the books of the four kings
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A pack of cards. After supper were brought in the books of the four kings. — RABELAIS: Gargantua and Pantagruel, i, 22.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “the books of the four kings” mean?
A pack of cards. After supper were brought in the books of the four kings. — RABELAIS: Gargantua and Pantagruel, i, 22.
Is “the books of the four kings” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.