Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing Cards

by William Andrew Chatto

Cards. Their piquancy whets the appetite of tavern-haunters.

Paduan. And the Diamonds? [Quadri.]

Cards. The firmness of the player.

Paduan. And the Hearts? [Cori.]

Cards. Inclination to cheat in play.

Paduan. And the Flowers? [Fiori.]

Cards. The pleasure of saying a good thing." [239]

The invention of cards with these marks, and having a Queen for the second coat card, instead of a male figure, as in the Spanish and German cards, has been claimed by the French; and this substitution has been considered by some French writers as peculiarly characteristic of the gallantry of their nation. The French also appear to have been the first who gave to their coat cards the names of historical personages. From those names, and the marks of the suits, Père Daniel has been enabled to discover the origin and meaning of the game of Piquet, which he supposes to have been devised about 1430, in the reign of Charles VII; admitting, however, that Playing Cards of another kind were of a much earlier date, but yet considering even these to have been of French invention.

In the time of Père Daniel, the coat cards were named as follows:

SUIT.	KINGS.	QUEENS.	VALETS.
CŒUR.	CHARLEMAGNE.	JUDITH.	LA HIRE.
CARREAU.	CÆSAR.	RACHEL.	HECTOR.
TREFLE.	ALEXANDER.	ARGINE.	LANCELOT. [240]
PIQUE.	DAVID.	PALLAS.	HOGIER.