have Tarog" Tarocchi-rthoRoyal Road. By such a road as
thisMons. Court de Gebclinseems to have arrivedat much of his''recondite
knowledge of tilingsunknown."" See hisMonde Primitif,huitiemolivraison,
Dissertationsmelees : "Du jeude tarots,oh Ton traitede son origme,oh.Ton
expliqueses alldgories",et ou Ton faitvoirqu'ilest la isourcede nos cartes
modemes ^ jouer.""Tome i,pp. 365-94. 4to,Paris,1781.
190 PLATING CARDS.
Naibi in Italy;and in support of it,he allegesseveral
authorities,which seem to him to be decisiveof the fact,
but which reallyprove nothing more than that Chartae
and Naibi were synonymous.^ He produces no evidence
to show that the scriesof painted and engraved figures,
now usuallycalledTarocchi,were originallyknown eitherby thatname, or by that of cards; while from a passage
citedby Mons. Leber,from Raphael Volaterranus,itwould
appear that Tarocchi Cards, properlyso called,were not
inventedtilltowards the closeofthe fifteenthcentury; andfrom the same authorwe learn that a pack of such cards
consistedof the foursuitsof common cards,togetherwith
twenty-two symbolicalfigures,similarto those which are
assumed by Mons. Duchesne to have been the originalTarocchi. Tarocchicards" calledTarots by the French"
are stillused in severalparts of France, Germany, andItaly; and an account of the manner of playingthe gameisto be found in the editionof the 'Academie des Jeux,'
publishedby Corbet,Paris,1814.
Mons. Duchesne callsthisgame Tarocchino,and distin-guishes
itfrom thatplayedwith the old seriesof figures,
which he supposesto have been the originalTarocchi; but
so far from there being any evidence to show that these
figureswere at theirfirstintroductionknown eitherby the
name ofTarocchior of Cards,thereseems greaterreason to
concludethattheyhave onlyobtainedthisname incompara-tively
recent times,in consequ"}nceof some of them being
" "Uno dcrniJjrecitationaclicvrado ddmontrcrquo Icscartesct icsnaibi
sentbicnlamemo clioso; loTraitddo Tb^ologicdo SaintAntoinc,dvcquodo
Florenceen 1457,porte: Et idem videturde chariisvelnaibisj ct encore dans
un autre endroitdu mcme ouvrage: Defadoribuset venditoribusalearum et
iaxillarumetchartarum et naiborum"~-Vr6ciaHistoriqueet Explicatifsur les
Carteshjouer,prefixedto the specimens of cardspublishedunder the titleof' Jeux de CartesTarotsct dc Cartes Numdralcs, du xiv"" au xvm"* Si^cle,*by the SocietyofBibliophilesFranjais. Imperial4to,Paris,1844.
DIPPERENT KINDS. 191
used in combination with common cards,at a game calledTarocchi,wliichwas alsothe name given to the cardswith
which it was played. The earliestwriterswho mentionTarocchias a kind of cards,always speak of them as con-sisting
of four suits," Swords,Cups, Batons,and Money, "
togetherwith a certainnumber of other cards,representing
variouscharactersand emblematical figures.
A pack of Tarots, as at presentused in France, corre-spondsin every particularwith those calledTarocchiby
writersof the sixteenthcentury. Itconsistsof scvcnty-cight
cards; thatis,of foursuitsof numeral cards,and twenty-
two emblematic cards,calledAtous.^ The marks of the
suitsare usuallySwords, Cups, Batons, and Money ; and
each suitconsistsof fourteencards,ten ofwhich are "pips"
or low cards and the other four are coat cards," namely.
King, Queen, Chevalier,and Valet. Of the Atous,twenty-
one are numbered consecutivelyfrom 1 to 21 ; thatwhich
isnot numbered iscalledthe Fou," the Clown or BujBFoon,
" and in playing the game isusuallydesignated" Mat."
The Fou has of itselfno positivevalue,but augments that
of any ofthe otherAtous to which itmay be joined.The
otherAtous are numbered and named as follows:
1. The Bateleur,or Juggler;calledalsoPagad. 2.Juno.
* The word Tarothas been supposedto be a corruptionofTaroiichi^Cards
marked on the back with linescrossinglozenge-wise,and witfiIrttlcspots,are
calledCartesTarot^es; and inFrance card-makersappear to have beenformerly
calledTarcoticrs.Mcncstricrconceivesthatitwas from these " lignesfirett^es
en forme de rezeuil"cardswere named Tarcuits and CartesTarautees. He
saysthatTarG.-^/aut,dechct, ^d?^,"signifiesproperlya hole,un frou;andho derivesitfrom the Greek npetv, to bore. From Tare he alsoderivesTariff,
a ruledbook for enteringthe dutieson goods. Mons. Duchesne says that
Tarot "
vicnten effetde Tltalientarrochio,dont ik v"Jrit6nous ignoronsencore
lasignification."" Mons. Duchesne thusaccounts for those cardsbeingcalledAtous : "Ces
cartessont ditesa tutti, tons,c'cst-^diresup6rieuresh touteautre,et n*ap-
partenanta aucune coulcur." In othergames at cards,the French Jtout has
the same meaning as the English Trump,
192 PLAYING CARDS.
8.The Empress.^ 4. The Emperor. 5.Jupiter.6. L'Amou.
reux. 7.The Chariot.8.Justice.9.The Capuchin,calledalso
the Hermit. 10. The Wheel ofFortune. 11. Fortitude.
12. Lc Pcndu" a man suspended,head downwards, by
one leg. 13. Death. 14. Temperance. 15. The Devil.
16. The Maison-Dieu, or Hospital" a tower struck by
lightning. 17. The Stars. 18. The Moon. 19. The Sun.
20. The Last Judgment. 21. The End ofthe World." Of
thesethe firstfiveare calledpetita atom, and the lastfive
grands atous. Seven cardsare alsoespeciallydistinguished
as Tarots,or Atous-tarots; theseare the End oftheWorld,
the Buflbon,the Bateleur,and the fourKings.^
According to Cicognara,3the inventor of the game of
Tarocchino," or Tarots,as above described," was an Italian,
who residedat Bologna, prior to the year 1419 ; and the
account which he givesis to the followingeflect:" There
ispreservedinthe Fibbia family,one of the most ancient
and illustriousof that city,a portraitof Francis Fibbia,
PrinceofPisa," who soughtrefuge at Bologna,about the
commencement of the fifteenthcentury," ^inwhich he is
representedholding in his righthand a parcelof cards,
* The Empress is supposed to have been substitutedfor the Pope, who
occurs inthe oldseriesof figuresassumed by M. Duchesne to have been the
. originalTarocchi. In a similarmanner, L'Amoureux issupposed to have been
substitutedforApollo;theChariotforMars; theCapuchin or Hermit forSaturn;
theWheel of Fortune forAstrology; and Le Pendu forPrudence." The figuresof two or threeof the Atous are sometimes differentlyrepre-sented.
In a pack now beforeme, inscribed"Cartes des Suisses,"manufactured
at Brussels,in No. 2,insteadof Juno,thereisa figureinscribed"Le 'Spagnol,
CapitanoEracasse;** in No. 5, Bacchus suppliesthe place of Jupiter; andNo. 16, which isinscribed"La Eoudre," shows a tree struck by lightning,in-stead
of a tower. In thisset,the Pou isnumbered 22. Tarots are generally
about a fourthlonger,and a littlewider than Englishcards,and are usually
coarselycoloured.* Memorie spcttantiaUa storiadeUaCalcografia,dalconteLeopoldCicognara.
8vo,Prata, 1831." Cited m Duchesne'sPrecisHistoriquesur les Cartes ^
jouer,prefixedto the specimensofplayingcardspublishedby the Soci^t des
BibliophilesFranpais.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 193
whileothersappearlyingon theground ; among thelatter
are seen the Queen of Batons, and the Queen of Money,
the one being ornamented with the arms ofthe Bentivoglio
family,and the other with the arms of the Fibbia. An
inscriptionat the bottom of the pictiu'cinfonnsus that
FrancisFibbia,who died in 1419, had obtained,as the
inventorofTarocchino,from theBeformersof the city,the
privilegeof placinghisown shieldof arms on theQueen ofBatons, and thatof hiswife,who was of the Bentivoglio
family,on the Queen of Money ;"
a distinction,"observesMons. Duchesne, "
which neverthelessdoes not excludethe
suppositionthatFrancisFibbia,Commander-in-chiefofthe
Bolognese forces,had rendered more importantservicesto
hiscountrymen than teachingthem to playat Tarocchino."
Supposing Cicognara'saccount to be correct,ityetproves
nothingwith respectto the comparativeantiquityof the
two kinds ofcardswhich compose the pack forthe game ofTarocchino,or Tarots. Mons. Duchesne,however,having
assumed that the old seriesof emblematic figurescalledTarocchicards were the oldest,sees no difficultyin the
matter, but unhesitatinglyconcurs with Cicognara in
ascribingthe inventionof Tarocchino to FrancisFibbia,
without inquiringwhether Fibbia had merely combined
into one pack two kinds of cards abeady wellknown, or
whetherhe was theftrstdeviserofthefoursuitswhich con-
stitutethe most importantportionof the pack,and which
give to the game all itsspirit.Seeing that Fibbia w^as
honoured for his inventionby the Reformingmagistracy
ofBologna," where both card-playingand the manufacture
of cardsappear to have been prettyextensivelycarriedon
about 1423," the most probableconclusionwouldbe,that
he had deservedwell in theiropinion,not from having
convertedby new combinationsa previouslyinnocentand
amusing game into a hazardous and excitingone, but in
consequence of his having shuffleda few moral Tarocchi
13
194 PLAYING CARDS.
intothe old pack of numeral cards of foursuits,whether
of Swords, Cups, Batons,and Money, or of Bells,Hearts,
Leaves,and Acorns. In supportof thisconclusion,itmayfurtherbe observed,thatthough the manufacture of cards
was extensivelycarried on both in Italy and Germany,
beforethe year 1450, no so-calledTarocchi cardsof that
period have been discoveredwhich can fairlybe supposed
to have been intended,eitherfrom theirsizeor execution,
forthe common purposesof playj while,on the contrary,
therearc in existenceseveralspecimensof numeral cards
of four suits,citherstencilledor engraved on wood, and
evidentlyof a cheap manufacture,forcommon use, ofa date
not laterthan 1450.
The kind of game forwhich the emblematic figures
usuallycalledTarocchicardswere used, remains to be dis-covered.
Mons. Duchesne has,indeed,hazarded a conjectureon the subject,which is equallyincapableof refutationor
of proof. "The number ofplayers,"he says,"necessaryto
form a party,would scarcelybe limitedto two, and probably
might vary from three to twelve,or rather from tlu*eeto
eiglit;and the manner of playingmight simplyconsistin
theappropriatelayingdown of such of the figuresas, ac-cordingto an order agreed upon, might belongto the suit
of the card firstplayed. The holder of certainprivileged
cards would have doubtless some additionaladvantage;
and we may furthersuppose thateach playerbeing obliged,in turn, to laydown a card draAvn at random, strikingcon-trasts
resultingfrom unexpected combinations would afforda subjectof amusement. This suppositionwould seem to
agi'cewith the subjectof a book entitled' Les CartesPar-
lantes,'printed at Venice, in 1545; each card there has
" This book was writtenby the notoriousPietroAretine. A second editionwas publishedin 1589, and a thirdin 1651. The titleof the lastis*Le Carte
Parlanti; Dialogodi Partenio Etiro; [theanagriimof Pietro Aretine]nelqualesitrattadelGiuoco con morahtn piaccvolc.*
DIFFERENT KINDS. 195
conferredon it an interpretationor allusion,more or less
ingenious,applicableto the figurewhich itrepresents:thus
the Pope represents fidelityin the game and sincerityin
the player;the Emperor, the laws of the game; the Valets,
the service attached to the game; the Swords, the death
of despairinggamesters; the Batons, the punishment of
thosewho cheat ; Money, the sustenance of play; and the
Cups, thedrinkover which theplayerssettletheu*disputes."
Mons. Duchesne'sconjecturecan scarcelybe saidto be sup-portedby the conceitsof Aretine; who, moreover, in the
whole course of hisbook, speaksof cards as a hazardous,
excitinggame, at which both money and creditmight be
lost; while Mons. Duchesne asserts thatthe game played
with Tarocchi was merely one of amusement, originallydevisedto instructchildrenunder the semblance of play.
The earliestknown specimens of what are calledTarocchi
cards are those preserved in the Bibliothequedu Roi, at
Paris,and which are supposed by Mons. Duchesne to have
formed a portionof one of the three packs painted forthe
amusement ofCharlesVI, in 1393.* They formerlybelonged
to Mons. de Gaignieres,who had been governorto thegrand-children
of Louis XIV, and who bequeathed them, together
with his entirecollectionof printsand drawings,to the
king,in 1711 .Those cardsappear to have been seen inthe
possessionofMons.de Gaignieresby theAbbe de Longuerue;'
" Though Mons. Duchesne generallyspeaks of those cardsas if ithad been
positivelyascertainedthat they were paintedby Jacquemin Gringoimeur,we
yet findIhefollowingsalvo,in the Precis Historique: " Mais le faitde leur
haute destinationa I'usaged'unroi,ne reposeque sur desconjecturesincertaines;
esp^ronsqu'un jourquelqueantiquairefavorisdpar iin heurcux hasardaura peut-
etre lebonheur de changer nos doutcs en certitude."" Tlie Abbe's noticeof those cards is by no means precise; and when he
speaks of the four monarchies contending with each other,itisevidentthat he
had either an imperfect recollectionof them, or that he supposed some old
numeral cards,of four suits,to have belonged to the same series."-"J'ai vu
chez M. de Ganieres un jeude cartes(jene saiss'iltoitcomplet)tellesqu*elles
196 PLAYING CARDS.
and alsoby Dr. Martin Lister,who thus mentions them inhis
accomit of hisjourneyto Paris,in 1C98 :'* I waited upon
the Abbot Droine to visitMons. Guanieres [deGaignicres]at hislodgingsin the Hostel de Guise. One toy I took
noticeof,which was a collectionof playingcardsfor 300
years. The oldestwere three times bigger than what are
now used,extremelywelllimned and illuminatedwith giltborders,and the pasteboard thick and firm ; but therewas
not a complete set of them."
The follomng particulars respecting those cards arc
chieflyderivedfrom Mons. Duchesne's descriptionof them
in his'Observationssur lesCartesa jouer,"publishedinthe'AnnuaireHistorique'fortheyear1837. There are seventeen
of them, and therecan scarcelybe a doubt of theirhaving
formed part of a set of what are calledTarocchi cards,
which, when complete,consistedof fifty. They are paintedon paper,inthe manner ofilluminationsin old manuscripts,on a gold ground, which is in other parts marked with
ornamental lines,formed by means of pointsshghtlyprickedintothe composition upon which the gildingislaid. They
are surrounded by a borderof silvergilding,in which there
isalsoseen an ornament, formed in the same manner, by
means of points,representinga kind of scrollor twisted
riband. Some partsof the embroidery on the vestments of
the differentfiguresare heightened with gold, while the
weapons and armour are covered with silver,which,like
that on the borders,has forthe most part become oxydizcdtlu-oughtime. There is no inscription,letter,nor number,to indicatethe manner in which they were to be arranged.Mons. Leber agreeswithMons. Duchesne inascribingthem
^toicntdans Icuroriglnc. H y avoitun papc, dcs cmpcrcurs, Icsquatre mo-narchies,
qui combattoicntIcsuns centre lesautres : ce qui a donnd naissancea nos quatre coulcurs. Elles6toientlongucsde 7 a 8 pouces. C'csten Italic
que ccttcbcUc inventiona prisnaissancedans IcXIV* sicele."" Longueruana,
torn.'i,page 107.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 197
to a French artistof the time of CharlesVI, and even seems
inchned to conclude that they might have been intended
forthe amusement of that lunaticking. Looking at those
cards,however, as they appear in the fac-similespubUshedby the Societyof BibhophilesFran^ais,I should rathertake
them to be the work of an ItaUan artist,and be inclined
to conclude,as well from the generalstyleof the dra\\ing
as from the costume, that they were not of an earher date
than 1425.
The followingis Mons. Duchesne's enumeration of the
seventeen cards which he supposes to have been executed
by Gringonneur : the names in capitalsare those which
occur in a seriesof so-calledItalianTarocchi cards,with
which he considersthem to correspond.1. Le Fou " the Buffoon. This figure is found in the
Tarots of the present day, and isperhaps the same character
as that which in the seriesof old Italianengravings" called
Tarocchicards" isinscribedMisero i.
2. LEcuyer " the Squire. Chevalier vi.
3. L'Empereur " the Emperor. Imperator viiii.
4. Le Fape'-the Pope. Papa x.
5. Zes Amour eux " the Lovers. Young men and women
courting,while two winged Cupids are dischargingarrows
at them. Mons. Duchesne gravely queries whether this
subjectdoes not represent Apollo and Diana killingthe
childrenof Niobe, and whether itought not to be considered
as corresponding with Apollo xx. It has, however, as
littlerelationto the story of Niobe as ithas to Apollo,as
figuredin the engraving referredto.
0. La Fortune" Fortune. This figure,standing on a
circlewhich representsthe world, holds a globe in one
hand, and in the other a sceptre. Mons. Duchesne con-siders
that itcorrespondswith thatnamed Astrologia, in
the series of ItaUan engravings, and there erroneously
198 PLATING CARDS.
numbered xxxviiii, insteadof xxviiii. " Bartsch,itseems
had not observedthiserror.
7. La Temperance" Temperance. Temperancia xxxiiii.
8. La i"brc^"Fortitude. Fortbzza xxxvi.
9. La Jttstice"
^Justice.Justicia xxxvii.
10. La Lime " the Moon. Luna xxxxi.
11. Z^ /Sbto7"the Sun. Sol xxxxiiii.
12. Le Char" the Chariot. The subjecthereisa figure
in armour, standingon a kind of triumphalcar, and having
in his righthand a battle-axe. Mons. Duchesne saysthat
thissubjectcertainlycorrespondswith Marte xxxxv.
13. L'Ermite" the Hermit. This figureissupposed to
correspondwith thatnamed Saturno xxxxvii.
The fourfollowingsubjectshave no correspondingfigures
inthescriesof old Italianengravings,supposedby Mons,
Duchesne and othersto be Tarocchi cards: they are, how-ever,
to be found among the *' Atous*'of the modern game
ofTarots.
14. Le Pendu " A man hanging from one leg, head
downwards. Court de Gebelin,speaking of thisfigureas
itisseen in a modem pack of Tarots,conjectures,with his
usualabsurdity,thatthe card-maker had erroneouslyrepre-sentedit upside down. On turning it the contraryway,
he Eces in itan emblem of Prudence," to witja man stand-ing
upon one foot,and sagelydeliberatingwhere he has to
placethe other." The figureof Le Pendu, even when thus
viewed,ismuch more likea capering opera-dancer,than a
prudentphilosophercautiouslypickinghissteps; and bears
not the slightestresemblance to the figureof Prudence,in
the seriesof old engravings,calledTarocchicards.15. Za Mort " Death.
IG. La Maison-Dieu "
^TheHospital. A tower struck
by lightning.
17. Le Jugement dernier" The lastJudgment.
Old Painted Cards ascribed to Qringonneur.-' La Ju3tico/ Ip.108.)
1
sX^^"-^^-^^^0::XX"CXXX!"::
Old Painted Cards ascribed to Gringonneur"' La Lune.' (p.191)
2
DIFFERENT KINDS. 199
These seventeen subjects,engraved in lithography,and
carefullycolouredby hand afterthe originaldrawings,are
giveninthe' Jeux de CartesTarots et de CartesNumcrales,'
published by the Society of BibliophilesFran9ais, 1844.
The two annexed cuts willaffordsome ideaof the styleofthe drawing, and of the manner in which the ornaments are
prickedintothe gold ground. They are of thesame sizeas
the originals; the one isthatnamed Justice,No. 9, and the
otherthatnamed La Lune, No. 10, in the precedingenu-meration.Itmay be here observedthatthe latteristotally
differentfrom thatnamed Luna xxxxi, in the seriesof oldItalianengravings, with which it is supposed by Mons.
Duchesne to correspond: the only figurecommon to both
isthatof a crescent moon. The drawing indeed seems to
be an emblem of Astrology,which,inthe Italianengravings,is represented by a winged female figure,having on her
head a crown of stars,and holding in her lefthand a book,
and in her righta diviningrod.The complete seriesof old Italianengravings,known to
collectorsof prints by the name of Tarocchi cards,consists
of fiftypieces,dividedintofiveclassesdistinguishedby the
firstfivelettersofthealphabet,A, B, C, D, E, but numbered
consecutivelyfrom 1 to 50, commencing with the class
marked E. At the foot of each subjectis engraved its
name ; togetherwith the letterof itsclass,and itsnumber,
which isgiven both in Roman and Arabic numerals," the
Roman being placedimmediately afterthe name, and the
Arabic on the extreme right. The distinctiveletterof the
classis on the left. Zani^ has conjecturedthatthe letters
might have been intended for abbreviationsof Atutto,
Battoni, Coppe, Denari, and Espadone, " Atous, Batons,
" Matcrialiper servircaliastoriadell*originee de'progrcssidell*incisionein
rame e in Icgno,col.da PictroZani. 8vo, Parma, 1802. Tlieauthor'sobserva-tions
relatingto cardsarc to be found at pp. 78-84,and pp. 149-93.
200 PLAYING CARDS.
Cups, Money, and Swords. Spadone, however, and not
Espadone, is the proper Italianname forswords ; but as
the names are in the Venetian dialect,Mons. Duchesne
appears inclinedto allow that the form Espadone might
have been admitted intoitat thatperiod. That the letters,
however, had no such meaning, and that they were merely
used to mark the order of each class,seems to be proved
by the factthat in another set of the same subjects,exe-cuted
about the same period,the numeral 5 is substituted
forthe lettere. Even if Zani*s suppositionwere correct,
itwould only strengthen the conclusion that those so-
calledTarocchicards originatedin an attempt to recom-
bine,under new emblems, the principlesof an old game
which had acquired a disreputablecharacter. Whatever
the game might have been, it has long become obsolete;
and the only reason for supposing itto have been cognate
with thatof cards,is grounded on the fact that a certain
number of the charactersof those so-calledTarocchi cards
occur as Atous in the pack of Tarocchi or Tarots,previouslydescribed.
Of those old Italianengravings there are two seriesknown to amateurs, agreeingin thesubjects,but differingin
theirstyleof execution; though itisevident that the one
has been copied from the other.^ In one of them, which is
considered by Bartsch to be the earhest,the date 1485 is
inscribedon a tabletin the hands of the figure namedArithmeticha xxv.^ In the other series,which isby much
the best engraved, and iscertainlythe earhest,thereisno
date ; and the figure which there representsArithmetic,
appearsto be counting money. This seriesMons. Duchesne
' There was also a scriesof the same subjectsengraved in the sixteenth
century.'"'Baitsch, Pcintrc-Gravcur,Svo, Vienna, 1812." His noticesof old cards
are to be found in vol.x, pp. 70-120; and vol.xiii,pp. 120-38.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 201
thinks was executedabout 1470; and some writershave
supposed that the subjectswere engraved by Tomaso
Finiguerra. Zani,however, isinclinedto believethattheywere engraved at Padua ; while Otley ascribesthem to a
Florentineartist. Seeing, however, that the names are in
the Venetian dialect,and that authoritieson the subjectofold Italianengraving disagree with respectto them, I am
inclinedto suppose, without any regard to theirstyleof
execution,that they were eitherengraved by a Venetian
artist,or for the Venetian market. It has alsobeen sup-posed,but erroneously,that they were designedby Andrea
Mantegna, to whom a number of otherthingsof a similarkind have, with equal probability,been ascribed; and
amongst the dealersin old engravings,at Paris,they are
commonly known as Cartesde Baldini. Both the originals
and thecopiesare of greatrarity; and though severalsingle
subjectsare to be found in the possessionof amateurs, itis
questionableiftherebe more than fourcollectionsinEurope,
whether privateor national,that have eitherthe one series
or the other complete. In the BritishMuseum thereisa
completeseriesof the originals,and alsoforty-fiveof the
copies; the fivepieceswanting in the latterare : Misero j,
Fameio II, Imperador villi, Primo Mobile xxxxviiii,
and Prima Causa xxxxx. There is alsoa complete series
of the originals,in the' Bibliothcquedu Roi ;' and copies
of them are given in the' Jeux de CartesTarutset de Cartes
Numerales,' published by the Society of BibUcphiles
Fran^ais. Fac-similesof two, " Papa x and Rhetorica
xxiii, " are alsogiven by Singer inhis * Researches into the
History of Playing Cards.' From theirsize" about nine
inchesand threequartershigh,by about fourincheswide,"
as well as from other circumstances,Mr. Singer considers
thatthey were not intendedforany game analogous to that
of cards,properly so called. Mons. Leber considersthem
to have been merely*' Cartes de Fantaisic,"and observes
202 PLAYING CARDS.
that subjectsso delicatelyengraved on copper,when the
inventionof the art was stillrecent, could scarcelyhave
been intendedto receivethecolouringrequiredforthe com-pletion
of a pack of cards.^ It,however, may be observed
thatcolourisnot essentialto a pack of playing cards; and
thatseveralpacks of cardsof foursuits,evidentlyintended
forplay,without being coloured,were delicatelyengraved
on copper,beforethe end of the fifteenthcentury.Even Mons. Duchesne, whilecontendingthat thosefifty
old engravingswere reallyTarocchicards,admits thatthey
bear no relationto any games played with numeral cards,
which,accordingto the number of players,and the regula-tions
of each game, always consistof a number which is
divisibleby four; for instance,20 forBouillotte; 28 for
Brclan; 32 for Piquet,and severalother games ; 36 for
Trappola; 40 forOmbre; 48 for Reversis;52 forLans-.
quenet,and severalother games; 96 forComet; 104 for
Lottery; 312 forTrente-et-un; and 78 forTarots. " The
ancientTarocchi cards,"he says, "have not then been
intendedforgames of calculation[jeuxmathematiques],but
solelyforan instructivegame. In thisgame, consistingoffive classes,we find the seven planets,representingthe
celestialsystem; the seven virtueswhich constitutethe
basis of allmorality;the sciences,which man alone is
capableof acquuing, and the knowledge of which raiseshim above allotheranimals; the Muses, whose cultivation
yieldsso many charms to life; finally,severalof the con-ditions
of lifein which man may be placed,from misery,the most painfulof all,to that of the most elevated,the
" " Singerfaitrcmarqucr,avcc raison,qu*on n'a pasd'cxcmpledecartesijouerd'aussigrundcsdimensions,qu'iln*y a icidcs flgurcssans piecesnumerales,et
que, d'ailleurs,lessnjctsue sout pas ceux dcs tarotsordinaires.U auraitpu
ajouterque dcsgravurcs c\6cni6c3avcc tant dc wins, que lesciiefs-d'ccuvrod'unartnouveau dontlepremiermdrites'appr^ciaitparlabeautede Tempreinte,
n*ont pu ctrcdestinesa reccvoirreiiluniinurcqui eutrc essentieliementdansla
confectiondu jcude cartes.""lltudcsHistoriquessur lesCartesa jouer,p.18.
DIFifERENT KINDS. 203
Sovereign Pontificate."^A complete seriesof those old
engravings consistsof fiftypieces,as has been previously
observed,named and numbered as follows:
[ClassE. " The ConditionsofLife
" Observationssur leaCartesa jouer." This subject
iserroneouslynumbered,both in the Boman charactersand in
the cyphers,as has been previouslyobserved.
204 PLAYING CARDS.
"B.|"B'l"B-l"B-l"B-l"B-l"B|"B-l"B|"B|
[ClassB." The Virtues^
"Iliaco XXXI- I-SI-
"CiiRONico'XXXir....4'32-
"CosMico -xxxiii- I-sa-"Temperancia XXXIIII- |-S^-
"Prvdencia -XXXV- I-as-
"FoiiTEZA'XXXVI- I'SG-
"jusTiciA-xxxvn- I-sr-"CiiAKiTA-xxxYm- I-38-"speranza xxxvim- I-so-
"Eede -XXXX- I"40-
[ClassA. " The CelestialSystem^
Having now given such an account of the so-calledTarocchicards,as may enable the reader to determinefor
himself,both Avithrespectto theiroriginaluse, and their
relationto playing cards proper,I shallnow proceed to
notice some of the principalvarietiesof numeral cards;
thatis,ofcardsconsistingof foursuits,and each suitcon-taining
a certainimmber of coat cards,togetherwith eight
or ten lowercards,having theirnumeral value designated
by the marks ofthe suitto which they belong.
The oldestspecimens of undoubted playing cards are
eitherstencilled,or engravedon wood ; and of a date which,lookingat the styleoftheirexecution,the drawing,and the
DIFFERENT KINDS. 205
costume ofthe figures,cannot fairlybe supposed to be later
than 1440. Amongst the earliestare the stencilledcards
preserved in the print-room of the BritishMuseum, and
previouslydescribedat page 89. In these the coat cards
appear to have been a King, a Chevalier,and a Fante,
Footman, or Knave ; without any Queen. The marks ofthreeof the suitsare Hearts, Bells,and Acorns ; the mark
of the fourth suit does not occur, " as the specimens
preserved are farshortof a complete pack," but itishighly
probable that itwas Leaves, calledGriin by the Germans,
as in the old pack formerlybelonging to Dr. Stukeley,anddescribed by Mr. Gough, in the eighth volume of the
'Archoeologia.'
The cards formerlybelongingto Dr. Stukeleywere given
to him by Thomas RawUnson, Esq.^ They were found in
the cover of an old book," supposed to be an editionofClaudian,printedbeforethe year 1500, " and one or two
leavesof an editionof the Adagia of Erasmus were inter-spersed
between the layersof the cards,thus forming a
kind of pasteboard. The marks of the suits are Hearts,
Bells,Leaves,and Acorns ; and the coat cards arc theKing,
Chevalier,and Knave. The numeral value of the lower
cards,from the Deuce to the Ten, is indicatedby a repeti-tion
of the marks of the suits,as in modern cards. As
there is no Ace, this pack, supposing it to be complete,
would consistof forty-eightcards. These cards are rudely
coloured, and of smaller size than those in the British
Museum. On theDeuce of everysuitisa shield,displaying
what is supposed to be the card-maker's arms, namely, a
kind of pick-axe,with one of the ends blunt likea hammer,
' Tlicsecardswere exhibitedto tlicAntiquarianSoeietyby Dr. Stukeley,in
1703. They were purchasedin 1770,by Mr. Tutet,and on liisdecease,they
were bouglitby Mr. Gough. In 1810 they were in the possessionof Mr.
Triphook,tliebookseller.
206 riiAYlNO CARDS.
and a mallet,in saltire.Fac-similesof Dr. Stukeley's
cards are given in Singer'sResearches.
As the distinctivemarks of the suitson the oldestcards
in existenceare Hearts,Bells,Leaves,and Acorns,it may
reasonablybe supposed that these marks were used at as
earlya periodas any of the otherswhich occur on cards of
a laterdate,but yet executed before the close of the
fifteenthcentury. Next to these in point of antiquity,
and perhaps of as earlya date,arc Swords, Cups, Batons,
and Money, which would appear to have been the most
common marks on earlyItaliancards,and to have been
almost exclusivelyadopted in Spain. For the sake of
distinction,in future,cards with these marks will be
referredto as Spanish cards,as in Spain the suits are still
distinguishedby Swords, Cups, Batons, and Money ; while
cards having Hearts, Bells,Leaves, and Acorns, will be
referredto as German cards,as such appear to have been
thekind most generallyused in Germany. Of the marks
on what were more particularlycalled" French cards,"
in thesixteenthcentury," Cccur,Trefle,Pique,and Carreau,
or as we callthem, Hearts,Clubs,Spades,and Diamonds,
"two of them at least,the Cocur and the Pique, arc evi-dentlyderivedfrom the Heart and the Leaf of the earlier
pack, while thereisgood reason to believethat the form ofthe Treflewas copied from thatof the Acorn.^
The mark now calledthe Ttejle,in France, was formerly
* Mons. Duchesne expressesliimsclfon thissubject,as follows:"Les enseignesemployeespour Icscouleursont 6prouvd beaucoup de variations: cceur, carreau,
treflect pique sont lesplus rdpanducs ; mais, en Italicct en Espagne, ellcs
sont encore designeespar cmjieSydeniers,batons,epces. En Allemagne on dit
rougcygreloUyglands et vert. Quclquefois,en conservant lescoeurs, lesdeniers
ont etcremplacespar dcs grclots; puis des glandstiennentlieudes treflcs,et des
feuillesde Hcrre rcmplaccntlespiques,dont cllesont laforme."" Observationssur lesCartesu joucr.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 207
known as theFleur. Peignot,referringto a poem entitled
"La Magdaleine auDesert de laSainte-Baume en Provence,"
printed at Lyons, in 1668, says : "We learn from this
poem that,in 1668, the word Trefiewas not yet in use,
as the designationof one of the suitsof cards; that suit
was then calledFleura, The Valets were alsothen termed
Fousr
The type ofthe Carrcau,or Diamond, isnot to be found
in any of the marks of the othertwo packs above noticed.In the time of Pictro Arctinc,the suitsof French cards
appear to have been known in Italyby the names of Cori,
Quadri,Fiori,and Cappari,*as we learn from his ' Carte
Parlanti,'firstprinted in 1545, in which a Paduan card-
maker holds a long dialogue,moral and entertaining,with
hiscards :
** Paduan, As French cardsare used in Italy,tellme, I
pray,what, amongst that people,may be the signification
of Capers? [Cappari.]Cards, Their piquancy whets the appetiteof tavem-
hauiiters.
Paduan, And the Diamonds ? [Quadri.](7"rd".The firmnessof the player.Pflj^ij^^;?.And the Hearts? [Cori.]Cards, Inclinationto cheatin play.Paduan. And the Flowers ? [Fiori.]Cards. The pleasureof saying a good thing."'
The inventionof cardswith these marks, and having a
Queen forthe second coat card,insteadof a male figure,as
in the Spanish and German cards,has been claimedby the
" Mons. Duchesne says that the mark which the Erench callPique was called
Capprelin Italy,from itsresemblanceto the fruitof the Caper." PrecisHis-
torique,prefixedto Jeux de Cartes Tarots ct Numcrales, p. 11.
* Carte Parlauti,p. 57, edit.1651.
208 PLAYING CARDS.
French ; and thissubstitutionhas been consideredby some
French writersas peculiarlycharacteristicof the gallantry
of theirnation. The French alsoappear to have been the
firstwho gave to theircoat cards the names of historical
personages. From thosenames, and the marks of the suits,
Pcre Daniel has been enabled to discoverthe originand
meaning of the game of Piquet,which he supposes to have
been devised about 1430, in the reign of Charles VII;
admitting, however, that Playing Cards of another kind
were of a much earlierdate,but yet consideringeven these
to have been ofFrench invention.
In the time ofPere Daniel,the coat cardswere named as
follows:
These names, which appear to have been given to the
French coat cards,at an earlyperiod,were not unifonnly
retained; in the time of Henry IV, the Kings were
Solomon, Augustus, Clovis,and Constantino; and the
Queens,Ehzabcth,Dido, Clotilde,and ''Pantalisea;"whiletheValetshad no propernames, but were merelydesignated
from theiroffice,and all the charactersappeared in the
costume of the period. In the reignof Louis XIV, how-
" The name of Lancelotdid not reallyappear on the Valet of Trcfle,in thetime of Pere Daniel;but from a passage in Daneau's 'Liber de AJea, ou Breve
remontrance sur Icsjeuxde Cartes ct de Dez/ printedin 1579, he concluded,
"and,in this instance,correctly,"that Lancelot was the old name. By a
royalordinanceof 1G19, thecard-makersof France were requiredto put their
names and devicesupon the Valet of Trcfle;and, from this circumstance,he
considersthatthe name of Lancelot was omitted.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 209
ever, the former names and an antique costume were
restored.According to Pere Daniel'sreadingof the cards,which
isofthe same ingeniouscharacteras thatofthe soldierwhoissaidto have used his pack as a Manual of Devotions,^
the Ace isthe Latin As, a piece of money, which alsosi"y.- nifieswealth; and as money is the sinewsof war, the Ace
has for thisreason the precedenceat Piquet. The Trefle,
or cloverplant,which abounds in the meadows of France,
denotesthata generalought alwaysto encamp hisarmy in
a placewhere he may obtainforageforhiscavahy. Piques
and Carreauxsignifymagazinesof arms, which ought alwaysf to be well stored. The Carreaux were a kind of heavy
arrows which were shotfrom a cross-bow,and which were
so calledfrom theirheads being squared[carre].Ca3m^, "
Hearts," signifiedthe courage ofthe commanders and the^7
soldiers.David, Alexander, Caesar,and Charlemagne are at the
head of the four suitsat Piquet,because troops,hovvever
brave and numerous, yet requireprudent and experienced
^ .leaders.The Queens are, Argine,for Trefle;Rachel, for
T Carreau;Pallas,forPique;and Judith,forCoeur.In Argine,* V Pere Danielfindsthe anagram ofRegina,and having made
J thiscapitaldiscovery,he isenabledto determinethatthis
: ; Queen was Mary of Anjou,wifeof CharlesVII. Rachel
representsthe fairAgnes Sorel,mistressof CharlesVII;
and the chasteand warlikePallasisbut an emblem ofJoan
ofArc. Judith isnot the Jewish heroinewho cut ofi*the
head ofHolofemes, but the Empress Judith,wife ofLouis
le Debonnaire; but even this Judith is merely a repre-sentative
of IsabelofBavaria,wifeof CharlesVI. In David
" * The PerpetualAlmanac, or a Gentleman Soldier*sPrayer-book,shewinghow one Kichard Middleton was taken beforethe Mayor of the cityhe was in
forusingcardsin church,duringDivine Service.*14
""^"
%
210 PLAYING CARDS.
he sees a typificationof CharlesVII, in consequence of u
conformityin theirdestinies: David, afterhaving been loiif.-
persecutedby Saul,hisfather-in-law,at length obtainedthr
crown ; but, in the midst of his prosperity,was troubled
with the revoltof his son Absalom : and Charles VII, afte]
having been disinheritedand proscribed by his fathei
Charles VI," or rather by Isabel of Bavaria," glorious!}
reconquered his kingdom ; but the latteryears of hishT(
were rendered unhappy by the restlessspiritand wickec)
characterof his son, Louis XL
In his accoimt of the Valets,Pere Daniel isnot so imagi-native
as in the explicationof the double and triple
characterswhich he sees representedby the Kings anc:
Queens. La Hire is the famous Stephen de Vignoles
sumamed La Hire, a devoted adherent of Charles VII
wliileHector is supposed to be intended for Hector d(
Galard,another famous captainof the same period. Hogici
and Lancelotare allowed to pass simply in theirown propei
characters,as heroesof romance. ^
It would appear to be the opinion of Mons. DuchesnC;
that the oldestFrench Piquet cards that have been dis-covered,
are those formerly belonging to a Mons. Ilenin..
who found them in the cover of an oldbook. Mons. Heuin
having disposed of them to Messrs. Colnaghi, the well-knowTi printsellers,of London, they were purchased of the
latterforthe Bibliothequedu Roi. They are engraved on
wood, and coloured;and in the table of contents prefixed
' Daniel,* Mc^moircsnr rOriginedu jeudc Piquet,trouv6 dans I'histoired"
France, sous lerbgne de CharlesVII/.printedin the Journalde Trdvoux, for
May, 1720. A summary of this memoir is given by Peignot, who question;the correctnessof Daniers explanations,but yet does not venture to say what
they reallyare " mere gratuitous conceits. .
