, 1897-11-22
GAMES WITH CARDS.
SOURCES OF UNTOLD MERRlMENT
AND SORROW. SMILES AND TEARS.

Gambling In the OIden 1imes-Women
Were ~ ceeply Infatuated So Mcn-Ev-
erythinE Made subservient to Play For
stakes-some of the Old Games.
Possibly no other invention has ever
given rise to so much mcrrimcnt 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 a mystery, the generally ac-
cepted story of origin being hat in 1898
cards We're 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 Punishment of every
other amusement, but with the restored
monarchy Il reaction set in, and heavy
play became the fashion. BaSSet and
ombre We're 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 he speaks
of ''uu least 20, 900 i'll gold on the bas-
set table round which ''abOut 20 of the
great courtiers' We're sitting. Ombre
was also a court game. Waller has II
MOAN, SON a rnr1 tnr, nj a,,l,, I- tl,n
queen" Pope also. j THE Rape of the
Lock" gives such Il faithful description
of Belinda's game that the Hon. DANES
Darlington, writing in The Universal
Magazine for December, 1883, says.
when ombro is forgotten land it is III
most so already, it may he revived with
posterity from that most admirable
poem.' In its turn ombre was dcposed
for quadrille, and for a time no Il who
aspired to be counted anon the beau
monde condesccndcd to play any other
game. Mr.. Urban, in The Gentleman's
Magazine for 1876. gives Cautions
Against Quadrille" and warns 1.-THE
young and unwary of both sexes
against a 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 i'll Paris, and a pamphlet
is extant dated 1860 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 OF 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 III its favor" Such
a prejudicial hold had this fascinating
game taken on womcn that IA writer of
the day declares that women now
spend all their time in gambling. Their
husbands, children. the duties of so
ciety, are, without Quadrillc, weari-
some encumbranccs. Quadrille is the
JOY that gives life, spirit and bright
ness. For this they hurry owe their
meals and abridge their most agreeable
Refreshments. For this alone they visit
anu are visited.
In the autobiography of Mr.. Frederick
Reynolds he tells us that one of tie
most noted ard playing places near
London was Twickenham. and that
there. in Montpelier row, lived four
maiden ladies who were known i'll the
neighborhood as Mantle, Spadille, Bas-
to and Punto. Mrs. Harris, writing to
hnr cor, thn firSt nr,l N,lp,nsInr,-
says: mime. de Waldcren would fain
have tempted me to her loo table. but l
needed little fortitude to withstand it.
as one stake lost would ruin Il whole
assembly. l preferred IL sober game of
quadrille with Miss Chudleigh." The
Annual Register for 1866 informs us
that "a lady at the West End lost at Il
sitting one night last week 5000 gui.
ncas ut loo" AS early as the reign of
Henry VII a prohibitory statute for
babe any persons save those of noble
rank to play at cards except during
Christmas, and for generations this Gus
ton was strictly adhered to, SC that
many who objected to touch a card at
any other time relaxed their preJudices
and played u 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 i'll sober
families for the recreation OF men. wo-
me and children, etc.,''it may not be
out of place to give u few observations
on games which at no distant time
We're the most popular" Among these
games brng is spoken of as "peculiarly
adapted to the fair and softer sex, and
therefore so much i'll vogue among the
ladies of distinction that hereby they
acquire II decent assurance and compe-
tency of countenance so absolutely nee
essary in life, and remedy hat shame.
facedness, which is a defect of nature,
BY the assistance of her handmade art. "
The passion for gaming which was
prevalent in the days of Queen Anne
went on steadily increasing during the
reigns of the three Georges. The Cen
tleman's Magazine for 1868 tells us that
Ibis majesty played at st. James pal.
ace on Twelfth Night for the benefit Of
the groom porter. Fortune favored the
royal family-the Duke of Cumberland
won f3, 900" The spirit of gambling
was by this time no longer confined to
the court. it had broken loose over the
whole land. the taste was universal and
alike INDUCED in by both men and We.
men.-Pall Mall Magazine.
The Cost of 1t.
A Juror returned as dead before a