Catalogue of the collection of playing cards bequeathed to the Trustees of the British museum by the late Lady Charlotte Schreiber.

SPANISH CARDS.

31

148. Roman History. Companion pack to the last, illustrating
characters in Roman History. Five cards, Nos. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 24,
are missing. In pasteboard case, of which the upper half with
the title has been lost.
149. Ancient History. 35 of a pack of 40, engraved somewhat in the
manner of Della Bella. Each has a vignette of a subject in
ancient history, with Italian description below. The pack is
numbered I-XXXX with Roman numerals on ribbons. The
missing cards are Nos. VI, XI, XII, XXXVI and XXXVIII.
The last six are printed in red ink. Backs decorated with a
figure of History seated amidst ruins and inscribed "Testis
Temporum."
3i x 21 in.
150. Geography. Pack of 47, giving printed accounts of the various
countries of the world, with woodcut medallions of the costumes.
The pack is accompanied by a list of the countries and a folding
engraved map. In original pasteboard case which bears the title
"Giuoco di Carte Geografiche, adornato di Figure,... Milano,
P. & G. Vallardi, 1826."
44 x 24 in.
151. Proverbs. Pack of 36 vellum cards, each containing six MS.
Italian proverbs or aphorisms. In pasteboard case.
34 x 2f in.
152. Costumes. Six of a set of well-executed sixteenth century
woodcuts of ancient military costumes. They bear the titles
"Alfieri," "Frombolatore," "Huomo d'Arme," "Soldato Privilegiato," and " Armato Antico."
4i x 24 in.
SPANISH.
Spanish cards have the Italian suits, cups, swords, coins and clubs
(termed copas, espadas, oros and bastos), but in the form and arrangement
of the suitmarks and the designs of the court cards they differ greatly
from Italian cards. The espadas are short straight swords, placed apart
from one another, either vertically or horizontally, the ace being usually
a sword with belt supported by a boy; and the bastos are knotted cudgels.
The ace of oros bears the arms of Spain, and the central coin in the 5 of
that suit is sometimes a medal with two royal heads facing one another,
derived probably from the coins of Ferdinand and Isabella. The court