CliASS XVII.]
445
following remarks on one of the fly-leaves of the volumein which they are collected:—“The ancient cards* in“ this volume, with others, duplicate, and the drawings in“ the second volume, were purchased by me out of the“ collection of l)r. Stukeley ; the drawings were produced“ by the Doctor on the 9th of November 1720, to the“ Society of Antiquaries , observing that the cards had“ been given him by Thomas Rawlinson, Esq., being two“ pieces of the cover of an old book, supposed to be“ ‘ Claudian / printed before 1500; and then there was a“ leaf or two of an old edition of Erasmus's Adages ,“ pasted between the layers of the cards, which being“ laid stratum upon stratum, composed two pasteboards,“ and made the cover of the book. The Doctor took the“ pains to separate the cards, out of which I have chosen“ a complete pack, and the better to preserve so singular“ a curiosity, have had it bound, together with the draw-“ ings, and some modern French cards. It is observable" in the ancient cards that there are no aces nor queens;li but instead of the latter, are knights.” The marks ofthe suits are hearts, bells, bones, and acorns, and thecourt-cards are the king, knight, and knave. The size is3 inches long by 2j inclies wide. They are very rudelycoloured. The figures on the French card above men-tioned are the same as those still preferred in this country.Jt is curious to observe that while the honours of modernFrench cards have undergone a complete change, thosepreferred in England retain the costumes and outlines ofthe oldest French cards, every attempt made to modernizethe English court-cards having invariably failed. Someyears ago Messrs. De La hue introduced some improve-ments, and endeavoured to induce the public to adopt amore modern and defined costume in the court-cards, butthey were compelled to abandon the attempt, and returnto the old style, after having incurred heavy losses intheir endeavours to create a more elegant taste.
In 1392 or 1393, there is the following entry in theaccounts of Paupart, treasurer to Charles VI. of France,that monarch having lost his reason in 1392:—Givento Jacquemin Gringonneur, painter, for three packs ofcards, gilt and coloured, fifty-six sols of Paris .” Thetenor of this passage seems to imply that cards werealready known, therefore it is highly improbable thatGringonneur was the inventor, as has been asserted.
It is not known when the manufacture of playing-cardswas established in England. As early as 1463 there werecard-makers in this country, the importation of playing-cards having been prohibited by Act of Parliament inthat year, as injurious to the interests of native manufac-turers. No cards of English manufacture, of so early adate, have, however, been discovered.
The Abbe Rives ascribes the invention of playing-cards to the Spaniards before 1332. Mr. Anstes conjec-tures that cards were known at the end of the thirteenthcentury. They appear to have been known to the Italians in 1378, for Covelluzo states that the game of cards wasbrought into Viterbo, from the country of the Saracens ,in that year.
In 1397, the labouring classes of Paris were forbiddento play at cards on working days.
Playing-cards appear to have been known in China atan early period. It is said that they were invented inthe reign of Leun-ho (1120), and were common in 1131.They are called che-pae, which signifies paper-ticket.The Chinese cards in the Exhibition measured 2f incheslong by ljj inch in width.
In the Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society there arethree packs of Ilindostan cards; they are circular, andmeasure 2f inches in diameter, and some smaller,2^ inches. They appear to be made with canvass. Inthe Indian Department of the Great Exhibition there werealso circular cards, which were strongly varnished onboth sides. It is supposed that card-making among theHindostanees is a regular profession, though possiblycombined with some other branch of manufacture, ascard-painting was combined with wood-engraving in thefifteenth century. The marks of the suits of Hindostaneecards appear to be identified with the customs, manners,
* Now in the possession of Mr. De La Rue.
and opinions of the people. They coincide with theearliest European cards in having no queen, the twocourt-cards being a king and his minister or attendant,and the suits being distinguished by the colour as well asby the form of the mark or emblem.
Early in the fifteenth century card-making appears tohave become a regular trade in Germany. Nuremberg ,Augsburg , and Uim were the chief towns for the manu-facture of playing-cards. Besides supplying the homemarkets, considerable quantities were exported into Italy ,Sicily , and over sea, and bartered for spices and otherwares ; and at the present day much larger quantities ofi cards are exported from Germany than from any othercountry. Their cheapness is, no doubt, the principalj cause, for the German cards are generally inferior to; those made in England, although some are well made! since they have adopted the method of printing the pips: and honours, as patented in England in 1832.
] At an early period the Netherlands seem to have beenfamed for the manufacture of cards, for Albert Durer states that lie bought half a dozen packs for seven stivers.
From a passage in Ascham ’s Toxophilus, 1545, cardsi were then about twopence per pack. Tiiis may appearI very low to us now, when the duty alone is one shilling■ per pack for all cards used in England, but cards can heI bought for half-a-crown a dozen in Hamburgh; andj if a sufficient demand could be had for export, cards; could be produced in this country and sold at these| prices.
i Edward Darcy obtained a patent for the manufacture| of playing-cards at the end of the reign of Queen Eliza-beth, who, as well as her sister Mary, was partial to card-playing. The importation of cards was prohibited afterthe 20th July 1615, during the reign of James I. , “asthe art of making them was then brought to perfection inthis country.” The Company of Card-makers was firstincorporated by letters patent of Charles I. , in 1629. Bya proclamation in June 1638, it was ordered that allforeign cards should be sealed in London , and packed innew bindings or covers. A few years later, 1G43, theimportation of cards was absolutely prohibited on thecomplaint of several poor card-makers, stating “ thatthey were likely to perish by reason of divers merchantsbringing cards into the kingdom.” This prohibitioncontinues up to the present day, except on payment of avery high duty , tantamount to the same thing.
During the reign of Charles II . card-making greatlyincreased in England.
Card-playing seems to have attained its full tide inevery part of civilized Europe in the reign of QueenAnne , and was both fashionable and popular in England.Ombre was the favourite game for the ladies, and picquetfor gentlemen; clergymen and country squires playedwhist, and the commoners played at all-fours, put, crib-bage, and coutraloo. At no other time, before orsince, was card-playiug so prevalent. Kind landlordsused to send a string of hog’s puddings and a pack ofcards, as a Christmas gift, to every poor family in theparish.
During this reign the card-makers petitioned the Houseof Commons on the occasion of a proposal to lay a tax ofsixpence per pack on cards. “ Nine parts in ten of thecards now made,” they said, “ are sold from Gs. to 24s.per gross, and even those at Cs. will, by this duty, besubjected to 3/. 12s. tax. This, with submission, willdestroy nine parts in ten of the manufacture; for thosecards which are now bought fin* 3d. per pack can’t thenbe afforded under lOrf. or Is. If any of your Honourshope by this tax to suppress expensive card-playing, it isanswered, that the common sort, who play for innocentdiversion, will only be hindered; the sharp gamesterswho play for money will not be hindered by 12d. a-paek.”It is stated that “40,000 reams of Genoa white paperwere annually imported chiefly for the purpose of makingj cards. The business was in the hands of small masters,
! mostly poor, of whom there were no less than a hundred! in and about London . Their price to retailers, one sort: with another, was three-half-pence a pack, and their1 profit not above a halfpenny.”
I We doubt whether so large a quantity as 40,000 reams