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diff --git a/42950-8.txt b/42950-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 6ede57d..0000000 --- a/42950-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8098 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Prophetical, Educational and Playing Cards, by -Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Prophetical, Educational and Playing Cards - -Author: Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer - -Release Date: June 15, 2013 [EBook #42950] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CARDS *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - - - - - - - - -PROPHETICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND PLAYING CARDS - - - - -[Illustration: ATOUTS OF AN EARLY ITALIAN PACK OF TAROTS - - 1 Il Bagattel - - 2 La Papessa - - 3 L'Imperatrice - - 4 L'Imperatore - - 5 Il Papa - - 6 Gli Amanti] - - - - - Prophetical, Educational and Playing Cards - - - By MRS. JOHN KING VAN RENSSELAER - - Author of "The Devil's Picture Books," Etc. - - - LONDON - HURST & BLACKETT, Ltd. - PATERNOSTER HOUSE - 1912 - - - - - PRINTED BY - THE GEORGE H BUCHANAN COMPANY - PHILADELPHIA, U. S. A. - - - - -THE ORACLE OF ISHTAR AND NEBO UTTERED BY A WOMAN BAYA (OR WITCH) A NATIVE -OF ARABELA - - -"I proclaim it aloud--What Has Been Will Be--I am Nebo--The Lord of the -Writing Tablet--Glorify Me." - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I--PROPHETICAL AND OTHER CARDS 27-57 - - Divining cards--Tablets of fate--Tarots--Gambling cards-- - Their difference--Persian cards--Oldest emblems--Standard - packs of Tarots--German designs--French designs--Rouge et - Noir--Persia and Sweden--Writers on cards--The three - gods--Derivation of name--Mercury and his predecessors-- - Writer of E-Sigalia--Fortune-telling--The priest of - Thoth--Speech--Italian Tarots--L'Ombre--From leaves to - cards--Attributes of Mercury--Atouts--de Gebelin--From - arrows to cards--Gambling sticks of King Qa--Rods-- - Devices--Argiphontes--Cyllenius or Agoneus--Caduceator-- - Chthonius--The study of cards--Rods--Many authorities-- - Papus--Temple at Baiæ--Book of Thoth--Addha-Nari-- - Heraldry--Tradesmen's signs--Lady Mary Wortley Montagu-- - Terminus--Cestus--Pigs and tongues--Gazelle--Number - Thirteen--Joker. - - CHAPTER II--THE BOOK OF THOTH, HERMES, AND NEBO 58-71 - - Its leaves--Mercury's attributes--Il Matto--Nebo--Tablets - of fate--The Atouts--Their significance--de Gebelin-- - Egyptian deities--Parchment records--Thoth the framer of - laws--Bible of the gypsies--Attributes of Mercury-- - Interpretation--Balaam--The "baru"--Tête-á-Tête - mysteries--The pack--L'Ombre--Skus--Pagat--Austrian - Taroks--The romance of a pack of Tarots--Austrian games-- - Austrian game books--A clergyman on cards. - - CHAPTER III--MERCURIUS 72-93 - - The rank of Mercury--His occupations--His statues-- - Cadueceus--The purse bearer--The sword--The cup of - Hermes--The four symbols--Nebo's temple--E-Sigalia-- - Pozzuoli--Its merchants--The Serapeon--Serapis--Roman - villas--The temple of Mercury at Baiæ--Mercurius--His - work--His parentage--His Infancy--Gifts from the gods-- - Golden-leaved rod--Wings--The planet--Different - cognomens--Representations--Thoth--Inventions--Priests-- - Sirius--Hermes introduced by the Pelasgi--Books of - Thoth--Inventor of games--Great teacher--Titles of - books--Connection with cards--Their scientific - arrangement. - - CHAPTER IV--THOTH 94-108 - - M. Maspero's description of temple--Mr. Rawlinson's - account--Psammetchas--Nebo and Thoth--Symbols--The - month--Its device--Tablet of Khufu or Cheops-- - Hieroglyphically described--Names of gods--Qualities and - titles of Thoth--At judgment seat--Sacrifices--Books-- - Colleges--Priestess of Thoth--Khufu--Thotmes--Cleopatra's - needles--Generations of priests--Gypsies--Hermetic - books--The ghosts--Book of knowledge--Its boxes--Magical - texts--Amulets--Ritual of the dead--Hall of two - truths--Osiris--Confession--Three Writings--King of - Sais--The dumb children--Some of the books of Thoth--The - temple--Wall pictures--Origin of Atouts. - - CHAPTER V--NEBO OR NABU 109-123 - - Chaldean god--Different names--Parent--Wife--Presides at - birth and death--Sword as symbol--Assyrian gods--King's - temples--Protector--Hymn to Nebo--Borsippa--E-Zida--Great - library--Invocations--Titles--Emblems--Stylus--God of - Revelations--Nabi, Naypes or prophet--Mr. Chatto's - derivation--Early cards in Italy--Planet--Assyrian gods - identical with Roman gods--The Moon--The month--Dog - star--Sacrifices--Card emblems--Boar--Temples--Cult-- - Nebuchadnezzar--All wise--Asshurbanipal--Assyrian - invasion--Mingling of cults--Highway of Egypt--Cuneiform - inscriptions--Tablets--Texts--Hymn to Nabu--Origin of - letters. - - CHAPTER VI--THE ATOUTS OF THE TAROTS 124-174 - - Consultation of the divinities--Wave offerings--Prayers-- - Priests and Priestess--Hermetic books--Ishtar--Rods-- - Jackstraws--Rites--Graven images--Divining arrows-- - L'Ombre--Egyptian gods on the cards--Number One--The - Pagat--Quotation--Baton de Jacob--Meaning of Rod--Choice - of the boy--Lottery Chart--Aleph--Meaning--Bohas and - Jakin--Initiation of youth--Tablets of fate--Korean - superstitions--Fringes of temple--Numbers or letters-- - Number Two--La Papesse--Isis--Emblems--Qualities--Eve-- - Derivation of name--de Gebelin--Juno--Emerald Tablet--Mr. - Willshire--Juno's worshippers--Ritual of dead--Beth-- - Number Three--The Empress--Maut--Attributes-- - Significances--Figure--Gimel--Dress--Girdle--Titles-- - Number Four--Emperor--Ammon--Daleth--Persian cards-- - Titles--Invocation--Number Five--Le Papa--Phthah-- - Attributes--Hands--Fatima--Number Five's Meaning--Number - Six--Lovers--Cupid--Significance--Vau--Symbolism--Number - Seven--Chariot--Mystic meanings--Zain--Arrows--Marked Yes - and No--Chinese sticks--Mercury--Pythagoras--The occult - seven--Three ages of the world--Seven evil spirits--Hymn - to them in Assyric--Seven in the Bible--Other references - to that number--Number Eight--Justice--Ma or Truth--The - Judge--Attributes--Tiemei--Heth--Ceres--Cups--Number - Nine--The Hermit--Aspect--Diogenes--Significance--Rod-- - Texts--Typical of shelter--Teth--Number Eight--Rota, - Wheel of Fortune--Osiris--Anubis--Typhon--The Circle-- - Wheels of Ezekiel and Pythagoras--Yod--Termius--Use of - Yod--Anubis called the Lord of Burying Ground--As jackal-- - Number Eleven--Strength--Mystic hat--Una--Amazons--Kaph-- - Goddess Neith--Emblems--Inscription on her shrine-- - Brides--Number Twelve--Il Pendu--Hanged man--Freemason's - signals--Pagat--Lamed--Its meanings--Vulcan--Number - Thirteen--Death--Skeleton--Proverb--Horse of Aurora--Bad - luck--Its reasons--Mem and its meanings--Number Fourteen-- - Temperance--Nut or Nepte--Titles and description--Nun-- - Oil--Oblations--Number Fifteen--Devil--Set or Sutech-- - Parents--Title of Hyksos kings--Ears--Zam--Significances-- - Number Sixteen--Tower--Lighting god--Castle of Plutus-- - Rameses II and the thieves--Bael--Enlil--Second Dynasty - of Ur--Dr. Radau's translations--Goddess Nin-Mar's hymn-- - Ayin--Number Seventeen--The stars--Dog star--Nebo's - mountain--Hebe--Oblations--Gazelle--Typification--Number - Eighteen--La Lune--Attributes--Tzaddi--Diana--Number - Nineteen--The sun--Zoph--Ra and Rameses--Number Twenty-- - Day of Judgment--Resh--Significance--Pluto--Ishtar-- - Epitaph of Lord de Ros--Number Twenty-one--Le Monde-- - Verity--Four Apostolic emblems--Their manifold meanings-- - Tau--Le Fou or the Joker--Mat--Emblems--Shin--Gypsies-- - Early Tarots--Intention of Atouts--Bible of Gypsies. - - CHAPTER VII--PIPS OF THE TAROT PACK 175-195 - - Suits--Court cards--German, Spanish, Italian and French - cards--Emblems of Mercury--Four castes--Lucky devices-- - Addha--Nari--Phallus--Cteis--Vau--Jod-He-Vau-He--Divining - arrows--Golden rod--Numbers 17--Symbols of the - Israelites--Indian--Typical of families--Chinese - fortune-telling--Zeichiku--Meisir games of Arabia--Naib - or prophet--Trèfle--Coppas--Assyrian cup--Cup-bearers-- - Saki-bearer--Jamshid--Omar Kayyam--Golden cup--Texts-- - Hall of Two Truths--Osiris--Ma--Thoth--Espadas or Piques-- - Argiphontes--Meaning of sword in Hebrew--Pitch-pot--Money - suit--Collars--Zones--Meaning of suits--Numerical value-- - Court cards--Their meaning--Seventy-eight Tarots--Rods of - Aaron. - - CHAPTER VIII--SOME OLD ITALIAN TAROTS 196-207 - - Mysteries--St. Paul--Osiris--Bewildered historians-- - "Portrayed on the walls"--Nebo the Writer--Gypsies--The - crossed palm--Spanish cards--The Egyptian fleet--Essay of - Count Emiliano di Parravicino--Professional teachers of - early days--Cards belonging to the Duke di Visconti--The - Royal pack--The artist da Tortona--A wedding gift--Old - Tarots--The artist Cicognara--Historic cards--The - proverb--Fibbias Tarocci--Museum at Bergamo--Victoria and - Albert Museum--Beautiful Tarots. - - CHAPTER IX--HEARTS AND DIAMONDS. SPADES AND CLUBS 208-221 - - Oldest French pack--The costumes--Charles VI--The - marriage fête--The fire--Original French Piquet pack-- - Invention of French pips--Vignoles and Chevalier--Jacques - Coeur--The Palace at Bourges--Money or Carreaux--Swords - or piques--Sticks or Tréfles--The pun--Red and black--The - startling inquiry--Tarots, Playing Cards or the Book of - Thoth--Ignorance of writers--French cards born three - hundred years ago--Vignolles--Chevalier and Jacques - Coeur--Piquet--Agnes Sorel--Black and red--de Gebelin's - history--Confusion--Discussion--Prejudice. - - CHAPTER X--COURT CARDS WITH FRENCH PIPS 222-244 - - Paio--Stock--Widow--Bunch--Pips--Court cards--Their - historic derivation--The number of pip and court cards-- - The Joker--His origin in America--Cunning Mercury-- - Fantastic designs--Conservative court dresses-- - Double-headed and index cards--Costume of the Kings-- - Their attributes and headgear--Charles of France--Old - Tarots in Paris--French cards--The names on the French - cards--La Hire--The dress of the knaves--Their - attributes--Patch the court fool--Nicknames--The Bowers-- - Skat--Le Valet--Le Fante--Il Soto--Der Ober--Der Unter-- - The Queens--Elizabeth of York--Her husband's picture--The - history of Elizabeth our Queen of Cards--Her birth, - education, betrothal and costume--The jilting Dauphin-- - Louis XI--Marriage--The poem--The credulous queen--The - elegy of Sir Thomas More--Elizabeth's effigy in - Westminster Abbey--Card backs--Messages and invitations. - - CHAPTER XI--POINT CARDS WITH FRENCH PIPS 245-252 - - The Pique--Its names--Dr. Stukley's cards--A Picke-- - Clubs, the emblem of Agnes Sorel--Hearts--The Ace--The - Earl of Cork--Le Borgne--Spanish nicknames--The Deuce-- - The curse of Scotland--Duke of Cumberland--Chinese card - and counter boxes--Pope Joan--Trey--Nicknames for the - four and five spots--"Grace's card"--Lady Dorothy Nevill-- - The origin of visiting cards--The backs--Derivation of the - name of Tarot--The reverse designs--Dolls and their - furniture from cards--Thackeray's invitation--Sir Jeffry - Amhurst's bid to a ball--Luck at Piquet. - - CHAPTER XII--"ACCORDING TO HOYLE" 253-276 - - The original game played with cards--L'Ombre and its - successors--Manilla--The Matadores--Spadille--Nine of - Money--The game described in "Cranford"--Punto-- - Primero--Philip of Spain--Piquet in England--Earl of - Northumberland's letters--Sidney papers--Sir Walter - Raleigh--The terms used in Primero--Its Italian - rules--Rabelais--Shakespeare's and other plays--Terms - used in Primero--The games that succeeded it--Mawe-- - Noddy--Gleek--Terms and nicknames used--Ruff, Whisk or - Whist--Piquet--Its inventors, Rules, Hands--Ballet-- - References--Piquet or Cent--Political satire--Hamlet's - speech--"The age is grown so picked"--Euchre--"Heathen - Chinee"--American Hoyle--History of Euchre--Dialect-- - Bower or youngster--Euchre derived from Juch--The German - words--An unreliable derivation--Poker--Jack-pot--Widow - and Kitty--Poker, Patience--Rules of game--According to - Hoyle--His birth and history--The story of Whist--Hoyle's - rules--Cavendish. - - CHAPTER XIII--ENGRAVED CARDS 277-291 - - Print lovers--Invention of Xylographic arts--Earliest - wood cuts--Double purposes--Rare prints--Gregineur--Dr. - Stuckley's pack--Cologne engraved cards--Spanish pips-- - German emblems--Martin Schoengaur--Le Maître--His - designs--E. S.--Augsburg--Its guild of cardmakers--The - cards of Nuremburg--Jost Ammon--His productions--Italian - and Netherland cards. - - CHAPTER XIV--PLAYING CARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER PURPOSES 292-307 - - Invectives from State and Church--Destruction in - Nuremburg--Its Museum--"The Devil's Picture Books"-- - Bishop Latimer--The Text--German instructive cards--Those - of China and Japan--The Friend's cards--Dr. Muruer's - cards--Louis XIV's cards--History of France--Heraldic - cards--Political and other packs--Cards with Mercury's - emblems--Harlequin cards--Musical packs--Japanese cards-- - Cards as Christian and Jewish Prayer Books--Grammatical - cards--Plato's advice--A tract--Astronomical and religious - packs--Historical cards of the United States--Proverbs. - - CHAPTER XV--EUROPEAN PLAYING CARDS 308-321 - - Cards--Charles V--Proclamation in Paris--Red Book of Ulm-- - Palamedes and the siege of Troy--Egyptian gambling rods-- - Cards as postals--Evolution--M. Angelo--Prince of Pisa-- - Maffei Ringhierri Feliceano and Menesturier--Singer-- - Chatto, 1392--St. Cyprian--Nearsighted writers--The - points of view--Concealed practices--The game of gold-- - Chinese legend--Connection with divination--Count de - Gebelin--"The great dreamer"--Connection with magic-- - First French cards--Rouge et noir--Rapid spread through - Europe--The sailors with Columbus--Introduction of cards - into America--Italian verses--Pictures--Literature. - - CHAPTER XVI--ASIATIC PLAYING CARDS 322-340 - - Discoveries of Messrs. Cushing and Culin--Arrows of - Divination--The Magi before Pharaoh--The Rod of Moses at - Horeb--The connection between arrows and cards--Korean - cards--Alaskan rods--The game--Hida Island Indian rods-- - The next step--Htou-Tjyen or "Fighting arrows"--Chinese - lotteries and cards--Derivation of pips--Actor's cards-- - Jokers called Blessings--Educational cards--Japanese - cards--Historical, gambling and divining arrows--Poetic - cards--Cashmere cards--Persian cards--Their emblems. - - CHAPTER XVII--CHESS AND OTHER GAMES 341-364 - - Chess a battlefield--The Emperor Akbar and his queen-- - Lady Dufferin's description of the Palace of Glass-- - Living Chess--Two Jokers--Derivation of Chess--Troy-- - Crete--Nig--Egyptian caricature--Korean Chess--Set in - British Museum--Chess from Brahmins--Ravan, king of - Ceylon--Seffa's trick--Persian words--Jussef's - escape--Mora--Draughts--The Pharaoh--Greek and Roman - names--French games--Checkers--Korean "horses"--Dice-- - German dice cards--Korean dice--Dominoes--Jackstones-- - Materials--Ball--Pieces--Kong-Keui--Chinese and Korean - games--The sets--Muggins--Milking the cow--Grab--Peas in - the pot--Horses in and out of the stable--Sweeping the - floor--Spreading the table--Laying eggs--Setting eggs-- - Hatching eggs--Jackstraws--A set described--Their values. - - CHAPTER XVIII--FORTUNE-TELLING THROUGH THE CARDS 365-383 - - Methods--Etteila--Le Normand--Fortune-telling cards-- - Rules--Meanings of cards with French pips--A fortune - told--The hairdresser of Paris--The First Napoleon--Les - hautes sciences--Deductions of the fortune-teller-- - Papus--Definition of suits--Key to the pip cards of the - Tarots--Staves, Cups, Swords and Money--Rules for - reading the cards. - - CHAPTER XIX--READING THE BOOK OF THOTH 384-392 - - Rules--The first diagram--Directions for divination--The - young man's career--A second game with its rules--To - establish fluidic sympathy--The fourth deal--Etteila's - method. - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - ATOUTS OF AN EARLY ITALIAN PACK OF TAROTS, 1 TO 6 _Frontispiece_ - - _Facing Page_ - - ATOUTS OF AN EARLY ITALIAN PACK OF TAROTS, 7 TO 12 30 - - ATOUTS OF AN EARLY ITALIAN PACK OF TAROTS, 13 TO 18 54 - - ATOUTS OF AN EARLY ITALIAN PACK OF TAROTS, 19 TO 22, - WITH TWO COURT CARDS 74 - - EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS, COURT CARDS 98 - - EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS, PIP CARDS OF THE CUP SUIT 116 - - EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS, PIP AND COURT CARDS OF THE CUP SUIT 140 - - EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS, PIP CARDS OF THE ROD SUIT 166 - - EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS, PIP AND COURT CARDS OF THE ROD SUIT 190 - - EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS, PIP CARDS OF THE SWORD SUIT 216 - - EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS, PIP AND COURT CARDS OF THE SWORD SUIT 238 - - EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS, PIP CARDS OF THE MONEY SUIT 264 - - EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS, PIP AND COURT CARDS OF THE MONEY SUIT 288 - - SWEDISH, KOREAN AND JAPANESE GAMBLING AND EDUCATIONAL CARDS 312 - - ENGLISH, GERMAN AND CHINESE GAMBLING CARDS 326 - - SPANISH, ENGLISH, DUTCH AND AMERICAN GAMBLING, HISTORICAL AND - EDUCATIONAL CARDS 354 - - - - -FOREWORD - - -If an apology is needed for writing again on the subject of playing cards, -the excuse may be offered that new lights have been turned on the subject, -so that there is fresh information to lay before the public, derived from -a close and exhaustive study of the European libraries and museums, as -well as of the pictures on the Playing Cards themselves or prints found in -those repositories, and also in the collection owned by the writer; for -these speak their histories to those who regard their symbols with -appreciative knowledge, since they had an immense significance when -originally adopted. - -It is twenty years since The Devil's Picture Book was published and it is -now out of print. The writer has been frequently called upon to furnish -papers on the subject, so that it has been kept fresh in mind. At the time -that the first book was issued it was the only one that had been printed -in the United States devoted entirely to the history of cards not -necessarily connected with games. Since then little has been published on -the subject, and the information given in the present volume has been -largely derived from the writer's own observations and studies. - -A collection of Playing Cards, begun at that time with a solitary pack -brought as a curiosity by a traveler from Algiers, that bore the ancient -pips of Swords, Staves, Money and Cups, has now grown to hundreds of -specimens culled from many different countries. Comparing these with each -other, and studying all obtainable histories on the subject, leads to the -conclusion that the writers of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth -centuries were correct when they stated that no historical record existed -before the middle of the fourteenth century of _games played with cards_. -But each and all of the writers on Playing Cards agree that there were -cards and that they seem to have been used for fortune-telling before -1350, and also that there was a baffling resemblance between the -traditions of the cards and what was recorded of the Egyptian mysteries -connected with the worship of Thoth Hermes. - -It therefore followed that the history and traditions peculiar to the -ceremonies connected with that personage should be studied in order to -trace Playing Cards to their birthplace and find for them an origin, -without weakly stopping at the fourteenth century, and declaring that -cards came out of space, as many authors have done. - -The heraldic devices of Mercury, which are the emblems of what has always -been called, by historians, "The Book of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus," are -in themselves mute proof of the connection of the Tarots (as they are now -called) with the cult of Mercury. These cards are the oldest ones known, -and the symbols are retained in Italian Tarots of to-day, so it may be -allowed that when Playing Cards are studied as the leaves of the book of a -cult, not as a game, their own pictures relate the story that has lain -dormant for many hundreds of years. They only required to have a key in -order to be intelligible to any one interested in the subject, and this -has been furnished by recognizing the four attributes of Mercury in the -card pips, which had escaped the notice of students until the present -time, as well as the attributes of the picture part of the pack called the -Atouts, which are those of Egyptian gods. - -The popular notion that cards were invented for the amusement of a crazy -French king is quite disproved by the historical records of the Tarots of -the fourteenth century and the packs that survive. There are some -beautiful specimens in Mr. Pierpont Morgan's collection, the emblems and -devices of which are identical with records of the ancient Tarots, and -these cards are very much older than the French packs. - -Although the gap between the old cards and the worship of Mercury in -Etruria is still to be bridged through accurate historical data, the -inferential connection is too strong to be ignored and the rules of the -games played with the cards intended for prophesying or fortune-telling, -as well as the tradition connected with the Tarots themselves offer -connecting links with the cult of Mercury that cannot afford to be -disregarded, as has been done hitherto. - -Mr. Stuart Culin, in his introduction to "Korean Games," says: -"Investigation has been hitherto comparatively unproductive of results -from the fact that most students have failed to perceive the true -significance of games in primitive culture, regarding them primarily as -pastimes." But he traces many of the games which are common to all -children all over the world to a "sacred and divinatory origin, a theory -that finds confirmation in their traditional associations, such as the use -of cards in fortune-telling." - -That Playing Cards are derived from the mysteries of ancient days will -prove to be such a novel idea to many persons that the well-worn -expression: "It can't be true, I never heard it before," will be hurled at -the author. But such critics are begged to pause, to consider the subject -carefully, and to marshal convincing proofs to the contrary before dipping -caustic-tipped pens into the inkwells of ignorance, doubt and disbelief. - -Court de Gebelin, over a hundred years ago, was scoffed at and called a -dreamer by the writers who followed him and wrote on the subject of -Playing Cards; yet these same gentlemen with strange accord, while failing -to advance any proofs of de Gebelin's inconsistencies or ignorant -deductions, contradicted themselves by agreeing with his bold statement -that the Tarots were the survival of the cult of Mercury or Thoth Hermes. - -The nineteen-hundred-year-old crusade against cards, as wicked tools of -wicked persons, dates from the struggle of the early Christians against -idolatry, and this has been transmitted for generations, although there -are few persons who can trace their prejudices to the true origin. Nor do -they realize how often Divine commands to consult the occult were laid -upon the Israelites without carefully perusing the books of Moses. - -It may be as well to sum up in a few words the various proofs that the -Playing Cards we now use are descended from the ancient mysteries. First, -Arrows, and their successors, Straws, Sceptres or Rods. Cups, Swords and -Money have always been used in connection with prophesying. Second, the -emblems of Swords, Sceptres (or Stylus), Cups and Money have always -represented Mercury, Thoth and Nebo as their emblems or attributes. Third, -the worship of Thoth was introduced into Italy by the priests of that -cult, as is proved historically by the remains of their Temple at -Puozzoli, as well as the Temple there to Mercury, near which place the -Tarots are still found in common use in their original form, displaying -pictures of the Egyptian deities. Fourth, the Egyptians or Gypsies are -the fortune-tellers of Europe and always use cards for the purpose. Fifth, -the name given originally to the Tarots or prophetical cards that bear the -ancient emblems was Nabi, Naypes or "Prophets," which name is retained for -playing cards in many parts of the world. - -Thanks are due to the custodians of various museums who have displayed -their collection of cards, and in particular to the artist, Mr. Burton -Donnel Hughes, who kindly and skillfully designed the beautifully symbolic -cover for this book. - -M. K. VAN RENSSELAER. - -_New York, 1912._ - - - - -CHAPTER I - -PROPHETICAL AND OTHER CARDS - - -Playing cards may be classified under three distinct heads. First, are -those intended for divining purposes; these have descended from an ancient -religious cult that would be entirely forgotten were it not for the -traditional ceremonies connected with consulting this oracle, or "The -Tablets of Fate," that are known as Tarots, and which are still used for -fortune-telling in southern Europe, Asia and Africa. - -The second division embraces cards used for gambling as well as for -educational purposes, which have a short and easily studied history -covering the time of their invention and the amusements for which they -were intended. These date no further back than the end of the fourteenth -century in northern Europe. - -The third division includes the cards used for amusement or gambling, -commonly known as playing cards, which are found in common use all over -the world, although the designs on them vary with the location, and those -familiar in France, England and the United States are unknown in Spain, -Italy, Germany, Sweden, Persia, China or Japan, since each of these -countries has playing cards peculiar to the nation and quite unknown to -the others. - -The French and German packs were invented solely for amusement or gambling -purposes, while the Tarots, with their typical and heraldic designs, -transmitted from early days, are now only to be found entire in Italy, -other countries having adopted one portion or the other of the original -set as more convenient for games. This separation renders the decks -useless for divining purposes; whereas, when intact they are distinctly -prophetical or fortune-telling cards, that are derived from ancient -mysteries, not only bearing the emblems of the three prophetical gods, but -also those of the chief divinities of ancient days. - -In some countries, such as Persia, only the emblematic or picture part of -the pack, called by the Italians Atouts, is used; but the greater part of -the world ignores these entirely and is ignorant that such cards exist, -recognising only the pip or suit part of the pack, but in almost every -quarter of the globe four suits composing a pack are known, although the -symbols on them vary widely. - -The oldest emblems are those of the Tarots that are still those most -commonly known. These are Swords, Rods, Money and Cups, which are the pips -familiar in Italy as well as Spain, Algiers, South America, Cuba, Mexico, -Porto Rico, the Philippine Islands and wherever the Spanish language is -used, for the Spaniards, when conquering the world, carried their favorite -toys with them, introducing them to the natives who accepted the novelty -with avidity and used them for games, just as the Spaniards had adopted -them from the Italians. - -The standard pack has ten pip and four court cards, or fifty-six in all, -which are headed by a King, a Queen, a Cavalier and a Knave, and these -cards all have names given to them according to the country where they are -used. Cards for all parts of the world are made in Paris and local -preferences are closely followed, although most countries manufacture -their own cards, and a considerable revenue is gained by taxing the -product as well as the import of cards. But while the ancient emblems are -now commonly used in the countries mentioned, the important part of the -ancient pack has been discarded. This comprised twenty-one picture cards, -which were a most necessary adjunct to the pip cards, for when the -fortunes of the players were to be revealed by reading the prophecies of -the gods it was imperative that the two sets should be used in connection -with each other, but the complete pack that is still known as Tarots can -only be found in Italy. - -The German cards were never intended for fortune-telling, but entirely for -gambling, and they have devices peculiarly their own. Hitherto no one has -explained why or for what purpose these symbols were invented, since they -had no particular significance when used in connection with the cards. -They are Acorns, Bells, Hearts and Leaves, and are partly heraldic emblems -connected with the game of Lansquenet. There are but three male court -cards called King, Over Knave and Under Knave. - -[Illustration: ATOUTS OF AN EARLY ITALIAN PACK OF TAROTS - - 7 Il Carro - - 8 La Giustizia - - 9 L'Eremita - - 10 Ruota della Fortuna - - 11 La Forza - - 12 L'Appeso] - -France uses the gambling pack invented for Charles VI about the year 1395. -This contains three court cards--namely, King, Queen and Knave, and the -cards display Carreaux, Piques, Coeurs and Trifles, or as we know them -Diamonds, Spades, Hearts and Clubs. This French pack is the only one -confining itself to two simple dominant colours, while all other cards are -extravagantly blazoned in variegated tints that are by no means as -harmonious as the distinctive French _Rouge et Noir_, which commends -itself so well to players for gambling purposes, that the packs of this -nation are being now rapidly introduced and adopted all over the world to -the exclusion of native designs, even although these symbols have been -inherited from the prophetical cards of prehistoric times. This is due to -the fact that the cards used for fortune-telling are not as convenient as -those that were invented particularly for gambling. - -In Persia, where only the Atout or figure part of the pack is used, while -the pip part is omitted, the figures are painted in harmonious colours and -it is left for the tints of the background to indicate the suits. In the -Kile Kort or Cucu pack of Sweden (which also has figures) there are no -colours whatever, but the designs are printed in black ink on white -cardboard. This is also the case with old cards from the Netherlands, but -none of these packs were ever intended for fortune-telling. - -There have been many persons who have interested themselves in the history -of playing cards, and some of them have pierced the veil surrounding their -cradle; but, generally, since these students have only been interested in -the cards as toys or gambling instruments or as rare specimens of -painting, engraving or stencilling, the studies have not extended beyond -the time when playing cards became common in Europe, or about the -beginning of the fourteenth century. None of these students followed the -clues that would have proved the original purport of the "tablets of -fate." - -In "Les Etudes Historique sur les Cartes à Jouer," by M. C. Leber (1842), -the question is asked: "Where do cards come from, what are they and what -do they say?" These queries the writer proceeds to answer only in part, -for he fails to see the connection of the cards familiar to him, that have -French or German pips, with the more ancient Tarots, which, in all -probability, he had never seen. But Leber states positively that cards -"are of ancient origin and Eastern invention, and primarily they -constitute a symbolic and moral game." He professes to be guided by the -emblems on the cards themselves, but he fails to decipher or to understand -the evidences shown by the heraldic devices peculiar to one of the ancient -Greek gods, which would have answered his questions. - -According to the Rev. Edward Taylor and other authorities, the emblematic -and mystic cards called Tarots were "born long since in the East, from -whence they were brought by the gypsies for thaumaturgic purposes." -Although it is declared that the gypsies always carried and consulted -packs of cards ever since the wanderers were known in Europe, these people -themselves have no history of their mystic book that they will disclose, -so the positive historical record of playing cards as used for gambling -games or fortune-telling does not commence before the second half of the -fourteenth century. - -These cards are the ones we call Tarots, which are still common in Italy, -and the emblems on the cards themselves reveal their original connection -with the worship of Mercury in Etruria, of Thoth in Egypt, and of Nebo in -Babylonia. These three gods have the same attributes, and were worshipped -for many generations in the then civilised portions of the world; yet the -forms of their worship, that have been so strangely transmitted to us -through the greatest of their books, the cards are now little understood -and seldom consulted. - -Indeed, the very name Tarot has been deemed by some authors as positive -proof that the cards are the unbound leaves of one of the great books of -the Temple of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus, since they derive the word Tarot -from Thoth or else from Thror Tahar, which, says Wilkinson (Volume II, -page 90), "were the parchment records kept in the Temple, which are -mentioned in the time of the eighteenth dynasty that were written on -skins." The same author states (page 207) that "Thoth framed the laws." In -fact, his temple was the seat of all learning, where doctors, lawyers and -scientists were able to study and to devote their knowledge to the god -they worshipped. - -It seems, therefore, that the name is in truth one of the links in the -chain of evidence proving that what we use as playthings were once part -of the great cult of Mercury and his African or Asian _confrères_, in -whose time the pictures and the emblems were thoroughly understood and -were regarded with awe or reverently consulted, since by their means alone -could the wishes of the gods be made known to mortals, through the medium -of the priests of Mercury, Thoth, or Nebo. - -The intimate connection of the triple god is no fanciful suggestion, but -is acknowledged by all students. Nebo, of the Babylonians (mentioned in -the Bible), Thoth, of the Egyptians, and Hermes, of the Greeks, were all -worshipped as gods of speech and inventors of transmitted ideas. It is not -credible that in Asia or Africa, even as early as the twelfth dynasty, -that voice language or speech was a gift newly granted to mankind, so -there must have been some reason for the belief that "these gods gave -speech to mankind." This is one of the superstitions puzzling many modern -students who have tried to investigate the mysteries of the Temple of -Thoth. - -It is now believed that one of the priests who was connected with the cult -conceived the bright idea of communicating the wishes of the planets, of -the vegetable and the animal kingdoms, as well as those of the patron -gods, to mankind through a well-arranged system that had the Temple of -Thoth for a centre and its priests as interpreters. The power that this -system would give to the learned men congregated in the vast Temple of -learning would be great, and would increase their prestige to a wonderful -extent. Before that time the primitive people were content with simple -means of consulting the wishes of the gods, or with the decrees written at -the birth of each child on the tablet of fate by "the writer of Esigalia, -who was called Nebü." The means generally resorted to were those still -common in Korea, Japan and China, where the oracle is consulted by -throwing a handful of sticks before a shrine. Among the Arabs a sheaf of -arrows is used. Gordon Cummings describes his negro servants using sticks -which were marked and then thrown on the ground, when the natives desired -to be told by their gods where the game lay and what direction to take -when hunting. - -The scientific arrangement devised by the priest of Thoth that earned for -his god the reputation of giving speech to mankind was done through -placing on the walls of the temple a series of pictures representative of -the chief gods, such as Thoth, Isis, Maut, Phthah and Ammon, as well as -various virtues, vices, etc., either pictorially or through heraldic and -emblematic devices. These mural pictures could be consulted by the priests -by casting on a central altar a handful of arrows, straws or rods, that -were always connected with the magic of the Egyptians, as is mentioned in -Exodus. As these rods fell they naturally pointed toward the pictures on -the walls, and since these represented nearly every event in human life -the "speech or commands" of the gods were readily interpreted by the -priests, who thus proved that Thoth was the "God of speech" with -themselves for his mouthpieces. This superstition was carried out even to -the sacrifice of tongues, which was customary as late as the days of the -Roman emperors, when tongues were used as one of the sacrifices to -Mercury. - -It can easily be seen that the primitive arrows were incomplete without -the interpretation of the pictures on the walls used in their connection, -just as the pip part of the Tarot pack is useless for fortune-telling -without the Atouts, which are supposed to be crude Europeanized copies of -the pictures on the walls of the Egyptian temples representing their -deities. It will also be seen that the cards bearing the comparatively -modern pips of Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades, or of Acorns, Bells, -Hearts and Leaves have no power whatever of translating the wishes of the -gods, since they were invented for another and widely different purpose. - -Some old and beautifully painted Tarots have been found in Italy, so it is -assumed that their use was common among the upper classes in that country, -who could afford to buy the beautiful unbound leaves of the great book of -Thoth, long before there is any historical record of cards either for -gambling or for fortune-telling, and that these cards were probably used -for the latter purpose whenever any wandering priest of the cult could be -induced to interpret their meaning. - -We find that these mediæval Italian Tarots are usually painted on -cardboard by a skillful hand, and that when they were used for amusement -the game was called "l'Ombre" (or The Man). The rules for playing it show -plainly that it was not originally intended for amusement, but for a -serious consultation of the wishes of the divine powers. In short, the -game was identical with fortune-telling, since the most important rule -determines that only two persons took part, the one to inquire the future, -and the other to interpret the meaning of the cards that were dealt. Both -the rules for laying out the pack and the value or significance of the -cards point to the occult meaning of the game, which is still played with -somewhat the same laws, although alterations and modifications have crept -in that obscure the original intention, of consulting an oracle which is -probably not even conjectured by modern players of _Tarocci_, as the game -is now called. - -The arrangement of the unbound leaves of the book of Thoth Hermes -Trismegistus, that is regarded to-day as a mere pack of playing cards, -enabled the priests (or initiates, as we may call them) of ancient days to -carry a pack on their persons, so that the wishes of the gods might be -consulted at any place. This rendered it needless to enter the Temple of -Mercury for the purpose, which had been the custom before the Christian -era. After this time secrecy was probably necessary, since the priests of -the Roman Catholic Church naturally discouraged any consultation with the -gods of ancient mythology, although the people might cling privately to -the cult that they had enjoyed and had believed in since prehistoric ages. -Through appealing to the prophets (or fortune-tellers, as the priests of -Mercury would be deemed at present) the superstitious people believed that -they were actually receiving divine guidance, and this belief is secretly -held by many, even in the twentieth century; although few of those who -consult diviners through playing cards realise that they are worshippers -at the shrine of Nebo, of the Babylonians; the great god Thoth, of the -Egyptians, or their successor, Mercury, of the Romans. - -Many links in the chain connecting playing cards with the ancient -mysteries can be separately taken up and studied. In the first place, the -histories of Mercury show him as being worshipped under several distinct -attributes, combined with that of being the Interpreter or Messenger of -the gods, and the students who were of his cult learned twenty or more of -the arts and sciences which Thoth or Mercury was supposed to have -invented, such as speech, music, painting, agriculture and astronomy, all -of which were under his protection. Virtue, vice, death, temperance, -health, joy and sorrow each had an emblematic figure peculiar to and -connected with it, such as a hanged man or a skeleton. Each of these -figures, if displayed on the walls of a temple could be recognised even by -an unlettered congregation, so the people would have been accustomed to -these representations, even after they were removed from the walls to the -flat surface of the cards and no longer displayed in their exalted -positions. - -The emblematic figures found on the Tarots and called the Atouts are still -known by the names given to them when the Egyptians introduced them to -Europe, and are as familiar in Italy to-day as when worshipped under the -protection of Mercury. After a little study the attributes displayed on -the modern Tarots show most plainly their Egyptian origin, and mutely -declare their pedigree--the image, value and position of each card, -unchanged for ages, all silently pointing to this. Yet, while strangely -conforming to all the attributes, decorations and posture of the gods as -represented in the Egyptian temples, the designs have been so modernised -as to be at first difficult to recognise. - -It is supposed by several authors, notably by Court de Gebelin, as early -as 1773, when he published "The Primitive World," that originally the -twenty-two figures of the Atout or emblem part of the Tarots were painted -on the walls of the temples, a fashion inherited from Biblical times, to -enable the worshippers to recognise gods, sciences, arts or conditions -represented by the figures and their attributes when it was wished to -consult them. Discoveries in Babylonia and Egypt since De Gebelin's time -have confirmed his suppositions. - -These figures in themselves were insufficient for communicating with the -gods, for they were speechless, so for the purpose of transacting business -with them the second volume of the book of Thoth was adopted by taking -from the peasants their ancient fashion of consulting the gods through the -throw of arrows or rods. These were marked with figures representing a -father, a mother, a child and a servant, and four tokens or heraldic -devices were also scratched on the rods, dividing them into the suits -that have been so universally retained. These symbols were always -connected with the worship of the gods, and ivory rods bearing these -devices have been found in the tomb of King Qa, who is supposed to have -lived about 4000 B. C. - -Thus, the ancient divining arrows became the pip cards now in general use, -while the pictures on the walls, or the Atout part of the pack, is unknown -except in Italy, where the complete book of two volumes with twenty-two -Atouts and fifty-six pip leaves is still found. - -Originally what we call the suits or pip cards were probably simply rods -inherited from Moses and Aaron, or perhaps only a quiver full of arrows, -or a bundle of straws, which we know were used at the Delphic oracle; and -out of these primitive articles the cards were evolved. On them were -placed the four heraldic emblems of Mercury by which any statue or -painting of him may be readily recognised. These emblems are convincing -proof that cards were part of the worship of Mercury, since the four suits -of the Tarots represented the four chief attributes of the god, those -symbols by which he is universally recognised, which are _Espadas_ -(Swords), _Denari_ (Money), _Bastoni_ (Rods), and _Coppas_ (Cups). - -Any one familiar with the many beautiful statues of Mercury that are -scattered through the great museums of Europe, or the funeral urns or -sarcophagi on which Mercury is represented, is aware of this. First, he -appears as Argiphontes, with the harpé or sword at his side, given him by -his father, Jupiter. Second, he is shown as Cyllenius, or Agoneus, holding -a purse, through the meshes of which round coins can be seen, signifying -the protector and representative of merchants. Third, he appears as -Caduceator, or the messenger of the gods, bearing aloft the caduceus, or -magician's rod. Fourth, he is represented as Chthonius, presiding at birth -or leading the soul to the unknown regions, when his emblem is the Cup of -Fortune. - -This emblem inspired the shape of the beautiful Etruscan funeral vase, -which is in itself symbolical and derived from the worship of the -Assyrians. He is frequently represented by a cup or chalice, since Mercury -was also the cup bearer of the gods, like the butler of the Pharaoh -(Genesis xl), who protected his master from poison. When he was the -messenger he held to the lips of mortals the seven-ringed cup of sorrow or -joy, and the many significances of this cup, although now nearly -forgotten, were realised by the ancient worshippers as an important emblem -of the functions of the god. - -If the Tarots are the direct descendants of the occult images in the -Temple of Thoth, as is conceded, it must also be acknowledged that then -these cards each has a meaning or intention worth studying, if only to -discover their secret; and that if they are connected with the ancient -mysteries they represent human life in all its phases. To wrest their -secret from them has been the endeavor of many writers, some of whom have -learned their portent traditionally, others through careful historical -investigation, while some confess to inspiration without authority or -support, but not one of these authors discovered the important connection -between the emblems on the cards and those representing Mercury -heraldically under his chief guises, although such a discovery would have -been conclusive proof that their surmises were correct and that cards were -the survival of the cult of Mercury and his predecessors. - -Nevertheless, a thorough examination of all these writers shows that -through different channels they all come to the same conclusions, and by -comparing their writings with that of the original rules for the game of -l'Ombre (or The Man) quite a definite idea of the value and meaning -attached to each card by the initiates or priests of Mercury may be -reached. - -Raymond Lulle (1235-1315) gives an historical account of Tarots in his -"Ars Magna." Jerome Cardeau (1501-1576) writes of the historic pack in his -work "Subtility." An English writer named Mathers has written exhaustively -about the great book of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus, chiefly with the view -of explaining fortune-telling through a correct reading of the mysterious -leaves. - -Court de Gebelin, although sneered at by the authors who followed him, who -found his learning too deep for their understanding, has given a lucid -account of Tarots and their connection with divination, while Boiteau, in -his "Les Cartes à Jouer et la Cartomancie"; Merlin, in his "Origin des -Cartes"; Chatto, in his "Facts and Speculations About Cards," and Taylor, -in his "History of Playing Cards," agree that cards appeared suddenly in -Europe early in the fourteenth century, that the cards of that day were -the Tarots, or the fortune-telling cards, that they were altered to suit -Dutch, Swedish or German tastes, or the fancies of a French king, -following also the desires of each nation that adopted them for gambling -purposes, with no thought of the ancient cult to which they had belonged. -Not one of them, however, pointed out the connecting link with the emblems -of Mercury, or explained the reason for this sudden appearance in -civilised nations of these fortune-telling packs, except De Gebelin, while -even he failed to connect the attributes of Mercury with the pips on the -cards or the emblematic figures on the Atouts that still show the -attributes of the chief gods of Egyptian mythology, that would have been -such convincing proofs of their origin. - -We are indebted to Papus, in his "Tarots of the Bohemians," for clearly -pointing out that the cards are derived from the book of Thoth and for -explaining the meaning of each leaf. But even Papus, shrewd and far-seeing -as he is, does not bridge the chasm lying between the temples of the -Egyptian deities and the introduction of cards into Europe, although he -recognises the paramount importance of the emblem of Rods, which he wisely -calls Sceptres, since he sees the value that such a symbol of power was to -the ancients, and he never condescends to call the pip by its vulgar name -of Club. - -It is the more strange that the surviving signs connecting the ancient -worship of Mercury with the emblems on the pip cards remained unnoticed, -for the old Temple of Mercury at Baiæ remains with its vaulted roof in a -fairly good state of preservation; and on the ceiling of this temple can -still be seen traces of pictures resembling those on the Atouts. Almost -obliterated and difficult to see, since the place is dark and there is no -means of lighting, they can yet be discerned, even though it would be -impossible to reproduce the emblems. - -They are in the shape of the old Atouts, that is to say, the figures are -enclosed in a well-defined line the shape of a card, and the same size if -considered in reference to that of the emblematic pictures. Two of them -are distinct enough to show a figure, although which one of the Atouts is -intended it is now impossible to say. Traces of other Atouts may be -discerned all along the roof of the building, although they are being -rapidly destroyed by the weather. - -Enough evidence exists now to show that, in this house erected to Mercury -by the rich merchants of Rome, the emblematic figures were displayed as -ornaments on the ceiling and were not concealed in alcoves or curtained -niches, which some writers have supposed was done in the more ancient -temples of Egypt where pictures have been discovered that have puzzled the -savants who have not connected them with the worship of Thoth or Serapis. - -Why the emblems of Mercury did not receive recognition from the -authorities on playing cards of the past three centuries, or from others, -remains a mystery, since it seems to be quite evident that, while the -Atouts show the various virtues, vices, arts and crafts, which were under -his protection, the pip cards display his four chief attributes, and that -these were evidently placed in the book to represent the god when it was -necessary to call on his good offices to protect or guide merchants, to -direct love affairs, to encourage warriors or to inspire scientists. No -other derivation for these devices has even been suggested, and these -self-evident links in the chain of evidence connecting playing cards with -the worship of Mercury have been totally ignored. Many students have, -however, pointed out that the Tarots are the survivors of his cult and -were originally the Book of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus. - -In the "Catalogue of Playing and Other Cards in the British Museum," by -William Hughes Willshire, M. D. (1876, page 52), he shows a picture of -Addha-Nari, saying, "she is the Isis of the Hindus, a pantheistic emblem -typifying Nature, Truth and Religion." In this Hindu emblematic figure the -four symbols of the ancient Tarots (now the suit marks of the numeral -playing cards of the Tarots and of Italy and Spain) are placed in the four -hands of the figure that has the crescent or emblem of prophetic power on -her head--namely, the Cup, the Circle (or Money), the Sword and the -Magician's Rod. "These are recognised," says Mr. Willshire (page 62), "as -being the symbols of the four chief castes into which men were divided on -the banks of the Ganges and of the Nile. Accordingly, the Cup denotes the -sacerdotal rank or priesthood; the Sword implies the king, a soldier or -military type; the Circle or ring of eternity (that in the hands of the -protector of commerce became Money) typifies the world or commercial -community, and the Staff is emblematic of agriculture or the tiller of the -soil." This connection between these symbols with those on the Tarots has -been copied slavishly by many authors as the only explanation for the -adoption of these devices. That there were in early days these principal -caste divisions is unquestionable, and men of the different professions -selected their heraldic emblems when consulting the oracle to worship or -consult Mercury as Chthoneus, Argiphontes, Cyllenius or Caduceator. - -The bridge connecting the great goddess of India with Mercury has not yet -been built, although the foundations have been laid and will soon be given -to the world. It is sufficient to say at present that the mythologies of -Babylonia and Egypt have mingled mysteriously, and that the mother of -Thoth is connected with the Indian deity so that symbols and rites common -to one country are often found in the sister continent. - -Before the era of printing men crystalised their ideas by making pictures -to portray the thing or person that it was desired to represent. Thus the -heraldry of to-day is simply this crude idea scientifically treated and -classified, and a coat-of-arms is the name of a family pictorially -represented. The totem of the North American Indian displays his family -cognomen in this way, as do the various symbols of uneducated people all -over the world who are unable to express their ideas in written -characters. - -Signs over the doors of tradesmen carry out the same plan, as the barber's -basin or pole (the latter being really the caduceus of Mercury, that was -inherited from the doctors who studied at the Temple of Thoth). The bunch -of grapes or bush of a wine dealer shows an inn, and a well-known saying -of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu recalls this, for she remarked, "How should -we know where the wine was sold if we did not see the bush?" - -Thus, also, at a cross-road where directions from the god Terminus -(Mercury) were required, his pointing finger [Illustration: pointing -finger] (which was also the Yod found on the Tarots) was a pictured sign -that all could comprehend. It is the same with all the other emblems -connected with this ubiquitous deity, and the ancients understood these -devices far more easily than we of to-day, as the lapse of time has caused -the intention of many of them to be forgotten, and none more so than those -of Mercury on the pip cards of the Tarots. That their meaning is forgotten -is not the fault of those who credited transmitted knowledge through -pictures instead of written words, as the devices remain as a simple key -to the origin of cards that originally were intended only as a means of -communicating with occult powers. (See Numbers xvii.) - -In order to come closely to the meanings attributed to the devices as well -as to the figures on the Atout part of the Tarots, each one must be -studied separately, and close attention must be given to the other -connections with the cult of Mercury that have not been dropped from the -cards in the course of ages, but which remain to enlighten us. - -Thus, the girdle or cestus that Mercury stole from Venus encircles the -deuce of Money, and all the oldest cards retain this symbol as well as -those manufactured now. This card plays an important part in the -soothsayer's pack. Under some conditions it signifies thieving, which -probably refers to the theft of the girdle. A pig is always displayed on -the two of bells of the German pack that was evidently derived from the -Tarots, since it was sacred to Nebo. Pigs and tongues (representing -speech) were always part of the sacrifice to Hermes at his annual -festival, and both were sacred to Proserpene, whose descent to hell was -celebrated on the day she was dragged from her mother, Ceres, and -conducted by Mercury Chthoneus, to the arms of Pluto. - -A gazelle under a palm tree is placed on the knave of Money, which recalls -the worship of Osiris, in which Thoth plays such an important part. -According to a legend, the gazelle gives notice of the rising of the -waters of the river Nile by fleeing from its wonted feeding grounds on the -banks to the recesses of the desert, long before the first signs of the -coming flood are noticed by mankind. The gazelle acts in this way as a -lieutenant to Hermes, or as a messenger from the gods to humans, and it is -sacred to Thoth, who was afterwards, by the Romans, merged into Mercury. -Thoth is also represented on the Fool or Joker. - -[Illustration: ATOUTS OF AN EARLY ITALIAN PACK OF TAROTS - - 13 La Morte - - 14 La Temperan - - 15 Il Diavolo - - 16 La Torre - - 17 Le Stelle - - 18 La Luna] - -The number thirteen has always received mystic reverence, and the reason -for this has been sought by many. Among the Atouts that number is on the -card representing Death. Mercury's festival falls on the thirteenth of the -fifth month, so the thirteenth card has more than one significance to the -believers in the old pictured symbols, particularly when connected with -the Tarots. - -The card known to us as the Joker combines in itself all the versatile -qualities attributed to the god Hermes himself, and it is small wonder -that it was so regarded, as he was supposed to represent in his own person -so many and such different things. Among the Atouts it is called Le Fou -(the Fool). It has no number in the pack and was not one of the pictures -that were placed on the walls, but was probably a statue occupying the -centre of the temple, where it might be separately approached. Among the -cards it outranks all others, and is as volatile and as little to be -depended upon as the god of Quicksilver himself. It controls and dominates -every card in both the pip and Atout parts of the pack. It represents the -unforeseen, the unexpected, uncertainty or uncontrollable fate, and the -destiny that presides over every walk in life. It stands for Destiny, -whether it be called Kismet, Luck, Chance, Fate or Mercury, who alone -could tell to mortals what he had foretold at their birth, when as "the -Writer" he inscribed on his "tablets" all the events of life. - -Through studying the Joker and the value bestowed on him in the old as -well as in the modern packs the similarity of the powers that he wields -with those that were attributed to the Hermes of the Greeks may be -recognised, and this representation of irresponsibility, of chance or of -luck, is found in every part of the world where divining cards are used. -It marks the difference between the Tarots and the French, German and -Swiss packs that were invented for gambling only, and were never intended -for fortune-telling. That packs in the United States, with French pips, -have a Joker, does not prove that in France the gentleman is known, for he -made his appearance here after 1850, as will be related later. - -The way that the Joker is represented varies most strangely. Sometimes the -card shows a group of huddled imps. Sometimes it is a blank like that of -Korea and Japan, or it may show the figure of a clown or a jester like -that of Austria. It would be interesting to follow the history of jesters -through the troubadours from Mercury himself. But each and all -representations have the same value when luck rules, and the Joker takes -every card in the pack. