Text a Cards The royal images we see on playing cards today come straight out of the Renaissance (文艺复兴时期), even though cars were invented hundreds of years earlier. The earliest references to playing cards in Europe date to around 1370. And the playing of various games exploded in popularity in 1500. The cards and suits we know today were invented in France, though similar sets spring up in other countries. The earliest known deck come from 13th century Egypt, though there is speculation that playing cards were first made in the ancient China where paper was invented. One thing is clear. Cards became popular fast. By 1420 German and Swiss manufacturers printed decks by the thousands of years stencil (蜡纸) and wood block printing , and later after printing was invented , with engraved plates. By the early 15th century, playing cards were included among items commonly burned in a bonfires of the vanities that religious leaders inspired in the hopes of stamping out the evils of gambling in a society where the power of the church had begun to wane (衰落) in less than a hundred years, cars would be one of the most popular pastimes in Europe, common to all layers of society. During the Elizabethan era in England, cars were block printed, had blank backs, were unwaxed and bore a single image in the center of the card. The innovations of mirror image printing, having the suits and numbers appear in the corners of the easy reference and the joker all came later. English cards used the suits of French systems ( clubs, diamonds, hearts , spades ), while German and Swiss card favorite shows acorns, flowers and bells. The range of numbers from ace to king was the same. The deck itself might be referred to as a bunch , pack or a pair of cards. The first technical description of cards games in England appears in 1564, the year Shakespeare was born. The printing and selling of cards has always been controlled in Spain under Felipe III, the printing and sale of cars was controlled and sold under license. Heavy fines were imposed for using any other cards in England, in 1628, the worshipful company of makers of playing cards was chartered. After which the importation and use of foreign cars was outlawed even today in the United States, cards, unlike all other readily available games, are subject to tax, the sale of which you can see when you crack open a new park. (422words)