It would seem that the French
considerthe inventionof Piquet as a point of nationalhonour, and thatthe
nativeauthor who should callitin question,would renderhimself liableto fc
"suspicion of incivism."
DIFFERENT KINDS. 211
to the * Jeux de Tarots et de CartesNumerales/it is as-!sertedthey were executed about 1425.^ But whatevermaybe their date,they are not, in my opinion,of so earlya*
period as eitherthe old uncoloured cards,preservedin the]British Museum, previouslydescribedat page 88 ; or as
those formerlybelonging to Dr. Stukeley. I indeed ques-'
tionmuch ifthey be reallyolderthan the colouredFrenchi
cards,the four Valets, now in the BritishMuseum, and
of which some account willbe found in a subsequentpage. ;
The old French cards in question have the outlines
printed in pale ink, and the colours appear to have been !
appliedby means of a stencil. There are ten of them, all\
impressed on one piece of paper ; and they are placed in ;
two rows, of fiveeach,in the followingorder: ;
Valet, King and Qtjeenof Trejle.King and Queen of Carreau. \Valet, Queen and King of Pique. Queen and King of Cceur. ]
On each of those cards,except the King of Coeur,there;is an inscriptionin Gothic letters. On the Valet of Trefle
"
isthe name Rolan, whilethe King is named Faut-sou," j
Penniless; and the Queen, Tromperie, " Deceit.The King '
of Carreau bearsthe name Coursube, which inold romances \
isthe name given to a Saracen King ; and on the Queen of i
Carreau isthe inscriptionEn toiteJie," Trust to thyself;*' that is,"says Mons. Duchesne, "
ne te fie qu'en toi,"
trustto thyselfonly. The Valet of Pique bearsan inscription
which Mons. Duchesne reads ctardcyand of which he says
he can make nothing. On the Queen of Pique is an
inscriptionwhich appears to Mons. Duchesne to be te aut
diet,but the meaning of which he cannot divine. Mons.
Leber, however, reads itLeaute rf/^^,"-leal
homage ; and
so givesit,in unmistakable characters,in the copy of this
card,in his 'EtudesHistoriques.'The King of Piquebears
* "Ces cartesrarissimcsfaisaicntpartied'unjeude cartesnumeralesgrayees
sur boissous notre roiCharlesVII, vers 1425."
212 TLAYING CARDS. i
the name ofApollin, which isthe name given to a Saracen i
idolin old romances. The inscriptionon the Queen of
Cceur islafoyet pdu " lafoiest perdue," faithis lost.
Itissupposed thattherewas alsoan inscriptionon the \
King of Coeur,but thatithas been cut off,as thiscard is
deficientin itsdue proportions.*The annexed four cards,
executed in theirproper colours,are copied from those
given by Mons. Leber in his' EtudesHistoriques.' The
whole ten are given in the * Jeux de Tarots et de Jeux ;
Numerales,' published by the Society of Bibliophiles
Fran^ais.
Mons. Leber considersthat the names Coursube and
Apollin,which occur on thesecards,corroboratehisopinion
that cards were of Eastern origin,and introduced into
Europe by the Saracens,or Arabs.^ Though agreeingwith
" Duchesne,* Observationssnr lesCartesIkjouer,*intheAnnuaireHistorique,
pp.204-7,1837 ; andLeber,'EtudesHistoriquessur lesCartesajouer,'pp.6-8,
and p.72,1842.* Mons. Leberinsiststhatthosenames confirmthe testimonyof Covclluzzo
"previouslyquotedat page 23" that the game of cards was brought into
Vitcrbo,m 1379,and thatitcame from the country of the Saracens. Mons.
Leber even callsthe figures" Gallo-Sarrazines,"evidentlywishing it to be
supposed that they had been copiedfrom a Saracen or Arabic type." ^Thefollowingisa summary ofhisnotionsof the changesmade in the characters,
when cardswere firstintroducedamongst Clu-istiannations: "Le roide Carreau Ide notrejeudc CharlesVII portelenom deCouesube, pretenduhcrossarrazindontparlcntlesvieuxromanciers; et lenom d'Apollin,inscrita cote du roide
Fique,estceluid'uneidoleimaginairegalementattribueeaux Sarrazins.".
. . On a du d'abord,a quelquesexceptionspres,remplacerlesidoles
par des figurescompatiblesavee lesdogmes et lamorale du christianisme.Le
pape, chefdc VEglisechr6tieune,a pu etresubstitu a Vichnou ; Vermite h.undervis;lamaisonLieu a une pagode ; et,quant aux symbolesg6n^raux,telsque lo
soleilthmorl,\eju^ement,auxquelssont associ^s\qbdteleuret le houffonoufoutila 8ufl5d'yattacherun nouveau sens mystiquesans rienchangeraux images.
Les memes substitutionss'op^rentdans lesportraitsdes princeset des h^ros,
figuresd'un autre ordrequisont passdesexelusivement,avec leur suite,dans ]r"$conon)icdu jeuFranfais.""EtudesHistoriquessur lesCartes a jouer,p. 72." Mons. Leber appears here to narrate a dream which he had afterrockinghimselfasleepou hisArabianhobby-horse.
\_
DIFFERENT KINDS. 213
Mons. Leber,in theopinionthatcardsare ofEastern origin, \
I cannot yet see how this opinion is confirmed by two ;
names, which, as designatinga Moorish king,and a Maho- :
metan idol,appear tohave been merely the inventionof a ;
French romance writer,and to have been capriciously!
bestowed upon a King of Diamonds and a King of Hearts \
by an old French card-maker.The supposition,indeed, |
that figureswith these names were to be found on old
Arabic cardsis most preposterous;thereis not a shadow j
of evidenceto show that any characters,whether realor ;
imaginary,were ever popularlyknownby these names,
amongst peopleof Arabic origin;and even if therewere .
the paintingthem upon cardswouldhave been considered i
as a violationof the law of Mahomet, by whom all such |
representationswere strictlyprohibited.With equal pro- ;
bability.Mons.Leber might assertthatcards were a Jewish :
invention,because the names ofDavid, Rachel,andJudith I
are to be found on them ; or thatPiquet was invented m j
the time of Charlemagne, in consequence of one of the ,
Kings bearinghisname, and two ofthe Valetsbeingnamed ;
aftertwo ofhisPaladins,-HogierandRoland. The long
|note in the
' PrecisHistorique sur lesCartes a jouer pp.|13-17, on the subjectof
Coursube and Apollin,and Mons. |Leber's more lengthycomment on it,have much of the,
characterof thatkind of discussionwhichwas compared by
Demonax to one man mUking a he-goat,and anotherholdmg
a sieveto catchthe milk.
The originalsof theannexedfourcards,representing
the
Valets,or Knaves, of the foursuitsknownm England as
Hearts,Diamonds, Clubs,and Spades,are m my opmion o^
at least,as earlya date as the cards contammgthenam^
Coursube and Apollin. Mons. Duchesne and Mons. Leber
judgingfrom the costume ofthe last-namedcards"greem
suppoing,or, rather,confidentlyassertmg,
thatthey were
214 PLAYING CARDS.
executed about 1425, in the reign of CharlesVII. Con-clusions,
however, drawn from the costume displayed on
cards are not of much weight in the determinationof a
date, seeing that persons supposed to be well acquainted
with the subjectof costume have not been able to deter-mine,
from that alone,the date of any old drawing, even
withinfiftyyears. To whatever periodthe costume of the
''Coursube*'cards may belong, that of the four Knaves
may be fairlypresumed to be of as earlya period; but yet,
lookingat the costume of the latter,and the styleof theii
execution,I shouldnot take them to be of an earlierdate
than 1480. Supposing them to be of that date, I think
itwillbe generallyadmitted,by allacquainted with the
subject,that,in pointof drawing, as expressiveof action
and character,they may fairlyrank with the best speci-mens
of wood-engraving executed previously to that
period.Those fourKnaves, which are now in the print-room of
the BritishMuseum, were discoveredby the writer,in the
covers of an old book, vvhichhe bought of Mr. Robert
Crozicr,bookseller,27, Bow Street,about the latterend
of December, 1841. The book, which is a; small quarto,had formerlybelonged to the CathedralLibrary of Peter-borough,^
and itssubjectisthe Sermons of St.Vincent de
Ferrer,a Spanish friar,of greatreputein his day,who died
in 1419: itwanted both the title-pageand the last leaf,
and, consequently,had no date; but, looking at the cha-racter
of the type," old Gothic" and the rude execution ofthe initialletters,I should conclude that itwas printedin
France,within the lastten years of the fifteenthcentury.
" Tliisbook was sold,togetherwith others from the CathedralLibrary ofPeterborough,by Mr. Hodgson, 192 Elect street,Dec. 13"18, 1841. In
Jiiscatalogue.No. 1492, itisthus described; " Sermoues M. Vincentii(wantsend).'*
'\
7.
/"
DIFFERENT KINDS. 215
The other leavesforming,with the cards,the" boards" of
the cover, were portions of the gloss,or commentary, ofNicholasde Lyra, on the Old Testament ; which leaves,
apparently,are of a date somewhat olderthan the volume.Seeing that old cards have so often been found in the
covers of old books, it might be conjecturedthat certain
pious persons had made it a point of conscienceto thus
employ them, forusefulpurposes; thissuppositionis,how-ever,
rendered untenable by the fact of thosecards being
intermixedwith the piouslucubrationsof Nicholasde Lyra.
Besidesthetwo squaresof paper containingthefourKnaves,
there were also two other squares,consistingof"
pips"
of Diamonds and Hearts,which were so arranged thateach
square of paper might be cut intofour cards : the low cards
on one square were, the Nine, Four, Five, and Seven ofDiamonds; and those on the other, the Ten, Four, Five,
and Eight of Hearts. The "
pips" on thoselow cardswere
evidentlyimpressedby means of a stencil.
On one square of paper were the Valets of Clubs and
Spades," Lancelot and Hogier; and on another, the
Valets of Diamonds and Hearts," that of Diamonds
being named Rolant, and that of Hearts containing the
inscription,"Valery: f." Though each piece of paper
containedfourcards, it yet displayedonly two diflFerent
characters,"the Valet of each suit occurring on it being
repeated in the alternatecompartments.The outlinesof
the figiu-esand the names have evidentlybeen engraved on
wood, and are printed in a brownish colour,"something
like Indian ink mixed with bistre; and the colourshave
been laid on by means of stencils. The names of these
Valets,-Rolant, "Valery:f,"Lancelot,and Hogier," com-pared
with those occurring on other French cards of an
earlydate, seem to prove that,originally,theFrench coat
cards received their names merely at the capriceof the
216 PLAYING CARDS-
card-maker. Any argument, therefore,respectingthe
originof cards,or the inventionof Piquet, as founded on
the names of the coat cards, must be utterlywithoutfoundation.
With respectto the names of thoseValets,it seems to
be generallyagreed that Roland, spelledRolant on the
cards, was the nephew of Charlemagne, so famed in
romance, and that Hogier, or Ogier, was the renowned
Hogier of Denmark. According to a modern author,this
hero was a grandson of Pepin of Heristal,the great-grandfather
of Charlemagne; and the appellation,"of
Denmark," was conferredon him, not from his being of
thatkingdom, but from hisbeing a nativeof Dane-marche,
that is,of the districtnow calledArdennes. The same
author also informs us, that Hogier was a descendant ofSt. Hubert of Ardennes; and, for a confirmationof the
fact,refers to the dog seen in an old Valet of Spades,
of which he gives a copy in his work : in the irregular
line of the more distantground, in the same card,he sees
an indicationof the uneven surfaceof the districtofArdennes.* An inspectionof the four Valets in question
willenableany person to decideon the valueof hisspecu-lations:threeofthoseValets," Rolant,Hogier,and Lancelot,
"are accompanied by dogs; and the line of the more
distantground in two of the subjectsisnearlylevel; while
the sUght eminence in the third"Rolant" evidentlyindi-cates
a rabbit-burrow. If such stuff as Mons. Barrois
' " LMmage du valetde pique porte aveo elleune preuve de la nationality
ardennoise;Ogier,comme tons lesdescendantsde SaintHubert d'Ardennes,avaitleprivilegede gu6rirFhydrophobieet d'enpreserver L'action
est r^clproque: le chien ne suit pas, ils'clancepour implorer protectionet
assistance,et leneveu de SaintHubert aecordeson intervention
IIest a remarquer que lecorps du cliicnest en partic cache par rescarperaent
du terrain,caractcristiqucdu pays dcs Ardennes."" Elcmcus Carlovingienslinguistiqucset litt^raires(parJ.Barrois),p. 265, Ito,Paris,1846.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 217
drivelsforthon the subjectof cards pass for antiquarianknowledge in France, itwould seem that an ass-loadof
useless book-learning constitutedthe grand qualification
of a French antiquary.With respectto Lancelot, the readerisleftto determine
whether the name were intended for one of the Paladins ofthe court of Charlemagne, or Lancelotdu Lac, one of the
Knights of King Arthur's Round Table. The appearance
of thisname on the Valet of Clubs proves that Daniel was
right in his conjecture,as has been previouslyobserved;though Mons. Leber seems to argue thathe eitherwas, or
ought to have been, wrong.^The name Valery, which occurs on theKnave ofHearts,
has not been found on any one of the other old cardshithertodiscovered; and from the circumstanceof itshaving
the letter/ afterit,which might be intended to signify
"fecit,'*itmight be supposed that itwas the card-maker's
name. It is,however, to be observedthatthe word "fecit"is of ver}'rare occurrence, as signifyingthe work of the
artistwhose name precedesit,on engravings,forwhatever
purpose executed,of the fifteenthcentury. Itmay even be
asserted,with small hazard of contradiction,that/ as an
abbreviationof "fecit,"in itsartisticappHcation,is not
' "Le P. Danielpose en faitque *lenom du quatri^me valet(levaletde
trefle)estinconuu,parce qu*iln*y a pas longtemps que les faiseursde jeuxde
cartes I'oniaboli,en mettant leurnom tllaplacede celuide ce valet.' D croit
pourtant I'avoirtrouv6 dans le traitsde Daneau, d'ou ilresulterait,selonlui,
que c'etaitLancelot. Si Daniel avaitpu consulterlespiecesdu XVI" siecle,iln'auraitpas liasard"$ce jugementconjectural; ilauraitcraintque sa conjec-ture
ne fut pas exacte, parce que les noms des cartesayant beaucoup vari^,Lancelot pouvait n'etre point celuidu valet de trefledu temps de I'auteur
dont ils'appuie. H n*auraitpas dit que les faiseursde cartes ont aboli ce
valet'pour mettre leur nom a laplace du sien,parce qu'ilauraitapprisque
cette substitutionde noin leur fut impos^e par une ordonnance de Louis XIII,
a laquelleilsont du se soumettre."" Etudes Historiques sur les Cartes a
joucr,p. 32.
218 PLAYING CARDS.
to be found on a singleengraving, whether on wood or
copper,executedpreviousto the year 1500.
For whateverperson the name of Valery may have beeii
intended,itseems certainthatitisnot to be found as that
of a distinguishedcharacter in any of the old French
romances. Mons. Paulin Paris,having been consultedon
thissubject,thus giveshisopinion,in a letteraddressedto
his friend,Thomas Wright, Esq., so well known for his
numerous publicationson Middle-Age Literature; " The
name of the Valet of Hearts seems to me extremelycurious,for it ought necessarilyto bring to mind the name ofErart de Valeriythefamous companion of CharlesofAnjou,King of Sicily,to whom hiscontemporarieschieflyascribedthe gain of the battleof Tagliacozza,in which Manfred
[theopponent ofCharles]was killed.* Itmight, therefore,
be supposed that the pack [towhich the four Valetsin
questionbelonged]was eitherof SiciUanor Italianfabrica-tion;
for the names Lancelot,Roland, Ogier, and Valeri
were equallyfamiliarto the Siciliansof the fourteenth
century. I have said a few words about thisErard de
Valery in the articleon CharlesofAnjou,in my Romancero
Frangois."^
Though by no means agreeingwith Mons. Paulin Paris,
thatthesecardswere eitherof Italiandevising,or manu-facture,I am yet inclinedto thinkthathisconjectureabout
the name of Valery iscorrect,and that a corroborationofit
' CharlesofAnjou,brotherof St.Louis,receivedtheinvestitureoftheking-dom
of Naplesand Sicily,in 1265.* " Lc nom du valetde caur me paroitextremcment curieux; car ildoit
n^cessairementrappelerle nom d'Erartde Valeri,le fameux compagnon de
Cliarlesd'Anjou,roide Sicile,celuiauquel lescontemporains attribuoienten
grandcpartielegain dc hibataillede Tagliacozza,dans laqucllepi^ritManfred.Nous pouvons done croircque le jcuaura ^tc faiten Sicile-ou en Italic;carlesquatre noms Lancelot,Roland, Ogier,et Valeri dtoicntegalcmcnt familiers
aux souvenirsdcs Sicilicnsdu XIV "
siccle.J'aidit un mot de cet Erard de
Valerya Tarticlcdc Charlesd'Anjou,dans raon Romancero Franjois."
DIPFBRBNT KINDS. 219
IS to be found in the inscriptionon the Valetde Pique,in
the "Coursube" cards,previouslynoticedat page 21 L This
inscriptionisread darde, by Mons. Duchesne; but, to my
eye,the letters,as theyappear inthe fac-similegiven in the
specimens of cardspublishedby the Societyof Bibliophiles
Frangois,appear much more Uke the name erarde; and if,
on a carefulexamination of the original,it should be
ascertainedthat thiswas the word intended,I should then
unhesitatinglyconclude that the person representedby this
card was Erard de Valery. The objectionthat one of
thosecards isthe Valet of Hearts,and the other the Valet
of Spades, isof no weight, forthe old French card-makerswere by no means consistentinthepracticeof alwaysgivingthe same name to the same card. From the red rose which
appears on the shieldheld by Valery,an Englishman mightbe justifiedin supposing thatthosecards,ifnot of EngUsh
manufacture, were more especially,ifnot exclusively,fabri-cated
forthe English market, at a period shortlyafterthe
accessionof Henry VII,^ when the Red Rose of Lancaster
had obtainedthe ascendency. By assuming,indeed,a small
portionof French hcense on thissubject,it might even be
assertedthat those cards were of English manufacture;
seeingthat they were discoveredin the covers of a book
which had formerlybelonged to an EngUsh monastery,and
thatthe features,expression,and bodilyproportionsof the
Valetsare rathercharacteristicof Englishmen than French-men.
In support of this speculation,it may furtherbe
observed that,in former times,monks were accustomed to
act as their own bookbinders, and thatthere is reason to
* Henry VII ascendedthe tlironein 1485." Mons. Duchesne observesthat,
of allthe old cardspreservedin the Bibliothequedu Roi, only one displaysa
rose, " namely, a king. There isan old coat card,engraved on copper,in the
print-room of the British Museum, which, like that aUudcd to by Mons.
Duchesne, has a rose as the mark of the suit.
220 PLAYING CARDS.
believethatplayingcardswere manufacturedinEngland as
earlyas 1403.*
In thelatterquarterofthefifteenthcentury,severalpacks,
or sets,of cards were engraved on copper,having the suits
distinguishedby figuresevidentlyintroducedaccordingto
the fancyof the artist,and bearing no resemblanceto those
which occur on cards of an earlierdate. As the art of
engravingon copper was then of recent invention,and its
productionscomparativelyscarce and high priced,itmay be
concluded that those cards were chieflyintended for the
amusement of the wealthierclasses. Though Mons. Leber
isof opinion that such cards were not intended for the
purpose of play,it is yet certainthat they might be so
employed ; seeingthattheyconsistof the same number of
suitsas the common cards of the period,and have alsoin
eachsuit,likethelatter,a certainnumber ofcoat cards,and a
certainnumber ofotherswhich have theirvalue determined
by the number of marks impressedon them. One of Mons.
Leber'sreasons for concludingthat such cards were not
intendedforthe purposesof play,is,thatbeing delicately
engraved on copper,itcannot be supposed that they were
meant to receivethe colouringwhich, in hisopinion,was
essentialto a pack ofcards.^It may, however, be observedthat people may play very well with uncoloured cards,more especiallywhen thesuitsare so strikinglydistinguished
as in the cardsalludedto.
* Sec tho prohibitionagainstthe importationof playingcards,in 1403 ;
enactedby Parliament,in consequenceof the complaintsof the manufacturers
and tradesmenofLondon and otherpartsof England, againstthe importation
of foreignmanufacturedwares, which greatlyobstructedtheirown employment,
previouslyreferredto at page 96." Mons. Leber, afterhaving noticedBulger'sobjectionto the so-called
Tarocchicards,from theirsizeand want of numeral cards,thus proceeds:" II
auraitpu ajouterque dcsgravurcscx"3cut6csavec tant de soins,quo Icschcfs-d'ccuvrcd'un artnouveau, dont Icpremiermdritcs*appr6ciaitpar la beauts de
DIFFERENT KINDS. 221
Perhapsthe earliestspecimens of the cards in question
are thosewhich have Hares,Parroquets,Pinks,and Colum-bines
as the marks of the suits,and of which a complete
pack, or set,of fifty-twopieces,isnow in the Bibliotheque
du Roi.^ They are not cut up, but appear justas they
came from thehands of theprinter,and eachseparatepieceof
papercontainseitherfour or sixcards. The fourAces form
one plate;thenumeral cardsfrom Four to Nine are contained
on fourplates; and the Twos and Threes appear promis-cuously
mixed with the coat cards on fiveplatesmore.
Tiieform of thesecardsiscircular,and in each suitthere
are fourcoat cards,namely, a King, a Queen, a Squire,and
a Knave.^ The distinctionbetween the two latteris not
indeedvery clearlyexpressedinthe costume ; though there
cannot be a doubt thatthelowestcharacteristhatwliichin
rempreinte,n'ontpu etredestinesh.recevoirrenluminure qui entreessentielle-
ment dans la confectiondu jeude cartes; et cetteobservations'appliquea
plusieurssuitesd'estampesdu mcme genreetdu meme siecle,dont quelques-unes
sont conserv6csau cabinetroyal. L^, commc dans Ics collectionsde Londres
etd'Alleinagne,ellessont toutcsen feuilleset en noir.Non-seulementTetranget^
des signesdistinctifsdes couleurs,mais laforme meme de ccs gravures,repous-
seraitTidded'unedestinationsemblableh,celledu jeude carteseurop^en. Lcs
unes arrondiesen medaillons,rappellentlechamp circulairedes cartesindiennes:
d'autrescouvrent un carr^d'in-i";lesplus communes sont des carres longs;
mais au lieudes couleurspropresaux cartesa jouer,on n'y voitque des images
d'oiseaux,de quadrupedes,de fleurs,de fruits; ce sont des perroquetset des
paons, des lievresetdes ours, des singeset deslions,des grenades,des roses, et
tons autresobjetsdont lechoix devaitetrepuremcnt arbitraire,quandiln*^tait
pas Texpressiond'unjeunouveau."" Etudes Historiquessur lcsCarteshjouer,
p.18.* Those cardsformerlybelongedto a Mons. Volpato,and wore purchasedof
lum,fortheBibliothequedu Roi, in 1833. He receivedin exchange some
cardsof the same pack ;and theset,completedwith fac-simildrawingsofsuch
as were wanting,were recentlyinthepossessionofMessrs.Smith,ofLisle-street,
Leicester-square,to whom they were sentby Mons. Volpato forsale.^
' Tliethirdcharacterinthosecoat cardscannotproperlybe calleda Cavalier,
and has indeedvery littlepretensionsto thedesignationof Squire.The Knaves
are evidentlycommon foot-soldiers,such as were known in Italyby thename
ofFanti.
223 PLATING CARDS.
each suitisrepresentedas running, and thus plainlycor-responding
with the ItalianFante. The highest of the
numeral cardsistheNine, therebeing no Ten in thispack,
^rhe respectivenumber of each is marked at the top in
Arabic cyphers,and at the bottom in Roman numerals.
At the bottom also,withinthe outer circleofthe border,arc
the lettersT. W., probablyintended forthe initialsof the
engraver.* Whoever he might be, his name isimknown ;
and only one othersubjectofhis engraving is noticedby
Bartsch. In the annexed specimens are shown the King,
Queen, and Ace of Hares ; the Squire of Columbines ; the
Deuce and Squire of Pinks ; and the Knave and Nine ofParroquets. On each of the Aces there is an inscription
on a scroll,as on the Ace of Hares; on the latter,the
language islow German "
" PiattDuitsch"" and the words
form a rhyming couplet:
Ave mi deint me vin,
Daerom mot ic en lepus sin.
The precisemeaning of thisit is not easyto make out ;
but takingthe contractedword Ave to have been intended
for Auwe, a meadow, the coupletmay be thus " done into
English;"
Me o*er fieldsmen keen pursue,ThereforeI*m theHare you view.
But supposingtheword Ave to have been meant forAugen,
the eyes,and giving a shght turn to one or two other
words, the meaning would be that the hare was calledLepus " quasiLippus " on account of itsbleareyes.
Mons. Duchesne saysthat,on the platecontainingthe
Aces,thereisa datewrittenin an oldhand, but he omits to
" From the difScultyof givingin a wood-engravingthose small letterswith
sufBcientclearness,they are omittedin the annexed specimens. The numeralsare alsoomitted,exceptin the Two of Pinks.
Circular Cards. XVth Century, (p.223.)
1
i
Circular Cards. XVth Century, (p.222.)
2
I
Circular Cards. XVth Century, (p.222.)
3
i
Circular Cards. XVth Century, (p.222.)
4
I
DIFFERENT KINDS. 223
mention what itis. In the ' Jeux de CartesTarotset de
CartesNumerales/where allthe fifty-twopiecesare given,
they are said to have been engraved about 1477. These
cards,though of the same form,and having the same marks
of the suitsas those describedby Bartsch, and noticedby
Singer,are yet the work of a differentengraver.In the circularcards describedby Bartsch and Singer,
the inscriptionon the Ace of Hares is in Latin,and the
initialsof the engraver, T. W., are wanting. From a
wrapper, of which a fac-simileisgiven by Singer,itwould
appear thatthosecards were engraved at Cologne ; and it
has been supposed thatthey are of as earlya date as 1470.
They are unquestionablythe work of eithera German or
a Flemish artist; and some amateurs of engraving have
erroneouslyascribedthem to Martin Schon, or Schongauer.
Bartsch,in his descriptionof them, includesa fifthsuit,
namely, thatof Roses; and saysthateach suitconsistedofthirteencards,which would thus give sixty-fivepiecesfor
the complete pack. Mr. Singer, also,in his account of
such of those cards as were formerly in the collectionofMr. Douce, givesitas hisopinion,that the complete pack
ought to consistof fivesuitsof fourteencardseach," in all,
seventy pieces.* Mons. Duchesne, however, thinks that
thoseauthorsare wrong, and that the complete pack con-sisted
of only foursuitsof thirteencardseach,as displayed
by thosepreservedin the Bibliothequedu Roi. But as he
entirelyoverlooksthe difficultyof accountingfora suitofRoses, engraved in the same style,he does not seem to be
justifiedin pronouncing so decisivelythat Bartsch and
Singer are wrong in supposing that a complete pack con-sisted
of fivesuits;for it is by no means unlikelythat a
fifthsuitmight have been introducedby the artist,with a
" Bartsch,Peintre-graveur,torn,x, pp. 70-6." Singer,Researches into the
Historyof Playing Cards,p. 45-6,alsopp. 205-8.
224 PLATING CARDS.
view of givingvarietyto the game, but which might have
been subsequentlydiscarded,as inconsistentwith the old
establishedprinciplesofthe game, and as only making it
more complicated,withoutrenderingitmore interesting.
There isanother pack, or set,of cards,also engraved on
copper,and of the same period as those lastdescribed,
which seems to requu-esome notice here,not only on
account ofthemarks employed to distinguishthesuits,but
alsoon account of the means by which those marks were
repeatedon thedijQTerentcards. The completepack appears
to have consistedof fifty-twopieces; each of the foursuits
containingfourcoat and nine numeral cards" the place of
theTen, as intheothertwo packs,being suppliedby a fourth
coat card. The marks of the suitsare : 1, Human figures;2, Bears and Lions ; 3, Deer ; and 4, Birds. These cards
are oflargesize,being about fiveinchesand seven eighthshigh,by about three and a half wide. The name of the
engraverisunknown ; but they are believedto be thework
of the German artistusuallyknown to amateurs as** The
Masterof 14C0." In the coat cardsthe mark of the suitis impressedfrom a differentplate; and as it sometimesoccurs surrounded by the work of the coat card, it has
been ascertainedthatin such instancesa blank space had
been leftforitssubsequentimpression. The marks on the
numeral cardswere alsoprinted in the same manner, by
means ofimpressionsfrom separateplates.In the collectionof Thomas Wilson, Esq., there were
twenty-nineof thosecards,togetherwith fourteendrawings
of othercardsofthe same pack,and elevenanimals on sepa-rate
plates,formingthemarks ofthesuits. Those cardswere
purchased of Mr. Wilson by Mr. Tiffin,printseller,West
* In the 'CatalogueRaisonnd of the selectCollectionof Engravings of an
.
Ainateur*[Mr.Wilson]a fulldescriptionis givenof thosecards,pp. 87-91.4to,1828.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 225
Strand,who again sold them to the Bibliothequedu Roi,
where othersof the same pack are also preserved. Fac-
simUes of thirty-sevenare given in the ' Jeux de Cartes
Tarots et de CartesNumerales/published by the Society
of BibliophilesFrancois. In the Table des Matierespre-fixedto thatwork, itisindeedsaidthatthereare forty;but,
on lookingat theirplate,No. 91, itwillbe perceivedthatthe
threecoat cardstheregiven do not properlybelong to the
pack in question; forthe mark on two ofthem isa kind offlowersomething like a sweet-pea,and on the otheritisa
rose.i Mons. Duchesne, who appearsto have suppliedthe
PrecisHistoriqueprefixedto the work above named, shouldhave distinctlymentioned that the three coat cards in
questionwere not of the same pack or set,which has Human
figures,Bears and Lions,Deer, and Bu-ds,as the marks ofthe suits. If they reallydid belong to the same pack,it
must then have consistedofat leastsixsuits.The annexed fourcards,engraved on copper,are copied
from specimensgiven by Breitkopf,in his'Enquiry intothe
Origin of Playing Cards ;* who there describesthem as
''German Piquet cardsofthefifteenthcenturywithTrappola
characters." The completepack appearsto have consisted
* One ofthesecards,a Queen,isevidentlycopiedfrom the Queen of Deer,
but having a kind of floweras the mark ofthe suit,insteadof a Deer. Those
two Queens,so preciselythe same inform,attitude,and costume,most certainlydidnot belongto the same pack.
* 'Deutsche Piquet-Kartenaus den XV lahrhundertemitTrappolaBlattem.*
The use of the word Trappolaby writerson thehistoryof playingcards,without
clearlyexplainingthe sense in which they employ it,leadsto much confusion.It properlysignifiesa game; which may be played with any kind of numeral
cards consistingof four suits,whatever the marks may be. Breitkopfseems
hero to apply the term "Trappola Blattem" to cards which have Swords,
Batons,Cups,and Money as the marks ofthesuits;inthe same manner as the
cardsnow in common use inthiscountry are calledby writerson the subject,French Piquetcards. It isnever, however,supposedthatthegame dependsin
the leaston the marks ofthe suits.
15
226 PLAYING CARDS.
offifty-twocards;each of the foursuitscontaminga King,
Queen, and Valet, or Knave, as we term the character;
togetherwith ten numeral cards. The marks of the suits
were Swords; Clubs (proper,not Trefles);Cups; and
Pomegranates. The lattermark is substitutedfor thatof
Money ; and was perhaps intended by the artistto com-memorate
the marriage of Philipthe Fair, son of the
Emperor Maximilian,with Joanna,daughterof Ferdinand
and Isabella,King and Queen of Spain; who, on theirsub-jugationof the kingdom of Grenada, in 1497, appearto
have adopted the Granada^ or Pomegranate, as one of their
badges.^ The cardsunquestionablybelong to thatperiod;
and in supportof the speculation,it may be further ob-served
thattheyare generallyascribedto Israelvan Mecken;
who, as a nativeof Bocholt,was a subjectof PhiUp, whoinheritedthe Netherlands,in rightof hismother, Mary ofBurgundy.
Von Murr, in the second volume of hisJournal,givesa
descriptionof a nearlycompletepack of thosecards,which
were then in thepossessionof a gentleman named Silberrad,
residingat Nuremberg, but which are now in the British
Museum.^ He callsthem old Trappola cards,and saysthat
they are certainlyof an earUerdate than the time of Israel
van Mecken the younger ; or rather, that they were
engraved by Israelthe elder. "The suits,"he says,"
are distinguished,afterthe Italianmanner, by Spade ;
CoppB ; Danari (representedby Pomegranates); and
' From the time of the marriageof Joanna's sister,Catherineof Arragon,
with Arthur,Prince of "Wales,tillabout the time of her separationfrom his
brother,Henry "Viil,the pomegranate was frequentlyintroducedas an ornament
inthe royaldecorationsand furnitureofthe Englishcourt.* Those cardswere purchasedof Messrs.Smith, of Lisle street,who also
suppliedthe Museum with the two sets of old Italianengravings,usually
calledTarocchicards.
Swords (p.227.)
I
Cups. (p.227.)
I
Batons, (p. 227.)
"" I'
" Vi"ir
Money, (p. S27.)
DIFFERENT KINDS, 227
Bastoni."* The cardsdisplayedintheprecedingspecimens
are : the Deuce of Swords ; the Valet of Cups ; the Ten ofPomegranates; and theTen of Clubs. In thelatter,the Club
seen on the banner is rough and knotty,and not an arti-ficially-formedBaton, as is sometimes seen on old Italian
cards: it has previouslybeen observed that the Bastoni
were sometimes calledColonne, from theirbeing somethingUke slenderpillars.
It would appear, from the testimony of contemporary
authors,that the cards most commonly used in Italyin the
latterpart of the fifteenthcentury,were those which had
Spade, Coppe, Bastoni, and Danari " Swords, Cups,
Batons, and Money, " as the marks of the suits. These
continuedto be the common marks on ItaUan cardsin the
sixteenthcentury,and even to a much laterperiod; and
such alsowould appear to have been the marks of the cards
used in Spain,from the periodof theirfirstintroduction
intothatcountry,to the presentday. The annexed wood-cuts,
copiedfrom a plateinBreitkopf,are theSevensofeach
ofthefoursuitsina pack ofTarots. The marks are preciselythe same as in modern Tarots; and thereisreason to be-lieve
thattheyare nearlythe same, with respectto form, as
thoseoftheearliestItalianTarocchicards,properlyso called.The relationwhich the marks of the suitsbear to each
otherin the threevarietiesof cards most generallyknown
in Europe, willperhaps be bestunderstood from thefollow-ing
summary, which shows, at one view, the names given to
the suitsof each varietyinthe countrywhere such cardswere
chieflyused.
* " Die Karte istnach WalsicherArt in Spade, Coppe, Danabi, (dieaberliieralsGranatapfelvorgesteiltsind,)und Bastoni getheilet.""Von Murr, Journal
zur Kunstgeschicht,iivTheil,s. 200.' Breitkopf improperlycallsthose cards
** Traj)polier-Karie"'-TrapTpo]"
cards. Arctiuc,in his' Carte Parlanti/makci a distinctionbetweenthegame
ofTrappola,and thatplayedwith Tarocchicaras.
JJ28 PLAYING CARDS.
GERMAN CARDS.
German Names oftheSuits.
Hebzew, OderRoth. Geun. Eichbln. Schbileit.
(Hearts,or Rep, Geeen (Leaves).Acoens. Bells.)
SPANISH AND ITALIAN CARDS.
