The inventor proposed, by the figures of the four suits, or colours, as the French call them, to represent the four states, or classes, of men in the kingdom

By the Casars (Hearts) are meant the gens de chaur, choir men, or ecclesiastics; and therefore the Spaniards, who cer-tainly received the use of cards from the French, have copas, or chalices, instead of hearts.

The nobility, or prime military part of the kingdom, are represented by the ends or points of lances or pikes; and our ignorance of the meaning or resemblance of the figure induced us to call them Spades. The Spaniards have espaces (swords) in lieu of pikes, which is of similar import.

By Diamonds, are designed the order of citizens, merchants, and tradesmen, carreaux (square stone tiles or the like.) The Spaniards have a coin dineros, which answered to it; and the Dutch call the French word carreaux stieneen,' stones and diamonds, from their form.

Treste, the trefoil leaf, or clover-grass (corruptly called Clubs) alludes to the husbandmen and peasants. How this suit came to be called clubs is not explained, unless, borrowing the game from the Spaniards, who have bastos (staves or clubs) instead of the trefoil, we gave the Spanish signification to the French figure.

The history of the four Kings, which the French in drollery sometimes call the cards, is David, Alexander, Cesar, and Charles, (which names were then, and still are, on the French cards.) These respectable names represent the four celebrated monarchies of the Jews, Greeks, Romans, and Franks under Charlemagne.

By the Queens are intended Argine, Esther, Judith, and Pallas, (names retained in French cards,) typical of birth, piety, fortitude, and wisdom, the qualifications residing in each person Argine is an anagram for Regina, queen by descent.

By the Knaves were designed the servants to knights (for knave originally meant only servant; and in an old translation of the Bible, St. Paul is called the knave of Christ) but French pages and valets, now indiscriminately used by various orders of persons, were formerly only allowed to persons of quality, esquires, (escuiers,) shield or armour-bearers.

Others fancy that the knights themselves were designed by those cards, because Hogier and Lahire, two names on the French cards, were famous knights at the time cards were supposed to be invented.