Opening the text

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

Name: Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing Cards
Author: Chatto, William Andrew

Chatto, William Andrew

Playing cards -- History

Card-playing appears to have been a common amusement with the citizens
of Bologna, about 1423. In that year St. Bernardin of Sienna, who died
in 1444, and was canonized in 1450, preaching on the steps in front of
the church of St. Petronius, described so forcibly the evils of gaming
in general, and of Card-playing in particular, to which the Bolognese
were much addicted, that his hearers made a fire in the public place
and threw their cards into it. A card-maker who was present, and
who had heard the denunciations of the preacher, not only against
gamesters, but against all who either supplied them with cards or dice,
or in any manner countenanced them, is said to have thus addressed him,
in great affliction of mind.[107] "I have not learned, father, any
other business than that of painting cards; and if you deprive me of
that, you deprive me of life, and my destitute family of the means of
earning a subsistence." To this appeal the Saint cheerfully replied:
"If you do not know what to paint, paint this figure, and you will
never have cause to regret having done so." Thus saying, he took a
tablet and drew on it the figure of a radiant sun, with the name of
Jesus indicated in the centre by the monogram I.H.S. The card-painter
followed the saint's advice; and so numerous were the purchasers of
the reformed productions of his art, that he soon became rich. In the
Bibliothèque du Roi at Paris, there is an old woodcut of St. Bernardin,
with the date 1454, which has been supposed to have been engraved
with reference to this anecdote, as the saint is seen holding in his
right hand the symbol which he recommended the card-maker to paint. A
fac-simile of this figure of St. Bernardin is given in the 'Illustrated
London News,' of the 20th of April, 1844, and reprinted in a work
recently published, entitled 'The History and Art of Wood Engraving.'

John Capistran, a disciple of St. Bernardin, and also a Franciscan
friar, followed the example of his master in preaching against gaming;
and his exhortations appear to have been attended with no less success.
In 1452, when on a mission to Germany, he preached for three hours at
Nuremberg, in Latin, against luxury and gaming; and his discourse,
which was interpreted by one of his followers, produced so great an
effect on the audience, that there were brought into the market-place
and burnt, 76 jaunting sledges, 3640 backgammon boards, 40,000 dice,
and cards innumerable. Under an old portrait of Capistran, engraved on
wood by Hans Schaufflein, there is an inscription commemorating the
effects of his preaching as above related.[108]


FOOTNOTES:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

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

Card-playing appears to have been a common amusement with the citizens
of Bologna, about 1423. In that year St. Bernardin of Sienna, who died
in 1444, and was canonized in 1450, preaching on the steps in front of
the church of St. Petronius, described so forcibly the evils of gaming
in general, and of Card-playing in particular, to which the Bolognese
were much addicted, that his hearers made a fire in the public place
and threw their cards into it. A card-maker who was present, and
who had heard the denunciations of the preacher, not only against
gamesters, but against all who either supplied them with cards or dice,
or in any manner countenanced them, is said to have thus addressed him,
in great affliction of mind.[107] "I have not learned, father, any
other business than that of painting cards; and if you deprive me of
that, you deprive me of life, and my destitute family of the means of
earning a subsistence." To this appeal the Saint cheerfully replied:
"If you do not know what to paint, paint this figure, and you will
never have cause to regret having done so." Thus saying, he took a
tablet and drew on it the figure of a radiant sun, with the name of
Jesus indicated in the centre by the monogram I.H.S. The card-painter
followed the saint's advice; and so numerous were the purchasers of
the reformed productions of his art, that he soon became rich. In the
Bibliothèque du Roi at Paris, there is an old woodcut of St. Bernardin,
with the date 1454, which has been supposed to have been engraved
with reference to this anecdote, as the saint is seen holding in his
right hand the symbol which he recommended the card-maker to paint. A
fac-simile of this figure of St. Bernardin is given in the 'Illustrated
London News,' of the 20th of April, 1844, and reprinted in a work
recently published, entitled 'The History and Art of Wood Engraving.'

John Capistran, a disciple of St. Bernardin, and also a Franciscan
friar, followed the example of his master in preaching against gaming;
and his exhortations appear to have been attended with no less success.
In 1452, when on a mission to Germany, he preached for three hours at
Nuremberg, in Latin, against luxury and gaming; and his discourse,
which was interpreted by one of his followers, produced so great an
effect on the audience, that there were brought into the market-place
and burnt, 76 jaunting sledges, 3640 backgammon boards, 40,000 dice,
and cards innumerable. Under an old portrait of Capistran, engraved on
wood by Hans Schaufflein, there is an inscription commemorating the
effects of his preaching as above related.[108]


FOOTNOTES:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing Cards

Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing Cards

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