In the oldestcards of the German and Spanish type
there appears to have been no Queen. In the German
pack,the second coat card was a kind of superiorofficer,
distinguishedas Ober," Upper, Superior; whilethe third,
correspondingwithour Knave,was namedUNTER," Inferior.^
The Spaniards calledthe second coat card Caballo," the
Horseman or Knight ;" and the Knave they calledSota,
a word which, in the Dictionaryof the Spanish Academy,
* " n y a danschaque cotJeurun roi,nn officiersup^rieurou capitamenottim^Ober,et un bas-oflOLcier,appel^ Unter. On appelleencore de nos joursdansTempire,olilesmots franpaisne sont pas si en vogue, lesofficierssup^rieurs
oberleute,et lesbas-oflficiersunterleute.Les Eranpaisont substitu^ laplacede
PoflBicierune dame, et a laplacedes bas-officiersdesvalets,ou des braves,comme
Bulletlesnomme. Le bas-officierdes glands est nomm^ en Allemagne, der
groszementzel,et celuide vert,der kleinementzel; enfin.Fas porte le nom de
(^w.'*" Heineken,Iddc g^n^raled'uneCollectioncompile d'Estampes,p.239-
DIFFERENT KINDS. 229 ]
issaidto be derivedfrom theItaliansoto,signifying'under/*
The Italianscalledtheirsecond coat cardCavallo, and the
thirdFante ; in each of the four suitsthe principalcoat i
card was the King. Itwould, however,appear thatat an \earlyperiod,the Italiansoccasionallysubstituteda Queen |forthe Cavallo;and if the cardsformerlybelonging to the I
Marquis Girolamo be reallyof so earlya date as isassigned ito them by Millin, itwould seem that the French have no
justtitleto the'* honour" of being the firstto introducea \
Queen as the second coat card,and that in having made" Place aux Dames," in the pack, theyhad only followed \
theexample set them by the Itahans. i
Millin'snotice of thosecardsis to the followingefiect:
"In the collectionof the Marquis Girolamo, at Venice,
thereare some cardsofvery earlydate," about the begin-ning
of the fifteenthcentury. They are largerthan the \ordinarycardsW thepresentday ; they are alsoverythick
- \
and the materialof which they are formed resemblesthe ;
cotton paper of ancientmanuscripts. The figures,which jare impressed"
* imprimees'"on a gold ground, consistof ]threeKings, two Queens, and two Valets,one of the last
being on horseback. Each figurehas a Baton, a Sword, or ]
a pieceof Money [asthe mark of the suit].The designis.
verylikethatof JacobellodelFiore; but thework has the
appearance of impression,and the colours seem to have j' ** SoTA. La tercera figura,que ti^nenlos naipes,la qual representael
infante,6 soldado. Dixose de lavoz Italianasoto,que valedebaxo,porque vd
despuesde lasfigurasde Key, y Caballo,qne le son superiores."" ^Ina superficial
paper on oldplaying-cards,by thebarondeRcifTenberg,printedinthe * Bulletins
de rAcaddmie Royale desSciences,desLettres,etdesBeaux-Arts de Belgique/
No. 10^ 1847,the Sota istransformedintoa female:" Dans lesjeuxde cartes \
espagnols,la dame et le valet6taientremplac^s par le cavalloet lasota,le jcavalieret la/ille." ';
* Mons. Duchesne, isof opinionthatthe Marquis Girolamo*Scardsbelonged "
to the same pack or set as the so-calledGringonneur cards preservedin the |Bibliothequedu Roi. If Millin'sdescription,however, be correct,Mons. |
Duchesne isunquestionablywrong. ]
230 PLATING CARDS.
been appliedby means of a stencil.They are the most
ancientspecimensoftheirkind."*
As the names. Clubs and Spades,given to two of the
suitsin this country,by no means correspond with the
marks by which they are distinguished," to wit,theFrench
^"^^and Pique" 1 am inclinedto considerthem as the
old names forthe suitsof Bastoniand Spade ; Clubs being
merely a translationof Bastoni, and Spades probably a
corruptionof Spade, or Espadas," Swords.^ Erom these
names, indeed,it may be fairlysupposed that the cards
firstknown in England were those having Swords, Clubs,
Cups, and Money, as the marks ofthe suits; and thattwo
ofthosesuitsretainedtheirnames when the old cardsof
Spanish or ItaHan type were superseded by thoseof more
" Millin,Pictionnairedes Beaux Arts^torn,i,p. 201.Paris,1806. Quoted
by Peiguot."JacobellodelPiore flourishedabout 1420.^A setof cards,"
con-tainingfiguresofthe gods,with theiremblematicanimals,and figuresof birds
also,"were paintedfor PhilipVisconti,Duke of Milan, who died in 1447.
Decembrio,in hislifeofthisprince,in the 20th volume ofthe* Rerum Italica-
rum Scriptores,*says that they costfifteenhundred piecesof gold, and were
chieflyexecutedby the prince'ssecretary,Martianus Terdonensis. Prom the
context,itappears that they were not mere pictures,but were intendedfor
some kindofgame. "
^Aretine,in his * Carte Parlanti,'speaks with admirationof
a pack of cardspamted by Jacopo delGiallo,a Florentineartistwho flourished
about 1540.* It isbut fairto observehere thattlieDutch name forthe suit which we
callSpades,isScopya Shovel,or Spade; and that as thisname hasbeen evidently
givento the suitfrom the mark bearingsome resemblanceto a spade,the same
suitmight have been calledSpades by the Englishfor the same reason. This
objection,however,doesnot afl'ectthe conjecturewith respect to Clubs. In
the Nugae Vcnales,printed in Holland, 1648, we meet with the following:" Query. Why are the Four Kings of cards,Diamonds, Trefoil,Hearts,,andSpades" Rhombuli, Trifolii,Cordis,et Ligonis" always poor? " Answer. Be-cause
they are alwaysat play; and play,according to the proverb,is man's
perdition.Theirstateisalsoin otherrespectsmost miserable;forwhen through
them much money is lost,they arc condemned to the flames,and burnt like
wizards." Tliemodem Dutch names for the suitsof Prench cards are Hart,
"
^Hcart;Rui/tfa lozenge-shapedfigure,a diamond-shaped pane of glass,
"
Diamonds ; Klaver, Clover,Trefoil,"Clubs; Scop,a Spade, Shovel,or Scoop,
" Spades.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 231
recentFrench design. There are also othercircumstances
which strengthenthe conclusion,that cards,on theirfirst
introductionintoEngland, as a populargame, were brought
eitherfrom Spain or Italy; the characterof the thirdcoat
card,the Knave, or Jack, ismore in accordance with the
Spanish Sota, or the ItaUan Fante, than with the French
Valet,which, in the earhestFrench cards,always bearsthe
name of some person of note, eitherin romance or history.
The term Valet,at the time when itwas firstbestowed on
the third coat card by the French, did not signifya
"Gentleman's Gentleman" or a menial servant; but was
more especiallyappUed to young noblemen " ^the" Dilecti
Regis"" holding appointments at court. The term Knave
was never applied,likeValet,to signifya courtier,or person
of distinction; it was used to signifya serving-man oflow condition. It seems to be derived from the same
root as the German Knabe, the primary meaning of whichisa Boy, but which was alsoused, in the same way as the
Latin Puer, to signify a servant. Subsequently the term
Knave became obsoletein the sense of servant, and was
exclusivelyappliedto designate a dishonestperson. The
term Jack, another name for the Knave of cards,was in
former times very frequentlyappliedto a"
serving-man oflow degree,"without any regard to the name which might
have been given to him by his godfathersand godmothers.
Though Dr. Johnson, and most other English lexico-graphers,
derive the term Jackanapes from Jack and Ape,
and though this derivationseems to be supported by the
meaning attachedto the term by one of the earliestwriters
who makes use of it,yet" Jack-a-Naipes,"that is.Jack of
Cards,isat leastas probablean etymology ; and much more
so than that of "Jack Cnapa," suggestedby Sharon Turner,
inhis'HistoryofEngland,' from which thefollowingpassage
isextracted.
232 PLAYING CAEDS.
" In theBritishMuseum, Vesp. B, 16, isa balladwritten
at thistime on the catastrophesof the Duke of Suffolkandhisfriends.(Temp.Henr. VI, May, 1450.)Ittreatsthesehorrorswith an exultinglevity,which shows the barbarous
unfcchngness of poHticalrancour; but it is curiousfor
givingthe names of those friendsof the government who
were most hated by the people. They are the clerical
statesmen who were employed eitherin theofficesof govern-ment
or on itsembassies,and it shows how much the
dominant church had, by theseemployments, become iden-tified
with the crown. It designatesthe Duke of Suilblk
by the cant term of' Jac Napes,'and isperhapstheeariiest
instance we have of the abusive applicationof the wordJackanapes. Our lexicographersderive this word from
Jack and Ape ; but the balladshows,thatNapes was a term
of derisionsignifyinga Knave ; and must thereforebe the
Saxon Cnapa, which bore alsothismeaning. This willex-plain
thereason why our thirdfiguredcardiscalledJack,and
alsoKnave. The word Jackanapes thereforeseems to be
Jack Cnapa, and to mean Jack the Knave. In thissense
itisappliedto Suffolk;and as the Knave isnext in power
at cards to the King and Queen, the nickname may be
used in theballadwith an allusionto Suffolk'sbeing the
prime ministerofHenry and Margaret."^
The followingare two of the stanzas of the balladin
which the term occurs :
" In themoneth ofMay, when grassgrows grene,Fragrantinherflowreswith swete savour,
JacNapes wold on the see, a maryner to ben,
With hisclogiand hischeyn to seke more tresour.
** Swych a payn prikkedhim, he asked a confessour;Nicholassaid,I am redithe confessourto be;
He was holden so, thathe ue passed that hour :
For Jac Napes saule,*
placeboet dirige.'"
* SharonTurner'sHistoryofEngland,vol.iii,p. 80.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 233
Mr. Turner'sremark, that " the balladshows thatNapes
was a term of derision,signifyinga Knave, and must
thereforebe the Saxon Cnapa,'* does not appear to be
well founded; for if it were derived from Cnapa, and
merelysignifieda Knave, or Cheat,itisdiflicultto conceive
why itshouldbe writtenNapes, and not Knave, or Knape,
as required,accordingto Mr. Turner'setymology ; besides,
it is evident from the context, that,in the mind of the
writer,the idea of a Jac Napes was associatedwith that of
a monkey, or an ape,with his clog and hischain. That
thiswas not the primary significationof the term, may
be confidentlyasserted;and no writer who has derived
it from Jack and Ape, has produced any authority to
show that itoriginallymeant a man who travelledabout
with apes or monkeys. In the followingpassage,from a
tract printed about 1540,* the term '*YacX:an najjea**
evidentlyrefersto a mummer or bufibon in a particoloured
dress,likethat of a knave of cards. The writer,afterhaving noticed the assembling of the poor on hoUdays, at
the "personisbame,"^ and there committing "ydolatrein
mayntenynge his ambision, pride, and bestly lyvinge,"
thus proceeds: "Nobyl statiswere better to hunte the
bull,here,hert,or ony otherethynge lyketo suckure the
powre with the mette, then to here Sir Jhon Singyl Sowle
stombel a payer of mattens in laten,slynge holy water,
curse holy brede, and to play a caste lyke yack an napes
in a folescotte." When John Bale, in hiswork entitled,* Yet a Course at the Romish Foxe,'speaksof Jack-a-Napes
" " Here begynncth a traetyscallydetlieLordis llaylehandlydoby the
Bushoppes powre theresshereThomas Solme."" ^Withoutdate. At the end :
" Prynted at Basyl by me Theophyll Emlos, undere the sygne of Sente Peters
Kay."" 16mo. In one passage Henry VUI isappealedto as then living.
* To the bam or grange of monasteries a chapel was frequentlyattached,
which used to be attended on holidaysby country peoplewho livedata distance
from theparishchurch.
234 PLAYING CARDS.
"
swearing by his ten bones/*it would seem that he in
some manner or other associatedthe term with the Jack-a-
Naipes, or Jack of Cards ; for his ten bones can only be
supposed to relateto the numerical value of the Jack of
Naipes, as a coat card. In Bale'stime a"
card of ten"
would appear to have been a generalexpressionfor a coat
card, as wellas fora card distinguishedby thatnumber of
pips.Fyrstepycke a quarell,and fallout with hym then.
And soo outfacehym with a cardeof ten.
SkeltotCiBowghe ofCourt.
From thefollowingpassageinPulci's*MorganteMaggiore/itwould seem that,in Italy,in the fifteenthcentury, the
King of cardswas occasionallyreferredto as the type of a
presumptuous person :
"E com* e* giunse,gridavailgigante;
Tu se* qui,Re diNaibi,o di Scacchi,
Col mio bataglioconviencVio t'ammachi."
" And when the two togethercame, the giantshoutedout,
And hereyou are, my King of Cards,or e*en of Chess,pardie!
My clubthenwithyour shouldersmust withoutdelaymake free."
':
In Scotland,about 1508, the Knave of cardswas the
representativeof a forward impertinent person," a veryJack-a-Naipes," as isevidentfrom the " Flytingof Dunbar
and Kennedy," where the latter,among otherbad names,
callsthe former** Valet of cards :
" Waik walidrag,and verlotof the cairtis."'
Even in modem times the Knave of Hearts has been
referredto as the ideal of a presumptuous, thicksetlittle
" * The Poems of William Dunbar, now firstcollected,with notes and a
memoir ofhis life,by David Laing/vol.ii,p. 67, 1834!."Tn the notes to this
edition,thereare severalreferencesto thecard-j)layingof James IV of Scotland.
His majesty,itwould seem, was accustomed to playwith the " French Leich,"
John Damiun, whom he aflcrwardspromoted to the abbacy of Tungland.
Damian, who brokeIllsthighin an attempt to flyfrom the top ofStirb'ngcastle,isthe person ridiculedby Dunbar as the " Fenyet Friarof Tungland."
DIPFERENT KINDS. 235
man, as appiearsfrom the followingpassagewhich occurs in
the second edition,of Brockett'sGlossary,1829, under the
word Purdy.'' Purdy, a littlethicksetfellow." I owe thisword," says
Mr. Brockett, " to the communication of a clericalfriend
in the county of Durham, who firstheard it at Barnard
Castle. On ascertainingthemeaning, thefollowingdialogue
took place.Q. What does Purdy mean ?
A, A Uttle throsian-up thing Uke a Jack at Warts.
[Jack0* 'Arts," Jack ofHearts.]Q. What's that?
A, Something likea lime-burner,
Q. What isa lime-burner?
A, Oh, nobbut a Kendal stockener,
Q. What isthat?
A. A littlethicksetfellow."
If cards were actuallyknown in Italyand Spain in the
latterpartof the fourteenthcentury,itisnot unlikelythat
the game, as a common amusement, was introducedinto
thiscountry by some of the English soldierswho had served
under the banners of Hawkwood, and other Free Captains,
in the wars of Italyand Spain, about the periodin question.But, however thismay be, itseems at leastcertainthatthe
earliestcards commonly used in thiscountry,were of the
same kind,with respectto the marks of the suits,as those
used in Italyand Spain.
The German cards of the fifteenthcentury,and even ofa much laterperiod, displaymore of fancifulembellishmentthan the cards of other countries; more especiallyin the
numeral, or low cards; which, in additionto the "pips,"
or marks of the suits,frequentlycontain figuresof men
and women, quadrupeds, birds, foliage,and such like,
introduced by way of ornament, at the caprice of the
236 PLAYING CARDS.
designer. These ornamental appendages are frequentlyof
a grotesque character,and sometimes indecent. The two
annexed figuresare the second coat cardsofthesuitsofGriin
and Eicheln,-"Leaves,and Acorns," in a pack of German
cardsengraved on wood, of the date 1511. The figuresare
drawn with great freedom, and are much in the styleofLucas Cranach. On theTwo ofAcorns are thelettersF.C.Z.;
theF and the C being probably the initialsof the designer,
and the Z signifyingthathe made the drawings," zeichnet.On theTwo of Leaves are two shieldssuspended from a tree;
the one displaystwo straitswords, in saltire; and the other
the arms of the house of Saxony, the same as are frequently
seen in wood engravings designed by Lucas Cranach. In
a third shield at the bottom of the same card, are a
DIFFERENT KINDS. 237
pickaxeand mallet,in saltire,the same as inDr. Stukeley's
cards,and probablythe mark of the card maker. Thirty-
six cards of this pack, which appears to have originally
consistedof fifty-two,are preserved in the Bibliotheque
du Roi ; and fac-similesof them are given in the * Jeux
de CartesTarots et de CartesNumerales,'publishedby the
SocietyofBibliophilesFran^ais,planches92-95.
Specimens of a pack of cardsdesignedby Erhard Schon,
and engraved on wood, are givenby SingerinhisResearches.
In thispack, the marks ofthe suitsare Flowers,Pomegra-nates,
Leaves, and Roses.^ These cards are very inferior,
* A few singlecards,apparentlybelonging to this pack, preservedin the
BritishMuseum, are ascribedto Hans SebaldBehaim.
238 PLAYING CARDS.
both in designand execution,tothosejustdescribed,ofthedate1511. Erhard Schon flourishedabout 1530. About
1550, VirgilSoUs engraved a pack of cards on copper,
with Lions, Apes, Peacocks, and Parrots as the marks of
the suits: they are noticedby Bartsch, in his ' Peintre-
Graveur'; and sixof the pack were recentlyin the posses-sion
of Messrs.Smith, of Lislestreet.
The best of all the fancifulcards that appeared in
Germany during the sixteenthcentury,are those engraved
on wood from the designs of Jost Amman. They were
pubhshed at Nuremberg in 1588, in a quarto volume, withillustrativeverses, in Latin and German, composed by
J. H. Schroter,the imperialpoet-laureate. From the fol-lowing
verses, "
^ Liber de Seipso,'" it would seem that
thosecardswere not designedforthe purposes of play:
" Chajlta mihi titulumtribuitLusoria ; lusus
Et chartaein pretiornunera vulgus habet.
Sed nee ego laudesmoror aut ccnviciavulgi;Sitmihi sat clansposse placereviris.
" Hos rogo,ut a remm quondam graviorevacantesCura, sichartisluderefortevelint,
Colludentnostris:sinerixis,vulnere,morte, .
Lndenti quoniam lucrabenignadabunt."
In thisset of cards,the marks of the suitsare Books;
Printers'inking balls; Wine-cups, of metal" formed by the
skillof the goldsmith;" and Goblets,with bossesof glassor earthenware. Correct and beautifullyexecuted spe-cimens
of those cards are given in Singer's'Researches,'
pp. 180-96.
The four annexed German cards, are the Sevens of the
* Those cardsare the rarestof allJost Amman's nnmerons works. The first
titleof the Tolume is " JodociAmmanni, civisNoribergensisCharta Lusoria,Tetrastichisillustrataper Janum Heinrichum Scroterum de Gustrou." Thenfollowsa long explanatorytitlem German, and theimprint," Gedruct zuNurn-berg,durch Leouhardt Heussler,Anno, 1588."
.There is a copy of the work
in theBritishMuseum.
i
i
DIFFERENT KINDS. 239
ioxa^viisxSchellen;Her zen, oder Moth; Grun; Eickeln,"
Bells; Hearts, or Red ; Green, or Leaves ; and Acorns.
They are copiedfrom Breitkopf,and are of the seventeenth
century. The foursmall ones given below are of the same
period,and were probably intended for the amusement
of children,"likethe "prettylittlecards for prettyUttle
fingers,"manufactured at the presentday. The subjectsare, the second Coat cardand theThree of Leaves; the Four
ofAcoms; and the Six of Hearts.
As smallbellswere worn as omaments by the emperors
of Germany and the higher classesin the 12th and 13th
centuries,Breitkopf is inclinedto think that bellsmight
have been introducedon cards as a distinctivemark of the
240 PLATING CARDS.
classof kings and nobles; and that cards might even
have been known inGermany at theperiodreferredto. In
corroborationof his opinion,he gives a plate,entitled^^ Alte Deutsche Furst Schellen-tracht**" that is to say,Ancient German Princely Bell-costmne," containingfour
figures,all adorned with smallbells. The firstfigureis
that of the PrincessWulphilde,who was li\ingin 1138 ;
thesecond and thirdrepresentthe Emperor Henry VI, who
died in 1197; and the fourthis that of the Emperor
Otho IV, who died in 1218.^" Breitkopf'sconjectureis imdeserving of remark : had he assei-tedthat his oldGerman emperors and princes were adorned with bellsto
indicatetheirrank and precedence,in the manner ofleading
packhorses,he would perhapshave been as near thetruth.
The tinkleofthe bellrouses the questingspiritof Mons.
Leber,who pursues the inquirywith singularardour and
perseverance,though not with success. His researches,however, on the subjectof bells,though throwing not a
glimmer of light on the history of cards, are yet so
amusing, that they are here given entire,notes and all.They also furnish an additionalproof of the wide field
aflbrdedforspeculationby the historyofcards.*' Afterthe Fou of European Tarots,the Bellson Indian
cardsare anotherproof of the Orientaloriginof the game.The use of bellsin India,whether as a mark of distinction
and greatness,or as a means of diversion,is of remote
antiquity;while everything shows that they were not
known to the ancientnationsof Europe. The Baladins
and female dancers of India have theirlegsdecked with
small bells,which they shake when dancing ; and certainidolsare decoratedwith the same ornament ; girdlesformed
of bellsare alsoworn by infants,withoutany otherclothing;
' Breitkopf,[JrsprungderSpielkarten,s. 33.
4
DIFFBRBNT KINDS. 241
and sometimes a singlebellsuppliestheplaceofthegirdle.Herbertrelatesthat
'as thisbellcontainsa viper'stongue,
itmight be supposed to be annoyingand disgraceful.It
is,however,neitherthe one nor the other,foritismade au
ornament, and it is esteemed one of theirmost superb,
when given by the king to a personwhom he wishesto
honour.'^" We have alreadysaid thatthe use of bellsfor
variouspurposesis of greatantiquity; and a proofofthis
isfurnishedby the Pentateuch.^ Bells appear to have
passedfrom the Hebrews to theArabs,and to have been
with thesetwo nations the same as we see them to have
been in India,a signof distinctionand power,when not
prostitutedto the use oftheBaladins. An Englishauthor,
who has not been unmindful of the remarks of Calmet,*
mentions,in thefollowingterms, a kind of devotionpaidto the bellamong the Arabians : 'The Arabian courtesans,
likethe Indian women, have littlegolden hellsfastened
round theirlegs,neck, and elbows, to the sound ofwhichthey dance beforethe king." The Arabian princesseswear
goldenrings on theirfingers,to which littlebellsare sus-pended,as in the flowingtressesof theirhair,that their
superiorrank may be known, and they themselvesreceivein passingthe homage due to them/*" Such are bellsin
theEast : letus now see what theyhave been in Europe at
differentperiods."The Emperor Henry IV, who died in 1197, and
Wulphilde, thewifeof Count Rodolph, livingin 1138, are
representedin ancientmonuments in habitsornamented
* " Voy. lesVoyages de Samuel Purchasj ceux de Thomas Herberten Perse
et dansplusieurspartiesde TOrient; leSuppl.t.ii,des Ceremoniesrelig.,avec
lesfiguresdc B. Picart,et la-PI.de la fetede Huly,t. i,2* part,des memes
Ceremonies,p. 138."* " Notamment Exode, c. xxxix,v. 25."' "Voy. D. Calmet,Dictionn.de laBible,au mot Clochette."* " Lallallookh,an orientalromance, by T. Moore."
10
242 PLAYING CARDS.
with bellssimilarto those which are seen on Tarots. It
would seem thatthissingularornament, which subsequently
became the attributeof the bufFoon, or professionaljester,was then a mark of dignityin the West as well as in the
East, and thatitheld a conspicuousplaceamongst the dis-tinctive
ornaments of the princesand nobles of Germany,
from theeleventhto thethirteenthcentury.^ Some EngUsh
critics,however, have supposed that the bell indicated
falconry, a sportwhich the high nobilityonly had the
privilegeof indulgingin ; and itiscertainthat small bells
were attached to the feet of trained falcons.^ But the
questionis,did the bellsstand forthe falcon,and was the
falcon,indeed,a mark of high nobility?
"What rendersthisconjectureprobable is,that we find
the use of the smallbell[grelot]establishedin the West
before the introductionof heraldicsigns,and that we have
no evidenceof itshaving been known to the ancientGreeks
and Romans.* As the bellwas used in falconryby princes
and nobles of the firstclass,it might thus become the
emblem of thefalcon,and, subsequently,thatof thenobihty
" " Voy. Breitkopf,Urspmng der Spielkartcn,p. 33, et laPL de Henri VI
et de Wulphilde (d'apresI'Archdologie,sauf erreur).Les memcs figures,
copi^icspar Janscn,so rctrouvcntt.i,dc son Essai sur I'Origincdc la Gravurc
en Bois et en Taillc-douce.Paris,1808, 2 vol.in-8. Le costume en a 6i6
(jvidemmcntrajcuni,mais ilesthorsde toutcvraisemblancequ'on y aitsuppos^line paruredc grclotstrangereau monument original."" Mons. Leber,incitingBreitkopf,spellshisname with uniforminaccuracy.
' " Gough, d'apresStukeley,Archseologia,t.viii,p. 152 ; et Smger, p. 73."' " La Fauconnerie de Guillaume Tardif,eh. x, p. 61 ; et les Oiseaux de
Proie,par G. B., p. 122 du reeueilde J. du Fouilloux,^dit.de Paris,1614,
in.4,fig."* " Quoiqu*onaitsouvent traduitles mots crotalum et crusma, " rporaXov,
KpuKTuUf" par grelot,et r^ciproquement, on croitque les instruments ainsi
nommds par lesGrecs et lesRoraains n'etaientpas ce que nous appelons des
grelots; et, en efTct,lafiguredu grelotne se retrouve dans aucun monumentd'une antiquitdbienetablie.Voy. P. A. Lampe, De Cymbalis veterum, lib.i,
cap.4, 7,8, et fig.,pp. 26 et 44, Holl.,pet.in.l2."
DIFFERENT KINDS. 243
to whom it was confined. The falcon,and things per-tainingto falconry,were certainlyamong the marks of
grandeur with which the sovereigns and barons of the
middle ages loved to surround themselvesin their formal
displays,and which alone were sufficient,in the same manner
as armorialbearings,to indicatethe rank of the persons to
whom they belonged. In the tapestryascribed to Queen
Matilda, Harold is seen travellingwith his falcon on his
fist;and the Count Guy de Ponthieu, who conducts him
prisoner to Beaurain, carries also his bird in the same
manner, although he, doubtless,had no thought of the
chase.* Besides, sceptres are surmounted with three-
branched fleurons,like those which form the ornament on
thetop of a falcon'shood.^ We alsosee hawks and falcons
on ancient tombs; and it is not unlikelythat they were
there placed as indicationsof rank before the introduction
of armorial bearings. The same conventionaldistinctions
were stillin existenceinmuch more recent times ; forAnne
de Montmorency made his entiy into London as ambas-sador
of Francis I, preceded by twenty-six gentlemen of
the besthouses of France^ each bearing a falconon his fist;*
and even our kings themselves,on occasionsofgrand display,
were preceded by their falconersfullyequipped. Falconry
was not known to the ancients; but itiscertainthatitwas
in use among the nationsof the North beforethe conquest
of the Gauls by the Franks. Sidonius Apollinariscom-memorates
the skillof a person named Vectiusin the art of
trainingdogs, horses,and birdsofprey :" In equis,canibus.
" " Voy, lescomp. 2 et 8 de lapi.56 des Monuments de laMonarchic fran-
?aise,par Montfaucon."^ " Ibid.pi.55, d'apr^snne miniatured'un manusc. angl.du X" siecle." "Hist, de la Maison de Montmorency." Le Grand, Vie privee des Franj.
torn,ii."
244 PLAYING CARDS.
accipitribminstituendis,spectandis,circumferendis,nulli
sccundus/***' The question,however,would stillbe,
' ifbellswere usedin falconryat so earlya period?' and itmay be presumed
that they were not so used until long afterwards.
German princes,as referredto by Breitkopf, are decorated
with them as marks of high birth,on monuments from the
eleventh to the thirteenthcentury. Now, itwas justto-wards
the closeof the eleventhcentury,that the intercoiu*se
between Europeans and Orientalsbecame more extendedby means of the crusades; and the inventionof heraldryis
of the same period. Armorial bearings,which originatedin over-sea expeditionsand in tournaments, are not ofhigher antiquitythan the eleventhcentury; theiruse be-came
more frequentin the twelfth; and, in the thirteenth,
we findthem generallyestablished.From the concurrence
of these circumstances,it may be concluded that bellsof
thiskind were brought intoEurope from the East, towards
the end of the eleventhcentury; and, that on theirfirst
introduction,the German nobilityadopted them as marks
of distinction,eitherfrom the ideaof grandeur attachedto
them by the people from whom they had them, or on
account of the noble bird to whose use they had dedicated
them; and thatthismark of nobihty fellinto disusewhenheraldrycould supply itsplaceby signs better adapted to
gratifythe prideof the great,on account of theirindicating,
at the same time,both rank and personaldistinction.The
" " SidoniusApollinaris,Epist.9,p. 245 de Tddit.in-4de Savaron. Ce com-
mcntatcurallegueun passage de Prosper,lib.iii,cap.17,de Vitacontemplativa,oil ilest aussiquestiond*oiseauxet de chiensde chasse:
* Utuntur accipitribusac saginatiscanibusad venatum.*
"
" "Suivant Fopinion la plus gen^ralement adoptee,et que partagerentVelser,
Duchesne, Tauchet, Du Tillet,Blondel,lesfreresde Sainte-Marthe,Spelman,
leP. Mencstrier et autres. Voy. leTraitsde VOrigine des Armoiries,de ce
dernier. Paris,1679,in-12,pp. 53 etsuiv."
DIFFERENT KINDS. 245
Bayeux tapestry,alreadyreferredto as the work of Queen
Matilda,seems to confirm thisopinion. The conquestof
England by William Duke of Normandy was achievedin
1066 ; and the tapestryrepresentingitis supposed to be
of the same century: and of thistherecould be no doubt,
ifitwere true that the work was executed by the wife ofWilliam, and her attendants.^ It may thus have been
worked about twenty or thirtyyearsbeforethe firstcrusade,
which was determined on at the councilof Clermont, held
by Urban II, in 1095. Now, the birds of chasewhich
some ofthe personsin thistapestrycarryon theirfist,have
no bellsat theirfeet. We perceivethere only thejesses,or leathernstringswith tasselsat the ends,which serve to
retainthe bird.^ These jesses,without any appearanceof
bells,are easilyto be distinguishedin the compartment
which contains the inscription.Dux Willelm : Cum
Haraldo : Venit : Ad Palatin. Ifthisbe not evidence
thatbellsof thiskind were not then common in Europe, it
isat leasta proof thatthey were not then used in falconry,
although this sport had been practised for several
centuries.'**Mons. Leber callsboth Spanish and German cards
Tarots,even though they may containno Atous ; which yet
appear to have been the veiy pieces which Were more
especiallydistinguishedas Tarocchi or Tarots; and from
the use ofwhich,in combinationwith othercards,a particular
kind of game was calledTarocchino,or Tarocchio. Thus,
in consequenceof hisnot sufficientlydistinguishingbetween
Spanish and German cards,he speaksof the marks which
* " Sentiment adopts par le presidentHenault :* Mathilde . . .
broda en
laineun monument qu'on voitdans I'^glisede Bayeux, de I'expeditionde son
mari en Angleterre; la mort ne luipermit pas de rachever.* (Hist,de Fr.
sous lesann. 1067-74.)"" " Voy. Fauconueric de G. Tardif."
" Leber,Etudes Histoiiquessur lesCartesa jouer,pp. 80-4.
246 PliAYJNG CARDS.
occur on them indiscrimiiiately; and explainsSwords andMoney as ifthey belonged to the same pack which has one
of its suits distinguishedby Bells. His account of the
marks on the French cardsisto thefollowingeffect." The
C("urexplainsitself;it is a symbol ofthe most noble and
generoussentiments,and more especiallyindicatescourage,
valour,and intrepidity,qualitiesthe most brilliantinprinces.The lV(^ehas itsname from itsresemblance to the plant
so-called; though properlyitisa Flower,,or rathera Fleuron
with threebranches,symbolicalof the mysterious numberThree,which,in ancienttimes,was regarded with rehgious
veneration. This number being the firstwhich containedin itselfthe principalcharacteristicsof numbers, " namely.
Unity and Plurality,Odd and Even," became the symbol
of a union of the most excellentvirtues,such as Power,
Wisdom, Love ; and, by analogy. Sovereignty,Wisdom,
Justice. Itis thisthree-branchedFleuron which appears
on the monuments of the French kings of the firstand
second race; but,inconsequenceofitsbeingbadly designed
and worse understood, it became confounded with the
heraldicFleur-de-Lis,and is in fact now displacedby it.
The Carreau scGms to have been betterunderstood by the
French than theirneighbours,with whom thisfigureis a
jewel,a preciousstone, an ornamentalarticle.The Enghsh
take itfora diamond, and the Spaniards,for a jewelwornby ladies,or for the decoration of the toilet. Their
error has doubtlessarisenfrom the comparison which they
made between the Carreaux of cards and the figuresof
preciousstones which they had before theireyes.^ The
' There iseveryreason tobelievethatthesuitofcardswhich vre callDiamonds
was not so named in consequence of the mark beingmistaken for the symbol
of a preciousstone,but merelyon account ofitsform. The Dutch callthe same
suitRuijt,inconsequence of itsform beinglikea lozenge-shapedpane of glass.The Diamonds on cardsare, in Northumberland,more especiallyamongst the
colUcrs,frequentlytermed Fkks, in consequence of the acute angular points
DIFFERENT KINDS. 247
diamonds and precious stones forming the ornaments of
royal vestments, and of dresses of court ladies,have
usuallythe form of carreaux, and are painted in vermilion,or in carmine in the manuscripts of the middle age; and
thisconventionalform, having been adopted by heralds,
was introducedinto armorialbearings as the made andlozenge. The Carreaux of cards,however, have no con-nexion
with diamonds and preciousstones,any more than
they have with the quarrellsor square-headed arrows of a
crossbow. The Carreau, as well as each of the othermarks
of the suits,is a symbol, and not a rebus. All icono-
graphersrepresentFortune as standing,upon one foot,on
a wheelor a ball,to signifyher instability.The contrary
idea was necessarilyattached to the figureof a square or
a cube,considered as a firm and immoveable base. It was
forthisreason thatthe ancientsplacedthefigureof Wisdom
and Firmness on a cube ; and Aristotlespeaks in the same
sense when he informsus that a true philosopherought to
be square," carre " thatis to say,immoveable in courage
and virtue. Heraldry has alsoadmitted the square,placedlozenge-wise,as an emblem of Constancy and Firmness ;
and the Squares of cards,calledCarreaux, can only be sup-posedto have the same signification.As to the Pique^
there can be no doubt with respectto itsmeaning. It
representsthe head of a lance,and is thus an emblem of
militaryforce. The Germans, however, seem to have mis-conceived
the characterof thisfigure,which they converted
into a Leaf," Griln;^" but this mistake, or rather this
beingsomethinglikethe Picks used in hewing coals. The Spanish name Oros
appears to have been originallyappliedto the suitcalledby the ItaliansIknan
oxDanari, without the leastreferenceto the FrenchCarreaux.T\ig mistakes
on thissubjectappear to be exclusivelyMons. Leber'sown.
" The probabilityis on the other side,namely, that the German 6run, or
Leaf,was the originalofthe Prench Pique. No French cards hithertodis-covered
are of so earlya date as thosewhich have Bells,Hearts,Leaves, and
Acorns as the marks of the suits.
248 PLAYING CARDS.
difference,may be ascribedtotheimperfectionofthepainting
in ancientcards; and more especiallyto the coarseness
of the firstessaysofwood-engraving,inwhich itwas almost
impossibleto distinguishthe figureof a leaffrom thatof a
pike-head. On comparing the earUestGerman cardswith
shieldsof arms, of the same period,and with old wood-
engravingswhich contain trees,itwillbe immediately seen
how easyitwas to confound the two forms. There is no
differencebetween the Piques of cards and the leavesof
the tree on the rightof the woodcut of St. Christopherof
the date 1423 ; and the Crequier^of heraldryis precisely
the same as the seven of Pique^ in German cards of the
fifteenthcentury. But whatevermay have been the cause
of thisanomaly,itisgenerallyadmitted that the Pique in
French cardsisthe figureof a weapon ; and itcan scarcelybe doubted that itwas the equivalentof the Sword in the
Tarots. In thisrespectthe Spanish and Itahan nomencla-ture
is in perfectaccordance with our own. In the
southernpartsofEurope theFrench Pique is La Picca or
La SjpadaP
Thus, accordingto Mons. Leber,thefoursuitsofFrench
cardshav6 thefollowingsignification: Cgeur,valour,great-ness
of soul; Trefle, wisdom and justiceunited with
power; Carreau, firmness,stability,constancy; Pique,
physicalforce,or the power of the military.The suits,
again,may be consideredas representingfour monarchies,or politicalsocieties;namely,Cceurs,governedby a generous
and courageousprince; Trebles, by a sovereignjust,wise,
" The Crcquicrisa kindofwild plum-tree,and itsleavesare borne as the
familyarras of thehouse of Crequi. Armorialbearingsof thiskind are called"
armoiriesparlantei*by French heralds." Mons. Leber shouldhave said
" Sept de Griin;"but then thiswould have
destroyedtheanomaly whichhe was desirousofillustrating;forthereisnothing
auouuilousintheLeaveson German cardshavinga resemblancetotheleavesofa purlicuhirtree.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 249
and powerful; Caereaux, by a king consistentinprinciple,
and decidedin action; and Piques, by a warlikeprince,
who owes hispower to his arms.
