It is conjectured that this honour was payed me by exprefs order from the D. who, indeed, is not on any occafion fparing in my praife. "All this attention and panegyric was at first oppreffive to me; but now it fits more easy. I have recovered, in fome measure, the ufe of the language, and am falling into friendships which are very agreeable; much more fo than filly, diftant admiration. They now begin to banter me, and tell droll ftories of me, which they have either obferved themselves, or have heard from others; fo that you fee I am beginning to be at home. It is probable that this place will be long my home. I feel little inclination to the factious barbarians of London; and have ever defired to remain in the place where I am planted. How much more' fo, when it is the best place in the world? I could here live in great abundance on the half of my income; for there is no place where money is fo little requifite to a man who is diftinguished either by his birth or by perfonal qualities. I could run out, you fee, in a panegyric on the people; but you would fufpect that this was a mutual convention between us. However, I cannot forbear obferving, on what a different footing learning and the learned are here, from what they are among the factious barbarians above mentioned. "I have here met with a prodigious hiftorical curiofity, the Memoirs of King James II. in fourteen volumes, all wrote with his own hand, and kept in the Scot's College. I have looked into it, and have made great discoveries. It will be all communicated to me; and I have had an offer of accefs to the fecretary of state's office, if I want to know the difpatches of any French minifter that refided in London. But these matters are much out of my head. I beg of you to vifit Lord Marifchal, who will be pleafed with THE SOLITARY GAME IS fo denominated, because it is played by one perfon only. The board for this paftime is of a circular form, and perforated with holes, at half an inch distance from each other, to the amount of fifty or fixty. A certain number of pegs are then fitted to thefe holes, but not enough to fill them all; and the manner of playing the game is, to pafs one of the pegs over another into a hole that is unoccupied, taking the peg so paffed from the board, and to continue doing fo till all the pegs but one are taken away; which is an operation much more difficult to perform than any one could readily imagine who had not made the attempt." P. 238. ORIGIN OF PLAYING CARDS. "THE general opinion refpecting the origin of playing cards is, that' they were firft made for the amusement of Charles VI. of France, at the time he was afflicted with a mental derangement. The proof of this fuppofition depends upon an article in the treasury regifters belonging to that monarch, which ftates that a payment was made to Jacquemin Gringonneur, painter, for three packs of cards gilded and painted with divers colours and different devices, to be carried to the King for his diverfion. If it be granted, and I fee no reason why it fhould not, that this entry alludes to playing cards, the confequences that have been deduced from it do not neceffarily follow; I mean that thefe cards were the first that were made, or that Gringonneur was the inventor of them; it by no means precludes the probability of "This event took place A. D. 1392, and the affliction continued for feveral years." VOL. V.-No. LIV. 4 N cards cards having been previously used in France, but fimply ftates that thofe made by him were gilt and diverfified with devices in variegated colours, the better to amuse the unfortunate monarch. "Some, allowing that Gringonneur was the firft maker of playing cards, place the invention in the reign of Charles V. upon the authority of Jean de Saintre, who was page to that monarch; he mentions card playing in his chronicle; for, he was an author; and the words he ufes would be fufficient evidence for the existence of cards before the afcenfion of Charles VI. to the throne of France, if it could be proved that the page did not furvive his mafter; but, on the other hand, if he did, they may equally be applied to the amusements of the fucceeding reign. A prohibitory edict against the ufage of cards was made in Spain confiderably anterior to any that have been produced in France; which has inclined feveral modern writers upon this fubject to refer the invention of cards from France to Spain; and the names of fome of the cards, as well as of many of the most ancient games, being evidently derived from the Spanish language, are juftly confidered as ftrong corroborating arguments in favour of fuch an opinion. "A very intelligent writer* upon the