The Washington times., 1901-12-29
GAMES At CARDS
IN TIMES GONE By.
A PACK THEN CALLED A PAIR
rrImcrO Fashionable During the
Reign OF the Tudnrs-Pokcr Was
s'Post and Pair''-Euchrc the
French Ecarte.

II may not be generally known that, at
one period, card playing was only INDUCED
in during the Christmas holidays. In
deed, prohibitory statute of Henry WIS
reign forbade card playing C at Christ
mas time. but TINS pIviriDitie-- ~rpaars
only TO have extended to persons of hum
Bile rank.
Henrys daughter. the Princess Marga-
ret. played cards with her suitor. James
" of Scotland. and James himself kept
UP the custom. receiving from his treas
urer. at Melrose. on Christmas night.
1895. thirty-five unicorns. eleven French
crowns. ducat, ridare, and len, In
all about equal to $500 OF our money. to
use at the card table. One of Poor
Robins rythmical effusiors runs thus:
C1,ri,tm-z. to hungry stomachs gives relief,
With mutton pork. pies, pastries. and roast beer,
and men, at cards, spend many idle hours
Al losdum. whisk. crossrlif, put, aad all tours.'
Poor Robins Ballad.
It Is said that Palamedes invented the
game of chess to assuage the bitter pangs
of hunger during the siege Of Troy; and.
similarly. Poor Robin, in another of his
|
pair-an old name for a pack-of cards
may even cheer comfortless Christmas.
| The kitchen that r-coid may be.
For little fire you in Il may see
| Perhaps a pair of cards is goins
And that's the Chieiest matter 'dcins.
Prime.o was the fashionable Christmas
| game at cards during the Tudor dynasty
| of England. Rogers. the poet, elegantly
describes the fellow-voyagcrs Of Column
| bus engaged at this game;
| At davhreas might the caraycls be seen.
| CHASING their shai1ws Ger tho deep serene;
| Their FURNISHED p-ous llshed b the sparkling
Their cresn-eross standards waving fai and wide.
| And now once more TO bette thoughts inclined
| The seaman, mounting e'amoured IN tue wind
| The soldier told his tales OF love AMI WNi
| The cciHtier sgng-sang 10 his gay guitar.
| Eound at Primetu cate a whiskCred band;
| So fortune smiled. careless Of sea or land.
The name OF poker. it may be noted Is
| another title bestowed in this country
| upon the ancient English game Of post
and-pair; and euker. or euchre. is sub
stantially the fashionable Partisan ecarte
II was the celebrated Hoyle who made
whist famous in 1743. There are few
even today. who sit down to a quiet rub
her. that are aware of the possible com
blnations OF the pack OF hfty-two cards. a
matter not mentioned by Hoyle. These
combinations cannot be numerlcallyrepre-
senled by less than forty-seven figures
arrayed in the following order 16
$50. 563 659. 176. coo 962. SOS 16i, 79I. 0Oo
749. O06. 3G7, OO6. 400.
An old work on cardplaying sums uI
the morality of the practice. very cen
ciseIy. in the following lines:
He WHO hopes at caris TO win.
Must never thinl, that Clcating'7 sin;
! To make a trick whene'er hc can.
| No matter how, shuCid be- the PLAN
| No case of conscience must he make
| Fycrpt how he NAY save his stake,
| Tie only object Of his prayers
Not TO be caught and kicked down stairs.
A more summary process Of cjectmen
even than kicking down stairs. appears
to have been occasionally adopted in th'
oIden time; sharpers having been some
times thrown out of window. a persor
so served at the town OF Bath in En-
gland is said to have gone to solicitor
for advice.
The card-player has his epitaph; it Is
as follows:
His card Is cut-lon- days hc shrIled through
Tie game Of lifc-he dealt a7 ethers do;
Though he by houor5 tells not it, amount.
When the last trump is played his tricks VIII
| count.