Smyrna times., 1897-12-01
GAMES WITH CARDS.
SOURCES OF UNTOLD MERRlMENT
AND SORROW, SMILES AND TEARS.

SOURCES OF UNTOLD MERRlMENT
AND SORROW, SMILES AND TEARS.
Gambling In the OIden Times--Women
Were as Deeply Infatuated as AIen-Ev-
erything Made Subservient to Play For
Stal1es-sOme of the Old Games.
Possibly no other invention has ever
given rise to so much merriment and
sorrow, has called forth so many smiles,
frowns and tears and has been the agent
in so many tragedies as a pack Of cards.
The actual source of this invention still
remains mystery, the generally &C
cepted story of origin being that in 1898
cards were introduced at the French
court as a diversion for King Charles
VI during his temporary attacks of in
sanity. From this date they spread rap
idly through every country in Europe
and received such a warm welcome
from all classes that laws had to be
made for the better regulations of dice
throwing and card playing.
During the commonwealth card play
ing shared the banishment of every
other amusement, but with the restored
monarchy reaction set in, and heavy
play became the fashion. Basset and
Ombre were the games in favor at court,
and in the graphic picture given by
Evelyn of the last Sunday spent by
King Charles II at Whitehall be speaks
of ''at least e2, 900 in gold' on the bas-
set table round which "about 20 of the
great cOurtiers" were sitting. Ombre
was also a court game. Waller has a
poem ION "A card torn at Ombre by the
queen" Pope also, in "The Rape Of the
Lock, gives such faithful description
of Belinda S game that the Hon. DANES
Darlington, writing in The Universal
Magazine for December, 1888, says,
"When Ombre is forgotten (and it is al
most so already, it may be revived with
posterity from that most admirable
poem" In its turn Ombre was deposed
for quadrille, and for time no one who
aspired to be counted among the beau
monde COndescended to play any other
game. Mr. Urban, in The Gentleman's
Magazine for 1886, gives Cautions
| Against Quadrille" and warns "the
young and unwary of both sexes"
| against most growing vice which if
not timely prevented will end i'll their
ruin. Il mean," he says, "the great
Increase of Play in private Houses, and
more particularly that artful and cheat
ing game of Quadrille. " Quadrille was
equally popular in Paris, and pamphlet
! is extant dated 1850 of "The game of
| Quadrille by Four as it is now played at
| the French Court, " in which it says,
1T is allowed by all players that Qua
drille is more amusing and entertaining
than Ombre or any other game on the
cards, either because every Deal is
| play'd out or that it better suits the
| genius of the Ladies, to whom COM
plaisance and good manners must Preju-
| dice the Gentlemen in its favor" Such
prejudicial hold had this fascinating
game taken on women that a writer of
the day declares that women now
spend all their time in gambling. Their
husbands, children, the duties of so
ciety, are, without Quadrille weari-
some encumbrances Quadrille is the
joy that gives life, spirit and bright
ness For this they hurry over their
meals and abridge their most agreeable
Refreshments. For this alone they visit
and are visited" "
In the autobiography Of Mr.. Frederick
Reynolds he tells us that one of the
most noted card playing places near
London was Twickenham, and that
there, in Montpelier row, lived four
maiden ladies who were known in the
neighbOrhOod as Manille, Spadille, Bas-
to and Punto. Mrs. Harris writing to
her son, the first Lord Malmesbury,
says: Mime. de Walderen would fain
have tempted me to her loo table, but I
needed little fortitude to Withstand it,
as one stake lost would ruin a whole
assembly. 1 preferred a sober game of
quadrille with Miss Chudleigh. " The
Annual Register for 1866 informs us
that "a lady at the West End lost at a
sitting one night last week 5000 gui-
meas at loo" AS early as the reign Of
Henry VII a prohibitory statute for
bade any persons save those Of noble
rank to play at cards except during
Christmas, and for generations this Gus
tom was strictly adhered to, so that
many who objected to touch card at
any other time relaxed their prejudices
and played a few games at this festive
season. As late as the year 1888 The
European Magazine for December says
''This being the season when and when
only card playing is permitted in sober
families for the recreation of men, wo.
men and children" etc., sit may not bt
out Of place to give a few observations
on games which at no distant time
were the most popular" " Among these
games brag is spoken of as peculiarly
adapted to the fair and softer sex, anc
therefore so much in vogue among the
ladies of distinction that hereby they
acquire a decent assurance and compe
tency Of countenance so absolutely nee
essary in life, and remedy that shame.
facedness, which is defect of nature.
by the assistance of her handmade art. !,
The passion for gaming which wa,
prevalent in the days Of Queen Anne
went on steadily increasing during the
reigns Of the three Georges The Gen
tleman' S Magazine for 1853 tells us that
"his majesty played at st. James pal
ace on Twelfth Night for the benefit o.
the groom porter. Fortune favored tn,
royal family-the Duke of Cumberland
won e3, 000." The spirit of gambling
was by this time no longer confined t
the court, it had broken loose over tn,
whole land, the taste was universal anC
alike INDUCED in by both men and wo
men.-Pall Mall Magazine.
The Cost of 1t.
A juror returned as dead before {