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
[Illustration: Valet de Chasse. (p. 250.)]
[Illustration: Valet de Été. (p. 250.)]
[Illustration: Valet de Noblesse. (p. 250.)]
In the same work are given fac-similes of coat cards executed in
the reign of Louis XIII, and displaying the costume of that period.
The names given to the Kings, Queens and Valets on those cards are:
_Cœur_, Alexandre, Pentasilee [Penthesilea], Roland. _Carreau_, Cirus
Major, Roxane, Renault. _Trèfle_, Ninus, Semiramis; the name of the
Valet wanting.[298] _Pique_, Jule Cæsar, Pompeia, Roger. Each of the
Aces is surrounded with an ornamental bordering; and at the foot is an
inscription, which, when read consecutively, through all the four, is
as follows: "_Vive le Roy_ | _Vive la Reyne_ | _J'ayme l'Amour_ | _Et
la Court_."
Some of the specimens of Portuguese cards given in the 'Jeux de
Cartes Tarots et de Cartes Numérales' have very much the appearance of
having been originally suggested by, if not copied from, an Oriental
type; more especially in the suits of Danari and Bastoni,--Money
and Clubs. In those cards the circular figure, generally understood
as representing Danari, or Money, is certainly much more like the
_Chakra_, or quoit of Vichnou, as seen in Hindostanee drawings, than a
piece of coin; while on the top of the Club there is a diamond proper,
which is another of the attributes of the same deity. The dragon seen
on each of the Aces is perfectly Oriental in character; and the shields
which appear on the Kings and Queens are very much like those which are
to be seen in Hindostanee drawings. The coat cards in this pack are
King, Queen, and Horseman; and the suits are Coppe, Danari, Bastoni,
and Spade--Cups, Money, Clubs proper, and Swords. The Queen, which here
appears as the second coat card, is of unusual occurrence in cards of
this kind, and more especially in such as are of Spanish or Portuguese
manufacture.[299] In two of the suits,--Clubs and Swords,--the Queen
appears in the act of encountering a dragon. The coat cards and aces
have letters both at top and bottom, indicating the suit, and the rank
or name of the card. Specimens of those cards, which appear to have
been executed in 1693, are preserved in the Bibliothèque du Roi. The
four annexed cuts show the outlines of the four Valets. The letters CC,
CD, CB, CS, signify respectively the Caballo, or Chevalier of Coppe,
Danari, Bastoni, and Spade.
[Illustration]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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