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE TAROT PACK OF CARDS - - -The complete pack of Tarots (sometimes called "the book of Thoth") -contains seventy-eight leaves, and, of these, fifty-six bear pips, with -four court cards to each suit, which show the attributes of Mercury, -namely: Swords, Staves, Money, and Cups. Besides these, there are -twenty-two cards with emblematic figures, that were also connected with -the worship of Mercury or some of the ancient mysteries; and they, as a -whole, represent the chief moral or spiritual characteristics of mankind, -the cardinal virtues, marriage, death, creation, and resurrection, closely -following the attributes of the Egyptian deities. They are presided over -and controlled by Mercury himself, the card being named in Italy "_il -Matto_," or "_le Fou_"; and we know it as the Joker. This figure was also -originally intended for Thoth or Nebo and is often presented as a vagabond -or tramp, who typifies irresponsibility, the elements of uncertainty, -chance, or luck, that pervade all the concerns of life, and which must be -acknowledged and provided for under all circumstances, and in all social -conditions from the emperor to the beggar. - -The close resemblance of this Matto, in all the attributes bestowed upon -him in the card world, to the Greek god Hermes should not be overlooked, -for he was so rapid in his movements as to have quicksilver named after -him, the mineral that has so many qualifications and is so uncertain. The -name was probably given to the metal by the scientists who belonged to the -Egyptian temple of learning. Then, too, its healing qualities were -recognised by the medical world of ancient days, and, as these wise men -were under the protection of the god Hermes, that also may have -contributed to its having been named after him. Mercury also was the -unexpected and versatile god who attended the dying, although he did not -cause the death. He was the inventor and patron of games, although he was -no gamester himself, but he personified luck and chance; so, with these -and many other characteristics, Mercury was, indeed, the Joker of the -pack, "the Trump that captures all other cards." - -The twenty-two Atout cards, as they are called, present allegorical -figures in which the attitude, the costume, the accessories, and the -attributes each have a significance that may be traced back to their -origin, and although some of these symbols are still unidentified, the -greater part are recognised, so the value of the figure itself is -understood. Some of them were connected with one or the other of the arts, -crafts, or sciences that were taught by the priests of Thoth, and by them -transmitted to their successors in Italy; twelve of them represent the -gods of Olympus; the others are connected with Egyptian gods or can be -traced to even earlier ceremonies connected with divination. - -Before describing each one of the Atouts and their meanings, it must be -mentioned that, while many authors have written of different packs of -cards, there are but two authors who have made a study of the Tarots, and -that neither of these regards the packs as toys or gamblers' instruments, -but as the outcome of a great mystery or religious cult. Court de Gebelin, -as early as 1773, declared: "The complete pack of Tarots, with pip and -emblem cards together, were part of the Egyptian mysteries, and -particularly of the worship of Thoth," and he traces the resemblance of -the figures and the quality or value attributed to them to Isis, Maut, -Anubis, or other personages in the Egyptian cosmogony, which theory is -confirmed by Papus in his "Tarots of the Bohemians." A careful study of -Sir Gardiner Wilkinson's "Ancient Egyptians," and Mr. Rawlinson's "Ancient -Egypt," shows how accurate these surmises were, for the origin of many of -the figures on the Tarots can be traced in these works, although in the -days of de Gebelin, Egypt was a sealed book to students. - -Sir G. Wilkinson stated in "Ancient Egyptians" (Vol. II, page 207): -"Parchment was used for the records kept in the temples and is mentioned -in the time of the eighteenth dynasty, when there were histories written -on skins called Thr, or Tahar, and Thoth (Hermes) framed the laws." This -proves that the rules governing mankind emanated from the temple of Thoth -(as the name is indifferently spelled), and that, if it were necessary to -give publicity to the mandates, it could be done outside of the temple -with written characters, or ideographically. Probably letters were not -used at the time, although Thoth was the god of letters and the inventor -of the alphabet; but symbols and emblems were adopted, since they could be -more easily understood by illiterate people. This, then, might well have -accounted for the figures of the Atouts, even if there were no other -reasons for them. - -We are indebted to M. de Gebelin for connecting the Tarots with this cult, -as well as to Papus, for the latter, in his "Tarots of the Bohemians," not -only accepts the statements made by the other writer, but tries to prove -that the Tarot pack was "the Bible of the Gypsies" and states that "it was -also the book of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus of ancient civilization." - -Other writers who have studied the cards believe that they "are the key to -forgotten mysteries"; but none of them have pointed out the significant -facts connecting the emblems of the suit cards with the heraldic -attributes of Mercury, and none have noted the value and connection -between the different figures of the Atouts with those of the gods of -Babylonia mentioned in the Bible, yet they are so remarkable that it seems -incredible that they should have been so long overlooked by those who were -searching for the origin of Playing Cards. - -It is quite evident in the first place that the Staff, or magic wand, must -have been inspired by the caduceus, or, perhaps, by the stylus, which is -also emblematical of Thoth and was used by the Babylonian god Nebo to -write on his tablets of fate. The Sword was derived from the Harpé -presented by Jupiter to his son, Mercury, and was also used by Nebo. The -purse of Money, and the Chalice, have from the earliest times been -connected with spiritual uses and the mysteries of the three prophetical -gods. Any one of the four denoted Mercury, while not one of the other gods -of Olympus, Babylonia, or Egypt was ever so marked, and none of them -combined all the sciences and arts that were practised by his priests and -dedicated to the honour of the god who was worshipped as the prophet and -messenger from gods to men. - -The connection of the Tarot cards with astronomy and astrology is a study -by itself, but, since these sciences were part of the course of studies -pursued by the priests of Thoth, many emblems connected with them are -found on the Atouts. These had meaning for those learned enough to read -the signs. But each Atout, be it connected with kabbalism, demonology, -Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek or Roman mythology, is written in a language -now partly forgotten, but once widely known and revered. - -At first the book of Thoth, or prophetic cards, was only in the hands of -the priests; but as the meaning of these detached leaves was from time to -time revealed to the educated classes, these persons learned to consult -the Tarots for themselves when desiring to know the wishes of the gods. A -systematic arrangement of the cards could be made by a couple of players, -and this tête-a-tête method of asking for divine guidance is a very -ancient custom, and must receive due recognition when studying the cult of -Mercury, for it must be particularly noted that all the earliest known -games with cards are invariably for two persons and two only, so that when -more players were added to the game its name was altered. - -It will be recalled how many times magical performances are mentioned in -the Bible, one of the most notable being in Numbers xxii, when Balak -consulted Balaam. The whole ceremony is there graphically described, but -these two men were the only ones who took active part in the ceremony, -although Balak sent "the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian to Balaam -with the rewards of _divination_ in their hands." By some people it might -be supposed that Balak intended to bribe Balaam for a favorable report -from his god, but "When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless -Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments" (Numbers -xxiv:1). The whole history of the occult transaction shows that these two -men alone took part, although others stood aloof and watched from afar. - -Prof. Samuel Daiches, in his essay, "Balaam a Baru," declares that "Balaam -was a sorcerer pure and simple," quoting from certain Babylonian tablets -written in cuneiform characters, to prove his resemblance to the "baru" of -the ancient ritual who would be deemed a magician in these days. Professor -Daiches also states that, in the Babylonian Ritual Tablets lately -deciphered, is found the statement that "the diviner and the inquirer in -the ceremony have _both_ to be engaged and present when the wishes of the -gods are to be consulted," and that "this was followed in religious -ceremonies in many other countries." This custom is adhered to at present -in the Roman Catholic Church when the penitent confesses to the priest, -the two people being alone and shielded from observation. - -All the early games for the Tarots were arranged for two persons. The -modifications that crept in after 1400 allowed other players to join, when -different names were given to the newly invented games. The main rules -were but little altered and the play was only changed in order that others -might take part, which is one of the clearly defined marks indicating the -period when the Tarots were discarded by initiated persons and adopted by -people in general, who accepted the cards for amusement, leaving the -prophetic mysteries to the superstitious. The complete pack of Tarots, as -it came from the ancients, consists of two parts, twenty-two Atouts and -fifty-six suit cards, or seventy-eight in all; but these are used only in -Italy. - -A pack called Tarok or Taroc is a favorite in Austria and Hungary, though -unknown elsewhere, a fact of which the Viennese are inordinately proud, -for they declare, and with truth, that their game is scientific and -requires keen intellects to play it successfully. But their handbooks on -the game do not recognise the fact that their cards are copied from the -ancient Book of Thoth, and that their game is almost identical with the -original one of divination called "L'Ombre." The Austrian Taroks have the -same numbers as the originals, and retain twenty-two Atouts, but only "le -Fou" or "Mercury" has an emblem resembling those on the old leaves. The -designs have within fifty years changed from the German or Italian pips to -the French devices of Coeurs, Carreaux, Trifle and Piques. - -"Le Fou," or the Joker, is called Skus, Skis, Skys, or Stüs. The Juggler -of the old pack is named Pagat, and although the lowest in number it has -peculiar values that recall the fact that when used for fortune-telling it -represented the inquirer into the wishes of the gods. The card of highest -value in the Austrian Taroks is the World, and is called after its -predecessor, retaining the name, as well as its position in the pack, with -the value of its namesake, but the picture on the card does not resemble -the original, and it requires the inspection of an expert to connect these -two packs, since the Austrians have strayed so far from the old designs as -to make the emblems hardly recognisable. - -The pictures on the rest of the Atouts are not even copies of those that -formerly were used in Vienna. One of these packs is now in the writer's -collection, bearing the date 1780; and showing some faint resemblance to -the Italian Tarots, proves its descent, for in it the figures of Death and -other characters are retained, while the card makers of the twentieth -century adorn the Austrian Taroks with pastoral views, which mislead -students who have not older packs with which to compare them, so the book -describing the Wiener Tarok games claims that these cards and games -originated in that city and are peculiar to that locality. - -The Austrian Taroks, given to the writer in 1890 by an old lady in New -York, were wrapped with a faded green ribbon and accompanied with a note -describing how they had come into her possession. It seems that her father -left Vienna when a young man, having got into some scrape through playing -cards. Before leaving he bade farewell to his betrothed and begged for her -garter and her miniature. These he placed with the fatal pack of cards and -kept in his desk. After several years the young man, having made a fortune -in America, wrote to his ladylove, begging her to cross the ocean to marry -him. The answer was that, not having heard from him since he had left, she -had married. Her lover consoled himself with an American wife, and had -many children, the descendants of whom are now well-known people in New -York. - -There are several complicated and interesting games played with the -Austrian Taroks derived from "l'Ombre," or "the man," and originally -intended for two players only. One is called the "Great Tarok," another -retains the old name "Tarok l'Ombre," while a third game (a modification -of the last and arranged for more players), is called "Tarok for Four." -The game called "Tapp Tarok" requires but fifty-four cards; it is only a -variant of the others and is most popular. "Styrean Tarok," like the Tapp -game, requires three players, the fourth one being a silent partner or -dummy. These games are so intricate, and have so many rules, that none but -Austrians play with these adapted cards. - -In the "Illustrirtes Wiener Tarokbuch," by Ulman, we find this statement: -"Two centuries had not passed after cards were introduced into Europe, -when Francis Fibbia, Prince of Pisa, Italy, arranged from the oldest of -all games, called Tappola, a new one called Tarok, which is found in -Bologna as a favorite game during the fifteenth century. This was played -with Trappola or Trappelin cards, when the original suits were retained, -which were Cups, Money, Swords, and Staves, but after wood engraving was -invented, the French pips were adopted and are now the only ones used in -the Austrian Tarok pack." - -It is noteworthy that the Rev. Edward Taylor, in his "History of Playing -Cards" (pages 209 and 457), mentions an interesting pack of cards, "the -imprint of which states them to be sold by John Lenthall, stationer at the -Talbot over against St. Dunstan's Church, London, who carried on business -there from 1665 to 1685, so the cards were probably issued immediately -after the Restoration." They were prophetical or fortune-telling cards, -and their use was described in directions published with them. The pips -were French; the emblematical figures were imitations of the Atouts and -evidently had been copied from part of a pack of Tarots, but the figures -had names applied to them that were not exactly like the originals. The -Ace of Hearts had a figure that was named Hermes Trismagus, which leads to -the supposition that the original connection of Mercury with the Tarots -was not entirely forgotten in the seventeenth century, but was known in -connection with fortune-telling. As a prophet he was still an important -personage. The other figures on the cards represented Roman Catholic -saints or modern heroes, so that of Mercury was entirely out of place, -unless in connection with his cult. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -MERCURY - - -Although treated by modern writers as one of the minor of the twelve gods -of Olympus, Mercury was by no means so looked upon by the ancients, who -revered, feared, consulted and obeyed him as they did no other deity, so -he wielded more influence over the lives of mankind than did all the other -gods put together. Jove was dreaded because a bolt from the blue might -destroy the unwary at any moment; even though Mercury was the lightning -conductor, the latter was not blamed for the catastrophe. Juno commanded -admiration by her beauty, but her cold self-esteem drew few followers; -still, as presiding over maternity, she delivered, through Mercury, the -newly born to its parents. Diana had, perhaps, the largest number of -worshippers, since she had a plurality of attractions, and had under her -protection many and various walks of life, when Mercury acted as her -lieutenant. It was Mercury who lured Proserpine from the side of Ceres, -to reconduct the former to earth when spring followed winter, and it is -under this form, as Chthonius, that Mercury is allegorically represented -as the messenger conducting the soul at death to the future state. - -Mercury was the peacemaker, or adjuster of difficulties, as well as the -councillor and intercessor, for he could be appealed to with the certainty -that his orders could be received by mankind, and by them could be -comprehended through a sign language interpreted by his priests. He was in -reality more powerful than any of the other gods taken separately, for, -although they might be lavishly propitiated, they could not reply to -invocations except through their messenger, Mercury. He was also the -inventor of emblems, pictorial art, and language, through which he could -be directly approached and his wishes communicated in response to -invocations by means of the Atouts and the pip cards. Any profanation of -his mysteries was rapidly revenged by his worshippers, so it is little -wonder that they were not placed in town records or in early histories. -Nor, if they were, would these mysteries have been mentioned as Playing -Cards, for the ancient Book of Thoth was not classified as a game, and -until the Temple of Toth, as well as the Serapeon, near Naples, were -destroyed, compelling the exiled priests to carry on their person the -emblems taken from the walls, there was absolutely nothing like a card to -mention in the official records. Students, therefore, must search for -descriptions of wanderers, of soothsayers, of astrologers, of -fortune-tellers, of prophets or of gypsies, if they wish to discover -traces of the cult of Mercury, since it was gradually and imperceptibly -merged into the Playing Cards as we understand them. - -There were few of the homes of the rich Romans that were not adorned with -a statue of this god under one of his four great attributes. The best -known is, perhaps, one by John of Bologna, showing him as Caduceator, or -the messenger, under which guise Mercury carries the caduceus and points -with his right hand to heaven. When represented in this way, he is the -bearer of news, of life, and of health. It was his wand, or caduceus, -that, up to the middle of the eighteenth century, was the emblem of the -medical man, who always carried his stick or staff into the sick -chamber. It is still used by barbers, who display his staff, apparently -wound with bloody rags, before their shops, a survival of a custom dating -from the time when barbers were the dentist surgeons and "blood-letters." -His wand was also representative of the stylus which was used to write on -the "Tablet of Fate," for Mercury was also the god Nebo of the -Babylonians, who is mentioned under this name in the Bible. He is credited -with being "the writer in the Book of Fate" and, says a Cuneiform -inscription, "had foretold the destiny of mankind since eternity." The -stylus was also the emblem of Thoth, who wrote in the "Book of Good Works" -after death. - -[Illustration: ATOUTS OF AN EARLY ITALIAN PACK OF TAROTS WITH TWO COURT -CARDS - - 19 Il Sole - - 20 Il Giudizio - - 21 Il Mondo - - 22 Il Matto - - 23 Queen of Cups - - 24 King of Cups] - -As the protector and foreteller of events, Mercury was represented as -benign or benevolent, but the second attribute as reproduced in his -statues was purely mercantile. These statues are frequently found holding -a purse in the right hand, the coins inside being seen through its meshes, -emblematic of the Money pip on the cards. When represented in this way the -face is no longer joyous or serene as it is when depicted as the -messenger; it is stern, cold and calculating, perhaps rather shrewd, yet -still self-reliant, and with an air of concentration, but always youthful. -As the god could foresee and foretell business probabilities, since they -were already written in his Book of Fate, or could give counsel in -mercantile transactions, Mercury was always consulted and obeyed. It was -due to this that his image bearing aloft the money bag was a favorite -decoration in the homes of successful merchants, who credited the counsels -of Mercury with having caused the riches of Plutus to fall into their -coffers. - -The beautiful statue of Mercury seated idly with a sword girded at his -side, but trailing on the ground, is well known. Here another and most -powerful attribute of the god was silently displayed for worship in all -that concerned enterprises other than commerce, since the sword denoted -warlike expeditions, explorations, and voyages, and was the symbol of -rulers, of soldiers, and of men of a class superior to rich merchants. -Besides, under the attribute of "the sword," Mercury was the patron of -books, and of arts and crafts, as well as the encourager of learning. -Girded with the ever-ready sword, presented to him for his wit and -understanding by his father, Jupiter, Mercury was alert to point out in -the Book of Fate the initiative that should be taken, if success was -desired, and also to adjust quarrels, smooth away strife, or heal -differences. Under the emblem of the sword, Mercury was an often-consulted -oracle. The sword (or lightning) was also emblematic of Nebo. - -The fourth guise of Mercury was usually kept for serious or sacred periods -of life, and was seldom seen in the home, as it was reserved for more -grave positions. After Mercury gave up being the cupbearer of Olympus to -the beautiful Hebe he retained the badge of office, and "the cup of -Hermes" remained as one of his attributes as a reminder of this position. -To-day it is used at Christmas in Italy, when presents are placed in -Mercury's cup for distribution instead of being hung on a tree, as is the -more northern custom. The seven-ringed cup was sacred to Nebo as well as -to Toth, and this votive cup entwined with two serpents--now in the -Louvre--proved that the Chalice and the Caduceus were always typical of -Nebo. - -As Chthonius, Mercury was always the useful helper of mankind. He presided -at birth, when he recorded the future events of a child's life on "the -tablet of fate," as had been done by his predecessor, the god of the -Babylonians, Nebo. He also attended the dead, when the tablet was broken, -(which was Thoth's perogative), so he is allegorically represented on -funeral urns, where he is seen leading Proserpine to Hell. The vase has -been converted into one of Mercury's emblems on the cards, as the Cup or -Chalice. Many of the beautiful Etruscan vases in the Vatican show Mercury -with Pluto's reluctant wife. Perhaps the most graceful of stone pictures -on this subject is in the British Museum, where a female figure reclines -on a couch, surrounded by a group of mourners, and behind the dying woman -stands Mercury, patient and alert, ready to show the soul to its bourn. -The cup of sacrifice is overturned, the tablet is broken, and Mercury's -task is to guide her spirit carefully and gently to another sphere. - -Here, then, are the four attributes of Mercury through whose aid he speaks -to men: the Caduceus, stylus or magic wand; the Coin or ring, emblem of -eternity; the Sword, and the Cup or chalice. - -Always depicted as a youthful or, perhaps, irresponsible man, sometimes -described as inconsequent, volatile and light-hearted, still Mercury was -the most affording and helpful of all the gods of Olympus, and it was he -who interceded for men, who presided over births and deaths, as well as -over love affairs, business, and the arts. He was, therefore, consulted at -every turn of life--small wonder that his image was a prized ornament of -their homes, under one of his three attributes, or else near their tombs -under the fourth. - -Temples to Mercury, to Thoth, and Nebo, were the principal and most ornate -ones that were built. The great one at Babylon to Nebo was called -E-Sigalia. He was worshipped as the "tablet writer" who foretold fate. -There is one to Mercury that is still in a fairly good state of -preservation and is first of the group to the other gods of Olympus, at -Baiæ, a town ten miles north of Naples in Italy. This temple was probably -erected by the rich merchants of Rome, near their own beautiful villas, -that have rendered the place historical. The other temples are little more -than charming ruins, but that of Mercury survives to remind us that -mutilated rites are still held in his honour in all parts of the world, -although by persons who have lost their clue to the original intention of -the cult that they follow. - -It is probable that the adjoining town of Pozzuoli was the cradle of -Playing Cards in Europe, for it was here that the mysteries of the -Egyptian god Thoth were taught by the priests of that cult. Close to the -edge of the water are the ruins of the vast temple of Osiris, or Serapis, -called the Serapeon. Here the strangers worshipped, who landed there -yearly from the Nile, from a vast fleet which was sheltered in the bay of -Baiæ. Its arrival was heralded by a number of swift yachts that could be -recognized as they passed through the narrow straits between Capri and the -mainland with topsails flying, a privilege that was accorded to none but -the visitors from Alexandria, who were too powerful to offend and too -desirable not to conciliate. - -The exports of corn from Alexandria were of such importance to Italy that -the trade enjoyed the peculiar protection of the State, and "the -Alexandrian corn fleet," says Merivale ("Roman Empire," Volume IV, page -392), "enjoyed the protection of a convoy of war galleys that was met by a -deputation of senators." - -The visitors landed at Pozzuoli, at the spot where St. Paul disembarked -from the _Castor and Pollox_, in a bay that sheltered mariners from Spain, -Sardinia, Elba, Cyprus and all the great trading ports of Asia Minor, the -isles of the Ægean Sea and, above all, Greece. This great centre received -merchandise, iron and fine tools from the clever workmen of Elba, and -gorgeous carpets from Phoenicia, as well as Egyptian goods and cults; so -it was natural that what was presented at this port should also be -exported from there. Thus it was with the learning and the arts of Egypt -that were taught by her priests or initiates in the temple erected by them -at this spot, which points to the probability that their great book was -from this centre scattered over Europe. - -What is now called the Serapeon is one of the most remarkable ruins in -Italy, for through some volcanic action it was buried beneath the sea in -the twelfth century during the last eruption of the Solfatara, reappearing -after another volcanic outburst in 1538. It had been forgotten for -centuries, but when the fresh movement of that ever-swaying shore made the -waters recede, the temple again appeared above the surface. Some of its -marble columns are still erect, although they are honeycombed with holes -made by a little bivalve that is still found in the bay of Baiæ, and in -these perforations countless of their shells can be seen. Enough of the -temple remains to record the fact that the Egyptians were numerous and -prosperous on the foreign shore, and it is probable that it was built 211 -B. C., although many students think its erection was even earlier. - -Serapis, or Osiris, was worshipped as Hermes, or Mercury, by the Romans, -which worship was introduced into the neighbouring city of Rome by the -Emperor Antoninus Pius, in A. D. 146, which may indicate the date of the -Temple of Serapis (Mercury). - -Serapis was the god of commerce, so his shrine was enriched by the -merchants who thronged to the ever-busy port. It was probably after this -temple (the original home of Mercury) was submerged, that the smaller one -was erected to him at Baiæ. The latter was a famous marine watering place -of ancient Italy, perched on an indentation of the western shore of the -Bay of Naples. It is celebrated for the softness of its climate, and the -abundance of its hot springs, so it became fashionable about the era of -Lucullus, the ruins of whose magnificent villa, as well as those of Cæsar, -Pompey and Augustus, still remain. It was a favourite resort until the -invasion of the barbarians under Theodoric the Goth. - -Horace alludes to the palaces and temples overhanging the sea, but most of -these have now fallen into the water, where beautiful columns may be seen -beneath the waves. - -Besides these luxurious homes, and the vast temple of Serapis that was so -near, there remain ruins of a temple to Jupiter, another to Venus, and -others that are unidentified. But the one that remains in the best -condition and state of preservation is Mercury's, as the domed roof -protected it when the others were destroyed by the ashes from the -neighbouring volcano. The façade of the temple has been removed, but one -long vaulted hall remains. It is not pierced with windows, and was -probably intended to be dark, for the better perpetration of mysteries. On -the ceiling may be traced oblong shaped paintings, "men portrayed upon the -wall," that are too much defaced to identify, but they recall the shape -and approximate size of the Atouts of the Tarots. These may be seen at -stated intervals, and, when originally placed there, would have -accommodated the twenty-two Atout cards ranged in the order in which they -are now numbered. It was supposed that the emblematic figures representing -Osiris, Maut, Isis and other deities with the virtues, vices, love, -marriage, death, etc., were placed in recesses or alcoves in the Egyptian -temples, but if these half-obliterated figures in the temple at Baiæ were -intended to represent the Atouts, a different plan was followed, more like -that mentioned in Ezekiel xxiii:14. It may have been that the priests -followed the idea of putting the figures on the ceiling, so that they -might teach their followers the significance of the emblems when it was no -longer worth while to make mysteries of them and to conceal them. - -Beside the temple, and opening from it, is an inner room that was probably -once covered by a roof, but that has fallen, and now the space is only an -enclosed court. In the centre remains what might have been a platform or -altar where the sacrifices of pigs or tongues, and of other things -immolated to Mercury, were made yearly at the time of his festival, on the -thirteenth of May. - -Prof. Charles Anthon, in his "Classical Dictionary," when describing -Mercury, says: - -"Mercurius was a celebrated god of antiquity, called Hermes by the Greeks. -He was the messenger of the gods and of Jupiter in particular. He was the -god of speech, of eloquence, the patron of orators, of merchants, and of -all dishonest persons, particularly thieves, of travellers, and of -shepherds. He also presided over highways and crossways, and conducted the -souls of the dead to the world below, and it would be nearly impossible to -discover anything about which this versatile god could not be consulted -through his learned priests, who had been taught the gift of speech from -him that they transmitted to their followers. The Egyptians ascribed to -Hermes the invention of letters, and the Greeks accredited him with many -other important improvements that made men's lives happier or better, such -as the invention of the lyre, as well as the regulation of commerce, and -the improvement of gymnastic exercises, while, by a strange perversion the -Greeks made Hermes the protector of thieves, when, in Egypt, he was the -god of merchants, so that it may be possible that the crafty god favoured -the person who first propitiated him or, perhaps, the highest bidder." - -Mercury was the son of Jupiter by the brightest of the Pleiades, Maia, -herself the daughter of Atlas, King of Mauritania, and Pleione, one of the -Oceanides, or ocean nymphs whose mother was Tethys, and father, Oceanus. -Such distinguished ancestry may well have placed the ever-youthful Mercury -among the presiding deities of Olympus, even if he had not inherited the -mantle of the Egyptian god Thoth, and with it the ægis of the god of the -Babylonians, Nebo, who was the arbiter of the fate of mankind. - -His infancy was intrusted to the Seasons, who could not prevent his -stealing the trident of Neptune, the girdle of Venus, the sword of Mars, -and the sceptre of Jupiter, all of which are displayed on the old pip -cards, the sword and sceptre being two of the pips, while the girdle of -Venus encircles the Deuce of Money. - -The ingenious god presented the lyre that he invented to Apollo, receiving -in exchange the "golden three-leaved rod," called by the poets _Aurea -virga_. It was represented as a wand of laurel, or olive, with two dainty -wings on one end, and entwined with two serpents, the whole emblematical -of many things besides peace, or a flag of truce, for which it was -generally used. This rod entwined with serpents is one of the most ancient -symbols and is found on a vase discovered in Babylonia that is supposed to -have been used 2350 B. C. Another device showed the staff wound with ropes -tied after a peculiar fashion, and when so depicted the caduceus -represented commerce and merchants, since the rope tied after a certain -fashion was the token of the Phoenician traders. This is retained on the -Ace of Sticks in the Tarot pack. When the caduceus was wound with stripes -of red and white it represented surgeons, or the healing arts; and, as has -been mentioned, is so displayed on barbers' poles to-day. The stick wound -in this way also represented birth, and, set before the door, was a token -of Mercury's recent visit carrying a babe from Juno to its parents. The -caduceus served Mercury as a herald's staff, and this name was sometimes -applied to the white wand or rod that in time of war was regarded as a -signal for peace. - -The wings of Mercury typify the planet named for him, that is so fast that -it completes its revolution around the sun in a little less than three -months. He is connected with the old Israelitish legend, referred to in -Ezekiel ix:2, where Nebo is one of the seven planets. - -The important place given to the rod in the Bible must not be overlooked. -It is closely connected with the arrow of primitive peoples, that was used -not only for war or the chase, but serving also to ascertain the wishes of -the gods, for when a bundle of arrows was cast to the ground from a quiver -or the hand, according to certain well-known laws, they indicated the -wishes of the divine power by the direction in which they fell. This is -recalled in Jeremiah, in the story of Jonathan and David, besides in many -other instances. - -It was a natural sequence that Mercury, who had inherited the "tablet of -fate" from Nebo of the Babylonians, should also have received the "wand of -the magi" that, when cast before the Pharaoh by his wise men, was able to -swallow the serpents that sprang from the rod of Moses. The rod, when used -as a sceptre, has other and important significances, and is one of the -chief signs of a ruler's position and power. - -Mercury was the most active and useful of all the gods, owing to his -temperament, and no event or ceremony was undertaken without seeking his -advice. He had many names under which his good offices were invoked, such -as Argiphontes, or the slayer of Argus, when he represented warriors. Then -he was called Chthonius, or "he who guides the dead"; when thus -represented he is generally seated and is without sword, caduceus, or -purse. Another name for him was Agoneus, the patron of gymnastic -exercises, of commerce, and of executive ability. - -Sometimes Mercury is represented in his birthday suit, at others with a -chlamys or cloak enveloping him, the petasus or winged cap on his head, -the talaria, or winged sandals, on his heels, bearing the caduceus aloft. -Ancient representations of Mercury were simple wooden posts, the terminals -carved with a rude head wearing a beard, which were the original -signposts. - -Professor Anthon says: "Hermes may in some degree be regarded as a -personification of the Egyptian priesthood. It is in this sense, -therefore, that he is regarded as the confidant of the gods, their -messenger, the interpreter of their decrees, the genius who presides over -science, the conductor of souls to the realms of bliss." - -One of the Egyptian names for Mercury, when he combined many attributes of -Osiris and other deities, was Thoth, which, according to Jablonski's -"Pantheon Ægypt," signifies "an assembly composed of sages and educated -persons, the sacerdotal college of a city or temple." Professor Anthon -says: "Thus the collective priesthood of Egypt, personified and considered -as a unity, was represented by an imaginary being to whom was ascribed the -invention of languages and writing, hence the sacrifice of tongues to -Mercury. He was also credited with the origin of geometry, arithmetic, -astronomy, medicine, music, rhythm, the institution of religion and sacred -processions, the introduction of gymnastic or health-giving exercises, -and, finally, the less indispensable, though not less valuable, arts of -architecture, sculpture and painting. So many volumes were attributed to -him that no human being could possibly have composed them. - -"For many years it was customary for the priests devoted to his service to -present the results of their labours to Thoth, receiving no reward or -glory for the individual work, which was turned to the advantage of the -whole sacerdotal association in being ascribed to its presiding genius, -who, by his double figure, indicated the necessity for a plural doctrine, -of which the interpretation was confined entirely to his initiates, or -priests, who translated the occult signs of the gods or the learning -entrusted to their care to the inquirers, who frequented the temples to -receive knowledge or directions in the material walks of life which they -were taught to believe was transmitted by the oracle to ordinary mortals -by the priests of Thoth, who alone understood the painted or written -signs." - -Besides the arts and crafts before mentioned as being under the protection -of the Egyptian god, was the important one of commerce. "This in like -manner," says Professor Anthon, "was intended to express the influence of -the priesthood on commercial enterprises." - -"The identity of Hermes with the Dog Star, Sirius, that serves as -precursor of the inundation of the Nile, the emblem of which," says the -same authority, "was the gazelle that flies to the desert on the rising of -the waters, his rank in demonology as the father of spirits and guide of -the dead, his quality of incarnate godhead, and his cosmogonical alliance -with the generative fire, the light, the source of all knowledge, and with -water, the principle of fecundity. It is surprising, however, to observe -how strangely the Grecian spirit modified the Egyptian Hermes, who was -transformed by the Greeks into the messenger or interpreter of the wishes -of others who were more powerful than himself, but not omnipotent, as the -Egyptian mythology regarded him." - -This is seen in the mystic portions of the early Orphic or Homeric hymns, -where Hermes is treated quite differently than is done in the Iliad or the -Odyssey. The earliest records of Hermes recall all the peculiar qualities -of the Egyptian Hermes, and sometimes even the strange legends of the -Hindoo Avatars, as well as the Babylonian Nebo. One of the Hindoo gods -bears the same emblems that are devoted to Mercury, namely: the Cup, the -Sword, the Staff, and the Ring, Coin, or Circle; but a striking difference -is noted when Hermes is adopted by the Romans, who even changed his name -as well as his characteristics, although retaining his distinguishing -marks or emblems. - -"The Romans," says Professor Anthon, "first received the sacerdotal -Hermes, whose worship had been brought into Etruria by the Pelasgi, -previous to the time of Homer, and, as the earlier Hermes had been -represented by a column, he became with them the god Terminus. When, -however, the Romans became acquainted with the twelve great deities of the -Athenians, they adopted the Grecian Hermes under the name of Mercury, -preserving at the same time the remembrance of their previous traditions -and jumbling the attributes of the Egyptian god Thoth with that of the -Grecian Hermes." - -But, in order to make this favourite god of use, it was necessary to -approach him through his own priests, the only persons who were initiated -into his mysteries and who could interpret them. Since these priests were -already established and had been for some time in Italy, in the great -temple of Serapeon, it is easy to see how the cult engaged the attention -of the people, and how readily it absorbed the new-fashioned god who -strayed there from so many different quarters. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THOTH - - -The great authority on modern Egyptian discoveries, M. Gaston Maspero, -says in his book, "Ancient Sites and Modern Scenes": "On the outskirts of -Thebes there are ruins that lie to the north of the Valley of Kings. The -temple was built or restored in the last years of the seventh, or in the -first years of the sixth, century B. C. to Thoth, the master of magic and -letters; the god who was the scribe and the magician of the gods." - -This mysterious but powerful god ranked high in the Egyptian cosmogony and -the remains of his worship flourish to-day among the votaries of the card -table, who, however, no longer consult him as the oracle, but use his book -for their amusement or pleasure. - -"During the Roman period, from 527 B. C. to 332 B. C., that was called the -Egyptian renaissance," says Mr. Rawlinson in his "History of Ancient -Egypt" (Volume II, page 502), "Asia poured the fetid stream of her -wonderful superstitions into Africa. The exorcisms of Thoth and the powers -of witchcraft in league with him are the favorite themes which cover the -polished surfaces of the monuments at this remarkable time." And on page -465, "Asiatic Greeks became in the reign of Psammetchas (about 610 B. C.) -close to the throne. Consequently, free communication and commercial -intercourse between Egypt and Europe were opened." This ruler was devoted -to art, architecture and adventure, and one of the inventions of his reign -was the enchorial or demotic writing which superseded the hieratic. This -was attributed to the priests of Thoth, those wise men who sought no -personal glory, but who contented themselves with placing their works at -the feet of their presiding genius and attributing their own discoveries -to him. - -Without discussing whether the Assyrian god Nebo absorbed the Egyptian -Thoth, or the reverse, we may concede that such strong similarities exist -between them that they are virtually the same. With similar heraldic -symbols and functions, they were the inventors of many useful arts, that -of writing always being attributed to both. Besides, both gods were -supposed to have the power of recording the fate of mankind at birth, and -both presided at the judgment of souls after death. - -The ibis-headed Thoth was also symbolized by a stylus and inkstand, and -was often termed "the Scribe," just as Nebo was called "the Writer," and -had for his device a stylus and inkstand. A month was dedicated to each, -that of Thoth being the first in the Egyptian calendar, or our September. -Its symbol was a reversed crescent with three lotus flowers, under which -were two aspects of the moon, as full and as a crescent. One cannot but -wonder if the artistic Egyptians, while adopting the cuneiform characters -which resemble long shafts with reversed triangles on top, did not alter -the lines and convert the "arrow head" of Nebo's invention into the -graceful flower, thus retaining the original conception of the symbol of -the Assyrian god, while stamping it with their own love of the beautiful. - -The tablet of Khufu at Wady Magarah shows Thoth bearing in his right hand -a sceptre (one of the designs of the Tarot pack). This rod has three -triangles on it that resemble the cuneiform characters, which is certainly -not accidental. - -The name of Thoth is written heraldically as "an ibis standing on a perch -(which in shape again recalls the cuneiform) followed by a crescent and -the two oblique lines commonly used to express the number one." - -The principal likenesses of the great gods of Egypt seem to be represented -in the Atouts of the Tarot pack of cards, called "The Book of Thoth Hermes -Trismegistus," for the sun, moon, seven stars, etc., are all among the -Atouts. Mr. Rawlinson ("History of Ancient Egypt," page 315) gives the -names of the gods, and the qualities for which they were worshipped, -revered or dreaded, as follows: - - NUM or KNEPH--the creative mind. - - PHTHAH--the creative hand. - - MAUT--matter. - - RA--the sun. - - KHONS--the moon. - - SEB--the earth. - - KHEM--the generative power in nature. - - NUT--the upper hemisphere in heaven. - - ATHOR--the lower world. - - THOTH--divine wisdom. - - AMMON--divine mysteriousness. - - OSIRIS--divine goodness. - -All knew that there was but one god, but these were the interceders. - -On page 370 of his book, Mr. Rawlinson says: "Thoth was the oracle or the -clerk (recorder) of the wishes of the divine circle, who bears as insignia -a palm branch or a stylus, and often a tablet. Sometimes he carries the -Crook Headed Sceptre. His titles were Lord of Sesennu and Lord of Truth. -He is called one of the chief gods--the Great God--the God Twice -Great--the Great Chief in the paths of the dead--the Self-created or -Neverborn--the Lord of Divine Words--and the Scribe of Truth." - -Thoth was often represented under two different forms, earthly and -infernal, or as Thoth in the House of Selection, and Thoth at the Balance -of Souls. As the god who took part in the judgment of the dead Thoth was -revered throughout Egypt and it is written of him: "All Eyes are open on -thee and all men worship thee as a god." - -[Illustration: EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS - -Court Cards of the Pip Part of the Pack - - 25 Queen of Rods - - 26 Queen of Swords - - 27 Queen of Money - - 28 King of Rods - - 29 King of Swords - - 30 King of Money] - -Oxen, cows and geese were sacrificed in his honour and the ibis with the -cynocephalous ape were sacred to him. Very many images of him are found -that show him in attendance on different kings, either purifying them or -inscribing their names on the sacred tree. His spiritual office was to be -present in Amenti when souls were to be judged, to see their deeds weighed -in the balance and record the results. This is recalled in the Atout of -the Tarot pack, named Justice. Thoth also reveals to men the will of the -gods. He composes the Ritual for the Dead, that great work that is so -frequently found bound in the shrouds of mummies, to instruct the soul how -to conduct itself in the world of spirits. It is also Thoth who, in the -realms below, writes for good souls with his own fingers the Book of -Respirations, which protects, sustains, and enlightens them, causing them -to "breathe with the souls of the gods for ever and ever." - -Thoth had three great colleges, at Thebes, at Memphis, and at Heliopolis, -where he was worshipped by priestesses as well as by priests, and there -are many records of the prognostications of the former. If the supposition -is correct that the gypsies are descended from the outcasts of the temple -of Thoth, near Naples (the Serapeon), when that building was overthrown by -an earthquake, it may be noted that in the tribe the women are the -principal soothsayers, while the men generally pursue other occupations. - -King Shafra, who built the Second Pyramid, married the daughter of -Meri-Aukhs. Her tomb at Saccarah bears an inscription stating that she was -a "Priestess of Thoth," and her son was called "a sacred scribe." From the -time of Shafra, scribes are frequently represented as seated or squatting -at work, with a pen or brush in the right hand and one or two tucked -behind the ear, while the left hand holds the paper or a palette. - -"The first and greatest of the builders of the pyramids," says Mr. -Rawlinson, "was Khufu or Cheops. He composed a religious work called the -Sacred Book. He was a great admirer and worshipper of Thoth, who is -represented with him on the rock pictures." - -Closely copying the Assyrian kings, who placed themselves under the -protection of their gods, notably that of Nebo, by adopting their names, -several of the Pharaohs called themselves Thothmes, meaning child of -Thoth. The third ruler of that name, who has been called the Alexander of -Egyptian history, raided the heart of Western Asia, going as far as -Nineveh. He was wise as well as valiant, and noted all novelties in the -lands through which he passed, which he afterwards sought to introduce -into his own country. The two obelisks known as Cleopatra's Needles were -originally set up at Heliopolis, one of the temples of Thoth, by Thothmes -III. They were transported to Alexandria and afterwards carried to London -and New York, so the genius of playing cards still presides at the two -great world centres, where cards are a favourite amusement. - -The priests of Thoth were said to have descended in a direct line from -father to son for three hundred and forty-five generations. This habit is -another one common to gypsies, who rarely marry any but their own people. -To the priests of the temple of Thoth many books called Hermetic were -ascribed that were so dedicated to the honour of the god that the name of -the writer is merged into his. M. Maspero mentions "an Egyptian romance -that describes the adventures of a family of ghosts who were living with -their mummies in a tomb lighted by a wonderful talisman, which was an -incantation written on papyrus by Thoth himself." Another work was -particularly full of wisdom and science, containing in it everything -relating to the fowls of the air, the fishes of the sea, and the -four-footed beasts of the mountains. "The man who knew a single page of -the book could charm Heaven, Earth, the great Abyss, Mountains and Seas. -This marvellous composition Thoth enclosed in a box of gold, which he -placed within a box of silver, within a box of ivory and ebony, and that -again within a box of bronze, within a box of brass, within a box of iron; -and the book thus guarded he threw into the Nile at Coptos. The act became -known, and the box was searched for and found. It gave its possessor vast -knowledge and magical power, but always brought misfortune on him." One of -the books of Thoth consists of magical texts, and Mr. Rawlinson says: "The -belief in magic was widely spread among the Egyptians, and the behests of -the priests were obeyed with confidence that, whether they turned out well -or badly for the inquirer, they had been foretold at birth. The fatalism -of the North Africans is too well known to be disputed, for they accept -misfortune bowing the head and saying: 'It is the will of Allah.' This is -the inheritance of ages." - -The priests explained to the inquirer into the divine wishes the commands -of the god, and then inscribed them on parchment or some convenient -material. These records were either hung around the neck or bound on the -arm. The ignorant folk considered that these amulets would preserve them -from all evil. This practice is observed to the present day by members of -different religious cults. One amulet has been translated: "Thou art -protected against the accidents of life. Thou art protected against a -violent death. Thou art protected against fire. Thou escapest in Heaven -and thou art not ruined upon Earth." Such a valuable insurance against -every evil during life or death must have been well worth a handsome fee -to the priest who issued it. - -Lenormant, in his "Manual" (Volume I, page 516), says: "It is remarkable -that the Ritual of the Dead (the Egyptian name for which was Manifestation -of Light, or the Book Revealing Light to the Soul) is accompanied by -pictures which form the essential portion of it." So the Book of Thoth -Hermes Trismegistus, or the Tarots, is composed of pictures that can only -be deciphered by initiates. The Ritual of the Dead claimed to be a -revelation from Thoth Hermes, who through it declared the will of the gods -and the mysterious nature of divine things to mankind. Portions of it are -expressly stated to have been written by the finger of Thoth, and other -parts to have been the composition of the god himself. It was held in such -high esteem that portions of it were placed in coffins. The Ritual has -been divided into three sections. There are prayers for the dead, and a -long chapter that has been said to "contain the Egyptian Faith." This -creed is followed by a series of prayers, and spells, and famous chapter -(cxxv) describing the seat of judgment known as the "Hall of Two Truths." -Here the deceased is brought before Osiris as supreme judge. The latter is -seated on a lofty throne, surrounded by forty-two Assessors, each of whom -addresses the dead person in turn, and to each he declares his innocence -of crime or sin, saying, "I have not blasphemed. I have not deceived. I -have not stolen. I have not slain any one. I have not been cruel. I have -not caused disturbance. I have not been idle. I have not been drunken. I -have not been indiscreetly curious. I have not multiplied words in -speaking. I have struck no one. I have caused fear to no one. I have -slandered no one. I have not eaten my heart through envy. I have not -reviled the face of the king nor the face of my father. I have not made -false accusations. I have not kept milk from the mouths of sucklings. I -have not caused abortion. I have not ill-used my slaves. I have not killed -sacred beasts. I have not defiled the river. I have not polluted myself. I -have not taken the clothes of the dead." A dead person is always spoken of -as "An Osiris," or "He sleeps in Osiris." - -Egyptian writing was of three distinct kinds, known as Hieroglyphic, -Hieratic and Demotic or Enchorial. There is but little difference between -the Hieratic and the Demotic. The former is the earlier of the two, but -was nearly lost in the Demotic, which, according to Lenormant, was -introduced about the seventh century B. C., and rapidly superseded the -Hieratic, being simpler. Both were written from left to right. - -It was about this time that the worship of Nebo, in Babylonia, and of -Thoth, in Egypt, was most important, so it is probable that the priests, -who were the learned and scientific men of the day, then reconstructed the -art of writing and so earned for their patrons the honour of being gods of -writing, although the stylus and the title of "the Writer" had been born -for many centuries. - -Pasmmetichas, king of Sais, who, as has been already mentioned, fought the -Assyrians, must have been a most intelligent person, for during his reign, -says Mr. Rawlinson (page 465), "a question was raised as to the relative -antiquity of different races of mankind. Therefore the Pharaoh had two -children isolated from their species and brought up by a herdsman who was -dumb, and suckled by a goat, in order to see what language they would -speak, presuming that they would revert to the primitive type of speech. -The result of his experiment was thought to prove the Phrygians to be the -most ancient nation, and the Egyptians, we are told by Herodotus, accepted -it as an established fact." - -Thoth was revered as a great teacher, since his works treated of all -things, such as the creation of the world, of divine power, of wisdom, of -the art of presaging the issue of maladies by means of the planets. The -work treating on this was dedicated to Ammon. Then there were the -Aphorisms of Hermes, which consisted of astronomical propositions -translated from the Arabic about the time of Manfred, king of Sicily. "The -Cyranides of Trismegistus" treats of magic power and the medicinal virtues -of precious stones, of plants, and of animals. Many of the other books of -Thoth are treatises on chemistry or alchemy. One is called "The Seven -Seals of Hermes Trismegistus," another, "Chemical Tinctures," and a third, -"The Emerald Tablet," describing the art of making gold. It is said that -Sara, the wife of Abraham, found the Emerald in the tomb of Hermes, on -Mount Hebron. One essay is to Tat or Esculapius, another is entitled "The -Virgin of the World," as Isis is sometimes called, and is a dialogue -between her and her son Horus. - -Many small statues were found in a well in the temple of the Sphinx, that -may have originally represented the gods now found among the Atouts. This -would be a most valuable confirmation of the theory of their original -position in the temple when the priests and initiates wished to consult -the occult. - -In an age when letters were only used by the learned, and pictured emblems -or symbols took the place of an alphabet, it was natural that the priests -of Thoth, when pressed to divine the fate of men, should place sketches of -the great gods on the walls of their temples, so that, by combining them -with the rods of divination, the wishes of the supreme beings could be -easily conveyed. The custom of adorning the walls of the temple is -referred to in Ezekiel xxiii:14. "She saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, -the images of the Chaldeans (or Nebo and his confrères) pourtrayed with -vermilion, girdled with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire -upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the -Babylonians of Chaldea." This was possibly the origin of the Tarots, or -the Atout volume of the Book of Thoth. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -NEBO, OR NABU - - -A great Chaldean god was Nebo, mentioned in Isaiah xlvi:1, "Bel boweth -down, Nebo stoopeth," and he had an immense influence over the lives of -the Assyrians and Babylonians, extending over centuries. In primitive -times nothing was undertaken without an attempt to consult the wishes of -the superior gods, and it is interesting to trace through the tablets on -which are inscribed the wonderful cuneiform inscriptions, discovered and -deciphered during the past fifty years, how the people were taught by -their prophets or priests to consult the predestinations of Nebo, who -inscribed at birth what would befall each person during life. Nebo had -many names or designations. He was called Laghlaghghi-Gar, or illuminator; -Gishdar, or god of the sceptre; Ilu-tashmit, or god of revelations; and -the spouse of Tashmit; his name signifies Proclaimer Herald in Assyrian, -and Height in Hebrew. - -Nebo, called Nabu by the Babylonians, was the son of Enlil, or Marduk, the -Merodach of the Bible (Jeremiah l:2), who became merged in the Jupiter of -the Romans. Nebo was the husband of Tashmitum, or Tashmit, or Tashmetu, -sometimes called Erna. Her name is translated as signifying "revelation," -"she who listens," or "she who intercedes." She is frequently invoked and -besought to placate her more important spouse, or she is appealed to by -worshippers to intercede with her consort to reveal what he had prophesied -on the "tablets of fate." - -As the grandson of Ea, who was the god of doctors, Nebo inherited the -privileges of healing. He also presided at birth and death, and could cure -diseases. One of his symbols seems peculiar and is still retained on the -Tarots. It is a sword, for in the minds of the men of his day a pestilence -was a certain follower of war. Although Nebo was not the god of war, he -was first its herald and then the healer of the sick or wounded, so it was -under these conditions that a sword became his attribute. - -Nebo shared with Shamash, Gula, and Nergal of Assyrian mythology, the -power of restoring the dead to life, which, being interpreted, means -curing the ill, whether from disease or sin. - -It was to Nebo that the Assyrian kings ascribed their wisdom, for he was -deemed to be the source of all knowledge, and the wonderful inventor of -the art of writing that enabled the wise men who were his priests to -preserve the records of the different reigns and the history of wars, the -description of buildings and their donors, of deeds of valour and of -charity, for the enlightenment of posterity. - -The great temple built at Calah in the time of Ram-man-nerari III (812-783 -B. C.) is inscribed with a dedicatory inscription placed by the king on -the statue of Nebo. It closes with the sentence: - - "Oh! posterity, trust in Nabu, - Trust in no other god." - -Nebo was also the patron of agriculture, who taught the husbandmen when to -plant, the best time for irrigating, and a favourable time for the -harvest. Being the messenger from heaven to earth, one of his symbols was -the lightning. This emblem is preserved on the Japanese cards, although -it is probably accidental. A hymn to Nebo attests his having lightning as -an attribute, and the tablet upon which it was transcribed in cuneiform -characters has been translated as follows: - - "Lord of Borsippa, Son of E-Sagila! Oh, Lord, to thy power - There is no rival. Oh, Nebo, to thy Temple E-Zida there is no rival, - Or to thy home, Babylon. Thy weapon is the lightning, - From the mouth of which no breath does issue or blood flow. - Thy commands are as unchangeable as the Heavens, - Where thou art Supreme." - -The chief temple of Nebo was at Borsippa, on the opposite side of the -Euphrates to Babylon; the town was sometimes called Babylon II. Nebo's -temple was styled E-Zida, the true house, and E-Sagila signified the lofty -house, which was the temple of his father, Marduk. The connection with -lightning is too marked to be overlooked when studying the derivation of -Mercury's attributes from those of Nebo. - -The mighty king Ashur-banapal invokes Nebo on thousands of tablets that -have been found in his great library. Nebo is called "the opener of the -ears to understanding," "he who gives the sceptre of sovereignty to kings, -that they may rule over all lands," "the upholder of the world," "the -general overlord and the seer." All these attributes were combined with -the scientific attainments of Nebo, and he was proclaimed as the inventor -of language and the art of writing, together with being the great teacher -and encourager of learning and scientific investigations. This is all -emphasised by his numerous titles, such as "Speaker," which is said to be -derived from his name, signifying "to speak," or "one who announces the -fate of mankind," which was another inheritance of Mercury's when he was -called the "Messenger of the Gods." The attribute, then, in both cases, -was the emblematic Sceptre of the ruler, the caduceus. The Sceptre was -also named by the Assyrians "the Proclaimer," and was variously -represented, sometimes by the Staff with twisted serpents, although in -earlier times it was generally pictured as stylus, which was closely -copied in the representations of Thoth. The entwining serpents of the -caduceus sacred to Mercury were directly inherited from votive emblems -peculiar to the Babylonians, and they received force and significance -after the rods of the Egyptian magi were turned into serpents and -swallowed by the rod of Aaron. - -When Nebo is called "Ilu-tashmit," or god of Revelations, who teaches -through his invention of writing and of speech, he is then regarded as a -soothsayer or prophet. The Hebrew word for prophet is Nabi, and this leads -to the interesting discussion that was started by Mr. Chatto in his -"History of Playing Cards" (page 22), when he speculates on the name of -Naibi, given to cards by the earliest Italian writers who mention them. As -Naypes or Naipes is still the name printed on the wrappers and on the Four -of Cups of Spanish cards, it evidently was connected with prophesy, and -this card has peculiar values and significances among the gypsy -fortune-tellers. Mr. Chatto states that in Hindustani the word Na-eeb or -Naib signifies a viceroy or overlord, and quotes from "several Spanish -writers" who have "decidedly asserted that the word Naipes, signifying -cards, whatever it might originally have meant, was derived from the -Arabic." All the writers on playing cards quote from Corvelluzzo, who -states: "In the year 1379 was brought into Viterbo the game of cards, -which comes from the country of the Saracens and is with them called -Naib." The Arabian "divining arrows" are always made from a tree called -Nabaa. - -This little history, which is one of the earliest records of cards that -were then no longer considered prophetic, has seemed to close all inquiry -into the birth of games or their vehicle. No inquiry was therefore made -into anything preceding this period. However, had cards been regarded as -the survival of one of the most ancient of cults, connected with it by its -traditions of prophesy or fortune-telling, the true story might have been -unravelled centuries ago, for a study of the traditions, religions or -superstitions of Africa and Asia would have revealed that Naibi (the name -given at that time to cards) meant prophesy or revelation, and was -inherited from the great "Writer on the Tablets of Fate," Nebo the -prophet, the Assyrian god. The prophets of the Bible were called Nabi, and -it seems to be no accident that the mountain dedicated to Nebo and -bearing his name should have been selected for the death place of the -great prophet, Moses. - -In the earliest histories of Assyrian mythology Nebo was not the -influential personage that he became afterwards. But it was still early -days when he was accorded the honour of having one of the planets named -for him, which afterwards became identified with Mercury. When Nebo took -his place among the mystic seven great gods, he found associated with him -Marduk (or Jupiter), Nergal (or Mars), Ishtar (or Venus), Nineb (or -Saturn), the Sun, represented in a chariot drawn by horses, as copied in -the seventh card of the Atouts, and the Moon (Nan-nar), who was called the -"Heifer of Anu," and was the presiding genius. She received the name -because the horns of the new moon resembled those of a cow. Her Assyrian -temple was at Ur of the Chaldeans, and she was also worshipped in Egypt -and is represented by the eighteenth Atout. Her horns are always typical -of wisdom and prophesy, and, as such, are used on Michael Angelo's famous -statue of Moses. - -[Illustration: EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS - -Pip Cards of the Cup Suit - - 31 Ace of Cups - - 32 Deuce of Cups - - 33 Trey of Cups - - 34 Four of Cups - - 35 Five of Cups - - 36 Six of Cups] - -The first month of the Babylonian year was sacred to Nebo and his -father, Marduk, and was called Nesan. The Egyptians made Thoth, or -September, the first month; that began August 29th, as we figure it, with -the rising of the Dog Star, which also was sacred to that god. This is -symbolised in the seventeenth Atout, called The Stars, represented by an -oblation to Osiris. - -Daily sacrifices were made to Nebo, the offerings being bulls, and other -animals, fish, birds, vegetables, honey, wine, oil and cream. Their -technical term was Sattuku and Gina. It is probable that the wild boar was -sacred to Nebo, as it was to Mercury, being one of the animals sacrificed -to the latter, and the emblem is still found on the Two of Bells of the -German cards. The boar was sacred among the Assyrians, and its flesh was -forbidden on certain days in the Babylonian calendar. Its name was -Nin-shakh, or Pap-sukal, meaning "Divine Messenger," the name that was -synonymous with that of Nebo. - -There were many great ceremonies connected with the rites of Nebo, for the -scientists, doctors, warriors and kings were all anxious to conciliate the -arbiter of their fate, and there were many statues erected in his honour -all over the land. The one representing him that was kept in E-Sagila, at -Borsippa, called by Nebuchadnezzar "the house of the temple of the world," -meaning the lofty home, was yearly conducted with great ceremonies across -the Euphrates in a car, or ark, shaped like a ship, in order that Nebo -might pay homage at the temple of his father, Marduk. - -The cult of Nebo reached its height when Nabu-polassar (626 B. C.), -Nebu-chadnezzar (605 B. C.), and Nabonnedos (556 B. C.), adopted his name, -thereby throwing themselves on his mercy, or invoking his protection. -Nebuchadnezzar adopted it as signifying "Oh, god Nebu, protect my -boundaries." - -About the ninth century before Christ there were innumerable temples -devoted to the cult of Nebo dotted over the land, for those were troublous -times, and, doubtless, the rulers and their people were anxious to have -all the advice that they could obtain from the "Arbiter of Fate." He was -styled "the all-wise who guides the stylus of the scribes," as well as -"the possessor of wisdom," and "the seer who guides all gods." These -inscriptions are found in many places, not only on the temples but on clay -tablets. - -Ashur-banipal extols Nebo on many of the tablets found in his great -library at Nineveh, thanking him for his instructions and the inspiration -that enabled the king to record in writing his valiant deeds, that were -thus preserved for the benefit of his subjects. One of them reads, "write -for posterity." - -The Assyrians invaded Egypt many times, and the Egyptians in return -overran Palestine, Persia, Babylonia and Assyria, so that by intermarriage -and constant intercourse the scientific attainments and the mythologies of -both became influenced or mingled. - -Although the capital of Menephtah, the Pharaoh of the Exodus, was at -Thebes, the site of the great temple of Thoth and the favourite residence -of "the Ruler" was Zoan, or Sau, as it is now called, which is three miles -from Goshen. It was there that Moses and Aaron had their interviews. From -that time on Thoth and Nebo became almost one god, and it is by no means -stretching a point to connect the cults of Assyria and Babylonia with -those of Egypt. Isaiah xix:23 says: "There shall be a highway out of Egypt -to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt and the Egyptian into -Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians." In the same -chapter (third verse) we find: "And they shall seek to the idols, and to -the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards." -It is, therefore, but a simple conclusion to suppose that the magi of -Egypt adopted the great tablet writer of the Assyrians as one of their -inspiring gods, and, that afterwards, when the pair were introduced to -Europeans, they were merged into Mercury, while "The Book of the Writer" -became known as "The Book of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus" (three times -great), now called the Tarot pack of cards. - -"The Bearer of the Fate Tablets," dedicated to Nebuchadnezzar at Borsippa, -has been translated, "Oh! Nabu! On thy unchangeable Tablets which -determine the boundaries of Heaven and Earth, decree the length of my -days. Write down posterity." Which we would read, "Tell me how long I am -to live and bestow children upon me." - -There is a colophon in Semitic Babylonian, written by Nabu-baladhsuigbi, -son of Mitsircea (the Egyptian), probably during the reign of Nabonidus, -the father of Belshazzar, that is also an invocation in the same style. -The inscription of Tiglath-Pileser I, king of Assyria, which "is the -longest and most important of early Assyrian records," says Professor -Sayce, dates from about 1106 B. C. This inscription was found under the -foundations of the four corners of the temple of Kileh Shergha, the -ancient city of Asshur, and is now in the British Museum. The one hundred -and fifth sentence mentions divining rods as the "Oracle of the Great -Divinities," being placed within the temple. "This Elalla," says Professor -Sayce, "was a stem of papyrus covered with writing." - -Many tablets of Assyrian times have been deciphered from the cuneiform -text and are designated as "Tablets of Grace," or "Tablets of Good Works." -These are supposed to be those that Nebo wrote describing the virtues of -men. Besides these, the Babylonians mentioned tablets on which the sins of -the evil were recorded. The pious worshipper, therefore, prays that the -Tablet of his sins and iniquities may be destroyed, saying: "May the -Tablet of my sins be broken," showing how prevalent was the belief that -Nebo controlled fate entirely, both when predicting the future and also -after death, and in this Thoth resembles him closely. - -Similar connections are met with in the Old Testament, when Moses cries, -"Forgive their sins--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book -which thou hast written." (Exodus xxxii:32.) The belief that such records -are kept by the Almighty is referred to also in the New Testament. "Your -names are written in Heaven." (St. Luke x:20.) The verse in Ezekiel ix:2, -"One man among them was clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his -side," is supposed to refer to Nebo, "the Heavenly Scribe." - -In a long cuneiform text inscribed on a terra cotta prism found at -Nineveh, King Asshur-banapal glories in having received from Nebo and -Tashmitu (his consort) the power to understand "the art of -tablet-writing." In "Babylonian Magic and Sorcery from the British -Museum," by Leonard W. King, M. A., Assistant in the Department of -Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities, British Museum, there are tablets -invoking the protection of Nebo as well as of other gods. One of them has -been translated as follows: - - "Oh! Hero Prince, First born of Marduk; - Oh! prudent ruler of Spring of Zarpanitu; - Oh! Nabu, Bearer of the Tablet of the destiny of the Gods, Director of - Isagila, - Lord of Izida, Shadow of Borsippa, - Darling of Ia, Giver of Life, - Prince of Babylon, Protector of the Living." - -It may be stretching a point to observe that the "arrow-headed" letters on -the tablets of Babylonia closely resemble a sheaf of arrows that have -fallen haphazard. But this may be seen in the name of the god Nebo. - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE ATOUTS OF THE TAROTS - - -Since the creation of the world mankind has realized a divine power -shaping his destiny, and has tried to conciliate the unknown god. Since -life is made up of happenings that are unforeseen, man believed that -certain occult powers directed and shaped them. It was natural, therefore, -to try to ascertain the wishes of the controller of fate, so that they -might be complied with and misfortune thus averted. - -Invocations, sacrifices and queries, private or public in the temples, are -recorded from early days. Some have been found that date from at least -five thousand years before Christ. Directions for "wave offerings," "burnt -offerings," etc., are frequent in the Old Testament. The commands for -marking the "rods" with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, for the -purpose of laying them on the altar and awaiting results when the wishes -of the Lord would be revealed, are given in Numbers xvii. Prayers to Nebo, -Thoth, and Mercury are found everywhere in the countries where they were -worshipped. The use of divining arrows (rods), when demanding the wishes -of the gods, is a known historic fact, so it is readily seen whence the -Egyptians received their inspiration to gather together the customs, -ceremonies and superstitions of alien religions, to absorb them in the -worship of their god Thoth. - -The temples of the Egyptian gods were generally gorgeously decorated, and -those of Thoth were filled besides with learned women and men who devoted -the result of their studies to the common good, without a thought of -self-aggrandisement. They made themselves the go-between of Thoth and man, -when revealing the wishes of the occult beings. The number of Hermetic -Books, written at Thoth's dictation, is given by Jamblichus as 20,000. - -Naturally, when sacrifices or offerings were made, the worshipper demanded -a reply to his inquiries, thus taxing the ingenuity of the prophets, who -were, in fact, no wiser than himself as to the predestinations recorded -at birth. So, sometimes they found the desires of the gods hidden in the -entrails of animals or in the palms of the hands. - -Astronomers and astrologers, observing that the heavenly bodies conformed -to certain laws, decided that these laws also governed the lives of men. -In the worship of Ishtar, the great Babylonian goddess, who has been -identified with both Venus and Diana, the flight of birds had portent; -while at the oracle of Delphi straws (a variant of the rods of Aaron or -the divining arrows of the Asiatics) were employed to ascertain the wishes -of the gods, and it is the descendants of these that are now sometimes -known as Jackstraws, that came to us from the Chinese, and at others are -identified as the pip cards now in common use. - -A close study of each card of the old Tarots reveals much of the history -of the book and its original intention, for the resemblance of the -different cards to the different Egyptian deities is clearly displayed to -the student. The attributes and costumes of Maut, Isis, Phthah, Neith, -Amun, Thmei, Nepte, Seth, Anubis, and Ra are all to be traced on the -detached leaves of the ancient book. The costumes are those of Italians of -about the thirteenth century, it is true, but the caps, the girdles, the -positions and the attributes, as well as the qualities assigned to each by -the fortune-tellers, are too apparent to be ignored. It would seem that -the cards were designed by some person to whom these different marks had -been described, but who had no knowledge of the original pictures of these -gods that are still so instructive in Egypt. While the attributes are -retained, the pictures do not recall the old ones that can still be found -in mummy cases or historic monuments. It was therefore impossible for -those who wrote on Playing Cards before the great discoveries in Egypt to -recognize the connection of the Tarots with the ancient mysteries, -although the symbols of Mercury might have given a clue, had these been -noted. - -Without declaring that the deductions connecting the Atouts with the -Egyptian gods is infallible, the strong resemblance between them must be -carefully considered, and the intention of each card studied with all the -obtainable history connected with it. - - -I. LE BAGATLEUR (Il Bagattel) - -This card, also known as the Juggler or Pagat, bears various names, -according to the locality where it was used. "It is derived," says Count -Emiliano di Parravicino, in the _Burlington Magazine_ for December, 1903, -"from Bagat or Paghead and Gad, that signifies fortune, and the card is -often called Bagatto (or cobbler), since there are sometimes tools placed -on the board in front of the figure, one of which (in the corrupted -designs of modern cards) resembles a cobbler's awl." The figure on this -card represents the Player or Inquirer, and when the cards are laid out, -according to the rules of prophesying, it is controlled by all that are -dealt close to it. That is to say, the cards surrounding this figure tell -the events that are likely soon to befall the inquirer. The first Atout -represents a young man standing behind a table. On his head is a hat of -mystic meaning, for it is shaped like the sign of "eternal life," -[Illustration: infinity symbol]; his left hand carries a wand, called by -de Gebelin "_son Bâton de Jacob, ou Verges des Mages_." This magician's -wand was readily recognized by the shrewd Frenchman, who evidently -understood the symbolism of the rod of Aaron (or Jacob). The rod is really -the caduceus of Mercury that has so many significances. It is one of the -pip devices that has been reproduced in the Ace of Rods, Staves, or -Sceptres, as it is variously called, and, by placing it in the hand of the -inquirer, it denotes that he has been given the power to consult the -oracle. The other articles placed on the table before the youth are the -other devices that mark the suits of the cards, namely: Money, Cups and -Swords, although on modern Italian Tarots these emblems are often changed -for others that lack significance. In "the lottery chart," called -Tsz-fa-to, used by the Chinese fortune-tellers, there is a figure like the -Bagatleur, holding up his hand in the same way, which recalls the many -mystic meanings attached to the "blessing hand." The Pagat or Magician (as -this card is often called) is sometimes expressed merely by the Hebrew -letter Aleph, which is placed beside the figure, or is used alone, when an -Initiate understands the symbol as well as if the Pagat was in its place. -What relation the Hebrew alphabet has to the Tarots is a matter for -conjecture, but the characters are often placed on early packs, and some -writers have pointed out that, in their opinion, these letters offer fresh -evidences of the origin of cards and their connection with divination. So -Papus says: "The first letters of the alphabet express hieroglyphically -man himself as a collective unity--the Master principle--the ruler of the -world." In very old packs the earth is represented at the bottom of the -picture, ornamented with its fruits. The centre is occupied with the man, -whose right hand bent towards the ground, the left hand raised towards -heaven, thus representing two principles, the one active and the other -passive, of the great All, and it corresponds with the two columns of -Jakin and Bohas of the temple of Solomon and of Freemasonry, as well as -with the great statues erected before the tombs of the Egyptian kings. The -meaning may be thus stated: "Man with one hand seeks for God in Heaven, -and with the other he plunges below to call up the demon to himself, and -thus unites the divine and the diabolic in humanity." - -It is well known that among primitive people, boys, upon arriving at -manhood, went through certain ceremonies with fasting and incantations so -this card also represents a youth making his first offering to the gods of -the temple, and consulting them as to his future life, or asking what Nebo -or Thoth had written at the time of his birth on their "Tablets of Fate." -In order to learn from the gods what his future occupation should be, one -of the symbols of Mercury is lifted haphazard from the table before him. -Thus, if a sword be grasped, a man will be a soldier, and a woman will -have a person of rank for a husband. The Cup represents the Church or -Love. In primitive nations various articles are still placed before a -child, and the one selected influences its occupations, when mature. In -Korea a bundle of yarn, a handful of rice, a few coins, a cake of ink, a -brush, and some paper are placed before a baby, on attaining its first -birthday. If it selects the yarn, it denotes a long life; the money means -prosperity; the writing materials signify that a scholar's life will be -the one followed, while rice means happiness. Hebrew letters can be -expressed by numbers as well as by the conventional characters; this is -well exemplified by the way they were used in making the fringes of the -temple of Solomon, the strands of which were peculiarly knotted in groups -of different numbers, that, when deciphered, represented a text. A similar -knotted fringe adorns the Taleth or praying scarf, worn by the Jews when -worshipping in the synagogue, on which a text is typified by groups of -knots expressing Hebrew letters. "This fringe is made with four threads, -one of which is longer than the others. Two threads are bound together -with the longest one in a double knot, then it is wrapped seven times, -then eight, then eleven, followed by thirteen, with two knots separating -each." "According to the Kabbalah," states Professor Rosenau, in his book -entitled "Jewish Ceremonial Institutions," "these knots and windings have -a secret meaning, making thirty-nine in all; they correspond to the -numerical value of the letters constituting two words, or 'the Lord is -one,' since each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has numerical -significance." - -Among uneducated people symbols took the place of written characters in -early days, so, since these knots conveyed a sound and a meaning, a number -is also indicated by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. These letters or -numbers that were occasionally placed on the early Atouts have the -greatest value when deciphering the attributes found on the Tarots, since -each one has occult significance attached to it, evidently placed there -with the intention of assisting the early fortune-tellers to decipher -their meaning, although omitted in the later books of Thoth-Hermes, when -they were used only for amusement or gambling. - - -II. LA PAPESSA (THE FEMALE POPE) - -This card is supposed to represent Isis. She is typified by a seated -female figure with two pillars behind her, between which hangs a curtain -indicating her temple. She is crowned with a triple tiara, and has an open -book in her lap. This goddess instructs and persuades. Law, erudition, and -occult science are under her protection. As the first female figure among -the Atouts, she represents the priestess of the temple of Thoth, also Eve, -also the mother. When a woman is the inquirer, this card represents her, -instead of the Pagat, which represents a man inquirer. The name of -Papessa, given to this card by the modern Italian card-painter, seems to -be a corruption of Isis. The former name is misleading, and has no -connection with the original meaning of the figure, for it has nothing in -common with the mythical Pope Joan of the Roman Church, while all the -attributes show that the figure represents Isis, or, perhaps, Tashitum, -the consort of Nebo, called "the Interceder." "The Italian card-makers," -says de Gebelin, "named numbers II and V of the Atouts, mother and father, -or Papessa and Papa;" but he declares "their emblems are Egyptian and the -triple phallus worn by number II is the one borne by Isis in the _Fête des -Pampylies_, where Isis joyfully receives Osiris. It is the symbol of -regeneration of plants, or spring." The card is also supposed to represent -Juno in the Roman mythology. "The attitude connects it," says the same -authority, "with _la haute magic_, since it is the first of the symbols of -the Emerald Tablet, one of the books of Thoth, that was discovered on the -mount of Nebo." Wiltshire says: "Believers in magic find occult meanings -in the hands of this figure." Roman women sacrificed to Juno on their -birthdays, as she was not only the goddess who presided over maternity -(making Mercury her messenger, who carried the child to its parents) but -she was also the protector of women. Part of the great book of Thoth, -called the Ritual of the Dead, said to have been written with the finger -of Thoth, and generally placed with a mummy, says: "I am yesterday. -Yesterday is Osiris. Phthah goes around. The divine Horus prefers Thee. -The god Set does so in turn, as well as Isis, whom thou hast seen." The -Hebrew letter on the second Atout is Beth, which hieroglyphically -expresses mouth or tongue, one of the things used in the sacrifices to -Nebo and to Mercury. - - -III. L'IMPERATRICE (The Empress) - -This card betokens Venus Urania according to the Roman mythology, or Maut -according to that of Egypt. The vulture is its emblem, one of Maut's -attributes signifying maternity. The mouse also represents her, and it -typifies fecundity. The card has many significances, such as speech, -action, initiative, friendliness, protection, progress, production, and -helpfulness. The figure is that of a seated woman holding a shield and a -sceptre. In old cards she is crowned with a diadem that has twelve stars -on its points. This card also symbolizes generation and productive -forces. Its letter is Gimel, the meaning of which is the throat, or the -hand of a man half closed; hence, it signifies that which encloses, that -which is hollow, a canal, an inclosure. The card also represents a woman -friend, but not always one that is desirable. The Egyptian goddess, Maut, -wears a cap and crown, and she bears a sceptre. Her flowing robes are -confined below the breasts with a girdle, the typical zone that has such -occult meanings. Among the Persians and tribes of North Africa, the girdle -is always removed from a bride, as part of the wedding ceremony, and -neither is she nor the bridegroom allowed to wear one for seven days after -the marriage. Maut is called "Lady of Heaven," and "Giver of Life," and -has been identified by some as the Ishtar of the Babylonians. - - -IV. L'IMPERATORE (The Emperor) - -The fourth Atout shows in profile a male figure seated on a throne. He -represents Jupiter or Amun, the Ammon of the Egyptians, the Marduk of the -Babylonians, and the Merodach of the Bible. This letter is Daleth, -suggesting growth, nourishment, generation, divine will, long life, -strong character or personal ability and ambition. This card and number -three have similar representations on the Persian cards, which pack alone -of those adopted by different countries retains the figure-pictures, to -the entire exclusion of the pip cards. This seems to point to the fact -that, while the Egyptians or Assyrians overran Persia and imposed some of -their customs and religious beliefs on the people, the great gods were -adopted reluctantly, and the key to their wishes was not bestowed on the -conquered people, as would have been the case had their use, in -combination with the prophetic arrows or rods, been taught at the same -time. The great temple of Ammon was at Thebes, the southern Egyptian -capital. The name Ammon means concealment, to veil, to hide. "His most -common title," says Mr. Rawlinson, in "Ancient Egypt" (page 322), "was -Suten-Netern, king of the gods, also called Hek or Hyk, the Ruler, the -Emperor, Lord of Heaven, strong bull." His image, like that of the fourth -Atout, is represented as seated on a throne. He is crowned, and wears a -collar and bracelets. He bears the sceptre, the symbol of power and -plenty. One of the invocations to Ammon begins "Hail to thee, Lord of -Truth, whose shrine is hidden." - - -V. IL PAPA (The Pope) - -The pronunciation of the name of this card alone proves its connection -with the Egyptian god, Phthah, but, besides this, it has many strange -significances assigned to it, all of them pointing to the same conclusion. -The figure denotes the religious superior, as it wears the triple crown, -combined with the two pillars of the temple. The African god was greatly -revered and feared, while many temples were dedicated to his worship. Four -figures kneel before Il Papa, whom he blesses with uplifted palm, sacred -to religious ceremonies, and inherited from the "hand of the Cohen" of the -Jews. In the old cemetery at Prague there are hundreds of tombstones, on -which the uplifted hands are carved to represent ideographically the -descendants of Aaron, who alone can bestow benediction in this way. The -hand plays an important part in heraldic emblems. "The Ulster, or bloody -hand," is a mark of rank, not only in English heraldry, but is venerated -by Orientals as well. A bloody hand is frequently found stamped beside the -lintel of the door among North Africans, and small silver or brass -facsimiles of the right hand are also fastened to the door or worn on the -person, to ward off the evil eye, when it is called the "hand of Fatima." -Arabs frequently wear this hand, that is then covered with engraved -quotations from the Koran. Their name for it is Kam or five fingers. The -number five--Khamsa--is considered so powerful and mystic that it is -believed to bring bad luck if it is mentioned, so the word is not -pronounced, but the Arabs say "two-three" instead. The Neapolitans -generally wear a hand with one finger outstretched as a charm, one of the -many links connecting them with Egypt. The fifth Atout in its position and -consequence represents aspiration, health, intelligence, union, strength -of will, religion and faith. The accompanying letter is He, the meaning of -which is aspiration. The triple-barred sceptre is an especial emblem of -Phthah, who was known as "the revealer," the one who made hidden duties -manifest. - -The first four figures of the Atouts are connected with family life. The -inquirer in number one, the parents in two and four, and the influence of -State and Church in three and five, forming a significant group when -studying the cards and their meanings. - - -VI. GLI AMANTI (The Lovers) - -The sixth card has not yet been connected with any of the occult gods of -Egypt or Babylonia. The figures seem to belong solely to Cupid. The card -shows a young man between two females, symbolizing virtue and vice. Cupid -hovers overhead, blindfolded, and with bent bow, ready to "shoot an arrow -into the air." When used for prophesying, this card is typical of a young -man starting in life, whose future depends upon the choice before him, -since good and evil both seem to claim him. The card also denotes -affection, love, friendship, charity, union and sight, the latter being -indicated by the letter, which is Vau, the hieroglyphic sign for eyes, -light or brilliancy. The import of this figure is personal magnetism. This -card also indicates marriage, and is emblematic of the legal tie, as well -as of luck and good fortune. - -[Illustration: EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS - -Pip and Court Cards of the Cup Suit - - 37 Seven of Cups - - 38 Eight of Cups - - 39 Nine of Cups - - 40 Ten of Cups - - 41 Knave of Cups - - 42 Cavalier of Cups] - - -VII. IL CARRO (The Chariot) - -This is one of the most mystic of cards, its number being one that was -regarded as occult by the ancients. It displays a picture of a king or a -conqueror, in his car drawn by beasts, precisely as Nebo was frequently -represented in the texts, "when the gilt chariot never marks the way." -Sometimes the car is drawn by horses, frequently by oxen, sometimes by -lions, and occasionally by black and white sphinxes. This car typifies -Mars, the god of war mentioned in Babylonian mythology and in the Bible, -"when every nation made gods of their own and the men of Cuth made Neral -(Mars)." (2 Kings xvii:30.) As has been mentioned, Nebo bore a sword and -was regarded as accompanying warriors, although he generally represents -the pestilence that follows in the wake of war. The Hebrew letter of the -seventh Atout is Zain, that expresses an arrow, thus suggesting a weapon -as well as a soldier, so it denotes victory, a ruling power, triumph, -protection, a domineering character. "The arrows of divination" are -frequently referred to in the Bible, for instance, when "the king of -Babylon stood at the parting of the way at the head of the two ways to -use divination. He made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he -looked at the liver." The tablets found at Nippur frequently refer to all -the arts of divination, as when a text in cuneiform characters says: "the -arrows were marked Yes and No," or, "the king had shaken the arrows, -questioned the house gods, and looked into the liver." Mr. Culin, in his -"Korean Games," considers that divination by arrows is one of the most -primitive forms, and it is still kept up in Korea, China, Japan, etc. The -sticks used for the purpose in China are in the form of arrows, and are -kept in a cube-shaped box resembling a quiver. They are shaken in a -peculiar way until one jumps out, when the design on it, and the direction -in which it points to the shrine, are considered to have replied to the -inquirer. - -The Chariot of the Atouts was, under certain conditions, supposed to -represent Osiris. It was also called "the chariot of Mercury," in the -sense that he was the messenger of Mars when war was to be proclaimed, or -when his caduceus was used as a flag of truce. Seven was always considered -by the Egyptian savants a mystical number, so this card played an -important part in occult science. Count Emiliano di Parravicino, in his -essay published in the _Burlington Magazine_, December, 1903 (page 238), -says: "Mgr. Antonio Dragoni (1814) suggests that the Atouts, numbering -twenty-one [not counting the Joker (_Fou_), which has no number], -represent the Egyptian doctrine beloved by Pythagoras, of the perfect -number Three and the mythical number Seven. Hence, Thoth, the Mercury of -the Egyptians, forms with the pack of pip cards his book or picture of the -creation of three classes of images, which symbolize the first three ages -of the world--_i. e._, the golden, the silver, and the bronze. Each of -these three classes is to represent in its seven divisions a greater -reference or mysticism, a mysterious book of the highest value in the art -of divination, since this book of unbound leaves contained the key to all -mysteries, although its contents were undecipherable to all but those -taught in the temples of Thoth." This proves that other thinkers besides -Papus and de Gebelin had come to the same conclusions from their study of -the Tarot pack, although without having the benefit of exchanging views on -the subject. - -The Babylonians believed in seven evil spirits, as the following prayer, -translated from a cuneiform tablet, will prove: - - Seven are they. They are seven, - The same in the mighty deep; - And Seven are they in heaven, - 'Though in water, sometimes they sleep. - They are neither male, nor female, - These awful spirits that fly, - But like destructive whirlwinds, - They swirl across the sky. - - Without a home or offspring, - Compassion and mercy are nil, - Since prayers or supplications, - They neither hear nor feel. - - Like wild beasts bred in the mountains, - They defy both gods and men, - Polluting even the fountains - The rivers, the marshes, the fen. - Evil are they, strangely evil, - In temples, in cities, in homes; - For Seven are they, cruel Seven, - With weird and terrible forms. - -Mr. Willshire, in his "Catalogue of the Playing Cards in the British -Museum," says: "It hardly requires a reference to the Bible to notice the -frequency with which the number Seven is mentioned. Not only was the -Seventh day to be kept holy, but, then, there was the mystery of the Seven -stars, of which Nebo (Mercury) was one, the latter being the most rapid -and brilliant. Also of the Seven golden candlesticks, and, in Zachariah -iii:9, we find that on the stone laid before Joshua there were Seven eyes. -Mercury invented the lyre, according to the Egyptians, in the year of the -world two thousand. At first it had only three strings, but in the hands -of the Muses, Seven were adopted. Then also the Seven virtues were called -the Seven cords of the human lyre, having their analogies in the Seven -colours of the prismatic spectrum. Then there were Seven precious stones, -namely: Carbuncle (garnet), Crystal, Diamond, Agate, Emerald, Sapphire, -and Onyx, besides the Seven chief metals." The emerald was considered the -stone of Thoth, we may infer, since one of his books was entitled "The -Emerald Tablet." Among the Berber tribes, of North Africa, the women put -seven marks on their foreheads, to protect them from the evil eye; this is -also done among some of the Negro tribes. When consulting the pip cards, -the Sevens have peculiar and occult values, marking the boundaries between -those lower and higher. They also make combinations that influence the -consideration of other cards. - - -VIII. LA GIUSTIZIA (Justice) - -The figure on the eighth card is represented in the most modern fashion, -and yet, with its attributes and values, it is much as Egyptians would -have known it when the worship of Thoth was at its height. It is the -goddess of Truth or Ma. Her title was sometimes adopted by the kings, who -called themselves the friends of Truth. Mr. Rawlinson, on page 385 of -"Ancient Egypt," says: "The chief judge of every court is said to have -worn an image of Ma around his neck, and when he decided a case he touched -the litigant with it, in whose favour the decision was made, in order to -testify that everything had been done with justice and truth. In the final -judgment of Osiris, the image of Ma was placed in the scale, and weighed -against the good actions of the dead." It may easily be perceived what a -forceful figure the one of justice must have been to the people who -consulted the oracles in the temples of Thoth. Justice is represented on -the Atout as a seated female figure, on a throne bearing her usual -heraldic marks of a sword and a pair of scales. Law and order are denoted -by every line and emblem on the card, which, summed up, expresses -conscientiousness, balance, power, and poise, in all their forms. The leaf -also corresponds with some of the attributes of the god Tiemei, and again -represents one of the deities of Olympus. Heth, the letter corresponding -to it, means a field, and from that springs the idea of anything requiring -labour and continued effort, the elements and existence. When it typifies -Ceres, of the Olympic gods, it denotes the mother as she is generally -represented, with her daughter, Prosperpine, endeavouring (as the original -type of a mother-in-law) to keep her from the arms of Pluto, while Mercury -leads the wife forcibly away. This card is the dominating one of Cups -(meaning sacrifice) of the pip part of the pack. - - -IX. L'EREMITA (The Hermit) - -The Hermit is one of the most mysterious designs on the Atouts, and has -not yet acknowledged all its intentions. For the meaning assigned to it, -and its value for soothsaying, hardly correspond with the personage -depicted, so it is supposed that the artist who modernized the ancient -design has altered it too completely to be recognised by those -unacquainted with the original intention. It shows an old man, holding a -lantern aloft, and by some is regarded as a watchman calling the hours