respect to the lawfulness of the game?--Such are the topics discussed, and questions examined, in the following pages. Of the works of previous writers on the origin of Cards I have freely availed myself; using them as guides when I thought them right, pointing out their errors when I thought them wrong, and allowing them to speak for themselves whenever they seemed instructive or amusing. Having no wish to appropriate what was not my own, I have quoted my authorities with scrupulous fidelity; and am not conscious of an obligation which I have not acknowledged. Should the reader not obtain from this work all the information on Cards which he might have expected, it is hoped that he will at least acquire from its perusal a knowledge of the true value of such investigations. Between being well informed on a subject, and knowing the real worth of such information, there is a distinction which is often overlooked, especially by antiquaries. In the Illustrations will be found a greater variety of Cards than have hitherto been given in any other work on the same subject, not excepting the splendid publication of the Society of Bibliophiles Français, entitled 'Jeux de Cartes Tarots et de Cartes Numérales du Quatorzième au Dix-huitième Siècle.' All the cards--with the exception of the French Valets, at p. 250, and the Portuguese Chevaliers, at p. 252,--have been copied by Mr. F. W. Fairholt; and all the wood-engravings--with the exception of the tail-piece, by W. J. Linton, at p. 330,--have been executed by Mr. George Vasey. W. A. C. LONDON; _17th April, 1848_. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE OF THE ORIGIN AND NAME OF CARDS 1 CHAPTER II. INTRODUCTION OF CARDS INTO EUROPE 60 CHAPTER III. PROGRESS OF CARD-PLAYING 92 CHAPTER IV. OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CARDS, AND THE MARKS OF THE SUITS 189 CHAPTER V. THE MORALITY OF CARD-PLAYING 279 APPENDIX 331 INDEX 337 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE The "Honours" of an eight-suit pack of Hindostanee Cards 42 Specimens of Chinese Cards, of the kind called _Tseen-wan-che-pae_ 57-8 A Card Party, from an illustration in a manuscript of the _Cité de Dieu_, apparently of the early part of the fifteenth century 71 Copies of Old Stencilled Cards in the British Museum, apparently of a date not later than 1440 88-9 Fac-simile of one of Murner's Cards for teaching logic, 1509 105