Though Mons. Leber has freelycensured Daniel for
writingon the subjectof cardschieflyfrom books, without
referringto cardsthemselves,he isyet exceedinglyprone to
followDaniel'sexample ; and though hisexplanationof the
symbolicalmeaning of cards be lessextravagantthan the
latter'saccount of the originand significationof the game
ofPiquet,itcan scarcelybe calledmore reasonable; sinceboth writersinterpretthe marks on the cards accordingto
theirown conceit. The one informs us that the Trefle
signifiesthata generalought onlyto encamp in a placewhich
affordsplentyoffodderforhiscavalry; and the othersays
thattheCarreau,which, as itstands,in thecards,seems the
very emblem of instability,signifiesfirmness, stability,
constancy; an!interpretationwhich seems to rest chieflyon
the ingenioushypothesisof the Carreau being an emblem
ofthe cube.The variationswhich occur on cards from the com-mencement
of the sixteenthcentury,eitheras regards the
marks of the suitsor the names of the coat cards,throw
no lighton theirorigin;as such variationshave evidentlybeen introducedmerely at the capriceof the card^maker in
accordance vriththe prevalenttaste of the period. In a
pack of French cards,engraved by Vincent Goyraud, in
the time of Henry IV, allthe coat cards appear in the
costume of the period; though the Kings and Valetsstilldisplayin theirdress thatvarietyof colourwhich isto be
seen on cardsof an earUerperiod,but which, at thattime,
appears to have been out of fashion. Such cards would
appear to have been in common use in England in the
earlypartof the reignofJames I. In Rowland's 'Knave
of Hearts,'firstprintedin 1612, the Knave, in his sup-
250 PLATING CARDS.
plicationto the card-makers,complainsof the piebaldsuits
which he and his fellowsare compelled to wear.^ In the
pack referredto the names and designationsof the Coat
cardsare as follows: I
The Valet de Court has hishat under his arm ; theValet
de Chasse holds a dog in a leash; the Valet d'Ete carriesa
largeflower; and the Valet de Noblesse bears a hawk on
his fist. The mark of the card-maker appears on two of
the Valets,namely, on the Valet of Coeur, and on the
Valetof Pique. A pack of those cards is preservedin the
Bibliothequedu Roi ; and fac-similesof the Kings, Queens,
and Valets, in their proper colours*are given in the* Jeux de Cartes Tarots et de CartesNumerales,*publishedby the Societyof BibliophilesFran9ais. From those fac-similes
the outlinesof the fourValets here given have been
copied.In the same work are given fac-similesof coat cards
executed in the reignof Louis XIII, and displayingthe
costume of that period. The names given to the Kings,
Queens and Valets on those cards are : Coeur,Alexandre,
Pentasilee[Penthesilea],Roland. Carreau, Cirus Major,Roxane, Renault. Tt4jleyNinus, Semiramis ; the name of
the Valet wanting.^ Pir^ue,Jule Caesar,Pompeia, Roger.
Each of the Aces issurrounded with an ornamental border-ing;
and at the foot is an inscription,which, when read
consecutively,through allthefour,is as follows;''Vivele
Boy IVive la Beyne \Tayme VAmour \Et la Court!'" See the passageat length,p. 135.* On this card the name of the manufacturer appears" ^P.De Lestre"
tODfcthcrwith hismark.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 251
Some of the specimensof Portuguese cardsgiven in the* Jeux de Cartes Tarots et de CartesNumerales' have very
much the appearance of having been originallysuggestedby, ifnot copied from, an Orientaltype; more especiallyin the suitsof Danari and Bastoni," Money and Clubs.
In those cards the circularfigure,generallyunderstoodas
representingDanari, or Money, is certainlymuch more
likethe Chahra, or quoitof Vichnou, as seen in Hindos-
tanee drawings, than a pieceof coin; whileon the top of
the Club there is a diamond proper,which is anotherofthe attributesof the same deity. The dragon seen on each
of the Aces is perfectlyOrientalin character;and the
shieldswhich appear on the Kings and Queens are very
much likethose which are to be seen in Hindostanee
drawings. The coat cardsin thispack are King, Queen,
and Horseman ; and the suitsare Coppe, Danari, Bastoni,
and Spade " Cups, Money, Clubs proper,and Swords. The
Queen,which here appears as the second coat card,isof
unusualoccurrence in cardsof thiskind,and more especiallyinsuch as are of Spanish or Portuguese manufacture.^ In
two of the suits," Clubs and Swords," the Queen appearsin the act of encountering a dragon. The coat cards andaces have lettersboth at top and bottom, indicatingthe
suit,and the rank or name of the card. Specimens ofthose cards,which appear to have been executed in 1693,
are preservedinthe Bibliothequedu Roi. The fourannexed
cuts show the outlinesof the four Valets. The letters
* In a pack of modem Portuguese cards now beforeme thereis no Queen ;
and the suitsare Hearts, Bells,Leaves, and Acorns. The figuresof the coat
cards are half-lengthsand double" "de duas Cabepas;" so that a head is
alwaysuppermost whichever way the cardmay be held. In a pack of modemSpanishcards,"" Naypes Rcfinos"" alsowithouta Queen,the figuresare alsodouble; but the suits are Copas, Oros, Spadas, and Bastos," Cups, Money,
Swords,and Clubs proper." On modern German cardsthefiguresare frequently
representeddoubleinthe same manner.
252 PLAYING CARDS.
CC, CD,CB,CS, signifyrespectivelytheCaballo,or Chevalier
ofCoppe,Danari,Bastoni,and Spade.
"
DIFFERENT KINDS. 253
The most remarkablechangesthatcardshave midergone, iwithrespectto the charactersdisplayedon them, are to be ifound in certainpacks manufactured at Parisin the time J
of the Revolution. Specimens of the coat cardsof two of i
those packs engraved by Chossonnerie and Gayant, in
1793-4, are given in the ' Jeux de CartesTarots et de
CartesNumerales/ In one ofthem theplacesofthe Kings "
are occupied by four Philosophers,namely, Moliere,La
Fontaine,Voltaire,and J. J. Rousseau; the Queens are \
substitutedby the fourVirtues,Prudence, Justice,Tem- 1
perance,and Fortitude; whilethe Valetsare supersededby \fourRepublicans,one ofwhom isa grim-lookingruffian,with \a red cap on, and his shirt-sleevesturnedup, brandishing
a pike; the second is a soldierarmed with a musket; the "[thirdan artilleryman; and the fourtha young man, in
fancycostume, armed with a musket. In the other pack, jfourSages,Solon, M. P. Cato, J. J. Rousseau, and J. J.
Bnitus, serve instead of Kings ; fourVirtues,as in the \other pack, represent the Queens; though with thisdif- \ference,that Temperance is displacedby Union; while ]
four " Braves,"" Annibal,Horatius,P. Decius Mus, andM. Scaevola,supplythe placeofValets. \Another pack of Republican cardsof the same periodis
'
thusdescribedby Peignot,inhis ' Analysede Recherches ;
sur lesCartes a jouer.*"For Kings we have Genii; for Queens,Liberties;
'.
and for Valets,Equalities. In place of the Kingj
of Hearts there isthe Genius of War," 'G^nie de la ^Guerre.' This Genius, which is winged, is seated on
the breech of a cannon; he holds in the righthand a
sword and a wreath of laurel,and in the left,a \
shield,round which istheinscription,*Pour la Bepuhlique 1
Frangaise* On the right,read verticallyfrom the top, \
is the word 'Force: At the feetof the Genius are a
254 PLATING CARDS.
bomb, a lightedmatch, and a heap of bullets. At the
bottom of the card isthe inscription,* Par brevetd inven-tion.
Naume etBugoueCy au Genie de la Eep.fran^*" For the Queen of Hearts :
* Libert^ des Cultes,'
" ReligiousLiberty. This is a female seated,verybadly
draped, and with her legs bare. She holds a pike sur-mounted
with a red cap ; and on a bannerol attachedto
tliepike are thewords *Dieu seuV Towards her feetare
seen three volumes, inscribed ' Thalmud,' * Coran/and' Evangile' The verticalinscriptionis,
' Fraternite!
"Knave of Hearts :* Egalit^ des Devoirs,'" Equality
of Duties. This is a soldierseated on a drum, with his
musket between his knees. In his lefthand he holds
a paper containing the words,' Pour la patrie! The
verticalinscriptionis' Securite'
" King of Spades :' G"nie des Arts,'" the Genius of
Arts. The figureof Apollo with a red cap on hishead; in
one hand he holdsthe Belvederestatue of himself,and in
the other a lyre. The verticalinscription:* Gout* At
the bottom, emblems ofpainting,sculptm'e,and such like." Queen of Spades :
* Libert^ de la Presse,'" Liberty
ofthe Press. A femalefigurewith a pen in one hand, and
with the other sustaininga desk, on which liesa rollof
paper partlyunfolded,and displayingthe words' Morale^
Religion Philosophie,Physique^Politique,Ilistoire!At
thebottom, masks, rollsofmanuscript,and such like.
"Knave of Spades: 'Egalit^ de Rangs,' " EqualityofRanks. The figureof a man whose costume accordsrather
with that of a' Septemhriseur'than with that of a mere
' SanS'Culotteoftheperiod. He wears sabots,and has a red
cap on hishead. He has no coat on, and hisshirt-sleevesare tucked up to the elbows. His small-clothesare
loose
at theknees,and hislegsare bare. He isseated on a large
stone, on which is inscribed:'Demolition de la Bastille.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 255
10 Aout, 1792/ Under his feet is a scrollinscribed* Noblessey and displayingshieldsof arms. The verticalinscriptionis 'Puissance'
"King of Clubs: * G^nib de la Paix/" Genius ofPeace. In his right hand he holds the 'Fasces*and an
olivebranch, and in the lefta scrollcontainingthe word
'Lois' The verticalinscriptionis' Prosperite'
"Queen of Clubs: 'Liberty du Mariage/" LibertyofMarriage. The figure of a female holding a pike sur-mounted
with the red cap ; and on a scrollattachedto the
pike is the word 'Divorce! The verticalinscriptionis' Pudeur! On a pedestalisa statueofthe crouchingVenus
entirelynaked," without doubt intendedforthe emblem ofModesty.
"Knave of Clubs: 'Egalit^ de Droits,'" ^EquaUtyofRights. A judgein tricolorcostume, holding in one hand
a pairof scales,and in the other a scrollcontainingthe
inscription'La hi pour tons! He is trampUng on a
serpent or dragon, the tortuous foldsof which representlegalchicanery. The verticalinscriptionis
' Justice!
"King of Diamonds: *GiSnie du Commerce,' " the
Genius of Commerce. He isseatedon a largebale,which
containsthe inscription' P, B, d!inv,/. D. a Paris!
In one hand he holds a purse,and in the other a caduceus
and an olive-branch.The verticalinscriptionis' Bichesse!
At the bottom are an anchor,the prow of a ship,a portfoho,
and such like.
"Queen of Diamonds: 'Libert:! des Professions,'
"Liberty of Professionsand Trades. A femalefigurewho,
in the same manner as the otherthree Liberties,holds a
pike surmounted with the red cap. With the otherhand
she holds a cornucopiseand a scrollcontainingthe word' Patentes! The verticalinscriptionis 'Industrie!
''KnaveofDiamonds : 'Egalit6 de Couleurs,'" Equality
256 PLAYING CARDS.
j
ofColours. The figureof a Negro, seated,and leaningupon'
a musket. Below is the word* Ca/e.'Near to him are \
a sugar-loaf,a broken yoke,fetters,ironcollarsforthe neck,
and such like. The verticalinscriptionis* Courage,*
" Such are the coat cardsof thisRepublican pack. The
numeral cards are the same as the old ones, with the
exceptionof the Aces,which are surrounded by fourfasces
placed lozcnge-wise,with these words:* Za Loi. Rep,
Frang./the whole colouredblue. It is scarcelynecessary
to say thatthoseridiculouscardshad not even a momentary
vogue."1
The coatcardsof a Republican pack, of recent American
manufacture, have been forwarded to me by a friend,
residentat New York. From the name of the maker,
" R. Sauzade, " which occurs on the Ace of Spades, I am
inclinedto think that their invention is to be ascribed
rather to a Frenchman than to an American. For the
Kings we have: HeartSy Washington; Diamonds, John |
Adams, the second Presidentof the United States; Cluhs,
Franklin; Spades,La Fayette. For the Queens: Hearts,
Venus, " modestlyconcealingher charms with a mantle,in
" Peigiiot,Analyse de Reclierchessur lesCartesa jouer,pp. 288-90. Paris, j1826. Tte followingpassage relativeto the change of manners which suc-ceeded
the Revolutionis quoted by Mons. Peignot from a periodicalentitled
*Le Corsaire:*" "Les cartes en vogue jusqu'alarevolutionfurent totalement
abandonndcspendant les tcrriblcsanndcs dc notre bouleverscmentpolitique.Le boston,legrave wisth,les^millantreversis,n*6toicntplus conservesque
chcz quelquesbons bourgeois,dontilsn'avoientjamaissans doute enflamm^ les
passions,ou dans quelquesvieillesmaisons du Marais et du faubourgSaint-
Germain. La bouillotteii'^toitguere connue que de quelques marchands ; et
meme Topinionpubliquefl^trissaitceux dont une ignobleaviditycomproraettoit.lafortune. La mode avoitmis en faveurlaconversation,lessoireesmusicalcs,lessoireesdansantes. L'ecart^a paru, et ce jeuniaiset insipidea faitrevivre
parmi nous toutes lesfureursdu gothique lansquenet. Plus de conversation,
plusde danses; la senate ou la romance du joursont interrompuespar le en
desjoucurs; le bal est desert,ou n'est plus peuple que de vieux amateurs;
tandisque lajeunesses'emprcsseautour dcs tablesd'ecarte."
DIFFERENT KINDS. 257
accordancewith American notionsof delicacy.Diamonds^
Fortune ; Clubs,Ceres ; Spades,Minerva. The Knaves
are representedby Four Indian chiefs. The figuresappearto be engraved on copper,and are coloured. The marks
of the suitsare the same as those on the cardsin common
use inEngland. Those cards,I am informed,are heldin
no estimationby the card-playersofAmerica,who continueto preferthose of the old pattern." ^The chieftown in
America for the manufacture of cards is Boston ; whosediscreet,meeting-goingpeople seem to have no objectionto
make a profitby supplyingthe profanewith theinstruments
ofperdition.No cardsof an
" instructive"characterhave ever obtained
popularityamongst regularcard-players; forwhen people
sitdown to play at cards they do not liketo have their
attentionwithdrawn from the game by the historicalor
biographicalreminiscencessuggestedby Coat cards,either
containingportraitsof distinguishedcharacters,or comme-morating
remarkable events ; and leastof allcan they bear
thatthe heads of a sermon or moral lectureshouldbe pre-sentedto them in the shape of the four cardinalvirtues;
which are justas appropriatein a pack of cards as they
would be on the proscenium ofher Majesty'sTheatre.
The bestofthe costume cardsthat I have seen are those
designed by Armand Houbigant, a French artist,who
named them " Cartes Royales,"and obtainedfrom Louis
XVIII, a licenseto manufacture them for generaluse, in
1818. They did not, however,acquireany vogue,and are
now seldom to be met with, except in the collectionsof
amateurs ofprints. The coat cards,which are etched,anddelicatelycoloured by hand, displaythe costume of the
French Court at four differentperiods. The characters
representedare as follows.
Sjoades, King, Charlemagne, "Carolus Magnus;"
17
258 PLAYING CARDS.
crowned, and seatedon a throne,with a globe in the right
hand, and a long sceptreintheleft." Queen, Hildegarde,
second wife of Charlemagne ; erect,crowned, and holding
a book in her hands." Knave, Roland, described in
romances as the nephew of Charlemagne ; and saidto have
been killedat the battleof Roncevalles in 778 ; holding
a spear and shield,and clothed in armour, which appears
ratherto belong to the sixteenthcenturythan to the time
of Charlemagne.
Diamonds, King, Louis IX, " SainctLoys ;" crowned,
seated on a throne,wearing a blue robe powdered with
fleurs-de-Ks,and having a sceptreinhislefthand." Queen,
Blanche de Castille, wifeof Louis VIII, and mother ofSt. Louis; erect, crowned, and holding a rosary in her
righthand." Knave, Sire de Joinville, the biographerof
Louis IX, and one of the nobles of his court ; clothedin
chain-mail,over which isa surcoat of arms.
Clubs, King, Francis I ; seated,wearing the broad
bonnet in which he isusuallyrepresented,and holding a
sceptre." Queen, Marguerite de Valois, Queen ofNavarre, sisterof Francis I ; erect, holding a rose in her
righthand." Knave, Bayard ; in plate-armour,leaningon
a kind of pedestalon which isinscribed" Sans peur, sans
reprocJie**Hearts, King, Henry TV ; seated,holding a sceptre,
and wearing the characteristichat and featherwhich, in
modem times,are designatedby hisname. " Queen, Jeanne
d'Albret, mother of Henry IV ; erect,holding a fanin her
righthand." Knave, Sully ; bald and bearded, as he is
usuallyrepresentedin engravings,holdingin hisrighthand
a paper inscribed" Economic Boy}
..,.**
* a descriptionof tlicsame cardsby Mons. Amanton, member of the Aca-demy
of Dijon,is given in Peignot'sAnalyse,p. 291 : "Dans ce jeu,"saysMons. Amanton, "Icsportraitsdcs roissont iihsressemblans,lescostumes
du
DIFFERENT KINDS. 259
A set of Picture Cards, published by Cotta,the book-seller
of Tubingen, in one of his Card Almanacs "
' Karten Almanach' " is noticed by Mons. Peignot* The
designerhas chosen forthe coat cardsthe principalcharac-tersin Schiller'sJoan of Arc,and has clothedthem, as well
as he could,in the costume of the period. The King ofHeartsisCharles VII; the Queen, Isabella of Bavaria;
the Knave, La Hire. " The King of Clubs is the EngUsh
commander, Talbot, dying ; the Queen, Joan of Arc ;
the Knave, Lionel, taking away the sword of Joan of Ai-c.
" The King of Diamonds isPhilip, Duke of Burgundy ;
theQueen, Agnes Sorel ; the Knave, Raimond, a villager." The King of Clubs is R^n^ of Anjou, with the crown
ofSicilyat his feet; the Queen, Louise, sisterof Joan ofArc; and the Knave, Montgomery, on his knees, and
weeping. The low cards from 1 to 10 alsocontainfanciful
designs; but with thesubjectsso arrangedthatthenumbers
and marks of the suitscan be readilydistinguished.The
subjectof the Pour of Clubs is an illustrationof Burger's
balladof Leonore " ^Death armed, and mounted on horse-back,
appears to be threatening with his dart a young
woman who ridesbehind him ; the scene islaidina church-yard,
and a skeleton appears crawling towards an open
grave. The mark of the suitis seen on four crosses in the
churchyard. Cotta's Card Almanack firstappeared in
1806, and was continued for severalyears. It was pub-lished
as a small pocket volume of a square form ; and the
illustrationsconsistedentirelyof fancifulcards," the mark
of the suit being always introduced into each subject,
temps bienobserves;et mcme Icsnoma des personnagcssont dcritsen carac-
tcresde I'^critureen usage dans lesi^cleou ilsont vecu. Malgrc laperfectiondu travail,ces jolisdessinsn*ont pu I'emporter sur les ancieunesimages in-
formes,qui rappellentI'enfanccde Tart; tant la forcedc I'habitudcest tyran-
nique."
260 PLATING CAEDS.
eitherby hook or by crook. The designs forthe cardsin
the firstfour volumes, from 1806 to 1809 inclusive,are
said to have been made by a lady." ^Numerous packs of
fancycardshave appearedin Germany sincethe commence-ment
of the present century; some displayingcostume,
ancientand modem ; some representingeminent characters,
and others devoted to the illustrationof trades and pro-fessions.
In one of them, published at Frankfort-on-the-
Maine, in 1815, in memory of the principalmilitaryevents
of 1813-14, the Duke of Wellington figuresas the Knave
of Diamonds, and Marshal Blucher as the Knave of
Clubs.
In 1811 two differentpacks of caricaturecards,imitated,
or ratheradapted,from thepicture-cardsinCotta'sAlmanack,
appearedin England. The one was published by S. and J.
Fuller,Rathbone place,London ; and the other,by Jones,
at the Repositoryof Arts,Market hill,Cambridge. Neither
of those packs was intended for the purposes of play.They have very much the appearance of having been de-signed
by the same artist. On the Avrapperof both packs
the inscriptionisthesame ;" Metastasis. Transformation
of Playing-cards."" A set of costume cards was publishedby Ackermann, in the 'Repositoiy of Arts,'in 1806: a
particulardescriptionof them would be justas interesting
as a descriptionofthe platesin* La BelleAssemblee'ofthe
same period.A pack of cardspublishedby Baker and Co.,in 1813,
requiresmore particularnotice. On the wrapper they are
entitled"EclecticCards;*'and in a pamphlet giving an
account ofthem, they are announced as" Complete, Grand,
Historical,EclecticCards, forEngland, Ireland,Scotland,
and Wales ; being a Selectionor an EclecticCompany ofTwelve of the most eminent Personages, that ever distin-guished
themselvesin thoserespectiveCountries,forHeroic
DIFFERENT KINDS. 261
deeds,Wisdom, "c. And the other Forty Cards descrip-
tive of the Local and National Emblems of the Four
Nations.
Historian,Poet, Painter,allcombine.To charm the eye,the tasteand mind refine;Fancy and sentimenttheiraidimpart.
To raisethe genius,and to mend the heart."
These cards,which are considerablylargerthan thosein
common use, displayconsiderableskilland fancyin the
designs,and are beautifullycoloured. Heartsand Diamonds
are retainedas marks of two of the suits;but Acorns are
substitutedfor Clubs; and instead of Spades there is a
" true representationof the realSpata,which isnot a coal-heaver'sspade, but a two-edged heavy sword, without a
point,as used by the ancient Britons to fightwith ; cut,
hew, and slash down, eitherenemy or tree. So says our
ancienthistory."A fac-simileofthisformidable
weapon is here subjoined,in order that the
reader may judgefor himself of itspeculiarfitnessfor cutting,hewing, or slashingdown.
It has very much the appearance of a heavy
cast-metalarticle,new from theCarron foundry,
and of modern Gothic design. In the de-scriptive
pamphlet, the coat cards are thus
explained:
"FOR ENGLAND.
King ofClubs,"
^Arthur,the Great and VictoriousHero,
King of Britain.
QueenofClubs," ^Elizabeth,theWise and VirtuousQueen
ofEngland.
Knight ofClubs,"Sir John Falstaff,theFacetiousKnight,
and companion of Henry V, Knight ofEngland.
262 PLAYING CARDS.
FOE IRELAND.
King ofHearts," Gathelus,the GrecianPrince,King of
Ireland.
QueenofHearts,^^coi\% hisWife, the Egyptian Prin-cess,
Queen of Ireland.
KniffJdofHearts." Ossian,the Warrior and Poet,Son
ofFingal,Knight of Ireland.
FOR SCOTLAND.
Kinff of Diamonds, " Achaius, the fortunateContem-porary,
and in alliancewith Charlemagne, King of Scots.
Queen of Diamonds. " Mary Stuart, the unfortunate*Dowager Queen of France,and Queen of Scots.
Knight of Diamonds." Meriin, the Magic Prophet,
CabinetCounsellorto Vortigern,AureliusAmbrosius, Uter
Pendragon, the Fatherof King Arthur,and to King Arthur,
who was hisPupil,Knight of Scotland.
FOR WALES.
King ofSpata," Camber, the thirdSon ofBrute, King
ofCambria.
QueenofSpata." Elfrida,the beautifulQueen ofMona,
and of the Mountains.
Knight ofSpata." ^Thaliessin,the Welch Bard and Poet,
dressedlikea Herald or King at Arms of the Divine andAncientDruids,as he sang to King Henry II of the greatdeedsofArthur,thejustlytermed hero of the BritishIsle,
Knight of Cambria.''" In the selectionwhich we have made,'*say the pro-prietors,
" to form our set of court cards,we have chosenthem from among those characterswho have renderedthemselvesmost conspicuousin the historyof the United
Kingdom. In thisparticular,we have had recourse not
only to historicaltruth, which we have rigidlyobserved,but we have taken care to fixupon personages,who lived
at differentperiods,and which are calculatedin colour.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 268
varietyof dress,and characteristicfeatures,to form an
agreeableand elegantcontrast,and to avoidthatunpleasant
monotony which must have taken placeiftheyhad allbeen
selectedfrom the same periodof time ; and itwillbe a
peculiargratificationto us, in our attempts to form a set
of cards,should we contributein the smallestdegree,to
augment the elegantand rationalamusements of tasteandfashion.
" Nor have we been inattentiveto minor objectsin our
anxietyto complete the plan. We believeithas never been
attemptedto be explainedwhy the coarse and vulgar ap-pellation
of knave, was originallygiven to the card next in
degreeto the queen. Perhaps the followingdemonstration
isthe most plausibleway in which itcan be accounted for.
It was usual with kings in ancienttimes to choose some
ludicrousperson,with whose ridiculousand comical tricks
theymight be divertedin theirhoursofrelaxation,from the
cares and formalitiesofroyalty. This personwas generally
chosen from among men of low condition,but not whollydestituteof talent,particularlyinthatspeciesof low cunning
and humour calculatedto excitemirthand laughter,and the
tricksof knavery (inwhich he was allowed freeindulgence
in the presenceofthe king),gave him the appellationofthe
king'sfool,or knave,
"Whether thisexplanationbe reallytheoriginfrom whence
the knave in the old cardsisderived,may stillremain un-
determined,but itappears to us the most rationalway of
accountingforit. Nor isitindeedessentialto our present
purpose; the name of knave in our opinionis vulgar,un-
meaning, and inconsistent,and being moreover absolutely
incompatiblewith the dignityof our characters,and the
uniformityofour plan,we have entirelyrejectedit,and sub-stituted
a knight in itsstead. This being a titleofhonour,
not onlyin immediate successionto thatof king and queen.
264 "
PLAYING CARDS.
but isever consideredas an honorableappendage toroyalty
itself/'
About 1819, a set ofcleverlydrawn satiricalcards,with
the marks of the suitsintroduced in the same manner as
in Cotta's cards, appeared at Paris. Their satireis
directedagainstthepoliticalpartythen in the ascendant;
and in the Nine of Hearts,portraitsof Chateaubriandand
otherpersons, both lay and clerical,are introduced as
advocatesof the old order of things; in the background
are the ruins of the Bastille,and at the foot is the in-scription," Les Immohiles** The coat cardsof the suitof
Hearts consistof figures representing three popular
journals: King, " Constitutionnel," " a figurein Roman
costume, with sword and shield,defending a column in-scribed
:" Charte constitutionnehLibertc de la Presse,
LiberieIndividuelle.Loi desElections,Tolerance Queen," MiNERVE," " Minerva puttingto flightcertainevilspirits
of the " PartiePrctre."~Knave, " Figaro,*'"the charac-terin proper costume. The coat cards of Spades are r
King, " Conservateur," " a Jesuitwith a sword in one
hand, and a torchin the other. Queen, ** Quotidienne,"" an old woman holdingin her lefthand a book inscribed,'^ Pensee Chretiennequotidienne"^ and in her rightan
extinguisher,which she is about to clapupon a figureofTruth seen emerging from a well Knave, ** Bazile,""
figureofChateaubriand,in clericalcostume, but conceaUnga Jesuit'scap under hisrobe; besidehim isa brayingass,
on its knees. Clubs: King, " D"bats,"" the Editor
endeavouring to carry two large bags, the one inscribed," Debate** and the other
" Empire ;*' in the distance,two
asses mutuallycaressingeachother. Queen, " Gazette/'"
a hard-featuredoldlady,witha pen inherhand,at a writingtable: near tohera magpie ina cage. Knave, "Clopineaij,"" the figureof Talleyrand; towards the top are the signs
DIFFERENT KINDS. 265
ofthepoliticalzodiacwhich he had alreadypassedthrough.
In theonly pack which I have had an opportunityof ex-amining,the Queen of Diamonds iswanting. The repre-sentative
ofthe King isthe " Moniteuk/*" a brazenhead
on a kindofpedestal,round which are stuckflagsofvarious
colours,indicativeof the differentpartieswhose cause the
paper had advocated. Knave, "Don Quichotte,"" the
Don, withshieldand lance,attackinga wnidmill: thepersonintendedby thisfigureI have not been ableto discover.^
With respect to the common names of the firstthree
numeral cards," ^Ace,Deuce, and Tray," itmay be observed
thatthe term Ace or As iscommon in almosteverycountryinEiu-opeas the designationoftheOne at cards- and that
theterms Deuce and Tray, signifyingTwo and Three,mayhave been derivedeitherfrom the Spanish Dos and Tree,
" Mons. Peignot,in his'Analyse de Recherches sur lesCartes ItJouer/1826,afternoticingCottarscards,thusspeaksof the satiricalcardsabovede-scribed
:" C*estsans doute ce recuoilqm a dound lieua un jcudc cartestrb-
malin,publica Parisily a sept a huit ans, sous le titrede Cartesa rirej ce
doitetre,autantque jepuisme lerappcler,sous leministeredc M. D. C
On attribucce jcuiiM. A C. A. D. C. D. D. 0. ToutcsIcscartes,soith.pcrsonnages,soit numdriques,prdsententdes dessinscharraans,dcs figures
ingenieusementgroupies,des attitudestres-plaisantes.Mais I'espritsatjrique
y est poussda Texcesj et ce n'est point avec de parcillescaricaturesqu'on
parviendrah.rdtablirI'unionparmi lesFraupais."p. 297.' According to Pere Daniel,the Ace or As is the Latin As," a piece of
money, coin,richesj wliileBulletderivesitfrom the Celtic,and says thatit
means origin,source, beginning,the first.A Prench writerof the sixteenth
century,supposed to be Charles Stephens,in a work entitled'Paradoxes,*
printedat Parisin1553, says thattheAce, or "Jz ought to be calledNara, a
word which,in German, signifiesa fool." The German word which he alludestoisNarr, which isjustas likelyto have been the origm of Deuce as of Ace.
Ithasalsobeen supposed that the term Ace has been derivedfrom the Greek
wordivoff,which,accordingto JuliusPollux,signifiedOne intheIonicdialectjbut as the word 6voq alsosignifiedan Ass, ithas beenconjecturedthatthe Ace
ofcardsand dicewas so called,not as a designationofunity,but as signifyingan Ass or a Pool. Those who entertainedthe latteropinionare saidby Hyde
to be Asses themselves: " Qui unitatem asinum dicunt errant,et ipsisunt
asmi,"(JDeLudisOrient,lib.ii.)--Lebcr,EtudesHistoriques,pp. 39, 86.
266 PLAYING CARDS.
or from the French Deux and Trots, The Deuce ofcards,itmay be observed,has no connexion with the term Deuce
as used inthe famiUarexpression" to playthe Deuce ;" in
which itissynonymous withthe Devil,or an evilspirit,andisof Northern origin. In some partsof the country,the
Deuce, though lower in value,is consideredto be a more
fortunatecard than the Tray; and "There*s luck in the
Deuce, but none in the Tray," is a frequentexpression
amongst old card-players,who like to enliven the game
with an occasionalremark as they lay down a card. In
Northumberland,the Four of Hearts at Whist issometimes
called" Hob Collingwood,"* and isconsideredby old ladies
an unlucky card. As far as memory can trace, accordingto Captain Chamier, in his novel entitledthe
* Aretlmsa,'
the Four of Clubs has been calledby sailorsthe" deviFs
bedpost." In Northamptonshire,accordingto a writerin
the 'Gentleman'sMagazine,'1791 (p.]4]),the Queen ofCluba is called"Queen Bess," and the Four of Spades," Ned Stokes."^
In variouspartsof Ireland,but more particularlyinthe
county of Kilkenny, the Six of Hearts is known by the
name of" Grace'scard ;" and itissaid to have acquired
thatname from the followingcircumstance. A gentleman
of the name of Grace, being solicited,with promises of
royalfavour,to espouse the cause of William III,gave the
followinganswer, writtenon the back of the Six of Hearts,
to an emissary of Marshal Schomberg's, who had been
commissioned to make the proposalto him :"
" Tell your
master I despisehisoffer; and thathonour and conscienceare dearerto a gentleman than allthe wealth and titlesa
princecan bestow."
The Nine of Diamonds is frequentlycalledthe" Curse
" Brockett*sGlossaryof North Country Words.' Singer'sRcsearclics,p. 271.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 267
ofScotland;" and the common traditionisthatitobtainedthis name in consequence of the Duke of Cumberland
havingwrittenhissanguinaryordersformilitaryexecution,
afterthe battleof Culloden, on the back of a Nine ofDiamonds. This card, however, appears to have been
known in the North as the *' Curse of Scotland" many
years before the battleof Culloden; for Dr. Houstoun,
speaking of the state of partiesin Scotlandshortlyafterthe rebelUon of 1715, says that the Lord Justice-Clerk
Ormistone,who had been very zealousin suppressingthe
rebelhon,and oppressing the rebels," became universally
hated in Scotland, where they calledhim the Curse ofScotland; and when the ladieswere at cards playing the
Nine of Diamonds, (commonlycalledthe Curse ofScotland)they calleditthe JusticeClerk."^
In the ' Gentleman'sMagazine'for1786, a correspondent
offersthe following heraldicconjectureon the subject.** There isa common expressionmade use ofat cards,whichI have never heard any explanationof. I mean the Nine
of Diamonds being calledthe Curse of Scotland. Looking
latelyover a book of heraldry,I found nine diamonds, or
lozenges,conjoined," or, in the heraldiclangiiage.Gules,a
cross of lozenges," to be the arms of Packer. Colonel
Packer appears to have been one of the personswho was
on the scaffoldwhen Charles the Firstwas beheaded, and
afterwardscommanded in Scotland,and isrecordedto have
acted in his command with considerableseverity.It is
possiblethathis arms might, by a veryeasy metonymy, be
calledthe Curse of Scotland;and the Nine of Diamonds, at
cards,being very similar,in figure,to them, might have
ever sinceretainedthe appellation."Another correspondent
saysthat he has always understood that the applicationof
" Dr. Houstoun*s Memoirs ofhis own Lifetime,p. 92. Edit.1747.
268 PLAYING CARDS/
the expression,"the Curse of Scotland,"to the nine ofdiamonds was not earlierthan the year 1707 ; and thathe
thinksit more probablethatthe nine lozengesin the arms
of the Earl of Stair,who made theUnion, should have given
riseto the phrase,than the arms of Packer. In the same
Magazine, for 1738, we have " One more conjecturecon-cerning
the Nine of Diamonds." It is syllogisticin form,
and appears to have been intended as a clinch to the
controversy.^"The Curse of Scotland must be something
which that nation hate and detest; but the Scotshold in
the utmost detestationthe Pope ; at the game of Pope Joan,
the Nine of Diamonds is Pope; thereforethe Nine ofDiamonds istheCurse of Scotland, q. e. d."
In the ' Oracle,or Resolver of Questions,'a duodecimo
volume, printedabout 1770, the followingsolutionisgiven,
which isperhaps as near the truth as any of the preceding
conjectures." Q. Pray why istheNine of Diamonds called
the Curse of Scotland? J, Because the crown of Scotland
had but nine diamonds in it,and they were never ableto
get a tenth."
The word Trump, signifyinga cardofthe suitwhich has
the superiorityat certaingames, such superioritybeing
determined by hazard, is derived eitherfrom the French
Trioniplie,or the Spanish Triunfo: at cards,these wordshave preciselythe same meaning as the English Trump.'
With the French, Triomphe isalsothe name of a game at
cards; and in England the old game of Ruff seems alsoto
" A writerofthe age ofQueen Elizabethwould appear to have foreseenthe
great"Card Controversy,"which within the last 150 years has occupied so
many "learnedpens :" "It shallbe lawfulforconey-catchersto falltogetherby
the ears, about the fourKnaves of Cards,which of them may claimsuperiority;
and whetherfalsediceor true be of themost antiquity.""The PennylcssPar-liament
ofTliread-barePoets.* The Prench alsocallthe Trump Atour-'* Coupez : CceurestAtou." Cut :
Heartsare Trumps.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 269
havebeen calledTrump or Triumph.^ At Gleek,the Ace
was calledTib ; the Knave, Tom ; and the Four, Tlddy.
The Five and Six appear to have been respectivelycalledTowser and Tumbler, and to have counted double whenturned up. At All-Fours,the Enave appearsin hisproper
characterof Jack, " a serving-man,not a cheat, or rogue.At certaingames the Knave of Clubs is calledPam.
A few years ago the name was appliedto the celebrated
publiccharacterwhom Byron is supposed to have desig-nated
as"
a moral chimney-sweep,**in one ofthe cantos ofDon Juan.^ Most of the terms in the game of Ombre
are Spanish.
Formerly a pack of cards was usuallycalleda" Pair of
cards;" and itappearsdeservingofremark,thattheItalians
use the word Pajo,which properlysignifiesa pair,in pre-cisely
the same sense when appliedto a pack of cards,"
Pajodi carte. In the time of Queen Elizabeth a pack of
cardsappears to have been sometimes calleda bunch. In
the time of Charles II the term " Pair of Cards" fellinto
disuse; and perhaps one of the latestinstancesof itsem-ployment,
isto be found inPoorRobin's Almanac for1684,
under the month December, where the writer,in his intro-ductory
verses, laments the dechne of good housekeepingin
the houses of the rich:
"The kitchenthata-coldmay be.
For littlefireyou initmay see.
Perhaps a pairofcardsisgoing.
And that'sthe chiefestmatter doing."
The French calla pack of cards" TinJeu de cartes,^*" a
" "Triomphe : the card-gamecalledRuff,or Trump ; also,theRuff,or Trump
at it.""Cotgrave'sFrench and English Dictionary.
" In 'The Toast,'a satiricalpoem writtenabout 1730,by Dr. WilliamKing,
Principalof St.Mary's Hall,Oxford,Dr. Hort,Archbishopof Tuam, iscalled
Lord Pam. He isalsocalledPam by Swift.
270 * PLAITING CARDS.
game, or playofcards; and the Gennan name, *'EinSpiel
Karteriy'has the same hteralmeaning as the French.
As theobjectof thiswork isnot to teachpeoplehow to
playat cards,thosewho wish forinformation,with respect
to the diiSerentgames, are referredto Cotton's ' Complete
Gamester,'Seymour, Hoyle,and the Academic des Jeux,-"
taking with them thispieceof advice:
"He who hopes at Cards to win,
Must never thinkthatcheating'ssin;
To make a trickwhene'er he can.
