and the physician, who permitted fuch amusement to his majefty, feems not to have confidered the ill confequence to his health by lofles at play, which fo much inflame the paffions. Some ftrefs likewife may be laid upon this entry not being followed by another of money iffued to the winners, as there feems to be little doubt, but that his majefty in this ftate of mind muft have been in modern terins, a pigeon to his hawks of courtiers. Another observation to be made upon this entry is, that the year 1392 cannot be juftly fixed upon as the date of this invention, for though Charles the fixth loft his fenfes at that time, yet he lived thirty years afterward, fo it will not be fair to fuppofe these cards were made the first year of his phrenfy, but to take the middle year of these thirty, which would bring it to 1407. At that time, indeed, this musement feems to have become more general, as in 1426, no perfon was permitted to have in their house tabliers, efchiquiers, quartes,' &c. which laft word I conclude to be the fame with cartes or cards. It seems moreover to afford a ftrong prefumption against Mr. Anftis's explanation of the game ad quatuor reges (known to our Edward the first), that cards are not alluded to by fuch an article in the wardrobe rolls, because we hear nothing about them, either in Ry mer's Fœdera, or our statute book, till toward the latter end of the reign of Henry VIII. This fort of amusement, how ever, was not unknown to the court at least of Henry VII, for in the year 1502, when the daughter of that king was married to James the fourth of Scotland, the played at cards foon after her arrival at Edinburgh. Cards had also found their way into Spain about the fame time; for Herrera mentions, that upon the conqueft of Mexico (which happened in 1519, Montezuma took great pleafure in feeing the Spaniards thus amusing themselves. And here it may not be improper to observe, that if the Spaniards were not the first inventors of cards (which at least I conceive them to have been) we owe to them undoubtedly the game of ombre (with its imitations of quadrille, &c.) which obtained fo long throughout Europe till the introduction of whisk. The very name of this game is Spanish, as ombre fignifies a man ; and when we now fay I am the ombre,' the meaning is, that I am the man' who defy the other players, and will win the ftake. The. terms for the principal cards are alfo Spanish, víz. Spadill, Manill, Bafto, Punto, Matadors, &c. The four fuits are named from what is chiefly reprefented upon them, viz. fpades, from efpado, a fword; hearts are called oros, from a piece of money being on each card; clubs, baftos, from a stick or club; and diamonds, copas, from the cups painted on them. The Spanish packs confift but of forty-eight, having no ten, which probably hath been added by the French or perhaps Italians. The king is a man crowned as in our cards; but the next in degree is a perfon on horseback named el caballo, nor have they any queen. The third (or knave with us) is termed foto (or the footman) being inferior to the horseman. Another capital game on the cards (piquet) we feem to have adopted from Spain, as well as ombre, it having been thence introduced into France about 140 years ago. The French term of piquet hath no fignification but that of a little axe, and therefore is not taken 12 On the Antiquity of Card-Playing in England. taken from any thing which is remarkable in this game; whereas the Spanish name of cientos (or a hundred) alludes to the number of points which win the ftake. Upon the whole, the Spaniards having given fignificant terms to their cards, the figures of which they ftill retain, as well as being the acknowledged introducers of embre, feem to give them the best pretenfions of being the original inventors of this amusement. If they had borrowed cards from the French, furely they would at the fame time have adopted their names and figures, as well as their principal games from that nation, which on the contrary (in ombre and piquet at least) have been introduced from Spain. Nor do other reasons feem wanting why the Spaniards fhould have excelled in card-playing before the other nations of Europe. I have already proved by a citation from Herrera, that in 1519 Montezuma was much entertained in feeing the Spanish foldiers play at cards when they were firft in poffeffion of Mexico, which fhews that this amufement must have for fome time previous been rather common in Old Spain. Now Charles the fifth fucceeded to the crown of that kingdom in 1588, as well as to the new conquests and treasures of the Western India, while his other most extensive dominions made his monarchy nearly univerfal. France at the fame time was at the lowest ebb, their king having been taken prifoner at the battle of Pavia in 1524. It is not therefore extraordinary, that the country in which fo great riches and fuch extenfive territories were united, fhould have produced the greatest number of games and gamesters. It should feem that England hath no pretence to enter the lifts with Spain or France for the in vention of cards, unless Edward the first having played ad quatuor reges fhould be fo confidered; and I have already fuggefted, that the finding nothing further relative to this paftime till 1502 affords a