Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-07-18

the beautifully decorated Italian cards with raised
borders, which were sometimes dotted or check
cred Then, too, the suit signs the Italian
cards were very different from those Of any other
country. They were long curved swords or
scimtars, standing for the nobility; cups for the
clergy danarl, or money, for the citizens; and
baston or, clubs. for the peasants.
In fact 1t seems that there was no uniformity
In the matter Of suit signs In any one country.
Since most Of the rlayng cards were made for
the mobiles special order. the makers often
placed on them such designs for suit signs as
would best please their patron. Sometimes he
chose them himself an in other cases figures
from his coat-of-arms taken. Reference
has already been made to the prevailing suit signs
In the cards made by the Germans but these
hunting symbols were not uniformly used In that
country. One SET of round cards made In Cologne
had suit signs Of flowers, parrots and rabbits.
Another used lions monkeys parrots and pea
cocks.
5 The suit signs Of today-spades, hearts, da-
monds and cubs-originated In France and made
their first appearance early in the Fifteenth cen
tury They were called occurs theaMsl. pques
(spades), treles tclubs) and carrealx (damonds).
The suit of stood for the church, or clergy
the carreaux was symboicaI OF the arrow-heads
of the vassas 1.-THE class from which the archers
and bowmen were drawn) the freies, or clover
signifed the hCsbandman, and the piques, or the
points Of lances represented the knights. 1t was
about this time, too, that the court cards were
first named and these too, owe to the French
The earliest known cards printed from wood
blocks which preserved to this day are six
cards from d set made In Provence In l440. Four
of these are in the Efitlsh museum and two are
In the museum of the United States Playing Card
company In Cincinnati. (Fgure ~ They are the
knayes, or Wallets, as they are known In France,
and bear the names of famous knights Lancelot,
Kggier and Valery. II Is interesting to note that
during the French revolution when the house OF
Bourbon was dethroned, the kings and queens
disappeared from playing cards also. Instead
there were substituted philosophers flor the
kings), emblematc personages {for the queens)
and snnscuIottes or the revolving workmen for
the knaves)
PLAYING cards came into England early In the
Fifteenth century, during the fighting In Nor
mandy and Tourane, Anjon and Potou. English
soldiers brought back French cards with them
and these served as the models for English card
makers. In spite of the fact That paper was not
made In England until the end OF the century. In
l463, upon the petition of the English craftsmen,
the importation Of playing cards was forbidden.
BY 1854, card playing had become an Important
part Of the Christmas festivities. at least among
tile nobility and II spread rapidly to the lower
classes that Henry VII in l4o5 issued an edlct
forbiddng their use to servants and apprentices
except during the Christmas holidays.
Although the French gave to us the familiar
suit signs and the figures on the picture cards
the queer costumes which we see on the KINGS.
queens. and jacks when pick up our hands,
are English OF the time Of Henry VII. The queer
looking lappets over the queens ears are I've
same kind as were worn by the indies or Henry
court although the wearing of their crowns INT
hack on their heads did mol become common
until Queen Eizaheth's time. The knaves win
their nal caps sbroade On the cruwne like the