No matter how, shouldbe hisplan.No case of consciencemust he make,Except how he may save hisstake;
The onlyobjectofhisprayers,"
Not to be caught,and kickeddown stairs.**'
With respectto themanufactureof cards,itwould appearto have been a regularbusiness,both inGermany and Italy,
about 1420 ; but,though ithas generallybeen assertedthat
theearliestcardsforcommon use were engraved on wood,
thereisyet reason to believethatthey were atfirstexecutedby means ofa stencil; and thatthemethod of engravingthe
outlineson wood was of subsequentintroduction.However
thismay be,itiscertainthatthe artof wood-engravingwas
at an earlyperiodappliedto the manufacture of cards,andthatin Germany, in the latterquarterof the fifteenthcen-tury,
the term Briefdrucker,or Briefmaler," card-printer,or card-painter" ^was commonly used to signifya wood-
engraver. From the importationof playing cards into
England being prohibitedby an act ofparliamentin 1463,
as injuriousto the interestsof nativetradesmen and manu-facturers,it might be concluded that at that time the
' "Discinetatunicafugiendumest; . , ;
Ne nummi pereant. . . . .
Dcprcndimiserum est.**" Houat.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 271
manufactureofcardswas establishedin thiscountry. No
cards,however,ofundoubted Englishmanufactureof so earlya datehave yet been discovered. In the sixteenthcentury,
thereis reason to believethat most of the cardsused in
England were imported eitherfrom France, or the Nether-lands.
In the reign of Elizabeththe importationof cards
.
was a monopoly;^ but from thetime ofher successor James I,
itwould appear that most of the cards used in thiscountrywere of home manufacture. From the reignof CharlesII
to the presenttime,cardshave,eitherdirectlyor indirectly,
been subjectto a duty.
In France, by an ordonnance dated 21st February,
1581, a tax of ^^un ecu sou'^ was ordered to be paid
upon each bale of cards of two hundred pounds weight
intended for exportation;and, by an ordonnance of the
22d May, 1583, a tax of"
un sou parisis^ was laid upon
each pack of cardsintendedforhome use. By an ordon-nance
of the 14th January, 1G05, the exportationof cards
was prohibited;but, as a compensation to the manufac-turers,
the duty on cardsforhome consumption was reduced.
As the collectionof the dutieswas rendered difficultin con-sequence
of the manufacturersresidingin so many different
places,itwas, at the same time,determined that the only
placeswhere the manufacture ofcardsmight be carriedon,
shouldbe Paris,Rouen, Lyons, Toulouse,Troyes,Limoges,
and Thiers in Auvergiie. Shortly afterwards,the same
privilegewas accorded to Orleans,Angers, Romans, and
Marseilles; and, by way of recompense to other places,it
was determined that the tax should be expended in the
encouragement of manufactures. Louis XV, haAing esta-
" PascasiusJustusmentions inliisAlea,firstpublishedin1560, thata certain
merchant,having obtainedfrom CharlesV a monopoly forten years of the sale
of cardsin Spain,became extremelyrichin consequence of the greatdemand
forthem.
272 PLAYING CARDS.
WishedtheEcoleMilitaire,in 1751,orderedthatthemoney
raisedby thetax on cards,shouldbe appliedto itssupport.The company, or guild,of card-makers of Pariswas sup-pressed
in 1776, but re-establisheda few months after-
wards. The periodof theirfirstestablishmentappears to
be unknown. In theirstatutesofthe year 1594, theycall
themselvesTarotiers? In Russia,at the presentday,the
manufactureof cardsisa royal monopoly. A few months
ago a paragraph appeared in the LiteraryGazette,stating
thatthough 14,400 packs were manufactured daily,yetthe
supplywas unequal to the demand, and that a petitionhad
been presentedto the emperor praying for a more liberal
issue. In Mexico a considerablerevenue was derivedfrom
a tax on cards; and itwould appearto be stillproductive,
notwithstandingthe unsettledstate of the country,as itis
one ofthosewhich have been appropriated,ad interim,by
theAmerican commander-in-chief.Most ofthecardsengravedon copper are merely
"
cartes
de fantaisie,*'designedratherforthe entertainmentof the
more wealthyclasses,than forthe ordinarypurposesofplay.Until a comparativelyrecent period the coat cards,afterhaving been printed in outlinefrom wood blocks,were
colouredby means of stencils;but at present, in this
country,the coloursare allappliedby means of the press.The followingaccount ofthe manner ofmaking cardsat the
manufactory of Messrs. De La Rue and Company, ofLondon, is extractedfrom Bradshaw's Journal,No. 24,
ICth April,1842." The firstobjectthatengages our attention,isthepre-paration
of the paper intended to be formed into cards.Itisfound thatordinarypaper,when submittedto pressure,
" Encyclop6dieMdthodique,mot, Cartier. An account of the subsdquentlegislationinPrance,with respectto cards,isto be found in the ' Manuel du
Cartonnier,et du Fabricantde Cartonnages,*pp. 224-37. Paris,1830.
DIFFERENT KINDS. 273
acquiresa certaindegree of polish,but not sufficientfor
playing-cardsofthefinestquality. In orderthereforethat
itmay admit ofthehighfinishwhich isafterwardsimparted,
thepaperisprepared by a white enamel colom*,consisting
ofanimal sizeand othercompounds. This substance,which
rendersthepaperimpermeabletotheatmosphere,islaidon by
a largebrush,and leftto dryby exposureto theatmosphere." The paper being ready for use, we proceed to explain
theprintingofthe frontsofthe cards,which are technically
distinguishedas pips and tefes.
" To commence with thesimpler,thepips (i.e. thehearts,
diamonds,spades,and clubs:)" setsofblocksare produced,
eachcontainingfortyengravingsof one card; and as the
ordinarymethod of letterpressprintingis employed,forty
impressionsof one card are obtainedat the same moment.
As the pips bear but one colour,black or red,they are
worked togetherat the hand-press,or at one ofCowper's
steam printingmachines.
"For thetetes,however (i.e. the courtcards),which,withthe outline,contain fivecolours" dark blue, lightblue,
black,red,and yellow," a somewhat diflerentcontrivance
isemployed. The coloursare printedseparately,and are
made to fitinto each otherwith greatnicety,in the same
manner as in printingsilksor paper-hangings. For this
purposea seriesof blocks are provided,which,ifunited,
would form thefigureintendedto be produced.By printing
successivelyfrom theseblocks,thedifferentcoloursfallinto
theirproperplaces,untilthe whole processiscompleted.Greatcare isof course necessaryin causingeach colouredimpressionto fitin itsproperplace,so thatitmay neither
overlapanother,nor leaveany partunprintedupon ; but as
thehand-pressisemployed,the workman isenabledtokeep
eachcolourin registerby means ofpointsin thetympan of
thepressor on the engraving.18
274 PLAYING CARDS.
" The whole operationofprintingat thepressbeing com-pleted,
the sheetsare next carriedto drying-rooms,heated
to about 80" Fahrenheit,and are allowed to remain there
threeor fourdays,in orderto fixthecolours.
"The successfulprintingofplaying-cardsgreatlydepends
upon the qualityof the inks which are employed. Tlio
common printingink,even afterthe lapseofyears,isliable
to sluror smutch. In the manufacture of playing-cards,
such inks only must be used as willbear the frictionto
which the cardsarc subjectedin theprocessofpolishing,as
wellas in passingbetween the fingersofthe players. The
coloursemployed by the Messrs.De La Rue are preparedfrom the best French lamp-blacky or Chinese vermilion,
ground in oil;" thisiseffectedby a machine, consistingof
cylindersrevolvingatregulatedspeeds,by which any defects
from the inattentionof the workman, in grindingby hand,
arc avoided. These coloursarc now broughtto suchper-fection,
that the card itselfis not more durablethan tlic
impressionon itssurface.
"The paper intendedforthe hach8\being previouslypre-pared
with the coloiu*desired,in the same manner as the
fronts,is printed in variousdevicesat the hand-pressor
steam-machine. The plaid or tartan backs are producedfrom a block engravedwith straightlines,and printedin
one colour,which is afterwardscrossedwith the same or
any othercolour,by again layingthe sheeton the block,so
thatthe firstHues cross the second printingat any required
angle. A varietyof other devices are obtained from
appropriateblocks; and some, likethe court cards,and by
the same process,are printedin a number ofcolours."In printingyo/t/i"c"?:*,sizeis substitutedforink; the
faceof the card isthen powdered over with bronze dust,
and rubbed over with a softcotton or woollen dabber,by
which the bronze is made to adhere to those partsonly
DIPPERENT KINDS. 275
which have receivedthe size. The printingof gold backs
is usuallyexecuted afterthe card is pasted,but we have
jjescribedthe processhere forthe sake of convenience.
"As connectedwiththeprintingofbacks,we may mention
thattheMessrs.De La Rue have latelytakenout a patentfor printingfrom woven wire, from which some highly
beautifulpatternsare obtained,bearing,of course, a perfect
resemblanceto the woven fabric. The wirewhen preparedforprinting,ismerely fastenedat the ends by two piecesof
wood, and stretchedover a cast-ironblock,on which itis
fixedby means of screws passingthrough the wood intothe
iron. The varietyof these patternsis very great; the
printingiseffectedin the ordinarymanner." Hitherto we have been referringto printedsheetsof
paper, vfhicYiare eitherthe sizeofdouble or singlefoolscap;
thenext object,therefore,isthe conversionof thesesheets
intocard-boardsofthe usualthickness. In Francethecard
generallyconsistsoftwo sheetsofpaperj but inEngland a
more substantialarticleis demanded ; itis generallyfour
sheetsthick,that is,the foresideand the back, and two
insideleavesof an inferiordescription," In order to make a firm and smooth card,itis first
necessaryto obtain a pasteof an equablewell-mixedsub-stance.
A pasteof thisqualityisproduced from flourand
water, mixed together,and heated to the boilingpoint,in
a forty-galloncopper,by steam ; which ismade to passinto
the intersticesbetween the copper and an externalcasing
ofcast-iron,of the same shape as theboiler.By employing
steam, insteadof fire,the paste is not liableto burn, or
adhere to the sidesof the copper,and thus become dete-riorated
in itscolourand quality.
"Previous to the commencement of pasting,itisneces-
sarythatthe sheetsbe arrangedin the orderin which they
are to be pasted. This operationistermed mingling. The
276 PLAYING CARDS.
insides,which are merely two sheetsof paper pasted to-gether,
are placedbetween the foresidesand backs, so that
the pastemay takethem up without the possibilityof error,
A heap of paper so pastedwillthereforeuniformlyconsist
of the foresideand back,between which, the inside,pasted
on each side,isplaced." The pasteislaidon by means of a largebrush, resem-
bling the head of a hair-broom,with which the workman,by a seriesof systematiccircularmovements, distributesa
thincoat. And by way of illustrationof the long practice
and manual dexteritywhich are necessaryforperfectionin
even the simplestdepartments of art or labom*,itmay be
worthy of noticethat card-pastingis in itselfa branch oflabour,and thatthreeor fouryears'practiceisnecessaryto
rendertheoperatorcomplete master of hisbusiness.
"These newly-pastedcards are then, in quantitiesoffouror fivereams at a time, subjectedto the gradual but
powerfulpressureof a hydraulicpressof one hundi'cdtons,
worked by a steam-engine. By thismeans the water in
the pasteexudes,and theairbetween theleavesisexpelled,
which would otherwiseremain,and givethecard a blistered
appearance.
"After remaining a short time in the press,they are
hung up on linesto dry; and to prevent, as much as
possible,theirwarping while in this limpid state, small
pins or wires are passed through the corners, and are then
dexterouslybent over the linesin the drying-room.
"The card-boards,afterthus drying, are subjectedto
the pressureand frictionof a brush-cylinder," the face of
which is covered with shortthick-setbristles,which not
merely polishthe surface,but even penetrateintothe inter-stices.
At thisstageofthemanufacture,cardsof a superiordescriptionare waterproofedon the back with a varnish
preparedforthe purpose,so thatthey may not be marked
DIFFERENT KINDS^ 277
by the fingersin dealing. When so prepared,they willkeep perfectlyclean, and may even be washed, without
injuringthe impressionor softeningthe card." In continuationof the processof polishing,the card-boards
are passed between revolvingrollersof moderate
warmth, one being of iron,the other of paper cut edge-ways
; they are next subjectedto two bright iron-faced
rollers;and finally,to the number of ten or fifteenat a
time, they are interleavedwith thin sheetsof copper, and
efiectuallymilled by being passed about a dozen times
between two large and powerful cylinders. After being
thusthoroughlypolished,forthe purpose ofbeing flattened
they are subjectedto the pressureof a hydrostaticpressof
eighthundred tons, worked by steam.
"It may appear surprisingthat so much labour and
machinery, and such circuitousmeans " requiringthe ope-ration
of four distinct cylindricalmachines, as well as a
hydraulicpress,allworked by steam," should be requiredfor effectingan objectapparently so simple as that of
polishingand flatteninga card-board. It is, however,
found thatthisend cannot be attainedin a more expeditious
manner, but that the means adopted must be gradual,
though increasinglypowerful in theirdifierentstages.
"The boards being printed and pasted, polished and
flattened,are next cut up intosinglecards. The apparatus
by which this is effected,and by which perfectexactness
in thesizeof the cards ispreserved,may be brieflydescribed
as a pairof scissorsfrom two to threefeetlong, one blade
of which is permanently fixed on the table. The card-board,
being placedupon the bench, isslippedbetween the
blades of the scissors,and pushed up to a screw-gauge
adjustedto the requisitewidth ; the moveable blade,by
being then closed,cuts the card-board into eight narrow
slips,calledtraverses, each containingfivecards.These
278 PLAYING CARDS.
traverses then undergo a similaroperation at a smallerpair
of gauge-scissors,where they are cut up into singlecards,
to the amount of thirtythousand daily.
"All that now remains is the making-up into packs.
After assortingthe cards, the workman begins by laying
out on a long table a given number (saytwo hundred)atone time; he then covers thesewith another suit,and so on
consecutivelyuntilhe has laidout allthe cards that consti-
tute a pack ; so that by this operation two hundred packs
are completed almost simultaneously. The best cards are
calledMoguls, the others Harrys, and Highlanders," the
inferiorcards consistof those which have any imperfection
in the impression,or any marks or specks on the surface." It may be necessary to remark that the Aces of Spades
are printedat the Stamp Office,whether the cards be for
exportationor forthe home market, " ^thepaper forprintingbeing sent to the Stamp Office by the maker; and an
account of the number of aces fmrnished by the Stamp
Officeiskept by the authorities. Before cards are dehvered
by the manufacturer an officeris sent to sealthem, and a
duty of a shiUing per pack ispaid monthly for those that
are soldforhome consumption. But as they are not Uable
to duty when intended for exportation, the card-maker
enters into a bond thatthey shallbe duly shipped, and an
officeris sent to see them put into the case, and to sealitup."
279
CHAPTER V.
THE MORALITY OF CARD-PLAYING.
All writerswho have investigatedthe principlesof
moralityagreein the condemnation of Gaming, " ^thatis,
playingat any game of hazard forthe sake of gain. With
respectto the lawfulness,however, of playing at such
games atleisurehours,forthe sake ofrecreation,and with-out
any sordid desire of gain, there is, amongst such
authorities,a differenceof opinion: some holding that,in
the moral"'
.";,such games are, at alltimes,and under all
circumstances,unlawful; while others affirmthat,underthe conditionsmentioned, they are innocent. The former
opinionhas been espoused by many theologians,who, not
content with condemning games of hazard as immoral, have
also,with more zeal than knowledge, denounced them as
sinful,and forbiddenby the word of God. The argiunents,however, of such teachershave been ably refutedby the
learnedThomas Gataker,in hiswork 'On the Nature andUse of Lots,'the firsteditionof which appeared in 1619.
He has clearlyshown that the texts allegedby the opposite
partydo not bearthe constructionwhich had been put upon
them ; and that, consequently,the so-calledword of God
was nothing more than the dogma of falliblemen.
The controversy respectingthe sinfulnessof games of
hazard,on scripturalgrounds,seems'to have commenced in
England about the latterend of the sixteenthcentury,with
a small tract written by a Puritanicalclergyman of the
name of Balmford, who appears, at the time of itsfirst
publication,to have exercised his ministerialfunctionsat
280 PLATING CARDS.
Newcastle-on-Tyne.'The titleof Balmford'stract is'A
Shortand PlainDialogue concerning the Unlawfulnessof
playingat Cards or Tables,or any other Game consisting
in chance/ The only copy that I have seen occurs in a
collectionof tracts by the same author,with the general
title,' CarpentersChippes : or Simple Tokens of unfeined
good will,to the Christianfriendsof James Balmford, the
unworthy Servantof Jesus Christ,a poor Carpenterssonne/16mo. Printedat London, forRichard Boyle,1607. The
followingdedicationof the tract on gaming isdated 1st ofJanuary, 1593 : "To the rightworshipfullMaster Lionel
Maddison, ]\Iaior,theAldermen hisbrethem, and the godly
Burgessesof Newcastle-upon-Tine,James Balmford wisheth
the kingdom of God and his righteousnesse,that other
thingsmay be ministeredunto them." That which hereto-fore
I have propounded to you (rightworshipfullandbeloved)in teaching,I doe now publish to all men by
printing,to wit mine opinionof the unlawfulnessof games
consistingin chance."Balmford's tractis a veryshort one, consistingof only
eightleaves,inclusiveof the dedicationand title.The
speakersin the dialogueare Professorand Preacher. The
Professorhad read,in the Common-places of Peter Martyr,
the declarationthatdice-playisunlawful,because depending
on chance ; but not being satisfiedwith what is theresaid
about table-playing,he craves the Preacher'sopinioncon*
' Tlieauthordocsnot seem to have been successfulin hisministryat New-castle.
ColonelFenwick saysthat the town was famous formocking and mis-usingChrist'sministers; and tifternaming Knox and Udal, he thus reproaches
the town foritstreatment of Balmford :" Witness reverend Balmford,whom
in a likemanner thou expulsed;though thou couldstnot touch his life,thou
pricked his sides(aswell as Christ's)in his hearers,with the reproach ofBahnfordianfactionand schism.""Christin the midst of his Enemies, by
Licut.-Col.John Fenwick,1G13. Ileprintedby M. A. Richardson,Newcastle,181G. .
.
MORALITY. 281
cerningplajdngat tablesand cards. The Preacher,after
propounding severalobjectionsto the games on moral
grounds,thussyllogisticallydeterminesthatgames ofchanceare unlawful:
" Lots are not to be used in sport; but
games consistingin chance, as Dice, Cards, Tables, are
Lots : thereforenot to be used in sport." In supportofthisconclusion,he refersto Joshua,xviii,10 ; L Samuel,
xiv,41; Jonah, i, 7; Malachi, i, 6-7; and Hebrews,
vi,16. Lots,he says, were sanctifiedto a peculiaruse,
namely, to end controversies.On those grounds he abso-lutely
condemns allgames depending on chance. The pleain favourof play merely for amusement he rejects; being-
ofopinion that,ifsuch games were even lawful,the desire
ofgainwould soon creepin; for,accordingto the common
saying,*' Sine lucro frigetIndus," No gaining,cold
gaming." ..
Severalcontinentaldivines,of the reformed party,had
previouslyexpressedsimilaropinions,but without exciting
much remark; and the question seems to have been
regarded as one of mere scholastictheology,until the
diflferencesbetween thePuritansand theHigh-churchparty,in thereignof James I,caused itto be treatedas a question
of practicalreligion. The question appears to have oc-casioned
greatheats in the Universityof Cambridge ; for
Mr. William Ames, being then Fellow of Christ'sCollege,
havingpreached at St.Mary's,in 1610, againstplayingat
cardsand dice,as being forbidden by Scripture,hisdis-course
gave so much offenceto personsin authoritythathe
withdrew from the Universityin order.to avoid expulsion.
Ames subsequentlywas appointedProfessorof Theology at
' The opinionsofLuther,Calvin,Peter Martyr,LambertDanean, and others
upon thisquestionare to be found in the 'Collectaneavariorum authorumde
Sorlibnset Ludo Alese,*appended to theAlea of PascasiusJustus,byJoannes
a Munstcr, Ito,1617.
282 PLAYING CARDS.
the Universityof Franeker,in Friesland; and was one oftheprincipalopponentsof Gataker in the controversyon
Lots.
The questionrespectingthelawfulnessofgames ofchancehas been thoroughlyinvestigated,both morallyand theo-logically,
by Barbcyrac,in his ' Traitedu Jeu /^ and his
determinationis,that such games are not in themselves
immoral,whether the stakes be small or great; and that
they are not forbidden,citherdirectlyor indirectly,by the
Scriptures.In the Prefacehe thus speaks of the probable
effectofthe absolutecondemnation of allgames of hazard,
on the assumed ground of theirbeing both immoral in
themselves,and forbiddenby the Scriptures." I am not surprisedthat Gataker should have found so
much oppositionon the points which he maintained,con-sideringthe timesinwhich he wrote. It,however,appears
strangeto me that,in an age when so many prejudices,both philosophicaland theological,have been shook off,thereshouldstillbe found people,who, lookingonly at the
abuseswhich may arisein the use of thingsindifferentin
themselves,condemn such things as absolutelyevil,on
grounds eitherfrivolousor extremelydoubtful. Such con-demnation,
so far from correctingthosewho are addictedto such abuses,is more likelyto confirm them in their
* " Traitddu jeu,ou Ton examine lesprincipalesQuestionsde Droit naturel
et de morale quiont du rapporth cetteMatiere. Par Jean Barbeyrac,Profes-
scurcn Droitk Groninguc. Secondc Edition,revue et augment"$c. A laquclle
on a jointun Discourssur lanature du Sort,etquclquesautrcsEcritsdcI'Autcur
qui scrvent principalementa defendrece qu'ilavoitditde Tinnocencedu jeuconsider en lui-meme.""This Edition,inthreevolumes, ICmo, was published
at Amsterdam, 1738, and is dedicatedto Anne, Princessof Orange, eldestdaughterof George II. The firsteditionappearedin 1710. It issaidthattho
ideaof writmg such a book was firstsuggestedto Barbcyracin consequence ofbisbeing so frequentlyappealedto on questionsrelatingto the game of cardsby
ladieswho came to playwith hismother-in-law,with whom he resided,andin
whose apartment he used frequentlyto sit.
MORALITY. 283
course. Nothing but theevidenceof truthctm enlighten
the mind, and thus make an impressionon the heart.
Falselightsand subtleties,however specious,will never
dissipatetheillusionsproduced by favoritepassions.Such
passions,indeed,acquirenew forceas soon as a plausible
pretextfor theirindulgenceis discoveredin theweakness
of thearguments with which they are assailed; while,by
attackingthem ina propermanner, he who hasbeen deluded
by them may be induced to open hiseyes to thetruth,andto perceivehis errors. If,by such means, a reformationis
not effected,it is in consequence of the same obstacles
which render unavailingwhatever may be allegedagainstthings which are, from theirvery nature, unquestionably
evil. I doubt much ifa gamester were ever deterredfrom
playby the reasons brought forwardto persuadehim that
thepracticewas a profanationof Divine Providence. If
the sermons and writingsassertingsuch principleshave pro-duced
any good effect,itisin consequenceoftheircontaining
alsosolidreasons derived from the abuse of the thing
confoundedwith itsmere usage. The formerhave producedHttleor no impression; audit isto the latteralonethatthe
victoryisto be ascribed."As Barbeyrac'swork is not common, and has never
been translatedinto English, it is presumed that the
followingextracts from itwillnot be uninterestingto the
reader. "It is certainthat Man was not sent into the
world to pass his time in eating,drinkmg, and merry-making.
On the contrary,everythingshows that he is
destinedby hisCreatorto be employed in matters of utihty
and seriousconsideration.The natural use of all our
facultieshas thismanifesttendency. We have Mind only
thatwe may think : we have Hands and Feet only thatwe
may move and act. Who could suppose thatthisindustry,
thisaddress,thispenetration,"allthesewonderfultalents.
284 PLAYING CARDS.
capableof producingthe Sciencesand Arts," were givento us only to be concealed,or to be shamefullywasted,
eitherin sluggishidleness,or in a perpetualround ofdissi-
pation and amusement ? The necessityof providingfor
our wants," an obligationcommon to allin a state of
nature," requiresthat most men should apply themselves
to work of some kind or other; and even thosewho have
the means oflivingwithout labour are yetnot exempt from
the duty ofapplyingthemselvesto some creditableemploy-ment,
which may not only secure them againstthe tempta-tions
ofidleness,but may alsorenderthem usefulmembers
of society.
"But though the All-wise Creator has made Man for
labour,he has not made him for incessantlabour,without
relaxation.The same constitutionof our nature whichdisplaysthe necessityof action,also shows that we ought
occasionallyto rest. Our bodies are not of iron,nor our
spiritsofunwearied activity; and the human machine soon
getsout oforderwhen unremittinglyworked We
arc not long in perceivingthat too intentan applicationto
any work weakens the strengthof the body, and lessens
the activityof the mind. The way to become disgusted
with anything,is to be unremittinglyemployed about it.
Thus, the veryobligationto work requiresthat our labour
shouldbe sometimes intermitted,in orderthatwe may not
sinkunder it,but be enabled to resume it with vigour.' To take recreation,in order to make progresswith our
work,'was thejudiciousmaxim of an ancientsage.* Rest
isthe seasoningoflabour- and we ought to combine them
so that a justmedium may be preserved. Consult nature,
and she willtellyou that she has made the day"and the
' " Anacharsis,apud Aristot. WaiUw^ i'dirugoirnSa^y,Kar 'kvaxapaivt
SpOuic ix^iv ^oKit."Etliic.Nicom. lib.x, cap.C."*'*'II avairavijic, ru"v novutp aprvnaiiTTi." Plutarcli.de Pucrorum institut."
MORALITY. 286
nightto mark thehours of labourand of repose,and to
teachus that each is equallyindispensableto life. A life
undiversifiedwith a festivalis like a long journeywithoutan inn.2 Such isthe language of pagan philosophers,and
such are the ideaswhich pure reason suggests." Revelationteachesus the same. The Night was made
forthe repose of alllivingthings; and the Sabbath was
partlyinstitutedforthe recreationof slavesand servants,
who otherwisemight have had masters so harsh as to payno regardto the weakness of human nature. This festival
[Fete],as well as all the others appointed by the law,
were timesboth of restand enjoymentforthe whole of the
people of God. Thus, so far from moralityor religionforbiddingeverykind ofrecreation,itmay be assertedthat
theyrequireus to take such as may be becoming and con-venient,
whenever itmay be requisiteto thus re-invigorate
our powers when exhausted by labour. Itwould at least
be ungratefulto haughtilyrejectthe innocent pleasures
which the kindness of the Deity allows to man; and it
would be unjustto arbitrarilycondemn thosewho discreetly
availthemselvesofsuch enjoyments." There are, however, people who unreasonablysuppose
thatabuse and use cannot be separated,and who, forming
to themselvesI know not what mysticalnotions of virtue
and piety,would persuade us thateverykind of diversionis
unworthy of a reasonable being,"*a low amusement,'
'a
deceitfulpleasure,''a consequence of man's fallennature.'
Such personsmay be allowedto aspireto a stateof perfec-tion
which perhaps may be beyond the reach of human
nature, and which is certainlyunattainableby the great
* " Interse istamiscendasunt : etquiescentiagendum, etagentiquiescendum
est.Cumrerum natura delibera: illadicettibi,se et Diem fecisseet Noctem."
Seneca,Epist.iii."' '* Btof iLvtopraaroQ,fiaxpriWoe AiravdoKivroc^^'DcmQCntapudStobaium."
286 PLAYING CAKDS.
mass ofmankind ; they ought, however,to allowthosewho
are doubtfuloftheirown powers of arrivingat such perfec-
tion,to humbly followthepath which Nature and Providence
have pointedout, and to possesstheirsoulsin peace,and
theirconsciencewithout scruple."
* * * * * *
"We maintain,then, as an irrefragableprinciple,that,
forthe sake of relaxation,we may indulge in such amuse-ments
as are in themselves free from vice. This being
admitted,if a person findspleasurein playingat Billiards,
at Tennis,at Chess,at Cards,at Backgammon, and even
at Dice,why may he not amuse himself with them, as well
as in Promenading, with Music, in the Chase, in Fishing,
in Drawing, and in a thousand other things of a similar
kind? The question then is,whether the game be for I
nothingor fora stakeof some value. In thefirstcase, itis
a mere recreation,and bearsnot the slightestsemblanceof
criminaUty;and with regard to the second,I do not see
why there should,be any evilin it,looking at the matter
simply,withoutregard to circumstances." For ifI am at libertyto promise and give my property,
absolutelyand imconditionally,to whomever I please,why |
may I not promiseand givea certainsum, in the event of
a person proving more fortunate,or more skillfulthan I
with respectto the resultof certainmovements and combi-nations,
upon which we had previouslyagreed? And why
may not thisperson fairlyavailhimselfof the resulteither
of hisskillor of a favorableconcurrence of fortuitouscir-cumstances,
on the issueof which I had voluntarilycon-tracted
an obhgation? Even though but one ofthe parties
obtainsan advantage,yet therewould be nothing contraryto equityin the transaction,providingthatthe terms had
been previouslyagreed on by both. Every person is at
libertyto determinethe conditionson which he willcede
MORALITY. 287
a rightto another,and may even make itdependent on the
most fortuitouscircumstances. A fortiori,a person mayfairlyavailhimself of his winning, when he has risked
on the event as much as he was Ukelyto gain. In fact,
playpejeu]is a kind of contract ; and in everycontract
the mutual consent of the pai-tiesisthe supreme law : this
isan incontestablemaxim of naturalequity.^
"In the Scriptureswe do-not find games of hazard
forbid. The ancientJews appear to have been entirelyignorantof thiskind of recreation,and even the name for
itisnot to be found in the Old Testament. On the dis-persion
of the Jews, however,aftertheBabyloniancaptivity,
theylearnt to play from the Greeks and Romans, as maybe inferredfrom the cases of conscience on this subjectdiscussedby the Rabbis. Notwithstandingthis,games ofhazard are nowhere forbidden in the New Testament,
though no toleranceis there shown to any kind of vice.There is,indeed,only one passage that containsthe least
allusionto play; and even in this,the term " ^which is
metaphoricallyderivedfrom a game ofhazard," when taken
" It may be observed,that such cases of" Natural Equity," as are here
hypotheticallyput by Barbeyrac,do not properlyadmitofa thirdpartyas a judge,inthe event of a dispute. Partiesenteringintosuch contracts,irrespectiveof
theusagesofsociety,or thepositivelaws ofthecountrywhere they reside,ought
tobeleftto enforcetheirnaturalequityby naturalmeans. One wealthyfoolloses
to another tiiewhole of hisproperty,the contract between them being,that
he was to be the winner who should draw the longeststraw out of a stack.
In naturalequity,between the two parties,the loserisobligedto pay ; but,
shouldhe recover his senses, he willrefuse,and leavethewinner to hisremedy ;
forthecircumstanceof hisriskingso much inthe firstinstance,was a greater
offenceagainstsocietythan hissubsequentrefusalto pay.What one gambler
may loseto anotherisof smallmoment to society,compared with the primary
evilthroughwhich such personsare enabledto playdeeplywith the fruitsof
others*labours.Luther,speakingof thekwfulnessofretainingmoneywon by
gammg, concludesthat itmight be lawfullyretained;butadds,thathe could
wish both partiesto lose,if it were possible.The impossibilityhas been
removed siiiceregulargaming housesand gaming bankswere established.
288 PLAYING CARDS.
in the worst sense, would only amount to a condemnation
of the abuse of play.^ If in some versions a word,"
^aiUiv" used by St.Paul,in hisFirstEpistleto the Corin-thians,
chap. X, V. 7, has been translated'Jouer,'it is
merely in consequence of the equivocalsignificationof this
word, or perhaps from the originalterm not being fully
understood, which in thisplace signifies' to dance,'as is
apparentfrom the passagein the Old Testament to which it
alludes,Ba^odusyXxsii,6. From theprofound silenceofthe
sacredwriters,and form otherreasons already advanced,it
may, in my judgment,be safelyconcluded that play con-sideredin itself,and apart from itsabuse,is a matter of
perfectindificrence.^
"Few persons are so rigid as to condemn absolutely
games of everykind ; an exceptionbeing usuallymade in
favourofthosewhich are determined by skillalone. Most
theologiansand casuists,however,have pronounced strongly
againstallgames intowhich hazard enters, as if such were
at alltimesunlawful. The Rabbis,who are of the same
opinion,and who even considerthem as means of fraud
between Jew and Jew, assertthat 'a man, during the whole
course of hislife,should do nothing but devote himself to
the study of the law and of wisdom, to the practiceof
charity,or to some employment or businesswhich may be
serviceableto the community.'^ If thisdecisionbe taken
literally,it is manifestlyabsurd, and requiresno further
notice. Even in puttinga reasonableinterpretationupon* Tliefollowingisthe passage referredto : irepi^epoixtvoi,navn "viii"^Tr\Q
MaoKoKiaQ Iv ry KYBEIA rwv av9pu)Tr"av." "Carried about with everywind
of doctrineby the sleightof men." " ^Ephesians,iv,14." Dr. Rennell, quotingthepassageinthenotes to hissermon againstGaming, observes,that
" The con-nexionbetween the artificesof gamesters,and the shiftingdepravityof heretical
subterfuge,isstronglymarked by the Apostle."* Barbeyrac,Traitedu Jen, liv.i,chap. 1. " Que le Jeu en lui-meme,et
Tabus mis a part,est une chosetout-a-faitindifferente."" " Selden,de Jure Naturaeet Gentium,lib.iv,cap.v."
MORALITY. 289
thesewords,and consideringthem as condemnatoryofsuch
personsas employ themselvesin playalone,theystilldo not
applyto play,consideredin itself,but merely restrainitto
itslegitimateuse. The Jewish doctorsthemselvesacknow-ledge
thatthe prohibitionsof play in forceamongst them,
are founded on the regulationsof theirancestors; thatis,
thatthey are not derivedeitherfrom the law of Nature, or
the positiveordinances of God; but that they depend
entirelyon the civillaw establishedby thosewho had the
power of making new regulationswhenever such might
appearto be necessaryforthe welfare of the state. This
isso true,thatthey in a manner permittedJews to playat
games ofhazard with Gentiles:at any rate,theirprohibition
was extremelyfeeble,since they declaredthat,in such a
case, a Jew was onlyculpableof havingspenthistimeabout
a frivolousthing." Among the works of St;Cyprian we finda treatise,or
kindofhomily,on gaming," De Aleatoribus," which though
of highantiquity,and evidentlywrittenby a Bishop, is
probablynot the compositionof the saintto whom it has
usuallybeen ascribed. The author,whoever he may have
been, callsgames of hazard the nets of the devil; and
affirmsthatthey were invented by a certainlearned man
at theprompting of the evilspirit,and that he placedhis
portraitand name on the instrumentsof the game in order
thathe might be worshipped by thosewho used them.^ He,
consequently,maintains thatwhoever plays at such games
ofierssacrificeto theirauthor,and thus commits an act of
" From thisaccount ofinstrumentsof playcontainingpicturesanddevises,
ithasbeen conjecturedthat cardswere then known, and thatthe game was
includedin the general term" Alea." On thispoint,Barbeyrac observes,
ina note : "All thispleasantconceit[aboutpicturesand idolatry]is founded
on two tilings: firstthatthe board on which they playedat TrictracandDice,
was adornedwith paintings;and second,that the inventionofthosegameswas
attributedto Theut, or Thout, the EgyptianMercury, who, afterhisdeath,was
numbered amongst the gods."
290 PLAYING CARDS. \
idolatry.Such chimericalarguments, when divestedofalli
figure,onlyshow thatgames of hazard are frequentlythe
cause of disorder. A Flemish clergyman,in a historical
treatiseon thissubject,publishedabout the middle ofthe
seventeenthcentury,gravelymaintainsthat allgames ofhazard are contraryto every one of the ten command-
ments.^ It may be easilyimagined that he is obliged'to employ many devicesin orderto give a colourofplausi-bilityto this paradox ; and that whenever he advances
anything reallypertinent,it appliesonly to the abuses,
which,more or less,may insinuate.themselves
into everykind ofgame. A prelateof distinguishedmerit, Sidonius
ApoUinaris,Bishop ofClermont,inAuvergne,who flourished
in the fifthcentury,was of a differentway of thinking;
forhe was accustomed to amuse liimseKat Trictrac,as he
relatesin hisletterswithout testifyingany compunction,
and without even saying that he had abandoned the
amusement on his being advanced to the officeofBishop,
though he mentions that he had then given up poetry." Others have imagined thatthey have discoveredinthe
very nature of games of hazard something which renders
them essentiallysinful; supportingtheirviews by an ar-gument
which, though extremely specious,is yet easily
refuted. For instance,they say that God presidesover j
what we callchance,and directsitin a specialmanner ;
and that,as chance enters intoallgames of hazard,such ,
games are manifestlysinfulas requiringthe interventionofDivineProvidence in affairswhich are not only trivial,but
alsosubjectto many incommodities." This conclusionwould be demonstrativeiftheprinciple
from which it is drawn were true; but how is it known
thatthe resultsof chance are always determinedby the
specialwillof the Deity? Is his interventiondirectly
' " DanielSoutcr,Pabmcd. lib.ii,c. C."
MORALITY. 291
perceptible,or can itbe known by any apparentindication?
From the knowledge that we have of his goodness and
wisdom, can it reasonablybe supposed that he does so
intervene? On the contrary,is it not derogatoryto the
Supreme Being to suppose that he should immediately
interferein affairsof such small consequence as most of
those are which are determined amongst men by means of
lots or chance? The very suppositioncontains withinitselfthe best reasons forconcludingitto be imtenable.
"If the Deity indeed were to act by a specialwillin all
matters which are determined by lotor chance, and more
especiallyin games of hazard, it would hence follow:
1. That men have the power to compel, and in a manner,
forcethe Deity to exercisean especialProvidence when-ever
they may think good ; forit is certainthat they can
determine some matters by lot whenever they please.
