Why have they kept them confined to the same number, 52, as of yore?
There could have been no law to compel this wonderful thing.
Why is it then, that, as one authority states, "a pack of cards, substantially the same as those in use now, known to be over a thousand years old, is in existence."
The only anathema ever pronounced against those who should change, by taking away or adding to this book, was promulgated only to the members of the order and has come down to us only as an attachment, fastened upon the end of the mystic book of Revelations, one of the few books written by "inspiration" in the entire Bible.
That could have possessed no terrors, for it has not even protected that ancient work from thousands of changes, interpolations and errors.
Reader, you may well ask these questions. The answer is this: Manufacturers, interested church men and inventors have attempted time and time again to change the figures, the emblems, the faces, and even the number of cards in this book. During and after the war of the Rebellion a heavy tax was placed upon cards containing 52 emblems to the pack, or having the well known emblems, hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades upon them. Manufacturers attempted to change the emblems to certain war emblems, such as crossed swords, cannons, etc; the Court cards were changed to high army officers. One ambitious inventor had beautifully engraved modern kings and queens upon his make of cards Queen Victoria herself appearing as the queen of hearts.