origin of engraving aflerts, that playing cards were invented in Germany, where they were ufed towards the latter end of the fourteenth century: but his reafons are by no means conclufive. "An author of our own country produces a paffage cited from a wardrobe computus made in the fixth year of Edward I. which mentions a game uitled, the four kings; and hence, with fome degree of probability, he conjectures that the ute of playing cards was then known in England, which is a much earlier period than any that has been affigned by the foreign authors. It is the opinion of feveral learned writers well acquainted with Afiatic hiftory, that cards were ufed in the eaftern parts of the world long before they found their way into Europe t. If this pofition be granted, when we recollect that Edward I. before his acceffion to the throne, refided nearly five years in Syria, it will be natural enough to suppose that he might have learned the game of the four kings' in that country, and introduced it at court upon his return to England. An objection, which indeed at firft fight feems to be a very powerful one, has been raised in oppofition to this conjecture: it is founded upon the total filence of every kind of authority respecting the subject of card playing, from the time that the abovementioned entry was made to an early period in the reign of Edward IV. iscluding an interval of one hundred and eighty-fix years. An omiffion fo general it is thought would not have taken place, if the words contained in that record alluded to the usage of playing cards. A game introduced by a mo narch could not fail of becoming fa fhionable; and, if it continued to be practifed in after times, muft in all probability have been mentioned occa fionally in conjunction with the other paftimes then prevalent. But this filence is by no means a pofitive proof that the game of the four kings was not played with cards, nor that cards did not continue to be used during the whole of the above-mentioned interval in the higher circles, though not perhaps with fuch abufes as were afterwards practifed, and which excited the reprehenfion of the moral and religious writers. Befides, at the time that cards were first introduced, they were drawn and painted by the hand without the assistance of a stamp or plate; it follows of course that much time was required to complete a fet or pack of cards; the price they bore no doubt was adequate to the labour bestowed upon them, which neceffarily muft have enhanced their value beyond the purchafe of the under claffes of the people; and for this reafon it is, I pre fume, that card playing, though "Baron Heineken; who fays that they were known there as early the year 1376. Idée generale d'une collection des eftampes. pp. 237-249." "Warton fays, it seems probable that the Arabians were the inventors & cards, which they communicated to the Conftantinopolitan Greeks. Hift. Eng Poetry, vol. ii. p. 316. Indeed it is very likely they were brought into th western parts of Europe during the crufades." mi tion, and among the reft the lord 'mayor of London and the sheriffs had • feverally of them their lord of mifrule, ever contending, without quarrel or 'offence, who fhould make the rarest paftimes to delight the beholders: this pageant potentate began his rule at All-hallow eve, and continued the 'fame till the morrow after the Feaft ' of the Purification; in which space might have been known in England, was not much practifed until fuch time as inferior fets of cards, proportionably cheap, were produced for the ufe of the comommonalty, which feems to have been the cafe when Edward the Fourth afcended the throne; for early n his reign an act was established prohibiting the importation of playing cards, and foon after that period card playing became avery general paftime."there were fine and fubtle difguifings, 6 masks, and mummeries'." P.252. "This mafter of merry difports was not confined to the court, nor to the houfes of the opulent, he was alfo elected in various parishes, where, indeed, his reign feems to have been of fhorter date. A writer, who lived at the clofe of the fixteenth century, places this whimsical perfonage, with his followers, in a very degrading point of view. I fhall give the paffage in the author's own words, and leave the reader to comment upon them. First of all, the wilde heades of the parish, captaine of mifchife, whom they innoble with the title of lord of mifrule; and him they crowne with great folemnity, and adopt for their king. This king annoynted chooseth forth twentie, fourty, threefcore, or an hundred luftie guttes, like to himself, to waite upon his lordly majesty, and 'to