this system, flesh was represented by hearts, fish by
clubs, fowl by diamonds, and baked-meat by spades. The king of hearts
ruled a noble sirloin of roast-beef; the monarch of clubs presided over
a pickled herring; and the king of diamonds reared his battle-axe over
a turkey; while his brother of spades smiled benignantly on a well-baked
venison-pasty.

'The kind of advertisements, now called circulars, were often, formerly,
printed on the backs of playing-cards. Visiting-cards, too, were
improvised, by writing the name on the back of playing-cards. About
twenty years ago, when a house in Dean Street, Soho, was under repair,
several visiting-cards of this description were found behind a marble
chimney-piece, one of them bearing the name of Isaac Newton. Cards of
invitation were written in a similar manner. In the fourth picture, in
Hogarth's series of "Marriage a-la-Mode," several are seen lying on the
floor, upon one of which is inscribed: "Count Basset begs to no how Lade
Squander sleapt last nite." Hogarth, when he painted this inscription,
was most probably thinking of Mrs Centlivre's play, The Basset Table,
which a critic describes as containing a great deal of plot and
business, without much sentiment or delicacy.

'A curious and undoubtedly authentic historical anecdote is told of a
pack of cards. Towards the end of the persecuting reign of Queen Mary, a
commission was granted to a Dr Cole to go over to Ireland, and commence
a fiery crusade against the Protestants of that country. On coming to
Chester, on his way, the doctor was waited on by the mayor, to whom he
showed his commission, exclaiming, with premature triumph, "Here is what
shall lash the heretics of Ireland." Mrs Edmonds, the landlady of the
inn, having a brother in Dublin, was much disturbed by overhearing
these words; so, when the doctor accompanied the mayor downstairs, she
hastened into his room, opened his box, took out the commission, and put
a pack of cards in its place. When the doctor returned to his apartment,
he put the box into his portmanteau without suspicion, and the
next morning sailed for Dublin. On his arrival he waited on the
lord-lieutenant and privy council, to whom he made a speech on the
subject of his mission, and then presented the box to his Lordship; but
on opening it, there appeared only a pack of cards, with the knave of
clubs uppermost. The doctor was petrified, and assured the council that
he had had a commission, but