The grace of God was well left out,
    And I applaud the politician;
  For when an evil’s done, no doubt,
    ’Tis not by God’s grace, but permission.”

  Grace’s Card, the Six of Hearts.

As a note to the communications which have lately amused your readers, respecting the nine of diamonds, and the curse of Scotland, allow me to remind you of another card which has a peculiar name, the origin of which is better ascertained.

At the Revolution of 1688, one of the family of Grace, of Courtstown in Ireland, raised and equipped a regiment of foot and a troop of horse, at his own expense, for the service of King James, whom he further assisted with money and plate, amounting, it is said, to 14,000_l_.  He was tempted with splendid promises of royal favour, to join the party of King William.  A written proposal to that effect was sent to him by one of the Duke of Schomberg’s emissaries.  Indignant at the insulting proposal, the Baron of Courtstown seized a card, which was accidentally lying near him, and wrote upon it this answer:  “Go, tell your master, I despise his offer!  Tell him that honour and conscience are dearer to a gentleman than all the wealth and titles a prince can bestow!” The card happened to be the “six of hearts,” and to this day that card is generally known by the name of “Grace’s card,” in the city of Kilkenny.

I derive these particulars principally from the Memoirs of the Family of Grace, by Sheffield Grace, Esq. 4to.  London, 1823, p. 42.

W.L.

Florins.

The following extract from the Issue Roll of Easter I Edward III. 1327, may interest the inquirers into the antiquity of the FLORIN, lately introduced into our coinage:—­

“To Robert de Wodehouse, keeper of the King’s Wardrobe, for the price of 174 florins from Florence, price each florin as purchased, 39-1/2_d_. paid to the same keeper by the hands of John de Houton, his clerk, for one pound and one mark of gold, to make oblations on the day of the coronation for the Lord the King:—­and in the manner was delivered 104 florins and a mark of 70_s_. by the king’s command, under the privy seal, which was used before he received the government of this kingdom,—­L28.12.6.”

     [Greek:  Phi].

John Hopkins, the Psalmist.

Sir,—­Little is known of the personal history of John Hopkins, the coadjutor of Sternhold in the translation of the Psalms.  It is generally agreed that he was a clergyman and a schoolmaster in Suffolk, but no one has mentioned in what parish of that county he was beneficed.  It is highly probably that the following notes refer to this person, and if so, the deficiency will have been supplied by them.

In Tanner’s List of the Rectors of Great Waldingfield in Suffolk, taken from the Institution Book at Norwich, there is this entry:—­

“Reg. xix. 55 12 Aug. 1561
               Joh.  Chetham, ad praes.  Willi Spring, Arm. 
                   Jo.  Hopkins.
               168. 3 April, 1571. 
               Tho.  Cooke, ad praes.  Edw.  Colman, B.D.”