Suits. CÅUR. CARREAU. TRÃFLE. Kings. _Salomon._ _Auguste._ _Clovis._ Queens. _Elizabeth._ _Dido._ _Clotilde._ Valets. _Valet de Court._ _Valet de Chasse._ _Valet d'Eté._
Suits. PIQUE. Kings. _Constantine._ Queens. _Pantalisee._ Valets. _Valet de Noblesse._
The Valet de Court has his hat under his arm; the Valet de Chasse holds a dog in a leash; the Valet d'Eté carries a large flower; and the Valet de Noblesse bears a hawk on his fist. The mark of the card-maker appears on two of the Valets, namely, on the Valet of CÅur, and on the Valet of Pique. A pack of those cards is preserved in the Bibliothèque du Roi; and fac-similes of the Kings, Queens, and Valets, in their proper colours, are given in the 'Jeux de Cartes Tarots et de Cartes Numérales,' published by the Society of Bibliophiles Français. From those fac-similes the outlines of the four Valets here given have been copied.
[Illustration: Valet de Chasse. (p. 250.)]
[Illustration: Valet de Ãté. (p. 250.)]
[Illustration: Valet de Noblesse. (p. 250.)]
In the same work are given fac-similes of coat cards executed in the reign of Louis XIII, and displaying the costume of that period. The names given to the Kings, Queens and Valets on those cards are: _CÅur_, Alexandre, Pentasilee [Penthesilea], Roland. _Carreau_, Cirus Major, Roxane, Renault. _Trèfle_, Ninus, Semiramis; the name of the Valet wanting.[298] _Pique_, Jule Cæsar, Pompeia, Roger. Each of the Aces is surrounded with an ornamental bordering; and at the foot is an inscription, which, when read consecutively, through all the four, is as follows: "_Vive le Roy_ | _Vive la Reyne_ | _J'ayme l'Amour_ | _Et la Court_."
Some of the specimens of Portuguese cards given in the 'Jeux de Cartes Tarots et de Cartes Numérales' have very much the appearance of having been originally suggested by, if not copied from, an Oriental type; more especially in the suits of Danari and Bastoni,--Money and Clubs. In those cards the circular figure, generally understood as representing Danari, or Money, is certainly much more like the _Chakra_, or quoit of Vichnou, as seen in Hindostanee drawings, than a piece of coin; while on the top of the Club there is a diamond proper, which is another of the attributes of the same deity. The dragon seen on each of the Aces is perfectly Oriental in character; and the shields which appear on the Kings and Queens are very much like those which are to be seen in Hindostanee drawings. The coat cards in this pack are King, Queen, and Horseman; and the suits are Coppe, Danari, Bastoni, and Spade--Cups, Money, Clubs proper, and Swords. The Queen, which here appears as the second coat card, is of unusual occurrence in cards of this kind, and more especially in such as are of Spanish or Portuguese manufacture.[299] In two of the suits,--Clubs and Swords,--the Queen appears in the act of encountering a dragon. The coat cards and aces have letters both at top and bottom, indicating the suit, and the rank or name of the card. Specimens of those cards, which appear to have been executed in 1693, are preserved in the Bibliothèque du Roi. The four annexed cuts show the outlines of the four Valets. The letters CC, CD, CB, CS, signify respectively the Caballo, or Chevalier of Coppe, Danari, Bastoni, and Spade.