The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-27
ORIGIN OF PLAYING CARDS.
Used Centuries Ago When Gambling
Fever Permeated Society,


can game Of poker or the other diverting
card games too numerous to mention, ever
give thought as to when the little paste
board slips were originated?
The Mexican vaquero. with his greasy
monte deck; the Chinese, with his strange
and unique pack; the East Indian or Per-
sian Prince, with his gorgeous iulaid ivory
pack, and the European or American, all
alike give the question no thought Each
one is TOO intent upon the pleasure or
gain to be derived from the falling of the
cards.
The origin of playing cards is involved
IN more or less mystery. The Chinese
who claim for themselves the invention
Of gunpowder, also assert that they were
hrst made and used in the reign of Leun-
Ho, A. d. 1l20. While this may be true,
II is generally conceded that playing cards
were first introduced into Europe by the
gypsies, and We're first used in Spain,
where they played an important part in
depicting the future to credulous searchers
of destiny.
Their use rapidly spread over the con-
tinent and extended to games of chance
Just how and when they were introduced
into England is not known. Probably by
the French. Al any rate, they We're so
extensively used that Parliament in l46S
passed an act prohibiting the importation
OF playing cards TO check in some meas
ure the mania for gaming which had selz-
ed hold upon every one, from the highest
to the lowest. In France exquisite and
| costly packs of cards were in vogue dur
ing the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries,
thai cost fabulous prices.
In the privy purse expenses of Eliza
beth of York, Queen to Henry VII, is
| found under date of 1902, this entry: Item
to the Queens grace upon the feast of St.
Stephens, for her sport of cards this
Christmas 100 shillings" James " of
Scotland surprised his future bride Mar
garet, sister of Henry VIII, playing at
cards when he paid her his first visit
| When Mary Tudor was Princess there are
numerous entries in the list of her priVy
purse expenses of money given her where
with to play at cards.
With The advent of Old Ironsides and the
| overthrow Of Charles l, card playing was
| mathematical and the PuriIans passed
| very strict laws Furnishing any who in
dulged in the pastime, but after the restor-
| alton 1t became rampant once more, and
| the whole ma ion bounded 10 the other eX-
tremc Of excess. Pepys notes in his diary,
! under date OF Feb. II, 1877: This evening
| gong 10 the Queens side of Whitehall
| palace to see the ladies', espied the Queen,
the Duchess of York and another Or two
at cards. with a roomful of great ladies'
! and men, which | was amazed at 10 see on
| Sunday, and would not have believed it,"
A year later he records: Il saw deep and
prOdigiOus gaming at The Groom Porter s
! can officer of the royal hOusehold), vast
heaps of gold squandercd away in vain
ana profuse manner This l looked on as
a hOrr.d vice and unsuitable to a Christian
court" Gambling in the Groom Porter $
room continued to be an institution until
1t was abolished in the early part of the
reign of George III. In the reign of Anne
gambling seems 10 have reached an espe-
cialy high pitch. In the Guardian July %,
17l3O Steele deVotes paper TO female
gamestersr from which is the following:
Their passions suffer no less by this
practice than their UNDERSTANDINGS and
imaginatiOns. What hope and fear, joy
and anger, sorrow and discomfort break
out all at once in fair assembly upon SO
noble an occasion as that of turning up
card For my own part l cannot but be
gTieved when I see a fine woman fretting
and bleeding inwardfy from such trivial
motives; when 1 behold the face of an an
gel agitated and discomposed by the look
OF a fury" He adds: ''AH play debts must
be paid in specie OF by an equivalent. The
man who plays beyond his income rawns
his estate; the woman must find out some
thing else to NOR gage when her pin mon
ey is gone. The husband has his lands to
| dispose of; the wife her person
one of the most curious anecdotes of
gambling in the reign of George II is the
following: '1735, October. A child of James
and Elizabeth Leech of Chester lie Street,
was played for at cards at the sign Of
the Salmon, one game, 4 shilling against
the child by Henry and John Trotter
Robert Thompson and Thomas Ellison
which was won by the latter and deliv-
cred to them accordingly.
1t was not only in London that the
gambling fever ragged in the eighteenth
century. 1t prevailed equally fashion
able watering places and especially al
| Bath, as we learn from the life of Beau
Nash, who was a gambler by profession,
but at the same time generous, humane
| and honorable The author of this book
mentions several instances which his in
tegrity impel4ed him 20 act in contradic-
ton to his interests.
AS an instance: when a certain Earl
was a youth, he was passionately fond Of
play, and never bet more freely than when
he had Mr. Nash for his antagonist Nash
saw with concern his Iordship's foible and
| undertook to cure him, though by a very
disagreeable remedy. Conscious of his
own superior skill he determined to en-
gage him in single play for very con-
| siderable sum. His lordship in proportion
| as he lost his game lost his temper, too,
and as he approached the gulf seemed
| stiI more eager for ruin. He lost his es-
| tates; some writings were put into the
| winners possession; his very equipage was
| deposited as last stake and he lost that
| also only when our generous gamester
| had found his lordship sufficiently punish
ed for his temerity, he returned all, only
| STIMULATING that he should be paid IS 900
whenever he should think proper to make
| the demand"
There IS also a do.eful story told of a
| lady gambler at Bath. a Miss Frances
| Braddock, the sister Of the general who
was killed near Fort Duquesne in the
! French and Indian war, when George
| Washington saved rout from becoming
! total annihilaton for the British forces.
| In the course of a short month she lost
! the whole of her fortune at cards. Il
| soon became known that she was penni-
! less. and her sensitive spirit being unable
! to brook the real and sham condolences,
| she robed herself in white like a vestal
virgin and tying a gold and silver girdle
together hanged herself herewith at the
! age OF %.
IN THE LIONS JAWS.