A METHOD OF MAKING PLAYING CARDS, PRINTED FROM ENGRAVINGS ON COPPER AFTER ENTIRE NEW DESIGNS IN OIL COLOURS, WITH A PECULIAR KIND OF INK WHICH WILL BEAR THE LEESING OR POLISH NECESSARY. TO. BE. GIVEN TO PLAYING CARDS, WHICH. NO OTHER INK KNOWN TO THE PRINTERS OR CARDMAKERS IS CAPABLE OF
Year: 1772

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ROWLEY, of the Parish of Saint Martin, Ludgate, London, Wine Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said James Rowley, did, by my Petition, humbly
represent unto His Majesty that I had, after long study, labour, and experience,
invented' and found out "A METHOD OF MAKING PLAYING CARDS, PRINTED FROM
ENGRAVINGS ON COPPER AFTER ENTIRE NEW DESIGNS IN OIL COLOURS, WITH
A PECULIAR KIND OF INK WHICH WILL BEAR THE LEESING OR POLISH NECESSARY.
TO. BE. GIVEN TO PLAYING CARDS, WHICH. NO OTHER INK KNOWN TO THE PRINTERS
OR CARDMAKERS IS CAPABLE OF," and that no other person had invented or
made the same, to my knowledge and belief; I therefore must humbly prayed
His Majesty to grant to me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His
Majesty's Royal Letters Patent for the sole making and. vending the said cards
within His said. Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain, His Dominion. of Wales,
and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the space of fourteen years, according
to the Statute in that case made. and, provided: And whereas, by Letters
Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the Seventh day
of April, in the twelfth year of His said Majesty's reign, after. reciting the
said Petition, and also reciting that His Majesty being willing to give
encouragement to all arts and inventions which might be for the publick good,
was graciously pleased to condescend to my request, His said Majesty, of His

page_text: special grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, did, for Himself, His
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Rowley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, His special licence, full power, sole
priviledge and authority, that I, the said James Rowley, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves, or
by my or their deputy or deputys, servants or agents, or such others as I, the
said James Rowley, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, my said Invention, within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom
of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, in such manner as to me, the said James Rowley, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or any of them, should in their discretions seem
meet;
and that I, the said James Rowley, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit,
commodity, and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and
arising by reason of the said Invention, for and during the term of years therein
mentioned, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers, privi-
'ledges, and advantages therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted unto
me, the said James Rowley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, for
and during and unto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date
of the said Letters Patent next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be
compleat and ended, according to the Statute in such case made and provided;
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that if I, the said James
Rowley, should not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within four kalendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of those His said Majesty's Letters Patent, that then those
His said Majesty's Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever
thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become void, anything
therein-before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Rowley, in compliance with the
said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention
in the manner following (that is to say):
By the four suits are understood the four classes of people into which the
Kingdom is divided. The first, commonly called spades, means the nobility
and military, typified by the figure of an espontoon; second, the clergy (hearts)
by the chalice or communion cup; third, the citizens and merchants, by the
ย

page_text: JAMES ROWLEY. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBRED, that the Sixth day of August, in the year
above written, the said James Rowley came before our said Lord the King
5 in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every
thing therein contained and specified, in form above written. And the said
Instrument was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
sixth year of the reign of the late King and Queen William and Mary of
England, and so forth.
Inrolled the said Sixth day of August, in the said year above written.