Cards, that is, European cards, were, as all are agreed, of an harmless origin.  Charles the sixth, of France, was particularly afflicted with the hypochondriasis.  While in this disordered state, one of his subjects invented them, to give variety of amusement to his mind.  From the court they passed into private families.  And here the same avaricious spirit fastened upon them, and, with its cruel talons, clawed them, as it were, to its own purposes, not caring how much these little instruments of cheerfulness in human disease were converted into instruments for the extension of human pain.

In the same manner as the spirit of gaming has seized upon these different institutions and amusements of antiquity, and turned them from their original to new and destructive uses, so there is no certainty, that it will not seize upon others, which may have been innocently resorted to, and prostitute them equally with the former.  The mere prohibition of particular amusements, even if it could be enforced, would be no cure for the evil.  The brain of man is fertile enough, as fast as one custom is prohibited, to fix upon another.  And if all the games, now in use, were forbidden, it would be still fertile enough to invent others for the same purposes.  The bird that flies in the air, and the snail, that crawls upon the ground, have not escaped the notice of the gamester, but have been made, each of them, subservient to his pursuits.  The wisdom, therefore, of the Quakers, in making it to be considered as a law of the society, that no member is to lay wagers, or reap advantage from any doubtful event, by a previous agreement upon a monied stake, is particularly conspicuous.  For, whenever it can be enforced, it must be an effectual cure for gaming.  For we have no idea, how a man can gratify his desire of gain by means of any of the amusements of chance, if he can make no monied arrangements about their issue.

SECT.  II.

The first argument for the prohibition of cards, and of similar amusements, by the Quakers, is—­that they are below the dignity of the intellect of man, and of his moral and christian character—­sentiments of Addison on this subject.

The reasons, which the Quakers give for the prohibition of cards, and of amusements of a similar nature, to the members of their own society, are generally such as are given by other Christians, though they make use of one, which is peculiar to themselves.

It has been often observed, that the word amusement is proper to characterize the employments of children, but that the word utility is the only one proper to characterize the employment of men.

The first argument of the Quakers, on this subject, is of a complexion, similar to that of the observation just mentioned.  For when they consider man, as a reasonable being, they are of opinion, that his occupations should be rational.  And when they consider him as making a profession of the Christian religion, they expect that his conduct should be manly, serious, and dignified.  But all such amusements, as those in question, if resorted to for the filling up of his vacant hours, they conceive to be unworthy of his intellect, and to be below the dignity of his Christian character.