gaurde his noble perfon. Then " every one of thefe men he investeth "IT is faid of the English, that formerly they were remarkable for the manner in which they celebrated the Festival of Christmas; at which feafon they admitted variety of sports and paftimes not known, or little practifed in other countries. The mock prince, or lord of mifrule, whofe reign extended through the greater part of the holy-flocking togither, chufe them a graund days, is particularly remarked by foreign writers, who confider him as a perfonage rarely to be met with out of England; and, two or three centuries back, perhaps, this obfervation might be confiftent with the truth; but I trust we shall upon due examination be ready to conclude, that anciently this frolicfome monarch was we known upon the continent, where he probably received his first honours. In this kingdom his powers and his dignities fuffered no diminution, but on the contrary were established by royal authority, and continued after they had ceafed to exift elsewhere. But even with us his government has been exinct for many years, and his name and his officers are nearly forgotten. No Houbt, in many inftances, the privieges allowed to this merry defpot were abufed, and not unfrequently productive of immorality; the inftituion itfelf, even if we view it in its most avourable light, is puerile and ridicupus, adapted to the ages of ignorance, zhen more rational amufements were ot known, or at leaft not fashionable. "At the feaft of Chriftmas,' fays towe, in the king's court wherever he chanced to refide, there was appointed a lord of mifrule, or mafter of merry difports; the fame merry fellow made his appearance at the houfe of every nobleman and perfon of diftincing with his liveries of greene, yellow, " or fome other light wanton colour, and, as though they were not gawdy ynough, they bedecke themfelves with fearffes, ribbons, and laces, 'hanged all over with gold ringes, pretious fones, and other jewels. This done, they tie aboute either 'legge twentie or fourtie belles, with riche handkerchiefes in their handes, and fometimes laide acroffe over their fhoulders and neckes, borrowed, for the most part, of their pretie mopfies and loving Beffies. Thus all thinges fet in order, then have they their bobby borfes, their dragons, and other antiques, together with their baudie pipers, and thundring drummers, to ftrike up the devil's daunce with all. Then march this heathen company towards the church, their pypers pyping, their drummers thundring, their ftumpes dauncing, their belles jyngling, their handkerchiefes flutteraboute their heades like madde 4 N 2 'men, his ftate, and upon New Year's-day he fat as king in the hall when the mater of the revels, during the time of dining, fupplied the marihal's place. Upon Childermas-day they had another off. cer, denominated the King of the Cockneys, who alfo prefided on the day of his appointment, and had his inferior officers to wait upon him." P. 254. men, their hobbie horfes and other ⚫monsters skirmishing amongst the throng and in this forte they go to the church, though the minifter be at prayer or preaching, dauncing and finging like devils incarnate, with 'fuch a confused noise that no man can heare his own voyce. Then the foolish 'people they looke, they ftare, they laugh, they fleere, and mount upon the formes and pewes to fee thefe goodly pageants folemnized. Then after this, aboute the church they goe againe and againe, and fo fourthe into the churche yard, where they have commonly their fommer-halls, their bowers, arbours, and banquetting-houses, fet up, wherein they feaft, banquet, and daunce all that day, and paradventure all that night too; and thus these terreftrial furies 'fpend the fabbath day. Then, for the further innobling of this honour'able lardane, lord I fhould fay, they have certaine papers wherein is paint⚫ed fome babelerie* or other of ima gerie worke, and these they call my Lord of Mifrule's badges of cognizances. These they give to every one that will give them money to 'maintain them in this their heathenifh 'devilrie ;--and who will not show himself buxome to them and give them money, they fhall be mocked und flouted fhamefully; yea, and many times carried upon a cowlftaffe, and dived over heade and eares in 'water, or otherwife moft horribly • abused. And so beffotted are fome, that they not only give them money, but weare their badges or cognizances in their hats or cappes openly. Another forte of fantafticall fooles bring to thefe helhounds, the Lord of Mifrule and his complices, fome bread, fome good ale, fome new cheese, fome old cheefe, fome cuftardes, fome cracknels, fome cakes, fome