of -the night, and by others, as Diogenes searching for an honest man. But the -attributes or values given to the card rather quarrel with the design, for -they signify friendship, protection, and wisdom. The rod or staff -signifies a pilgrim, certainly an overseer, and is a favourite emblem in -the Bible, as in Psalms xxiii:4, "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me," -or, in Isaiah x:15, "If the staff should lift up." It is the cane of the -medical man, and represents the Sceptre suit of the pip cards. This Atout -typifies strength of character, philanthropy, the wisdom of silence in -difficulties, circumspection, prudence, and sympathy; in short, all the -qualities desirable in a friend. The letter is Teth, which represents a -roof or place of safety, suggesting the idea of a shelter and protection -given by wisdom and forethought. The card also typifies human love and -humanity. - - -X. RUOTO DELLA FORTUNA - -(The Wheel of Fortune) - -This Atout has many and various connections with the superstitions of -ancient days. It is the Wheel of Fortune, and, among other things, -represents Osiris judging the souls of the dead. Anubis clambers up on one -side, while Typhon descends on the left of the wheel. "There are two -ideas," says Papus, "expressed by this symbolic card. The first is that of -supremacy, the second of eternity." The former is typified by Anubis and -Typhon climbing or falling, one reaching to overpower the other, while the -wheel turns eternally, lifting first one and then the other. Thus it is in -life, for fortune changes from good to bad with unceasing regularity, -sometimes slowly and sometimes rapidly, but always controlled by an -unknown force, that is called luck. The circle signifies eternity, and the -Wheel of Fortune is one of the oldest known symbols in the world. It is -deemed by some to have its analogy in the "Wheels of Ezekiel and of -Pythagoras," with all the significances attached to these emblematic -figures. Being numbered ten, its Hebrew letter is Yod, the hieroglyphic -meaning of which is "the forefinger extended as a sign of command." This -sign [Illustration: pointing finger] is recognised even by the -uninitiated, and is one of the surviving attributes of Mercury in common -use to-day. It was placed under the head of Mercury, when he was erected -by the roadside as Terminus to point out a road. In every synagogue is -found a pointer, called Yod, because its long arm terminates in a -beautifully modelled hand, with the forefinger outstretched. This is used -by the reader of the Scriptures to keep the place, since the text is -written in fine characters not easily followed without the pointing finger -of the Yod. The Wheel of Fortune typifies magic power, fortune, expression -of the will of the gods, or their commands, supremacy, superstition, and -luck. Anubis was the conductor of spirits to the judgment seat (or -Mercury, as Chthonius); he also held the balance in the hall of the dead. -He is called "Lord of the Burying-ground," and is represented as a -jackal. The Wheel of Fortune is derived from Osiris, on the judgment seat, -with Anubis as assistant. - - -XI. LA FORZA (Strength) - -This Atout shows a female figure, wearing the mystic hat, or vital sign -[Illustration: infinity symbol], seen on the Pagat, or the first Atout. -The girl forces open the mouth of a lion, expressing vitality, force, -courage, daring. It would seem the ancients believed that, in suffering or -trouble a woman was superior to a man, for endurance and strength of mind. - -The figure also typifies innocence, so the fable of Una and the lion seems -to be depicted, whether intentionally or not. Another symbol is that of -the Amazons, who pretended, say modern writers, to great strength, in -spite of being women, but the translations of some of the cuneiform -tablets lead one to suppose that these female warriors were more noted in -their own times for their wit than for their strength. The value given to -the card indicates it to be under the protection of Minerva. The Hebrew -letter for this card is Kaph, which typifies a grasping hand. This card -represents subtle and mystic occultism, with its influence over mankind; -in fact, female charity. It recalls, by its costume and attributes, the -Egyptian goddess Neith, whose temple was at Sais, the chief city of the -Delta. She wears a peculiar emblem on her head, sometimes called a -"shuttle," recalling the device of the Atout. Mr. Rawlinson, in his -"Ancient Egypt" (page 342), says the inscription on her shrine reads: "I -am all that was, and is, and is to be. No mortal hath lifted my veil." The -last expression would be understood in Egypt, for the lifting of the veil -is the conclusion of the marriage service, when the bridegroom sees his -wife for the first time. Therefore, one meaning of the card is a bride. - - -XII. L'APPESO (The Hanged Man) - -The hanged man is a remarkable figure on the twelfth leaf of the Book of -Thoth. The person is suspended by one foot from a gibbet that is crudely -made, by placing a bar in the fork of two opposite trees that have been -lopped of other branches. The hands are tied behind, and the right leg -crosses the left, by which the figure is suspended. This peculiar form of -punishment was at one time inflicted for certain kinds of crimes in -Etruria, and was probably typical when it was adopted. It has been -suggested that one of the signs of recognition between Freemasons consists -in crossing the legs, although these persons generally remain upright and -are not contortionists, so it is difficult to concede this connection with -the figure on the Atout. It shows a young man, who is said to be the -Pagat, or inquirer, of the first Atout, who, having passed through the -temptations of youth, begins to aspire to an ethical future. This is -exemplified by his position, indicating discipline, or submission to a -superior will. Perhaps another idea is, that since all the blood has run -to his head, the powers of knowledge are concentrated, and will be -increased. The card expresses equilibrium, charity, courage, knowledge and -prudence; also wisdom and fidelity. Lamed is the corresponding Hebrew -letter; it designates the arm, so is, therefore, connected with expansive -power and movement, as applied to all ideas of extension, of occupation, -of possession. The figure being raised above the earth, and in a position -of pain, together with humility, typifies a mind withdrawn from temporal -ideas, or a martyr to science. Vulcan is supposed to be the Olympian god -typified by L'Appeso, not only on account of the strong arm, but also -because he was thrown out of heaven and lamed for life. - - -XIII. LA MORTE (Death) - -This thirteenth Atout is represented on some cards as a skeleton mowing -off the heads of men, on some as a rider on a white horse, and on others -on a black one. There is an old proverb: "Death comes riding on a white -horse," and sometimes the clouds betokening rain are called "the white -horses of death." One of the horses of Aurora was called Abraxas, the -numerical value of these letters summing up three hundred and sixty-five, -or the number of the days of the year. The occult meanings attached to -this card and its number in the Atouts are well known, for the latter is -connected with bad luck or death in all European countries, and in every -place where the worship of Mercury or the Hermetic art, as connected with -cards, has penetrated. It is not so regarded, however, by savage tribes, -who have not followed this cult. This superstition is, therefore, by many -deemed to be one of the proofs that the cards were descended from those -mysteries. It is supposed that this image of Death was the half-way -position in the temple of Thoth, and therefore divided the Atouts to the -right and to the left, since they were placed in sequence on both sides. -Thoth Hermes, the unnumbered Atout, was represented by a statue that -occupied the centre of the building, under which stood an altar. On this -altar the rods (or pip cards) were thrown when consulting the oracle. At -any rate, the altar (or its remains) occupies the centre of the ruins of -the temple of Mercury, at Baiæ. The central position of Death was deemed -to indicate the dividing period of a man's life. The inquirer, after -consulting the pictured figures, representing the family, religion, -government, and friends of the beginning of his life, now learned of the -more serious affairs of later years, not necessarily death or bad fortune, -but, rather, a transforming force, since this Atout marked such a distinct -epoch in the path of life, and was to be considered most seriously. Still -the card also portends sorrow, destruction, and death. The letter is Mem, -meaning fertility and formation, or the development of the being in an -unlimited space, perhaps regeneration after destruction, or immortality in -another world. - - -XIV. LA TEMPERAN (Temperance) - -It is probable that this figure was intended for Nut or Nephthys. Of her -but little is positively known, and, so far, no temple erected to her has -been discovered. She was called the wife of Seb, and the mother of Osiris. -Her titles are "the Elder," "the Mother of the Gods," and "the Nurse." She -is usually represented as veiled and pouring a liquid from a vase. Her -figure frequently appears in tombs, as if she was the guardian angel or -protector of the dead soul. This idea of an oblation to the gods, through -pouring wine or oil before them, is found to be common among the -Babylonians, and to "pour oil on the troubled waters" is no mere figure of -speech. - -The fourteenth Atout is represented as a winged female pouring liquid from -one jug to another, signifying individual and corporeal existence, -production, fruition, health, temperance, economy and offspring. Its -letter is Nun, signifying fruit of any kind and all things produced. -Neptune is typified by one of his nymphs offering an oblation when -mingling the waters. There may be a remote and more occult connection with -this device and divination, for one of the earliest methods of consulting -the gods was through pouring water on oil, or oil on water, and -prognosticating from the results. This process is found to have been used -among the Babylonians as early as two thousand five hundred years before -Christ. Two books have been discovered on this subject that give full -directions for consulting the wishes of the gods through those means, and -they have been fully translated by Dr. Arthur Ungnad. One is, -"Interpretations of the Future among the Babylonians and Assyrians," and -in it are found many directions for discovering the wishes of the gods, -such as: "If the oil fills the cup, the person dies;" "If the oil floats -on water to the east, the person will die;" "If to the right, it is good -luck, if to the left, it is misfortune." The name, Temperance, given to -this card, seems to be rather misleading and modern, since the picture -evidently typifies this most ancient custom. - - -XV. IL DIAVOLO (The Devil) - -Set, or Sutech, the principle of evil, who is connected with the myth of -Osiris, needs but little explanation. Even moderns can comprehend at a -glance all that it typifies. Mgr. Antonio Dragoni is one of the earliest -persons to identify this card with Set or Typho, the son of Seb, who was -the brother of Osiris, and one of the geniuses of evil. Any one who has -attempted to read the myth of Osiris will appreciate the difficulties of -unravelling it. The Hyksos, or shepherd kings, selected Set as their sole -deity, and Seti I assumed his name, thus placing himself under the -protection of the evil one. Afterwards the worship of Set ceased entirely -and he was abhorred. The long ears retained on the figure of the fifteenth -Atout mark the connection with Set, for that was one of his distinguishing -attributes. The Hebrew letter that represents this card is Zain, which -means arrow, or any weapon of destruction. The intention of this Atout is -destiny, chance, fatality, superstition, illness, temptation; it -represents a spirit of evil, hatred, jealousy, and suspicion. - - -XVI. LA TORRE (The Tower) - -In this leaf, a building struck by lightning is portrayed, through a -thunderbolt shot by Jupiter, and conveyed by the "Messenger," Mercury. The -"lightning god" was one of Nebo's titles, and the mark is retained on the -Japanese cards, although probably accidentally, since there is no -connection between their playing cards and the original Atouts. Some -writers call this tower the "castle of Plutus" (the Roman god of wealth), -deeming it a warning to misers, for it recalls the legend relating to an -incident in the life of Rameses II, recorded in Herodotus. The Pharaoh -ordered a tower to be built for his treasures, and he alone had its key, -but daily he discovered that his valuables were disappearing, although -there was only one egress. A watch was set, and it was found that two of -the sons of the architect could enter by displacing a stone, that had been -left for the purpose of thieving, and when the men were entrapped inside, -they threw themselves headlong from the tower. This picture shows a -connection with Egyptian legend that must not be disregarded in seeking to -trace the Tarots to the mysteries of Thoth. Besides, some persons believe -that the card represents the destruction of the temples of Babylon, and -due weight must be given to the significance awarded by that people to -lightning, when consulting the gods through divination, particularly as it -was the weapon of Jove (Merodach), who was connected with the Baal of the -Bible, and sometimes worshipped as Enlil, who was frequently implored not -to destroy his people by lightning. But there are other legends connected -with the destruction of ancient temples that are even older than that of -Egypt, and we are lucky to have access to one that has lately been -translated from the Sumerian language, written in cuneiform characters on -one of the tablets discovered by Prof. Herman V. Hilprecht in the Temple -Library of Nippur. Above two hundred of them were of a religious or -historical character, which he set apart for the well-known scholar, -Doctor Radau, to translate. These related chiefly to the worship of the -gods of the second dynasty of Ur, or about two thousand five hundred years -before Christ. "Although the beginning of the Babylonian religion, as -portrayed in these tablets," says Doctor Radau, in "Miscellaneous Sumerian -Texts from the Temple Library of Nippur" (page 389), "has to be sought -somewhere at about 5700 B. C., when the religions of Babylon were -systematized." One tablet relates how a king of that period conquered his -enemies with the help of the chief god, who at that time was named Enlil, -"the Governor of the gods," "the god who destines fate." It was his son, -Nebo, who was his confidential messenger, his "lightning-rod," and who -wrote on the "tablets of Fate" the decrees of the supreme being at the -birth of each mortal. It may be noted that Nebo is given a different -father at different times, but so it is in the mythologies as now -interpreted; the oldest accounts name the chief gods, whose qualities and -symbols later became merged in more modern ones, and they were given -different names at various times, which is most confusing. The great -temple consecrated to Enlil is called E-Kur, and is at Nippur. This name -for this particular tabernacle became the common name for temple in -general (page 411). No king of Babylon ventured to do anything or take -any step without "kissing the hand" of Enlil, to obtain his consent and -approval. According to Doctor Radau, Enlil was afterwards succeeded or -displaced by Marduk (the Merodach of the Bible, and the Jupiter of the -Romans), although the supremacy of Enlil lasted some three thousand five -hundred years, quite long enough to leave an impression on the "Book of -Fate." One of the tablets translated from the Sumerian language has been -given almost literally, and is an invocation to Enlil, bewailing the -destruction and begging for the restoration of the principal cities of -Babylonia, together with the temples that had been destroyed, which were, -in fact, the homes of the priests, who always dwelt in the sanctuaries. -Doctor Radau (page 444) calls the song, "The Lamentation of the Goddess -Nin, of the City of Mar, who was called Nin-Mar." He gives a literal -translation of the cuneiform text of the tablet that has a well-defined -metre, and is divided into sections. The first three verses are an -invocation to Enlil, the supreme god, by this goddess, Nin-Mar, who -declares that she is "Mistress of Mar," who, through the power granted to -her by Enlil, was once able to destroy the enemies of her country and lay -waste their lands, but the power has left her, as her "Master" sleeps. -Nin-Mar gets a sympathetic god, named Nin-ib, to sing a hymn with her, in -which the destroyed temples are recounted. Nin-ib was the solar deity of -Nippur, also a war god, but inclined to be beneficent to mankind. One of -his titles was "the warrior," and he is identified as the planet Saturn. -His symbol was a man with a lion's head. - -TO ENLIL. - - Oh, Enlil, who placed on the waters - A shelter for men and for all, - Great God, who creates and then slaughters, - Come, hark to the children's call. - Nin-Mar, the smiter of mountains, I sigh, I sigh; - Enlil, to thee I cry, cry, cry. - - Shall the Mistress of Mar and his daughters, - His doves and the broods on their nests, - Shall their homes be cast out on the waters, - While their Master is lying at rest? - Nin-Mar, who was the destroyer of lands, I sigh, I sigh; - Enlil, to thee I cry, cry, cry. - - Exalted one! Listen to pleadings, - For my Nippur now covers its face; - My E-Kur, my Ki-Ur have vanished, - May all be restored to their place. - It is Mar, the smiter of mountains, I sigh, I sigh; - Enlil, to thee I cry, cry, cry. - -THE HYMN. - - Great Nippur, and E-Kur and Ki-Ur with Girsu have perished in flame, - Then harken, oh, powerful Enlil, and restore them to greatness and fame. - Oh, then shall thy cities exalt thee, thy harems, thy children, thy - lands, - The doves which fly over the towers, the temples that rise from the - sands. - We pray that thy days may be lengthened, thy cities, like mountains, - arise; - Then open thy ears, mighty Enlil, to thy children's most sorrowful cries. - Listen to Nin-Mar, its Mistress, I sigh, I sigh; - Enlil, to thee I cry, cry, cry. - -The Atout of the Tower typifies the money pip of the cards, with all of -its mundane significances, so its meaning is easily translated as -intending sorrow, destruction, vice, descent, perverseness, wickedness, -degeneration. Ayin is the letter of _la maison de dieu_, or _le feu de -ciel_, as the card is variously called, and both its design and its -complementary letter express all that is crooked, bad, and false. - - -XVII. LE STELLE (The Stars) - -This Atout shows a young woman "beneath the mystery of the stars," the -seven stars of the Bible, that were the seven planets of antiquity. The -name star is derived from that of Ishtar, the great Babylonian goddess. -The central and most brilliant star on the Atout represents Mercury as the -god of speech, or the transmitter of the wishes of gods to men, or Nebo, -"the writer on the tablets of Fate." The Dog Star was called Thoth by the -Egyptians, who also considered this god the author of speech, language, -and writing, like his predecessor, Nebo, whose mountain was at the plain -of Moab, (Deuteronomy xxxiv:1), and he also had the same planet dedicated -to him. He, the differentiating letter, means voice or speech, just as -Nebo, or Nabi, means prophet, proclaimer. Hebe, who succeeded Mercury, as -cupbearer to the gods, represents him here dispensing the essence of life -equally between two jugs; and, to carry the resemblance still further, the -picture recalls oblations to Osiris, which were typical of the mingling of -life and power, as exemplified by pouring out water when standing on the -earth. Thus, two of the elements are shown, a third one having been -represented in the lightning of the preceding card. The different -connections between the ceremonies of the ancients with the Cup and the -cupbearer have been described in the chapter relating to that emblem. On -some of the oldest of the Atouts, before their designs became confused by -ignorant artists, when some of the most distinctive emblems were omitted, -or altered, a gazelle stands behind the woman. This still further shows -the connection of this card with old Egyptian legends, for it was said -that the gazelle gave warning of the rising of the Nile, by fleeing to the -desert, even before the inhabitants expected the flood. The gazelle is -sacred to Osiris. This animal is also retained on one of the pip cards of -the Spanish pack. The Stars typify immortality, creation, hope, song, -music, speech, and the connection between humanity and a supreme power. It -will be recalled that all these things were attributed to Mercury, -Thoth, and Nebo. A god pouring a liquid from one vessel to another is -frequently found on Egyptian seal cylinders. It is generally the sun god, -although other gods are frequently represented. - -[Illustration: EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS - -Pip Cards of the Rod Suit - - 43 Ace of Rods - - 44 Deuce of Rods - - 45 Trey of Rods - - 46 Four of Rods - - 47 Five of Rods - - 48 Six of Rods] - - -XVIII. LA LUNA (The Moon) - -The eighteenth Atout speaks for itself. The legends connected with it are -far spread, but all are practically the same. Two dogs bay at the moon, -that is represented at the top of the picture. They are symbols of Marduk, -which seem to have little connection here. A crawfish crawls from the -water to land. The meanings are manifold, for the letter Tzaddi (although -its hieroglyphic idea is similar to that of Teth on the ninth card) has -different significances, according to its position in a word. It chiefly -means an aim, an end, a succession, and its value varies. - -The occult significance of this Atout is the material body, with its -gratifications, such as gourmandising, drinking, covetousness, gambling, -selfishness, and the danger of self-indulgence. Then, also, the card warns -of hidden dangers, enemies, and accidents, representing, besides the -ibis-headed Thoth, the god of letters. To discover all its significances, -the eighteenth card must be studied with due regard to conditions, -position, and the meaning of those adjoining it, all of which aid in -deciphering the obscure intentions of this leaf, that is assigned in -mythology to Diana. - - -XIX. IL SOLE (The Sun) - -A representation of the sun is the design on the nineteenth Atout, the -accompanying letter of which is Zoph, signifying a defensive weapon. This -Atout indicates the elements, precious stones, and minerals; an awaking, -revival, excitement, transition, nutrition and digestion; also -self-esteem, indulgence, eagerness to make money, and probable success by -self-exertion; also a worldly person, or a happy marriage. The god Ra is -represented by the sun in Egyptian mythology. He was greatly revered by -some of the Pharaohs, such as Rameses, who adopted his name. - - -XX. IL GIUDIZIO (The Judgment) - -The Day of Judgment is the symbol of this Atout, and its letter is Resh, -representing typically the head of man. The picture shows an angel -blowing a trumpet from the clouds, while below, the earth is yawning, to -allow the dead to rise. This is a strange emblem to be placed among the -heathen leaves, for it is peculiarly Christian in its significances; but -even the oldest designs show it pictured in this way. As it stands, it -expresses motion, movement, travels, readjustments, originality, -determination, respiration, and regeneration. Then, also, it typifies -scenery, skill, and artistic capabilities. The Romans dedicated it to -Pluto, the ruler of the nether world. It has many of the attributes of -Ishtar, the goddess of the Babylonians, from whose name Easter is derived. -She represented spring, and was the protector of vegetation, growth, and -agriculture. The angel blowing the trumpet is a very old design, and one -often used on tombs or cenotaphs. It recalls Theodore Hook's witty epitaph -on Lord de Ros, of whom little good could be said, and who was accused of -cheating at cards, but whose family erected a fine monument to his memory, -on which was the representation of the angel of the Resurrection. Under it -Hook wrote: "Here _LIES_ England's Premier Baron patiently waiting the -last _trump_." - - -XXI. IL MONDO (The World) - -This card shows the nude figure of a woman, in an ellipse of leaves and -flowers, the victor's wreath of the Grecians. She represents verity or -truth. In the four corners are the emblems of the apostles that St. John -borrowed from Ezekiel, and the latter from Assyria and Babylonia. These -are the Man, Lion, Bull and Eagle. Besides typifying the apostles, they, -in a manner, suggest the four attributes of the pip suits, and also the -four elements. The inscrutable-looking man represents brain, knowledge, -and mystery. The ox typifies strength, and the lion courage, while the -eagle suggests inspiration and the power of soaring above mundane affairs. -These four emblems represent also the four seasons, when the ox stands for -autumn, the man for winter, the lion for summer, and the eagle for spring; -so the complex meaning of the twenty-first Atout suggests that the head or -wisdom of man prescribes the will of the ox, the courage of the lion, and -the aspirations of the bird, through the mouth of Truth. The attributes of -the designs on the cards are also included in this leaf from the book of -Thoth. The wand that the figure holds represents the Stave, or caduceus, -or magic wand of Aaron, "that was kept for a token," as well as fire. The -Cup betokens the south, and summer, and water. The Sword, earth, and the -Coin (or Ring), eternity and air. Il Mondo's letter is Tau, which -symbolises perfection. The meaning of the whole card covers the elements -of success, luck, happiness, marriage, contentment, bliss. - - -XXII. IL MATTO (The Fool) - -The twenty-second Atout has no number upon it, and is called Le Fou, Il -Matto, or the Joker. It is the presiding deity himself, Thoth, Nebo, or -Mercury, in all his various moods, with all his many qualifications. These -are denoted by the cards that fall near him, when being dealt, that are -controlled or influenced by his overwhelming personality and -qualifications. He generally brings news and good luck. Count Parravicino -declares: "the Italian name is derived from an Egyptian one, Mat, which -signifies beginnings or perfection." The card represents everything that -is typical of Mercury, such as irresponsibility, with all its -consequences. The figure of Il Matto carries the attributes of Mercury: -the staff he holds in his hand, while a purse dangles from his side. He is -travelling or walking, as if carrying news, or a message, and also -suggests a wanderer, a pedler, or a merchant. Motion, energy, and luck are -expressed, as well as fickleness, inconstancy, and unconventionality that -may amount to insanity. The letter is Shin, and expresses cyclic movement. -In some of the old Italian Tarots, Il Matto is represented as being naked, -or else in tattered garments, like a beggar, when he symbolises folly, -frivolity, or chance. In the Austrian Tarots he is dressed like a -harlequin, or else simply with cap and bells. He is the gypsy wanderer, as -we know him, believed by some persons to be the descendant of the Egyptian -priests of the temple of Serapeon, at Pozzuoli, who were forced to wander -by the destruction of this temple. - -It must be remembered that no Tarots have been discovered that are over -five hundred years old, and that a great gap exists between these and the -mysteries of the temple of Thoth; therefore, some of the emblems or -symbols that we know may not resemble those of the originals. We must -also recall that there is more than one cult represented among the Atouts; -therefore, many of the attributes of different deities are mingled -confusingly, perhaps, on one and the same card. The student is necessarily -limited by conditions, for many of the virtues accredited to the -emblematic figures have been received traditionally, or have been -discovered by intuition, and are attributed first to one god, and then to -another, as the study of ancient myths or cults reveals a hitherto -unexpected connection. - -The intention of the Atouts, as a whole, is the representation of a youth -and his parents or governors and sponsors. These are followed by -everything that can express human life, such as ambition, love, marriage, -temptation, friendship, luck, trials, illness, hatred, jealousy, despair, -hope, enemies, success, and death. When combined with the pip cards, the -whole makes an interesting game of life, presided over by the versatile -god, Mercury, "the writer on the tablets of Fate." - -The whole of the Tarot pack has been called "the Bible of the Gypsies," -"the Athor of the Egyptians," "the Thora of the Hebrews," "the Great Book -of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus," and "the Key of Things Hidden from the -Beginning of the World"; so, how should poor mortals be able to unravel -all its secrets and lay them bare before an uncrediting world. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE PIPS OF THE TAROT PACK. - - -The numbered or what are technically known as the pip cards of the Tarot -pack are divided like those of more modern ones into four sets, called by -English-speaking people "suits." These are headed by four court, or -"coate," cards, namely, King, Queen, Cavalier, and Knave, making one more -than usual to each suit, or fifty-six in all. Besides this royal family, -there are the cards numbered from one to ten. In some of the games two or -more of the pip cards are dropped, but this was the original pack. In -Germany there are only three court cards, like the French ones, but there -is no female in the set. The German suits are Herzen, Grünen, Eicheln, and -Schellen; the Spanish, Bastos, Otos, Coppas, and Espadas; the Italian, -Bastoni, Danari, Coppe, and Spade, and English, Rods, Money, Cups, and -Swords. These pips are emblematically displayed through appropriate -symbols, and, besides, each of them represents an idea and a number, all -of which are valuable assistants when grouping the cards, in order to -divine their hidden meanings that are almost lost to us, although quite -decipherable by those who held the key to the ancient mysteries. - -The reason for invariably having four suits would be incomprehensible were -it not recognised that there were four emblems that were peculiar to and -always represented Mercury, namely, his Caduceus, his Money, his Chalice, -and his Harpé or Sword, which also typify the four grand divisions into -which the classes of people were divided all over the known world of the -day, particularly in Egypt, for they were Workmen, Merchants, Churchmen -and Soldiers, who were easily recognised through the symbols. If any man -of one of these castes wished to consult the oracle he selected the emblem -of his class and in this way communicated to the god his status in the -community. - -Since four was not a favorite number among the mystics, there could have -been no other reason for selecting that number for dividing the pack into -suits, and none other has been suggested by students. As it stands, it -shows that it was arranged scientifically and with a decidedly -well-considered purpose that met all the requirements of the worshippers -at the temple of Mercury. - -That the pips have this interpretation seems natural, for if it had been -intended to select lucky devices common at the time it is more probable -that a swatzka, a circle for immortality, or a wheel or perhaps an ankh, -that were favourites among the Egyptians would have been chosen, since all -these devices are quite as old and significant as the ones adopted, being -closely connected with mysticism, it seems to be sufficient proof that the -ones selected were taken because they represented Mercury, so these pips -must be considered valuable links in the chain connecting them with his -worship, even if they stood alone and were not supported by every card in -the Atout part of the Tarots. - -That the religions, superstitions and deities of Asia, Africa and Europe -have mingled from time to time there is no doubt. E. Levi, in his "Dogme -et Ritual" (Vol. II, page 230), says: "Passing from India to Egypt with -its occultism, and then to the Hebrews and their theosophy, the stick (or -the wand) corresponds with the Phallus of the Egyptians and the Yod of the -Hebrews that is used to point to the sentence read from the Scriptures. -Thus the vase (or cup) of Mercury is the Cteis, and the primitive He, the -Sword, is the conjunction of the Phallus and the Cteis represented in -Hebrew anterior to the captivity by the Vau, while the Circle or Money -that may be vulgarly considered the emblem of the world is the final He of -the divine name. Thus we have Jod-He-Vau-He, or conventionally pronounced -Jehovah." - -The wand or staff of the Tarots represents the cards as they were -originally used for divination, when a bundle of arrows, of rods, of -straws or of sticks were gathered together and cast down before the images -in the temple, so that their direction might be noted and inferences drawn -as to the wishes of the gods. - -Divination arrows with many mystic significances were common among all -primitive nations. The "golden rod" given to Mercury was evidently the -magician's wand used when the plagues of Egypt were overwhelming the -land. The staff of Moses brought forth water, while that of Aaron curled -into a serpent when it symbolised eternity. There are few of the rock -pictures of Egypt that do not represent their Pharaohs, their gods, and -their priests with a sceptre, a rod, or a staff as an emblem of authority. -So it was typical in ancient days, requiring then no explanation. It may -be noticed in the Atouts that the cards representing the divinities show -each god carrying a staff or sceptre. This fact greatly aids in -identifying them, for the old Italian artists understood enough to place -the sceptre in the hand of the emperor, and give only a staff to the -hermit or priest. - -Divining arrows have been connected with worship from very early days and -probably preceded the rods. The former are mentioned more than once in the -Bible, and the first verses of Numbers xvii are particularly interesting -as being a historical reference to the divine commands to consult the -occult, as well as marking the period when rods were substitutes for -arrows. "The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 'Speak unto the children of -Israel and take every one of them a rod according to the house of their -fathers ... twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod. And -thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be -for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in -the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet -with you.'" It was Aaron's rod that put forth leaves and fruited, showing -that he was the one selected by the Lord, who conveyed his commands in -this way. - -It would be interesting to know what were the distinctive symbols of each -tribe, but the only trace of them is found in Genesis xlix, which -indicates that Judah had a lion or a sceptre. The symbol of the uplifted -hands still marks the Cohen or Aaron's descendant, while the "Magen -Dovid," or the "shield of David," the six-pointed star, has been so widely -adopted by Freemasons as to have become almost identified with them. By -some people it is called Solomon's seal. - -This record of "marking" or numbering the rods is most important, for -through it we trace the origin of the marks which in the hands of the wily -Egyptian priests were afterwards placed on material they deemed more -convenient than the primitive arrows, such as papyrus, or parchment, thus -converting the divining arrows of the past into pip cards as we now know -them. Rods with notched ends, and also some on which figures of men are -cut, have been lately found in the tombs at Abydos. The divining rods of -the Alaskan Indians are given numbers by painting stripes of different -colours on them, while the rods of the Haida Island Indians, off the coast -of North America, are differentiated by tribal distinctions, such as the -Bear, the Tortoise, and so forth. The names of the different families show -how little the savage people have parted from ancient customs. The long, -thin, arrowlike paper cards of Korea show the same tribal marks. - -As in Biblical times the rods were called after the men who used them as -representing the ruler of their families, so substituting their pictures -was probably the next step. The cards then were numbered up to ten, while -the father, mother, child, and servant were represented in what we name -Court cards. This enabled a man to ask queries of the gods in a most -particular way. Should he be a soldier he would select a Sword emblem to -typify him and his family, and then, laying the cards of that suit before -the testimony (which signifies the tables of stone or the commandments), -he awaited the answer that was conveyed to him after the priest had -consulted the cards with reference to the way they were dealt in -connection with the pictures on the walls. - -In Chinese fortune-telling the gamblers resort to a "shrine of the god of -war," says Mr. Culin, in "Korean Games" (page 23), "and throw numbered -arrows or sticks to divine the wishes of the gods, while sometimes paper -lots are employed." The arrows are kept in a tube like a quiver, or -dicebox, and shaken out at random. The shrine is finely decorated, -containing mystic figures and devices, and it stands upright against a -wall. A table on which to shake the arrows is placed before the shrine. On -page 26 of "Korean Games," Mr. Culin states: "In Japan fifty slender, -rounded splints of bamboo, called Zeichiku, varying in length from two to -fourteen inches, are used. The fortune-teller gathers them in his right -hand, raising it reverently to his forehead, muttering incantations, then -parts the sticks into bundles, prophesying good or evil according to the -number in each, and it is said that each splint, having its value and -meaning, covers all events of a man's life as recorded in a book of -'oracular responses' that the diviner keeps beside him for reference." - -Mr. Culin also mentions the "Meisir game of the Arabs," when seven arrows -were shaken from a tube or quiver. This old game was played before the -time of Christ, and Mahomet prohibited it, calling it "the work of -devils." Arrows made of nab-a tree were used. (This name was seemingly -derived from Naib or prophet.) They were of a bright yellow colour, and -when shaken in the box gave a peculiar ringing sound, so arrows made of -any other wood were considered undesirable and were discarded. Each arrow -had a name and was marked with a numeral. - -The significant and historical Staff or Rod of the Tarots was replaced in -the French pack by the design of a clover leaf, or, as it is called, -_Trèfle_, which we name a Club, a cognomen that recalls the original -intention, so would otherwise be meaningless. Nor does the Coin or the -Denari take the place of the one that originally represented Mercury -Agoneus, the protector of merchants and of commerce. This sign when -consulting the oracle denotes fair people and also the element of water, -and anything floating on it or living in it, besides all things connected -with trade, mercantile transactions, or development. - -The Coppas or Cup suit is appropriately typified by a Cup or Chalice or -the Vase of Mercury Chthonius. This device is superseded by the Hearts of -the French pack, which symbolise the passive principle of the universe. -Corresponding as it does with the chalice of the clergy, it betokens not -only men of religious life, but those of knowledge and power through -learning, and also scientific men and those in the government and law. -Love and instruction are typified by the symbolic Cup that denotes fair -people, who are also represented by the suit of Denari when the cards are -consulted about the affairs of life. - -The Cup plays a prominent part in the symbolism of ancient days. In -"Records of the Past," by Professor Sayce (Vol. III, page 86), is a letter -from Dusratta to Amenophis III, translated from a cuneiform tablet -discovered at Tel-el-Amarun, in Upper Egypt: - - "And to my father did thou send much gold, - An oblation dish of solid gold and a Cup of solid gold," - -showing that the Cup symbolised not only a connection with sacrifice, but -was also a bond of friendship. Votive cups are found in the temple of -Osiris, showing that they were used in his worship. Some are very small, -as if intended for children to use. - -The "Cupbearer" to Royalties in Babylonia and Egypt was a most important -post, for the person was chosen for faithfulness, since poison could be so -easily conveyed in wine and drunk unsuspectingly by the king. The -"Sakibearer" or Butler of Persia became one of the heroes or gods. He was -also called "the Spiritual Instructor," showing a connection with the -priesthood, or "He who hands a Cup of Celestial Love," which is typified -by the wine as well as the Cup. "Jamshid, one of the greatest rulers of -Iran" (Persia), says Major Sykes, in "The Glory of the Shia World" (page -139), "was able by means of his seven-ringed Cup not only to predict the -future, but also survey the entire world." This Jamshid had many of the -qualities of Thoth Hermes attributed to him, for he introduced into his -country the use of iron, the arts of weaving, wine-making, and healing, -with many other arts and sciences, his memory is greatly revered. Omar -Khayyam sings of him - - "Iran, indeed, is gone with all his Rose - And Jamshid's sev'n ring'd Cup, - Where? No one knows." - -The Cup placed in the sack of his brethren by Joseph was no mere accident, -as it had for them a most important and symbolic meaning that is indicated -but not enlarged upon in the Bible. Babylon is called "A golden Cup in the -hand of the Lord." (Jeremiah li:7.) That it was a symbol connected with -power, priesthood, sacrifice, and friendship is indicated whenever it is -mentioned in the Bible--for instance, Psalms lxxv:8, where it is said: -"For in the hands of the Lord there is a Cup"; or the thirty-seven other -times it is again spoken of in the Old Testament, and the thirty-two -references to it in the New. The cups discovered in Babylonia and Egypt -are of many different shapes that indicate the particular uses to which -they were to be put. Those intended for holding the sticks when consulting -the oracle of Thoth resemble a modern dicebox, as well as the box still -used for sticks in China and Japan. - -In Egypt immediately after death the soul was supposed to descend to the -Lower World, and was then conducted to the Hall of Two Truths, where it -was judged in the presence of Osiris and the forty-two Dæmones (the Lords -of Truth) and Judges of the Dead. The Director of the Weights was Anubis, -who placed in one of the scales of Justice (or Ma) a figure of Truth, and -in the other a Cup containing the good actions of the deceased, while -Thoth stood by, tablet in hand, to record the result. This shows the -positive connection of Thoth with the emblems that afterwards became one -of the devices of Mercury when he succeeded Thoth in both the upper and -the lower worlds. - -Late discoveries in Crete show frescoes representing handsome youths as -cupbearers to King Minos. - -The Espadas or Sword suit speaks for itself, and here, as well as in the -name of the Club suit, the origin of the Spade is preserved, for _Les -Piques_ of the French pack (that represents the Halbert of mediæval times -or the guardians of the person of the king), resembled garden spades to -the English, who called them by that name, that when spoken recalled the -pronunciation of the Spanish pip _Espadas_. A Harpé or Sword was presented -by Jupiter to his son Mercury as a token of bravery and skill when he was -the Messenger who killed Argos, or the herald of Mars. His title was then -Mercury Argiphontes when he represented the best qualities of the warrior, -such as courage, bravery, decision, and temperance. The suit typifies dark -people and the element of air, and protects those who fly, whether birds -or men. Altercation is also denoted by the Sword suit, as are troubles, -sorrows, transformations, lawsuits, hatred, enemies, spies, or rivals. The -word in Hebrew signifies lightning, brightness--as in Job xx:25, "the -glittering sword cometh out," which is particularly typical of the bright -planet and the god of lightning. The Sword as "Messenger" is frequently -referred to, as in Numbers xxii:31, "The angel of the Lord standing in the -way and his sword drawn in his hand." - -The Cup and the Sword pips are recalled by a game played in Korea called -Pitch-pot, one of the oldest games known to history. Arrows are thrown -into a vase of water placed two and a half lengths from the player, who -kneels on a mat to throw his weapon into it. After all the arrows have -filled the cup the loser must drain it at one swallow. - -The Money suit not only recalls the connection with merchants, with -Mercury as their protector, but probably had an earlier origin in the -mystic circle so beloved by occults. Isaiah xl:20 mentions the one "that -sitteth upon the circle of the earth," which quotation is fraught with -symbolism. The royalties on the Egyptian tombs always wear a broad collar -or necklace, the narrow cord being the emblem of the slave; but the King -wears it as denoting his submission to the gods, while claiming to be -supreme among men. The circle placed on their heads was a sign of -unceasing power, and the zone or belt worn by female goddesses or -princesses signified maidenhood or supremacy and had other mystic -meanings. The coin placed on the cards signified many things besides -merchants and their occupations, but it was generally connected with the -material things of life. The Chinese coin still retains the hole in the -centre, making it a hollow round. It is supposed by some that the coin -was originally the mystic serpent with tail in mouth, thus completing the -circle. Zwvoi meant the Serpent which girdles the globe and represents the -Zodiac or Ecliptic line denoting the path of the sun. - -The four Court cards dominate and control the pips of their own suits and -play an important part wherever placed. The suits of Money and Cups denote -the home and family life and are considered benign, while Money represents -friends, partners, or strangers, and Swords may mean any one of them as -desired by players; but the last two suits are usually deemed material or -malignant, being the opposite to the benign suits. In general, Rods -represent enterprise and glory; Coins denote investments or transactions; -Cups typify love and happiness; while Swords seem to call for hatred and -misfortune. - -Then the number of each of the cards betokens something, for, dealt in -four packets with three cards in each one of the heaps, a singleton is -left for the fourth packet. The first pile should contain an Ace, Deuce, -and Tray, which portend commencement. That is to say, if Rods are the suit -these three cards tell of the beginning of an enterprise. If the suit -is Cups they mean the beginning of a love affair, and in the same way -hatred or a quarrel is denoted as beginning if the Sword suit is used, -while Ace, Deuce, and Tray of Money announce the inception of a business -transaction. - -[Illustration: EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS - -Pip and Court Cards of the Rod Suit - - 49 Seven of Rods - - 50 Eight of Rods - - 51 Nine of Rods - - 52 Ten of Rods - - 53 Knave of Rods - - 54 Cavalier of Rods] - -The second packet includes the Four, Five, and Six, which denote inertia, -stoppage, opposition, concentration. - -The Sevens, Eights, and Nines represent balance, poise, or result, and the -Tenth card means uncertainty. - -Each number has the same value or meaning. That is to say, an Ace of Rods -means the beginning of an enterprise, the Deuce that the enterprise is -arrested, while the Tray signifies that the enterprise having been -established, can be continued. - -The Ace of Money is the commencement of fortune, the following two cards -mean opposition and good fortune. The Ace of Cups the dawn of a love -affair, the Deuce opposition to it, and the Tray consent. The Ace of -Swords means enmity, the Deuce that the enmity is arrested, and the Trey -declares open rupture or war. - -Therefore the packets of three with the singleton may be classified as, -first, commencement; second, opposition; third, balance. The first three -indicate dawn, the second three noon, while evening is represented by the -Seven, Eight, and Nine, and the Ten card shows bewilderment or night. - -The court cards in the Tarots have four to each suit that are named King, -Queen, Cavalier, and Knave, and they represent man, woman, child, and -servant. The male figure denotes enterprise, the female characterises -affection or love, the youth typifies conflict, strength, struggle, -rivalry, or hatred, while the Knave means transition. The court cards also -express pointedly the meanings of the suit that they represent. They -betoken family life, with the King as father, the Queen as mother, the -Cavalier as son, and the Knave as daughter, child, or servant. - -The King of Rods or Staves is a dark, kind friend; his Queen represents an -amiable, good, charitable, or friendly person. The Cavalier is dark and -good; the Knave is a dark messenger or child. - -The court cards of Money typify fair people who are friendly, kindly -disposed, or indifferent; the King representing the male, the Queen the -female. The Cavalier portends strangers, and the Knave messages or news. -These figures of the Rods and Cups bear inverse value to the Swords and -Money, for the latter do not belong to the family, but indicate outsiders, -strangers, or the world in general. - -The King of Cups is a fair man and frequently means a lawyer, a councillor -or a clergyman. The Queen is a blonde friend, perhaps the best beloved, -and the Cavalier is sometimes a fair-haired lover, while the Knave is an -infant, a messenger, or a birth. - -The Suit of Swords always is unlucky, and its King betokens a dark, bad -man, an enemy or some one to be mistrusted. The Queen represents a -brunette who is wicked and to be feared, a gossip, a treacherous -character. The Cavalier is an enemy or a spy, and is dark; while the Knave -is bad news, delay, or malice. The whole group indicates opposition raised -outside of the home. - -It will be seen that if each one of the seventy-eight cards belonging to -the Tarots be given the meaning assigned to it in the foregoing rules, -nearly every emotion, every incident, every characteristic of man is -typified, and the combinations are as endless as are the chances of life. -As the cards are dealt and fall together, one balances or controls the -other, so that when their meaning is deciphered as a whole there is a most -interesting picture of ordinary life. - -The game is played by two persons, one who deals and one who reads the -cards, or rather interprets with superior knowledge the meaning of the -great Book of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus. It can readily be seen how the -game could be taken advantage of by the unscrupulous, who induced -credulous persons to believe that the leaves of the book revealed the -future. This faith, indeed, was inherited through generations, who -received it from Moses and many of the Hebrew prophets, as well as from -the priests of the temple of Thoth and those of Mercury; so it is small -wonder that the mysterious leaves were regarded with awe, and that their -revelations are received with implicit obedience, since the orders of the -gods could be transmitted through the rods of Moses and Aaron that became -the pip leaves, and the message was exemplified through the emblematic -figures on the walls. The pips translated the meaning of the Atouts, -without which neither part or volume of the book could be fully -understood. Therefore all fortune-telling with packs of Hearts, Diamonds, -Spades and Clubs is nonsense, since these cards were invented for games or -gambling and have nothing occult or prophetic about them. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -SOME OLD ITALIAN TAROTS - - -It is practically impossible to bridge the chasm between the abandonment -of the actual and open worship of Mercury in his own temples to the -transference of his heraldic emblems to the unbound leaves of a book that -could be concealed on the persons of his priests, for doubtless the rites -of Mercury were practised privately for many years by people who had every -motive for concealment; and since there was no law against these secret -practices, there is no record of their having been broken, no ordinance -concerning games of cards or fortune-telling, and no official record -pointing directly to cards under the name now generally given them. What -may be recorded concerning the priests of the cult of Mercury remains to -be discovered. - -Nor can we date the period when these same leaves came to be regarded as -affording amusement, or from being wholly in the hands of initiated -persons and regarded as a vehicle for consulting the wishes of the -deities, they fell into the possession of soothsayers or unscrupulous -fortune-tellers, who did not hold the interpreting key and made improper -uses of the ancient Book of Thoth. - -Nor, again, is there any record of when cards became the tools of -gamblers, who used them for games of chance, although their consultation -might always have partaken of the elements of "chance," but in a very -different way. - -However, it is well known that the introduction of Christianity into Rome -gradually caused the deities of Olympus to be disregarded, so that those -who still worshipped the gods of their ancestors did so in secret, and -when St. Paul set foot at Pozzuoli, close to the temples of Osiris and -Mercury, the first step was taken towards the downfall of the ancient -rites. - -It is quite natural, therefore, that writers on the origin and history of -Playing Cards have found no record of their invention, no monument to -their inventor, and no cradle at their birthplace, since they looked -solely for the cards that were familiar to them and for games played with -those cards, while they failed to recognise that the cards were part of a -cult and were the heraldic emblems of Mercury (as displayed on the pip -cards) and those of ancient Egyptian gods (as depicted on the Atouts), -and, therefore, these writers declare that no link exists between the -Italian Tarots of the present day and the great Book of Thoth Hermes -Trismegistus, while they acknowledge that Playing Cards owe their -invention to the Egyptians, who, having inherited the "men portrayed upon -the walls" from the Babylonians and the traditions of Nebo, "the one who -writes the tablets of fate," elaborated the ceremonies, simplified their -code, and introduced them to Europe, first through the priests of the -Serapeon, and then, by means of the Tarots, to other parts of the world. - -Some claim that the gypsies were originally the initiates of the temple of -Thoth, and that it was they who carried Playing Cards as a means of -divination through Europe. One of their customs is to demand that the palm -of the right hand be crossed with a piece of money before beginning to -read a fortune; and by some this custom is supposed to date from the time -when the fortune-teller demanded from his clients an oath of secrecy, -which was ratified by making the sign of the cross. Unless there was some -such meaning originally attached to the custom, there would seem to be no -reason for this performance being enacted in connection with -fortune-telling with cards, and as far as is known with no other -transaction in the commercial or nomadic world. - -There are many signs suggesting that the gypsies were able to translate -the symbols on the cards at an early date, soon after they appeared in -Europe, and it is certain that for several centuries these nomads have -used Playing Cards for telling future, past, or present events, and have -done it with so much self-confidence that it would seem that they -possessed a key to the occult mysteries. It is, therefore, unwise to -discard this theory entirely, for the gypsy tribes scattered over Europe -certainly aided in widely distributing the cards. Nor does the connection -of gypsies with the ancient mysteries quarrel with the statement that -cards were part of the worship of Mercury, since no man can say that these -people were not the original priests of the temple who were cast out of -their shrines and forced to wander about the world. In England these -nomads are frequently called the Egyptians, while their own name for -themselves is Romany. - -Spain has contended with Italy for the honour of originating Playing -Cards, but without proving her case, for Spain preserved only a mutilated -pack of pip cards, showing the symbols of Mercury, indeed, but -unaccompanied by the emblematic Atouts that were the first volume of the -book; these have never been known in that country. But, then, Spain was -not the home of the gods of Olympus, nor was that country in close contact -with Egypt, as was Italy. There is no historic record of yearly -communications between the two opposite shores of the great sea, as is the -case with Italy, for Seneca has left an interesting description of the -great fleet from Alexandria that yearly visited Pozzuoli, on the bay of -Naples. - -These vessels carried not only wares, but merchants and missionaries, from -the great seats of learning at the temples of Egypt. The priests of those -days were not necessarily religious men, but they were scholars and -scientists, who thought that their best use in the world was the -diffusion of their learning and knowledge. - -Since it is clearly established that the worship of Serapis, Thoth, and -Mercury was followed at Pozzuoli from a very early date, preceding -Christianity, it may be conceded that the people there were imbued with -the appreciation of its mysteries and adored them. When Christianity -refuted the doctrines of the heathen gods, those who followed the ancient -rites were forced to conceal them. Hence it is that if Playing Cards are -derived from this mysterious worship, through which they consulted the -wishes of their gods, no trace of them can be found in the legal records -before the middle of the fourteenth century, when the cards were -established as a game but not as a cult. - -Count Emiliano di Parravicino, in his essay on Tarocco cards in the -_Burlington Magazine_ for December, 1903, declares that professional -players or teachers, known as _barrattieri_ or _rabildi_, were organized -in guilds that were recognised by law as early as the beginning of the -thirteenth century, which seems as if the deposed initiates, or the -priests of Mercury, were still vital and a recognised necessity, although -under a new title. - -Happily for the card student, there still remain several packs of Italian -cards that link the present ones with the ancient emblems of Mercury. The -ducal family of Visconti inherited sixty-one cards that originally -belonged to Duke Filippo Maria Visconti, having been executed for him by -Marziano da Tortona early in the fifteenth century. These were mentioned -by Breitkopf in his work published at Leipsic in 1784. This pack differs -from its compatriots and successors in having five, instead of four, court -cards. The Atouts are beautifully painted with all the attributes -connected with Mercury. That of "the Lovers," No. VI, represents Duke -Filippo Maria wearing a broad-brimmed hat on which is inscribed "_A bon -Droit_"; the female figure is dressed as a bride and is probably a -likeness of the Duke's first wife, Beatrice di Tenda, the widow of -Francisco Cane. These figures are surrounded with small shields blazoning -the arms of Visconti and Pavia. - -Among these Atouts No. XIII, Death, is represented on a black, instead of -on a white, horse. The figures on the other cards resemble those still -commonly used, but, unfortunately, there are fifteen cards missing from -the pack. This historic collection of Tarots has been frequently described -and reproduced, since Marziano da Tortona, who executed the pictures, was -a scholar, as well as a skillful artist. He introduced some original -features in his treatment of the pictures while strictly conforming to the -heraldic devices that marked their origin, for no man living at that time -would be ignorant enough to change the devices, since they still told -their story to the people of the day, who understood heraldry even if they -could not decipher written words. - -This celebrated pack of cards was probably a wedding gift to the -illustrious couple, since the artist was also their secretary. That it was -prized, but little handled, and kept as a work of art is proved by the -good condition of the pictures, which are almost as fresh as when they -left the hands of the designer. They are treasured possessions of the -descendants of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti and are seldom allowed to be -seen or exhibited. - -Another interesting collection of early Tarocci (little Tarots) is -described by Count di Parravicino, who states that the pack was painted -early in the fifteenth century by a Ferrarese artist named Antonio -Cicognara. These cards have been owned in one family several centuries -with an authentic history of them, for in the annals of Cremona, written -by Domenico Bordegallo, is found the following reference to the pack: - -"1484. In this year our townsman, Antonio di Cicognara, a most skillful -painter of pictures and an admirable miniaturist, designed and illuminated -a magnificent pack of cards called Tarots, which have been seen by me, and -he made a present of them to the most honorable, reverend, and illustrious -Lord Ascanio M. Sforza, Cardinal of the Holy Church, Bishop of Pavia and -Novara, at one time dean of our cathedral and now commendatory of the -canons of St. Gregory, and son of the most illustrious and excellent -Francesco Sforza and the Lady Bianca Visconti, born here in Cremona." - -"The same artist," states Count di Parravicino, "illustrated other packs -for the sisters of this Cardinal. They were nuns in the Augustine Convent -founded in this town by the aforesaid Madonna Bianca." - -This naïve record of the amusements of the religious communities of the -fifteenth century presents a novel picture to the minds of those who -suppose that cards were not permitted within the sacred precincts, -although such was not the case, as is confirmed by a proverb of the day -that says "Mind what the friar says, not what he does." - -The Tarocco cards were thus called from the game "Little Tarots" or -"Tarocci," played at the time, said to have been invented by Francis -Fibbia. Thus the older name of Tarots became corrupted to Tarocco, -although the number and value of the original pack remained unaltered. - -The cards painted for Cardinal Sforza are still in existence. Some are -shown in the Carrara Museum at Bergamo; others are in the possession of -Count Alessandro Colleoni; while thirty-five cards of this pack are owned -by Mr. Pierpont Morgan and are exhibited by him in the Victoria and Albert -Museum in London. - -It is impossible to do justice to the beauty of this set of cards that are -painted in the most delicate manner. The background is of gold picked out -or embossed with a diapered pattern dotted in raised designs on a smooth -surface; the figures are cleverly moddeled and beautifully executed; the -faces are painted with the delicate touch of an accomplished miniaturist. -That of the Knave of Money is seen in profile, and is so expressive that -it is probably a likeness, since the treatment is even more careful and -the features better drawn than those of most of the Atouts. - -The Knight of Cups in the pack (originally owned by Count Alessandro -Colleoni, now owned by Mr. Morgan) is mounted on a white horse and is -dressed in an embroidered coat, with white leggings and pointed shoes. The -hair is parted and falls in waves on either side of the face, which is -that of a very young boy and rather effeminate. There is a crown on the -saddle-cloth of the horse that probably denotes the rank of the rider. - -The King of Swords also seems to be a likeness. He wears black armour, and -his shield displays armorial bearings. The Queen of Money has a -beautifully embroidered robe with a regal mantle falling from her -shoulders. Her hands are particularly well drawn and her attitude is -remarkably graceful. - -Temperance, Death, and Strength are among this pack, the former pouring -the water and oil together, which is one of the earliest known devices for -consulting the wishes of the gods. Death is the usual skeleton, who in -this case bears a sceptre, and Strength also repeats the emblem of the -sceptre or the caduceus. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -HEARTS, DIAMONDS, SPADES, AND CLUBS - - -It is probable that one of the oldest existing packs is the Tarot pack now -preserved in the Cabinet des Estampes in Paris. Others discovered in the -back of a book in Florence in 1910, also Tarots, have not been open to the -inspection of students. They are valued at two thousand dollars, but the -pack is not complete, nor on record, so the cards painted for Charles VI -may still claim to be the oldest known. The débris of this pack was also -discovered in the binding of a book of the fifteen century. The heraldic -devices on the cards and the detail of the costumes, which are essentially -French, point to their having been produced in the time of Charles VI. The -robes, beards, etc., of three of the Kings are similar to the portraits of -Charles or his courtiers. The velvet hats are surmounted with crowns and -the robes are trimmed with ermine. The dress of the Knaves corresponds -with that of the pages, or else with that of the _sergents d'Armes_ of the -day, while the Queens are dressed like the portrait of Isabella of -Bavaria. The court cards of the fourth suit show a marked contrast to the -richly bedecked ones of the three other suits, for the figures are habited -like savages, which is supposed to recall a fête given on the occasion of -the marriage of one of the queen's maids of honour to the Chevalier de -Vermandois, that had such a horrible termination. - -Charles VI had had attacks of mania, but was at that time more reasonable. -Hugonin de Janzay, one of his favourites, planned to entertain him by -inducing him to take part in a mummery, for which the king and five other -men were to be dressed as savages, and were to enter the fête to surprise -the guests. The party were dressed in linen soaked with tar and covered -with fur, so were completely disguised. They rushed into the ballroom -shouting and rattling their chains, when the Duc D'Orleans, brother of the -king, seized a torch from an attendant to look more closely at the -strangers, and by mischance set the inflammable clothes on fire. Most of -the men were chained together and could not escape, but one of them freed -himself and saved his own life by plunging into a cistern of water which -was placed in the buttery for the purpose of rinsing the drinking cups. - -The king, who was standing at a little distance talking to the Duchess de -Beri, was saved by that lady, who, with great presence of mind, wrapped -her velvet cloak around her royal master. This gruesome incident brought -on another attack of mania, that lasted until his death on the 21st of -October, 1422, after a reign of forty-two years. It is presumed by M. Paul -la Croix, in his essay on "Cartes a Jouer" (1873), that this celebrated -incident was perpetuated in the French cards that he thinks were invented -and painted at about that time. - -The fragments of the second pack, that apparently belong to the same -period, closely resemble those with which we are familiar, since they are -not Tarots but bear the pips invented by the French, and M. la Croix -states (page 241) that he "credits the tradition declaring that these -particular cards are the first Piquet pack, and that these were the -original cards that dethroned the Tarots of the Italians to become the -favorites of the French nation." - -These French pips were afterwards adopted by the less ingenious English, -while the Germans invented devices of their own, called Grünen, Eicheln, -Herzen, and Shellen, at about the same period. Although the Spaniards -remained faithful to the Tarots, they discarded the Atout part of the -pack, retaining only the suit cards with the pips of Cups, Money, Swords, -and Staves. The emblems adopted in the several countries nearly five -hundred years ago (when a wave of card playing seems to have swept over -Europe), have retained their hold on the affections of those who adopted -the individual devices, for each nation still clings to the pips that were -then chosen, and it is only by degrees that the French designs are -emigrating to different parts of the world. - -The "Jesse" pack of cards, now to be seen in Paris, are painted on -cardboard, and the figures are dressed in the fashions of the day. The -emblems recall the heraldic tokens of two of the courtiers of Charles VI, -as well as the one identified with one of the most beautiful and learned -women of her day. It is said that the invention of these pips was due to -the anxiety of Queen Isabella and her ministers to divert the unfortunate -monarch, so as to prevent his interfering with their schemes. - -It was with the alteration of the pips, the adoption of _Coeurs_ (Hearts), -_Carreaux_ (Diamonds), _Trèfles_ (Clubs), and _Piques_ (Spades), the -distinctive use of red and black unmingled with other colours, and the -discarding of the fourth court card, together with the Joker, and the -Atout part of the old pack, that the fortune-telling Book of Thoth became -transformed into a set of toys or gambling instruments. It is little -wonder that their original intention, purpose, and history became -obliterated and finally almost forgotten, so that when a French writer -ventured to state that cards were part of the Egyptian mysteries he was -treated as a foolish dreamer. - -The invention of the French pips is attributed to two persons, both of -them courtiers of the king, who probably worked together to produce a -simple and convenient set of devices that should be easily recognised and -as well adapted for playing, as were the original Tarots suited for -divining the lives and characteristics of mankind. One of the inventors -of the French pips was Etienne Vignolles, whose nickname was La Hire, and -this name has been found on some of the old cards, as if he wished to be -perpetuated in this way, and not as the brave old soldier who was well -versed in chivalric customs, and who, according to historians, had always -his sword drawn against the English. The second person to whom is credited -the invention of the Piquet pack is Etienne Chevalier, secretary to the -king, and his treasurer, who was noted for his original and inventive -genius and his quick wit. It is more than probable that to his facile -pencil the new designs should be attributed. The men who formulated the -rules of the game for which they invented the cards must have been clever, -as it is arranged with such care that these rules have remained -practically unaltered for five hundred years, and Piquet is still a -favourite in men's clubs and the best tête-a-tête game known. - -The Piquet pack contains five pip cards, Ace, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten, -with three court cards, King, Queen, and Knave, called by the French names -of Le Roi, La Reine, and Le Valet or varlet. With this handful of cards -we are all familiar. Here was a great modification of the old suits with -their heraldic devices. The Cavalier of the Tarot pack was discarded, thus -reducing the court cards to three instead of four, while five of the pip -cards were also omitted. The game was thoroughly scientific, needing close -attention and discretion even with the curtailed pack of cards. It showed -the soldier's hand in its stratagem, and that of the artist in its simple -colours. - -The king's banker was Jacques Coeur, whose beautiful palace in Bourges -shows a pun on his name in every lintel, door or window where a heart is -cut in stone or wood to remind one of the owner. Tradition states that it -was in honour of Jacques Coeur that his heraldic emblem, _Coeurs_ -(Hearts), was placed on the cards to perpetuate his memory, to the -exclusion of that of his patron, Mercury, the god of merchants. - -The Money emblem was changed to _Carreaux_ (Diamonds). This device may -have been inspired by the little lozenge panes of glass in the windows of -Coeur's palace, or by the tiles in the floors, or perhaps by "_les fers de -fiche_," which would have retained the original idea of the "divining -arrows" from which the old cards came. M. la Croix says: "The Sword of the -ancients became _Pique_ (Spade), to do honour to the two soldier brothers, -Jean and Gaspard Bureau." The _Trèfle_ (Club) was the heraldic device of -Agnes Sorel, a greatly accomplished woman who displaced the queen in the -affections of her husband. Sorel is the French for what we call shamrock -or clover, and was a pun on the name of the lady. - -M. la Croix thinks that these cards were devised some time between the -years 1420 and 1440. If so, they could only have been born at the very end -of the mad king's life. - -The distinctive marks of the French pack are the two dominating colours, -red and black, that strongly contrast with the various and mingled colours -seen in the Tarots. The reason for simplifying the pips in this way is not -recorded, although the change makes it much easier for players and was a -clever idea, but no sharp division like this is called for when playing -the game of Piquet (or little Pique), for which these cards were primarily -used. It was probably intended to simplify the work of the card maker, as -it demanded only the two colours commonly used by printers, black and red. - -It was about the year 1785, over three hundred years after the French had -become accustomed to their new cards, and had entirely forgotten that -there were any others, that Court de Gebelin, a French writer, published -his essay on Tarots, which he calls "that strange collection of unbound -leaves that are the parents of all modern playing cards." It is entitled -"Extràit du Monde Primative Analysé et comparé avec le Monde Moderne, Tome -I, Du Jeu des Tarots." - -[Illustration: EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS - -Pip Cards of the Sword Suit - - 55 Ace of Swords - - 56 Deuce of Swords - - 57 Trey of Swords - - 58 Four of Swords - - 59 Five of Swords - - 60 Six of Swords] - -The account begins with the announcement that the origin of the Tarots and -their allegories will be traced and explained, as well as their connection -with the cards of the day. The essay being in French, a free translation -with necessary omissions must be given, while the curious are referred to -the original. M. de Gebelin begins: - -"If it were announced that one of the ancient books of the early Egyptians -that contained most interesting information had escaped the flames that -consumed their superb libraries, every one would doubtless be anxious to -see such a precious and rare work. If added to this information it was -stated that the leaves of this book were scattered over Europe, and -that for centuries they had been in the hands of all the world, surprise -and incredulity would greet the suggestion. Yet when, to crown all, it was -realized that no one had even suspected the connection of the scattered -pages in their possession with those of Egyptian mysteries, nor had any -person deciphered a line on them, and that the fruit of an exquisite -wisdom is to-day regarded as a collection of extravagant pictures without -any significance, the world would be surprised at its own supineness or -ignorance. Despite incredulity on these points, a great Egyptian book, the -sole survivor of a valuable library, is still in existence, and, what is -more strange, this book is so universally used and seems to be so -insignificant that no savant has condescended to study its unbound pages, -nor has any student suspected its illustrious origin. Composed of -seventy-eight leaves that are divided into five classes, this book is, in -one word, what is commonly known as the Tarot pack of cards. Of ancient -origin, the bizarre pictures that they display do not betray the intention -or motive for assembling together such peculiar figures and emblems. -These pictures, that seem to be incongruously mingled, call for an answer -to the enigma, and they should not be treated as trifles or merely for -amusement." Such is the opinion of a scholar who lived over one hundred -years ago, and this opinion has survived the ridicule, abuse, and disdain -showered on de Gebelin after he had pointed out that the Tarots were in -truth the Book of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus. - -There is only one spot in the world where these cards remain in their -pristine condition and are played with to-day, and where they are offered -for sale, and it is interesting to note that it is close to the place -where the worship of Thoth first made its appearance in Europe. - -The Tarots are now used for playing several games, and these, if analysed, -will show marks of the ancient mysteries. Through them can be traced not -only a birthplace, but a history declared by de Gebelin to hark back to -the borderland of civilization. He points out that the writers of his day -have confined their studies to French cards used in Paris, when they were -looking for the origin of playing cards, entirely ignoring, or at least -never referring to, the Tarots, of which probably they had never heard. - -The history of French cards was not hard to relate, since it goes back -little over three hundred years. There is a record of their birth, and, as -has been mentioned, there are survivors of the original pack now to be -seen in Les Cabinet des Estampes in Paris, which display Hearts, Diamonds, -Clubs, and Spades. - -Merlin, Chatto, Singer, and Breitkopf look farther afield than de -Gebelin's predecessors, whose writings are now forgotten, but all of them, -while acknowledging that the images or the pips of the Tarots with which -they are familiar have some connection with an old condition of affairs, -fail to trace it, since no reliable historical or legal record of cards -that are called "Playing Cards" can be discovered prior to the Middle -Ages, so they assumed that cards could not have existed before that date, -but the possibility that they might have lived and flourished under -another name is overlooked. - -These authorities acknowledge that the shape, the sequence, and the -grouping of the Tarots display system, which they decide is interesting -but incomprehensible, yet they fail to unravel the significance of these -arrangements. They touch upon the strange resemblance of various figures -and their value in the game of _L'Ombre_ (The Man) to the civil law, -philosophy, and religion of the ancient Romans, Greeks, or Egyptians. Mr. -Singer points to one of the Atouts that he says "resembles the attributes -of Osiris," and other cards impress him as recalling those of Mercury, as -well as other mythological personages that he writes "seem to be found -among the Atouts." But all the authors arrest themselves at this point -without inquiring if these ancient gods whom they recognised were placed -with intention or by chance on the cards, and, although they concede that -the cards were used for divining purposes, they fail to connect them -distinctly with the mysteries of past ages. - -De Gebelin declares that "the Tarots could only be the outcome of the work -of sages," and that "these cards were intended for the use of initiates -and not for gamblers." He alone pierces the mystery of the origin of the -Tarots, while the others content themselves with supposing that cards -sprang in their present form into use precisely as Minerva emerged fully -equipped from Jove's head; they write that cards had no existence, no -form, and no record, previous to those accorded to them about the -thirteenth century. - -To call an antagonist "a dreamer" or "a fool" is an unconvincing form of -argument. To declare that a proposition is untrue because it is presented -for the first time and has not been looked into is absurd; so to-day, over -one hundred and twenty-five years after Court de Gebelin spread his pearls -before the uncomprehending students of Playing Card lore, it may be well -to recapitulate his theories and study his conclusions with minds opened -by latter-day revelations of the ancient rites, mysteries, and cults, and -not to reject them without investigation. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -COURT AND POINT CARDS WITH FRENCH PIPS - - -As early as 1656, according to the writers of the day, a pack of cards was -called in England, "a pair of cards," which was evidently derived from the -Italian, Paio, as the combined Atout and numbered cards, or the two -volumes of the book of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus, were occasionally called -in Italy. The importation of cards was prohibited in England in 1463, by -Act 11, Henry VII, as local productions were to be encouraged, so foreign -cards are seldom found in England. - -Sometimes the collection of fifty-two cards, adopted from the French, was -called "a stock," notably in the play of "The Three Ladies of London," -where one of them says: "Now, all the cards in the Stock are dealt about." -But the word is now only applied when it is wished to designate those -cards left after a hand has been dealt, although they are more commonly -called "the widow," or "the forsaken one." In Queen Elizabeth's day, a -pack of cards was called "a bunch," and Shakespeare terms them "a deck," -which designation is still used in Scotland and in parts of the United -States. - -The designs on the cards representing the numbers are technically termed -pips, or peeps, perhaps from the seeds of apples, pears, and oranges, that -are so called in England; and they are also called spots. - -In the "Metamorphosis of Ajax," by Sir John Harrington (1615), he says: -"When Brutus had discarded the kings and queens out of the pack, and shown -himself sworn enemy to all the Coate cards, there crept in many new forms -of government." This rather unique and old-fashioned way of designating -the figures in the pack leads some persons to suppose that the name -implied "coated figures, that is to say, men and women wearing coats, in -contradistinction to the other devices of flowers or animals." The term -does not seem to have been general, however, and it is more probable that -they were called "court cards," since these representative persons are -dressed in ermine, with rich embroideries and jewels, and two of each suit -are crowned, so that they were recognised as "coated," or fashionably -dressed. It has been pointed out that the original French court cards were -probably likenesses of the kings of France of the day, as well as their -consorts and mistresses; while in England, they were copies of well-known -portraits of Henry VIII and his beautiful mother, Queen Elizabeth of York, -so that they were rulers of the card kingdom, as well as of their -respective countries. The cards were, therefore, called "of the court," or -"court cards." - -The collection necessary for most of the games played with the French -cards vary in number, but this is merely a matter of local preference, as -demanded by the games in vogue. In Paris, a Piquet pack requires only -thirty-six cards, while, in the United States, Nonsuch Euchre calls for -sixty-one, including the Joker, which card is unknown in France. A -standard French or English pack contains fifty-two cards, divided into -four suits, like their forefathers, the Tarots. The distinguishing feature -of the junior pack is the two colours into which it is parted, for two of -the suits are painted black, and two are red; this distinction marks the -difference between the French cards and those of all other nations, where -local pips are used. - -The Tarots had four court cards to each suit, while the French and Spanish -packs have only three members of the court world. The Spaniards omit the -woman from their cards, while the French drop one of the men, the -cavalier, a mounted figure that gives variety and value to the royal -family in other countries, and makes the game more like one of war, and -not merely a compliment to a distinguished lady. However, the King, Queen, -and Knave are now the only ones with the French emblems, and these are -followed by ten pip cards, in which number one, or the Ace, is sometimes -the highest, and, at others, the lowest in the pack, according to the game -to be played. - -In the United States, a pack is incomplete without the Joker, which then -makes fifty-three cards to a standard pack. Many writers have tried to -connect the number fifty-two with the weeks of the year, but, as can -easily be seen by studying the Tarots, this was not the original number, -and the French, when inventing their new set of cards, probably had no -such connection in mind, and the Piquet, which is the earliest French -pack, contains less than fifty-two cards. - -The Joker did not make its appearance in the United States until about the -middle of the nineteenth century, and then for a rather strange reason. -The cards used in the Northern States were those inherited from France or -England, while those used in the extreme South-western States were of -Spanish origin, but the packs of none of these countries had retained the -old figure of Mercury. The Joker, however, suddenly appeared in the -American packs, the reason for this being as follows, cards are printed or -stamped on large sheets of paper, which are afterwards cut apart to the -required size. When arranged on the sheet, one space in a corner was not -used, and, therefore, left blank, although the back was printed exactly -like all the rest of the pack. Having no need for this card, the makers -generously threw it in, and placed it on the outside of the wrapper, so as -to show the colour and design of the back. The value of the new card was -rapidly recognised by players, who, impelled by some unknown power, -assigned to it the position originally occupied by Il Matto of the Tarot -pack, with all its old privileges of taking every other card. It was -particularly valuable in the game of Euchre, that sprang into popularity -at the same time that the Joker (or the one who played tricks and took -them) was adopted. So, through this accidental appearance of a blank card -in the pack, Mercury suddenly asserted his old supremacy, and cunningly -resumed his wonted place and power in the card world, although his -original prominence and his cult had been entirely overlooked and -forgotten for over five hundred years, except in one particular town in -Italy, where the old Tarots are retained in their pristine condition. - -Instead of using a blank card on the outside of the pack, some of the -European card manufacturers make a hole in the wrapper, through which may -be seen the Ace of Hearts, stamped with the government revenue stamp. In -England and the United States, the name of the manufacturer is printed on -the Ace of Spades, and the revenue stamp is pasted on the wrapper of the -pack. German card makers often place a blank card in their wrappers, but -it has not been incorporated into any of the local games, nor does it bear -a revenue stamp or the maker's name upon it. - -As soon as American manufacturers discovered that card players considered -the odd card of value, the Joker was quickly represented by various -grotesque figures, that differ in every pack, and are somewhat confusing -to players. It, therefore, seems a pity that a uniform design is not -agreed upon, as is the case with the court cards. Any deviation from the -dress of the figures on the latter meets with instant opposition from -players. It seems peculiar that the card is never represented by Mercury, -or a fool, or a clown, or perhaps, a red devil, which would make it easy -to distinguish from the Ace of Spades, which is often, and sometimes -disastrously, mistaken for the more powerful Joker. The most desirable -image that might now be used would be a reproduction of the beautiful -flying figure of Mercury, carrying the caduceus, by John of Bologna. - -No French packs, and very few English ones, contain a Joker, since the -games that call for its use are not favourites in those countries. -However, the Joker, with all its inherited value, is known in the -Japanese and Korean packs of cards, where it seems to be of sporadic -growth, and is apparently not connected with the ancient god, Mercury, the -quondam ruler of the cards. - -Nor are the makers of the French packs wedded to one costume for the court -cards, as are those of England, where the slightest change in the dress, -emblems, or colours, causes a remonstrance from players, who insist on -retaining everything as they have been accustomed to it for several -hundred years. The English people, however, do not reverence the images -because they are those of their own royal families, for it remained for an -American to identify the origin of the pictures, and to connect them with -the originals. - -English players even resented the alteration made about 1870, when the -cards were cut in two, and reversed, making what are known as "double -headers." These are sometimes declared to be an American innovation, but -in "Cartes a Jouer," by M. Merlin, a pack of Venetian cards, dated 1602, -is illustrated, the court cards of which are so divided. - -Another novelty invented and introduced in America, is the "index," or -the number of the card printed in the upper left-hand and lower right-hand -corners. This was necessary for playing Poker, where the players keep the -cards squeezed together as closely as possible, to prevent other players -looking into their hands. These useful little numbers have given their -name of "squeezers," or "indexed cards" to this fashion. English clubmen, -however, absolutely refused to adopt cards printed in this way. - -The costume of the King in English and American packs is a grotesque -reproduction of that of Henry VIII of England, and that of the Knave is -like the dress of the page of his day. The long sleeves were nicknamed -"pokeys," since food or precious articles might be concealed in them, so -these bag sleeves were the ancestors of pockets and reticules. - -It is quite as important to retain the position as the dress of each -figure, if the wishes of players are to be respected. Thus, the King of -Hearts holds the sword of Mercury uplifted in his left hand. It is an -heraldic weapon, and not a rapier, or what is known as a dress sword, that -would have been usual with the costume of the period. His mate on the -English cards, the red King of Diamonds, has a battleaxe displayed in the -upper left-hand corner, and he is the only king whose face is in profile. -His right hand is raised, as if bestowing a blessing. - -The two black kings each hold uplifted swords. That of Clubs faces towards -the left, as does the King of Hearts, but Clubs holds an orb in his right -hand. The King of Spades faces towards the right. All the kings have long -hair, resting on the shoulders, and curling upwards at the ends. They wear -small, pointed moustaches (with the exception of Hearts), and all have -beards divided in the middle and curled. Crowns and long, flowing robes, -trimmed with ermine, complete the costume, excepting on the modern, -double-headed cards, where their royalties are curtailed of half of their -splendour. - -It was once fashionable to assign names to the royal family of cards. This -custom has been retained in France, and is the only one, with the -exception of the colour and designs of the pips, that has been kept, for -the early dresses have been entirely discarded, and fantastic ones, with -no heraldic meaning and no inherited intention, have been substituted. -The revolution that overturned the throne of France also upset the -costumes of the card world, that had closely resembled the original -designs up to that date, but when royalty was banished, the cards followed -many and various fashions. - -In the originals, the Knave of Clubs was named Roland, for one of the -heroes of French literature in the time of Charlemagne. The king of that -suit has a legend printed beside his name, "_faut sou_" or "lack penny." -The Queen was called Tromperie. - -The King of Diamonds received the historical name of Corsube, and the -motto of his Queen was "_en toi te fie_," or "self-trust." The King of -Spades was Apollin, a Saracenic hero, and the Queen of Hearts bears the -motto, "_La foie etsp. d. u._," or "lost faith." The date of these cards -is about 1450. - -In another pack, of probably nearly the same date, the King of Hearts is -named La Hire. This was the nickname of the warrior who was said to have -assisted in the invention of the game of Piquet, and the pips unalterably -connected with it. The King of Diamonds has, beside his name, that of -Hector of Troy, said to have been the ancestor of the kings of France. The -Knave of Spades is Ogier the Dane, reminding the players of one of the -peers in the time of Charlemagne. The kings of this historic pack were -Alexander, Cæsar, David, and Charlemagne. The queens were Judith, Pallas, -Argine, and Rachel. Judith was intended for Isabella of Bavaria, mother of -Charles VII, and a very disreputable person; Pallas typified Joan of Arc, -who gave her life for her nation; Argine was supposed to represent the -wife of the king, Marie of Anjou; and Rachel was Agnes Sorel, whose -emblem, the sorrel or clover leaf, had been placed among the pips. - -The Knaves in the card kingdom of England wear battlemented caps of red -velvet, shaped like those worn in that country by the servant class in the -middle of the sixteenth century, when the dress of each man and woman -marked his or her position with peculiar distinctness. To be quite -correct, the caps should be black, but the touch of colour is well-liked -on the cards. The warriors or police of the pack are the black knaves who -hold pikes as weapons. The Knave of Clubs looks to the right, and his -comrade to the left. These cards typify Boaz and Jakin, or the pillars of -the Temple of Solomon, revered by Freemasons. - -The Knave of Hearts is a soldier, like his comrades, but of a somewhat -higher grade, and he carries on his right arm a halberd "at rest." In his -left hand is a branch of olive, representing the messenger of peace, -clearly descended from the emblem of Mercury, whose wand was often used as -a flag of truce. The Knave of Spades carries a twisted ribbon, strongly -suggestive of the caduceus; and he is supposed to represent Patch, the -favourite court fool of Elizabeth of York. Both the Knave of Hearts and -the Knave of Spades are in profile, and look over the left shoulder. The -hair of all is long and curly. With the exception of Clubs, all of the -Knaves wear moustaches, but no beards. Diamonds once sported a quiver with -arrows, but this has now become part of the dress, and is difficult to -separate from its trimmings. Before they were so ruthlessly cut in half, -these Knaves had funny short, fat legs, with broadtoed shoes. - -The names given to the knaves in different localities and in different -games are not written on the cards, as is the case in France, but they -receive them from the players, and are sometimes historical and rather -affording. In the old game of Gleek, they were nicknamed Tom. In other -games, the Knave of Clubs was designated Pam, and in Germany, he is called -Wenzel, Wencelaus, or _der Treffle-Bube_. - -Jack was the name given to all the Knaves in All-Fours, which cognomen has -clung to them. In Euchre, the Knaves of Trumps are called Bowers. The -rules of that game make the Joker the highest card, followed by the Knave -of the suit declared to be trumps, and the Knave of the suit of the same -colour. Thus, if Hearts are trumps, its Knave is called "the right bower," -and the Knave of Diamonds becomes "the left bower." This word is a -corruption of a dialect word, meaning "young man," and was given to the -Knaves when Euchre was invented, about the middle of the last century, at -the same time that the Joker was reappointed to his old place in the pack. - -In Skat and the games from which it has been adapted, such as Tappé Tarot, -of the Austrians; L'Ombre, of the Italians, and Primero, of the Spaniards -and English (to all of which the German game bears a strong resemblance), -the Knaves are called "Matadores." In France, the Knave is called Varlet, -or Valet; in Italy, Fanté; in Spain, Soto; but there are local nicknames -for all the Knaves in different countries and in different games. Obermann -and Untermann, or, for short, Ober and Unter, are printed on the two male -figures in the German packs, where three court cards are retained, but -where no Queens are to be found, although the Tarots had four royal -personages, including a Queen. - -The attributes, dresses, and devices of the queens of the card kingdom are -historical and most interesting, for, like their kings and valets, their -fashions have survived unchanged for practically four hundred and -twenty-five years, since the French cards were introduced into England. - -None of the faces are in profile, but the Queens of Diamonds and Clubs -incline to our right, while the Queens of Hearts and Spades look towards -our left. The robes are trimmed with ermine and are confined at the waist -by jeweled buckles. A wimple or veil floats from the fair hair that is -parted over the brow and crowned with a diadem, worn quite far back -instead of on the top of the head. - -The representation of the Queens on the cards is a close copy of the -costume of the many portraits extant of Elizabeth of York, daughter of -Edward IV of England, wife of Henry VII and mother of Henry VIII. Some of -her likenesses are in different collections in England, the most -interesting one being in the National Portrait Gallery in London. - -The picture of Henry VII, which hangs as a pendant to that of his lovely -wife, is marked 1505, or four years before his death, and looks like an -elderly, careworn man, but that of his consort was probably painted at the -time of her marriage, as she is portrayed as a young, sweet-faced woman. -It is this picture that has been placed on the cards, where it has -remained practically unaltered for four centuries, while her husband's -likeness has not been perpetuated among the court cards. - -The reason for placing the likeness of Elizabeth of York on the cards may -be briefly stated. She was born in the palace of Westminster, February -11, 1466, and was the eldest child of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. -For some years the little royal princess was heiress to the throne. When -his daughter was about nine years of age, King Edward made an expedition -into France, and war with that country was averted only by her submitting -to become tributary to the invaders. In the articles of peace, the -Princess Elizabeth was contracted to the Dauphin Charles, the eldest son -of Louis XI and the great-grandson of the crazy Charles VI, for whom the -French pips were said to have been invented. - -"From the hour of her contract with the heir of France, Elizabeth was -always addressed in the palace," says Miss Strickland in her "Lives of the -Queens of England," "as Mme. la Dauphine," so "the most illustrious Maid -of York" (as she was also called) was taught to speak and write French by -ladies sent to England by Louis. They also dressed the princess in the -latest French fashions. The simple veil of fine white muslin, that had -been the customary court dress, was replaced by a velvet hood with long -lapels heavily jeweled. Flowing sleeves trimmed with ermine took the -place of the tight ones with broad lace cuffs that had formerly been the -style in England, and a robe confined at the waist by a girdle and jeweled -buckle took the place of the stiff, tight bodice. All these items of dress -have been closely copied in the cards, where they may be easily studied. - -[Illustration: EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS - -Pip and Court Cards of the Sword Suit - - 61 Seven of Swords - - 62 Eight of Swords - - 63 Nine of Swords - - 64 Ten of Swords - - 65 Knave of Swords - - 66 Cavalier of Swords] - -Elizabeth was also taught embroidery by her French _dame d'honneur_, but, -above all, was instructed to play with the cards bearing French pips -instead of those with German emblems, showing Acorns, Leaves, Hearts, and -Bells, that were probably used before that time in England, since they are -the only ones found in that country. - -The marriage contract was treacherously broken by the French king, who -married his son to Anne of Bretagne, and this slight to the Princess -Elizabeth so infuriated her father that it caused his death. - -After years of sorrow and vicissitudes, Elizabeth married Henry VII, -January 16, 1486, thus uniting the houses of York and Lancaster, and her -heraldic rose remains on the cards to remind us of this important event. - -John de Gigh, a prebendary of St. Paul's, wrote a Latin epithalamium on -her marriage, and a part of it describes this exalted lady on her wedding -day. A free translation of it may be given as follows: - - Oh! royal maid, - Put on your regal robes in loveliness. - A thousand fair attendants round you wait, - Of various ranks, with different offices, - To deck your beauteous form. Lo, this delights - To smooth with ivory comb your golden hair, - And that to curl and braid each shining tress, - And wreathe the sparkling jewels round your head, - Twining your soft, smooth locks with gems. This one shall clasp - The radiant necklace framed in fretted gold - About your snowy neck, while that unfolds - The robes that glow with gold and purple dye, - And fits the ornaments with patient skill - To your unrivalled limbs, and here shall shine - The costly treasures from the Orient sands. - The sapphire, azure gem that emulates - Heaven's loftly arch, shall gleam, and softly there - The verdant emerald shed its greenest light, - And fiery carbuncle flash forth its rosy rays - From the pure gold. - -This graphic description of hair, costume, and ornaments seems to be still -repeated in the cards of to-day that closely resemble the portraits of -this dainty queen. - -Elizabeth was a believer in fortune-telling and consulted an astrologer on -many occasions. It was predicted that all sorts of good fortune would -befall her in 1503, on the day that she completed her thirty-seventh year. -This is alluded to in the elegy that Sir Thomas More wrote on his royal -mistress, describing in it the folly and vanity of such divinations and -their untrustworthiness, as follows: - - Yet was I lately promised otherwise - This year to lie in weal and in delight; - Lo! to what cometh all thy blandishing promises, - O false astrology and divinitrice, - Of God's secrets vaunting thyself so wise? - How true is for this year the prophecy? - The year yet lasteth, and lo, here I lie. - It booteth not for me to wail and cry, - Pray for my soul, for lo, here I die. - -For, after a short and sad married life, Queen Elizabeth died on her -birthday, February 11, 1503. "She was," says Miss Strickland, "one of the -most beautiful of our queens. Her portraits are numerous and her -monumental statue is in King Henry's Chapel at Westminster Abbey. It was -designed by Torregiano and shows the sweet expression of her mouth." - -The portrait of this lovely, gentle lady may well remain as queen of the -Card Kingdom, with that of her son, Henry VIII, as king. In England the -Queen of Hearts is still frequently called "Queen Bess." - -The plaid or chequered backs fashionable at one time on cards were later -discarded, since they could so easily be used by gamblers, who put marks -on the cards that could not readily be discerned by unaccustomed players. -The chequered backs gave rise to the supposition that the board for -playing chess had been transferred to the backs of the cards, and the -chessmen had been converted into printed figures on the faces of the -cardboard. This idea has been proved incorrect, since cards are in no way -derived from the game of Chess. - -In France the backs of the cards are highly glazed and are of a plain, -uniform colour, generally red or green. In Spain card makers use speckled -backs. The modern Tarots have designs engraved on a very thin paper that -is pasted on the back, the edges of which are turned over the face of the -card, making a narrow border. These designs are sometimes "the woman of -Samaria," and at others a Hercules throwing rocks down a precipice. The -backs of old English cards were generally plain, and when paper was scarce -or expensive, old cards were too useful to be destroyed, and were used for -various purposes; hence we find them in the bindings of old books. - -Sometimes they were cut up for paper dolls. The richly dressed figures of -the court cards were ingeniously put to this purpose, while a skillful -cutter could with a pair of scissors fashion sleds, chairs, tables, etc., -from the pip cards. - -In "Henry Esmond," Thackeray mentions that an invitation was sent on a Ten -of Diamonds, and this was a common practice in America before the -Revolution. There are several cards preserved in different families on -which invitations have been written or printed. One of them is as follows: -"Sir Jeffery Amhurst's compliments to Mrs. Paul Miller, and desires the -Favour of her Company to a Ball at the New Assembly Rooms on Saturday the -23d inst., being the Anniversary of St. George. Head Quarters April 18th, -1763, New York." - -In the days of Charles I and the Commonwealth, there was a Sir John -Northcote, ancestor of the present peer, who took the Parliamentary side -against the king. His father was Justice Northcote, who at a game of cards -won an estate in Devonshire from a Mr. Dowrish. The game played was -Piquet, and to commemorate this transaction, the hands held by the players -were afterwards inlaid upon the table they used, that is still preserved -by the family. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -POINT CARDS WITH FRENCH PIPS - - -When Mercury's emblems were discarded by the French, some four hundred -years since, to be replaced by local designs, it was but natural that the -points should be accorded original and appropriate significances at their -birthplace, as well as in the alien countries where these new pips were -adopted. Names were suggested by the shape or usage of the device in -different games or under noteworthy occasions. - -Thus, the Pique of the French (the shape of which was derived from the -outline of the _hallebarde_ of the soldiers who were on guard about their -king) received from the English the name of Spade, and for this several -derivations have been given. One of them is that the shape resembled that -of the shovel or spade common among miners, but the more probable origin -is the one that is suggested from the Tarot pip called by the Spaniards -Espadas, the name of which was transferred to the new emblem, which is a -suggestion that the Tarot cards were not unknown in England before the -arrival of the French pack, although no cards of this period have been -found in England. - -This is strange, for fragments of an old pack called Dr. Stukley's cards -are now in the British Museum, bearing Bells and other German emblems. -They are of about the date of the invention of the French pips, but since -they were found in the binding of a Latin book that may have been imported -into England, the originals may never have been used in that country. - -In Yorkshire, the common people call a Diamond a "Picke," says Mr. Taylor, -"because it is picked or sharp-pointed as the diamond stone." Other -authorities declare that "it is to be gathered from its resemblance to a -mill-pick," and others assume that the small window frames of early days -are responsible for the name Diamond, as they were generally lozenge or -diamond-shaped. The name "Picke" may also have been a corruption of the -French Pique, assigned from the original to the pip of another colour. - -The name Club by no means describes the clover or sorrel leaf that was -the emblem adopted by Agnes Sorel, but was probably the name originally -given to the Rod or caduceus of the Tarots, again showing that these cards -were probably known in England before the French pips became fashionable. -They may have appeared first at court, and then among the noblemen and -upper classes, although it was probably a hundred years before these -emblems became common, as fashions moved slowly in those days and cards -were not cheaply reproduced, but for some time were expensive luxuries -only to be found among the rich. - -Hearts are the only pips whose emblem is correctly described by its name. - -The name of Ace seems to have been derived from As or Asso, which was the -unit of the Roman coinage. It is represented by a single device, placed in -the centre of the card, a fashion followed in all countries. - -A nickname for the Ace of Diamonds in Ireland is "the Earl of Cork." This -is explained by Mr. Taylor, who says: "It was because it is the worst Ace -and the poorest card in the pack, and the Earl of Cork was the poorest -nobleman." - -The Spaniards call the Ace of Money _Le Borgne_, or "the one-eyed." The -Trey of that suit is _Le Seigneur_. The Trey of Cups is named _La Dame_, -or the Lady, and the Deuce of that suit _La Vache_, or the Cow. The Nines -of Cups and of Money are "the great and little Nines," while the Ace of -Sticks is "the serpent." This is the caduceus of Mercury, around which -originally were wound the two heraldic snakes, which have now degenerated -into two strips or ribbons. - -The Aces of the Swiss pack have flags wrapped around the central pip, and -those of Germany have beer mugs and kindred subjects printed on them. In -European countries, cards can only be purchased from tobacconists or in -beer gardens. - -The Spaniards call the Two spot Dos, the Germans name it Daus, and the -French and English dub it Deuce. Although it is always the lowest in the -pack, since in almost all games the Aces are "high," there is an old -proverb which says, "There's luck under the black Deuce," and old whist -players had a habit of trying to prevent the good fortune from falling to -an adversary when they turned it up for trumps by saying, "Not when the -right elbow is on it," and suiting the action to the word. - -In England, at one time, the Nine of Diamonds was called "the curse of -Scotland," or "the cross of Scotland," referring to the arrangement of the -pips, which, with the addition of a few connecting lines, can be made to -look like the heraldic St. Andrew's cross on the arms of Scotland. Mr. -Taylor quotes on page 235 from "The Oracle or Resolver of Questions" -(1770), saying "the Crown of Scotland had but nine diamonds in it, so that -was the origin of the name for that card." - -An explanation is given for calling the card "a curse," as there is a -tradition that it was on this card that "the Butcher Duke of Cumberland" -wrote his sanguinary order after the battle of Culloden, and yet another -reason given is that, in the game called after her, the Nine of Diamonds -is named Pope Joan, to whom a large forfeit must be paid. Old Chinese -laquered boxes, that also contained beautifully carved mother-of-pearl -counters (chips), always had several little trays in them, which obviated -the necessity for spoiling a fresh pack of cards and folding them for the -necessary trays. The Chinese boxes had the Kings, Queens, Knaves, and -Nines of Diamonds painted on their bottom. These were placed in the centre -of the table and the forfeited counters paid into them. The game called -for one chip to be paid to the King, two to the Queen, three to the Knave, -and four to Pope Joan (the Nine of Diamonds), causing this card to be -disliked by players, who considered it "a curse." - -We call the Three spot a Trey, which name is probably derived from the -Spanish Tres or the French Trois. - -The Four of Hearts is sometimes called Bob Collingwood, and is by some -considered an unlucky card, while the Four of Spades has received the name -of Ned Stokes; but these are probably localisms and have but little -interest for the general public. The Four of Clubs is nicknamed "the -Devil's bed-posts," and in the old game of Gleek all the Fours were named -Tiddy. The Four of Money frequently bears the emblem of the double star, -signifying the "house of David," that was one of the signs adopted by -Freemasons. - -In the game of Gleek the Fives were called Towser, and the Sixes Tumbler, -and these were lucky cards, as they counted double when they were turned -up as Trumps. - -"In Ireland," says Mr. Taylor, "the Six of Hearts is called 'Grace's -card,' from the spirited answer returned by one of that family to Marshal -Schomberg, who sent to tempt Grace to espouse the cause of William of -Orange. A reply was written on the Six of Hearts as follows: 'Tell your -master that I despise his offer, and that honour and conscience are dearer -to me than all the wealth and titles that a prince can bestow.'" - -Lady Dorothy Nevill, in her interesting book, "Under Five Reigns," says -(page 320): "Visiting cards, it is not generally known, originated from -ordinary playing cards, which were used as such as late as the end of the -eighteenth century. A proof of this is that when, some time ago, certain -repairs were being made at a house in Dean Street, Soho, a few playing -cards were found with names written on their backs behind a marble chimney -piece. One of the cards in question was inscribed Isaac Newton, and the -house had been the residence of his father-in-law, Hogarth, in one of -whose pictures of Marriage a la Mode, Plate IV, several 'playing card' -visiting cards may be seen lying on the floor on the right side of the -picture. On one of them is inscribed, 'Count Basset begs to no how Lady -Squander slept last nite.' As time went on, specially devised visiting -cards with somewhat ornate calligraphy took the place of playing cards, -and these, in time, developed into the small and simple pieces of -pasteboard in use to-day." - -Although the Tarots and the cards of many nations have well-decorated -engraved backs, these sometimes were simply chequered or covered with tiny -dots, which made some writers believe the name Tarot to be derived from -_taroté_, or spotted; but this was not the case, since the original name -for cards was the "Book of Thoth." - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -"ACCORDING TO HOYLE" - - -The ancestor of all our common games of cards is probably L'Ombre, El -Hombre, or The Man, sometimes also called La Beste, the origin of which -has been traced to the middle of the fourteenth century in Italy, where -the original Tarots were used as they are to-day. A modification of the -old game is called Tarroco, the rules for which have been altered during -the centuries that have passed since the game was first taken to the -hearts of the gamblers, who succeeded the fortune-tellers or the priests -of Mercury. The game having now but few interpreters, the cards have -nearly ceased to bear the messages of the gods, and the cult of Mercury is -forgotten. - -L'Ombre was played during the fourteenth century in Spain, and wandered to -England, France, Germany, and Austria. It still receives its original -title in the first two countries, and is played by country folk, but in -France it seems to have been discarded. - -Under the name of Skat, and played with the pips of that country, a -modified form of the game is known in Germany. In Austria the game is -called Tappé Tarok, and the ancient names are assigned to strangely -designed cards quite foreign to the original Tarots, although the pack -includes twenty-two Atouts and fifty-two pip cards that bear the French, -but not the Italian or German, designs. For this game the old rules are -largely retained, and it is considered difficult and highly scientific, so -this rearranged pack has taken the place of the old Tarots in Austria. -Tappé Tarok is a fashionable game in Vienna, where the "Hoyle" of the day -calmly announces that it originated in that city with the cards invented -for it, totally ignoring the lineage of the true Tarots, of which their -Tarok pack is simply an alteration, with the French pips exchanged for -Cups, Money, Swords, and Staves. That the new symbols were adopted at the -same time that the emblematic figures of the Atouts were cast aside, to be -replaced by meaningless pictures, is most probable, and one author -declares that the change was made "lately," but a pack in the writer's -possession proves that such was not the case, for the designs are those of -the old Tarots. - -After the fortune-telling pack had been adopted for a tête-a-tête game, it -spread rapidly from Etruria to other places, and L'Ombre is mentioned in -early Italian books of history, romance, and poetry, where the game is -frequently called Tarroco or Minchiate. In England the Poet-laureate -Waller immortalized "a card torn at L'Ombre by the Queen," who was -Catherine of Braganza, the wife of Charles II. It is Belinda's game in -"The Rape of the Lock," and in many pictures of that time players are -depicted either tête-a-tête, or else three persons are seated at -three-sided tables that were particularly fashioned for this game; these -are still treasured in old mansions, where they are called Ombre or -Preference tables. - -The Spanish nickname for L'Ombre is Manilla, which is also that of one of -their favourite cards. Some of their towns have had this name given to -them, one of which is in the Philippine Islands and one on the African -coast. La Manilla is one of the "Matadores," the name given the four -cards that are selected to outrank all the others, and so called because -they are "killers" or "slaughterers," since they kill or take all other -cards. - -The Ace of Espadas (Swords) is the first Matador, nicknamed Espadilla, or -little Sword, after the Harpé of Mercury that is represented on this card, -the suit being called after its emblem. In England the card is called -Spadille. - -The second Matador is the one named Manilla or Malilla, and is the Nine of -Money. The third Matador is the Ace of Sticks, called Basto, "he who -knocks or beats." It is the Caduceus, or Rod, and the suit takes its name -from it. In certain parts of the game it is played with great effect, as -is mentioned in "Cranford," by Mrs. Gaskell, where is a description of -some ladies playing a game that was then called "Preference"; where Miss -Barker at the card table was "basting most unmercifully, although she -declared that she was too ignorant to know Spadille from Manille." The -fourth Matador is the Ace of Cups, and is called Punto, which means the -point or spot. - -Players of Skat will readily recognize these terms and the value of the -cards. Rules and play vary in different countries, so it would take close -study of each game to point out the various rules, names, etc., that -connect the games of the day with their five-hundred-year-old ancestor. - -In England the eldest descendant of L'Ombre seems to be Primero, Prime, -Prima-sta, or Preference, for all are the same game. Some writers claim -that when Philip of Spain was wooing Mary of England he taught her the -game fashionable at the court of his father, Charles V, but Primero was in -vogue among the people from the days of Henry VIII to that of James I, so -much so that Piquet, the French game taught to Henry's mother when the -French pips were introduced into England, was greatly neglected except in -court circles. - -In the Earl of Northumberland's letters we find a reference to the game, -as in one of them is the following sentence: "Jocelyn Percy was playing at -Primero on Sunday in Essex House, when his uncle the conspirator called on -him." - -In the Sidney Papers, Vol. II (page 83), there is an account of Sir Walter -Raleigh, William Ambrose Willoughby, and Mr. Parker "being at Primero in -the Presence Chamber, the queen was gone to bed. Lord Southampton, as -Squire of the Body, desired him, Willoughby, to give over. Soon after he -spoke to them again that if they did not leave he would call in the Guard -to pull down the board, which Sir Walter Rawley seeing put up his money -and went his ways." This occurred in 1598. - -In Marcus's "Life at Primero," many of the terms used in the game are -mentioned, such as Prime, Rest, Eldest Hand, Flush, Stop, Pack, etc., all -of which have been adopted in one or more modern games. In Minshew's -Spanish Dictionary there is an illustration of players at Primero in the -time of Queen Elizabeth. - -In "Capitolo del Gioco della Primera," by Berni, the game is thus -mentioned: "To describe what Primera is would be little less than useless, -for there can scarcely be any one so ignorant as to be unacquainted with -it, although played differently in Florence from Venice, Naples, France, -or Spain, but none of these various ways of playing the game are superior -to the Rules of Rome, where the game principally flourishes." - -In one of the works of Rabelais, edited by M. le Duchat, two kinds of -Primero are described called "the lesser" and "the greater." In the former -only pip cards are required, but in the latter the whole Tarot pack is -retained, as in Austria, where Atouts and pip cards belong to Tappé Tarok. -The Germans play "the lesser Primero" and call it Skat. This shows how -widely the rules of the game have parted from the original laws, which is -the reason that it is now almost impossible to harmonize it with the -fortune-telling game that it was primarily. In Italy it is called -Minchiate, Tarocco, and Tarocconi. These now differ as much from the -original as bridge whist does from these games. - -The terms of the different games were frequently used in old plays or -romances in England, as well as in other places. Shakespeare mentions -Primero in "Henry VIII" (v:1): "I left the king at Primero with the Duke -of Suffolk." Again, in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (iv:5), Falstaff says: -"I never prospered since I foreswore myself at Primero." - -Sir Harry Wildair (1701) says: "The Capot at Piquet, the Paroli at Basset, -and then Ombre. Who can resist the charms of Matadores?" - -Lady Lurewell answers: "Ay, Sir Harry, and the 'Sept le va, Quinze le va' -[of Basset], 'the Nine of Diamonds at Comet' [or Pope Joan], 'three Fives -at Cribbage and Pam,' the 'Queen to the Knave of Clubs in Loo.'" - -The terms in Primero have been so generally adopted in modern games that -they are familiar to all players, although as a collection they are no -longer used for one game. Primero is played by dealing four cards, at -which the players look, and, if they are unsuitable, they say "Pass." The -Sevens are the highest cards and are worth twenty-one points. The other -numbers have values that differ according to the locality where the game -is played. Quinola, or the Knave of Hearts, represents the Joker, and the -cards left after dealing are not called the Widow or the Stock, as in some -games, but the Rest. Punto, or "point," is not the Ace of Cups, as in -Spain, for in England it is the Quinola. Flushes are four cards of the -same suit, and Prime is a hand in which there are four cards of the same -value, but each one of a different suit. - -Card games followed each other, first one and then another becoming the -fashion, only to be replaced by a new one or a modification of some old -one, and after L'Ombre and Preference came Mawe, Post, Lodam, Noddy, -Barkerout (probably Baccarat), and countless others, to the now -all-important Bridge or Auction Whist. - -Mawe is described in Mr. Singer's "History of Playing Cards" (page 258) -"as a playe at cards grown out of the country from the meanest into credit -at court with the greatest." The game is frequently referred to by name in -books or plays written about 1580. The Ace of Hearts is called Rumstitch -or Romstecq, the name given to Mawe in the Netherlands. In Germany the -game is played with a Piquet pack of thirty-six cards, and any number of -persons from two to six may form the party. The Italians call a similar -game Romfa. - -Noddy is a childish game, but it was fashionable in the seventeenth -century, and is frequently referred to by writers of that time. - -Gleek is described in Cotton's "Complete Gamester," where it is called "a -noble and delightful game or recreation." It is also mentioned by Villon, -who wrote in 1461, and other contemporary authors. M. le Duchat, the -editor of Rabelais, declares that the name is derived from the German word -_Glück_, meaning chance or luck. It is played by three persons only, each -of whom is dealt twelve cards, eight being left in the widow, that is -called the "stock." The Deuces and Treys are taken from the pack. If the -Four is turned up as trump, it is called "Tiddy," and each player pays -four counters to the dealer. A Mourival is a hand holding all the Kings, -Queens, Knaves, or Aces. The players bid for the stock, as is done in -Nonsuch Euchre. The eldest hand says, "I'll vie the Ruff"; the next, "I'll -see it"; the third, "I'll see it and revie it," or, "I'll not meddle with -it," which terms are closely copied in modern games. The Ruff is the -highest flush, or else four Aces. The game of Ruff seems to have succeeded -Gleek, and many games have been evolved from it, including Bridge, Poker, -and Euchre, each one of which has adopted certain rules to the exclusion -of others, in this way making such different games that few people can -trace them to the originals. To ruff is a term still used by provincials, -by which they mean to revoke. - -The steps from Ruff to Bridge are called by different names, such as Trump -or Triumpo by the Italians and Spaniards. "Ruff and Honours, Alias Slam, -was once a favourite in England," says Cotton in 1680. - -In 1737 Richard Seymour published some rules, in which he says: "Whist, or -the silent game, vulgarly called Whisk, is said to be very ancient among -us, and the foundation of all the English games upon the cards." Dean -Swift declares that in his time "Whisk was a favourite among the clergy." - -"His pride is in Piquet," says Lord Godolphin in Pope's "Moral Essays," -showing the position that this game occupied in England in 1733, about -three hundred years after its introduction to the English court. It is -still played at the clubs to-day, showing what a strong hold it has upon -the affections of card players, and its original rules are hardly altered, -while the cards remain practically the same as when invented by La Hire, -Etienne Chevalier, and Jacques Coeur. - -It is supposed that the first reference to Piquet in print is in the works -of Rabelais, already quoted from (1533). Probably the earliest book of -rules is the one published at Rome in 1647, and translated into English in -1652. The rules were very much the same as those laid down afterwards by -Cavendish in 1882. The "point" was called the "ruffe," or, in French, -Ronflé. - -In "Les Facheux," by Molière (1661), there is an interesting Piquet hand -described by Alcippe, one of the players. In 1646 a _Ballet du Jeu de -Piquet_ was produced, in which the dancers were ranged according to their -colours, the blacks opposite to the reds and both sides headed by the -court cards. This ballet became a great favourite and was often produced, -as it interested the audiences, who appreciated the various movements of -the dance that reproduced and corresponded with the play of the game. - -English and French plays frequently refer to the card games of their day, -and Piquet is often mentioned. In the Epilogue to "Sir Harry Wildair" -(1701) is the following: - - Vat have you got of grand plasir in dis town? - 'Tis said Vidont is come from France, dat vil go down. - Piquet, Basset, your vin, your dress, your dance, - 'Tis all you see tout a la mode de France. - -John Hall was one of the early writers in England who referred to -Piquet, originally called Cent in that country. He says, in 1646, "a man's -fancy (or character) would be summed up at Cribbage; Gleek requires a -vigilant memory, Mawe a pregnant agility, Picket a various invention, -Primero a dexterous kind of rashness." - -[Illustration: EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS - -Pip Cards of the Money Suit - - 67 Ace of Money - - 68 Deuce of Money - - 69 Trey of Money - - 70 Four of Money - - 71 Five of Money - - 72 Six of Money] - -In 1659 a curious pamphlet was published called "Shuffling, Cutting, and -Dealing in a Game at Pickquet," a political squib which used the terms of -the game to describe the politicians. - -Hamlet says: "How absolute the Knave is. We must speak by the card or -equivocation will undo us. By the Lord, Horatio, these three years I have -taken notice of it, the age is grown so picked (piqued)." - -As the French cards, with the game of Piquet for which they were invented, -were introduced into England in the time of Edward IV, it is possible that -Hamlet used a familiar term when he declared the age was picked, as this -is an expression frequently used in the game. - -It is generally supposed that Euchre is a variant of the French game -Ecarté, the name of which is taken from one of the rules, meaning "to put -away or discard." In the United States, Euchre was adopted about 1840, -appearing first in the Middle West. It was for this game that the Joker -was reinstated in the pack, a card that at first was a blank one left -imprinted, but its adoption was accomplished very slowly, and it did not -change the games or completely dominate the packs until within the last -few years. - -Others assume that the game had a nautical derivation and was invented by -old salts, as the names given to the commanding cards have reference to -the forward anchors of a ship. - -In the year 1870 the first celebrated and authentic illustrated history of -the game of Euchre was published by Bret Harte: - - Which we had a small game, - And Ah Sin took a hand; - It was Euchre, and the same - He did not understand; - But he smiled as he sat by the table - With a smile that was childlike and bland. - -The verses continue describing the game, in which all cheated, and its -disastrous termination, "When we went for that Heathen Chinee," is too -well known to require repetition. - -In early editions of "The American Hoyle," as the book is called which is -the acknowledged authority on card games in this country, the history of -Euchre is given tentatively, but the account is rejected by later -editions, or, at least, not republished. Although the compilers of these -later editions evidently did not value, or perhaps credit, the history -given by their predecessors, it may well be quoted, since no other has -been advanced. The edition of 1864 says: - -"The origin of this fascinating game is somewhat uncertain. From the fact -that the word Bauer (a peasant) is pronounced similarly to the names of -the leading cards of the game, some have supposed it to be a German -invention, yet the game is unknown in Germany except in those parts where -it was introduced by wandering Americans." Nor do the German pips and -cards lend themselves to the chief features of the game, particularly -since they have no Joker, which is the most important card in Euchre. - -In speaking of this game, Hoyle writes as follows: "As it has been traced -to the counties of Bucks, Lancaster, and Lehigh, in the State of -Pennsylvania, where it first made its appearance about forty years ago, -it is not difficult to conjecture how it arose. Some rich farmer's -daughter of those American Teutonic regions had occasion to visit -Philadelphia, and carried back to her home a confused memory of Ecarté. -From her dim account one of her ingenious rustic beaux created the -rudiments of the original game of Euchre, which it is claimed is a -corruption of Ecarté, which by alterations and additions grew to what it -is. Conjectural as this is, a number of corroborative facts seem to -indicate that it is the fact." - -So far "according to Hoyle," but any one who has studied games and their -sequences may also suppose that among the descendants of the Prince of -Hesse's soldiers who were left after the war with England to spend the -remainder of their lives in exile, the old games common in their country -were remembered, and a game was evolved that suited the cards with the -French pips, which were the only ones obtainable in this country, even -although they differed from those of the Fatherland. Euchre resembles -Gleek or Glück, a game well known in Germany, so the tradition of the -farmer's daughter, although ingenious, is probably without foundation. - -Many of the terms used in Euchre and Nonsuch Euchre are probably derived -from the dialect spoken by German immigrants and their children. The name -Bower is the American-German word signifying "youngster," which may well -describe "the Knave child," as it was at one time called in England. This -word was naturally bestowed by Pennsylvania Germans on the card, for they -still speak a _patois_ peculiarly their own and clearly derived from their -ancestors. It was probably they who gave this name to the Knave, and it is -retained for the aforementioned game, where certain Knaves have a -particular value. - -The word Euchre seems likely to have been derived from the shout of -exultation usual when playing certain games of cards in Germany, although -the evil tendencies of the imp who presides over the spelling of English -words has altered the original word _Juch_ to the peculiarly unmeaning one -of Euchre. - -_Juch_ pronounced Yuch, is a cry of exhultation. There is not only a verb -to cry out, _Juch_, but a somewhat unusually constructed noun made from -that verb, which is _Jucheier_; whereas _Jucher_ would be the normally -constructed noun made from that verb. Therefore, it seems quite natural to -assume that _Jucher_, describing a player shouting with exultation when -winning a point, must have been used unconsciously, whether this word is -to be found in the dictionary or not, for it is certainly this exclamation -that is used as the player throws down the card winning the third trick in -Euchre when the opponent has ordered or taken up the trump card or made -the suit. The words Keno or Domino are commonly used to declare winning -one of those two games, particularly in foreign countries, and since -Euchre is evidently derived from alien games, and was introduced by -persons speaking a _patois_ of English and German, the name is probably -taken from the verb mentioned. Ch is pronounced in German like K, so -_Jucher_ has the sound of Euchre. In Grimm's "Deutsches Woerterbuch," we -find the following definition: - - JUCH (interjection).--A loud burst of joy. As example, "The good man - dreamed as if he were still at the card club, shouting, 'Juch, Juch, - Grun (the leaf suit in the German cards) is chosen.'" - - JUCHEN (verb).--To shout "Juch." - -In the New English Dictionary, commonly called the Oxford Dictionary -(1905), we find the following: - - EUCHRE or UKER or YUKER.--Of uncertain origin, supposed to be German. - As Bower, one of the terms used in this game, is of German origin, it - has often been supposed that the word Euchre is also from the German, - but no probable source has been found in that language. Can it be that - it is the Spanish Yuca, in the sentence "Ser yuca," given by Cabillero - as an American expression for "cock of the walk," meaning to "get the - best of anything"? In 1847 Euchre was common in Mississippi, and is - alluded to in various celebrated lawsuits growing out of disputes over - the game. - -It would seem that the compilers of the English dictionary had not given -enough weight to the localisms of Pennsylvania when they could discover -only a Spanish derivation for the terms used in Euchre, a game unknown in -Spain. The game that apparently started in the western part of that State -seems to have travelled down the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers, for the -earliest mention of it comes through the boatmen on those great streams. - -Poker seems also to be a game evolved by gamesters of the United States -from the old Primero, with its ancient derivations, for so many of the -rules and expressions common in the modern game may be traced to the -fourteenth century. It is played by four or more persons, who bet on the -value of their hands, a pair being the lowest and a straight flush being -the highest hand, the names of which were inherited and explain -themselves. Jack Pot, Widow, and Kitty are some of the cant words used in -the game, the derivations of which are evidently from Primero. The first -signifies the Pool under certain circumstances. The Widow (or the -forsaken, the discarded one) was originally called the Stock, or the cards -unused after dealing. The Kitty is the name for the forfeit paid at the -end of each game by its winner to the gambling house, that frequently -amounted to a considerable sum of money. - -In 1908, a variation of Poker was arranged in England, although one writer -thinks that it originated in China, but without giving any authority for -the statement. The game is called Poker Patience. It can be played by one -or more persons, who are supplied with a board on which are twenty-five -squares that, when covered with the cards, according to the rules, will -count ten poker hands, five horizontally and the other five vertically. - -The first card is placed on square No. 13, directly in the middle of the -board, and the next card played must touch the first one on one of its -eight adjoining squares. The third card should touch either the first one -or the second, and so on until the twenty-five squares are covered. The -hands are counted exactly as in Poker, a straight flush being the highest, -and counting thirty points, while a pair is rewarded with only one point. -The flushes are not of much scoring value, being only five points, but -they are not difficult to make. This game is easy and interesting when -used as a solitaire, but when two or more players are pitted against each -other and bent on preventing the score of the opponent, it will be seen -that there is a great deal of "play," for there are so many cards left in -the Widow that the game is uncertain until its finish, as a card that is -most desirable may never turn up, and, therefore, there is much chance as -well as skill in the baby prodigy. - -"According to Hoyle" has become a proverb among card players, most of whom -could give no more explanation for the term than they could for the origin -of Playing Cards, although it trips so readily from the tips of their -tongues. But whenever a play at cards is disputed, the justification is -that it is "According to Hoyle," which leads to the query of how and where -the sentence originated that is freighted with so much weight and -expression. With this cant phrase goes another, that was once frequently -on the lips of card players, which condemned an unlucky player or a -careless partner to "go to Halifax." - -These proverbs will be explained by a cursory glance backwards over the -life story of Edward Hoyle, born in England, in 1672, near the little town -of Halifax, in Yorkshire. He was of a good family and was educated for the -law, for which his clear, analytical, and logical mind seemed to be -particularly adapted. Living in London, he amused himself in the evenings -by meeting some friends at what was the precursor of men's clubs, the -Crown Coffee House, in Bedford Row, to play Whist or Triumph, a title that -was about that time shortened to Trump, a name that is retained to -designate the highest suit elected by the players at the beginning of each -hand, either by turning up the last card of the deal or by electing a suit -according to the preference of the players. The French retain the old name -of Atout for that purpose, although those picture cards have not been used -in that country for centuries. - -The first mention of Whist under the revised name is in "The Compleate -Gamester," which was published in 1674, and was intended to supply -standard rules for the fashionable games of the time. But Cotton's laws -were confusing, and the game was played in various ways in different parts -of England, since this standard was not universally accepted, and it is -said that Whist was a favourite only in the servants' hall, so that these -unarbitrary rules led to quarrels and sometimes even to bloodshed. - -But when Edward Hoyle became interested in the game of Whist, he had for -partners or opponents some of the deepest players and most distinguished -men about town, and the gamesters gradually adopted regular rules for -their own guidance, which usually originated with Hoyle, so the fame of -his decisions about disputed points was noised abroad throughout London. -This led to his taking pupils at a guinea a lesson, and finally Hoyle -wrote out his rules for their benefit, distributing them first in -manuscript, but finally publishing them in "A Short Treatise on Whist," -for which he received one thousand guineas. Hoyle's rules were adopted by -the clubs and players throughout England, so, when any dispute arose, his -book was consulted, and, instead of the players saying, "It is the wish -(or the voice) of the gods," as had been the original custom when -consulting the oracles of Mercury, and continued by card votaries, it -became customary to say, "It is according to Hoyle." - -That gentleman lived until 1769, and his rules remained unaltered for over -one hundred years. In 1864, however, the Arlington and Portland Clubs, -finding that modifications were needed, revised the rules, after which the -"Cavendish rules" became the mode, but books on card rules are still -issued under the name of Hoyle's "Games of Cards," so "According to Hoyle" -is still a fashionable saying among the votaries of the card table. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -ENGRAVED CARDS - - -Thanks to the lovers of woodcuts, prints, and engravings, the history of -European Playing Cards has been preserved. Through these it has been -investigated, as it would have been impossible in any other way, since the -men who are devoted to the card table are not usually of an investigating -turn of mind, while those who prophesy with cards prefer the occult and -mysterious to the scientific. - -It was far otherwise with the _dilettanti_, who recognised the master hand -that had produced beautiful pictures, intrinsically valuable, although put -to what, in the opinion of connoisseurs, was a debased use. Since the -cards, as gamblers' tools, or the instruments of diviners, had little -attraction for print lovers, the latter traced the origin of the cards -from an interest in the method of their production. But the history of -these instruments followed, since it was an integral part of the story of -the pictures that had at first been produced by hand, and then by -mechanical arts. This led to an awakened desire to understand the -connection of the gambling toys with the period when prints were first -issued. But when these learned men studied the histories of the European -countries for the first printed or legal record of Playing Cards, and -decided on the fourteenth century as the date of their birth, they never -looked into the haze of the past to the period when cards were not bits of -pasteboard, but of very different character. So the mystery of their -origin was not unfolded, although all of the written records mentioned -that cards were called the Book of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus, who was -evidently an unknown person. - -It was owing to the necessity of producing cards cheaply, on account of -their widespread use, that xylographic arts were invented and perfected, -thus leading the way to printing, that art which has enlightened mankind -as nothing had done before in the same space of time. - -Mr. Singer states that "the earliest examples of woodcuts were intended -for Playing Cards," although it is generally believed that the earliest -example of a woodcut that survives is the picture of St. Christopher, -which was discovered pasted inside of the cover of an old book. Many -Playing Cards have been preserved in the same way, since frugal persons -utilized the precious paper on which the cards were printed, and did not -waste it, as is done in this extravagant age. - -That the oldest known print is that of a saint does not disprove Mr. -Singer's statement, for many of the rude figures produced by the first -engravers served a double purpose, being equally well adapted for court -cards or as representations of historical or saintlike characters, they -were often adopted first for the games, and then transferred to the homes -of peasants, where the pictures were accorded the name of a patron saint -and revered accordingly, so in many such places priceless cuts and -engravings have been found, and from there have been transferred to -museums or to private print collections, where they are recognised as rare -and valuable specimens of the art of the graver's tool. - -These old figures and the cards that followed them are not classed under -the head of games or Playing Cards, so students wishing to examine -examples of early European Playing Cards must seek the print rooms of the -British Museum, or the Nuremburg Museum, and the national libraries of -Vienna, Bologna, and Paris. - -Since among the first productions of the graver's tools were gambling -cards, Mr. Singer and others have studied the games for which so much time -and labour were devoted. "It is evident," he says, "that since the -earliest specimens of engraving on steel and on copper both in Italy and -Germany are cards, there must have been a great demand for them, and that -their cheap production was eagerly seized upon by the card makers, who -through it considerably shortened their labours and increased their -output, so from this moment games with cards rapidly spread over Europe," -while the Book of Thoth was abandoned to gypsies and fortune-tellers. - -The cards painted under Grigoneur for the French king, and now in Les -Cabinet des Estampes, Paris, are probably the oldest extant, and are about -contemporary with the Italian packs in Bologna and those in Mr. Morgan's -collection, that are painted, but not engraved. - -A pack in the British Museum goes by the name of Doctor Stukley's cards, -for he was the first to exhibit them. They are stencilled and have German -pips. There is no Queen among the court cards, but her place is taken by a -male figure called Ober, accompanied by a King and Unter. There are no -Aces, so the cards were probably intended for the popular game of -Sixty-six. These cards were rudely printed and coloured with stencils. -They were first shown to the society of Antiquarians, London, November 9, -1763, and have been frequently exhibited and discussed. They were found in -the binding of an old book, supposed to be Claudian, printed before 1500, -and to these we owe a debt of gratitude for exciting an interest in -Playing Cards, to which much of their history is due. The supposition that -the German pips were used in England before the French cards were -introduced is sustained only by finding this solitary pack. The book -itself was not printed in England, while the name assigned to the suit of -Spades is clearly derived from the Spanish Espadas, which points to the -probability of the Swords, Rods, Cups, and Money pips having been known in -England. The Trèfle of France was called a Club, as had probably been -done with the Rod suit of the old cards. - -A nearly complete pack bearing these designs and almost facsimiles of the -Stukley pack is in the Historical Society of New York. - -Among the earliest specimens of ornamental engraved cards are some that -were executed at Cologne, the different cards of which are so widely -separated that the complete pack can nowhere be found. Solitary examples -are scattered in different museums, where they are treasured as beautiful -representations of "the master's" art, although no person knows his name. -The wrapper of these cards has been found, and on it is a well-executed -design of three ornamental crowns, placed inside of Gothic arches, that -are connected by a gracefully twisted ribbon on which is the inscription -"_Salve Felix Colonia_" which is the only remaining clue to the engraver, -the date of execution, and the birthplace of the pack. - -In it are five suits instead of four, and these have original emblems -that, however, never seem to have been popular or intended for gambling, -or even for divination, but they were probably the invention of the -artist, who had little idea of the significance of the original emblems -of Cups, Swords, Staves, and Money, for not only was a fifth and -unprofitable suit added to the pack, but the pips were changed to artistic -designs that may delight the senses of the connoisseurs, but fail to -appeal to a card player, since the designer was evidently not as clever as -the Frenchmen, who invented a new set of emblems for their royal master, -and through constructing the game Piquet, that could only be played with -these cards, clinched their adoption by players. The five suits of these -German cards were Hares, Parrots, Pinks, Roses, and Columbines, with four -court cards to each suit, and they are illustrated in "Playing Cards," by -Mr. Singer (page 47), and are attributed by him to Martin Schoen, or -Schongaur. "The costume of the figures," he says, "belongs to the -fifteenth century, and seems conclusively to establish the fact." To this -statement other authorities do not agree. - -One of the earliest examples of Playing Cards executed on copper was -produced in Germany before 1446. The artist is known only by his initials, -and is called "The Master E. S." His cards are original and finely -executed, although his emblems stray as far from the ancient ones -peculiar to Mercury as the games to be played with them differ from -divination. The devices are Roses, Cyclamen, Savages, Birds, Stags, and -Lions. This "Master E. S." seems to have copied most of his designs for a -smaller set of cards, and he also executed a pack that had Shields, -Flowers, Animals, and Helmets for pips. These are artistically grouped, -and the escutcheons display coats-of-arms of the nobility that go far to -establish the date of those that are not marked. But the pips, although -they were gracefully marshaled, were troublesome and confusing to the -players, which has caused these cards to be chiefly valued as examples of -the graver's art, lacking the simplicity of the French pips, with their -harmonious red and black colours, these peculiar designs failed to -revolutionise the Playing Cards in common use, as had evidently been the -intention of "The Master." - -The little that is known of "E. S." points to his having been the -immediate predecessor of Martin Schongaur, of Colmar, who was the -unrivalled engraver of his time, and has been described as the Van Eyck of -engraving. He was "the actual creator of the art as practiced in modern -times," says Max Lehrs in his essay on the Playing Cards engraved by this -master. "To him we owe the technical method of producing the appearance of -relief and solidity on a flat surface by the combination of a number of -parallel lines on transverse lines, which effect had only been obtainable -before his invention by the addition of colour to the finished prints." -His home was probably in the vicinity of Freiburg, or Breisach, and it is -supposed that he died in 1467. - -The cards attributed to "E. S." are scattered over Europe, but they seem -to be universally acknowledged as the first specimens of _engraved_ -Playing Cards. The dainty pictures served as models to the students of the -Master, and have often been copied or adopted as accessories to other -pictures. The Four of Men and the Ober Knave of the same suit, the Four of -Dogs, and the Three of Birds were used to adorn the cover of a Bible that -is now in the University Library of Erlangen. These designs were also used -in the tooling of other books. - -Augsburg may lay strong claim to be considered the first seat of the art -of engraving on wood, as a Guild of Card Makers is mentioned in the Town -Roll of 1418. Sheets of cardboard on which the pack was printed from the -block, but not yet coloured by hand, are to be found in museums, and it is -supposed that the celebrated woodcut of St. Christopher, dated 1423, was -produced in Augsburg, which about that time became the great exporting -centre of card makers, against whom the manufacturers of Vienna, Venice, -and Viterbo caused ordinances to be passed in their respective cities, -forbidding the Augsburg and Nuremburg cards to be sold within their -boundaries. This law is enforced to-day, which has prevented the -introduction of foreign or French pips into Austria and Italy. - -An interesting sheet of cards produced by the tool was acquired by the -writer in Nuremburg in 1910. It is about ten by twelve inches in size, and -is made of several sheets of paper pasted together. The reverse side shows -a lozenge pattern, and each one of the spaces contains a _fleur de lis_, -emphasised at the corner by a square. The sheet has not been cut apart, -and there are eighteen cards printed on it, comprising all those belonging -to the court, and six pip cards bearing the usual German devices. The -figures do not include a Queen, but have the King, the Ober, and the -Unter. The King of Eicheln (or Acorns) is seated, wears a crown on top of -a turban, and holds a sceptre. His Ober and Unter both carry two swords. -Their dresses are richly trimmed and they wear lace at the neck and -wrists. - -The King of Grünen (or Leaves) also wears a crown on top of a turban, but -holds his sword in his right hand instead of his left, as is the case with -his brother of Acorns. His chair is more ornate than that of any of the -other kings. He wears at his neck two muslin lapels, such as were once -worn with black silk gowns by ministers when preaching. One of his Knaves -plays a flute, the other beats a drum. The King of Bells wears a -five-pointed coronet and has a book on his knees. His Ober has a wig and a -richly embroidered coat, but is bareheaded, as is his Unter, who is a -ludicrously stout figure, parrying a thrust with his sword from an unseen -warrior. The King of Hearts has a crown with _fleurs de lis_, and on the -side of his chair is an anchor with the initials M. S., leading to the -supposition that these cards were engraved by Martin Schongaur, the -successor to the "Master E. S." The execution, however, is far inferior to -his usual delicate work. The Ober of Hearts is armed with a pike and his -hair is tied with ribbons, the two ends of which float carelessly down his -back. He and the Unter of his suit can "ruffle with the best of them," for -both have side arms as well as long pikes, and their coats are handsomely -embroidered, while they wear lace at the throat and wrists. - -The four Deuces are on this sheet. That of Hearts has an escutcheon on -which is a lion rampant. The Two of Leaves shows a deer and a unicorn -rampant regardant. The Two of Acorns has a Bacchus astride of a beer -barrel, holding up the Cup of Hermes, and the Two of Grünen has the sow -sacred to Prosperine and Mercury, that was always sacrificed to them at -the feast of Hermes, on the thirteenth of May, when Spring commenced, and -Mercury led Prosperine from Pluto back to earth and to her Mother, Ceres. -The pig was also sacred to Nebo, so its position on the cards is fraught -with meaning. The Ten of Leaves and the Seven of Hearts complete this -valuable sheet that shows an early process of card production. - -[Illustration: EARLY ITALIAN TAROTS - -Pip and Court Cards of the Money Suit - - 73 Seven of Money - - 74 Eight of Money - - 75 Nine of Money - - 76 Ten of Money - - 77 Knave of Money - - 78 Cavalier of Money] - -A beautiful pack of cards was engraved by Jost Ammon, who was born in -Zurich in 1539. His wood engravings are very numerous. He died in -Nuremburg in 1591. The interesting cards attributed to him were published, -it was said, to inculcate "Industry and Learning" rather than "Idleness -and Debauchery," so may be placed under the head of Educational Cards. -Each one shows a pip, under which is a clever sketch that is fully -described by some appropriate Latin verses. The pips are Books, Winepots, -Cups, and Printer's Balls. One of the cards represents a wood carver at -work, supposed to be a likeness of the artist. Another shows a printer. A -third has on it a bibliomaniac surrounded by flies that he is striking at -with a flapper, and the accompanying verses are forcible, if inelegant. On -the Three of Printer's Balls are a lady and gentleman playing cards. The -Six of Winepots shows two men at a game of Draughts. Some of the cards -have pictures of men and women playing musical instruments, while others -depict various homely occupations. - -These symbols did not take the place of those simple devices that convey -at a glance to a player the suit or number of a card, so necessary from a -gambler's point of view. Their authorship has been disputed, but the cards -remain as interesting specimens of wood engraving. - -The greater part of the early Italian cards are printed with a pale ink of -a grayish tint. The earliest specimens are a set of Tarots that are much -larger than the standard size of Playing Cards, being about four by six -and a half inches. These cards are finely executed, and are one of the -first of the educational packs, since the emblematic figures of the Atouts -are Rhetoric, Arithmetic, etc. - -The specimens of engraved cards of the Netherlands are of a later date, -being about the middle of the eighteenth century. They are carefully done, -and the two red suits are distinguished by being printed with a pale red -ink, while the Spades and Clubs are printed in black. These cards are -pretty miniature pictures, with local figures and landscapes, while the -pips are French and are placed in the upper left-hand corner. - -The Dutch have also several educational packs of cards. Some are -historical, with Kings, Queens, and Knaves representing their royalties. -There is also one showing the chief products of their kingdom and its -dependencies. A third pack illustrates the costumes of the different -provinces. - -Germans, French and English were very fond of teaching children through -educational games of cards, and a great collection of these may be found -in the print room of the British Museum under the head of Lady Charlotte -Schrieber's Collection, but it is carelessly kept in drawers, the packs -tied with bits of string or worsted, and it is difficult to study on this -account. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -PLAYING CARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER PURPOSES - - -It was but natural that, from the very date of the readjustment of the -Book of Thoth, when it was deposed from its high position of being the -voice of the gods to become the tool of gypsies or the toy of gamblers, -that invectives should be hurled at it from the pulpit, from whence the -early war is continued, as well as from the government, for when pleasure -becomes a vice it behooves those in authority to repress it, so as to -protect the unwary or the ignorant from traps laid for gain against them. - -Cardinal John Capistran, who visited Nuremburg in 1452, found the -inhabitants devoted to all games of chance, and so addicted to gambling -that the prosperity of the town was threatened. - -The good Cardinal preached against the vice of gambling with such fervor -and eloquence that the cathedral could not contain the crowds who went to -listen to him, so a pulpit was erected before the church, in the great -square or Market Place, under the clock, where a procession of wise men -bowing before the King still takes place daily at noon, and from this -rostrum the Cardinal ordered that all cards, dice, chessmen, draughts -(checkers), etc., should be brought before him and publicly burned; an -order that was implicitly obeyed. - -How well the good man succeeded in obliterating games of chance or hazard -may be questioned, since Nuremburg is still one of the chief centres of -card making, the descendants of the original makers being in active -business to-day, who sell sheets of cardboard that were concealed for many -years, on which the cards are printed, but not cut apart, for probably the -manufacture was checked at the time, but never entirely suppressed. The -celebrated museum of the town has one of the best collections of native -Playing Cards to be found, while the dramatic holocaust is recalled with -pride by the inhabitants, who value the woodcut that is commemorative of -the event. - -English preachers denounced card playing, and the Scotch dubbed the packs -"The Devil's Picture Books." Robert Burns says: - - The Ladies, arm in arm, in clusters, - As great and gracious a' as sisters, - - * * * * * - - On lee-lang nights, wi' crabbit leuks. - Pore owre the devil's pictured beuks. - -The Sunday before Christmas, 1529, Bishop Latimer preached a sermon -against gambling at St. Edward's Church, in Cambridge, taking for his text -"Who art thou?" and filling his sermon with phrases that were culled from -Primero, which was the favourite game of his day. This knowledge showed -such an intimate acquaintance with the game that his offended hearers used -it with great effect against him. The sermon is now remembered only -because of these phrases and expressions that give students a clue to the -rules and play of the old game. - -One ingenious preacher took for his text: "As God has dealt to every man" -(Romans xii:3), implying that the Almighty had sorted and distributed the -cards of life. This practical allusion to gambling so horrified his -congregation that they nearly pulled the minister from the pulpit. Yet -St. Paul evidently referred to the "tablets of fate," on which the -destinies of men were written at birth as "the measure of fate," since -these traditions must have been active in the mind of the apostle. Modern -people seldom place themselves in the atmosphere of Biblical times, which -leads to much misconstruction and misunderstanding. - -The various proclamations and edicts passed against Playing Cards are a -history in themselves, although it is a pity that they are of too late a -date to throw much light on the first alteration of the cult of Mercury -into games, a change that was probably gradual, and so insidious or secret -as to have no public record. Still, it is through these legal papers that -we get authentic dates and the earliest mention of cards as gambling -instruments or toys; but at the end of the fourteenth century, at a time -when cards were denounced as such, and by name there is still no -interdiction of fortune-telling, which may have been conducted too -secretly to occasion attention, or, perhaps, the general law against -vagrants or gypsies may have been deemed sufficient protection. - -M. la Croix says: "The Germans were the first to apply cards to -instructing young persons, by endeavouring to teach them different -sciences illustrated by the cards, that had printed on them historical -tales, sums of arithmetic, heraldic devices, astronomical symbols, bars of -music, or quotations from the poets, with the pips displayed in the -corners to deceive people into imagining that they were enjoying a play, -when in reality they were being gently led along the paths of learning, -and that this idea seems to have found favour in other countries, -particularly in Great Britain and France." - -In this list of countries that adapted cards to purposes of instruction -might have been included China and Japan, had M. la Croix studied the -games of those nations. The latter country has two packs that are devoted -to quotations from the poets, or historical tales. - -Numerous specimens of these educational cards are now to be found in all -card collections, although to those who regard Playing Cards as part of -the cult of Mercury these instructive bits of pasteboard are no more -related to the Tarots than are advertisements or school books. - -There are some puritanical persons who regard Playing Cards with horror, -and will not touch "the devil's picture books" that display the symbols of -Hearts, Clubs, etc.; but these same people adopt with avidity these -educational cards that sometimes have the pips slyly tucked into a corner. -Or, perhaps, they use cards that have numbers printed on them to indicate -the pips, with other marks to show the suits and the court cards, so these -good people play Grabouche, Pinocle, Bezique, Flip, and other games that -are, in truth, recognised as games of chance. - -In 1507 a set of instructive cards was invented by Dr. Thomas Muruer, the -celebrated opponent of Martin Luther. The pack was printed at Cracow and -called _Chartiludui Logicae_, and these were intended for the use of the -inventor's pupils in the art of reasoning. At first people were delighted -with them and their novelty, and then they turned against this method of -instruction and threatened to burn the doctor for inventing them. - -This pack was an imitation of the Tarots, and was composed of ten logical -cards with sixteen suits of emblem cards, the pips being the German Bells, -Acorns, Leaves, and Hearts, with additional symbols of crayfish, -scorpions, etc. - -When Louis XIV was eight years old, it was necessary to educate him, but -he was a dull and reluctant pupil, so Cardinal Mazarin invented some -"instruction cards" for the youthful king that illustrated fables and -proved attractive to others besides the agrammatist. - -A little later, some cards depicting the history of France were designed -by the artist Desmarits, who, finding that they were received with favour, -followed them with a geographical set, and then with one called harlequin, -in which the figures of well-known persons were grotesquely dressed. - -There are later French packs illustrating the kings and queens of France, -and also some that commemorate the Revolution, the Empire, the reign of -the Orleans family, and that of Napoleon III; for in that country not only -were the cards used for illustrating their historical events, but the -court cards changed their dress with the rulers, not keeping to the -costumes of the fifteenth century, as the English cards have done. - -The French also issued a pack of cards to teach heraldry as early as 1680, -and one for music in 1808, while in 1820 two instructive sets were -issued, one of them on botany and the other one on astronomy. - -Heraldic cards were published by M. Claude Finé in 1659, and others were -issued in 1725. This idea was followed in England in 1675, when some -German cards were adapted to the needs of the other country. The Germans -issued another pack on which were heraldic devices in 1700, and a similar -one came out in Venice in 1707. The cards are not useful for gambling or -fortune-telling, but they are ornate, and are fine examples of print work, -and as such find places in collections. - -In 1656 practical cards for teaching spelling, arithmetic, etc., were -issued in London by F. Jackson, and at about the same time satirical and -political cards were published. Those interested in full descriptions of -these packs can find a list in "The Catalogue of Playing and Other Cards -in the British Museum," by Mr. Willshire. - -Cards for divination have appeared from time to time, but the emblems were -so fanciful and so unauthoritative that the unhistoric designs have not -found favour. One of them in the British Museum shows traces of being -derived from the Tarots, as Mercury is seen hovering over a sailing -vessel under his guise of protector of merchants. It is to be remarked -that it is the Seven of Bells and is called Commerce. The Eight of Bells -is the Wheel of Fortune. The Two of Leaves is Hope, and the Six of that -suit is the Death card. It is evident that the artist picked out at -haphazard certain designs on the Tarots for imitation, and that he had no -comprehension of the meaning or value of the numbers, such as three, -seven, or thirteen, accorded to them by mystics. - -Humourous, or what are known as harlequin, cards have been published in -all countries, where the emblems themselves have been taken for the -foundation of fantastic figures. One of these packs was designed by Mr. -William Thackeray. There are several French and Belgian packs, but far the -best one was designed by Mr. Charles Caryl and issued by Messrs. Tiffany & -Co., New York. - -Musical cards are ingenious, and, by following the rules, several pretty -airs may be played. Cards for the game of Authors were lately popular, and -the game called Doctor Busby was a capital one for teaching children -observation and concentration. - -The Japanese cards, that have been referred to, are original in conception -and design. The pack emblematic of the weeks of the year seems to be -intended for gambling, although it shows no traces of a descent from the -Tarots, for the cards display no suggestion of the pips or emblems of -Mercury. Nor are there any emblematic figures like those of China, where -the cards show evident imitations of the Stave, Money, and Sword pips, -with some court cards. The Japanese themselves declare that Portuguese -sailors introduced gambling cards into the country, but the only proof -lies in the tradition and in the name by which cards are known in Japan, -which is _Karta_, for the Portuguese use cards with the Cup, Money, Sword, -and Stave pips, and no traces of these are to be found on any of the -Japanese packs. In that country divining cards or sticks are used, which -seem to have been inherited from China, and the methods of using them -follow closely the rules adopted in all primitive countries, where the old -superstitions referred to in the Bible are still active and in force. - -A chap book of the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century had a -large circulation, for it described one Richard Middleton, who, being -caught playing with a pack of cards in church, was haled before a -magistrate, who was amused when the soldier declared that he looked upon -the cards as his Prayer Book, and described what they conveyed to him as -he ingeniously connected each one with some Biblical reference. - -This original description led to his release, and it has frequently been -quoted. A variant of the story appeared in "The American Hebrew" that is -worth repeating, as the original Christian ideas have been altered to suit -the synagogue. It says: "The Ace is the only God. The Deuce, the two -tables of stone that Moses broke at one blow. Try to keep them. The Trey -is the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The four is our four -ancient mothers, Sarah, Rachel, Leah, and Rebecca. The five, the books of -Moses. The Six, the six days of the week, and the Seven is the Sabbath, -when God rested and the seven-branched candlestick was made. Eight -righteous persons were saved from the flood, Noah, his wife, three sons, -and their wives. Joab came to Jerusalem at the end of Nine months. Ten -Commandments are the cornerstone of the jurisprudence of the civilized -world. The Knave is the constable who took me up. He was a fool, or he -would not have disturbed me at my devotions. Queen Sheba and King Solomon -are the Royal family. The former dressed fifty boys and fifty girls alike -in male attire, and, to test the king, asked him to tell which were which. -The wise one ordered water to be brought, and then quickly picked them -out, greatly to the astonishment of the queen; but the children had -betrayed themselves, as the boys only washed their wrists, while the girls -washed to their elbows. Furthermore, there are three hundred and -sixty-five spots in a complete deck of cards, corresponding to the days of -the year, fifty-two to a pack corresponding to the weeks. Twelve picture -cards, one for each month. Four suits, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. -Diamonds represent wealth, Hearts love, Spades health and labor, and Clubs -power." - -In the British Museum is a pack of grammatical cards printed by Jane, June -1, 1676. A small treatise of instruction that went with the cards begins -as follows: "To all ingenious gentlemen the Purchasers of these Sciential -cards. It was Plato's custom, after he had ended his disputation, as he -went forth from his school, to give this admonition to his scholars, -'_Videte ut ocium in re quapiam honesta collocetis_,' or, 'Nothing is more -irksome to nature than not to know how to spend one's time,' and if the -mind have not some relaxation from its grave and Serious Employment it -cannot endure. I should have been very injurious to you if I should have -Obscured this Grammatical Epitome and Deprived you of that which will make -much both for your Leisure and Profit." - -There is another pack in the same collection with "a short tract" teaching -their use, saying: "For as your cards are entitled Hearts, Diamonds, -Spades, and Clubs, so ours are to be called by the names of Orthographie -(Spades), Etymologie (Clubs), Syntax (Hearts), and Prosodie (Diamonds)." -By such gentle paths were men lured from vice to literature! - -Astronomical cards were early adopted in Nuremburg, as was natural, for -one of the most celebrated astronomers lived in that town, and the Tarots -certainly lent themselves more easily to conceptions based on astronomy -than to any other science, since so many of the Atouts have derivations -from the planets. There are also French cards that are dated 1620, and -Italian ones of about fifty years earlier, all of them being on the same -subject. - -Many of the Atouts in the Tarots are connected with the signs of the -Zodiac, but the emblems on them are not clearly displayed, so inferences -from them are mere guesswork. - -The astronomical cards of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, showing -the signs of the Zodiac, are clearly inspired by the Tarots, but the -designs are supplemented by figures that show no connection with the Book -of Thoth. - -An English pack, dated 1700, called Virtues and Vices, has the former so -repulsively and the latter so attractively displayed that they can serve -no good purpose. - -Historical cards are interesting to students of costume. In the United -States one pack commemorates the war of 1848 with Mexico, and the Kings -represent the generals of the day. On the Aces are views of well-known -country places, One is of the headquarters of General Washington at -Newburgh; another is Highwood, on the Hudson River at Wiehawken, opposite -Forty-second Street, New York, the residence of Mr. James Gore King. - -A pack of cards of 1863 represents the battle between the "Monitor" and -the "Merrimac," and the court cards are soldiers in the uniforms of the -day, such as zouaves, etc. - -A pack in the British Museum displays small and very indecent pictures -with descriptive legends. Some of the latter are amusing, such as, "Hee -that has no Head wants noe Hatt." Under the picture of a bachelor maid is: - - I know well how the world waggs, - He's most beloved that has most Baggs. - -Under the sketch of an old woman with her pet is written: "Two heads are -better than one, which made the old woman carry her dog to Market with -her," and its mate has: "Men and Doggs may goe abroad, but Women and Catts -must stay at home." Another reads: "Two Doggs and a Bone, Two Catts and a -Mouse, Two Wives in a House can never Agree." - -The picture of three doctors entering a room with their sticks to their -noses and approaching a sick man bears the legend: - - If you'll avoid old Charon, the Ferryman, - Consult Dr. Dyett, Dr. Quiett, and Dr. Merryman. - -The following card has on it: "An Ounce of Mirth is worth a Pound of -Sorrow." - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -EUROPEAN PLAYING CARDS - - -According to Spanish writers, the authentic history of Playing Cards in -Europe begins about 1332, for they point with triumph to an order issued -by Alphonse of Castile, presumed to be of that date, forbidding his -soldiers to play games or to gamble. It is pointed out by disputatious -writers that the command was not directed against Playing Cards, since -they were not expressly mentioned by name, as are the other prohibited -games of chance. Then there is a second statement that Charles V of Spain, -in 1369, denounced cards, calling them by the local name of Naipes, or -prophets; and also a third record that, in 1387, dice, cards, and chess -were banned by John of Castile. - -It is evident through these trustworthy records that gambling was widely -practised in Spain, and that, even if cards were not particularly named in -the first-mentioned edict, it was but little more than eighteen years -later that they had become so common it was necessary to forbid their use -through an official decree. - -In 1395 the Provost of Paris issued a proclamation against Playing Cards, -showing that their abuse in the capital of France had become intolerable. -With these and other evidences, it may well be asserted that by the -beginning of the fifteenth century Playing Cards were commonly known in -the capitals of Europe, where they were publicly used for games and -gambling, as well as for fortune-telling. - -It has already been mentioned that there are records of Playing Cards in -the "Red Book of Ulm," of 1397, and an account in Nuremburg, dated 1384, -when a monk preached against the inordinate love of gaming among his -congregation. - -Aretino assigns the invention of cards, as well as of chess, to Palamedes, -in the Grecian camp before the wall of Troy, thus claiming a very early -date for their introduction to Europeans; but, while little credence has -been placed on this record, it is more than probable that Tarots were part -of the equipment of the camp if the soldiers wished to have their future -foretold by the messenger of the gods, and gambling sticks, made of ivory -and marked with men's heads, have been found in the tomb of King Qa, at -Abydos, Egypt. - -History states that the Crusaders played at "tables" (as draughts or -checkers were then called), and also that King Richard Coeur de Lion was -fond of chess; but the English histories do not mention cards at that -date. German authors infer that cards were introduced into Europe by the -Crusaders, who, finding the Tarots common among their enemies (or -prisoners), the Saracens, learned to play from them, and as the pictures -on the cards were attractive, they used them to send home as missives to -their families, and these authors support their theory by pointing out -that cards are still called "briefe," or letters, in Germany, while we -might say that these pictures were the ancestors of the postal cards of -the present day. - -Writers harp on the lack of historical data concerning Playing Cards -before the middle of the fourteenth century, oblivious of the fact that -previous to that time it is probable that Tarots would not have been -classed with games, and that educated people had not learned to use the -pack for amusement, nor had the lower classes grasped the fact that they -could be converted into a means for gambling, so they disregarded the -ancient symbols, which they considered only useful for fortune-tellers, so -cards at that date would not have been classed as gambling tools. - -As soon as a game was arranged for the cards, however, they were eagerly -adopted by all classes of society as a welcome diversion. From that time -on, numerous descriptions are to be found in the archives of European -countries, appearing almost simultaneously. Gough (a writer mentioned by -the Rev. Edward Taylor in his "History of Playing Cards," page 187) -expressly states that "the Italian game called La Minchiate, which was -played with the ancient Tarot pack, was invented at Sienna by Michael -Angelo to teach children arithmetic." It would seem that the writer was -slightly confused in his ideas, for the cards invented for teaching -arithmetic were not true Tarots. He may be correct, however, in supposing -that cards were arranged by the painter for educational purposes, and that -they followed closely the number and arrangement of the older pack, for -there are such cards still to be found in collections, although hardly of -so early a date. - -There seems no reason to doubt the record that "Francis Fibbia, of Pisa, -invented the game of Tarrochino (or little Tarots), in 1419, receiving as -reward the permission to place his own coat-of-arms on the escutcheon of -the Queen of Staves, and that of his wife on the Queen of Money," as -stated by Leopold Cicognara, for we are told that there is a picture -extant showing this prince with a number of cards scattered before him, on -which are these arms, so it may be that he arranged a game for common use -from the more ancient one of L'Ombre, since the games closely resemble -each other, and the former is popular to-day in parts of Italy, where the -ancient Tarots are still used. - -Rafael Maffei, who lived at the close of the fourteenth century, has left -a description of what he calls "a new invention," or a game played with -Tarots. A Bolognese gentleman named Innocento Renghierri, who lived in -1551, declared that "cards were invented in days of yore, and by an -industrious and very learned person." Unfortunately, neither the name of -the inventor nor the date is mentioned, for, if given correctly, it might -have saved much trouble and dispute. - -[Illustration: GAMBLING AND EDUCATIONAL CARDS - - 79-80-81 Swedish Cards for old Cucu game. No. 80 is the Joker. - - 82-83 Korean Cards showing numeral and suit marks with feather design - on reversed card. - - 84-85-86 Japanese Educational Cards with quotations from favorite - poets, for game of Hayku-Niu-Isshu.] - -In the "History of Viterbo," by Feliceano (1742), there is a statement -quoted from Covelluzzo that cards called Naib were introduced into that -city in 1279 from a Saracenic source. This name given to the cards in -Italy is interesting, since it is the one used to-day in Spain, for which -various derivations have been given. It was probably derived from the -Hebrew word for prophet, emphasising the original intention of cards for -divination purposes. It seems strange that one of the best known and most -widely spread cults has received so little recognition or study among -those who have interested themselves in the religious progress and -civilization of mankind. Even if regarded as toys or gambling instruments, -Playing Cards certainly fill a great part in the lives of men, while their -origin and the influence they have wielded in the past should surely have -created more interest than has been the case. - -A Frenchman, Père Menestrier, studied the history of the cards that were -known to him as early as 1704, when he published "Des Principes des -Sciences et des Arts Disposé en Forme de Jeux." Others followed his -example, but they all looked upon cards simply as gambling instruments, or -regarded them as interesting historical fashion plates picturing French -celebrities, or else as rare engraved plates; so they treated the cards of -their own countries only from this point of view. Of course, most of the -writers knew only the cards of their immediate surroundings, and, if they -ever were cognizant of the ancient Tarots, disregarded them entirely. - -When, in 1836, Samuel Weller Singer published his "History of Playing -Cards," he was interested in engraving, with its kindred arts, and he -found that the earliest work on wood or metal had been done to reproduce -cards. This book was followed by the "History of Playing Cards," by -William Andrew Chatto; "Origin of Playing Cards" (1865); "History of -Playing Cards," by Rev. Edward Taylor, and many others. Although two -persons in the priesthood devoted time to studying cards, they did not do -so with reference to their religious influence on their congregations. -Still, they acknowledged with surprise that these unbound leaves offered -an interesting study, and, while each one pointed out the probable -connection of Playing Cards with the Book of Thoth and the cult of -Mercury, not one of them proved the statement, but slurred it over, as if -rather ashamed of the idea, although the fact could easily have been -proved through a careful examination of the marks, the pips, and the -emblems on the cards themselves, that are so undoubtedly the heraldic -devices through which Mercury is always recognised, and which he received -from the most ancient forms of worship in Babylonia. - -These authors, with other German, French, and Spanish writers, unanimously -decided that, since there is no legal record or trustworthy mention of -cards intended for use in games before the year 1392 (the one that they -seemed to agree upon, ignoring the account given of the martyrdom of St. -Cyprian in 258, who was killed for remonstrating against playing cards), -and since chance has not disclosed a hitherto unknown monument to their -birth and cradle, that these playthings were suddenly invented just about -the date when they appeared simultaneously all over Europe for the -amusement of pleasure-loving mortals. However, they quarrelled a bit as to -whether cards were first known in the Occident or in the Orient, but none -of the authors studied divination, and the rules known to astrologers, -fortune-tellers or gypsies that are carefully preserved, as well as the -evident connection of Playing Cards with the tools of the diviners of -ancient days. - -These authors proved entirely too near-sighted and would not read what the -cards themselves displayed before their semi-opened vision, probably -because they despised the professional prophets. Besides, the French, -Spanish, German, and English writers each claimed for his own country the -first knowledge of Playing Cards used for games, without recognising that -their bantlings all came from a common mother stock, the great Tarot pack. -Thus the arguments, deductions, and theories of these writers can command -respect only to a limited degree. - -Merlin and Chatto have treated cards as interesting examples of the -xylographic art, and it is certainly true that they were an important -factor in developing it; but this period in the history of Playing Cards -was by no means its childhood, as the writers seem to consider. Many of -them did not know that almost every one of the European countries had -emblems peculiar to the locality, which is also the case in Asia. None of -the museums have even now any packs except those peculiar to their own -State. - -In the Middle Ages games became necessary amusements in camp and home, so -there was a demand for a rapid and inexpensive form of reproduction that -should take the place of the expensively painted replicas of the Book of -Thoth, which before had been within reach only of the wealthy. - -Of course, the original emblems had never been entirely lost or forgotten, -but had been concealed in the hands of the initiates, who regarded them -with reverence and transmitted them secretly from one to the other, but -did not use cards for gambling or amusement. These persons did not reveal -the history or import of the Book of Thoth to the triflers of the outside -world, and had no desire to see their treasured secrets cheaply -reproduced, to be carelessly handled by curious or pleasure-loving -people. - -The author of "The Game of Gold," published at Augsburg in 1472, says he -has read that "the game of cards was introduced into Germany in 1300." -This is one of the first written accounts of Playing Cards used for games. -It was pointed out by Chatto that there is a Chinese legend claiming -Playing Cards as being used in China some two thousand years before -Christ. Doubtless the Chinese recognized that their games of divination, -as still commonly played, were identical with the cards used for chance, -as the little flat cards are still used for both purposes. - -When Columbus made his first voyage across the Atlantic, his men gambled -continually, and, although the superstitious sailors threw the cards -overboard when they feared that they would never reach land, they -manufactured new ones immediately on their arrival in America, and taught -the savages their game, so we know without question that cards reached -America in 1492. They were called Naypes and bore the emblems of Swords, -Money, Cups, and Rods. - -After these records of Playing Cards come some that are of later date. In -"Capitolo del Gioco della Primera," by Berni, published in Rome in 1526, -the author claims that "playing cards were invented by King Ferdinand," -which statement may be regarded with amusement, since other Italian -records prove an earlier date. - -There is an interesting invective against cards published in 1550, called -"Il Traditor," which may be translated: - - What is the meaning of the female Pope, - The Chariot and the Traitor, - The Wheel, the Fool, the Star, the Sun, - The Moon, and Strength, and Death, - And Hell, and all the rest - Of these strange cards? - -Showing that the Egyptian temples had not disclosed their secrets that -identified these pictures on the Tarots common in Italy with the cult of -Thoth, Mercury, and Nebo. - -Painters have transmitted to us pictures of many games of cards, and -perhaps one of the earliest is the one ascribed to Van Eyck, of Philip the -Good, Duke of Burgundy, about the year 1493. The early Dutch painters -often depicted boors playing cards, and those by Jan Steen, the two -Teniers, and others are well known. Hogarth devoted a series of -engravings to depicting grotesque figures playing chess, draughts, and -cards. - -After the fourteenth century, it is easy to learn the important position -that Playing Cards reached in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and England -through the works of other painters, miniaturists, and engravers, while -books such as "Fortune-Telling," by Francisco di Milano, published in -1560, or the one by Francisco Marcolini, published in Venice in 1540, -prove the hold that the new amusement had taken on the people at that -time. - -Proclamations against cards followed each other rapidly from State and -Church, so histories are filled with the denunciations of the clergy of -the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries against the old sin that had -reappeared under a new form for them to combat. Mercury was as active as -ever, and had quite as strong a hold on the affections of the people as he -had in the days when St. Paul landed in Italy, close to the Temple of -Mercury, and it was quite as hard to overcome his influence as it had been -when Christianity first began to overthrow the heathen gods. Perhaps the -day may come when those who believe in fate and predestination will -confront these preachers with the divine commands to consult the prophets -so often mentioned in the Bible, notably when the Rods of the Israelites -were marked and laid before the testimony. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -ASIATIC PLAYING CARDS - - -It has long been the opinion of students that the key to many things that -are mysterious to Europeans could be found through studying the habits, -customs, games, or cults of Asia and Africa, whose people cling to ancient -ideas and habits, so through looking at things with their eyes, and -listening to their views or opinions on the everyday happenings of life, -that the tangled skeins that puzzle our academically trained minds would -be unravelled. - -Much has been done in this direction by Mr. F. H. Cushing and Mr. Stewart -Culin, who have discovered, by patient research in America and the Eastern -part of Asia, the value of the arrow in divination, in music, in -money-making, and in symbolism, as well as in war, for which purpose it -was primarily intended. It was put to minor uses by its simple -adaptability to the needs of the people, who were direct in their -purposes, and who used the tools that were at hand no matter for what -they were originally intended. - -Any student of the Bible knows how often the gods were appealed to, not -only through the different offerings, but also for the purposes of -directly divining their wishes, which was done most frequently through a -simple stick that could be cut from any sapling. This became in turn a -"divining arrow," or a magician's wand when in the hands of the Egyptian -magi. "The staff of Moses" as used during the plagues of Egypt, or the rod -"that put forth leaves" when marked with Aaron's name. Small wonder, then, -that the "golden-leaved rod," or _Aurea virga_, given by Apollo to -Mercury, was a venerated symbol, probably derived from the Egyptians, and -by them from the Assyrians, where it was symbolically used in the worship -of the gods, and when it was placed on the cards all persons could -understand at a glance the intention and meaning of the Rod. It was not -only adopted from the Babylonians, who used it with the serpents twining -around it exactly as it is seen in Mercury's hands, but the people had -seen it put to practical use by the great marshal of the Israelites, who -confounded their wise men, or magi, with their own weapons. "And the Lord -spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: ... Take thy rod and cast it -before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then -Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; now the magicians of -Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments, for they cast -down every man his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron's rod -swallowed up their rods." (Exodus vii:9.) Then Aaron was commanded to take -"the rod which was turned to a serpent," and to "smite the waters that -were turned into blood"; but the magicians did the same thing, and again -were able to produce the next plague by imitating Aaron's rod when it was -stretched forth. But these wise men failed with their enchantments to -produce lice at their biding, saying: "This is the finger of God." It is -more than likely that these magi were priests of the temple of Thoth, who -were the learned men of that day. - -Moses was also commanded "to lift up thy rod," so that the children of -Israel should "go on dry ground through the midst of the sea" (Exodus -xiv:15), and to use the same rod to "smite the rock in Horeb" (Exodus -xvii:6). These examples may be multiplied, but enough has been quoted to -show the importance of this symbol in the minds of primitive people. - -Looking next to a people of this century who have retained almost -unchanged their inherited customs, Mr. Culin has dwelt at length on the -people of Korea, who with the culture inherited from their neighbours, the -Chinese, have still a childlike simplicity and follow in the footsteps of -their ancestors in their habits, games, and heraldic devices. - -In "Korean Games," Mr. Culin traces the origin of Playing Cards directly -to "practical arrows bearing cosmical or personal marks used by primitive -man." See also Numbers xvii:3. He says: "The pack of cards used to-day -stands for a quiver of arrows with the emblems of the world's quarters," -and further states that the most primitive Playing Cards of Asia, the -Htou-Tjyen of Korea, still bear the marks of their origin. This confirms -the opinion already formed by the writer, who studied the subject from the -Biblical and African point of view, concluding that the pips on the Tarot -cards had a meaning that could be traced to the diviners of a period much -earlier than the fortune-tellers or gypsies of Europe; that the cards -themselves were not intended for a game, but were originally devoted -entirely to consulting the wishes of the gods; and that it was more than -probable that the cult of Thoth Hermes was a scientific adaptation of the -arrow worship of early man; and that the gift of speech that Mercury was -credited with bestowing on humans was the comprehension of the signs and -the ability through them to transmit to men the wishes of the gods. - -The Korean cards are printed on paper, and are, therefore, one step higher -in the scale than those found among the Alaskan Indians. These are simple -round sticks on which are painted stripes of red and black, to denote -their value. In some sets the ends are notched like arrows, which probably -adds to the numerical value of the card. The Indians keep their sticks in -a sealskin pouch wrapped around with a thong of leather, on the end of -which is a shark's tooth that is passed under the wrappings to hold them -in place and secure the contents. A handful of oakum accompanies the bag. -This is needed during the consultation of the wishes of Manitou, for -these sticks are used for divination purposes as well as for play. A heap -of oakum is placed on the ground, under which the sticks are hidden. The -players squat in a circle around and draw from under the pile one stick -after the other, the meaning of which is interpreted by one of the party. - -[Illustration: GAMBLING CARDS - - 87-88-89 English Court Cards with French pips. About 1840. - - 90-91-92 German Cards, showing Six of Acorns, Six of Leaves, and Six - of Hearts. - - 93-94 Chinese Cards showing Money and Rod emblems.] - -The Alaskans also have a game somewhat like the Mora of the Egyptians and -the Italians, only it is the value of the sticks or the stripes painted on -them that must be guessed. - -One step higher are the sticks used by the Hidah Indians, the natives of a -little group of islands in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of North -America. These sticks show the totem marks of the tribes or families, such -as the Bear, the Tortoise, etc. They are clearly derived from arrows, and -sometimes have notched ends, and are still used for divination, although -also for games. Taken with those from Alaska, they are the most primitive -packs known. - -The next step forward is from the wooden shafts or rods to thin slips of -yellow oiled paper, narrow and long, that belong to the Koreans. The use -of these "cards" is still the same, and the close resemblance to the -North American packs is marked, showing that all came from a common -source. These Korean cards serve as a link connecting the primitive arrow -or rod with the step that follows, from which come the Chinese gambling -tools. - -The Korean cards are made of strips of paper about eight inches long by -three-quarters of an inch wide. They are uniformly decorated on the -reverse side with a feather, which Mr. Culin considers important as -attaching the cards to the original winged shaft. There are eighty cards -in the pack, divided into eight suits of ten cards each, numbered from one -to nine with numerals peculiar to these cards, which, like the device on -the other side, come from arrow feathers. The suit marks correspond to the -totemic emblems of the Koreans. - -These cards are a vital bridge between the primitive traps for divination -and the more enlightened devices of the canny Egyptian priests, for it was -through the use of strips of bamboo, simple straws, or the arrows of the -period that the priests first transmitted the wishes of the gods to -mankind. But whether the cult of arrows originated in Egypt and travelled -from that centre both east and west, being modified, simplified, or -elaborated by every nation through which it passed, or whether it started -on the Pacific Ocean, to sweep across Asia to Africa and Europe, has not -been made clear. - -It is more than probable that the simple art of divining through the fall -of arrows is due to the primitive tribes of Asia, and certainly in Exodus, -Numbers, and others of the books of Moses, there are many records of the -direct command of the Almighty to his people to carry out his wishes -through using the "rods," or to consult his orders through occult means to -be revealed by the rods. These are authentic records on the subject, and -are supported by the tablets found at Babylonia, so we may suppose that -"the arrows of divination" spread gradually from this Asiatic centre, -becoming altered from time to time, until in many places all traces of the -original purpose was lost, and the art of consulting the wishes of the -gods through them lapsed into the pleasure of gambling. - -The Korean name for their pack of cards is Htou-Tjyen, signifying -"Fighting Arrows," according to Mr. Culin in "Korean Games" (page 128). -"The suits," he says, "represent Man, Fish, Crow, Pheasant, Antelope, -Star, Rabbit, and Horse, the name of the card being written on it in -Chinese characters in some packs. Six Generals, or Court cards, -representing the heads or the chiefs of the different families, and two -entirely blank cards, or Jokers, complete the set." - -Other packs have different totemic marks, but all agree with each other in -general appearance. It is said that there are a number of games that are -played with these cards, but they are difficult for a foreigner to -understand or learn. - -A close connection exists between the Korean pack and the lots used by the -Chinese to divine the lucky numbers in the game called Pak-Kop-Piu, as -these cards retain the feather device, and the names of both are nearly -identical with the word for arrows. - -The most common packs of Chinese cards are narrow, like those of the -Koreans, but are less than half the length, sometimes only about two and a -half inches long by a quarter of an inch wide. These packs generally have -plain red or black backs with no designs on them, and are printed with -black ink on white paper. There are at least twenty-five different kinds -of Playing Cards common in China. Some of them are intended simply for -divination, others are for gambling, and some for the amusement or -instruction of children. - -Some are very primitive in their markings; others closely resemble -dominos, having similar spots on them denoting their value; while the -cards in common use have distorted emblems that are clearly derived from -the Sword, Stave, and Money pips of the Tarots, although the Cup of Hermes -is not retained. It is noticeable that the Money emblem has a design upon -it, and is not the simple ring of primitive times. This leads to the -suggestion that these particular cards were devised from those of Mercury. -Since there are Court cards and a Joker, it would seem as if the Chinese -had adopted part of a pack of Tarots, omitting the Cup suit, since it had -no meaning for them, but copying the other emblems in their own peculiar -way; but this is only a guess as to the origin of this particular set of -cards, and only those used for divination bear these devices. - -The Chinese also have Actors' cards, bearing portraits of the heroes and -heroines of certain favourite plays. These have three Jokers, that in -China bear the name of "Blessings." Then there are flower packs and -educational packs, Proverb cards, and cards to teach writing, so that the -Chinese have in their own original way marched step by step with -Europeans, but on parallel lines that have not met. The Chinese declare -that they have known and used Playing Cards for two thousand years, in -which statement they are probably correct, as certainly the Rod, the -Sword, and Money emblems were known and used by the Babylonians in their -religious rites two thousand five hundred years before Christ. - -Owing to cards having been introduced into Japan by Portuguese traders, -the packs are called by the Portuguese name of Karta, as has been -mentioned. But the resemblance to European cards stops there, for the -"shut-in nation" invented designs and games for themselves, keeping them -distinct from divining instruments, of which they have a full share, some -of them being identical with the Chinese rods for divination. - -One Japanese game is historical, and the packs are beautifully painted in -miniature, with gold backgrounds and gold backs. The cards are three by -three and a half inches in size. Two sets always come in one box, and the -game is played by matching cards. They far surpass European ones, for they -are most carefully designed and painted. The two sets in the writer's -possession resemble dainty miniatures, and the small figures might almost -be taken for likenesses of living people. - -Then there are other sets of cards of the same size as those described, -but differently marked, as they have three suits indicated by the colour -of the emblems, blue, green, and red. There are two emblematic Court -cards, one of them the picture of a house, the other one showing a stream -over which a bridge is thrown. The pack in the writer's collection is -rare, for none like it has been described, and there are none in the -foreign museums. - -Another set of cards is called Bakuchi-No-Euda, or gambling cards. Those -in common use are of cardboard about two to two and a quarter inches -square, with black backs and flowers painted or stencilled on them, -representing the weeks of the year. The game played with them is called -"flower matching." January is represented by a Matsu or Pine tree, -followed by the Plum, Cherry, Wistaria, Iris, Peony, and Clover. The -eighth suit has a sketch of a volcano, representing August, which is the -sacred month; during it pilgrimages are made to the mountain. The card -which follows represents a Chrysanthemum; then comes a Maple for October. -November is represented by rain, sometimes with a little man scampering -through the driving storm with a half-opened umbrella over his head, his -shoes flying off in the mud, with the symbol of thunder and lightning -placed in one corner of the card. December has the flower sacred to the -Mikado, the Kiri. - -Each card shows the flower representing it in different stages of -development, according to the four weeks in the month. Each has a definite -value, and the game is played by three persons, who match cards to make -different combinations. The Joker is blank, so these cards were never -intended for divining, but were prepared solely for amusement. - -Divining arrows, represented by bamboo splints, are used in Japan as well -as in China, and are nearly identical in both countries. Fifty sticks are -kept in a quiver or a tube of cane, resembling the shape of the modern -dicebox. "The splints vary in length," says Mr. Culin, who describes them -in "Korean Games" (page 26), "from two to four inches." One person -consults the oracle, which is interpreted by a "Baru," or fortune-teller, -as described in "Our Neighbourhood," by Mr. Purcell: "Having rattled his -rods together by rolling them between his palms, he raises them to his -forehead." The sticks are then laid out in order on a table, and their -meaning is deciphered through referring to the "Book of Oracular -Responses," or through the "inspiration of the magi, who declares that he -passes one hour daily in a trance, during which he receives instruction as -to the prognostication he must deliver." - -There is another Japanese game called Hayku-Niu-Isshu, or the Poems on One -Hundred Arts. For this there are two hundred cards, that are kept in boxes -especially provided for them. On each card is printed or written either -the first or the last half of one of the hundred poems that give their -name to the game, which all well-educated Japanese are supposed to know -by heart. "The one hundred cards having the latter half of the poems -written on them are dealt and are laid out in rows, face upwards, before -the players, one of whom is appointed reader. He holds the remaining -hundred and reads them aloud in whatever order they fall. Skill in the -game consists in remembering the line following the one read and rapidly -finding the card on which it is written. Especially must each one watch -his own and pick it up before it is seized by another. If an opponent is -nimble he snatches the card from the careless player, giving several from -his own hand, and the one who is first able to match and discard all of -his cards wins the game. The players usually range themselves on opposite -lines and play against each other." Such is the account of the game given -by Miss Alice Mabel Bacon in "Japanese Girls and Women" (page 22). - -The cards of this set in the author's possession are rather small, being -two by two and a half inches, or a trifle larger than the Flower pack. -They are arranged in small wooden boxes, with a description of the rules -of the game printed on the top; the lid moves up and down in a groove. -The verses are written in fine running characters on a white ground. - -In Hindustan we find strange circular cards that have strayed far from the -arrow shape, and seem much more to resemble the European pips. There are -eight suits, indicated by the colour of the background, on which are -depicted Men, Bullocks, Elephants, and Tigers. The Money and Cup suits may -be traced in two of the emblems, the former painted like a double ring, -and it is questionable if these cards were ever intended for divining -purposes, since they seem to be used purely for amusement. - -Persian cards are about two inches by one and a half square. The suits are -shown, like those of Cashmere, by the colours of the background. They have -nothing in common with the arrow-shaped Korean, Chinese, or North American -divination cards, but rather incline to the emblematic figures of the -temple of Thoth as retained by the Tarots, for every card displays a -symbolic representative figure. These cards are rare even in Persia, and -only two incomplete sets are in the writer's collection, one of which -contains six, and the other eighteen, cards. - -Three of these cards have black backgrounds on which is displayed a white -and yellow animal of a species unidentified. The third card of the set -shows a great dragon with a forked tail twisted around a lion. Three of -the cards have green grounds, on which are seated figures, and one of them -so closely resembles the Emperor, or Osiris, of the Tarots in position and -design that it seems it must have been derived from that figure. Of the -other two, one resembles the Atout called the Empress, and the other is a -seated male figure, in the attitude of some of those in the Tarot pack. -Four cards have black grounds sprinkled with dots of yellow. These four -all show dragons or mythical animals, and are alike in every respect, -which is not always the case with the other designs even when of kindred -suits. As none of the Atouts have animals depicted on them except in a -subordinate way, it would seem that some of the Persian cards are -original, while others may have been copied. Another green suit has only -two cards, although there might be more if the pack were complete. The -ground is _semé_, like the last, with orange-coloured flecks, and displays -a seated figure with an attendant, its peculiarity being that this King -has his legs folded under him in Oriental fashion, while the figures on -all the other cards are seated like the Egyptian gods. Two cards have gold -grounds, and on them are two standing figures, one beating a drum, the -other man holding what may be a magician's rod or, perhaps, a flute. There -are three cards of a dull yellow hue flecked with brown dots. These -closely resemble the Atouts, as one of the seated figures holds up a -circle or the Money mark, like the Queen of Dinari; and against the knees -of the other a child leans, recalling Isis with Osiris. The eighteenth -card is the Joker, and shows a likeness of the late Shah of Persia. It was -brought from that kingdom in 1904. These cards do not seem all to have -belonged to the same pack, for five of them have been much more used than -the others. The Persians are secretive about their games, probably because -the religion of Mahomet, following that of the Jews, forbids any -representation of the human form. Therefore, games bearing such an emblem -must be used in private, and descriptions of them are not readily obtained -by foreigners. The cards themselves offer an interesting problem, since -they retain the emblematic figures without any pip cards, and they stand -alone in this respect in Asia, where the pip or arrow cards are more -generally to be found than the figure cards. But, then, the Persians use -the cup or vase for divining purposes, as a rule, although in some parts -the arrows or rods of divination are common. There are also "sticks" found -among the common people that seem to be used in this way, but the natives -are chary of describing their purpose, so no trustworthy account of them -can be offered. