Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing CardsChatto, William Andrew
History
Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing Cards
Chatto, William Andrew
Playing cards -- History
[126] Sir Robert Baker, in his Chronicle, states that in the eighteenth
year of Henry VIII a proclamation was made against all unlawful games,
so that in all places, tables, dice, cards, and bowls were taken and
burnt; but that this order continued not long, for young men, being
thus restrained, "fell to drinking, _stealing conies_, and other worse
misdemeanours."
[127] Furny--French, _fourni_--prepared, sorted, furnished, in complete
fashion, in full equipage. The card was a _coat_ card, in a certain
sense, though certainly not an honour.
[128] For some account of the author of this satire, the reader is
referred to Annals of the English Bible, by Christopher Anderson, vol.
i, pp. 63, 116, 136, 137. 8vo, 1845.
[129] Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary, daughter of King Henry
VIII, afterwards Queen Mary. With a Memoir of the Princess, and Notes,
by Fred. Madden, Esq., F.S.A. 1831. From the following references in
the index, the reader may judge of Mary's partiality to the game.
"Cards, money delivered to the Princess to play at, p. 3, 10, 11, 14,
19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 35, 49, 50, 55, 57, 59, 67, 69, 73,
76, 81, _sæpe_, 101."
"Cards, money lent, to play at, 4, 13, 29, 30."
The sums delivered are mostly from 20_s._ to 40_s._ One entry is for so
small a sum as 2_s._ 2_d._, and another for 12_s._ 6_d._
[130] The charge of gaming is frequently alleged against the more
wealthy members of the Roman Catholic clergy by writers who were in
favour of the Reformation. "Item les grosses sommes de deniers qu'ils
jouent ordinairement, soit à la Prime, à la Chance, à la Paulme, n'ont
pas esté mises en compte. Qui est le bon Papiste qui pourroit se
contenter de voir son Prelat jouër et perdre pour une après disnee,
quatre, cinq, et six mil escus: pour une reste de Prime, avoir couché
cinq cens escus; pour un Aflac en perdre mille; que la pluspart des
episcopaux, jusques aux moindres chanoines, tiennent berland ouvert
à jouër à tous jeux prohibez et defendus, non seulement par le droit
canon, mais par les ordonnances du roi? L'exces y est bien tel, qu'on
monstrera qu'au simple chanoine, en achapt de cartes et de dez,
a employé durant une année cent, et six vingts escus, compris la
chandelle et le vin de ceux qui la mouchoyent."--Le Cabinet du Roy
de France, dans lequel il y a trois Perles precieuses d'inestimable
valeur, p. 65. 12mo, 1581. This virulent attack on the French clergy is
ascribed by Mons. Le Duchat to Nicolas Froumenteau; and by L'Isle de
Sales to Nicolas Barnaud.
[131] Anderson's Annals of the English Bible, vol. ii, p. 500.
[132] The Earls of Westmoreland and Northumberland were the principal
leaders of the Rebellion, or "Rising in the North," in 1569.
[133] His host was George Pyle, of Millheugh, on Ousenam water, about
four miles south-eastward from Jedburgh. The Earl of Westmoreland was
then staying with Kerr of Fairniherst.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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