2. It will also followthat the Deity 'performsmiracles
everyday in favour of personswho are most assuredlyun-deserving
of them, and in placeswhere no one could sus-pect
that hispresencewould be displayedin a manner so
extraordinary/Besides,what likelihoodistherethat,when
a coupleof lacqueysor porterssitdown to play at diceor
lansquenet,Providenceshould more especiallyinterferein
theirgame than in events which affectthe destiny of
nations,such as battles,revolutions,and otherimportant
actionsof a similarkind ? There iseven something ridicu-lous
in supposingthatwhen two men are playingatdraughts,
or billiards,theirgame is only the objectof common and
ordinaryProvidence,but thatwhen they sitdown to play
at diceor cards,a specialProvidencethenintervenes,and
determinesthe chances ofthe game.^ ....
' Reflexionssur ce que Ton appcUe Bonheiiret Malheur en mati^rede Lote-
ries,par M. leClerc,oh.viii,p. 97.' La Placette,Des Jeux de Hasard,eh.ii,p.202.
292 PLAYING CARDS.
^' I am, however,willingto allowthateven at playthere
may sometimes be an extraordinarymanifestationof Provi-
dence,eitherdirectly,or by means of some invisibleintelli-
gence determiningthe lot or chance. I can conceivethat
the Deity shoulddisposeof events in such a manner that a
worthy man, forinstance,who might be in danger ofgivinghimselfentirelyup to play,should be cured of hispassion
by a great and sudden loss. But, even admitting this,
thereisno reason to conclude that the Deity interfereson
alloccasions,and infavourof allsorts of people; and, after
all,without a directrevelation,it never can be positivelyknown that he reallydoes interferein such matters. T
couldjustas readilybelievewhat the eloquentJesuitMaffei
relatesof IgnatiusLoyola,in hislifeof that saint;namely,
that,playing one day at billiardswith a gentleman,who
had urged him to trythegame, he,by a miracle,proved the
winner,as he was utterlyunacquaintedwith the game."^In concludingthe firstbook, Barbeyrac observes:
" To
refutein detailallthe objectionsof rigidmoralistswould
requirean entirevolume. What I have alreadysaid,how-ever,
appearsto me suificientto remove any vain scruples
which may have been excited on the subject.I am,
indeed,rather apprehensivethat those who are too fond
of play willthink that I might have spared myself the
troubleof provingthatwhich theyhad no doubts about;
and thatitwas quiteunnecessaryto explainto them at so
greatlengththatplay,consideredinitself,containsnothing
contraryto the law of Nature or the preceptsof the Gospel.
The plan of the work, however, required that I should
" J.B. Thiers,inLisTraitsdes Jcux ct dcs Divertisscmcns,p. 6, thus refersto the same ancedote:
" SaintIgnaccde Loiolajoiiaun jourau billardavec un
gentil-hommcquiTavoitinvitod'yjoucr,ct 8*ilen fautcroircTijloquentJ6smio
Maph(jO,illogagna iniraculcuHoniont,quoiqu'iino spfttpas lojcu. Cum nihilmnna callcrclIf/natius,dioinilusfacttmcatut inmgulos omnino(rajcduavictor
evaderet.**
MORALITY. 293
commence with this; and the opportunitybeing thus
aiSbrdedof showing the fallacyoftheaustereportraitwhichsome writershave drawn of Christianmorahty, I have
availedmyself of it. On thissubjectI alsofeelmyselfjustifiedin referringto the schoolsof Pagan philosophy,
where we are taught that 'we should do nothingwithout
being ableto givea reason forit; in smallmatters as wellas in great.'^ Now, assuming thatout of a hundred per-sons who are accustomed to play daily,thereisscarcelyone
who has ever asked himselfhow, or inwhat manner, itmaybe lawful,itis not surprisingthat so many peopleshould
convert a thing in itselfperfectlyharmlessintoa subjectofdisorder,employing itas a means of gratifyingtheirinordi-nate
loveof pleasure,theiridleness,or theiravarice."In the second book, wherein he discussesthe essentials
of play" ^leJeu " he distinguishestlu-eekinds of games :
1, Games of pure skill; 2, Games of pure chance; and, 3,
Games which depend partlyon skilland partlyon chance.Games of skillare those which depend on manual dex-terity,
bodilyagility,or mental acuteness : BiUiards,Racket,.
Quoits,Cricket,Draughts, and Chess are of thiskind.
Games of pure chance are thosein which the event, though
broughtabout by the instrumentalityof the players,isyet
absolutelybeyond theirdu*ectionor control: of thiskind
are Dice,and certaingames at cards,such as Basset,Brelan,
Lansquenet, Rouge-et-N6ir,and Faro. In the thirdkind,
such as Backgammon and most oftheusualgames atcards,*" "Omnis autem Actio vacare debettemeritateet negligeutia:nee vero agere
quidquam, cujusuon possitcausam probabilemreddere."" Cicerode Offic.libi.
Sec also Marc. Antonin. lib.viii,cap. 2, and lib.x, cap.37, togetherwithGataker*sobservations." On thispointtheremark of Senecadeservesquotation:" Ilac[Ratione]ducc, per totam vitam eundum est. ^MinimaMaximaque ex
Iiujusconsiliogercndasunt."" De Benefic.lib.ii,cap.18.' Thiers,inhisTraitddca Jcux ot dcs Divcrtisscnicns,distinguishesgames
inthesame manner; but Barbcyracobservesthatho is wrong inclassingall
games ofcardswith games of pure chance.
294 PLAYING CARDS.
the effectsof chance may in some degree be counteracted
by a skilfulapphcationof principlesderivedjfroma know-ledge
of the variouscombinationswhich resultfrom the
conventionalrulesof the game. In allgames for any
considerablestake,thatis,with regard to the means ofthe
parties,itisnecessarythat the playersshould be as nearlyas possibleequal in point of"skill;for,in this case, the
game becomes a kind of traffic,and issubjectto allthe
conditionsof an equitablecontract.Most personswho playforhigh stakes,eitherat games of
pure chanceor ofchance and skillcombined, make more or
lessa trafficoftheiramusement; and risktheirown moneyfrom a desireof winning that of another. In all suchcases, gaming isa positiveevilto society,and isutterlyinex-cusable,
much lessjustifiable,on any grounds whatever;and
allwho thusventure largesums may be justlyrequiredto
show by what rightthey possessthem. When a foolor a
knave is thus strippedof a large property,his lossis a
matter of smallimport to society;the true evilis,thatso
large a portionofnationalwealth,createdby the industry
ofothers,shouldbe at the disposalof such a character,and
should be allowed to pass,on such a contract,to anothereven more worthlessthan himself. This objectionhas not
been urged in any ofthenumerous sermons and essaysthat
have been publishedagainstgaming ; the authorsofwhich,
generally,insteadof showing that societyhas both the
power and the right to correct such abuses by depriving
the offending partiesof the means of continuing them,have contented themselves with declamations on the
wickedness of the pursuit,and.with vain appeals to the
conscienceof inveterategamesters : while they whistleto the deaf adder, they never seem to suspect that it
may be easilydispatchedwith a stick." But such abusesin societyare never remediedtillthe HEiiACLiDiE acquire
MORALITY. 295
a knowledge of theirrights,as well as a consciousnessof
theirpower.The appealtothevanityof men of
"
rank and education"^
inorderto shame them out oftheirloveofplayis as futile
initseffectsas itis wrong in principle; forittendsonly
to nourishin them feelingsof self-conceit,and to induce
them to thinkratherof thedeficienciesofthelow-born men,
whosemoney they are eagertowin,thanto considertheirown
derelictionofduty,in playingforlargesums, with any one.
At the gaming-table,a community of feeUng levelsallthe
artificialdistinctionsof rank ; and the rude plebeianw^ho
covers the high-bom noble'sstakeisjustas g09d, forallintentsand purposes of play,as that noble himself. The
condescensionof the noble to play with a costermongerfor
thesakeof winning hismoney, isfullycompensated by the
other'swillingnessto affordhim a chance. The annalsof
gaming sufficientlyshow that rank is no guaranteeof a
gamester'shonesty; and in the case ofLord De Ros versus
Gumming, triedbefore Lord Denman, 10th of Februaiy,
1837, it would appear that the rank of the fraudulent
gamesterscreenedhim for severalyears,with one party at
least,from being denounced. SirWilliam Ingilby,in his
examination,statedthathe had seen Lord De Ros perform
thetrickof reversingthe cut, and thus secure himselfan
ace or a king forthe tuni-up card,at leastfiftytimes; and
thathe firstobserved his lordshipdo it "
about four,five,
or sixyearsago." When asked why he did not denounce
Lord De Ros afterhe had become aware ot hisfraudulent
' " The low and profligatecompany which a gentlemanofrank and education
willfrequentlysubmitto keep,ratherthan losehisbelovedHazard,b such that,
ifhe had been requiredto admit them simplyon the ground of companions, he
would certainlyhave lookedupon itas an insufferabledegradation.""A Disser-
tationon the peniiciouseffectsof Gaming, published,by appointment,as having
gaineda Prize(June1783)in the UniversityofCambridge.By RichardHey,
LL.D.,Cambridge,1784,p. 31."
296 PLAYING CARDS.
tricks,he givesthefollowinganswer :" I did not mention
the matter publiclyfor this reason :" I consideredthatif
an obscureand humble individuallikemyself,not possessed
of hisrank,were to attemptto go up to a peerof therealm,
who held a high stationin society,and who at the same
time was regardedby allhis associates,and by the world
in general,as a man of unimpeachable character,and say,
*My lord,you are cheating;'if,I say, I, that humble
individual,had addressedLord De Ros in theseterms," if
I had denounced a peer of the realm,and a man of such
generalpopularity,I shouldinstantlyhave gatheredaround
mc a hostof persons; and I take it,as a matter of comse, I
shouldhavehad no choicebetween thedoorand thewindow."
Notwithstandingthatthe honorablebaronet was aware of
the fraudulentpracticeof the righthonorablepeer,itseems
thathe stillcontinued to play with him ; but it does not
appearthathe was particularlyattentiveto his lordship's
trickofreversingthe cut," sauter la coupe," when he had
him for a partner.^ If SirWilliam Ingilby'sfears were
wellfounded,itseems reasonableto concludethatthosewho
would have "pitchedhim out ofthe window," forexposingthe fraudulenttricksof a peer,must have been personsof
similarcharacterto the party denounced ; and thattheir
conduct in such a case would not have been influencedby
a regardforthe honour of a peer of the realm,but would
ratherhave been the resultof the vexationwhich theyfelt
at the publicexposureof one oftheu*own stamp. On this
trial,one ofthewitnessesadmittedthathe had won "35,000
at cardsin the course of fifteenyears. This is certainlya
largesum, but nothingto be compared to the winningsofsome men by theirgambling in railwayshareswithin the
lastten years. Lord De Ros failedin hisaction; the fact
" " I know a man who cheats/*saida young gentleman to Sheridan;"I do
not liketo expose him; what shallI doP" " "Back him,*"was the reply.
MORALITY. 297
of cheatingwhich had been allegedagainsthim having
been clearlyproved. He did not long survivethe disgrace-ful
exposure; and Theodore Hook is said to have em-
bahned hismemory in thefollowingepitaph:" Here lies
England's Premier Baron patiently awaiting the
LAST TRUMP r^
On the questionofthe lawfulnessofplayingat cardsfor
thesake of amusement, and not from the mere desireof
gain,many personsof eminent pietyhave held the affirma-tivein theirwritings; and a far greaternumber of the
same classhave testified,by theirpractice,theirconcurrence
inthe same opinion.'* Many fiercedeclamations,"says
Jeremy Taylor, " from ancientsanctityhave been uttered
againstcards and dice,by reason of the craftused in the
game, and the consequent evils,as -inventedby theDevil.
And, indeed,thisisalmost the whole stateofthe question;
forthereare so many evilsin the use of thesesports,they
are made trades of fraud and livelihood,they are accom-panied
so with drinkingand swearing,they are so scandalousby blasphemiesand quarrels,so infamous by misspending
precioustime,and the ruin of many families,they so often
make wise men foolsand slavesof passion,that we may say
ofthosewho use them inordinately,they are in an ocean of
mischief,and can hardly swim to shore without perishing.
..... He can never be suspected in any criminalsense
to tempt the Divine Providence,who by contingentthings
recreateshis labour,and having acquiredhisrefreshmenthath no otherend to serve, and no desiresto engage the
DivineProvidenceto any otherpurposeA man
may innocently,and to good purposes go to a tavern,but
they who frequent them have no excuse, unless their
innocentbusiness does frequentlyengage,and theirsevere
" " Hook's cleverepitaphon a fashionablegambler thenrecentlydeceased.""
The Dowagers; or, the New School forScandal,by Mrs. Gore. 1813.
298 PLAYING CARDS.
religionbring them offsafely.And so itis in thesesports;
thereisonly one cause of using them, and that comes but
seldom,the refreshment,I mean, ofmyself or my friend,to
which I ministerin justiceor in charityj but when our
sportscome to that excess, that we long and seek for
opportunities;when we tempt others, are weary of our
business,and not weary of our game ; when we situp till
midnight,and spend half days,and thatoftentoo ; then
we have spoiledthesport," itisnot a recreation,but a sin.
....He thatmeans to make hisgames lawful,must not
play for money, but for refreshment. This, though few
may believe,yet is the most considerablething to be
amended in the games of civiland sober persons. For the
gainingof money can have no influencein the game to
make itthe more recreative,unless covetousness holdsthe
box But when money is at stake,eitherthe sum
istrifling,or itisconsiderable.Iftrifling,itcan be ofno
purposeunlessto serve the ends of some littlehospitable
entertainmentor love-feast,and then thereisnothing amiss;but ifconsiderable,a wide door is opened to temptation,
and a man cannot be indifferentto win or losea greatsum
ofmoney, though he can easilypretend it. If a man be
willingor indifferentto losehis own money, and not at alldesirousto get another's,to what purpose isitthathe playsforit? Ifhe be not indifferent,then he iscovetous or he
isa fool: he covets what is not his own, or unreasonably
ventures thatwhich is. If without the money, he cannot
mind his game, then the game is no divertisement,no
recreation,but the money is allthe sport, and therefore
covetousness is allthe design; but if he can be recreatedby the game alone,the money does but change itfrom
lawful to unlawful, and the man from being weary to
become covetous ; and from the troubleof labour or study,remove him to the worse troubleof fear,or anger, or
MORALITY. 299
impatientdesires. Here begins the mischief,here men
beginforthe money to use vilearts; here cards and dice
begintobe diabolical,when playersare wittyto defraudand
undo one another; when estates are ventured,and famihes
are made sad and poor by a lucklesschance. And what
sportisitto me to losemy money, ifitbe at allvaluable?
and ifit be not, what is it to my game? But sure the
pleasureisin winning the money; thatcertainlyisit. But
theywho make pastime of a neighbour'sruin,are. the worst
ofmen, saidthe comedy. But concerning the lossof our
money, leta man pretend what he will,that he playsfor
no more than he iswillingto lose,it is certainthat we
ought not to believehim ; forif that sum is so indifferent
to him, why is not he easy to be tempted to givesuch a
sum to the poor? ^Vhenever thisisthe case, he sins,that
games for money beyond an inconsiderablesum. Let the
stakebe nothing,or almost nothing, and the cardsor dice
are innocent,and the game as innocentas push-pinIn playsand games, as in other entertainments,we must
neitherdo evil,nor seem to do evil; we must not converse
with evilpersons,nor use our Uberty to a brother'spreju-diceor grief. We must not do anything,which he,\^ith
probability,or with innocentweakness,thinks to be amiss,
untilhe be rightlyinstructed; but where nothing of these
thingsintervene,and nothing of the former evilsisappen-dant,
we may use our libertywith reason and sobriety: and
then,ifthislibertycan be so used,and such recreationscan
be innocent, as they assuredlymay, there is no further
question,but those trades,which ministerto thesediver-
tisements,are innocentand lawful."^.
' "Questionon Gaming, Whether or no the making and providingsuch in-struments,
which usuallyministerto it,isby interpretationsuch an aidto the
sin,as to involveus in the guiltP" This treatiseis printedin a smallwork
entitled'The Life of Bishop Taylor,and the Purest Spiritof hisWritings ex-
tractedand exhibitedby John Whealdon, A.M.' 8vo,1789.
300 PLAYING CARDS.
Nelson,thepiousauthor ofthe' Fastsand Festivalsofthe
Church ofEngland/and ofthe' Practiceof True Devotion/
had no objectionto cards." Sober persons/'says he,in
the last-mentionedwork," do not make a businessofwhat
they shouldonly use as a diversion." The Rev. Augustus
Toplady,so wellknown forhishigh Calvinisticprinciples,
used to occasionallyamuse himselfwith a game at cards;
and in a letterdated " Broad Hembury, Nov. 19th,1773,"
he thus expresseshimself on the subjectof recreationsin
which clergymen may innocentlyindulge.^
" I do not thinkthat honest Martin Luther committed
sinby playing at Backgammon for an hour or two afterdinner in order, by unbending his mind, to promotedigestion.
"I cannot blame the holy martyr Bishop Ridley for
frequentlyplaying at Tennis before he became a prelate,nor forplaying at the more seriousgame of Chess twicea
day afterhe was made a bishop.
"As littledo I find faultwith another of our most ex-emplary
martyrs,the leanied and devout Mr. Archdeacon
Philpot; who has leftiton recordas a brand on Pelagians
of that age, that' they looked on honeste pastyme ias a
sinne/ and had the impudence to callhim an Antinomian
and a loosemorahst, because he now and then relaxedhis bow with 'huntinge,shootynge,bowlynge, and suchlike.'
"Nor can I set doAvnpiousBishop Latimer for such an
enemy to holinessof lifeon account of his saying that
hunting is a good exercisefor men of rank, and that
shootingisas lawfulan amusement for personsofinferior
class.'* I have not a whit theworse opinionofthe eminentand
" ThisletteriagivenintheRev. 11.Polwhcle'aIleminisecnees,vol.ii,p.42.
Edit.1836.
MORALITY/ 301
profound Mr. Thomas Gataker for the treatisewhich he
professedlywrote to prove the lawfulnessof card-playing,
under due restrictionsand limitations.******
" I cannot condemn the Vicar of Broad Hembury [Mr.Topladyhimself]forrelaxinghimselfnow and then among
a few selectfriendswith a rubber of sixpennyWhist, a pool
ofpenny Quadrille,or a few rounds oftwopenny Pope Joan.
To my certainknowledge, the saidvicarhas been cured ofheadache by one or other of those games, afterspending
eight,ten, or twelve,and sometimes sixteenhours in his
study. Nor willhe ask any man's leaveforso unbending
himself" because another person'sconscienceisno ruleto
his,any more than another person'sstatureor complexion."
John Wesley, when a young man at college,and beforehis
thoroughconversion,appears to have been fondof a game at
cards. Tate Wilkinson,writingin 1790, says:*' Mr. Wesley,
about four years ago, in the fieldsat Leeds, forwant of
room forhiscongregationin histabernacle,gave an account
of himself,by informing us, thatwhen he was at college,
he was particularlyfond of the devil'spops (orcards); and
said,thateverySaturdayhe was one of a constant partyat
Whist, not only forthe afternoon,but alsofortheevening;he then mentioned the names of severalrespectablegentle-men
who were with him at college."'But,' continued he,
'thelatterpartofmy time thereI became acquaintedwith
theLord ; I used to hold communication with him. On
my firstacquaintance,' I used to talkwith the Lord once a
week, then every day, from that to twice a day,tillat last
the intimacy so increased,that He appointed a meeting
once in everyfourhours He recollected,he said,
thelastSaturday he ever played at cards,that the rubber
at Whist was longer,than he expected;and on observing
thetediousnessof the game, he pulledout hiswatch,when.
302 PLAYING CARDS
to hisshame, he found it was some minutes past eight,
which wag beyond the time he had appointed to meet the
Lord." He thoughtthe devilhad certainlytempted him
to stay beyond his hour; he thereforesuddenly gavehiscardsto a gentleman near him to finishthe game, and
went to the placeappointed,beseechingforgivenessforhis
crime, and resolvednever to play with the devil'spops
again. That resolutionhe had never broken; and what
was more extraordinary,thathisbrotherand sister,though
distantfrom Cambridge, experiencedsignsof graceon that
same day,on thatsame hour,in the month of October."^
On the subjectof card-playing,even for the sake of
amusement, two distinguishedlaymen,John Locke and Dr.
Johnson,appearto have entertaineddifferentopinions.The
former,in his Treatiseon Education,says,"As to cards
and dice,I thinkthe safestand bestway is never to learn
any playupon them, and so to be incapacitatedforthose
dangerous temptationsand incroachingwasters of useful
time." Dr. Johnson,on the contrary,regrettedthathehad
not learntto playat cards,giving,at the same time,as his
reason :" Itis veryusefulin life; it generateskindness,
and consolidatessociety.*-^ The opinion of a living
" Memoirs ofTatoWilkinson,vol.iii,p.9-11. York,1790.
"Boswcll'sJournalof a Tour to tie Hebrides. The followinganecdote
respectingLocke isrelatedby Le Clerc. Three or four men ofrankmet him
by appomtment at the house of Lord Ashley,afterwardsEarlof Shaftesbury,
ratherforthesakeof mutual entertainmentthan for business.After mutual
complimentshad passed,and beforethere had been any time forconversation,
cards were introduced,and the visitorssat down to play. Mr. Locke,afterlookingon a while,drew out his tabletsand sat down to write. One ofthe
company at lengthobservinghow he was employed, asked him what he was
writing. "My lord,"repliedhe, "I am endeavouringto profitas much as I
can from your company; for havinpfimpatientlylonged to be presentat a
meeting of the most sensibleand most witty men of the day,and havingat
lastthat good fortune,I thoughtthatI could not do betterthan writedown
your conversation; I have indeedhere put down the substanceof what has
been saidfor the lasthour or two." The satirewas immediatelyfelt; the
MORALITY. 303
Professorof Moral PhUosophy, on the subjectof card-playing,may be gathered from the followingdialoguebetween ChristopherNorth and the EttrickShepherd.^
*'NORTH.
Gaming isnot a vice,then,in the country,James ?
SHEPHERD.
There'slittleor nae sicthing as gamblin'in the kintra,
sir. You'llfin'a pack o' cairdsin mony o' the houses"
but no in them a'" forsome gude fatherso' familiesthmkthem the deevil'sbulks,and sure aneuch when ower muckle
readtheybegin to smello' sulphurand Satan.
NORTH.
Why, James, how can old people,a littledim-eyedor so,
whilean occasionaleveningaway betterthan atan innocent
and cheerfulgame at cards?
SHEPHERD.
Hand your haun* a wee, Mr. North. I'm no saying
onythingto the reverse. But I was sayin'that thereare
heads o' familiesthatabhor cairds,and would half-killtheir
sons and daughters were they to bring a pack intothe
house. Neitheryou nor me wull blame them forsicsavin*
prejudice.The austere Calvinisticspiritcanna tholeto
thinkthatthe knave o' spades should be lyingwithin twa
threeincheso' the Bible. The auldstern man wud as soon
forgiethe introductionintothe house o' base balladso'
sinfu'love" and wishes that the precinctsbe pure o' his
ainfire-side.Though I take a ggem o^ whust now and*
then mysel,yet I boo to the principle,and I venerate the
adherence till'tin the high-souledpatriarchsof the
Covenant.
playersquitted the game, and afteramusing themselvesfor a while in
retouchingand enlargingwhat Mr. Locke had setdown, spentthe remainderofthe dayinmore worthy conversation." ^Elogede Mr. Locke danslaBibliotheque
Choisie,torn,vi,p. 357.' Noctes Ambrosianae,No. 25, inBlackwood'sMagazine forApril,1826.
304 PLATING CARDS.
NORTH.
Perhapssuchstrictmoralityisscarcelypracticablein our
presentcondition.SHEPHERD.
What, do you mainteen thatcairdsare absolutelyneces-sary
ina puirman's house? Tuts ! As forauld dim-eyed
people,few o' them, except they be blin'a'thegither,that
canna read big prent wi'powerfu'specs,and they can aye
get,at the warst, some bitwee idleOe 'to read out aloud
to itsgrannies,without expense o' oil or cawnel, by the
heartsomeingle-light.You'llgenerallyfin'that auldfolk
that playscairds,have been raithcrfrcevolous,and no
mucklc addickedto thocht" unlessthey'regreedy,and play
forthepool,which is fearsomein auld age ; forwhat need
they care for twa three brass penny-pieces,for ony ither
purposethan to buy nailsfortheircoffin?
NORTH.
You push the argument ratherfar,James.
SHEPHERD.
Na, sir. Avariceis a failingo' auldage sure aneuch"
and shouldnabe fedby the Lang Ten. I'm aye somewhat
sad when I see folko' eightyhaudin'up thetrumps totheir
rheumy een, and shaking theirheads,whether they mill or
no, ower a gude and a bad haun alike. Then, safeon us !
onlythink o' them cheatin'" revokin'" and marking mair
than theyought wi the counters !
NORTH.
The pictm*eis stronglycoloured; but could you not
paint another less revolting,nay, absolutelypleasant,nor
violatethe truthofnature ?
SHEPHERD.
I'm no quite sure. Perhaps I micht. In anithercon-ditiono' life" in towns, and among folko' a higherrank,
I dinna deny thatI hae seen auldleddiesplayingcardsvery
MORALITY. 305
composedly,and without appearin*to be doin*onythingthat'swrang. Beforeyou judgerichtlyo' ony ae thingin
domesticlife,you maun understan'the hailconstitutiono'
the economy. Noo, auld leddiesin towns dresssomewhat
richlyand superbly,wi' ribbons,and laces,and jewelseven,
and caps munted wi^ iSowersand feathers;and Pm no
blamin'them " and then theydine out, and gang to routes,
and gie dinners and routes in return,back to hunders o'
theirfriendsand acquaintance, Noo, wi' sica styleandfashiono' lifeas that,caird-playingseems to be somewhat
accordant,iftakenin moderation,and as a quiet pastime,
and no made a trade o', or profession,forsake o* filthy
lucre. I grant it harmless; and gin it maks the auldleddieshappy, what richthae I to mint ony objections?God blessthem, man ; far be itfraeme to curtailthe
resources o' auld age. Let them playon, and allI wish is,
theymay never lose eithertheirtemper,theirmoney, nor
theirnaturalrest.
NORTH.
And I say God blessyou,James, foryour sentimentsdo
honour to humanity.
SHEPHERD.
As for young folks" ^ladsand lasses,like" when the
gudeman and hiswife are gaen to bed, what's the harm in
a ggem at cairds? It'sa chearfu',noisy,sichto' comfort
and confusion. Sicluckin'intoane anither'shaun's! Sic
fauseshufflin'lSicunfairdealin'ISicwinkin'to tellyour
pairtnerthatye hae the king or the ace ! And when that
wunna do, sickickin'o' shinsand treadin'on taes aneath
the table" aften the wrang anes ! Then down wi' your
haun' o' cairdsin a clashon the board,becauseyou'veane
ower few,and the coof maun losehis deal! Then what
gigglin'amang the lasses! What amicable,nay, love-
quarrels,between pairtners! Jokin', and jeestin'and20
306 PLAYING CARDS.
tauntin',and toozKn'" the cawnel blawn out,and the soun
o' a thousan'kisses! That's caird-playingin the kintra,
Mr. North ; and where'sthe man amang ye thatwull daur
to saythatitsno a pleasantpastimeo' a winter'snicht,
when the snaw iscumin'doon the lum, or the speat'sroarin
amang themirk mountains ?
NORTH.
Wilkiehimself,James, isno more than your equal.
SHEPHERD.
0 man, Mr. North,sh*,my heartiswae " my soul'ssick" and my spirit'swrathfu'to think o' thae placesin great
citieswhich theyca' " Hells!
NORTH.
Thank Heaven, my dear James, that I never was a
gambler" ^nor, exceptonce" to see the thing,ever in a Hell.
But itwas a stupidand passionlessnight" a placeofmean
misery" altogetherunworthy ofitsname.
SHEPHERD.
I'm gladyou never went back,and that the deevilwas
in the dumps ; forthey say that some nichtsin thae Hells,
when Satan and Sin sitthegitheron ae chair,he wi' his
arm roun' the neck o' that Destruction his Daughter, a
horribletemptationinvades men's heartsand souls,drivin'
and draggin'them on to the doom o' everlastingdeath.
NORTH.
Strong language,James " ^manygood and great men have
shook the elbow.
SHEPHERD.
Come, come now, Mr. North, and dinna allowparadoxto darken or obscure the bright lichto' your greatnatural
and acquiredunderstandin'.' Good and great'are lofty
epithetsto bestow on ony man that is bom o' a woman"
and if ony such therehave been who deliveredthemselves
up to sin,and shame, and sorrow, at the ggeming-table;
MORALITY. 307
lettheirbiographersjustifythem "
^itwill gie me pleasureto see them do't" ^butsuch examples shallnever confound
my judgmento' right or wrang. 'Shake the elbowindeedT What mair does a parricidedo but '
shake his
elbow/whenhe cuts hisfather'sthroat? The gamester
shakeshiselbow,and down go thegloriousoak treesplantedtwo hundred years ago, by some ancestor who loved the
freshsmello' the woods " away go " ifentaildoes no forbid
" thousands o' bonny braidacres, ance a' ae princelyestate,
but now shivereddown into beggarlyparshels,while the
Auld House seems broken-hearted,and hangs down itshead,
when the infatuatedlairddiesor shootshimself. Oh, man!
is nae it a sad thocht to think that my leddy,aye sae
graciousto the puir,should hae to laydown her carriagein
her auld age,and disappearfraethe Ha' into some far-aflf
town or village,perhapsno in Scotlandava'j whilehe,that
shouldhae been the heir,isapprenticedto a writerto the
signet,and becomes a money-scriveneri' his soul,and
aibHns a Whig routin'at a publicmeetin'about Queens,
and Slavery,and Borough Reform, and CautholicEmanci-pation."
St.FrancisXavier, though disapprovingof allgames of
chance, yet did not absolutelycondemn them as forbidden
by the word of God ; but endeavoured to reclaim,by gentle
means, those who were addictedto play. "That he might
banish Games of Chance," says his biographer, "
which
almost alwaysoccasionquarrelsand swearing, he proposed
some littleinnocent diversions,capableof entertainingthe
mind, vrithoutstirringup thepassions. But seeingthatin
spightof hisendeavours they were bent on Cards and Dice,
he thought itnot convenientto absent himself,butbecame
a looker-on,thathe might somewhat awe them by hispre-sence
; and when they were breaking out into any extra-vagance,
he reclaimed them by gentle and softreproofs.
303 PLAYING CARDS.
He showed concernment in theirgains,or in theirlosses,
and offeredsometimes to hold theircards.
"While the ship that carriedXavier was crossingthe
Gulph of Ceylon, [in1545]an occasion of charity was
offeredto the Saint,which he would not sufferto escape.
The mariners and souldierspass'd theirtime, accordingto
theircustome, in playing at cards. Two souldiersset
themselvesto it more out of avaricethan pleasure,and
one of them plaidwith such illfortune,that he lostnot
only allhis own money, but the stockwhich othershad putintohishands to trafBckforthem. Having nothing more
to lose,he withdrew, cursing his luck, and blaspheming
God. His despairprevailedso far over him, that he had
thrown himselfintothe Sea, or run upon the point of his
sword, ifhe had not been prevented. Xavier had notice
of thesehismad intentions,and execrablebehaviour,andimmediatelycame to hisrelief.He embrac'd him tenderly,
and saidallhe cou'd to comfort him : But the souldierin
the transportsofhisfury,thrusthim away, and forborenot
even illlanguage to him. Xavier stood recollectedfor
some time, imploringGod's assistanceand counsel; then
went and borrowed fiftyRoyals of a passenger,brought
them to the souldier,and advis'dhim once more to tryhis
fortune. At this the souldiertook heart, and play'd so
luckily,thathe recoveredallhislosseswith greatadvantage.The Saint,who look'don, took out of the overplusof the
winnings,what he had borrowed for him ; and seeingthe
gamester,now retum'd to a calm temper, he who before
refus'dto hear him, was now overpowered by hisdiscom'se,
never afterhandled cards,and became exemplary in his
life." He was particularlyfreein hisconverse with souldiers
who are greaterlibertines,and more debauch'd in the
Indies,than elsewhere. For, that they might the less
MORALITY. 809
suspecthim, he kept them company ; and because some-
times when they saw him coming, they had hid theircards
and dice, he told them. They were not of the clergy,
neither cou'd they continue praying all the day; that
cheating,quarrellingand swearing,were forbidto game-sters,but that play was not forbidto a souldier. Some-times
he play'd at chess himselfout of complyance,when
they whom he study'd to withdraw from vice,were lovers
of that game : And a Portuguese gentleman, whose name
was Don Diego Norogna, had once a very illopinion ofhim for it. This cavalier,who had heard a report ofXavier, that he was a saint-likeman, and desir'dmuchto have a sightof him, happened to be aboard of the same
galley. Not knowing his person, he enquiredwhich was
he; but was much surprisedto findhim playing at chess
with a privatesouldier. For he had form'd in his imagi-nation,
the ideaof one who was recollectedand austere,and
who never appeared in publick but to discom-seof eternity,
or to work miracles."^St. Francis de Sales was, in his younger days, a card-
player,though subsequentlyhe condemned allgames atcards
as being inthemselvesunlawful.^ According to the Duchess
of Orleans,the old Marshal Villeroi,who had known him in
hisyouth, could never bring himselfto callhim Saint. As
oftenas the name of St.Francisde Saleswas mentioned in
hispresence,he would observe," I was deHghted to learn
that Mons. de Saleswas a Saint. He was fond of saying
smutty things,and used to cheatat cards; in otherrespects
' The LifeofSt,FrancisXavier,by FatherBouhours. TranslatedintoEnglish
by John Dryden, pp. 71, 203, 697." "Les jeuxdes dez,des cartes,et semblables,esquels
le gain depend prin-
cipalementdu hasard, ne sont pas seulement des recreationsdangereuses,
comme lesdanses, mais ellessont simplement et naturellementmauvaises et
blamables.""St.Franpois de Sales,Litrod.a la Vie devote,quoted by Thiers
in hisTraitsdes Jeux, p. 168.
310 PLAYING CARDS.
he was a perfectgentleman,though a ninny."^ The excuse
that he made forhischeating was, thaiwhatever he won
was forthe poor. CardinalMazarine, another dignitaryof
the church of Rome, was much given to cheatingat play as
well as in politics; and itisrelatedby an eye-witness,that
when he was on his death-bed,he stillcontinued to play
at cards, one of the company holding his ** hand ;" and
that he was thus employed when he receivedthe Pope's
plenaryindulgence,togetherwith the viaticum,as a prince
ofthechurch,from the Papal nuncio.^In the sixteenthand seventeenthcenturies,many of the
clergyof alldegreesin France, Spain, and Italyappear to
have been much addictednot only to card-playingbut to
gaming in general,notwithstandingthe determinationsof
casuistsand the prohibitionsof councils. Masses and
prayerswere sometimes staked by the priestagainsttlie
hard money of the layman; and even devout people,followingthe example set them by theirpastors,used to
playwith each other forAves and Pater-hosters. On the
subjectof the clergystakingmasses at play,Barbeyrac,a
Protestant,observes," These are in tmth frivolousmatters,
and of no effect,to say no worse ; nevertheless,as those
wlio trafficin them believe,or, at least,pretendto believe
* M^moires sur la Cour de Louis XTV et de la R^gence. Extraitsdc la
CorrcspondanceAllcmandc deMadame Elisabeth-Charlotte,Duchesse d'Orl^ans,
mere du ll^-gcnt,p. 339. 8vo, Paris,1823. In corroborationof the anecdote
relatedby the Duchess, theEditorgives the followingfrom the * Loisirsd'un
Homme d'Etat/and the * DictionnaircHistoriquc:* "M. de Cosnac,archevcqued'Aix, taittresvieux,quand 11appritque Tonvientde canoniserSaintFranpois
de Sales. *Quoi!' s'dcria-t-il,*M. de Geneve, mon aucien ami? Je suis
charme de lafortunequ'ilvientde faire: e'etaitun galanthomme, un aimablehomme, ct mcme unhonnete homme, quoiqu'iltrichatau piquet,ou nous avons
souvent jou ensemble.'* Mais, moriscigncur,*luidit-on,
*
est-ilpossiblequ'un
saintfriponneau jcu?' * Ho !'repliquaI'archeveque,* ildisait,pour ses raisons,
que ee qu'ilgagnaitutaitpour Icspauvres.*"
* Mcmoircs incditsde Louis Henri de Lomenie, Comte dc Bricnnc.
MORALITY. 311
that a kind ofsanctityand supernaturalvirtueare attachedto theiruse, allplay forsuch stakes is unlawful; and he
who thus profanelyventures them is evidentlyguiltyboth
of sacrilegeand simony." With respectto playing for
prayers,Thiers says that the practiceisnot condemned by
Dr. Navarre, and that Pere Raynaud bears witness of its
being admitted among the devout; forhisown part,how-ever,
he disapprovesof it as"
a heterocliterefinement ofdevotion;" and is of opinionthatthere is some degree ofirreverencein playingforPsalms, Patcr-nosters,and Aves.^
The Spanish phrase," Jugar losKiries^'shows thatsuch a
practicewas not unusual among the clergyofthatcountry :
though the explanationof the phrase in some dictionaries
is,that itrelatesto a clergyman who playsaway the alms
that are given him forpraying,it yet properlyrelatesto a
clergyman who plays away prayers," not the money givenforthem.