ftrong prefumption that the quatuorreges were not playing cards. During the reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. this amusement feems not to have been very common in England, as fcarcely any mention of it occurs either in Rymer's Fœdera or the ftatute-book. It is not improbable, however, that Philip the fecond, with his fuite, coming from the court of Charles the fifth, made the use of cards much more general than it had been, of which fome prefumptive proofs are not wanting. We name two of the fuits clubs and spades, when neither of those fuits in the common cards anfwer at all fuch appellation. If the Spanifh cards, however, are examined, it will be found that each card hath a real club in the first of these fuits, and a real fword, efpado (rendered by us fpade), in the fecond. There seems to be little doubt, therefore, but that the cards used during the reign of Philip and Mary, and probably the more early part of queen Elizabeth, were Spanish, though they were afterward changed for the French, being of a more fimple figure, and 'more eafily imported. It appears indeed by a proclamation of this queen, as alfo of her fucceffor, that we did not then make many cards in England, though the amufement had become fo general in the reign of king James, that the audience at the play-houses used thus to divert themselves before the play began. But I have been furnished by our worthy and learned member (Mr. Aftle) with a ftill more decifive proof 1 proof that cards were originally made in Spain, which fend herewith for the infpection of the Aociety. This was an impreffion from a block of wood, and undoubtedly the cover of a pack of cards. The infcription upon being rendered into English runs thus: Superfine cards made by John Hauvola, and (Edward Warman),' the last name being an addition in the room of John Hauvola's first partner. Now I conceive that this advertifement was used by a card maker refident in France, who notified the wares he had to fell in the Spanish terms of cartas finnas, or fuperfine cards, becaufe thofe which had been made in Spain at that time were in the greatest vogue. The two words which follow are French, (faites per, or made by), which were probably in that language, that the French reader might more readily understand the advertifement, than if the whole was in Spanish. Thus a London fhopkeeper would write on his fhop in English that he fold vermicelli, though he retains the Italian term of vermicelli (or little worms) for the ware he wants to difpofe of. But this is not the whole that may be inferred from this curious cover, for at each corner are the figures from which the four fuits of cards are denominated in Spain, viz. cups, fwords, clubs, and picces of money, while at the top are the arms of Caftile and Leon. It feems fairly therefore to be inferred from the fuperfcription on this cover, that cards could not be then difpofed of to advantage in France, unless there was fome appearance of their having been originally brought from Spain, where being first invented they were probably made in greater perfection. Primero (undoubtedly a Spanish game) feems to have been chiefly played by our gentry till perhaps as late as the Restoration. Many other games however are mentioned in Dodfley's collection of old plays, as Gleek, Crimp, Mount faint, Noddy, Knave out of Doors, Saint Lodam, Poft and Pair, Wide Ruff, and Game of Trumps. To Primero the game of Ombre fucceeded, and was probably introduced by Catharine of Portugal, the queen of Charles the fecond, as Waller hath a poem On a card torn at Ombre by the queen.' It likewife continued to be in vogue for fome time in the prefent century, for it is Belinda's game in the Rape of the Lock, where every incident in the whole deal is fo defcribed, that when ombre is for gotten (and it is almost fo already) it may be revived with pofterity. from that most admirable poem. I remember morcover to have feen three-cornered tables in houses which had old furniture, and which were made purpofely for this game, the number of players being only three. Quadrille (a fpecies of ombre) obtained a vogue upon the difufe of the latter, which it maintained till Whisk was introduced, which now prevails not only in England, but in moft of the civilized parts of Europe. If it may not be poffibly fuppofed that the game of trumps (which I have before taken notice of, as alluded to in one of the old plays contained in Dodiley's colfection is Whisk, I rather conceive that the first mention of that, game is to be found in Farquhar's Beaux Stratagem, which was written in the very beginning of the prefent century. It was then play ed with what were called fwabbers, which were poffibly fo termed, because they, who had certain cards in their hand, were entitled to take up a fhare of th ftake, inC dependent Anecdote of Henry IV 14 dependent of the general event of the game. The fortunate, therefore, clearing the board of this extraordinary take, might be compared by feamen to the fwabbers for cleaners of the deck) in which fense the term is ftill used. Be this as it may, whisk feems never to have been played upon principles till about fifty years ago, when it was much studied by a fet of gentlemen who frequented the Crown coffee-houfe in Bedford. row: before