Versatile ingenium, The Wittie companion, or Jests of all sorts. From citie and countrie, court and universitie. : With an account of the life of the laughing philosopher Democritus of Abder̀a. / By Democritus Junior.

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A precise Gentleman kept a Servant that was a great player at cards, who was complained thereof to his Master by one of his fellow-servants. The Gentleman, who would not endure such wicked∣ness as he thought to raign in his familie, had his man in examination, chargeing him verie deeply for a great Gamester: Sir, said the Servant, I am so far from being a player at cards, that I know not what a pair of cards means. No, said the Gentle∣man to the tell-tale, did not you say he was a great player at cards? Yes, and please your Worship, quoth he, he is so, and so addicted to them, that he seldom goes without a pair in his pocket. Upon these words the Gentleman commanded his poc∣kets to be searched, wherein was a pair found in∣deed. What is this? said the Gentleman, did not you say you knew not cards? then pray what things are these? O that, quoth the man, is my Almanack, which I carrie continually about with me. Pray, said the Gentleman, make it appear how these cards can be an Almanack. Why thus Sir, said the man; there are in these things, you call cards, as many suits as there are Quarters in the year, as many cards as there are Weeks in the year, as many court-cards as there are Months in the year, and as many spots as there are Days in the year. And is this, said the Gentleman, all the use that you make of them? No, quoth the servant, I have more uses of them than these; for when I look upon the King, it puts me in mind of the allegiance that I ow to my soveraign Lord the King; looking upon the Queen, puts me in mind of the like allegiance that I ow to the Queen; the Ten puts me in mind of the ten Com∣mandements; the Nine, of the nine Muses; the

Eight, of the eight Altitudes; the Seven, of the seven liberal Sciences; the Six, of the six days that we ought to labour in; the Five, of the five sences; the Four, of the four Evangelists; the Three, of the Trinity; the Two, of the two Sacraments; and the Ace, that we ought to worship but one God. Why said the Gentleman, if this be all the use that you make of them, I can find no great fault with you; but of all the Cards that you have named, you have forgotten one, you have not remembred the Knave, pray what use do you make of him? O, said the ser∣vant smileing, that, and it please you, is your worships informer.