Among the vicesgeneratedby gaming, thatof swearingisespeciallynoted by most authorswho have writtenon the
subject.^The French appear to have minced and frittered
theiroaths, swearing "like a comfit-maker'swife;" the
English and Germans to have sworn grossly;and the
Spaniardsand Italiansto have blasphemed in a spiritof
refinedimpiety. PascasiusJustus, in thisrespect,calls
" "Une treizi^mecirconstance,qui,limon sens, est capablede gaterlejeu,
c'cstquand on joiiedes prieres,jeveux direquand on joiiek conditionque
ccluiquiperdra fera certainesprieresou pour lesfidMes trepass^s,ou pour
ccluiqui aura gagnd, ou pour quelqu*autrequi luifera indiqu6. Le Docteur
Navarre ne condamne pas cetpratique.Lc P. TbdopliileRaynaud tdmoigne
qu'elleest repue parmi les devots. Mais pour moi,jela regarde comme un
raffiuementde devotionheterocliteou irreguliere,et j'estimequ'ily a de Tirr^-
vcrence a joiier,par exemple,des Pseaumes a reciter,ou des Fater naster,ou
des Ave Maria h.dire."" Thiers,TraitddesJeux, p. 425.' On thispointthe readerismore particularlyreferredto Thiers,Traitsdes
Jeux et des Divertissemens,p. 422 ; and to Barbeyrac,Traitddu Jeu, torn, ii,
p. 356, second edit.1737.
812 Pl.AYINO CARDS.
the gaming-tablethe devil'sfarm, and says thatitalways
yieldshim a most abundant crop. Iiihistime, gamesters
do not appear to have merely sworn from vexation,but
even to have delightedin pouring forth a volleyof oaths.
He relatesthat,when he once told a gambler thathe him-
selfcould never utter an oath, the other replied," Then
you arc ignorantof a great pleasure." A French writer,
speakingof the oathsof the Spaniards,gives the following
anecdote,as an instanceof theirimpiety. On one occasion,
when an orderhad been issuedto the Spanish army against
swearing, a soldierhaving lostall his money at cards,
and not daringto violatethe letterof the order,gave vent
to his feelingsby exclaiming,"Beso las manos, Senor
Pilato,"" I thank you, Mr. Pontius Pilate.''""II devoit
etre brule,"isthe judgmentof the relater. A similarin-stance
ofblasphemy, on the partof an Itialianwho had lost
hismoney at cards,isrecordedby Henry Stephens,in the
introductionto his ' Traitede laConformitedesMerveilles
anciennesavec lesmodcrnes.'^With respectto the passionsexcited by gaming, the
learned and pious Jeremy Collierexpresses his opinion
in the followingmanner, in his 'Essay on Gaming,' in a
Dialogue:" I can't help observing that playingdeep sets
the spmts on float,strikesthe nodnd stronglyinto the
" "ToutcfoisBans vciiirh tcllcasortcsdo blasplit'mcs,uous en trouvons de
fortssauvagcsau langagcIlalicn: dont aucuus scrablcntplutostsoriirdcla
boucliedc diablesque d'horamcs. Du nombre desquelsest un que j'ouyproferera Rome par un prestre,Icquelsera recitden son lieji.Mais on luypeutbiendonner pour compagnon un qui futprofer6a Venise par un Italien,non
prestre,mais suculier,en jouantaux eartesen lamaison d'un ambassadeurdu
Roy. Ce blasphemeesttel:* Venga '1cancaro ad lupo/ Quel si grand mal
y-a-t-iliciP diraquelqu'un. Lc grand mal est en cc que cecise disoitpar une
figure,qui s'ai)pclleaposiopeseou retinenea,en lieu de (commedepuison
cogneut)* Venga '1eancaro, ad lupo clienon manjibchristo quando
era
agucllo.*Or raj)pclloitilagnello,ayaut esgard ft cc qui estdieten S. Jean,* Ecce agnus Dei quitollitpeecatamundi.*
"
MORALITY. 313
face,and discoversa man's weakness very remarkably.Cards and dice,"c. command the humour no lessthan
the moon does the tide; you may see the passionscome
up with the dice,and ebb and flow with the fortuneof the
game ; what alternatereturns of hope and fear,of pleasuie
and regret,are frequentlyvisibleupon such occasions?
*Ep9a S* dfi*6in"aytire xai lix^^^ irtKivdvSpuVf
*0\\vvTCJV Ti, Kai dWyfievuv.
"As you say gaming is an image of war, the suddenturns of success are easilydiscernible;the advances of
victoryor illluck,make a strangerevolutionin the blood.
The countenance takes itstincturefrom the chance,and
appearsin thecoloursoftheprospect.With what anxious-
ness isthe issueexpected. You would think a juryof life
and death was gone out upon them. The sentence for
execution is not receivedwith more concern, than the
unluckyappearanceof a cast or a card. Thus some people
are miserablyruffled,and thrown offthe hinges; they seem
distressedto an agony ; you'd pitythem forthe meanness
of their behaviour; others are no lessfoolishlypleas'd;
break out with childishsatisfaction,and bring the cove-
tousness of theirhumour too much intoview.
"Now since play is thus arbitraryover the passions,
who would resignthe reposeof hismind, and the creditof
histemper, to the mercy ofchance? Who would stakehis
discretionupon such unnecessaryhazards? And throw the
dice,whether he should be in hiswits or not?"
On DoLOMEDES, the other speaker in the dialogue,ob-serving,
that thisdoes not always follow; that some people
playwithout the leastoffensivenessor ruffle,and losegreat
sums with allthe decency and indifferenceimaginable,the
author,in the characterof Callimachus, thus proceeds:
" Alas ! this is often but 'a copy of the countenance :
314 PLAYING CARDS.
things are not so smooth within,as they seem without.
Some people when they bleed inwardly have the art to
concealthe anguish; and thisis generallythe most of the
matter ; but ifthey are reallyimconcem'd ; if so heavy a
blow bringsno smart alongwith it,the case isstillworse :
thesemen have no sense of the value of money, they won't
do the leastpenance fortheirfolly,they have not so much
as the guard of a remorse. This stoicismis the speediest
dispatchto beggary; nothing can be more dangerous than
such a stupidtranquillity.To be thus becalm'd presages
Short allowance. This sedatenessmakes the man fool-hardy,
renew the combat, and venture a brush for the
remainder; forhe thatcan be beaten at his ease, and feels
no pain upon a wound, willfight,most likely,as long as
hislegswillbear him.
"But thisinsensiblenessis rarelymet with: very few
are proofagainsta shrewd chance to thisdegree. When
misfortune strikeshome, 'tisseldom decentlyreceived;
theirtemper goesoffwith theirmoney. For, accordingto
the proverb.Quiperd lesien,perd lesens. And here one
lossusuallymakes peopledesperate,and leadsto another:
and now the gentlemen of your function are extremely
vigilantto improve the opportunity,and observethecurrent
of the passions. You know very wellwhen a man's head
grows misty with illluck,when the spleencomes over his
understanding,and he has frettedhimselfofi"hisguard,he
ismuch the easierconquest : thus,when your bubbles are
going down the hill,you manage accordingly,lend them a
push, tho'theirbones are broken at the bottom. But I
forgetmyself; there'sneithermercy nor justicein some
people'sbusiness." To return : you know I may take itforgranted,that
yom* gaming sparksare horriblyruffledwhen thingswith a
promisingfacesicken,and sink on the sudden, when they
MORALITY. 316
are surprizinglycrossbitten,and success is snatcH'dfrom
theirgrasp; when thishappens,which is not unfrequent,
thespiritsare up immediately,and they are a storm at the
firstblast: the traintakes fire,and they kindle and flash
at the touch likegunpowder. And when the passionsare
thus rampant, nothing is more common than oaths,and
execrablelanguage : when instead of blaming theirown
rashness,and discipliningtheirfolly,they are cursingtheir
stars,and raging againsttheirfate.*" These paroxysms of madness run sometimes so high,
thatyou would think the Devil had seiz'dthe organs of
speech,and thatthey were possess'din every syllable: and
to finishfarther,thesehideous salliesare sometimes carry'd
on to quarrellingand murther. The dice,itmay be, are
snatch'dtoo quick, the cast is disputed,the loadingand
legerdemauiisdiscovered.
"jamque facesetsaxa volant:"
Upon this,they run to arms, and aftersome artillerydis-
charg'din swearing,come to a closeencounter. And thus
one of them isrun through the lungs, and leftagonizing
upon the place: or, as it happened not long since,the
gamester is knocked down with a pint-pot,and his skull
broken : he is forced to be trepan'd,and then relapsing
intoplay and drinking,diesof a frenzy.
" The author of 'A Short Essay on the FoUy of Gaming/reprintedfrom
thcDubHn InteUigencer,in 1734, speakingof the lossof temper at cardsand
dice,says :" If any one doubts the truthof tliisposition,I referhim to the
Groom-Porter's,and other publictables,where the virtuososof the gaming
scienceare dailyand nightlytobe seen. Ifblasphemy,cursing,swearing,duelling,
runningof heads againstthe wall,thro^vinghatsand wigs m thefire,distortions
ofthe countenance, bitingof nails,burning of cards,breakingofdice-boxes,
can be caUed a lossoftemper, they are to be found therein the highestdegree."
"He concludeshis essay with the followingwarning: "IshaU closethese
cursoryreflectionswith a usefulremark ofPlato's,viz.thattheDaemon Theuth
was the inventorof Dice ; and thevulgar have itby traditionthatcardsare the
Devil'sbooks; thereforeI cannot but say that after tliisinformationgiven,
ifgamesterswillnot desist,they are undoubtedlyat theDevil'sdevotion."
316 TLAYINO CAKD8.
" As to thehazards,they are frightful,and sufficientto
overset the temper of betterprincipledpeoplethan game-sters
commonly are. Have we not heard of ladieslosing
hundredsofguineasata sitting? And othersmore slenderly
stocked,disfurnishtheirhusbands'studies,and playoffthe
" books which,itmay be,help'dto feed them. And when
the women are thus courageous,the men conclude their
own sex callsfor a bolderliberty: that they ought to gofartherin danger,and appear more brave in the methods of
ruin : thus a manor has been lostin an afternoon; the suit
and servicefollow the cast, aud the right is transfer'd
sooner than the lawyer can draw the conveyance. A box
and diceare terribleartillery,a batteryof cannon scarcely
plays with more execution. They make a breach in a
castle,and command a surrenderin a littletime."*
A curiousRabbinical tract on the subjectof Gaming,
entitled,JHD IID, " Sur Mera," that is, "Depart from
Evil," seems to require some notice here. It was first
printedat Venice,about 1615; was reprintedat Leyden
about 1660; and a third edition,accompanied with a
German translation,was published at Leipsic in 1683,
None of the editorsmention eitherthe name of the author,or the time when he lived. The work is in the form of a
dialoguebetween two young Jews, one of whom, namedMedad, maintainsthelawfulnessof Gaming, and isopposedby the other,named Eldad. The work isdividedintosix
chapters. The firstis merely introductory,giving a brief
account of the speakers in the dialogue;" Medad, a
merchant's son, addictedto play; and Eldad, his friend,
who endeavours to reclaim him. The second chapter
" An Essayupon Gaming, ina Dialoguebetween Callimachusand Dolomedes.
By Jeremy Collier,M.A. 1713.'This titleis taken from the 14tliverse of the xxxivth Psalm: "Depart
from evil,and do good." The names of the speakers,Eldad and Medad, are
from Numbers, xi,26.
MORALITY. 317
containsthe argument which they had on the subjectofgaming and commerce ; Medad endeavouringto show that
play is commendable and similarto commerce; whileEldad maintains the contrary. In the third chapter,Eldad undertakes to prove from the Scripturesthat a
gamesterbreaksallthe Ten Commandments, and Mcdad
ingeniouslyanswers him. In the foiu1;hchapter,Eldad,
on the authorityof the Talmud and other Rabbinical
works, maintains that a gamester can neitherbe a judgenor a witness; and Medad answers him, citing opposite
passages from the same authorities.In the fifthchapter,Eldad recitesa pieceof poetrydescriptiveof the miserable
stateof a gamester ; and Medad, in return, recitesanother,
whereinthe pleasuresof a gamester'slifeare highlyextolled.In the sixthand lastchapter,Eldad seriouslyexhorts his
friendto assent to truth; Medad yields,and acknowledges
thatthe cause which he had maintained was bad.
The followingare a few of the more remarkable passagesin the argument of Medad, the advocate of gaming:" Play iscommendable, the same as allothprhuman inven-
tions. It is like a brightmin*orin which many excellent
thingsare to be discovered,excitingto a sluggishman, and
causing him to forget the cares incidentto dailylife.
Though it be undeniable that he whose whole pleasure
consists in keeping the commands of the Lord, and
who is neither vain nor ambitious, is a better man
than he who plays; yet of the various pursuits in
which men engage in orderto obtainwealth or power, Play
is one which may be allowed to those who, without pre-tending
to be absolutelyrighteous,yet endeavourto be as
righteous as they can. Through much traffickingman
becomes knowing ; and wares are in Hebrew calledmirrD
" Sechorah" a word which means'
circulation,',or 'that
which circulates,'on account of theirpassing from one
318 PLAYING CARDS.
person to another by way of barter or sale. Why should
Play not be estimatedthe same as any other business,at
which money is sometimes lostand sometimes gained?^
The determining of matters by lot or chance is even of
Divine institution: the high priest'ssin-oflPeringwas to be
determined by lot; the land was to be dividedamongst
the Twelve Tribes by lot; David, in the sixteenthPsalm,
says that the Lord maintains his lot; and in Proverbs,
chap, xviii,we are toldthat ' the lot causeth contentions
to cease, and partethbetween the mighty.'" It isanswered,
that trafficor commerce is productive of mutual benefit.
But hearken: in anticipationof a dearth you purchasea
hundred quartersof corn ofyour neighbour, and lock itup
in your granaries,in the hope of gaining double. You
raiseyour faceto Heaven, but itisto loolcout forthe signs
ofbad weather; and you are content that thereshouldbe
a famineintheland,providedthatyou tliriveby it. When
your wine-vatsare fullto overflowing,you enjoythe storm
of thunder and hailthat destroysthe vintageof the year;for you wiU thus be enriched. But isthisjust?is there
any mutual benefitin this? Can you make your profit
withoutthe restof theworld being injured? And yetyou
arc held to be an honourable fair-dealingman.^ " In the
thirdchapterofthetractSanhedrin, gamesters and usurers
are indeed classedtogether; but it is known thatin the
Scripturesusury is stronglycondemned, while play isnot
' Eldad,inreplyingto thisportionof Mcdad*s argument, observesthatPlay
isnot to be compared with commerce or trade,which suppliesmen with things
necessaryor useful,and that in fairtradeboth the buyer and the sellerarc
benefited.* Eldad, in answer to thistirade,observes that no blessingcan attendthe
gainsof such an unfeelingcharacter,and thathismoney willgo as ithas come,
put of a thousand,he says,thereisnot one who succeedsin such speculations,
and thatwe dailysee many reducedto poverty by them. Trade and commerce
supplyingus with usefularticlesare to be distinguishedfrom speculationswhich
partakeofthenature ofgaming.
MORALITY. 819
even forbidden. But now, those who liveby usury are
honoured ; and so farfrom being deprivedof the rightof
actingas judgesor of giving testimony as witnesses,they
are magistratesand rulers: a word of theirsis worth a
hundred witnesses. Gamesters, on the contrary,are un-justlyvilified; and he who does not speak evilof play runs
the risk of being excommunicated. " ^Even the losing
gamester may derivegreat advantage from his play : he
is thus taught to bear losses with patience; and whenin other matters he has been unlucky and has lostmuch
money, he consoleshimselfwith the thought thatitisonly
what has often happened to him at play. He perceives
that nothing isstableor perpetualin human affairs,and
takes the good and the bad with even temper. From his
games he also acquiresthe elements of science; he learns
arithmeticwithout a master ; and alsobecomes a proficientin logicand rhetoric,from hisexerciseof those arts on his
opponents. From the cardshe may acquire a knowledge
of painting,and from the dice,which are exactlysquared,he may learnmathematics. In short,he who playsat cards
and dice,has a hand in allarts. The Hebrew word bD2"
BeM " which signifies' in all,'is,in itsnumerical value,
equalto 52 : thatis,n = 2 ; 3 = 20 ; and V= 30 : in all
52," the number of cardsin a French pack. The Hebrew
word T1 " Fa-t/od" which signifies*a Hand,' is,in thesame
manner, reckoning the word itselfas 1, equal to 21 : that
is,1 = 6; ^=10; "7=4; the word itself= l: in all
21,"the number of the spotson a die. Thus, from hisplay,
may a man learnrighteousness,and how to conduct himself
with moderation."Though the game of cards has not been so elaborately
moraUsed as the game of Chess, yet the Pack has not
wanted spiritualexpounders, whohave ingeniouslyshown
thatitmight serve, not only as a perpetualalmanack, but
320 PLATING CARDS.
but alsoas a moral monitor,and a help to devotion. The
most popularand bestknown of such expositions,or rather
applications,is that entitled' The Perpetual Almanack,
or Gentleman-Soldier'sPrayer Book;' which has been
long cu*culatedin this country as a penny chap-book.
Mons. Leber says thatit isan imitationof a French tract
on the same subject,entitled'Explication morale du
Jeu de Cartes,anecdote curieuseet interessante,sous le
nom de Louis Bras-de-fer,engage au ser\ice du roi,'
which seems to have been firstpublished at Brussels,in
1778. The historyofBras-de-ferisreferredtoby Breitkopf;
and Mons. Rcnouard,speakingof Singer's' Researchesinto
the History of Playing Cards,'in the Catalogue of his
Library,observes," Cet auteur, qui a tout recherche,n'a
probablement pas tout rencontre, car s'ilI'eutseulement
entrevue, auroit-illaisseechapper I'explicationmorale du
jeude cartes par le soldatBras-de-fer,I'une des piecesle
plus notablesde la bibliothcquea deux sols?" In order
that a similarobjectionmay not be brought againstthe
writerofthiswork, the whole of the PerpetualAlmanack
is here given, verbatim, from a broadside,"printed by
J. Catnach,2, Monmouth Court,Seven Dials."
"The Perpetual Almanack; or Gentleman-soldier's
Prayer Book: shewing how one Richard Middleton was
taken beforethe Mayor of the cityhe was in for using
cardsinchurchduringDivineService: beinga droll,merry,
and humorous account of an odd afiairthathappened to a
privatesoldierin the 60th Regiment of Foot." The Serjeantcommanded his party to the church,and
when the parson had ended his prayer,he took his text,
and allofthem thathad a Bible,pulled it out to findthe
text; but thissoldierhad neither Bible,Almanack, nor
Common-Prayer Book, but he put his hand in hispocket
and pulledout a pack of cards,and spreadthem beforehim
MORALITY. 321
as he sat; and whilethe parsonwas preaching,he firstkept
lookingat one card and then at another.* The serjeantofthecompany saw him, and said,'Richard,put up your cards,forthisisno placeforthem.'"
' Never mind that,'saidthe
soldier,'
you have no businesswith me here.'" Now the parson had ended his sermon, and allwas
over : the soldiersrepairedto the churchyardand the com-manding
officergave the word ofcommand to fallin,whichthey did. The serjeantofthe citycame, and took the man
prisoner."
* Man, you are my prisoner,'saidhe."
' Sir,'
saidthesoldier,*
what have I done thatI am your prisoner?'"
* You have playeda game at cardsinthechurch.'"' No,*
said the soldier,'I have not play'da game, forI onlylookedatapack.'" 'No matter forthat,you are my prisoner.*"
' "VVTieremust we go ?'saidthe soldier."
* You must gobeforethe Mayor,'saidtheserjeant.So he took him before
the Mayor ; and when they came to the Mayor'shouse,he
was at dinner. When he had dinedhe came down to them,
and said,' Well,serjeant,what do you want with me ?'" 'I
have brought a soldierbeforeyou forplayingat cardsinthe
* The followinganecdoteof a card-playingparson who inopportunelylet
some cardsdrop from hissleevewhen inchurch,occurs in 'The Women's Advo-cate,
or the"FifteenrealComfortsofMatrimony.*" 2d edit.1683.
" The Parson that lovedgaming betterthanhiseyes,made a good use of it
when ho put up hiscardsinhisgown-sleeveinhaste,when theclerkcame and
toldhim the laststave was a-singirig.*Tistrue, thatin the heightof his
reprovingtheParishfortheirneglectof holyduties,upon thethrowingout of
hiszealousarm, the cardsdroptout of hissleeve,and flewabout the church.
What thenP He bid one boy takeup a cardand asked him what itwas," the
boy answers the King ofClubs. Then he bidanotherboytakeup anothercard.* What was that?* * The Knave of Spades.'
* Well/ quo' he, 'now tellme,
who made ye ?'The boycouldnotwellteU,Quo' he tothenext,'Who redeemed
ye?'" thatwas a harder'question.'Look ye,'quoth the Parson,'you think
thiswas an accident,and laughat it; but I didit on purposeto shew you that
had you taught your childrentheircatechism,as well as to know theircards,,
theywould have been betterprovidedto answer materialquestionswhen they
come to church,''*
21
322 PLAriNG CARDS.
church/"'What !thatsoldier?'"* Yes/"' Well,soldier,
what haveyou to sayforyourself?'"
' Much, sir,I hope/"
* Well and good ; but ifyou havenot, you shallbe punished
the worst that ever man was/"
' Sir/said the soldier,' I
have been fiveweeks upon the march, and have but little
to subsiston ; and am without eitherBible,Almanack, or
Common-Prayer Book, or anything but a pack of cards:
I hope to satisfyyourhonour ofthepurityofmy intentions/" Then the soldierpulled out of his pocket the pack of
cards,which he spread beforethe Mayor ; he then began
with the Ace.* When I see theAce,'saidhe,
' itputs me
inmind thatthereisone God only; when I see the Deuce,
itputsme in mind ofthe Father and the Son ; when I see
theTray,itputs me in mind of the Father,Son, and Holy
Ghost; when I see theFour,itputs me inmind ofthefour
EvangeUsts,thatpenned the Gospel,viz.Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John ; when I see the Five,itputs me in mind
ofthefivewisevirginswho trimmed theirlamps ;therewere
ten, but fivewere foolish,who were shut out. When I see
the Six,itputs me in mind thatin sixdays the Lord made
Eeaven and Earth; when I see the Seven, it puts me in
mind thaton the seventhday God restedfrom alltheworks
which he had createdand made, whereforetheLord blessed
theseventhday,and hallowedit. When I see the Eight,
itputs me in mind ofthe eightrighteouspersonsthatwere
savedwhen God drowned the world, viz.Noah, his wife,
threesons, and theirwives; when I see the Nine, itputs
me inmind ofninelepersthatwere cleansedby our Saviour;
therewere ten,but nine never returnedGod thanks; when
I see theTen, itputs me in mind of the Ten Command-
ments thatGod gaveMoses on Mount Sinaion thetwo tables
ofstone.' He took theKnave, and laiditaside.^"
' When I
see the Queen, itputs me in mind of the Queen of Sheba,
who came from the furthermostpartsof the world to hear
MORALITY. 328
thewisdom ofKing Solomon,forshe was as wisea woman
as he was a man ; forshebroughtfiftyboysand fiftygirls,allclothedinboy'sapparel,to show beforeKing Solomon,
forhim to tellwhich were boys,and which were girls; but
he couldnot,untilhe calledfor water for them to washthemselves; thegirlswashed up to theirelbows,and theboys onlyup to theirwrists; so King Solomon toldby that.
And when I see the King,itputsme in mind of the greatKing of Heaven and Earth,which isGod Almighty,andlikewisehisMajestyKing George,to prayforhim.'
" ' Well,'saidtheMayor, *you have a verygood descrip-tion
ofallthe cards,exceptone, which islacking.'"
' Which
isthat?'saidthesoldier.'"
' The Knave,'saidtheMayor."
' Oh, I can giveyourhonour a verygood descriptionofthat,
ifyour honour won't be angry.'" 'No, I willnot,'saidthe
Mayor, ' ifyou willnot term me to be theKnave.'" 'Well,'
saidthesoldier,' the greatestthat I know isthe serjeant
ofthecity,thatbroughtme here.'"
* I don'tknow,' saidtheMayor, ' thathe is the greatestknave,but I am sure
thathe isthe greatestfool.'" 'When I count how many
spotsthereare in a pack of cards,I findthereare three
hundred and sixty-five; thereare so many daysin a year.When I count how many cardsthereare in a pack,I find
there are fifty-two;there are so many weeks in a year.When I count how many tricksin a pack, I findthereare
thirteen; there are so many months in a year. You see,
sir,thatthispack ofcardsisa Bible,Almanack, Common-
PrayerBook, and pack ofcardsto me.'
" Then the Mayor calledfor a loafof bread,a pieceof
good cheese,and a pot ofgood beer,and gave thesoldiera
pieceof money, bidding him to go about his business,
sayinghe was the cleverestman he had ever seen."
Another chap-book,entitled'A New Game at Cards,
between a Nobleman in London and one of hisServants,*
ismerelya variationofthe 'PerpetualAlmanack :' a servant
824 PLATING CARDS.
being denounced to his master as a gambler,deniesthe
fact; and on a pack of cardsbeing found in hispocket,he
assertsthathe isunacquaintedwiththeiruse as mere cards,
and thathe uses them as an almanack,and sometimes con-verts
them into a prayer-book. The four suitsanswer to
the fourquartersof the jear; thereare thirteencardsin
eachsuit,and thirteenweeks in each quarter; the twelve
coat cardscorrespondwith the twelve months in a year;
and thereare justas many weeks in theyear as cardsin a
pack. The King and Queen remind him ofhisallegiance;
the Ten reminds him of the Ten Commandments ; the
Nine,of thenineMuses ; the Eight,ofthe eightaltitudes,
and the eightpersonswho were saved in the ark; the
Seven,of the seven wonders of the world,and the seven
planetsthatrulethe days ofthe week ; the Six,of thesix
petitionscontainedin the Lord's Prayer,and of the six
workingdaysina week;theFive,ofthefivesenses; theFour,
of thefour seasons ; theThree, of the threeGraces,and
ofthe threedaysand nightsthatJonah was in thewhale'sbelly; theTwo, ofthetwo Testaments,Old and New, and
of the two contraryprinciples.Virtue and Vice; and the
Ace, of the worship of one God. With respectto the
Knave, which,hke the soldier,he had laidaside,and had
omitted to noticein itsproper place,he says,on being
askeditsmeaning by hismaster, thatitwillalwaysremindhun of the personwho informedagainsthim.
A variationofthehistoryofBras-de-ferwas publishedatParisin 1809, with notes by a Mons. Hadin, under the
followingtitle: ' Histoiredu Jeu de Cartesdu Grenadier
Richard,ou Explicationdu Jeu de cinquante-deuxcartesen forme de Livresde Priere.' Mons. G. Brunet,in his
" Mons. PeignotsaysthatMile.Le Normand, the celebratedfortune-teller,
publishedin her 'SouvenirsProph^tiqucs/Paris,1814,the same history,but
withthename oftheherochangedto EiehardMiddleton. Mile.Le Normanddiedat Parisin1843,aged 72,leavinga fortune,itis said,of 500,000 francs.She had followedthetradeof fortune-tellingforupwards of fortyyears; and
MORALITY. 825
'NoticeBibliographiquesur les Cartes a jouer/says thatthisKvret is not devoidof originality,and thatit isnot
easilymet with. From the passageswhich he quotes,it
would appear that the " GrenadierRichard" was equally
wellreadin sacredand profanehistory,and thathe had
thumbed both his Concordance and his ClassicalDic-tionary
to some purpose. The Ace reminds him, amongst
variousotherthings,of theunityof theDeity; that Noah
leftthe ark one yearafterthe deluge; and thatthereis
only one CatholicChurch. When he sees the Nine, he
thinksof the nine ordersofangels; and is reminded that
Christdied attheninthhour ofthe day. A Queen remindshim of Eve, Judith,Dalilah,the Queen of Sheba,and the
Virgin Mary ; a Knave, of the centurionin the Gospel;
and a King, ofAdam, Solomon, or any king mentioned in
Holy Writ. The twelvecoat cardsremind him ofthetwelve
fountainsof Elim, the twelvepreciousstones in thebreast-plate
of the high priest,the twelve loavesof shew-bread,
the twelve stoneswith which Elibuiltan altar,thetwelve
patriarchs,the twelveoxen thatsustainedthebrazensea in
Solomon's temple,the twelveapostles,thetwelvearticlesof
the creed,and the twelvefeastswhich are more particularly
celebratedby the Church of Rome in honour of Christ.
Diamonds " le Carreau," make him think of the place
where the cross was fixed; Spades" le Pique," of the
lance which piercedthe sideof Christ; and Clubs," le
Trefle,"with theirtripleleaves,of the loveof the three
women who went earlyin the morning with perfumesto
the holy sepulchre.On subjectsof heathen mythology,cards are equally
suggestiveto hiswell-storedmemory. The Threereminds
issaidto have been frequentlyconsultedby the Empress Josephine,who was
extremelysuperstitious.A great number of her customers were gamblers,of
both sexes. Siieis saidto have been visitedboth by Napoleon,and by
Alexander,Emperor of Russia.
326 PLATING CARDS.
him of the threesons of Saturn," Jupiter,Neptune,andPluto; of the threeFuries,the three Graces,the three
Hesperides,thethreedaughtersof Mineus, and the three
horsesof the chariotofPluto. The Four reminds him of
the fourages,thefourhorsesofthechariotofthe sun, and
the four labyrinths,namely, of Egypt, Crete,Italy,and
Lemnos ; and whenever he sees the Nine, he isvividlyre-minded
of the nine Muses, and the nine acres of land
coveredby thebody ofthe giantTithius. The twelvecoat
cardsare suggestiveofthetwelvegods and goddesses,the
twelve laboursof Hercules,and sundry other twelves
besides.^
The followinghistoricalanecdote,aprqpoSyof a pack of
cards,is extractedfrom a littlebook in duodecimo, en-titled* The Socialand InstructiveCompanion,*printedfor
T.Fieldin PaternosterRow, 1765. The same storyisalsoinsertedin the 'Whitehall Evening Post,'of the 27th
September, 1767; and the editorsays that itisrelatedin the manuscript memoirs of Richard, Earl of Cork,
and of Henry Usher, primate of Armagh. He fiui:her
adds thatitstruthwas ascertainedby James Usher,Arch-bishop
ofArmagh, nephew oftheaforesaidHenry. Whether
true or false,a gi^eatmany more improbable thingshave
passedcurrent as authentichistoryupon no betterevidence.
"Queen Mary having dealtseverelywith the Protestants
in England,signed a commission about the latterend ofherreign,fortakingthe same course with them in Ireland;
and to execute the same with greaterforce,she nominatedUr. Cole,who had recommended himselfby wholesome
severitiesin England, to be one of the commissioners,
sendingthe commission by the doctorhimself." In the way. Dr. Cole lodged one night at Chester,
where, being visitedas the queen's messenger, and a
churchman of distinctionby the mayor of thatcity,he in-* NoticeBibliograpliiqucsur lesCartesa joiier,p. 9. Paris,1842.
MORALITT. 327
formedthismagistrateof thecontents ofhismessage; andtaking a box out of his cloak-bag,said,
' Here isa com-missionthat shalllash the heretics'(meaningthe Pro-
testantsofIreland)." The good woman of the house being well affectedto
the Protestantreligion,and having also a brothernamedJohn Edmonds, then a citizenin Dubhn, and a Protestant,
was greatlydisturbedat the doctor'swords ; but waitinga
convenienttime whilstthe mayor took his leave,and the
doctorcomplimented him down stairs,she venturedto openthebox, and taking the commission out, she in itsplace
put a sheetof paper,and a pack of cards,with the Knave
of Clubs faceduppermost,wrapped up. The doctor,at his
return to hischamber, suspectingnothmgof what had been
done,put up the box again into his cloak-bag; and next
day the wind settingfair,he sailedforIreland,and landed
at Dublin, the 7th of October,1558." The doctorhaving notifiedhisarrivalat the Castle,the
lord deputy Fitz-Walterssent for him to come beforehis
excellencyand theprivycouncil; to whom the doctormade
a long speechrelatingto thesubjectofhiscommission,andthen presented the leatherbox with itscontents to the
lorddeputy. But when the deputyopened itforthe secre-tary
to read the commission,]o! to the greatsurpriseofall
present,and the doctor'sconfusion,therewas nothingfound
but a pack of cardswith the Knave of Clubs facedupper-most.
The doctorassuredthe deputy and councilthathe
had a commission,but knew not how itwas gone, 'Then/
saidthe lorddeputy,' letus have anothercommission,and
we willshufflethe cardsin the meanwhile.'
"The doctorwithdrew in great trouble of mind; and
hastingback to England, obtaineda freshcommission : but
being detainedsome time at the water sidefora fairwind,
he was prevented from putting it into executionby the
news ofthe queen'sdeath.
328 PLAYING CARDS.
"This account of the providentialdeliveranceof the
Protestantsin Ireland from the Marian persecutionis
attestedin thememorialsof Richard,Earl of Cork, by the
Lord PrimateUsher ; and in SirJames Ware's MSS. ; who
alsowritesthat Queen Elizabeth,being informed of the
truththereofby thelorddeputy Fitz-Walters,her Majestywas so delighted,thatshe sent forthe good woman, named .
Ehzabcth Edmonds, but by her husband (whom she after-
wards married)named Mathershead, and gave her a
pension of fortypounds during life,forhaving saved her
ProtestantsubjectsofIreland."
Having now laidbeforethe readera storeof factsand
speculationson theoriginand historyof cards,a sketchof
theprogressofcard-playingindifferentcountriesinEurope,
and a collectionof the opinionsofseveraleminent men on
the lawfulnessof thegame theologicallyand morallycon-sidered,togetherwith sundryothermatters eithernaturally,
or artificially,associatedwith cards," I shallconclude the
work by a briefrecapitulationof a few of the leadingfacts
and circumstancesrelatingto the originof cardsand the
timeoftheirfirstintroductionintoEurope.
In Hindostan,thetraditionis,thatcardswere known in
thatcountryat a remote period," upwards of a thousand
yearsago ; but I have not been able to learn that they
are mentioned in any Hindostanee work of an early.
date,and I am informed,on the authorityof the San-scrit
professorat Oxford, thatthere is no Sanscritwordforplayingcards. Thislastfactis,however, of but little
weight as negativeevidenceof cards being unknown in
Hindostan a thousandyearsago ; forlong beforethattime
Sanscrithad become obsoleteas a vernacularlanguage.
In China,ifany creditcan be attachedto thetwo dictionaries,
or rather cyclopaedias,of the greatestauthorityin that
country," Dotted Cards" were inventedin 1120, in the
MORALITY. 820
reignofSeun-ho,and began to be common inthe reignofKaou-tsung,who ascended the thronein 1131. Cards
Carte"
^are mentioned in an Italianwork, saidto have been
composed by Sandro di Pipozzoin 1299 ; but as the MS.
isnot of an earlierdate than 1400, thereisgood reason for
concludingthe word to be an interpolation,seeing that in
severalworks of the earlierpartof the fourteenthcentury,
which had been citedto prove thatcardswere then known
in Europe, ithas been discoveredthat the term cards was
an interpolationintroducedat a laterperiodby a transcriber.
The author of the' GiildinSpil,'a work writtenabout the
middle of the fifteenthcentury,and printedatAugsburg, in
1472, says that he had read thatthe game of cards was
firstbrought into Germany in 1300. No fact,however,
confirmatoryof the correctness of thisaccount has been
discovered;and the omission of allnotice of cards by
European authorsoftheearlierhalfofthefourteenthcentury,even when expresslytreatingof the games in vogue at the
period,may be receivedas good negativeevidenceof their
not being then known as a populargame in Europe :^^ Be
non apparentihuset non existentibuseadem estratio*' Ad-mitting
cardstobe ofEasterninvention"a factwhich appears
to be sufficientlyestablishedby the evidenceadduced inthe
firstchapter," itwould seem thatthey firstbecame known
in Europe as a popular game between 1360 and 1390.
Covelluzzo,an Italianchroniclerof the fifteenthcentury,
says,thatthe game' was firstbrought intoViterboin1379 ;
in 1393, three packs of cards were paintedby Jacquemin
Gringonneur forthe amusement of CharlesVI of France;*
" Sincethissheetwas intype I have learnedthatcardsare- mentioned ina
work entitled* Le Menagier de Paris/writtenabout 1393, by "nn bourgeois
Parisien,"and recentlypublishedby the Societyof BibliophilesFranjais. la
the noticeof it in the 'Journaldes Savants*forFebruary last,itsaid: "On y
rencontre des indicationshistoriquesque nul autre ouvrage ne nous foumit;
telest,par example, lamention desCartesa jouer."
33a PLAYING CARDS.
in 1397, tHe working people of Pariswere forbid to play
at cards on working days ; and in the same year card-
playingwas prohibitedby the magistratesof Ulm. Such
are the principalfactsrelativeto the introductionof cards
into Europe. The game appears to have rapidlyspread
amongst allclassesof people. The manufacture of cards
was a regularbusinessin Germany and Italypriorto 1425 ;
the importationof foreigncardsintoEngland was prohibited
by act of parliamentin 1463; and about 1484, cards, as
at present, was a common Christmas game. It is un-necessaryto recapitulatethe more prominent incidentswhich
mark the progress of card-playing; it may be sufficientto
observe,thatno other game was ever so generallyplayed,
with peopleofboth sexes, "
^young and old,richand poor.
Even the "red man" ofAmerica, the^* Stoicof theWoods,"
has acquireda knowledge of cards, from hisneighboursofEuropean descent,and ceases tobe apatheticwhen engagedin the game. Itis,perhaps, as extensivelydifiusedas the
use of tobacco; and is certainlyindulged in by a greater
varietyof persons.
iji^':':;3^^^^
APPENDIX.
No. I
Ustofthe^cimetuofCards given in the 'Jeux de Carta Tarotietde CartetNumSralei, du Qmtorzime au Dix-huiiime Steele:*published hy theSocietyofBibliophilesFrangais,Paris, 1844.
.
