[185] "Principally games of geography, history, and metamorphoses, engraved by Della Bella, from plans furnished by the poet Desmarets, to facilitate the studies of Louis XIV when a child. The idea is said to have been suggested by Cardinal Mazarine."--A pack of military cards, with instructions for playing the game, devised by the Sieur Des Martins, and dedicated to "Son Altesse le Duc de Maine, Colonel-général des Suisses," appeared in 1676. His Highness the Colonel-general, who was the son of Louis XIV and Madame Montespan, was then six years old. By the favour of F. R. Atkinson, Esq., of Manchester, an assiduous and intelligent collector of curious books, I have had an opportunity of examining two sets of French Historic Cards, without date, but probably published about 1690. One of them is entitled "Cartes des Rois de France. A Paris, chez F. Le Comte, rue St. Jaques, au Chifre du Roi." The title of the other is, "Jeu des Reynes Renommées. A Paris, chez Henri le Gras, Librairie, au 3^e pilier de la grande Salle du Palais." Both sets appeared to have been designed exclusively for the purpose of instruction, and not for play. [186] About the same period Moxon, "glancing from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven," published a pack of Astronomical Cards. In the life of Beau Hewitt, in Lucas's Memoirs of the Lives, Intrigues, and Comical Adventures of the most Famous Gamesters and Celebrated Sharpers in the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III, and Queen Anne, 1714, the Beau is represented as having "most assiduously studied the use of the geometrical playing-cards, set forth by Monsieur Des Cartes, the famous French philosopher and mathematician; but that finding the demonstrations of that great man to be founded on no certainty, he resolved to try his luck at dice." It is said that Pascal's attention was first directed to the calculation of chances in consequence of some questions proposed to him by the Chevalier de Meré, a great gamester. [187] In the text, Beast is said to be called by the French "_La Bett_" [_La Bête_]. [188] The following appear to have been the principal games at cards played in England before the reign of Charles II: the game of Trumps, in the time of Edward VI; Primero, Maw, Lodam, Noddy, La Volta, and Bankerout, mentioned by Sir John Harrington; and Gleek, Crimp, Mount-Saint, Knave out of Doors, Post and Pair, and Ruff, mentioned in Dodsley's Collection of Old Plays.--See Barrington and Bowle on Card-playing, in the Archæologia, vol. viii. [189] "Upon his return to Edinburgh, though he found himself weaker, yet his cheerfulness never abated; and he continued to divert himself, as usual, with correcting his own works for a new edition, with reading books of amusement, with the conversation of his friends; and sometimes, in the evening, with a party at his favorite game of whist."--Dr. Adam Smith, Letter to Wm. Strahan.