that time it was chiefly confined to the fervants' hall with all-fours and put. Perhaps, as games are subject to revolutions, whisk may be as much forgot in the next as Primero is at prefent. Curious and Entertaining ANECDOTES. At Anecdote of HENRY IV. AFTER the battle of Ivry, Henry being very much in want of money, afked one of his moft trusty courtiers where he could procure fome. The courtier replied, that he knew a very rich merchant's wife, a zealous royalift, who very probably might lend him fome. The monarch advised his confident to pay a vifit immediately to the lady, and offered to accompany him in difguife. the clofe of the evening, they both fet out from Mante, where the camp was, for Meulan, where Madame le Clerc, the lady in queftion, refided. They were most hofpitably received, and after the ufual congratulations on the fuccefs of the king's army, the courtier affecting an air of deep forrow "Alas, madam, faid he, to what purpose are all our victories! We are in the greateft diftrefs imaginable; his majefty has no money to pay his troops; they threaten to revolt and join the Leaguers; Mayenne will triumph at laft."Is it poffible! (exclaimed Madame le Clerc) but let not that afBit our gracious fovereign; he will fill find new refources; he fights for too noble and glorious à caufe to be abandoned; many other perfons will follow my example. On faying this, he quitted the room, and returned with many bags full of gold, which she Be laid at their feet. This is all I gracefully) go and relieve the prince of his anxiety; wifh him from me all the fuccefs and happinefs he deferves; tell him to be confident that he reigns in the hearts of his fubjects, and that my life and fortune are, and will be for ever, at his difpofal.' Henry could not conceal himself any longer. "Generous woman (cried he) my friend has no occafion to go far to tell his majesty the excellence of your heart; here he ftands before you, and is a witnefs to your effufions of fenfibility. affured that the favour will be indelibly engraved on Henry's heart." Mad. le Clerc fell at the monarch's feet, without being able to utter a word; the confident wept, and Henry joined in the fweet emotions. But the time was too precious to devote it folely to friendship and gratitude; for want of money the troops were ready to revolt that very morning. Henry and his friend took leave of the lady, and went to the army, who, hearing they were to receive their pay, began to cry Vive le Roy! (long live the king.) From that time fuccefs attended every one of that monarch's enterprizes, and after having fubdued his enemies, and rendered himfelf maf ter ter of the capital, he sent for Mad. le Clerc one day when the court was very brilliant and full; in prefenting her to the nobility, You fee this lady (fays he) a true friend of mine. To her I owe all the fuccefs of my last campaigns. It was the who lent me confiderable fums of money to carry on the war, even at a time when the troops threatened to abandon me. She fhall be reimburfed with more than lawful intereft; and letters-patent of nobility fhall forthwith be issued in her favour." Ah! fire (interrupted Mad. le Clerc) do you reckon as nothing the infinite pleafure I then felt, and have felt ever fince, for having contributed to the happinefs and fuccefs of my fovereign? That is the only Intereft that belongs to me, and the only reward my ambition aims at.' The lady accepted the title, but refufed the offered intereft. The family of le Clerc, who have fince diftinguifhed themselves in civil and military capacities, flill exift.-This act, properly drawn and engraved, might be the companion of the celebrated one, where Sully prefents his mafter with the money he had received by the fale of the Royal Forefts. Anecdote of Da. JOHNSON. A GENTLEMAN telling Dr. Johnson that he had feen the learned pig, expreffed himself aftonished at his performances, but at the fame time forry to con fder the ftripes which the animal must have suffered, before he could have been taught to attend fo clofely, and obey fo implicitly the figns given by his mafter. "Sir," replied Johnfon, "I think your forrow and pity are misplaced; the animal fhould rather excite your envy; as to his stripes, except ftripes are inflicted upon the boy, it is very rare that the man becomes eminently learned; and with regard to the pig, if you put his prefent happiness in oppofition to his former fufferings, the balance will be in his favour." "I do not know," replied the gentleman, "what his happiness confifts in, I do not fee any happiness that he can enjoy."-"Not fee what his happiness confifts in, you aftonith me! is not a consciousness of fuperior acquirement happiness; is not being the firft of his clafs happinefs? But above all this, confider, Sir, the pig's learning has protracted his exiftence.-Had he been illiterate, he had long fince been fmoaked into hams, rolled into collars of brawn, and configned to the table of fome luxurious citizen, as the companion to a fillet of veal, or a Norwich turkey. Now he is vifited by the philofopher and the politician, by the brave and the beauteous, by the fcientific and the idle. He is gazed at with the eye of wonder, contemplated with the fmile of approbation, and gratified with the murmur of applause." |