1. Seventeen cards,ascribedto Grmgonnenr, from the originalsin theBibKoth^que du Roi.
2. Ten cards,from the originalsengraved on wood and coloured,in theBiblioth^quedu Roi. Supposed date,1425. ^
3. Cards, from the originalsengravedon wood, inthe possessionofMons.H6muville. Supposed date,1440.
4. Copies of the set of ififtyold Italianengravings,usuallycalledTarocchLSupposed date,1470.
6. Ten plates,containinga set of fifty-twocircularcards,with the markT. W., and having Hares, Parroquets,Pinks,and Columbinesas the marks ofthe suits. Supposed date,1477.
6. Four cards of a pack engraved on copper at Venice in 1491.
7. Ten plates,containing forty cards, with Human Figures,Bears andLions, Deer, and Birds as the marks of the suits. From the originals,
ascribedto the "Master of 1466," formerlyinthe possessionof Mr. T. Wilson,
but now in the Bibliothequedu Roi.
8. Four plates,containing thirty-sixcards of a Grerman pack of fifty-two,
engraved on wood, of the date 1511.
9. A plate,containingsixteenPortuguese cards,of thedate 1693.
10. A plate,containingtwelveFrench cards,engraved by Vincent Goyraud,
of the time of Henry IV.
11. A plate,containingsixteenFrench cards,of the time ofLouis XTTT.
12. A plate,containingtwelve caries of a Republican pack, engraved in
France about 1793.
13. A plate,containingtwelve cardsof another Republican pack, engraved
in France about the same periodas the preceding.The originalsof allthe specimens,with the exceptionofthosementioned
under No. 3, arc preservedin theBiblioth^uedu Roi.
332 APPENDIX.
No. 2.
A ListoftheprincipalWorks eitherdirectlyrelatingto Cards,or incidentally
treatingofthe Game. From the *Jeux de CartesTarots et de Cartes
Numerates,*icithmany additions,
Le M^nagicrde Paris: traitdde moraleetd*^conomiedomestique,composd,
vers 1393, par un BourgeoisParisien.Publicpour la premierefoispar la
Soci^tddesBibliophilesFrangais. 8vo,Paris,184-8.
Ingold,Das GiildinSpil. Folio,Augsburg,1472.
BaptistaPlatina,de Honesta Voluptate. 4to,Venice,1475.
GalcottusMartius,de Doctrinapromiscua. About 1490.
R. Maphei VolaterraniCommentaria Urbana. 1506.
Logica Memorativa: Chartiludiumlogice"auctore Thoma Mumer. 4to,
Cracovia;,1507. Strasburg,1509. ReprintedatParis. 8vo,1629.
PliilcsiiVosgcsigenoeGrammatica figurata.4to,1509.
Speculum Fatuorum, auctore Joanne Geilerde Kiesersberg,coneionatoroArgentorense. Sect.Ixxvii,Lusorum turba. 4to,Strasburg,1511.
Chartiludium institutesummarie, vel institutionesJustiniani; doctore^
Thoma Mumer, mcmorante etludente. 4to,Argentinae,1518.
Dialogiomnes HadrianiBarlandi. 8vo, Paris,1542.
Ludus Charlarum, Dialogus,auctoreLudovieo Vives. 1545.
Raggionamcnto deldivinoPietro Aretino,nel qualesiparladelgiuoeo,con
moralitypiacevole.8vo,about1545. Reprintedin 1589 and 1651.
Lc Mepris et leContemnement de tons lesJeux de Sort,par 01.Gouyn.
8vo,Paris,1550.
Cento Giuochiliberal!e d'ingegno,da InnocentioRinghieriritrovati.4to,
Bologna,1551.
Satyra invectivacontra losTahures: en que se declaranlosdanos que al
cuerpo,y alalma,y lahaziendase siguendeljuegode losnaypes. (PorDiegodelCastillo.)12mo, Sevilla,1557.
PascasiusJustus,de Alea. About 1560. Reprinted in 4to, with a large
Appendix on thesubjectofgaming, selectedfrom variousauthors,by Joannes
a Munster, at Neustadt,in the dioceseof Spires,1617.Hierouymi CardaniLib.de ludoAle". About 1560.
John Northbrooke*sTreatiseagainstDicing, Dancing, Plays,and otherIdle
Pastimes,1577. Reprintedby the Shakspeare Society,1843.
Liberde Alea,ou breveRemontrance sur lesJeux de Carteset de Des, parLambert Daneau. Small 8vo,Paris,1579.
PhilipStubbes'sAnatomy of Abuses. 12mo, 1583.
ReginaldScott'sDiscoveryof Witchcraft.4to,1584.Le Triomphe du Bcrlan,par J.Perrache. 8vo,Paris,1585.
Del Giuoeo;DiscorsodelR. PadreM. Tommaso BuoninsegnL 4to,Florence,
1585.
A Short and Pkin Dialogue concerningthe Unlawfulnessof PlayingatCardsor Tables.By James Balmford. Firstedition,1593. Reprintedin1607,
APPENDIX. 833
Les TromperiesetPiperiesdu Jen,ou laMort aiix Pipeurs, 12mo, Paris.1608.
The Four Knaves,a seriesofSatiricalTracts. By SamuelRowlands,1611-13.Reprintedby the Percy Society,1843.
Commentarius contra Ludura Alearum, Chartamm scilicetacTaxillomm;a FratreAngelo Roccha,episcopoTagastensi.4to,Rome, 1616.
On theNature and Use of Lots. By Thomas Gataker,B.D. 4to,London,
1619. Second edition,1627.
Acaddmie des Jeux. 12mo, Paris,1659. Numerous enlargededitionsofthiswork have beenpublished.^/And. Senftlebius,de Alea veterum,p. 137-8. 8vo,Leipsic,1667.
The Compleat Gamester. By CharlesCotton. 12mo, London, 1674.
Der Gelehrte und Bekehrte Spieler: das isteinanuehmlichesTractatlein,
darinnenzwey JiidischeStudenten scharffsinnigdisputiren,Was vom Spiel
zu haltensey? Ins Deutschelibersetzetvon P. A. Christian.12mo, Leipzig,
1683. The firsteditionoftheoriginalHebrew appearsto have beenprintedatVenice about1615. A secondeditionwas printedatLeyden about 1660.
Traitsdes Jeux et desDivertissemens,par M. Jean BaptisteThiers,Docteur
en Theologie. 12mo, Paris,1686.
Paralleleentre laJurisprudenceespagnoleet cellede France,relativement
aux Jeux de Cartes,par Lucio Marinero Siculo,1686.
Elenchus quorumdam eorum qui de ludisscripserunt,et *deludisorientali-bus ; auctore Thoma Hyde. 12mo, Oxford,1694.
Reflexionssur ce que Ton appelleBonhcur etMalheur en mati^rede Loteries
(ParJ. Le Clerc.)12mo, Amsterdam, 1696.
Biblioth^queinstructiveet curieuse,par leP^reMenestrier.12mo, Trevoux,
1704.
Essaid'Analyse sur lesJeux de Hasard (cartes,d^s,trictrac).Fig.de Seb.
Leclerc.4to,Paris,1708,
Traitsdu Jeu, ou Ton examine lesprincipalesQuestionsde Droit naturelet
de Morale qui ont rapport a cette matiere, par Jean Barbeyrac. 16mo,
Amsterdam, 1710. Seconde edition,revue et augment^e, 1738.
An Essay upon Gaming, in a Dialoguebetween Callimachusand Dolomedes.
By Jeremy Collier.A.M. 8vo,London, 1713.
Memoirs of theLives,Intrigues,andComicalAdventuresofthemost Famous
Gamestei-sand CelebratedSharpers in the reignsof Charies11, James U,
William HI, and Queen Anne. By TheophilusLucas, Esq. 12mo, 1714.
The CourtGamester : or falland easyinstructionsforplayingthe Games now
invogue. By Richard Seymour, Esq. 12mo, secondedition,London, 1720.
Dissertationsur TOriginedu Jeu de Piquet,par lePere Daniel,extraitedu
Journaldo Trevoux,Mai, 1720.
A View ofthe AntiqueLaws againstImmoralityand Profancness.By the
Rev. John Disney,A.M. FoHo, London, 1729.
A Shori;Treatiseon the Game ofWhist. By Edmond Hoyle,Gent 12mo,
firstpublishedabout 1737.
IstoriadellaCittadiViterbo,daFelicianoBussi.FoUo,Rome, 1740. This
334 APPENDIX.
work containstheextractfrom Covelluzzo,relatingto theintroductionofcards
intoVitcrbo,in1379,firstpointedout by M. C. Leber.
The Humours ofWhist ; a DramaticSatire: as actedeveryday at White's,
and otherCoffee-housesand Assemblies.8vo, London, 1743.
A Letterto a Lady on Card-playingon theLord'sDay. 8vo,London,1748.
Longuerana. Tom. i,p.408. 12mo, Berlin,1754.'
Rccherchcssur lesCartesh,jouer,par Bullet. 12mo, Lyon, 1757.
* H. J.ClodiiBibliothccaLusoria,siveNotitiaScriptorumdeLudis. 8vo,1761.
Mcerman, OrigincsTypographicaj.Vol.I. 4to,1765.
Traitdhistoriquect pratiquede la Gravure en Bois, par J. M. Papillon.
Tom. i,p. 80. 8vo,Paris,1766.
Burgh on theDignityofHuman Nature. Vol.IT,p.164-6. 8vo,1767.
Coutumcsd'ltalic,parBarctti.Vol.II. London, 1768.
EncyclopedicdcsArts et Metiers(Artdu Cartier),parDuhamel du Monceau.
4to,1771-76.
Id6eg^n^raled'uneCollectiond'Estampes,par leBaron de Heineken. 8vo,
Leipsic,1771.
RecueildesActes sur laR^gie du Droitdes Cartes. 4to,Paris,1771*.
H GiuocodelCarte,da SaverioBettinelli.8vo,Cremona, 1775.
C.G.Von Murr, Journalzur Kunstgeschichte,2terTheil,s. 89-92;98 ; 200.
12mo, Nuremberg,1776.
Explicationdu Jeu desCartes,anecdotecurieusesous lenom de LouisBras-
de-fer.12mo, 1778. The originalof the storyof the soldierwho used a pack
ofcardsforhisprayer-book.Sur la Passiondu Jeu, par Dusauk. 8vo, Paris,1779. Mons. Peignot
saysthatthiswork seems to have produced but littleeffect; forin the follow-ing
yeara counsellorofparliament,M. BergeretdeFrouville,lostat one sittmg27,000louis.
Eclaircisscmentssur TlnventiondesCartesa jouer,par TAbb^ Rive, 12mo,
Paris,1780.
Le Monde primitif,parCourtde Gebclin,tom. viii,pp. 365-418. 4to.Paris,
1781.
Versuch den Ursprung der Spiclkartcnzu erforschen. Von J. G. I.
Breitkopf.4to,Leipsic,1784.
A Dissertationon theperniciouseffectsofGaming. By RichardHey, LL.D.
Svo,Cambridge,1784.
Archojologia,vol.viii.Dissertationson the Historyof PlayingCards,by
Barrington,Bowie,and Gough. 4to,London, 1787. In Vol.XV ofthesame
work thereisan Account ofthe Italiangame of Minchiate.Whist : a Poem, intwelvecantos. By Alex.Thomson, Esq. 12mo, second
edition,London, 1792.
Lcpons sur THistoireuniverselle,depuislecommencement du XVI* Siecle
par M. Pant, Professeurk TUniversit d'Upsal,1780-93. In this worktheauthorspeaksofthe engravingofcardsas havingled to the inventionof
printing.Decretde laConvention,diteNationalede France,du 22 Octobre,1793,qui
APPENDIX, 335
enjoiniftnz municipalit^sFranpaisesde purger lescartesk jonerde tonslesembl^mes de laroyaat et de laf^odalit^.
Material!per servireall'Stone dell*Originee de*Progress!dell*IncisloneinRame e inLegno, col.da PibtroZani,pp.78-81,et 149-93. 8vo,Parma, 1802,
The Monthly RepositoryofTheologyand GeneralLiterature.Vol.I,pp. 534,
644-50. On theProprietyofDissentingMinistersplayingatCards. 8vo,1806.
Essai sur POrigine de la Gravure en Bois et en Taille-douce,par Henri
Jansen. 8vo,Paris,1808.
Le Peintre-Graveur,par Adam Bartsch,torn,x, pp. 70-120,et torn,xiii,
pp. 120-38. 8vo,Vienna, 1812.
Aperpu du Jeu desTarots,ou Jeu delaVie,"c.,parDurand. 12mo, Metz,1813.
HindostaneeCards. In the CalcuttaMagazine,vol.ii. 8?o,Calcutta,1815.
Rcscarclicsintothe History of Playing Cards; with Illustrationsof the
OriginofPrintingand Engraving on Wood. By Samuel WellerSinger. 4to,
London, 1816.
Melanges d'Originestymologiqueset de Questionsgrammaticales,par Eloi
Johanneau. P. 35, Sur I'Origine tymologique du Nom Espagnolet Italien
des Cartes a jouer.8vo, Paris,1818.
The Gaming Calendar,to which are added the Annals of Graming. By
Seymour Harcourt,Esq. 12mo, thirdedition,London, 1820.
GeschichtederHolzschneidekunst; nebstzwei Beilagenenthaltendden Ur-
sprung der Spielkartenund einVerzeichnessder samt xylographischenWerke,
von Joseph Heller. 8vo, Bamberg, 1823.
Analyse critiqueet raisonn^ede toutes les"Recherchespubli^esjusqu'ace
joursur rOriginedes Cartesa jouer,par G. Peignot (alasuitede ses Recherches
sur lesDanses de Moft.)8vo,Dijon,1826.Catalogue raisonn^of the selectcollectionof engravingsof an Amateur,
(Mr.T. Wilson)pp. 87-91. 4to,London, 1828.
Manuel du Cartonnier,du Carticr,et du Eabricantde Cartonnages.Par
M. Lebrun, pp. 189-237. 16mo, Paris,1830.
Memoric spettantialiastoriadellaCalcografia,dalconte LeopoldCicognara.
8vo,Prata,1831.
OrigineFranpaisedelaBoussoleetdesCartesajouer,parRey. 8vo,Paris,1836.
Observationssur les Cartes h jouer,par M. Duchesne ain6,extraitesde
PAnnuaire Historiquepour 1837. 12mo, Paris,1836.
Gaming, and the Gaming Houses of London and Paris,or Les Maisonsdes
Jeux d6voil6es.By Scrutator. 8vo,London, 1836.
A Treatiseon Wood Engraving. (ByWm. A. Chatto.)P. 62-9. Royal8vo.
Publishedby CharlesKnight and Co.,London, 1839." Copiesof thiswork
without the T/drd Prefaceare incomplete.
Cataloguedes livres,dessins,cartes,etc,de M. C.Leber. 8vo, Pms, 1839.
The listof works on cards,. and of old cardscollectedby Mens. Leber, is in
tom. i,p. 240 et seq.
Etudes historiquessur les Cartes a jouer,principalementsur lesCartes
Franyaises.Par M. C. Leber. Extraitdutome xvidesM^moires de la Soci6t6
RoyaledesAntiquairesde Prance. 8vo,Paris,1842"
336 APPENDIX.
lioticeBibliographiqnebut lesCartesijouer.8to,Paris,1842." A Trahs*
lationfrom the 'Lehrbuch einerLiterargeschichteder beruhmtesten Volker
des Mittelalters.*Von J. G. T. Grasse,Dresden, 1842, with additions,by
Brunet,the younger.Dictionnairehistoriquedes Mceurs des Franpais,par La Chesnaye desBois.
Tom. i,p.374.
Whist. By B. E. Pote. In the Foreign QuarterlyReview, No. 48.
On theCostume ofCoat Cards. By John Adey Repton. In the * Gentleman's
Magazine'forNovember, 1843.
Sur d'anciennesCartesa jouer,par M. leBaron de Reiffenberg. Dans le
Bulletinde TAcad^mie Royale des Sciences et des Beaux-artsde Bruxelles.
No. 10, 1847.
BibliothecaAntiquariaFabricii.
Vindiciajtypographicae,auctore Schoepflin.
Dissertationsur TOrigineet leProgres de laGravure en Bois,par Foumier.
Memoire sur I'Originede I'Imprimerie,par De Vigny.
Essaiasur Paris,par Saint-Foix.
Trait6de laPolice,par Do laMarre.
INDEX.
Act ofParliament,of 1463, proliibitingtheimportationofcards,96."
^Actsto protect gamesters who plaj on
credit,147 ; the reason oftheirpar-tialrepeal,148.
Adviceto professionalcard-players,270.Alea,a generalterm forplay; supposed
to includecards,61.Almanac, Cotta'scard,259; the Perpe-tual,
or Gentleman-Soldier'sPrayerBook, 321.
Amadous VIII, Duke ofSavoy, forbids
gamin/in 1430, 80.Ames, William, 129 ; preaches against
cards and dice at Cambridge in1610, 281.
Amman, Jost, hisdesignsin a book oftrades,84 ; cards of hisdesigning,
238.
Anderson'sHistoryofCommerce, 96.f Christopher,Annals of the
EnglishBible,109,112.11.,Balladsin the Cumber-land
dialect,185.Anson, Lord, the circumnavigator,cari-catured
as a gamestcjr,181.
Anstis'sHistory of the Garter,18.
Arabian "Nights,cards not mentionedin,46.
Aretine,Pietro,hisCarte Parlanti,194,
207.Asscmblv-roomsdevotedtodancingand
caras, 185.
Astragali,11.Avatars ofVichnou,38.
Bacon,Lord,hisinquisitivespiritexcitedwhen a boy by a jugglingtrickwithcards,118.
Baker's chronicle,108.Baker and Co.'seclecticcards,261.
Bale,John, uses theword Jack-a-Napes,233.
Balmford's,James,,tractconcerningthe
unlawfulnessof games of hazard,129, 279.
Barbeyrac'sTraitsdu Jen,extractsfrom,282-94,310.
Barrington's,the Hon. B.,Observationson the Antiquityof Card-playinginEngland, 18, 46,65,107,132,145,160.
Barrois,J., on the proper meaning ofthe name Gringonneur,70. ;
Bartsch'sPeintrc-Graveur,200, 223.Basset,prohibitedby Louis XIV, 147.Battleofthe Reed Swire,113.Bells,an ornament of dress,240. "
'
Leber'sresearcheson the subject,240-5.
Bemardin,St.,hisaddresstothecitizensof Bologna, 90.
BibliophilesFranpais, specimens of ",
cards publishedby,190, 201, 236,250-3.
Blacksmith'scoat of arms, 6.
Bonds,voluntary,toabstainfrom gaming,79.
^
Bras-de-fer,his moral expositionof a
packofcards,320, 324. ;Brietkopf'sInquiry into the Ongin of
Playing Cards, 7, 26, 225, 227,239.
Briefe,the German name forcards,26.
Briefmaler,84.Brunct, the younger, hisnote prefixed
to a 'IsToticeBibliographiquesurlesCartesajouer,'100, 326.
Bullet'sEecherches Historiquessur lesCartesa jouer,27-8.
Buoninse^ui's,Pathcr Thomas, Discorso
delGiuoco,90.Bussi'sHistoryofViterbo,23, 73.
Cabinetdu Roi de France,cited.111.
Capabilityof cards as a subjectof dis*
quisition,2.
Capistrari,John, his discourseagainst
gaming atNuremberg in 1452, 91.
Card-playingat Bologna in 1423, 90.
in Germany in the fifteenth
century,92.
22
i
338 INDEX.
Card-playingcommon inEngland as a
uliristmasgame about 14:84,97.in Scotland,98, 110, 113.
at Rliodcsin 1498, 99-100.
m ia Irelandand Spain,about1590, 114-15.
in the rei^ of James 1,125.
in the reign of Charles U,
146-9.
105.
80.
inthe reignof Queen Anne,
inthereignofGeorgeII,170-
inthereignofGeorge111,180.
Cards." Hindostanee,32-50.Chinese,55-9.
. old stencilled,in theBritishMuseum, 88.
Heraldic,150. Historical,
153. Mathematical,155. For
carving,150. Satirical,157-9.. " old pahitcd, ascribed to
Gringonncur,195-8.Dr. Stukclcy's,205.
oldPrench,211, 214.
oldGerman, engravedon cop-per,220-0.
engravedon copper,ascribedto Israelvan Mccken, 220.
German, engraved on wood,1511, 230.
Trench,ofthetimeofHenryIV, 250.
Portuguese,ofthedate1093,251.
French Republican,253-6.American, 250.
Caricaturesin the reign ofGeorge 11,181.
Cartas(Epistobe)from Carthage,20.Cartes,chartce,cards,probableetymo-logy
of,20, 22.Carving,cardsteachingthe art,156.Castillo's,Diego del,Satyra contra los
Tahures,115.Catliarineof Arragon, wife of Henry
VIII, a card-player,107.Cervantes'Comical History of Rinco-
ncte and Cortadillo,115.Charta,paper,probableetymologyof,24.Chatur-anga,tne Hindostaneename for
chess,10.Cheatingat cards,trialon the subject.
290. "'
Chess,saidto have beeninventedby anIndian,13.
Chesterfield,theEarl of,a card-plaver.173.
^ '
Chinese cards,55-9.Christie,James, hisinquiryintoan an-cient
Greek game, 13.Clubs forgaming, 170.Cole's, Dr. loss of his commission,
327.Collier,Jeremy, on gaming, 312.Colours of the ground ot the Hindos-tanee
cards,17,35, 30, 37.Comedy devised on the game of cards,
122.
Controversyon the lawfulnessofplayingat cardsand othergames of chance,128, 279.
Cook's,Aurelian,TitusBritannicus,145.Cotta'sCard Almanacs, 259.Cotton'sComplete Gamester, 159.Counting and guessing,11.
Covelluzzo'saccount of theintroduction
of cardsintoVitcrbo,23,73.CuiTe,secretaryto the Earl of Essex,
hisfortunestoldby cards,119.Curse of Scotland,200-8.
Cyprian,St.,histreatise,do Alcatoribus,61,290.
.
Daniel's,Pke, Originedu Jeu dePiquet,4, 209, 205.
Dictionaryof the Spanish Academy ; its
sanctionof a conundrum as an ety-mology
of Naipes,23.Dominotiers,an old name forengravers
and colourersofwoodcuts,87.Ducange's glossaries,03, 99.
Duchesne's, Observations sur les
Cartes a joucr,and PrecisHisto-
rique,05, 99, 189, 204, 200, 210,
225.
Dunbar's,Wm., poems, 110; Valet of
cards,234.
Dutch names of the suits of cards,230.
Elizabeth,Queen,a card-player,120.
Engravings,a seriesof,improperlycalledTarocchicards,199-204.
Epitaph on Beau Nash, 173 -,on a noble
gambler,297. .
Equity, natural,how to be enforcedin
games of hazard,287.Evelyn'sMemoirs, 146.
Exchequer,derivationoftheword,16,21.
INDEX. 339
Fante,the Italianname for the Knave
of cards,229.Pierge,the Pherz ofPersianchess,14.Pleur-de-lis,on coat cards,and in the
compass,7.Foreign (QuarterlyKeview, articleon
Whist, 36.Formsclmeider,a wood-engraver,as dis-tinguished
from a card-paiuter,83.Forret,Thomas, hisobjectionsto the
manner inwliichmany of theScot-tish
clergy,about1539, spent theirtithes,111-12.
Fortune,the gambler'sgoddess,11.Fortune-tellingby cards,116-19.Four Kin^, a name given to cards,19.Franklin,Dr., hisdefinitionof man, 1.Frereton the orig:inof chess,14.Fumy card,explained,109.
Game, thefirstplayedat,9.Games at cardsin 1709,159. Btfore
the time of CharlesII,160.Games, various,enumerated by Taylor,
the water-poet,163.Games, threedifferentspeciesof,294.Gaming, excessive,oftheFrenchclergy,
about 1580, HI.Gammer Gurton*s Needle,cards men-tioned
in,109;Gataker,Thos.B. D., on Lots,129,279.Gebelin,Court de, findsin cards an
abstractofEgyptianlearning,5 ; his
explanationof the word Tarocchi,189.
Geiler,John,hisremarks on card-playingabout 1508, 100.
Geographicalcards,150.German cards,names ofthe suits,228.
Gittem,guitar,derivationoftheword,25.Goethe'sGotz von Berlichingen,61.
Gough's Observationson the Invention
of Cards,22.Goyraud, Vincent,a French card-manu-facturer,
of the time ofHenry IV,
249.Grace'scard,266.Gregory,Dr.,replyof,respectingcards,
Gringouneur,Jac, paintscardsin1393,
76.Guevara'sepistlestranslatedintoFrench
by Gutery^66.GuiUcvillc's,William de,Pclerinaigede
I'Hommc, 69.
GiildinSpil,74.Gungefu, thename forcardsamong the
Moslems,inHmdostan, 41.
Heineken'sId^e g^n^raled'uneCollec-itiond'Estampes,15, 27,82, 228.
'
Helgen, a name given to woodcuts inSuabia,87. "'
Heller'sHistory of Wood-engraving ]
cited-91, 93. ;Henry VII, a card-player,98. !Henry VIII, Act of Parliamentagainst i
card-playing,108.Henry,Prmce ofWales, son ofJames I,
a card-player,125. *
Heraldiccards,150-2.Herrera relatesthat Montezuma took
pleasurein seeingthe Spanish so:- i
dicrsplay at cards,106.Hieroglyphics,6. ;Hindostaneecards,33-52. \Historicalcards,relatingto the Popish
plot, and tlie death of Sir E. iGodfrey,153-5. ^
Homer, his notice of the games of ]
Pctteiaand Astragali,12. ;Houbigant'sCartesRoyales,257.
^
?
Hoyle, Edmond, liistreatiseon Whist,
162, 170.Hume, David,apostrophisedas a whist-
player,160. iHycke-Scomer,cardsmentionedin,108.
Hyde, Dr. T., De ludisorientalibus,16, 265.
Ingilby,Sir Wm., his examinationon
the trial,Lord De Ros versus I
Gumming, 295.
Ingold,a Dominican friar,authorof the ;
GiildinSpil,74.
Injunctionsto the clergy,1559, against j
card-playing,121.^
!
Interpolationsof the word Cartes,in i
oldMSS., 67-71.Isis,the homed, the originalof the j
Virgin with the crescent on her ;
head,5. i
Italiannames of the suitsof French i
cards,207. j
Jackanapes,the probableetymologyofthe word, 231-5.
340 INDEX.
Jack nt Warts " Jack o'Hearts,235.
James IV of Scotland a card-player,98.
James I ofEnglanda card-plaver,126.Jausen'sEssai sur rOrigincdc laGra-
vurc, 07.Jcux dc Cartes,Barrington'sopinionof
the significationof the term, 78.Johannc.'iu,Eloi,on the etymology of
Nal[)cs,and theinventionofcards,27-30.
Johnson, Dr. Samuel, his opinionof
card-playing,302.
Jones,Sir Wm., on Chess,15-17.Jonson, Ben, his device for Abel
i)rugger'ssi^n,G.Jugj[,'lijjgtrickswith cards,118.
Junius, F., his explanation of the
word Qiiartes,22.Justus,PiLscasius,hiswork on gaming,
115, 174,271.
KartenmaehcratAugsburg in141 8, 81 ;
at Ulm, 82.
Knave, the originalmeaning of the
word,231.
Lassale,Antoine dc, author of theChronicle of Jchan de Saintr^08.
Latnmculi,12.Leber's,M. C, Etudes Historiquessur
JosCartes a Jouer, 8, 23, 73, 85,103, 132, 155, 211-13,217, 220,210-9.
Lc Normand, Mile.,theParisianfortune-teller,324.
Leo X, a trickofhisat cards,174.Listof specimensof cardspublishedby
theSocietyofBiblioj)hilesEranpais,Aj^)pcnclL\,No. 1, 333.
List ot works relatingto cards.Ap-pendix,No. 2, 334.
Locke, John, his opinionof card-play-ing,302.
Lookuj),the gamester,173-0.Loyola,St,Ignatius,wins,miraculously,
at billiards,292.LustyJuvcntus,cardsmentionedin,108.I^yiy" John, represents Cupid and
Camj)aspcph'i"'ingat cards,123.Lyndsay, SiriJavid,satirisesthe card-
l)layingof the clergyin Scotland,jabout 1535, 110. |
Macbiavcllion Fortune,10.Madden's,SirE.,Privr-purseExpenses
of the PrincessMary, daughterofHenry VUI, 109.
Magasin rittorcsque,articleon cardsin,71.
Manners inthetimeofCharlesII,143;George II,176.
Manufacture of cards, extensiveinGermany about 1450, 82; atVenice, 1441 ; in England, 131,100, 272.
Mappa, itsancientmeaning, 29.Margaret,daughter ofHenry VII, found
playingat cards by her aliiancedIiusbaud,James IV of Scotland,98.
Marks of the suitsof cards,200.Martius, Galcottus,speculateson the-
meaning of the marks of the suits,93.
Mary, the Princess,daughterof Henrv
VIII, afterwards queen, a cara-
player,109.Mary, daughter of James II,afterwards
queen, a card-player,140.Mazarine,Cardinal,playedat cardswhen
dying,310.Meckcn, Israelvan, cards supposed to
be engravedby,226.Mecrman's reference to the chronicle
of Petit-Jehande Saintrd,68.
Menestrier's,Pcre, Bibliothcquecu-
rieuscet instructive,3,70,80,151,
191.Mer6, the Chevalierde,submitscertain
qiicstionsto Pascal respecting
chances at play, 157. [Seethetreatiseon Probability,by Lubbock
and Drinkwater,publishedbv the
Societyfor the Dill'usionof Useful
Knowledge, p. 12; 41-50.]Merrels,the game of,13.
Meursius, de Ludis Graicorum, 5.
Millin's description of the Marquis
Girolamo'scards,229.
Morelli'schronicle,73.Moxon's cardsforcaiTing,150; astro-nomical
cards,157.Murner's Chartiludium,or logicalcard-
play,101-5.Mun-'s,C. G. von. Journal,75,81, 85,
133, 220.
"Murry ncct," inCumberland,186.
INDEX. 341
Nabob, themeaning oftheword,22.Naibi,and Naipes,speculationson the
name as appliedto cards,22-9.Names of the suits of Hmdostanee
cards,41-2 ; of German, Spanish,Italian,and French cards,228.
givento coat cards,208, 211,215.
of particularcards,265-9.Nash, Beau, hisreignat Baih, 171.Nine of Diamonds," theCurse of Scot-
laud,2C6-8.Noctes Ambrosianse,extractfrom,rela-tive
to card-playing,303.
Ombre, Barrington'sconjectureas tothe time of itsintroductionintoEuffland,145.
^
Pope's descriptionof,frequently
praised,167.One-aud-thirty,a populargame atcards
in Irelandand Spain,115.
Pair of Cards, the old name for a
pack, 269.Pam, the Knave of Clubs,269.Pamphlets with titlesborrowedfrom the
game of cards,138.Paris,Mons. Paulin, his collationof
MSS. of Wm. de Guilleville's
poem of the Pilgrimageof Man,
70 ; hisconjecturesrespectingthename Valery on a Knave ofcards,218.
Parson, the, that loved gaming betterthan liiseyes,321.
Paston, Margery, mentions cards as a
Christmasgame, about1484, 97.Peignot'sAnalyse de llecherchessur
lesCartesa joucr,20,69,81,253-6,259, 265.
Pepin, Nicolas,saidto be the inventor
of cards,23.Pepys*sDiary, 146.Perlimpimpim, theby-name of an Italian
jugderinl622,117.Phaer'sBook ofPrecedents,121.
Picture cards in Cotta'sCard Alma-nac,259.
Piozzi,Mrs., refersto the game of thePour Kings,20.
Piquet,tlicmeaning of the game ex-
plauicdby Pure Daniel,209.
Plutiua,B.,cardsmentionedby,93.
Pollux,Julius,biaaccountofthe"ime
of Petteia,13.Pomegranate, a mark on cards,226.Poupart,C, pays Gringonneurforcards
in 1393, 74.Prayer-book,the soldier's,in a pack of
cards,321.Prayers,playingfor,311.Priceof a pack of cardsinthe time of
Roger Ascham, 133; inthe reignofQueenAnne, 167.
Processof card-makingat De La Rueand Co.'s,272.
Prodigal,pictureof a, 163.Protestantsof Ireland,in the reignof
Queen Mary, how savedfrom per-secution,327.
Pulci'sMorgante Maggiore"Re diNaibi,234.
Quartes,22.QuatuorRe^ea,a game so called,men-tioned
m the wardrobe accounts ofEdward I,18, 64.
Queen, none in the earliestEuropean
cards,15.Quire,derivationofthe word,25.
Rabelais,translatedby Urquhart,19.Rabbinical treatiseagainst gaming,
316-20.Reiffenberg,the Baron de, his account
of a woodcut discoveredatMalines,
with the supposed date 1418, 86 ;
mistakes the Spanish soia for a
female,229.Rennell,Dr. Tliomas,hissermon against
gaming, 187.Republican cards,253-6.Rey, M., on cards,7.Ringhieri'sCento Giuochiliberali,63.Rive's,the Abbe, EclaircissementsHis-
toriquessur lesCartesa jouer,20,66.
Roccha, Angelus, ConmientariuscontraLudum Alearum, 61.
Rogers representsthe followersof Co-lumbus
playingat cards,105.Rowlands, bam., hisKnave ofHearts,
and More Knaves yet, 134-7.Roy's,"William,satireon CardmalWol-
sey,109.
Russia,great consumptionof cardsin,
272.
S42 INDEX.
Sadler's,SirRalph,StatePapers,US.SaintFoix'shistoricalessayson Paris,
123.Saintr6,PetitJehan de,68.Sales,St.Francisde,a card-playerwhen
youn^,309.Sandro diPipozzi,cardsmentionedin a
MS. work ofhis,65.
Sarisbcriensis,Joannes, 62.
Satiricalcards,French,about1819,264
Schon,Erhard, cardsof his designing,
238.Scientialand grammaticalcards,139-41.Sex oftheEast IndiaCompany, 32. .
Seymour'sCourt Gamester, 168.Sheppard, W., lib England's Bahn,
Sheridan'scharacterof the East IndiaCompany, 32.
Sbifflcrs,diplomatic,181.Singer'sResearchesintothe Histoiyof
Playing Cards,7, 131, 147, 201,223, 238.
Skelton'sBowgho of Court," Card of
Solis,Virgil,cardsofhisdesigning,238.Solme, Thomas, * theBushoppes poure
thresshere,*uses theterm Yack an
napes^ 233.Sota,the Spanishname fortheKnave of
cards,229.South-seabubble,cardsridiculingthe
speculators,169.Spata, a weapon figuredin Baker and
Co.'seclecticcards,261 .
St.Christopher,woodcut of,with thedate1423,inEarlSpencer'scollec-tion,
86.Stencilling,earlycards executed by
means of,83.Stephens,Henry, relatesan anecdote
of a losinggamester'sswearing,
Strutt'sSportsand Pastimes,107.Stubbcs,Philip,hisopinionof playing
at cardsand othergames, 124 ; on
ruffs,165.Stukelcy,Dr.,oldcardsformerlybelong-
bgto, 205.Suitsofcards,names of,228, 230.Sunday, card-playingon, 146.SurMcra, the titleofa Rabbinicaltrea-tise
againstgaming,317.Swabbcr8,101.Swearing,a viceto which gamesters
ttrej)ronc,311,
Tahures,a Spanishname forgamesters,etymology of the word, accordini"to Diego delCastillo,115, 116.
Taj,or Tas,a name forcardsinHindos-tan,41.
TaU,ll.Tarocchi,or Tarots,190-5.Tarotiers,French card-makerscalledby
thisname in 1594, 272.Tax on cards,when firstleviedin Eng-land,
131.Taylor,the water-poet,hispictureofa
prodigal,163.Taylor,Dr. Jeremy, on card-pkying,
297-300. /V ;i h*
Tenicrs,in a picturerepresents two !soldiersplayingatcardsin thehall
of the high priest,123.Terms used at the game ofcardsinHin-
dostan,43.Thiers,Dr. J.B., his Traitddes Jeux, i
80, 293, 309, 311. IThimble-rigsupersededby railwayspe-culation,
101.Toplady,the Rev. Augustus, on card- j
playing,300.^
\
Townshend, Lord George, caricaturesascribedto, 184.
Transformationofcards,260.Turner, Sharon, his derivationof the
word jackanapes,231.
T.W., the initialsof the engraver of a
pack of cards of the 15th century,222.
Urquhart,SirThomas,histransktionofRabelais,19.
Valery, a name on an old Knave ofHearts, 217.
Valet,the originalmeaning oftheword,231
Vega, Garcilassode la,his account of '
the Spanishsoldiersmanufacturingcards,106.
Vichnou. incarnationsof, in n pack ofHindostaneecards,36-40. ,
Vierge,Fierge, Pherz, the queen atChess, 15-21.
Visconti,Philip,Duke of Milan,cards
paintedforhim, 230.
Volay,Jean,a French cardmanufacturer,132.
Volj)iito,Mons.,cardsformerlybelonging
to,221.
INDEX. 843
Ward, Samnel,preaclier,ofIpswich,hisWoe to Drunkards, 130.
Wesley, John, sometimes sought an an-swer
by lot,129: fond of whist
^when a voung man, 301.
Whist, itsrelationfo chess,17.
,a game of Englishorigin,160-5.
White's coflee-house,161-2; club at,178.
Wilson, Mr. T.,old cards engraved on
copper, formerlybelongingto, 224.
Wilson, Professor,on card-playing,in
the * Noctes Ambrosianae,'303-7.Wood-engraving, the earliestwith an
authenticdate,85.
Worcester,councilof,prohibitionsinitscanons, 62.
Wuruq, a leaf,the name fora cardwiththeMoslems inHindostan,25.
Xavier, St.Francis,card-playingintheEast in histime,53 ; his lenityto-wards
gamesters, 307.
Yack an napes.Jackanapes, Jack-a-
naipes,tne Knave of cards,233.
Zani,P. on the PipozziMS., 65.
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