Epitaph on John Randal.—As a counterpart to Palise's death, I have sent a Warwickshire epitaph, taken from Watford Magna churchyard, written about the same period:
"Here old John Randal lies, who counting by his sale,
Lived three score years and ten, such virtue was in ale;
Ale was his meat, ale was his drink, ale did his heart revive,
And could he still have drunk his ale, he still had been alive."
J.R.
Playing Cards.—As a rider to The Hermit Of Holyport's Query respecting his playing cards (Vol. ii., p. 462.), I would throw out a suggestion to all your readers for notices of similar emblematic playing cards: whether such were ever used for playing with? what period so introduced? and where? as both France and Spain lay claim to their first introduction. I see that Mr. Caton exhibited at one of the meetings of the Archæological Institute this season a curious little volume of small county maps, numbered so as to serve as a pack of cards (described more fully in the Archæological Journal for September, 1850, p 306.), and which I regret I did not see.
W.H.P.
Wanstead, Dec. 13. 1850.