flauns, fome tartes, fome creame, fome, meat fome one thing, and fome another.' "The fociety belonging to Lincoln's Inn had anciently an officer chofen at this feafon, who was honoured with the title of King of Chrifmas-Day, becaufe he prefided in the hall upon that day. This temporary potentate had a mar fhal and a feward to attend upon him. The marshal, in the absence of the monarch, was permitted to assume *Childish, trifling." "Selden afferts, and in my opinion with great juftice, that all these whimfical tranfpofitions of dignity are derived from the ancient Saturnalia, or Feafts of Saturn, when the mafters waited upon their fervants, who were honoured with mock titles, and permitted to affume the ftate and deportment of their lords. These focleries were exceedingly popular, and continued to be practifed long after the establishment of Chriflianity, in defiance of the threatenings and the remonftrances of the clergy, who, finding it impoffible to divert the ftream of vulgar prejudice, permitted them to be exercifed, but changed the primitive object of devotion; fo that the fame unhallowed orgies, which had difgraced the worship of a heathen deity, were de dicated, as it was called, to the fervice of the true God, and fanctioned by the appellation of a Chriftian inftitution. From this polluted stock branched out variety of unfeemly and immoral sports; but none of them more daringly impious, and outrageous to common fenfe, than the feftival of fools, in which the most facred rites and ceremonies of the church were turned into ridicule, and the ecclefiaftics themselves participated in the abominable profanations, The following outlines of this abfurd diverfion will no doubt be thought fufficient. "In each of the cathedral churches there was a bishop, or an archbiftop of fools, elected; and in the churches imm diately dependent upon the papal fee pope of fools. Thefe mock pontiffs ba ufually a proper fuit of ecclefiat who attended upon them, and affifted the divine fervice, most of them attir: in ridiculous dreffes, refembling party mimical players and buffoons; were accompanied by large crowd: the laity, fome being disguised w masks of a monftrous fashion, others having their faces fmutted: one inftance to frighten the behold "Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales, fol. 2 47." and in the otherto excite their laughter: "Grotefque ceremonies, fomething fimilar to thofe above mentioned, certainly took place in England; but probably they were not carried to that extent of impiety, nor fo grofsly offenfive to decency. We had a king of the fools, but his office was suppressed at an early period, and not, that I remember, revived in the fucceeding times. The election and the investment of the boy-bishop was certainly derived from the festival of fools. In all the collegiate churches, at the feaft of St. Nicholas, or of the Holy Innocents, and frequently at both, it was customary for one of the children of the choir, completely apparelled in the epifcopal veftments, with a mitre and crofier, tq bear the title and state of a bishop. He exacted a ceremonial obedience from his fellows, who, being dressed like priests, took poffeffion of the church, and performed all the ceremonies and offices which might have been celebrated by a bishop and his prebendaries. Colet, dean of St. Paul's, who, though he was a wife and good man,' countenanced this idle farce; and, in the ftatutes for his school at St. Paul's, exprefsly orders that the scholars shall, ' every Childermas, that is, Innocentsday, come to Paule's churche, and hear the childe byfhop's fermon, and 'after be at hygh maffe, and each of 'them offer a penny to the childe byfhop; and with them the maisters and 6 6 After having performed the divine fervice, the bishop and his affociates went about to different parts of the town, and vifited the religious houfes, collecting money. Thefe ceremonies and proceffions were formally abrogated by proclamation from the king and council, in the thirty-third year of Henry the Eighth; the concluding claufe of the ordinance runs thus: Whereas heretofore dyvers and many fuperfti'tious and chyldyfh obfervances have been used, and yet to this day are • obferved and kept in many and fundry 'places of this realm upon St. Nicholas, St. Catherines, St. Clements, and Holy Innocents, and fuch like holydaies; children be strangelie decked "Knight's Life of Colet, p. 362; to which Warton adds, "I take this op'portunity of intimating, that the cuftom at Eton of going ad montem, originated from the ancient and popular practice of thefe theatrical proceffions in colle'giate bodies.' Hift. Poet. ut fupra." |