ORDER OF THE CARDS.
1 Ace of spades 2 Five of hearts 3 Nine of clubs 4 Knave of diamonds 5 Six of spades 6 Four of hearts 7 Two of clubs 8 King of diamonds 9 Seven of spades 10 Eight of hearts 11 Queen of clubs 12 Three of diamonds 13 Ten of spades 14 Ace of hearts 15 Five of clubs 16 Nine of diamonds 17 Knave of spades 18 Six of hearts 19 Four of clubs 20 Two of diamonds 21 King of spades 22 Seven of hearts 23 Eight of clubs 24 Queen of diamonds 25 Three of spades 26 Ten of hearts 27 Ace of clubs 28 Five of diamonds 29 Nine of spades 30 Knave of hearts 31 Six of clubs 32 Four of diamonds 33 Two of spades 34 King of hearts 35 Seven of clubs 36 Eight of diamonds 37 Queen of spades 38 Three of hearts 39 Ten of clubs 40 Ace of diamonds 41 Five of spades 42 Nine of hearts 43 Knave of clubs 44 Six of diamonds 45 Four of spades 46 Two of hearts 47 King of clubs 48 Seven of diamonds 49 Eight of spades 50 Queen of hearts 51 Three of clubs 52 Ten of diamonds
This order is of such a nature that, by knowing any one of the 52 cards, that which follows it may be also known.
Thus, for example, if it were required to know what card follows the king of spades, it will be sufficient to recollect that septem, in the two Latin lines above given, which follows that of rex, denotes that it is a seven; and as the colour which follows the spades is hearts, it is the seven of hearts, and so for the rest.
Everything being thus arranged, having retained in your memory the above words, and the order of the colours, desire any person to cut the pack as many times as he chooses; for it will be easy to name all the cards in order provided you have found means, by some dextrous manœuvre, to observe that one which is at the top of the pack.
The same arrangement of the cards may be employed for the following two tricks especially, as well as others.