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.
EVEN OR ODD.
First, find out whether the last card in the pack be black or red; then, on the pack being cut into two parts, if the card found at the bottom of the upper division is of the same colour as that at the bottom of the pack, the two parts which have been separated, contain each an even number; on the other hand, if it be of a different colour, they contain each an odd number.
TO TELL THE SPOTS ON SELECTED CARDS.
Having presented the pack, that the person may choose several succeeding cards at pleasure, privately observe the card which is above those he has chosen, and how many he has drawn from the pack; it will then be easy to count how many spots they ought to contain.
For example, if the observed card be a nine, and four cards have been drawn, it may readily be seen that those drawn must be a knave, equivalent to 10 spots: a six, a four, and a two. You may then announce, that the cards in the person’s hand contain 22 spots.