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -CHESS AND OTHER GAMES - - -Many writers have thought that Playing Cards were simply an evolution of -Chess, and the features connecting them have been widely discussed, since -there are strongly marked attributes common to both. But, as far as is -known, Chess has never at any time been used for divination, and there are -no traditions connecting it with prophesying, while from time immemorial -cards have been used for fortune-telling by almost all nations, either -through the complete pack of Tarots, or the Book of Thoth, their -successors, the Playing Cards, or their predecessors, the divining arrows. - -On the other hand, Chess is distinctly a mimic battleground, with armies -of warriors drawn in serried ranks, defying each other to mortal combat, -whether there are only two armies, as in the modern games, or four, as on -some of the Asiatic boards. The figures are the rank and file of the -army, with their castles for base and retreat, their cavalry, their -executive officers, and generals, with the monarch to preside over the -field. That in Europe one of the figures is called a Queen is strangely -out of place, for her actions and moves during the game are those of an -active lieutenant or aide-de-camp. The name has been given to the piece in -modern days, for originally and in the East it is called the Vizier. That -the piece may be called after the dame who invented the game, as is said, -seems improbable. - -Some writers declare that Chess came from Southern Africa, where it is -well known; but it is also found in primitive form in Korea and throughout -Eastern Asia, and traces of it have been seen in Central Asia, where (in -Babylonia) stones have been discovered that are marked in squares, as if -intended for Draught or Chess boards. - -A pretty legend is told of the Emperor Akbar, of India, for whom his -countrymen declared that the game was invented by one of his wives, who -wanted to amuse her husband, after the manner of wives, and to keep him at -home, particularly as the king was suffering from a sunstroke that made -it inadvisable for him to venture to head his army. With this end in view, -she ranged the courtiers on the black and white squares in the courtyard -within the precincts of the palace, in order that the king might amuse -himself fighting his battles in a harmless way from his divan, that was -placed in one of the balconies overhanging the enclosed space. A graphic -description of the palace is given in "Our Vice Regal Life in India," by -Lady Dufferin (page 150). Referring to the legend, she says: "There is a -curious place which is a five-storied open court, each platform getting -smaller, till the top one is a mere little summer house. Each one is -supported on rows and rows of pillars, from them one looks down into a -court, where the Great Mogul used to sit and play Chess with live pieces." - -In "India, China, and Japan," by Bayard Taylor (page 108), the author -says: "This palace of Sheesh Mahal (or Palace of Glass), with its -courtyard paved with squares of black and white marble, has an open -terrace in front, where is the throne of Akbar, which is a block of black -marble about six feet square. It is said that when any one seats -themselves on it, blood gushes from a split in the side, and red stains -on the surface support this tradition. Opposite the throne is a smaller -one of white marble, where the emperor's fool sat and burlesqued his -master." This fellow carried a staff of office and conducted the pieces to -their positions as indicated by Akbar and his opponent. - -The game of chess, with living pieces, became a favourite with the Rajahs -of India, so many of the courts of different palaces were also arranged -for Chess or Parchesi, a game played with pieces, but with less -complicated rules than for Chess. Though the court jester was the master -of ceremonies, he has not taken his place permanently among the chessmen, -although he may be sometimes found among them, notably in a beautiful gold -and silver set of men made for one of the kings of Bavaria and now in the -Museum at Munich. In this set there are two Jokers, who are placed in -front of all the others in the middle of the board as at present arranged, -but their value and moves seem not to have been recorded and are now -practically unknown. - -It was at one time supposed that the figures of the chessmen were -transferred to pasteboard cards, thus making a masked army instead of one -that was on an open field, and that Playing Cards originated in this way; -but this theory is no longer tenable. Mr. Wiltshire, in "Playing Cards," -derides the idea that they are derived from Chess, saying: "Chess is a -game of calculation and combination, and cards are purely chance," which -opinion is sustained, for up to this time the history of the two games -points to no common derivation. - -It is claimed that Chess was first played before the walls of Troy, having -been invented by Palamedes to amuse the Greeks, who were tired of the -monotony of the siege. This is probably one of the first records of games, -although it is not certain that the one referred to was Chess any more -than that it was a game of cards, which some writers have supposed. - -In "The Sea Kings of Crete," by Rev. James Baikie, is an account and an -illustration of a gaming board just discovered in the palace of Minos, -which certainly dates from one thousand four hundred years before Christ, -but it resembles a Draught board more than one for Chess. - -There is an Egyptian caricature of a lion and a unicorn playing a game on -a table with men, which, however, are too indistinct to describe as -chessmen. There is a set of chessmen in the British Museum, the date of -which is uncertain, that are by some considered to have been of such early -origin that they prove that the Egyptians had the game, although -deductions of this kind are sometimes overthrown by subsequent -discoveries. - -That chessmen of the conventional type are by no means absolutely -necessary for a game is shown by the Korean Tjyang-Keui, whose figures -closely resemble the pieces used by the Chinese. The men of the set in the -writer's collection are of wood about the thickness of an ordinary checker -or draughtsman, but they are octagonal in shape, and the size of the -pieces varies, since it is indicative of the value. Sometimes the pieces -are circular in shape, and have their value painted in incised characters -on both sides in red, blue, or green, according to the side they -represent. The King or General is much the largest piece and about an inch -and a half in diameter. The Chariot, Elephant, Horse, and Cannon are of -medium size, while the Pawns and Councillors are the smallest. The pieces -in the writer's collection were kept by the original owner in a netted -string bag. The board differs from those of Europe, as the men are placed -at the intersections of the squares, and not in their centres, as is -customary in other places. The game, as played in Korea, is logical, and -was the inspiration of various games played in Germany, where marbles are -placed in stated positions on boards made for the purpose, with rounded -holes, and marked off with diagrams. In some games the board represents a -fort to be defended; in others, a series of positions to be captured by -one or other of two armies of equal value. - -A very interesting set of chessmen in the British Museum was found at Nig, -in the Isle of Lewis, and is described as "North European, Twelfth -Century." The backs are carved with intricate interlacing designs like -those on the reverse of the old Tarots. The Queens rest their cheeks on -their right hands. The Kings have swords laid across their laps. The -Bishops are mitred, and all are seated. - -An anonymous writer declares: "The most probable conjecture is that Chess -descended from the Brahmins, through Persia, to Arabia, about the sixth -century, and passed into Europe two or three hundred years later." -Continuing, the writer says: "A mathematician named Seffa originated the -game for his master, Ravan, King of Ceylon, who was so pleased with the -device that he asked the inventor to name his own reward. The cunning sage -demanded enough wheat to cover the board, starting with a single grain for -the first square, two for the second, and so on, doubling the grains until -the sixty-four squares were covered, finally adding the whole amount -together, so when computed, it was found that more wheat would be required -than the world produced in ten years." - -The Persians claim that Chess was invented in their country, pointing out -the retention of some of their names and expressions in the English game, -such as "Check," from the Persian Sciack or King, and "Mat," signifying -"dead," hence "Checkmate," or "The King is dead." These words may well -have their derivation from the Persian or Arabic, but they are not -universally employed, although Chess is of ancient origin and has been -played for centuries in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The term Rook, that is -sometimes used instead of Castle, is undoubtedly of Indian origin, -derived from Rokh, and signifying dromedary. In China this piece is called -Ku, and in Korea Tcha, words in no way connected with the Arabic. - -There are many historical descriptions of Chess in Europe too well known -to be repeated; besides which, there are numerous copper, steel, and wood -engravings showing persons playing Chess. - -In "A History of the Moorish Kings" (1396), there is an account of a game -played when Jussef, the heir to the throne, was ordered to be beheaded by -his usurping brother. An alcade was sent to the prison for the purpose of -carrying out the command, but, finding Jussef playing Chess, and becoming -interested in his skill, he waited until the game terminated to dispatch -the prince. However, before it was finished, the usurper, Mehemed, was -murdered, so Jussef succeeded to the throne and rewarded the kindly -executioner with money and honours. - -One of the earliest descriptions of Chess in the English language was -written by Thomas Hyde in 1694, at about the time that Cotton's "Complete -Gamester," on the subject of gambling and its tools, appeared. There is a -rare book, entitled "The Game and Playes of the Chess," that, strange to -say, contains little or nothing concerning the game beyond its title. - -"It is remarkable," says Sir Gardiner Wilkinson, in "Ancient Egyptians" -(Vol. II, page 415), "that a game so common as Mora among the lower order -of Italians should be found to have existed in Egypt from the earliest -period of which their paintings remain, even in the reign of the First -Osirtasen." The game, which requires no accessories, is skillfully played -by holding up certain fingers to an opponent, who tries to guess the -number; it was probably carried to the Southern ports of Italy by the -Egyptians, when the yearly voyage was made to the Bay of Naples, at the -time that the great Temple of the Serapeon was erected at Pozzuoli and the -cult of Thoth Hermes introduced. - -Draughts were also found in early days at or about the same place, and -that game is represented as being played on the sculptures of Beni Hassan -in grottoes on the east bank of the Nile. The same authority says: "This -would be coeval with Joseph, or 1740 B. C." - -An anonymous writer in an English paper states that one of the frescoes of -the palace of Rameses II shows the mighty Pharaoh himself playing against -some of the beauties of his harem. - -Many writers consider that the Roman Latronculi and the Greek -Digrammisnios were games of Chess or Draughts. A Spaniard, named Antonio -Torquemada, published rules for the latter as early as 1547, and a -Frenchman, named Pierre Malet, described the Parisian game in 1668. The -latter called for a board of sixty-four squares, the men moving but one -block at a time, and the crowned pieces having the right to move -backwards. The game was not popular in France until the days of the -Regency, when the Polish game, that is played on a board with one hundred -squares, each player having twenty pieces, became the vogue. - -This variation of the old game of Draughts was introduced by a man named -Manoury, who started life as a waiter in one of the cafés. He gave lessons -to Marshal Saxe and Jean Jacques Rousseau, besides writing out the rules -governing the game for the use of his pupils. - -In France and England players use the black squares on the Checker board, -but in Holland and Russia the white ones are those that are favoured, and -it is strange how puzzling this slight change is to unaccustomed players. - -Draughtsmen or checkers are made of many different materials, such as -clay, bone, wood, and ivory. Some old ones in the British Museum are of -ivory, two inches in diameter, and were found in Leicestershire. On one of -them is a figure like Il Pendu, or the Hanged Man, of the Atouts. In the -writer's collection there are some draughtsmen of unpainted wood most -beautifully carved. One of them displays a winged figure with a cap of -Mercury hanging over his head, on top of which is perched a die, a Four -Spot on one side of it, while the other displays an Ace. The cap is -suspended in the air over a table covered with a fringed cloth, on which -rests a rose and a laurel wreath. A motto surrounding the checker reads: -_Fert Praemia Favsta_. On the reverse is a hand emptying a purse on a -Backgammon board, the legend being _Freqvens Tibidissipat Avrum_. Another -checker, a mate to the above, shows a table on which is a Backgammon board -and two players busy over the game. The man is seated, while the woman is -standing with arms upraised, and having evidently just lost a game, is -upbraiding her companion. The motto is _Ars Sortem Corrigat Astx_. The -reverse shows a draped Cupid opening a money chest, the motto being _Sat -Loevlo Havt Ocvio_. A black man of this set shows a warrior talking to a -harpist, the motto being _Juam Rari Amici Chari_. The reverse shows a -figure of Mercury, as Luck, with a philosopher and a courtier trying to -hold the flying figure with ropes that have been thrown around the waist -of the flitting god. The motto is _Ah Fortuna Bona Me Condona_. These -checkers are part of a set that was once in Lady Charlotte Schriber's -collection of games. They are probably of German manufacture, as they -closely resemble sets of draughtsmen that are in the Nuremburg and Munich -collections. - -In Korea the game of Draughts is a favourite one. The pieces are not flat -and round, like those of Europe, but the "horses," as they are named in -Korea, have shanks about two inches long, with round, solid bases, making -them easy to pick up and move, but they would be awkward if the game -called for "jumping," as does that of European players. With this -exception, the rules for playing resemble those common in Europe. - -The Japanese, the Siamese, and the Chinese all play the game with the -assistance of dice, and the men as well as the boards show an origin -common with those already mentioned. They are games of luck or chance, but -are not used for fortune-telling, and have nothing in common with cards, -arrow divination, or prophesying, unless students can hereafter trace them -to the Urim and Thummim of the Bible. - -Games with dice are favourites in all Asiatic countries, but the men -themselves and the games played with them are far more elaborate and -scientific than those of Europe, and capable of a great variety of -combinations quite unknown to English-speaking nations. The mathematical -calculations necessary for the Asiatic games are intricate and -complicated, but well worthy of adoption. - -About 1815 the Germans issued a pack of cards that had dice on them -instead of the commonplace pips. The set in the writer's collection is -incomplete and incomprehensible without the rules, that have been lost. -The cards have the dice on the lower half, while the upper part displays -different designs, such as a diligence, a ship, a bookcase, and an easy -chair. The two designs last mentioned have "doctor" printed under them. - -[Illustration: GAMBLING, HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL CARDS - - 95-96 Spanish Cards showing Four of Cups (with name Naypes, meaning - prophetical) and Knave of Money (with the gazelle of Osiris). - - 97 English Educational Cards--historical. One of the Jubilee pack - containing Queen Victoria and all her descendants. - - 98 Netherlands Domino Card for teaching music. - - 99 United States Domino Card. - - 100 United States Numbered Card for game of Grabouche or Flinch. - - 101 United States Educational Card for game of Authors. - - 102 English Educational Card for teaching arithmetic.] - -Games of dice are probably the oldest known, and are found in all Asiatic -countries. The evolution from them to dominos is easily traced, for the -latter is evidently a pair of dice placed together. The pieces in a Korean -set of dominos in the writer's collection are of the size that a pair of -European dice would make if glued side by side. Besides the games of -chance, dice are used for divining purposes all over the world, but -particularly in Africa and Asia. - -Jackstones, or Knuckle-bones, is another old game. There is in the British -Museum a most interesting marble group of boys playing Jackstones. A -lively dispute, if not an active fight, over the result of the game is in -progress, and the little men are scattered over the ground while the boys -wrestle. - -Jackstones may be of many different materials, although those most -commonly used are the simple round pebbles found by any roadside. A set -in the writer's collection is of bone, which was common in New York about -1850. Others are of glass and are said to be Phoenician. Ivory and sheeps' -knuckles are favourites with children, who in modern times have added a -small rubber ball for a Jack. - -The game seems to be universal, for children on the Nile, in Hungary, -Austria, France, England, and the United States all seem to play the same -primitive game that is common in Asia. In "Korean Games" (page 58), Mr. -Culin calls it Kong-Keui, and says it is played by boys with five or six -stones or pieces of bricks. When girls play, they use cash or coins, and -then the game is called Tja-Ssei. When played with stones, it is called -Ishi-Nago, or throwing stones, and ten of these are used. The Chinese call -the game Chaptsz, or picking up stones. - -No rules for the Western game seem ever to have been written, but they are -transmitted from one generation to another with almost no difference, -whatever the country may be, although it is noticeable that the innovation -of the rubber ball for a Jack seems to have been introduced by the Polish -or Russian Jew children to the New Yorkers, as it is chiefly played by -these little immigrants. The game has nothing to do with divination, and -is one merely of skill, as it is a simple amusement of the most primitive -kind, for, given a handful of stones, any one can learn the game, and, -with a moderate amount of practice, can play it with more or less skill. - -There are five pieces to a set; four are of equal value, and the fifth is -called the Jack. Any one of the five may be used for the Jack, which is -simply the stone that is tossed into the air while the others are gathered -in the hand. - -The sets (or their order) are agreed upon beforehand by the players. Any -number can take part, for each one plays for himself, and the winner is -the one who independently executes all the difficult sets without failing. -Any place is convenient for the game, and the stones are generally thrown -on the lap, the ground, a pillow, a doorstep, or even the pavement. - -"Muggins" is the name of the first set, which consists in gathering all -five stones in the palm of the right hand and throwing them into the air -together, then catching all five on the back of the hand. Without -stopping, the stones must be thrown again in the air and all five caught -together in the hand. This makes all the stones of equal value and all of -them Jacks (the technical name for the stone thrown in the air while -different movements are being done). The Muggins set requires considerable -dexterity, and a player dropping any one of the stones loses his turn, -which passes to the player on the left. The next set is not started until -all the players have successfully accomplished their turn of Muggins, -which must be done five times in succession without failing. - -"Milking the Cow" is the name of the second set. The stones are gathered -in the hand and the Jack is thrown into the air, and while it is "up," one -stone is quietly and gently placed upon the table from the palm, but must -not be thrown or dropped, and the Jack caught as it comes down. This is -repeated until all the stones are discarded one after the other, the art -being to do this without letting more than one escape at a time. If this -is not done, the turn passes to the next player on the left; but, if -successfully accomplished, the stones are swept into a heap and caught up -in the hand while the Jack is in the air. All the players must do this in -succession or lose their turn. Those who have not completed the first -Muggins take their turn here, and must do it five times without fault -before beginning to milk. - -"Grab" is the name of the third set, and it is difficult. It is called -"Laying Eggs" in Korea. It is done by laying four stones about two inches -apart in a row, tossing the Jack and picking them up one by one. The first -stone is kept in the hollow of the palm of the right hand while the Jack -is tossed and the second stone is picked up. This is retained, and the -third stone is picked up in the same way, and so on until all are caught -in the right hand. Then all are placed in a heap and are gathered while -the Jack is tossed. The left hand is not used at all in these two sets. - -"Peas in the Pot" is the first set of the second part of the game. The -left hand is partly closed and four stones are placed about an inch apart -in a row, the first one touching the thumb. Players, to show their skill, -will often make the spaces wider, but they must not throw the Jack any -higher than is usual, which is about a foot and a half. The play consists -in throwing the Jack, and, while it is in the air, one stone after -another is picked up and put in the pot (which is the left hand). Some -players push the stones into the pot. To do so, the thumb and forefinger -of the left hand are opened to allow the stones to pass in, but this is -considered unworkmanlike by good players. The stones, after being placed -in the pot and the left hand removed, are gathered with one swoop as the -Jack is tossed. - -"Horses in the Stable" is played with the fingers of the left hand -outstretched to form stalls. The stones are placed about four inches away -on the table, and must be pushed into the stalls one by one while the Jack -is aloft. Then all are gathered up at once in the right hand while the -Jack is tossed. In Hindustan the native girls have their photographs taken -when playing this set of Jackstones. - -"Horses out of the Stable" follows. The stones are pushed out with one -motion, one beside the other, and then caught up with one sweep as the -Jack is tossed. The art consists in getting the stones close together when -they leave the stalls, so that they can be grabbed with one sweep while -the Jack is up. - -"Sweeping the Floor" comes next. The stones are placed four inches apart -in a square, and the third finger of the right hand must sweep inside two -of the stones without touching them while the Jack is aloft. They must -then be gathered and caught with one sweep of the hand. - -"Spreading the Table" is done by arranging the square with four stones, as -in the preceding set, after which they are pushed together with one sweep -and caught in the right hand while the Jack is up. - -"Laying Eggs," called Al-Nat-Ki in Korea, is the next set. American -children play it exactly in the same way as do the Asiatics. Four stones -are placed on the table, the Jack is tossed, one stone is picked up and -laid down while the Jack is in the air. Then another stone is picked up as -the Jack is tossed and laid down as before, until all are used. In "Korean -Games," Mr. Culin describes this play, but no reference is made to the -preceding sets, although they are played in Europe. - -"Setting the Eggs," or Al-Houm-Ki, calls for four of the stones being -placed beside the left hand and pushed under it, as is done in "Peas in -the Pot." - -"Hatching the Eggs," or Al-Kka-Ki, consists in holding all the stones in -the right hand, with one tucked under the little finger. This is then -dropped gently on the table while the Jack is tossed, the other stones -being held in the hand, and this is repeated until all are down. - -A good player may work right through the whole number of sets before the -opponents have a chance to play at all. Children often arrange handicaps -among themselves to prevent this. One peculiarity of the game seems to be -that it is a point of honour among the children to take no unfair -advantage of each other, but to try to assist and make the others win if -possible, and it is one of the few games played by children that seldom -lead to quarrelling. There are variations of the sets, but the above is -the standard game. - -Quite different from the last, which is simply one of skill, is the game -known as Jackstraws, which is a primitive game, but it is played all over -the world, and is evidently derived from the "arrows of divination." A set -of Chinese Jackstraws in the writer's collection was made about the middle -of the last century, probably for exportation, for some of the straws are -European in character. They are of ivory, which is most delicately -carved, and are not coloured, as are some of the sets of Chinese -Jackstraws that are carved out of bone. They were imported by a naval -officer who was on the expedition under Commodore Perry which opened the -treaty ports of Japan to American trade. - -In this set there are two hooks, for separating the pieces one after -another without shaking any of the bunch. The long, slender "straws" are -four inches in length. There are eight that are carved to represent -Javelins, and eight carved like Spears. They count, respectively, one and -two marks if taken from the rest of the pile without shaking. Then there -are twenty Straws, counting ten apiece, that are delicately carved, each -one entirely different from any of the others. There is a Spade, a hooked -Spear, an Arrow, an Axe, a Flag, a Standard, a Halberd, a war Hammer, a -Javelin, a Sabre, a Lance, a Sword, a Trident, and a Pitchfork. These all -seem to be intended to represent weapons familiar in the antiquated -warfare of China. The five European implements are a long-handled Shovel, -a pair of Tongs, a Bodkin, a Pen, and a Musket. The skillful player who -captures the Tongs counts twenty, since it is twice as difficult to -disentangle as any of the other Straws, that are valued at ten marks -apiece. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -FORTUNE-TELLING THROUGH THE CARDS - - -Without in the least crediting that cards that are derived from ancient -mysteries are able to reveal the incidents connected with human life, many -people consider the trial an interesting amusement. - -What were the methods used by the ancients for divining the wishes of the -gods? Truly this opens a vast field of inquiry that ranges through every -device and symbol ever invented by man. - -Within a few years various plans have been suggested for reading the fate -through the hand, as is done by the Gypsies, or by the cards, as practised -by the priests of Mercury; but these are only a few hundred years old, and -probably have but little relation to the actual rites that have left no -authentic record and now can only be guessed. - -Consultation of the cards serves to amuse the idle, the curious, and the -credulous, so a brief recapitulation of the two methods most in vogue may -interest readers, who can try for themselves to read what the divining -tools say through the interpretations used by two of the most celebrated -fortune-tellers of the past century, namely: Etteila and Mlle. le Normand. -The latter used modern French cards, while the former required a complete -Tarot pack that is not easy for most people to obtain. - -Cardmakers have not been unready to invent for their customers various -fantastic packs with weird symbols, and to bestow on these modern -creations various significances that have no relation whatever to the old -Tarots; therefore they are valueless in the eyes of those who believe in -the ancient mysteries, which have been implicitly credited for ages, and -have a significance that is not difficult to understand, although the -different shades of meaning attributed to them by the Initiates have been -lost. - -The fortune-telling packs issued by the card makers of the day generally -bear French pips, since these symbols are the ones familiar to -manufacturers in France, England, and America. They have, in addition, -badly drawn, inartistic pictures that are foolish and meaningless, since -they are neither heraldic nor symbolic, and they are only intended for -amateurs, since the true fortune-teller or Gypsy of to-day prefers the -cards with the ancient pips of Money, Swords, Rods, and Cups, together -with the Atouts. - -A pack published in Frankfort-on-Main has the French, not the German, -pips, as would seem natural, and the cards are named "Le Normand Karten." -They are great favourites in Europe, where they are used for foretelling -the future and describing the past or present by credulous persons who -follow the rules laid down in the accompanying book or key, believing that -the cards were originally arranged and interpreted by the celebrated -French _cartomancie_, Mlle. le Normand herself, who had wonderful luck in -her business and has had many successors. - -This pack is one and a half by three inches in width, which is smaller -than ordinary Playing Cards, and more convenient for laying out on a -table. The pack contains only thirty-six cards, with three court cards to -each suit, namely: King Queen, and Knave. The six pip cards are Ace, Six, -Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten. Each one has a meaningless picture on it, -such as a coffin, birds, flowers, or keys, and male or female figures -dressed in the fashion of 1850. In the upper centre of each card is a -small space, on which are the court figures or the pip symbols that are -represented on an ordinary pack of French cards. - -The directions for consulting the cards are printed in German and French -in a small book accompanying them, so, since any pack with French pips -would serve for the same amusement, the rules and interpretations may well -be here given, as many persons enjoy consulting the cards to discover -through them, if they may, the past, present, and future. - -Shuffle and cut the cards, and then hand them to the Inquirer to cut three -times. Deal one at a time, placing them face upward on the table in rows -from left to right. The first four rows each should have eight cards, and -the fifth row only four cards, which should be placed in the middle under -the others. These signify the end of life, and the row is, consequently, -shorter than the others. The cards for this row must be put so that there -are two outside of them on either side, both left and right on the row -above them, which makes the two outside lines count only four cards from -top to bottom, while the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth lines have five -cards under them. - -If the inquirer is a female, she is represented by the Ace of Spades, and -if a male, he is betokened by the Ace of Hearts. These cards also -represent husband and wife, or two lovers, and great attention must be -paid to the place where they fall in dealing, for all the other cards are -dominated and controlled by one of these two, taking their significance -from them. The portent of the other cards is great or less in degree -according to their position, whether it be near or far, above or below, -these two representative cards. Those touching them are supposed to show -the events that are happening at the present moment, those far from them -are in the past, or the future, depending whether they are above or below -the two important ones. - -The meaning of the thirty-six remaining cards is explained as follows: - - KING OF SPADES.--Great happiness. A journey. A voyage on business. A - happy life. - - QUEEN.--Happiness throughout life in every way. - - KNAVE.--A birth. A child. A sweet disposition. Affability. - - TEN.--Inherited wealth. Business. Fortune. Journey on account of - business. Travel. - - NINE.--Successful voyages. Commercial enterprises. Faithfulness. - Illusions. Flirtations. - - EIGHT.--Social position. Constant love. Unimportant position. Bad - companions. - - SEVEN.--Good news. A letter from a distance. Bad news. An invitation. - - SIX.--Long life. Sad life. Sickness. Death. - - * * * * * - - KING OF CLUBS.--Trouble. Happiness. Disaster to friends. Good news of - friends. - - QUEEN.--Misfortune. Bad friends. Slander. Loss. - - KNAVE.--Discord in family. Unhappiness between lovers. Illness. - Protracted sufferings. - - TEN.--Happiness. Indifference. Trouble from outsiders. Slander. - - NINE.--Annoyances. Troubles from friends. Quarrels. Lawsuit. - - EIGHT.--Friendship. Faithful lover. Powerful enemy. Enemy overcome. - - SEVEN.--Loss. Thief. Loss recovered. Loss irreparable. - - SIX.--Disagreeable news. Slight trouble. Bad news. Trouble for - friends. - - ACE.--Engagement. Happy marriage and riches. Broken engagement. - Separation of lovers. - - * * * * * - - KING OF DIAMONDS.--Fortune from the sea. Enterprises successful. - Misfortune. Loss. - - QUEEN.--Unhappiness averted. Danger escaped. Sorrow. Trouble. - - KNAVE.--Chagrin. Misfortune averted. Danger. Unhappiness averted. - - TEN.--News. Secret intelligence. Gossip. Scandal. - - NINE.--Illness. Sorrow. Accidents. Danger. - - EIGHT.--Invitations. A love affair. Pleasure for the beloved. A love - affair in the family. - - SEVEN.--Happy journey. Arrival of friends. A short trip. A journey. - - SIX.--Pleasure. Good news. Annoyances overcome Good fortune. - - ACE.--Prosperity. Good luck. Discouragement. Misfortune. - - * * * * * - - KING OF HEARTS.--Reunion. Prosperity. Fidelity. Endurance. - - QUEEN.--An excursion. A journey. A prevented visit. Delayed journey. - - KNAVE.--Love. Happiness. Pleasure. Concord. - - TEN.--Fidelity. Lovers. Friendships. Treachery. - - NINE.--Good news. Tidings. Letters. Visits. - - EIGHT.--Honours. Approbation. Jealousy. Misery. - - SEVEN.--Pain. Slight illness. Recovery from illness. Health. - - SIX.--Good fortune. Happiness. Reverses. Troubles. - -With this key to the interpretation of the cards, as arranged according to -Mlle. le Normand's theory, they may be read as follows, counting on the -cards as they fall near or far from the Ace of Hearts. If they are above -or close to and on the right, they mean the first description; if on the -left, they signify the second one. If below on the right, the third -description is the one to be taken, and if below on the left, the fourth. - -Suppose a young man is the inquirer, and the cards be dealt as follows: - - FIRST ROW.--Six of Diamonds, Nine of Clubs, Seven of Hearts, Seven of - Diamonds, Ten of Spades, Queen of Clubs, Ace of Hearts, Ten of Clubs. - - SECOND ROW.--Six of Spades, Seven of Spades, Eight of Clubs, Six of - Clubs, Nine of Spades, King of Clubs, Ace of Clubs, Seven of Clubs. - - THIRD ROW.--King of Hearts, Knave of Hearts, King of Diamonds, Queen - of Spades, Knave of Spades, Queen of Diamonds, Six of Hearts, Ten of - Diamonds. - - FOURTH ROW.--Queen of Hearts, King of Spades, Ace of Spades, Eight of - Diamonds, King of Clubs, Eight of Hearts, King of Diamonds, Nine of - Hearts. - - FIFTH ROW.--Ten of Hearts, Nine of Diamonds, Eight of Spades, Ace of - Diamonds. - -This could be explained through the key as being a young man who from -birth had been surrounded by envious, jealous, and quarrelsome persons, -who formed his character, leading to the greatest unhappiness in the -family life. The marriage of his parents having been unfortunate, it -reacted on the boy's welfare. A trusted friend or guardian stole the -fortune that had been left in trust. But, endowed with good health, these -troubles were disregarded in youth. His character being unbridled, -capricious, frivolous, inconstant, peevish, and given to imagining -grievances, although affectionate to his friends, his disposition made him -uncongenial to most persons. - -Secret enemies, who had been trusted as friends, embittered his life in a -way that nothing could overcome. A long journey undertaken for the sake of -forgetfulness was filled with annoyances and mishaps. Some brightness -entered into it through the companionship of a charming woman, which might -have resulted in a happy marriage had not the jealous spirit that -controlled the young man's career prevented. An early death is -prognosticated. - -Let us now consider the other method of fortune-telling, which was -followed by Etteila, a celebrated French fortune-teller, who lived in -Paris about one hundred years since, who wielded a vast influence over his -compatriots, who firmly believed, as, indeed, he did himself, that he had -discovered the key to the Book of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus through an old -pack of Tarots that fell by chance into his hands. - -It is said that Napoleon Bonaparte had great faith in the deductions and -revelations of this _ci-devant_ hairdresser's apprentice, to whom -Josephine presented him. The empress was an ignorant and credulous woman, -owing to her education in the West Indian island of her birth, the society -of which was corrupted by Negro superstitions of a most complicated and -far-reaching character. - -Etteila published a book called "Collection sur les Hautes Sciences" -(1780). It included an essay on "The Sublime Book of Thoth" that is now -very rare, but he saw what few others had seen, that Playing Cards were of -Egyptian origin, although he failed entirely to trace their progress -through the temples of Nebo and Thoth to the Mercury of the Romans, so, of -course, never connected the pips with the emblems of Mercury or -discovered that they originated from the divine commands given to the -Israelites, as well as to the desire of primitive people to consult the -Tablets of Fate that were inscribed by Nebo, the great god of Babylonia. -Many of the statements and beliefs of Etteila would have doubtless been -received with greater credence if these tokens had been pointed out. But -Etteila declared that he had discovered the different subtle meanings -connected with the Tarots, and that he had elucidated many of the points -that had previously been obscure. He certainly obtained astonishing -results when consulting the Tarots, or a set of cards that were probably -invented by himself, and which are now rare. They were adorned with -figures of men and women dressed in the fashion of his day, with numbers -on them, but with no pip marks. They were printed on a yellow-tinted -paper, and when issued were accompanied by a small book of rules for their -use in divining. - -Papus, in his "Tarots of the Bohemians," having digested various works on -the Gypsies, kabalism, and occultism, worked out many rules for divining -with the Tarots. He places great reliance on magnetic currents, the -position of the stars, and the signs of the zodiac, suggesting astrology, -but he finds these symbols in the Tarots. He also gives value to the -letters of the Hebrew alphabet in connection with the Atouts, but, after -all, he declares that intuition plays a most important part when reading -the Tarots. - -As has been pointed out, the Book of Thoth, or the Tarot pack, is divided -into two volumes, twenty-two leaves of which are called Atouts and bear -symbolic figures more or less correctly described by the names written on -them. The fifty-six leaves of the second volume are divided into four -suits, namely: Cups, Swords, Rods, and Money, with four court cards to -each suit: King, Queen, Knave, and Cavalier, followed by nine numbered -cards headed by the Ace. - -Papus (page 308) defines the meaning of the suits as follows: - - RODS.--Enterprise, glory. - - CUPS.--Love, happiness. - - SWORDS.--Hatred, misfortune. - - MONEY.--Money, commerce, mercantile interests. - -These four sets of principles must be remembered. The four court cards -represent people in general or particular who come in contact with each -other during the events of life. The Kings represent men, the Queens -women, the Cavaliers youths, and the Knaves children. - -The court cards of the Rod and Sword suits represent dark people, while -those of the Cup and Money suits represent light or fair people. The -latter are benign, the former indifferent or malignant. - -The key to the pip cards as given by Papus is as follows: - - RODS. - - Creation. Enterprise. Agriculture. Fire. - - KING.--A dark man. A friend. Generally married. The father of a - family. - - QUEEN.--Dark woman. A friend. A serious person. A very good - counsellor. The mother of a family. - - CAVALIER.--A dark young man. A friend. - - KNAVE.--A dark child. A friend. Also represents a message or letter - from a near relation. - - ACE.--Commencement of an enterprise. - - TWO.--Opposition to the beginning of an enterprise. - - THREE.--Realization of the commencement of an enterprise. The basis of - the work is now definitely established, and the undertaking can be - fearlessly continued. - - FOUR.--Obstacles to be prepared for. - - FIVE.--Obstacles surmounted. - - SIX.--Failure. - - SEVEN.--Certain success. - - EIGHT.--Partial success. - - NINE.--Great success. - - TEN.--Uncertainty. - - - CUPS - - Preservation. Love. Instruction. Earth. - - KING.--A fair man. A friend. A barrister, judge, or ecclesiastic. A - bachelor. - - QUEEN.--A fair woman. The loved one. The mistress of a house. - - CAVALIER.--Young, fair man. A friend. The lover or the loved one. - - KNAVE.--Fair child. A messenger. A birth. - - ACE.--Commencement of a love affair. - - TWO.--Opposition. Unimportant obstacles raised by one of the lovers. - - THREE.--Mutual love. - - FOUR.--Serious obstacles from others. - - FIVE.--Obstacles overcome. - - SIX.--Obstacles insuperable. Widowhood. Separation. - - SEVEN.--Success and happiness. - - EIGHT.--Jealousy and trouble. - - NINE.--Children. - - TEN.--Uncertainty. - - - SWORDS - - Transformation. War. Hatred. Lawsuits. Air. - - KING.--Dark bad man. A soldier, an enemy, or one to be mistrusted. - - QUEEN.--A dark wicked woman. A gossip. A calumniator. Jealous. - - CAVALIER.--Young dark man. An enemy. A spy. - - KNAVE.--A child. An enemy. Bad news. Delay. - - ACE.--Commencement of enmity. - - TWO.--Enmity does not last. - - THREE.--Hatred. - - FOUR.--Enemy defeated. - - FIVE.--Enemy triumphs at last moment. - - SIX.--Enemy powerless. - - SEVEN.--Enemy successful. - - EIGHT.--Enemy only partially successful. - - NINE.--Duration of hatred. - - TEN.--Uncertainty in the hatred. - - The court cards generally indicate an opposition raised outside of the - home. - - - MONEY - - Development. Money. Trade. Commerce. Journeys. Water. - - KING.--Fair man. Inimical or indifferent. - - QUEEN.--A fair woman. Indifferent. - - CAVALIER.--A young, fair man. A stranger. An arrival. - - KNAVE.--A fair child. A messenger. A letter. - - ACE.--Commencement of good fortune. Inheritance. Gifts. Economy. - - TWO.--Difficulty in getting inheritance or good fortune. - - THREE.--A small sum of money. - - FOUR.--Loss of money. - - FIVE.--Success coming that will balance loss. - - SIX.--Ruin. - - SEVEN.--A large fortune. - - EIGHT.--Partial success. Great loss of money at last moment. - - NINE.--A durable fortune. - - TEN.--Great successes and great reverses. - -The pips of the Rod and Cup suits indicate that which comes from within or -at home. The pips of the Money and Sword suits indicate that which comes -from outside or abroad. - -In order to practise card-reading with success, the Book of Thoth must be -mastered in every detail, and every significance of each of the -seventy-eight leaves must be committed to memory. After this the laying -out of the cards and the reading of their meaning would become mechanical, -were it not that the position of each one, as well as of the surrounding -cards, is capable of such subtle and illusive connections that only those -well versed in cartomancy, or, perhaps, inspired by the dominating genius -of Mercury, can translate their import. - -First, then, the direct meaning of each card must be remembered, and then -its significance when it is reversed; thirdly, its value owing to its -position on the table and when in contact with other cards must be known. -The card is read in one way when it is required to reveal the character, -and in another when the social position or the thoughts of the inquirer -are to be revealed. The same card signifies, under other circumstances, -past or future events according to its position. A malignant card may be -entirely changed if surrounded by benign cards. Thus each condition must -be given due weight when the cards are being consulted. - -"Human life," says Papus, "passes through four great periods, namely: -childhood, youth, maturity, and old age; so, when the Tarots are being -read with regard to the past, present, or future, this is the first thing -to be dwelt upon to the exclusion of every other significance that may be -seen in the cards. If, however, they are being read regarding events, it -will be seen that commencement, apogee, decline, and fall are -represented." - -If a business transaction is the subject of inquiry, the suit of Rods must -be the one selected, since it indicates creation, enterprise, agriculture, -art, and the element of fire. - -If a love affair is being inquired about, Cups must represent it. The Cup -indicates instruction, preservation, the earth, and affection. - -A lawsuit, quarrel, or trouble has Swords for an emblem, as they denote -transformation, hatred, war, trouble, and the air. - -Business calls for the Money suit; that typifies development, trade, -commerce, and water, with ships, travelling, and all that is connected -with movement. The Money suit is sometimes named Pentacles. - -The Cups and Staves denote the house or the home, the family or near -relatives and friends. Money typifies outsiders, or the world in general, -or unknown persons. Swords may be either close relations or the public, -whichever is indicated by the surrounding cards. - -The Atout cards may be divided so that the first seven cards refer to the -intellectual life of man. The next seven cards point to his moral -condition, and the last seven of the Atouts declare the various events of -his life. Taken with the pip cards, a fair narrative of all concerning the -ordinary events of life may be read in the cards, that is at least curious -and amusing, even if no credence is placed in the revelations, and this is -supposed to be what the ancients meant when they declared that Mercury had -invented "speech, letters, and books." - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -READING THE BOOK OF THOTH - - -To consult the Tarots, the Initiate must invite the Inquirer to designate -what the cards are to be asked to reveal, and, as has been mentioned, this -calls for the selection of one of the four suits that in this case must be -separated from the other leaves. The suit selected must be shuffled -thoroughly and cut by the Initiate, who then passes them to the Inquirer, -with the request that they be shuffled and cut three times. The cards are -then ranged or spread out on a table, after which the Atouts are shuffled -and cut according to the above directions, to be dealt according to the -rules of the game, remembering that the first card to the left indicates -commencement or childhood, the second one to the right and above it is -youth or apogee, the third on the right signifies decline or maturity, -while the fourth position means old age or fall; in short, past, present, -and future. - -A simple way of reading the cards is as follows: With the pip and Atout -cards shuffled and cut separately, the Juggler, or first card of the -Atouts, must be taken from the pack and laid in the middle of the table, -so that the other cards may be dealt around it; for it represents the -Inquirer, and the cards that fall close to it reveal the events in life -most nearly connected with him. - -After the cards are cut, the Inquirer may select seven cards from the -Atouts without looking at them. The Bagatleur represents the Inquirer. -Deal four of them one by one, beginning at the left side, so as to fill -the following diagram: - - II - I III - IV - -Then take three Atouts, selected without looking at them, and place them -in the centre, as follows: - - II - I V VII VI III - IV - -The last three show past, present, and future; the other four indicate -the character of the person or the events about which the cards are being -consulted. The diagram demands seven Atouts besides the Bagatleur or -Inquirer. - -Then, without seeing them, twelve pip cards must be taken by the Inquirer -from the suit that has been selected, and these must be laid in a circle -around those already in place, commencing on the left and working -downwards and towards the right. The first card should be next to No. I; -the fourth should be under No. IV; the seventh should be opposite to the -first one and next to No. III; the tenth should be on the top, above No. -II, while the twelfth card falls beside the first one, completing the -circle. The Juggler is then supposed to be placed in the middle of the -diagram or laid above the circle. - -The twelve pip cards indicate the different phases through which the -person will pass, or the evolution of the events during the four great -periods of life. Commencement is indicated by the Atout in position No. I; -apogee, by the Atout in position No. II; decline or obstacle, by the Atout -in position No. III, and fall, by the one in position No. IV. Then the -three other Atouts indicate the special character of the person; in the -past by No. V, in the present by No. VI, in the future by No. VII. - -The pip cards should be studied where the future is indicated by the cards -in the circle occupying places from seven to twelve, the present by those -occupying positions from four to seven, the past by those occupying -positions from one to four. (These numbers refer to the positions -occupied, and never to the number of the pips on the cards, or to the -numbers placed on the Atouts.) - -The above is a short and hurried method of consulting the cards, but -Etteila had a second one that was used when a whole career was to be -revealed, as well as the character, or the influence of education, -friends, and family. It also indicated the future position and chief -events of life. In short, it was supposed to be a repetition of the scene -when a young man, on reaching maturity made a solemn sacrifice in the -temple, when the "Tablets of Fate," that had been inscribed by Nebo, -Thoth, or Mercury at his birth, were consulted. In this way their wishes -were obtained that should govern his career in life. This ceremony was -never repeated, although the orders of the gods were often requested on -particular occasions without going through the entire performance or the -full consultation that had been made at maturity. - -According to Papus, four deals are required for this process of -divination, but his methods are unnecessarily complicated, so they may be -simplified without altering the results. - -Shuffle all the Tarots without making any distinction between the Atout -and the pip cards. Let the Inquirer cut them three times, and then cut -them in three packets of about equal size. Take the central heap, deal out -twenty-six cards, and lay them to the right in a pile. Shuffle those -remaining with the rest of the pack, and let them again be cut, and then -again cut into three piles. Select the centre and deal seventeen cards, -placing them in a pile beside the one containing the twenty-six cards. -Shuffle the stock again together, and let them be shuffled and cut as -before, taking again the centre packet and dealing eleven cards. Collect -the remaining twenty-four cards and put them aside. This is the Widow, or -Stock, and these cards represent the events that might have happened in -the life of the Inquirer, but were eliminated by luck or chance, and -these often prove most interesting. - -The first packet, containing the twenty-six cards, represents the soul or -the character of the Inquirer, and of those most closely connected with -him. The pile containing the seventeen cards represents his mind or the -events controlling him. And the pile of eleven cards represents the body, -the ills or annoyances of life, or the events to take place, such as the -profession to be chosen, the journeys to be taken, with other happenings. - -The cards should be spread out on a table, so that they can easily be seen -and interpreted according to their value, as given on pages 000-000, the -upper row containing the "soul" pile, the second row the "mind" pile, and -the third row containing the "body" pile. - -"From this system," says Papus (page 330), "Etteila deduced his subtle -arguments upon the creation of the universe, the Kabbalah, and the -Philosopher's stone." If any person can emulate him in these deductions, -they must be "wise in their generation," and must have established direct -communication with the great god Nebo himself, the "writer of the Tablets -of Fate." - -For the second deal, the whole pack of seventy-eight cards must be -shuffled and cut three times. Deal seventeen cards, laying them on the -table face up. Then take the eighteenth card and the seventy-eighth card -that should be on the bottom of the pack, and "the meaning of these two -cards," says Papus, "will tell you whether any fluidic sympathetic -communication is established between the Initiate and the Inquirer." Then -the seventeen cards laid out can be deciphered and disclosed. - -The third deal is "Etteila's great figure," which gives the key to the -past, present, and future of the person about whose fate inquiry is being -made. - -Take out the Atout numbered One, or the Juggler. Deal ten cards side by -side on the left of the table. Shuffle and cut three times, and then deal -ten more across the top. Then shuffle, cut, and deal ten more on the right -side, thus forming a hollow square, with the thirty Atout and pip cards -falling indiscriminately, but arranged side by side. - -Deal thirty cards in a ring in the centre, leaving seventeen cards besides -the Juggler, or on one side for the stock, which has the meaning ascribed -to it in the other deals. - -To read the cards, they must be picked up one by one, beginning with the -last one dealt on the right side of the open square and the last one of -the ring, explaining their meaning and significance as they are placed -together in pairs, and then discarding them entirely. The twenty cards -that are first taken up relate to the past. - -The next twenty should be lifted in the same way, starting with the top -card of the square, and mating it with the one nearest it of the centre -circle, which should be the eleventh one dealt. These twenty cards -represent the present. - -The remaining twenty cards, that should be selected in the same way, -foretell the future. - -The fourth deal is simple, and through it answers may be obtained to any -queries that are put that have not been covered by the three preceding -revelations. Shuffle all the cards together and cut three times. Then deal -seven cards from right to left and read the answer. - -Papus declares that the above system of fortune-telling is based upon -Etteila's method "as given in his Book of Thoth that is very rare," and -that his method has "never before been seriously elucidated by any of his -numerous disciples." Papus, therefore, is one of the first to explain it -upon "simple principles," which, however, require further simplification -to be practical, probably owing to some misprints in his volume. - -The manner of telling fortunes by cards, according to the supposed rules -of the priests of the temple of Thoth, requires a complete pack of Tarots -that are at present difficult to obtain. Spanish, French, or picture cards -issued for games are without real value or connection with one of the -earliest cults of the world. Fortune-telling with cards is useless unless -divined through the emblems of Mercury or his predecessor, the great -Egyptian god Thoth, by reading the signs and symbols pictured in his Book -of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus called - -THE TAROTS. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Prophetical, Educational and Playing -Cards, by Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CARDS *** - -***** This file should be named 42950-8.txt or 42950-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/9/5/42950/ - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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