The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-11-08
Miscellaneous.
PLAYING.CARDS,

! III ODScurlty. Inc most generally
credited opinion, b however, is that
they, as well as chess, came from the
East but another and very plausible
opinion is that they were invented pos
terror to the time of Charlemagne-
somewhere about the year 1390-tc
divert Charles VI. of France, who had
fallen into melancholy mood from
which it was impossible to arouse
him.
Breitkopf considers cards to be OF
Easton origin +; Bullet prouounces them
French; E; Heinecken regards them as
German; and the Able Rine, the Hon
DANES Darlington, and the Rev. John
Bowie, declare them Spanish. Among
so many widely. diverse opinions, it is
somewhat of task to get at their true
origin, although it is known that they
have always been used, from q very
early period, by gypsies in telling for.
| tunes, etc.
Cards must have been known in En-.
rope early in the beginning, although
they were not generally used till the
end of the fourteenth century. In the
"Book of Accounts" by Charles Pou.
part, treasurer to Charles VI. OF
France, mention is made of three packs
of cards, which were bought for the
diversion Of the king, and which cost
fifty-six soils of Paris.
narlu tho Gftoanfh aont,,.,,
card-making was regularly. .estab
lished trade in Germany and Italy,
and the occupation was chiefly carried
on at Nuremberg by women. Augs.
burg and Ulm, together with Nurem.
burg, were the principal cities in which
this trade flourished. German card
makers sent large quantities of cards to
Italy; but they were declared forfeit
and subject to a penalty in 1441. Helm.
ecken states that they were sent in
small barrels.
Cards We're known in England in the
middle of the fifteenth century, and an
| act of Parliament was passed in the
third year of Edward w., 1863, pro.
hibiting their importion. The reason
of this act was not, as might be suppos
ed, on account of the evils attendant
upon the use of cards, but because i'm.
portation interfered with the progress
| ofhome manufacture.
Macpherson, in the "Annals of Com
merce," says that King Charles l., in
1851, created monopoly of playing.
cards, purchasing them all of the com.
pany, and selling them again at much
higher price.
The earliest cards used for play were
stencilled. The earliest woodcut known
was in 1923, and represents st Christie.
pher. The oldest examples of suits are
Hearts, bells, leaves, and acorns, used
in Germany swords, cups, batons, and
money, used in Spain, and still uset
there oGur, tretle, piquet, and carreau
used in France; these corresponding tc
our hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds
The tace-cards-also called court anC
coat cards-have been distinguished
from time to time, with many difieren
names. Pere Daniel tells us that BY
the French, king of hearts was designa
ted Charlemagne king of diamonds
Caesar; king of clubs, Alexander; kinl
of spades, David. The queens cores
ponding to these were: Queen of heart
Judith; queen Of diamonds, Rachel
queen of clubs, Argine; queen Of spa des
Pallas.
The Jacks, or knaves, of this pac
were: OF hearts, La II ire; Of diamonds
Hector; of clubs, Lancelot; of spades
Hagier.
These were the. earliest. Next, i
the reign of Henry w., the king
were Solomon, Augustus, Clovis, an
Constantine; the queens were Ellis
beth, Dido, Clothilde, and Pantalisci
while the knaves had no names, BIT
were distinguished merely by the
costume.
Again, in the time of the Frenc
Revolution, there were substituted, fC
the kings, Moliere, La Fontainv
Voltaire, and Rousseau; for the queen
Prudence, Justice, Temperance an
Fortitude; while the knaves were fol
republicans. One is a grim. lookin
ruffian, with bonnet rouge upon h
head, and pike in his hand; Il
second is a soldier with a musket; Il
third an artilleryman and Il
fourth young man dressed in
fanciful costume, also carrying a mu
r ket.
4 Another pack gives for the four king
S Solon, Cato, Rousseau, and Brutus +
: the queens, Prudence, Justice, Unio
( and Fortitude; for the knaves, Ha
Q nibal, IIorNtius, L. Decimus, and ]