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Origin of Cards

that it was to have been read in all the churches of England, but that archbishop Abbot, being at Croydon, flatly forbade its being read there. In the reign of king Charles I. archbishop Laud put the king upon republishing this declaration, which was accordingly done. The court had their balls, masquerades, and plays, on the Sunday evenings; while the youth of the country were at their morrice-dances, may-games, church and clerk ales, and all such kind of revelling. The severe pressing of this declaration made sad havock among the puritans, as it was to be read in the churches. Many poor clergymen strained their consciences in submission to their superiors. Some, after publishing, immediately read the fourth commandment to the people:-" Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy:" adding, "This is the law of God;" the other, "The injunction of man." Some put it upon their curates; whilst great numbers absolutely refused to comply: the consequence of which was, that several clergymen were actually suspended for not reading it. ORIGIN OF CARDS. - About the year 1390, cards were invented, to divert Charles VI. then king of France, who was fallen into a melancholy disposition.

That they were not in use before, appears highly probable, Ist. Because no cards are to be seen in any paintings, sculpture, tapestry, &c. more ancient than the preceding period, but are represented in many works of ingenuity since that age. 2dly. No prohibitions relative to cards, by the king's edicts, are mentioned, although, some few years before, a most severe one was published, forbidding by name, all manner of sports and pastimes, in order that the subjects might exercise themselves in shooting with bows and arrows, and be in a condition to oppose the English. Now it is not to be presumed, that so luring a game as cards would have been omitted in the enumeration, had they been in use. 3dly. In all the ecclesiastical canons prior to the said time, there occurs no mention of cards; although, twenty years after that date, card-playing was interdicted by the clergy, by a Gallican synod. About the same time is found, in the account book of the king's cofferer, the following charge :-" Paid for a pack of painted leaves bought for the king's amusement, three livres." Printing and stamping being then not discovered, the cards were painted, which made them so dear. Thence, in the above synodical canons, they are called gilla picta, painted little leaves. 4thly About thirty years after this, came a severe edict against cards in France; and another by Emanuel, duke of Savoy; only permitting the ladies this pastime, pro spinulis, for pins and needles.

Of their design. -The inventor proposed, by the figures of the four suits, or colours, as the French call them, to represent the four states, or classes, of men in the kingdom By the Casars (Hearts) are meant the gens de chœur, choir men, or ecclesiastics; and therefore the Spaniards, who certainly received the use of cards from the French, have copas, or chalices, instead of hearts.

The nobility, or prime military part of the kingdom, are represented by the ends or points of lances or pikes; and our gnorance of the meaning or resemblance of the figure induced us to call them Spades. The Spaniards have espaces (swords) in lieu of pikes, which is of similar import.

By Diamonds, are designed the order of citizens, merchants, and tradesmen, carreaux (square stone tiles or the like.) The Spaniards have a coin dineros, which answered to it; and the Dutch call the French word carreaux stieneen, stones and diamonds, from their form. Treste, the trefoil leaf, or clover-grass (corruptly called Clubs) alludes to the husbandmen and peasants. How this suit came to be called clubs is not explained, unless, borrowing the game from the Spaniards, who have bastos (staves or clubs) instead of the trefoil, we gave the Spanish signification to the French figure.

The history of the four Kings, which the French in drollery sometimes call the cards, is David, Alexander, Casar, and Charles, (which names were then, and still are, on the French cards.) These respectable names represent the four celebrated monarchies of the Jews, Greeks, Romans, and Franks under Charlemagne.

By the Queens are intended Argine, Esther, Judith, and Pallas, (names retained in French cards,) typical of birth, piety, fortitude, and wisdom, the qualifications residing in each person Argine is an anagram for Regina, queen by descent.

By the Knaves were designed the servants to knights (for knave originally meant only servant; and in an old translation of the Bible, St. Paul is called the knave of Christ) but French pages and valets, now indiscriminately used by various orders of persons, were formerly only allowed to persons of quality, esquires, (escuiers,) shield or armour-bearers.

Others fancy that the knights themselves were designed by those cards, because Hogier and Lahire, two names on the French cards, were famous knights at the time cards were supposed to be invented..

EXPLANATION OF ALL THE LETTERS ON A GUINEA. The Inscription on a Guinea runs thus: -GEORGIUS III. DEI GRATIA, M. B. F. ET H. REX, F.D B. ET L. D. S. R. I A. T. ET E.