[352] The following anecdote of a card-playing parson who inopportunely let some cards drop from his sleeve when in church, occurs in 'The Women's Advocate, or the Fifteen real Comforts of Matrimony.'--2d edit. 1683. "The Parson that loved gaming better than his eyes, made a good use of it when he put up his cards in his gown-sleeve in haste, when the clerk came and told him the last stave was a-singing. 'Tis true, that in the height of his reproving the Parish for their neglect of holy duties, upon the throwing out of his zealous arm, the cards dropt out of his sleeve, and flew about the church. What then? He bid one boy take up a card and asked him what it was,--the boy answers the King of Clubs. Then he bid another boy take up another card. 'What was that?' 'The Knave of Spades.' 'Well,' quo' he, 'now tell me, who made ye?' The boy could not well tell. Quo' he to the next, 'Who redeemed ye?'--that was a harder question. 'Look ye,' quoth the Parson, 'you think this was an accident, and laugh at it; but I did it on purpose to shew you that had you taught your children their catechism, as well as to know their cards, they would have been better provided to answer material questions when they come to church.'" [353] Mons. Peignot says that Mlle. Le Normand, the celebrated fortune-teller, published in her 'Souvenirs Prophétiques,' Paris, 1814, the same history, but with the name of the hero changed to Richard Middleton. Mlle. Le Normand died at Paris in 1843, aged 72, leaving a fortune, it is said, of 500,000 francs. She had followed the trade of fortune-telling for upwards of forty years; and is said to have been frequently consulted by the Empress Josephine, who was extremely superstitious. A great number of her customers were gamblers, of both sexes. She is said to have been visited both by Napoleon, and by Alexander, Emperor of Russia. [354] Notice Bibliographique sur les Cartes à jouer, p. 9. Paris, 1842. [355] Since this sheet was in type I have learned that cards are mentioned in a work entitled 'Le Ménagier de Paris,' written about 1393, by "un bourgeois Parisien," and recently published by the Society of Bibliophiles Français. In the notice of it in the 'Journal des Savants' for February last, it said: "On y rencontre des indications historiques que nul autre ouvrage ne nous fournit; tel est, par example, la mention des Cartes à jouer." APPENDIX. No. 1. _List of the Specimens of Cards given in the 'Jeux de Cartes Tarots et de Cartes Numérales, du Quatorzième au Dix-huitième Siècle;' published by the Society of Bibliophiles Français, Paris, 1844._ 1. Seventeen cards, ascribed to Gringonneur, from the originals in the Bibliothèque du Roi. 2. Ten cards, from the originals engraved on wood and coloured, in the Bibliothèque du Roi. Supposed date, 1425. 3. Cards, from the originals engraved on wood, in the possession of Mons. Hémuville. Supposed date, 1440.